“Yueniang, don’t quarrel so harshly with father and mother. You endured when mother treated you that way before. Yueniang, endure a little more – I will definitely persuade them,” Chang Yuncheng said hoarsely, gently nuzzling this woman’s soft hair.

Qi Yue closed her eyes, her body slowly stiffening.

In the end, she couldn’t wait for that sentence – that simple, straightforward sentence, even just one word.

All she wanted was just one sentence. With that sentence, she could persist with him, but…

Chang Yuncheng sensed her change and became even more uneasy, but didn’t know where he had gone wrong.

Qi Yue signaled for him to let her go. Though Chang Yuncheng released his hands, he still pressed on her shoulders.

Qi Yue looked at him and shook her head.

“It’s not possible anymore, Chang Yuncheng,” she said with a slight smile.

“Why?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and asked hoarsely.

“Because I don’t care about you anymore,” Qi Yue said.

I don’t care about you anymore! I don’t care about you anymore!

Was there anything more hurtful in this world?

Chang Yuncheng’s arms pressing on her shoulders made cracking sounds as his bones strained.

She was still angry, deliberately saying hurtful things! It had to be that!

“You could before, so why can’t you now? You said you liked me…” he said word by word, looking at her with red eyes.

“Yes, though I love you, I can also do without you now,” Qi Yue said, reaching out to remove his hands. “It’s nothing.”

Indeed, there were even more hurtful words in this world!

“I used to endure because you were worth it for me to do so,” Qi Yue pried off his hands, looking at him with a bland expression. “But now, you’re not worth it anymore.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her and slowly straightened his back.

“Is that so?” he said hoarsely.

“Yes,” Qi Yue looked at him and answered without the slightest hesitation.

Chang Yuncheng turned and walked out.

Qi Yue ultimately didn’t leave the Marquis Dingxi’s household. The young ladies of the family all came, and Yan’er was crying while hugging her leg, refusing to let go.

“I don’t want a new aunt, I don’t want a new aunt…” the child cried heartbreakingly.

Qi Yue quickly reached out to pick her up and scolded her sternly.

“…I told you not to cry loudly. You’re so disobedient… If you don’t cherish yourself, did I perform surgery on you for nothing?”

This was the first time Yan’er had seen her like this. She was immediately frightened and didn’t dare cry anymore, only clinging tightly to her neck.

“…Aunt, Yan’er will turn into a swan for you to see… please don’t leave…” she sobbed.

“Silly girl, aunt leaving this place doesn’t mean I can’t see you anymore,” Qi Yue said with a smile, stroking her head.

“Yueniang,” Chang Chunlan came forward with tears. “Wait a moment, wait a little more. We’ll go plead with mother and father.”

The Second Miss and Third Miss behind her all nodded.

Qi Yue looked at them, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

These young ladies – she knew they all regarded Madam Xie as heaven itself, not daring to offend her in the slightest, because their fates were in Madam Xie’s hands. So when these misses deliberately gave her the cold shoulder or even made things difficult for her at the beginning, she hadn’t minded at all.

She just hadn’t expected that today, for her sake, they would make such a decision.

This meant standing against Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie for her sake. One could imagine what troubles they would face given the current situation.

“No need,” Qi Yue said with a smile, reaching out to hold Chang Chunlan’s hand. “I’m the one who wants to leave. No one is forcing me. Actually, I should have left long ago.”

Chang Chunlan shook her head with tears, her face showing unshakeable determination.

Hearing that Chang Chunlan and the others were kneeling outside the door, Madam Xie smiled coldly.

“Kneeling to me?” she picked up her teacup with a disdainful expression. “Then let them kneel. Do I fear people kneeling to me?”

Nanny Su hurried in.

“Madam, the Lord is kneeling before the Marquis again, saying he wants the Marquis to rescind the order and not take a second wife,” she said.

Madam Xie smashed the teacup on the ground.

“Even like this, he still wants to protect this lowly servant!” she shouted hatefully. “Have them all come to me.”

Chang Yuncheng was quickly summoned, and Qi Yue was summoned as well.

“Oh my, you haven’t left yet? With all that loud calling, I thought you’d left long ago,” Madam Xie said with a cold smile upon seeing Qi Yue.

Qi Yue spread her hands.

“I was just about to mention it – could your household’s people be a bit more professional? I can’t even find someone to open the door for me. Why are even the side gates locked? Do you expect me to climb over the wall to leave?” she said with a bitter smile.

These death-seeking servants! Don’t worry, once this matter is over, I’ll keep accounts for all of you and settle them properly!

Madam Xie smiled coldly through gritted teeth.

“Mother, I won’t agree to mutual separation,” Chang Yuncheng said.

Both Madam Xie and Qi Yue looked at him.

“I also won’t marry any second wife,” Chang Yuncheng said, looking at Madam Xie. “And I won’t agree to mutual separation.”

Qi Yue looked at him with a complex expression.

Madam Xie raised her hand and slapped him.

“I won’t agree to mutual separation,” Chang Yuncheng still said, kneeling down.

Madam Xie didn’t hesitate to slap him again.

“Hey, can you stop that? Why are you hitting him!” Qi Yue shouted, stepping in front of Chang Yuncheng. “What kind of mother are you? Do you even know how to be a mother?”

Chang Yuncheng looked at her, very surprised that this woman was shielding him! At the same time, his heart felt bitter.

This woman did have feelings for him in her heart! She did!

He couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Whether she knew how to be a mother – these words struck Madam Xie’s nerve.

