Chapter 50

“Ah!!!” Cui Zhi was startled and screamed.

The servants outside heard and were alarmed but didn’t dare to rush in. After asking once and getting no response, she trembled and said, “Heir is vomiting blood!”

In the next moment, they hurried in but were waved away by Wei Yuntai. His mouth was filled with a metallic taste. Swallowing it down, Wei Yuntai continued to ask, “When did she start scheming like this?”

“Around the time Miss was thirteen years old. I often saw her subtly inquiring about your affairs,” Cui Zhi didn’t know when Lu Mingxi started plotting. But as a close maid, she understood Lu Mingxi well enough to know she wouldn’t inquire about Wei Yuntai’s matters without reason.

“Two years.” Wei Yuntai closed his eyes, letting out a bitter laugh. Anger surged in his chest, feeling both shocked and absurd. He hadn’t believed it before because Lu Mingxi wasn’t particularly clever. She was shallow and ignorant. Initially, she seemed fine, but after marrying into the Marquis’s household for only a few months, her true nature was revealed. Because of this, he couldn’t believe she was involved in all the previous schemes.

But what if she had been secretly plotting against him for two years?

What did he, Wei Yuntai, do to deserve this?

His chest churned with disgust and nausea, almost making him vomit. With a heave, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

“Heir!” The servants, who had been anxiously waiting, cried out in alarm, seeing him collapse. They immediately called for a doctor.

Cui Zhi knelt on the ground, trembling. Watching people come and go, she finally let out a breath when Wei Yuntai was carried away and collapsed to the ground.

She was finished. Would the Heir really let her go? After all, Lu Mingxi deceived him, and she was an accomplice.

But she had no choice; she was just a maid. She was in constant fear, and after the servants locked her in a room, she hugged herself tightly and shrank into a corner.

Wei Yuntai’s consciousness gradually blurred, but the long-suppressed heaviness in his chest finally felt relieved. Scenes flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, finally stopping at the sight of bright red. It was the night of his wedding when he lifted the veil and saw Lu Minghua’s smiling eyes.

“Heir,” she called softly, her eyes lowered, shy and flustered.

He suddenly woke up, the sky outside dark and unclear. The smell of medicine lingered on his nose, and his mouth still tasted bitter. He could vaguely hear the servants whispering outside the door. Lying in bed, he felt lost and disoriented, unable to gather his thoughts for a long time.

Scenes from the past kept replaying in his mind. He was physically and mentally exhausted, not wanting to move at all. After a while, he finally let out a long breath.

Perhaps admitting his mistakes wasn’t as difficult as he thought.

Hearing the noise, a servant came in, relieved, and said, “Heir, you’re finally awake.”

“What time is it?” Wei Yuntai asked.

“You’ve slept for a night and half a day. It’s now the afternoon,” the servant said, trying to help him up. “The doctor said your illness was due to pent-up emotions. Vomiting that blood was actually a good thing. Do you feel better now?”

Wei Yuntai remained silent, calmly getting up to wash and change. Outside, a maid’s hurried voice could be heard, “Madam, please slow down.”

“Yuntai, you’re awake. How are you? Are you alright?” Madam Sun stepped in, her earrings swaying, showing rare urgency.

“Mother, I’m fine now,” Wei Yuntai replied, genuinely feeling well. His mind was clear, his thoughts calm, perhaps better than ever before. Reflecting on the past four years, it seemed like a dream. He had lived in confusion, dragging others down with him.

Minghua, Mother, he had wronged them both. Immersed in his own failures, he had become increasingly stubborn, refusing to open his eyes to see what was in front of him.

But a mistake is a mistake, and failure isn’t shameful. What’s shameful is refusing to admit mistakes, not trying to make amends, and instead finding excuses, sinking deeper. Hopefully, it’s not too late now.

Seeing his relaxed expression and gentle smile, Madam Sun was stunned, feeling as if this moment was from another lifetime.

“Yuntai, you,” she hesitated, unable to comprehend.

“Mother, I want to divorce Lu Mingxi,” Wei Yuntai said directly.

Madam Sun was shocked again. She didn’t speak immediately, first dismissing the servants, then frowning at Wei Yuntai. After a moment of consideration, she said, “Lu Mingxi is vicious and selfish, unfit to be your wife. But a divorce… what if she spreads rumors everywhere?”

Although Wei Yuntai’s reputation was already poor, if this got out, it would worsen, even tarnishing the Marquis’s household.

A young master played by a woman would become a laughingstock.

In Madam Sun’s view, such matters should be avoided if possible. With Lu Mingxi’s health, they could find a way for her to pass away quietly.

“Mother, I don’t want her to die with the title of my wife,” Wei Yuntai said with disgust, bowing deeply and pleading, “Please, Mother, grant me this.”

Madam Sun had many comforting words but swallowed them all at his request. Following Wei Yuntai’s thoughts, she also felt repulsed.

“But what about your father—” she began.

