Chapter 45: Making Wedding Clothes for Others

“My mother lied to Liu Qi, telling him that she would take care of me while he was to kill Fang Zhan during his western expedition.”

“Liu Qi did complete his mission. Fang Zhan was stabbed in the chest and fell off a cliff. But right after that, my men killed Liu Qi to silence him.”

His voice was slow, laced with cruelty and mockery, as he deliberately enunciated each word:

“Your. Son. Is. Dead.”

Old Madam Meng’s head trembled slightly, causing the tears in her eyes to spill down her cheeks.

“Impossible! Impossible! You’re lying!” She glared at Fang Kun with wide, furious eyes.

Fang Kun smoothed his sleeves and slowly stood up, looking down at her condescendingly.

“Did you really think that all these years I was meek and obedient by your side, that I married that vain and dull Madam Zhou just for show?”

Thankfully, his real mother understood him and had sent the gentle and understanding Madam Wei to be by his side.

“I only stayed close to you to use you to fight for the title. Once I succeeded, I was going to get rid of you, so my mother could enter the marquis’s residence and enjoy a life of luxury. But in the end, you turned out to be useless.”

At this point, hatred surged in Fang Kun’s heart. With a flick of his sleeve, he leaned in and hissed viciously:

“Since you’re worthless, we had no choice but to discard you. Now, my mother will come personally!”

He smirked maliciously. “I must thank you for your cooperation. Without you, she wouldn’t have been able to enter the estate so easily.”

“It’s just a pity that my mother can’t see you in this miserable state with her own eyes.”

Old Madam Meng let out a furious shriek, stomping on the exquisite dishes scattered on the ground as she lunged at Fang Kun, gripping his throat tightly and shaking him violently.

“Why? Why did it come to this?” she screamed in despair, her face contorted with rage.

She couldn’t believe it. If Fang Kun was truly her son, how could he treat her this way?

She knew all too well what kind of man Lord Fang was.

Fang Kun’s face turned red as she strangled him, yet he did not struggle.

Only when he heard the sound of prison guards rushing over did he grasp Old Madam Meng’s wrist, attempting to pry her hands away, and said with difficulty, “Mother, please calm down!”

Two prison guards burst in and forcibly pulled Old Madam Meng away, shoving her backward.

She stumbled back a few steps and fell onto the scattered dishes.

Fang Kun rubbed his neck, his face twisted in pain. He coughed twice before speaking hoarsely,

“I came to see you one last time out of gratitude for the kindness you once showed me, yet you tried to take my life.”

“As they say, you truly are a vicious woman.”

Old Madam Meng’s eyes burned with hatred, her face contorted with malice. “You wretched scum! You bastard! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you!”

She struggled to get up and pounce at him again, but a guard kicked her to the ground.

Clutching her stomach in pain, she gasped before snarling, “You swapped my child, you ruined me— even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you off!”

Fang Kun sneered. “How laughable, trying to turn the blame on us.” He quickly gestured to the guards, pulling them back. “She must have lost her mind, confusing her memories. We should leave before she causes any more trouble.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Meng staggered to her feet, desperate to explain, “I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy! I’m telling the truth! They tricked me! I didn’t know my child was truly switched!”

But Old Madam Meng’s infamy had spread throughout the capital.

Now, with Fang Kun’s confirmation, the prison guards were convinced she was insane. They dismissed her words as the ravings of a madwoman and led Fang Kun toward the exit without a second thought.

Old Madam Meng stumbled forward in pursuit, but the prison doors had already slammed shut.

She grabbed the wooden bars and shook them violently, causing the chains to clatter. “I’m telling the truth! I didn’t switch my child—they did! They switched my child!”

The guard who had kicked her earlier grew irritated with her screaming and barked, “Your child is already dead. Why would they bother switching him?”

That sentence gouged a bloody hole in Old Madam Meng’s heart. She murmured to herself,

“My child is dead.”

“My child is dead…”

“Then what was the purpose of my entire life?”

Her wails of despair echoed through the dark, filthy prison.

“Shut up already!” The guard plugged his ears in annoyance before turning back to Fang Kun and making a polite gesture.

Fang Kun nodded and handed them two pieces of silver. “Thank you both for today.”

He lingered a step behind the guards as he exited.

Before Old Madam Meng’s figure disappeared from sight, he turned back and smiled at the wretched woman.

Tear-streaked, her bloodshot eyes gleamed with a chilling malice as she glared back at him.

Once the people had left, she sat there in a daze, as if everything that had just happened was nothing but a nightmare.

All her life, she had worn a mask, enduring humiliation and carefully scheming, all for the sake of her son’s future.

She had outlived the old madam of the Fang family, gained Fang Zhan’s trust, won Madam Qin’s favor…

She had waited for so many years and finally found a way for Fang Zhan to die in an “accident” without arousing suspicion from the second branch of the family.

Yet, she never expected that she, too, was merely a pawn in someone else’s scheme, unknowingly making a wedding dress for others.

Leaning against the wooden railing, she slowly slid down to the ground, her expression vacant, her eyes empty as she stared at the harsh light streaming through the small window.

---

Elsewhere, Fang Zhenzhen secretly met with Prince of  Qi.

In a secluded alley, she wept pitifully.

“Your Highness, it seems I lack the fortune to be with you. We are fated to have no part in each other’s lives. It’s best if we never meet again.”

She removed the jade pendant from her neck, took He Chengjin’s hand, and placed the warm pendant in his palm.

“Although my family had no knowledge of this matter, and my real grandmother is not Old Madam Meng, there was still an uproar, and people will gossip.”

“I admire you deeply, Your Highness, but I would never wish to tarnish your reputation or cause displeasure to His Majesty and the noble consort. That would be an unforgivable sin.”

Holding onto He Chengjin’s hand, her tears fell like raindrops, yet she forced a smile. “It’s fine, Brother Jin. As long as we hold each other in our hearts, does it matter if we cannot be together?”

Unable to suppress her sorrow, she let out a soft sob. “In the future, you will surely meet someone else you cherish and live a lifetime of happiness. As for me… I will never forget you. I will cut my hair and enter a temple, praying for you under the light of the Buddha.”

Her tears dripped onto He Chengjin’s hand, spreading sorrow like ripples on water.

He Chengjin’s eyes were filled with pain. He pulled her into his arms with a firm tug.

“Something I have given will never be taken back.” His deep voice resonated beside her ear.

Fang Zhenzhen struggled, as if trying to break free. “No! This will ruin you. I can’t do that!”

“Zhenzhen, listen to me!” He Chengjin tightened his embrace. “This has nothing to do with your family. It was my mother’s impatience. Once I return and explain the truth to her, I will ask to reinstate our engagement.”

“Trust me.”

Fang Zhenzhen sobbed uncontrollably before finally nodding.

He Chengjin released her slightly and placed the jade pendant back around her neck. “Never take it off again.”

His fingers brushed her cheek as he gently wiped away her tears. “You once risked your life to save me—that is a great kindness. And I was the one who asked to marry you. I will never let you suffer.”

Fang Zhenzhen’s tear-filled eyes flickered slightly, avoiding his gaze.