Had this boy gone stupid?

Marquis Dingxi became even more irritated.

“You, take this thing to show that woman! Tell her we’re not playing games with her! She should know what’s good for her!” he said, throwing the divorce papers in front of Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng looked at the divorce papers before him, reached out to pick them up, and read them over and over again, as if trying to imprint the words in his heart.

“It’s done. Quite fast,” he murmured, then stood up, took a long breath, and looked around the room—the empty room. “Good, very good.”

He said “good” several times loudly, then lifted his feet to leave.

“…You just tell her, if she doesn’t…” Marquis Dingxi continued speaking behind him, but saw Chang Yuncheng throw the divorce papers on the ground. He hurriedly bent down to pick them up. “Take this, or that woman won’t take it seriously…”

Chang Yuncheng stopped.

“Father, do you still think this isn’t real?” he asked, turning back.

Marquis Dingxi was stunned. What?

Of course this wasn’t real! How could this be real! Divorce! What woman would dare take it seriously!

Looking again, Chang Yuncheng had already disappeared somewhere.

This damned boy was completely unreliable!

Marquis Dingxi stomped off angrily. He still had to handle this himself!

After much trouble, he finally found Qi Yue’s residence, but Qi Yue wasn’t home. Yuan Bao, who was watching the door, heard they were from Marquis Dingxi’s residence and directly closed the door, ignoring whatever Marquis Dingxi said outside.

“Young Madam should be at Qianjin Hall at this time,” the steward couldn’t bear to watch and quietly reminded him.

Qianjin Hall?

Shouldn’t that woman be hiding at home refusing to see people? What was she doing at Qianjin Hall?

They stood outside the door, and quite a few people were already peering out curiously. Marquis Dingxi couldn’t face waiting for that woman outside this door, so he had to get in his carriage and head to Qianjin Hall.

First, he went to a restaurant and had the steward call that woman over. The steward went and, needless to say, was rebuffed.

Marquis Dingxi was so angry his whole body shook. Gritting his teeth, he went himself.

This was Marquis Dingxi’s first time at Qianjin Hall. He stood inside with a stern face, feeling that the air was filled with unbearable strange smells! And those people, each one like a consumptive ghost—Marquis Dingxi felt extremely disgusted!

So this was the environment for being a doctor? Shouldn’t it be like immortals cultivating the way…

Marquis Dingxi stood at the entrance with a look of disgust. A worker immediately came forward to inquire, but before he could speak, Marquis Dingxi waved him aside.

When informed that Marquis Dingxi had come in person, Qi Yue was applying a splint to a patient with a bone injury. She paid no attention and conscientiously finished the work, checked the patient’s injury again, and only then came over slowly. She wore a gown and, having knelt on the ground with blood splattered on her, looked disheveled.

“Where does the Marquis feel unwell?” she asked directly.

Marquis Dingxi was annoyed by the question and glanced at this woman, who no longer had any of her former polish from when she was at home.

Look at that. After being out for just one day, did she think life outside was easy?

“Look at yourself!” he snorted, putting on airs. “The divorce papers…”

“I received them,” Qi Yue nodded and smiled.

“You can still admit your mistake now,” Marquis Dingxi said with a stern face.

Qi Yue laughed.

“Is the Marquis joking?” she smiled. “What mistake did I make?”

Marquis Dingxi became anxious and stood up.

“Qi Yueniang, know when to stop. Don’t push your luck. Otherwise, these divorce papers will really be final,” he said in a low, threatening voice.

Qi Yue had already turned around but now turned back.

“Marquis, do you think this isn’t real?” she asked with some incredulity.

What…

Why the same words?

Marquis Dingxi was stunned.

Qi Yue looked at him, her face showing undisguised mockery.

“Marquis, you don’t think these divorce papers are a joke, do you?” she asked without a trace of a smile. “Marquis, when has this Qi Yueniang ever joked? When have I ever gone back on my word? When have I ever bowed my head to admit fault to others? Especially when I’m not at fault!”

Marquis Dingxi’s face turned pale from this string of “when haves.”

“Marquis,” Qi Yue glanced at him, “stop deceiving yourself here. What time is it? Wake up! Who has nothing better to do than play games with you people? How stupid!”

She turned and strode away.

How stupid…

Marquis Dingxi collapsed into his chair with a thud.

When night fell deeply, Marquis Dingxi’s residence was still lit with scattered lanterns as usual, but careful observers would notice that every few days, some lamps wouldn’t be lit. However, no one cared about this now.

Marquis Dingxi had been staring at the divorce papers before him for half a day when Madam Xie came to inquire.

“How did it get processed so quickly?” she was also stunned.

She would have been better off not asking. Once she asked, Marquis Dingxi exploded.

“You ask me? I want to ask you! This is all your doing!” he roared.

Madam Xie was never afraid of Marquis Dingxi’s anger.

“What did I do? What did I do? Did I propose the divorce? Did I write the divorce papers? Did I send them? Did I stamp the official seal?” she retorted with raised eyebrows.

Marquis Dingxi glared at her angrily.

“So what if she’s divorced? Let her be divorced—who’s afraid? Let’s see who can’t get by!” Madam Xie snorted coldly. “This isn’t us forcing her. This was her own choice, and the Emperor approved it. Who can say anything about us?”

Marquis Dingxi slumped down in his chair.

Divorced… really divorced…

How did it come to divorce?