“I agree,” Wei Huailiang’s voice interrupted as he strode into the room. After carefully examining Wei Yuntai, his long-furrowed brows finally relaxed, and satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

“Finally, you’ve come to your senses. Look at what you were like before!” he scolded.

A man in the world must be able to take up and let go.

Confidence and determination are good. But anything in excess is harmful. Overconfidence can become arrogance, and excessive determination can become stubbornness.

One must constantly examine oneself, or else one will blind oneself. Since mistakes were made, correcting them is the right thing to do, rather than being like Wei Yuntai, who, even after discovering clues, refused to believe them and trapped himself in a cocoon.

“Father, it is my fault,” Wei Yuntai said, feeling ashamed.

“Marquis?! You agreed?” Madam Sun was both surprised and delighted, not expecting his agreement.

“Such a foolish and malicious woman. If she were to die as Yuntai’s wife, it would disgrace our family’s name,” Wei Huailiang said. He had previously suggested the worst-case scenario only because Wei Yuntai couldn’t wake up to reality. Now that Wei Yuntai had broken through the confusion and come to his senses, it was no longer necessary.

“But Lu Mingxi will never agree to a divorce. I’m afraid she will spread rumors,” Madam Sun added.

“Madam, you overestimate her. She wouldn’t dare,” Wei Huailiang said confidently. “As long as the Marquis of Ningguo’s household stands, she won’t say a word.”

Hearing this, Wei Yuntai felt slightly relieved. To be honest, he didn’t fully understand Lu Mingxi now, but he trusted his father’s judgment.

“She will agree,” he said coldly.

After settling everything, Wei Yuntai drank a bowl of porridge and went to Chunshan Courtyard.

After some time, the place had become even more desolate. As he walked towards the courtyard, he remembered how it used to be.

The main hall was in sight. He had seen Lu Minghua here countless times, but this time, he saw the extremely thin Lu Mingxi.

“Yuntai,” seeing him from afar, Lu Mingxi suppressed her resentment and put on her usual delicate smile.

“Don’t smile like that. It disgusts me,” Wei Yuntai said bluntly. The gentlemanly demeanor he had learned over the years was something he didn’t want to use in front of Lu Mingxi. He looked at the woman in front of him with extreme disgust, unable to remember why he had ever liked her.

Lu Mingxi immediately froze, staring at Wei Yuntai in disbelief.

He actually said that to her?!

No one had ever spoken to her like that!!!

“Yuntai,” she tried to speak again.

“This is the divorce letter. I’ve already informed the Wen’an Earl Mansion. From now on, I don’t want to see you again,” Wei Yuntai said, throwing the already-written divorce letter at Lu Mingxi.

A folded piece of paper with black characters on it.

Lu Mingxi watched the paper fall at her feet. As if seeing a venomous snake, she stepped back in panic and stumbled to the ground.

Wei Yuntai looked at her coldly, his expression unchanged.

“You want to divorce me?” Lu Mingxi stared at him for a long time, her voice sharp.

“Yuntai, is there some—” misunderstanding?

Lu Mingxi still wanted to struggle. She had made many guesses, but none included being divorced by Wei Yuntai. In her mind, being confined in Chunshan Courtyard meant Wei Yuntai still had feelings for her. But why did he suddenly want to divorce her?

“Lu Mingxi, Cui Zhi has told me everything.”

“Yuntai, don’t joke—”

“How you investigated me, how you bribed the monk, what you were thinking, she told me everything,” Wei Yuntai said bluntly, not wanting to see her pretending.

“Yuntai,” Lu Mingxi was shocked, still trying to struggle.

“Take the divorce letter and leave, or I’ll have the servants escort you out.”

Wei Yuntai finished speaking and wanted to leave, not wanting to look at Lu Mingxi any longer.

“Wei Yuntai, I don’t agree,” Lu Mingxi said sharply, no longer using her delicate tone. She got up and frantically tore the divorce letter, saying, “Don’t even think about it. I will never agree.”

“Child harm, with conclusive evidence, doesn’t require your agreement.” Given Lu Mingxi’s actions, there was no need for any other reason to divorce her; the charge of harming a child was enough.

“Wei Yuntai, aren’t you afraid of mutual destruction?” Lu Mingxi said fiercely, gritting her teeth.

Whether Wei Yuntai, the dignified Heir, was schemed against by her or his interactions with Lu Minghua during their marriage led to their divorce, it was all a scandal. If it got out, not only Wei Yuntai but even the Marquis of Ningguo’s residence would be unable to hold their heads high in the capital.

At that time, not to mention anything else, Wei Yuntai’s position as Heir would be in jeopardy.

“Mutual destruction?” Wei Yuntai repeated, stopping in his tracks.

Seeing this, Lu Mingxi felt a glimmer of hope, but then Wei Yuntai turned back mockingly, and her heart suddenly went cold.

“Do you dare?” Wei Yuntai asked.

Lu Mingxi couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of those three short words.