“I don’t know how to be a mother?” she turned to look at Qi Yue. “Are you saying I never gave birth and don’t deserve to be a mother?”

“Qi Yueniang, can you not speak?” Chang Yuncheng said in a low voice, his voice full of exhaustion.

Qi Yue exhaled.

“I’m really anxious for you mother and son,” she said. “What are you two tormenting yourselves over? Madam, do you really think this is good for him? Chang Yuncheng, do you really think this is being filial? Can’t you two just talk about your own views properly?”

Madam Xie looked at her and suddenly burst into laughter.

“I’m not good to him?” she looked at Qi Yue with laughter. “I’m not good to him? You woman, what right do you have to say such things? I’m not good to him? What do you know? I married into this marquis household for his sake. For his sake, I killed my own son, my own son!”

At these words, both Chang Yuncheng and Qi Yue were shocked, looking at Madam Xie in unison.

What?

“I don’t deserve to be a mother. You’re right,” Madam Xie looked at Qi Yue with somewhat manic emotions. She stretched out both hands, pressing on her abdomen. “My child, I couldn’t have him. They were all targeting me. I knew that old hag and that little bitch were waiting to deal with me. They were waiting for me to give birth, then they wouldn’t care about Yuncheng anymore. They could take Yuncheng away and harm him. They thought beautifully – as long as I’m here, no one can harm Yuncheng…”

“Mother, that child… that child wasn’t an accident…” Chang Yuncheng crawled on his knees to Madam Xie, shouting in terror.

“It was an accident. It was an accident. I had someone accidentally spill water on the road. I accidentally walked through there. I accidentally fell down. I accidentally drank the medicinal soup the kitchen made for that bitch Zhou. My child was just accidentally gone like that…” Madam Xie said, laughing with a trembling voice. “Not only did I not let them have their way, I even made that bitch take the blame! Yuncheng, don’t worry. Mother only has you. There will never be another child. Mother will only love you for her entire life.”

Qi Yue’s face showed shock.

“My God, a madwoman,” she said, not knowing how to express her inner horror, only able to repeatedly say “madwoman.”

Madwoman! This woman was insane!

“I’m not good to him?” Madam Xie looked at Qi Yue again, showing a cold smile. “Qi Yueniang, what have you done for him? Threatening my son like this to force me?”

“Madam, this isn’t right. You need… a psychological doctor…” Qi Yue looked at her and said, frowning. “This isn’t being good to him. This perverted, twisted way – you don’t love him, you love yourself…”

“Qi Yueniang, shut up!” Chang Yuncheng shouted in a low voice.

Qi Yue indeed stopped talking, looking at Chang Yuncheng with some pity in her eyes.

Speaking of which, he was truly pitiful…

“Mother, I know you’re good to me. I’ll listen to everything you say,” Chang Yuncheng pulled Madam Xie’s hand, having her sit down. “Mother, I know. Yueniang has nothing to do with these matters. Could you…”

Qi Yue looked at Chang Yuncheng kneeling on the ground with a complex expression.

“Madam,” she stepped forward, gritted her teeth, and bowed to Madam Xie. “Madam, the grudges between you and the Old Madam shouldn’t be borne by me or Yuncheng. This is unfair to both him and me.”

Seeing her bow, though she didn’t kneel like himself, Chang Yuncheng was still very pleased.

She was finally willing to endure for his sake…

Madam Xie laughed again.

Can’t keep up the act anymore? Still can’t bear to leave? When you can’t make trouble, you start acting pitiful? Lowly servant, if I can’t see through your little schemes, I’ve lived in vain!

“Nothing to do with it?” she laughed. “Unfair? Do you know how Yuncheng’s mother died?”

Without waiting for Qi Yue to answer, she continued speaking.

“…That old hag tormented my sister from the day she married in, establishing rules, making her kneel in punishment at every turn, forcing my sister to drink those strange medicinal soups. Those soups must have been poisoned! Fortunately, my sister had a strong constitution and still got pregnant and gave birth. That old hag still wouldn’t give up. She actually took advantage of my sister’s illness to switch her medicine, and had her little bitch seduce the Marquis, carrying on right in front of my sister! She angered my sister to death!”

Both Qi Yue and Chang Yuncheng’s faces turned somewhat pale.

True or false? Was Old Madam Zhou really like this… or did Madam Xie have psychological distortion and paranoid delusions?

“Mother, these matters have nothing to do with Yueniang,” Chang Yuncheng held Madam Xie’s hand and said hoarsely.

“The father’s debts are repaid by the son – how can you say it has nothing to do with her? Yes, it has nothing to do with her, but if it truly had nothing to do with her, how would she appear here?” Madam Xie said with a cold smile, looking at Qi Yue. “If you were still begging outside, I wouldn’t treat you this way. I might even reward you with some money, or seeing how good-looking you are, I might have had Yuncheng take you as a concubine.”

She spoke with superiority and a smile.

“But now you’re here, and you’re the young mistress of our marquis household, occupying my daughter-in-law’s position. How can you still say it has nothing to do with you? Without that old hag, how would you have today? Since you’ve received that old hag’s favor, you must accept the grudges she incurred!”

Qi Yue lowered her head, exhaled, and said nothing.

“How about this,” Madam Xie took a deep breath, looking at Chang Yuncheng with pity in her eyes. “For my son’s sake, if you can do one thing, then I’ll persuade the Marquis, and the matter of taking a second wife will be dropped.”

What?

Chang Yuncheng’s face showed wild joy. Mother was finally willing to relent!