Chapter 17

“Sister, I agreed. Get up now. Mother, the ground is cold. Take my sister back. If she gets sick, it won’t be good.” Seeing the two on the ground not moving, Lu Minghua said calmly.

Mama Li hurried to help, and this time, Lu Mingxi didn’t resist. However, as soon as she stood up, she suddenly lost strength and fainted.

Madam Qin called for help repeatedly while Lu Minghua watched calmly. The discomfort in her heart gradually faded until she almost felt nothing.

“Minghua, let’s go,” Madam Sun urged from the side.

“But my mother—”

“Madam Qin, I have matters to attend to. I’ll take Minghua with me,” Madam Sun interrupted directly.

Madam Qin instinctively looked at Lu Minghua, meeting her calm eyes. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. It seemed something had changed.

“Alright,” she responded subconsciously, feeling a bit alarmed. Lu Mingxi’s unconscious cough in her arms woke her up, and she immediately looked down, patting her gently.

Lu Minghua glanced at her and followed Madam Sun.

The carriage moved quickly, causing some dissatisfaction among pedestrians, but upon seeing the emblem of the Ningguo Marquis’ residence, they fell silent.

The Marquis of Ningguo had guarded the border for over a decade and returned victorious. At the recent celebration banquet, the emperor bestowed many rewards, showing great trust and favor. The grand Marquis’ residence was now flourishing. In the capital, only the emperor’s younger brother, Prince Rui, who also returned from the border, could compare.

“I want to see the Marquis,” Madam Sun said directly to the person who stopped them as she led Lu Minghua through the residence.

Lu Minghua looked up and saw that the courtyard was in the front yard. She vaguely remembered that this was the Marquis’ study, usually guarded by dedicated personnel.

The person who stopped them was tall and imposing, with a fierce look despite wearing plain clothes. She guessed he was someone the Marquis had brought back from the border.

The man glanced at Lu Minghua and then went inside.

“Your Highness, rest assured—” Inside the courtyard, the Marquis of Ningguo, Wei Huailiang, was about to speak when his personal guard hurried in, causing him to stop and turn.

The guard reported that Madam Sun had brought Lu Minghua and waited for instructions.

“Nonsense,” Wei Huailiang scolded, then said, “Let Madam wait.”

Above, Yan Yuanhua put down his teacup with a light ‘thud,’ drawing Wei Huailiang’s attention. He smiled, his usual carefree manner evident, and said, “Our matter is not urgent. It may take a day to discuss. Marquis, attend to your business first. I can wait.”

This time, the emperor entrusted the Marquis of Ningguo with the task of compensating the wounded and fallen soldiers at the border. He wanted to contribute, so he came incognito.

“This,” Wei Huailiang hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your understanding. Please wait a moment. I will be right back.”

His eldest son was disappointing, divorcing for no reason and even wanting to marry his ex-wife’s sister, which was utterly improper. He was furious. But his wife had managed the household for years, and he still had to give her face.

Watching him leave, Yan Yuanhua leisurely picked up his teacup and took a sip. Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, he instinctively looked over and then paused.

It’s her?

He was somewhat surprised. He didn’t expect the woman he saw at the city gate that day to be the Ningguo Marquis’ heir’s former wife. Unconsciously watching for a moment, he suddenly thought that she seemed to be in better spirits after some time. Her snow-white skin and the touch of red on her lips were particularly striking in today’s clear sunlight.

But…

Ultimately, it was someone else’s private matter, and Yan Yuanhua didn’t think further.

Lu Minghua walked calmly behind Madam Sun, her expression indifferent. She vaguely felt as if someone was watching her. She glanced up lightly but saw nothing and then looked away. Her eyes were like dark lacquer, her eyelashes thick and long. That light glance seemed to be filled with countless stars.

Yan Yuanhua unconsciously paused again. When he blinked, she had already left the window and entered the main hall next door. He tilted his ear slightly and heard the clear and pleasant voice of a woman next door.

Leaving the study, Wei Huailiang went to the main hall outside. Shortly after, Madam Sun brought Lu Minghua in, her steps slightly hurried, losing her composure.

Lu Minghua followed Madam Sun and saluted before looking up.

Unexpectedly, Marquis Ningguo, whom her uncle found difficult to deal with, turned out to be a gentle-looking man, resembling Wei Yuntai.

Madam Sun introduced Lu Minghua, looking expectantly at the Marquis while the Marquis looked at Lu Minghua. Although she was once his daughter-in-law, he had never returned during the chaotic years at the border. This was his first time seeing her.

“This time, it was Yuntai who wronged you. If you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle,” Wei Huailiang said, carefully observing the woman before him. Her gaze was clear and steady, showing no signs of panic, which earned his admiration.

“The Marquis is too kind. May I see the heir first?” Lu Minghua’s goal was clear—she wanted to see Wei Yuntai’s miserable state.

Surprised by her directness, Wei Huailiang agreed immediately. Madam Sun frowned slightly, hoping Lu Minghua would speak first to get the Marquis to release him, but seeing his agreement, she said nothing more.

