When Qi Yue and Cui Zhi returned, Cai Qing had already been waiting anxiously in the courtyard.

“Miss Qi, you scared me to death,” she said, hurrying up to meet them.

“How did you get here?” Qi Yue asked with a smile, handing the items in her hands to Cui Zhi, who then withdrew.

Sitting down in the room, Cai Qing examined her carefully.

Under the candlelight, the woman’s expression was calm, with a smile at the corners of her eyebrows, not the slightest hint of forced cheerfulness.

“No need to look. I’m really fine,” Qi Yue smiled. “Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth? It’s just one man—what’s the big deal? We’re all adults…”

At this point, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“A’Ru, I just thought of a line…” she instinctively began to speak to the person beside her.

Cui Zhi served tea, looking at her with some confusion.

Qi Yue smiled.

“I’m relieved that Miss is alright,” Cai Qing sighed. “I came today because Second Madam asked me to tell you—let’s go to the capital.”

The capital?

Qi Yue frowned as she stroked her teacup. It seemed Chen Shi had mentioned this before, something about seeking medical treatment.

“It would also be good to avoid things for a while,” Cai Qing continued.

Hearing these words, Qi Yue put down her teacup.

“I can’t leave right now. Qianjin Hall is under renovation, and besides…” she said, “why should I avoid anything? I didn’t do anything shameful. Oh, by the way, are there any other procedures for this divorce? Is this all there is to it?”

Cai Qing stared at her for a moment before coming to her senses.

“No, yes, the relatives from both sides need to sit down and discuss it, then write the divorce papers, and report to Yongqing Prefecture to have the official seal stamped. That’s it,” she answered seriously.

Qi Yue nodded.

“I don’t have any relatives. Can I handle it myself?” she asked.

“This… should be fine, I think,” Cai Qing wasn’t entirely sure. “I’ll go back and ask Second Madam.”

Qi Yue nodded.

After hearing Cai Qing’s words, Second Madam sat up from her bed.

“How can she not have relatives? I am her relative,” she said, raising her hand to give instructions. “Bring writing materials—I’ll write the divorce papers.”

“Madam, be careful of your eyes. Let this servant write instead,” Cai Qing said.

Second Madam shook her head, a slight smile on her lips.

“No, I want to write it myself,” she said. “To be able to serve as Yueniang’s relative, I… am very happy. I must write it myself.”

Cai Qing said no more, brightening the lamp and grinding ink.

In the swaying candlelight, Second Madam bent over the desk and took up her brush, beautiful small regular script flowing onto the paper.

She kept her head down, a smile on her lips, and her eyes, usually dull from long illness, sparkled brightly.

She never expected such a day would come in this lifetime. She could write divorce papers for his flesh and blood, so she could be considered a relative too. In this lifetime, she had not failed to honor their meeting and her lifelong longing.

Early the next morning, Second Madam came over.

Hearing that Second Madam requested an audience, Marquis Dingxi, who was already irritated by his daughters kneeling and crying outside the door, became even more irritated.

Naturally, Chen Shi wouldn’t bear alone the words that Nanny Su had brought back. She told Marquis Dingxi every single word.

If not for the fact that she was a widow, Marquis Dingxi would have sent someone to scold her long ago.

“You silly children, get up. Why are you crying? This is a good thing,” Second Madam said with a smile, looking at Chang Chunlan and the others kneeling on the ground.

Chang Chunlan cried even harder at her words.

“Aunt, please beg Father to bring Yueniang back,” she pleaded.

Second Madam gave her a slight smile but said nothing, lifting her feet to enter Marquis Dingxi’s study.

Never had he known that this woman could be so rude.

Marquis Dingxi looked at Second Madam entering the door, his face full of sullen anger.

“You’re ill—just rest and recover properly. Don’t meddle in things that aren’t your concern,” he said coldly.

“Yes, I naturally won’t meddle in things that aren’t my concern,” Second Madam said with a smile, placing the divorce papers in her hands on the desk. “This—please sign it, Marquis.”

Marquis Dingxi suspiciously took it and was immediately stunned.

“This is a threat! This is coercion! That woman is trying to scare people!” Madam Xie looked at the divorce papers and laughed coldly, then looked at Second Madam. “She gave this to you?”

Second Madam smiled slightly and didn’t answer her question.

“Then why doesn’t the Marquis send it to Yongqing Prefecture for a try? Wouldn’t that show whether she’s trying to scare people?” she said lightly. “Does the Marquis dare?”

Dare? Do I dare? Marquis Dingxi’s face twitched.

“Someone! Send this!” he shouted loudly.

Madam Xie gave Second Madam a cold smile.

“Tell that woman she got her wish. If she wants to turn back, there’s no path…” she said with a cold laugh.

Before she finished speaking, Second Madam had already gotten up and walked out.

Madam Xie’s unfinished words were left hanging there, and she felt a surge of annoyance.

How had this Chen Shi become like someone she didn’t recognize…

All morning, Marquis Dingxi felt restless.

“Someone, someone!” he called.

A servant ran in from outside again.

“What are the Marquis’s orders this time?” he asked.

“Is someone crying outside the door?” Marquis Dingxi asked.

The servant was baffled by the question.

“No,” he said.

No? How do I keep hearing someone crying outside?

Marquis Dingxi waved his hand irritably, and the servant withdrew.