“The divorce is perfect—now we can properly marry a new wife,” Madam Xie said. “I was truly worried about wronging the Rao family girl. A good young lady enters the door and still has to be subordinate to that woman. Now it’s good—that woman got her wish, everyone’s happy. Marquis, the matchmaker Madam Yang sent will probably return tomorrow…”

Marquis Dingxi sat in a daze, not knowing whether he heard or not. A servant outside reported that Chang Yuncheng had come.

Hearing he had come, Madam Xie composed herself and sat properly.

Chang Yuncheng stepped in. He had shaved his beard and washed, wearing clean clothes without the alcoholic smell Marquis Dingxi had encountered. He looked no different from usual, except perhaps thinner.

“You’re finally willing to come out?” Madam Xie said coldly.

Chang Yuncheng said nothing, only bowed to both of them.

Seeing him, Marquis Dingxi’s anger flared up.

“I told you to go to your wife—why didn’t you listen!” he slammed the table and shouted. It was all because Chang Yuncheng didn’t go that he himself had suffered such humiliation! He had taken this abuse for his son!

“Father, I don’t have a wife,” Chang Yuncheng said flatly. “Where would you have me go?”

“You!” Marquis Dingxi slammed the table and stood up.

Madam Xie quickly pulled him down.

“No, Yuncheng is right—no wife,” she said, looking at Chang Yuncheng. “We’ll marry a wife immediately.”

Chang Yuncheng’s expression was wooden.

“I came today to tell Father and Mother that I plan to depart tomorrow to take up my post,” he said.

What?

Both Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie were stunned.

“The military dispatches urging me have been delayed by me several times already. I can’t delay any longer,” Chang Yuncheng said, smiling slightly. “There’s no reason to delay anymore. I should go.”

Only then did Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie understand what he meant, and they immediately panicked.

“Have you gone mad! Leave now? How can you leave now? You must marry a new wife first…” Madam Xie said anxiously.

“I said I don’t have a wife—not now, not ever,” Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie. “Mother, please don’t mention this matter again.”

Madam Xie trembled with rage.

“Chang Yuncheng! Is this still for that slut?” she shouted.

“Mother,” Chang Yuncheng looked at her and knelt down. “I have already done as Mother wished. I have nothing to do with that woman anymore. So please, Mother, grant your child’s wish this once.”

“What do you want?” Madam Xie pointed at him and shouted. “You want to walk away again, don’t you? Do you still want this family! Do you still have me as your mother! Chang Yuncheng! Are you determined to anger me to death!”

The room immediately descended into chaos.

Servant girls cried out, Madam Xie scolded, and Chang Yuncheng knelt silently.

Marquis Dingxi slowly sat back in his chair, becoming listless.

How had it come to this?

He remembered he had clearly handled a great joyous event that would bring glory to the ancestors. How had his family suddenly become like this?

He looked down at the divorce papers on the table…

His ears filled with the chaotic sounds of crying and scolding.

Divorced? No daughter-in-law? How was there suddenly no daughter-in-law? This wasn’t right!

What the hell was going on!

Qi Yue slept until dawn. That night, there was no girl checking on her every little while.

“Yuan Bao, are you still at the blacksmith’s shop?” After breakfast, Qi Yue asked Yuan Bao, who was sweeping the courtyard again.

Yuan Bao didn’t dare speak and nodded with his head down.

“Then there are people at home. You should still go. Don’t neglect your craft—with manual skills, if you don’t practice for three days, you’ll lose your touch,” Qi Yue said.

Yuan Bao looked hesitant.

“Didn’t your sister tell you to listen to me?” Qi Yue asked.

Yuan Bao nodded.

“Then go quickly. Everyone needs to work and learn skills to earn money. That’s what makes life meaningful,” Qi Yue smiled.

Yuan Bao threw down his broom, bowed, and actually walked out.

What kind of servant was this… Cui Zhi glared from the side.

“Are you still coming with me?” Qi Yue turned to look at Cui Zhi.

Cui Zhi naturally nodded—she clearly remembered her mission here.

“Then how about this: you faint at the sight of blood, and Qianjin Hall specializes in treating injuries and external wounds, so there’s some blood. You take me to Qianjin Hall, then go enjoy yourself however you want. When I get off work, you come pick me up. This way you won’t cause me trouble and won’t violate your duties. Good for you, good for me—how about it?” Qi Yue asked.

Ah? Cui Zhi stared at her blankly.

In the Wang family’s grand residence, Wang Tongye had moved back to live but still enjoyed fishing. Early in the morning, he sat by the pond in the garden, though now with someone keeping him company—two people both wrapped in black cloaks, one old and withered, one young and vigorous, but each handsome in their own way.

Young Master Wang raised his hand, and a fish leaped out of the water with a splash.

“Grandfather, there’s something I’ve never understood,” he said, removing the fish and throwing it back into the water.

“What?” Wang Tongye said, focused on watching the water’s surface.

“Your fishing skills are so poor, why do you still enjoy it so much?” Young Master Wang asked.

Wang Tongye spat.

“A true gentleman fishes in silence. Go on, go on, don’t disturb my refined pleasure,” he said impatiently.

Young Master Wang laughed but didn’t get up. Instead, he cast his line again.

The steward led Cui Zhi over.

“Master, Cui Zhi has returned,” he said.

“Why have you come back? Miss Qi isn’t the type to be pretentious,” Wang Tongye frowned and asked.

Cui Zhi stepped forward and relayed Qi Yue’s words.

Young Master Wang, listening from the side, turned to glance at Cui Zhi.