Soon, someone came in to personally lead Lu Minghua to see him. Madam Sun wanted to follow but thought better of it and sat down. The two had been married for three years, so there must be feelings involved. If she followed, the words that needed to be said might not come out, so it was better to wait here.

Lu Minghua had only been to the Ningguo Marquis’ ancestral hall once before; this was her second time. However, compared to the previous visit, this time, there were many guards outside, as intimidating as the person who brought her. No wonder she saw the maids and servants keeping their distance on the way here. Those people directly blocked the entrance, and the person who brought her whispered a few words before they let her in.

The main door of the ancestral hall was open, and from a distance, she could see the kneeling figure inside. The servants who came with her stopped, and Lu Minghua approached on her own, step by step.

She stepped into the ancestral hall.

The light from behind stretched her shadow, casting it beside Wei Yuntai.

Wei Yuntai didn’t move.

Lu Minghua walked forward, her dress sweeping the stone floor. She circled the prayer mat and stood in front of Wei Yuntai, looking down.

The once radiant heir of the Ningguo Marquis, now haggard, knelt there with a straight back, but his eyes were already dazed, clearly on the verge of collapse. It seemed he finally noticed someone approaching. He lifted his eyes slightly, and even this small movement seemed to exhaust him.

“Lu Minghua?” His voice was hoarse, but his eyes suddenly cleared. “What are you doing here?”

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Lu Minghua couldn’t help but marvel at Wei Yuntai’s attention to her—though it was vigilance.

Just seeing her seemed to instantly revive him.

“Madam invited me, offering a hundred-acre estate outside the city in exchange for me to say a good word for you,” Lu Minghua smiled lightly, tilting her head, speaking with a tone of joy. “How would you like me to speak?”

Wei Yuntai’s face seemed to turn even paler.

“By the way, for your sake, Lu Mingxi knelt before me for nearly half an hour. How difficult it was,” Lu Minghua felt like a villain, saying things just to make Wei Yuntai feel worse.

But she was truly happy.

“Lu Minghua! She’s your sister!” Wei Yuntai wanted to get angry, but he didn’t even have the strength for that. Just a slight movement made him fall forward, and if not for his hand supporting him, he would have collapsed.

“Aren’t you angry that your mother gave up an estate for you?” Lu Minghua feigned surprise, feeling immense satisfaction watching him like this.

“You,” Wei Yuntai gasped, his hand on the ground trembling.

Lu Minghua watched with a smile, then extended her foot and kicked Wei Yuntai’s wrist.

Already on the verge of collapse, his hand instantly lost strength, and he fell to the ground. He tried to get up, but even with his fingers turning white from pressing on the ground, he couldn’t rise. His once-praised handsome face was now pressed against the floor, looking utterly miserable.

“The heir looks truly pathetic,” Lu Minghua said, looking down at him from above.

Wei Yuntai lifted his eyes, glaring coldly at Lu Minghua. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he struggled to sit up halfway. His gaze was so intense it seemed like he would kill Lu Minghua if he could move. But she wasn’t afraid. She had been scared many nights before, but now, she was no longer afraid.

“What do you want?” Wei Yuntai asked, lifting his head. His hairpin had fallen to the ground, his clothes were disheveled, and the usually well-groomed man was now in complete disarray.

“I just wanted to see how pathetic you are,” Lu Minghua said bluntly, raising her eyebrows. “And to see if I could shed the deeply ingrained idea in your head. What made you think I admired you?”

Wei Yuntai frowned, about to speak, but she continued.

“Every time I think about you believing that, I feel so disgusted I can’t even eat,” Lu Minghua said, frowning and clutching her chest.

Wei Yuntai was stunned, staring blankly at the evident disgust in Lu Minghua’s eyes.

“Now that I’ve seen it, I should go,” Lu Minghua said, feeling the anger in her heart dissipate. She turned and walked away, her skirt lifting slightly.

“Oh, by the way, don’t worry. I’ll say a good word for you and Lu Mingxi. After all, in this world, the person who most wishes for your loving and long-lasting relationship is probably me,” Lu Minghua said with a smile in her voice as she walked out.

Wei Yuntai frowned. What did she mean?

“The heir has collapsed from kneeling. The Marquis is kind-hearted; please release him,” Lu Minghua said directly to Marquis Ningguo.

Madam Sun was initially pleased but then frowned with worry.

“Yuntai wronged you. You don’t hate him and still plead for him?” Wei Huailiang asked.

“Madam was generous, offering a hundred-acre estate outside the city. That’s enough,” Lu Minghua said with a smile, not directly answering.

“What do you think about Yuntai and your sister?” Wei Huailiang suddenly asked.

“I think the Marquis should agree,” Lu Minghua smiled.

“Nonsense,” Madam Sun’s face turned ugly.

“Oh, what do you think? Tell me,” Wei Huailiang’s eyes flickered as he asked.

“My sister’s health is poor, as everyone knows. When someone dies, the living can only remember their good qualities and never forget them for the rest of their lives,” Lu Minghua said with a slightly mocking smile, looking directly at Wei Huailiang. “The heir is deeply affectionate. If he remarries, the new wife won’t be any better than me.”