Not long after, he called again. The servants standing by the door rolled their eyes at each other.

“You go,” one looked at the other.

“You go. I’ve already been twice,” the other glared back.

When Marquis Dingxi raised his voice inside, one had no choice but to hurry in.

“If the Young Madam comes back to kowtow and cry, be smart about it. Don’t let her in immediately. Let her kneel properly at the main gate for a while…”

The servant looked at Marquis Dingxi and sighed.

What a joke. Would the Young Madam kneel? That kind of person would only kneel if beaten down by others. Even if her legs were broken, she wouldn’t kneel of her own accord.

As evening approached and there was still no movement at the gate, Marquis Dingxi couldn’t sit still.

“Someone! I’m going to Yongqing Prefecture myself!” he said with great momentum.

I’m going myself—scared now?

I’m not joking!

Marquis Dingxi specifically ordered the carriage to circle the streets once, wishing everyone in the city would know he had gone out, before entering the prefecture office.

Seeing him arrive, Prefect Huang hurried out to greet him.

“How did the Marquis come in person?” he said with a smile.

“The matter I mentioned…” Marquis Dingxi coughed and said quietly.

Before he could finish, Prefect Huang grabbed his hand.

“I naturally handled what you instructed immediately,” he said, placing something in Marquis Dingxi’s hands. “It’s been done long ago. I was just about to deliver it to you personally…”

Marquis Dingxi looked down at the paper placed in his hands and froze.

With trembling hands, he opened it to see a bright red official seal stamped on the divorce papers.

How did this…

“…I’ve already had someone deliver the one for that woman…” the Prefect was still chattering away.

Marquis Dingxi swung his fist at him.

Unprepared, the Prefect staggered from the blow, his official hat askew.

“Marquis! You!” he shouted in surprise, eyes wide.

Marquis Dingxi’s face was flushed, his body trembling as he stared at Prefect Huang with red eyes.

“You! Do you have a grudge against me? What are you doing?” he shouted loudly.

Prefect Huang was completely confused. Had Marquis Dingxi gone mad?

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, puzzled.

“Why did you stamp the seal on these divorce papers!” Marquis Dingxi shouted in a trembling voice, shaking the divorce papers in his hands until they rustled.

He really had gone mad…

“Didn’t you send them?” Prefect Huang was somewhat bewildered.

“I sent them! Just because I sent them, you stamped them!” Marquis Dingxi shouted, pouncing like a hungry tiger to grab the Prefect. “Huang Wenzheng, isn’t your nickname ‘Delayer’? Aren’t you the best at delaying things? What’s gotten into you today! Who told you to stamp the seal! Why are you being so damn proactive!”

Prefect Huang was completely confused.

“Marquis, I only handled it so quickly because it was your matter! What are you doing!” he shouted, pushing Marquis Dingxi away. “Who told me to stamp it? Wasn’t it you who told me to stamp it!”

Marquis Dingxi stared at him with red eyes, his whole body shaking, then turned and walked out.

Just as he exited, something heavy came flying at him.

Marquis Dingxi was in a daze and didn’t dodge much, getting hit in the face with mud.

“Ziqiao, what are you doing!” Prefect Huang, who was following behind, was startled.

Though he felt his son had avenged his father, he still remembered Marquis Dingxi’s status. Besides, this Marquis seemed somewhat abnormal.

Marquis Dingxi wiped his face and saw a young man standing before him, glaring at him angrily with a handful of mud still in his grasp.

“How dare you treat our benefactor this way! Kneel down quickly!” Prefect Huang shouted.

Huang Ziqiao spat.

“My benefactor is Miss Qi! He’s nothing! He’s now my benefactor’s enemy! He’s my enemy!” Huang Ziqiao shouted, raising his hand to throw another mud ball. “Tell Chang Yuncheng he’d better not go out, or this young master will smash his face!”

Chang Yuncheng—this name reminded Marquis Dingxi. Right, the daughter-in-law’s matter was his son’s business. Why was he, as the father, worrying so much about it!

Marquis Dingxi returned home in a fury, calling for Chang Yuncheng repeatedly.

“The Prince is in his courtyard with the door closed, seeing no one. He hasn’t come out for a day and night,” a servant reported.

Marquis Dingxi had no choice but to go himself. Indeed, Chang Yuncheng’s courtyard gate was closed, with servant girls all outside. Marquis Dingxi called several times with no response, so he had people break down the door.

The room was dead quiet, and Marquis Dingxi entered to find it reeking of alcohol.

“Chang Yuncheng!” He nearly stumbled from the fumes, covering his nose angrily while looking around. He saw Chang Yuncheng reclining on the arhat couch on the right.

“Father has come,” Chang Yuncheng said, throwing the wine jar in his hands down to roll among the jars scattered on the floor.

Seeing him with a full beard and reeking of alcohol, Marquis Dingxi became even more furious.

“What are you doing?” he shouted. “At a time like this, you’re still drinking! Have you gone mad!”

“Then what should I do?” Chang Yuncheng asked, supporting his head with his hand as he looked at Marquis Dingxi without getting up, smiling.

“Your wife has made such a mess of things! How can you still sit there!” Marquis Dingxi raged.

Chang Yuncheng smiled, seemingly overcome by drink as his head drooped for a moment, then raised again.

“What wife do I have?” he laughed heartily. “Father, you’re confused! What wife do I have!”