Wei Yuntai left a mocking smile and walked away.

Lu Mingxi, unwilling to give up, chased after him but was stopped by the servants outside the courtyard. She gritted her teeth, looking at the people in front of her, then raised her eyes, looking around at the luxurious Marquis’s residence. Her heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness, almost overflowing.

Divorce letter! She would rather die than accept that divorce letter!

Lu Mingxi was determined but didn’t move. She thought that once she got out, she would tell everyone how Marquis Ningguo’s residence had tormented her. But as soon as this thought emerged, she was filled with fear.

That fear started as a small point but quickly spread, even suppressing her resentment and unwillingness. In broad daylight, she felt a chill all over and trembled. She had done so many things, and Wei Yuntai must have wanted to kill her. Although she didn’t know why he only divorced her, if she continued to entangle or said anything against the Marquis’s residence …

She would die. She would definitely die!

Lu Mingxi didn’t want to die.

Soon, a servant came and said that people from the Wen’an Earl Mansion had arrived to take Lu Mingxi away.

Another person came, handing over a divorce letter.

Lu Mingxi glared at them, still unwilling. She wanted to tear the divorce letter, but the servant said, “Miss Lu, tear it if you want. The Heir had many written, and one has already been sent to the earl’s mansion.”

Her hand paused, and she left, passing the servants. As the Wen’an Earl’s Mansion’s carriage approached, her panic grew.

What would happen to her this time?

Wen’an Earl’s Mansion.

Lu Chengwen was watching the servants administer family punishment to Lu Chengsong. Holding the evidence sent by the Marquis’s residence, he paced back and forth in the ancestral hall, feeling his anger almost overwhelming him.

Helping Lu Mingxi scheme against Lu Minghua and cleaning up after her.

Buying secret medicine for Lu Mingxi to harm the concubine’s children.

Detaining Lu Mingxi’s personal maid and threatening his own daughter for his son’s benefit.

The Marquis’s household thoroughly investigated each and every act.

When they brought the evidence to him, he almost lost face on the spot. Such a disgraceful person was his brother?

After the Marquis’s people left, he immediately ordered Lu Chengsong to be taken to the ancestral hall.

Lu Chengsong was still crying out his innocence, not understanding what his elder brother was doing.

“What’s wrong? Look for yourself.” Lu Chengwen sneered, annoyed by his cries, and threw the papers in front of him. To make sure he saw clearly, he ordered the punishment to be paused.

“Open your eyes wide and take a good look. It’s one thing to disgrace yourself in the mansion, but this time you’ve disgraced us at the Marquis’s household!”

“This is the daughter you raised. What a good daughter! Scheming against her own sister, malicious and ignorant. That was her own sister!”

Outside, Madam Qin listened to the shouting inside, feeling faint and bewildered. She looked at her sister-in-law, Madam Yuan.

“What scheming? What happened to Mingxi?”

Seeing her sister-in-law still thinking about Lu Mingxi at this moment, Madam Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Lu Minghua, despite never liking her much. That child was outstanding in every way. At home, she always outshone Madam Yuan’s two daughters. Although the child knew how to hide her talents, she was young and naive at the time, and Madam Yuan could still see it. She felt her own children were not up to par and didn’t like it.

Some people might like other people’s children who are better than their own, but Madam Yuan was definitely not one of them.

“You’re only thinking about Mingxi? Don’t you want to know how she schemed against Minghua?” Madam Yuan said irritably.

Her sister-in-law used to feel guilty for neglecting Minghua because she favored Mingxi too much. But over the years, she had become increasingly biased, whether out of habit or because she felt it was too late to mend her relationship with Minghua.

“Minghua is smart and doing well now, but Mingxi is weak…” Madam Qin said for the umpteenth time, bewildered.

“She’s weak, and you pity her, but outsiders won’t,” Madam Yuan sneered. When Mingxi was young, she always wanted to compete with her sister. If she couldn’t win, she wanted Minghua to lose too.

Things might have turned out differently if she had been properly taught back then, but she had a foolish mother. Madam Qin ruined a good daughter. It would have been fine if she had married into an ordinary family. But the Marquis’s household was different. Mingxi’s little tricks wouldn’t last long. Madam Yuan had always thought it wouldn’t last, and sure enough, less than a year later, she was sent back.

Thinking of this, Madam Yuan paused and said to Madam Qin, “By the way, the Marquis’s household has divorced Mingxi. Master has already sent someone to fetch her. You should prepare.”

She had meant to say this earlier, but Lu Chengwen suddenly got angry and took Lu Chengsong to the ancestral hall. She had hurried after Madam Qin and was startled by the shouting inside, almost forgetting to tell her.

“What?! Divorced?! How could this happen?” Madam Qin exclaimed.

“Attempted to harm a child, with conclusive evidence,” Madam Yuan said. She only knew this much, but judging by Lu Chengwen’s reaction, there must be more to the story.

Madam Qin swayed and fainted.