Yan Sanhe’s memory didn’t seem to contain such a person.

“She’s not at the Zhu residence?”

“After marrying, she prioritizes her husband’s family.”

Zhu Weixi added, “She didn’t show her face on the day Father passed away either.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Did you tell her about what happened to Old Master Zhu?”

Zhu Weixi nodded. “We gave her the general details.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “Your relationship with her isn’t good?”

Zhu Weixi answered decisively, “Not good.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “Just because of the Geng Songsheng affair?”

Zhu Weixi replied, “There are other reasons too.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “What about you and Third Miss?”

Zhu Weixi said, “My youngest sister is more reasonable than her.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t pursue what “other reasons” meant. “What happened next?”

“When Geng Songsheng found out, he proposed marriage to Mother, but Mother scolded him soundly.”

Zhu Weixi continued, “Mother threw down harsh words—place in the top three of the imperial examination, then we’ll talk about marriage proposals.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “I take it he didn’t place?”

Embarrassment and indignation crossed Zhu Weixi’s face. “He spent all his time sightseeing—how could he possibly place?”

What kind of place was the Imperial Academy?

The entire nation’s most outstanding students gathered there. No matter how talented you were, if you didn’t study diligently, you probably wouldn’t stand out.

Young Master Pei asked curiously, “So then you two were torn apart?”

“It wasn’t exactly being torn apart—I just didn’t see this person clearly.”

Even after so many years, hatred still lingered in Zhu Weixi’s eyes.

“He became possessed during the examination and brought in cheat sheets.”

“Cheat sheets?”

Young Master Pei was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. The word itself made him think of Lu Shi.

If Young Master Pei thought of it, Yan Sanhe certainly would too.

“There wasn’t any injustice involved?” she instinctively asked.

Zhu Weixi smiled bitterly. “At first, I thought the same—he was such an upright person, he absolutely couldn’t have done such a thing. It must have been someone framing him. But he admitted it himself.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Why would he do such a thing?”

“He said he wanted to marry me but wasn’t confident, so he took the desperate risk.”

Zhu Weixi continued, “I believed him and even resented Mother in my heart for pushing him too hard.”

Yan Sanhe remarked, “Taking shortcuts shows a problem with character.”

“I was young then and couldn’t think of these things. My heart and eyes held only him—propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, parents—I cast it all aside.”

Zhu Weixi suddenly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the resentment, self-blame, and regret in her eyes…

Had all vanished.

“Miss Yan, after that I did the stupidest thing of my life.”

“What?”

“I eloped with him.”

“Pfft—”

Young Master Pei sprayed out a mouthful of hot tea.

Sister-in-law, oh sister-in-law, I never would have guessed—you actually have such a bold side.

Eloped?

A woman who elopes becomes a concubine.

You were going to throw away all the Zhu family ancestors’ dignity!

No, no, I absolutely cannot tell Elder Brother Xie about this. If he finds out, who knows how they’ll fight about it later!

“This isn’t a stupid thing—it’s just a regret.”

Li Buyan spoke coldly. “My mother said that in a lifetime, you must have at least one moment of throwing yourself into the flames for love. Otherwise, when you’re old, what will you have to remember?”

“Miss Li…”

Zhu Weixi’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.

How could this be a regret?

This was clearly a stain on her virtuous life that couldn’t be scrubbed away or erased.

Yan Sanhe pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over. “Whose idea was the elopement?”

“His.”

Zhu Weixi answered, “He climbed up to my window and asked if I wanted to go see the mountains and rivers with him. I said yes.”

What reckless courage!

Approval showed in Yan Sanhe’s eyes. “So how did it fail?”

Zhu Weixi explained, “Zhu Weijin discovered it. She told Mother, and twenty li outside the city gates, we were stopped.”

Yan Sanhe’s brow smoothed out.

This Zhu Weijin was rather interesting. Why did she constantly have her eyes on her eldest sister? Was it just jealousy?

“After being stopped, my three brothers beat him up. Mother forbade him from ever entering the Zhu household again, and I was locked in the woodshed.”

This time, Mother’s fury reached the heavens. She ordered everyone not to bring her food or water.

Mother had lived a smooth life and had never encountered such rebellious behavior.

“It was Father who secretly took the woodshed key while Mother slept and brought me food. Father said…”

To this day, Zhu Weixi still remembered every word her father said that day.

“‘There are no wrong parents in the world. Your mother is doing this for your own good—in her heart, she loves you more than anyone. Child, that man is absolutely not a good match for you. If you truly went with him, you’d suffer for the rest of your life. Forget him. In the future, Father will definitely find you a good family.'”

But possessed as she was, she couldn’t listen at all. She knelt on the ground begging Father to help them, even asking Father to let her out so she could go find Geng Songsheng.

Father was so angry he slapped her across the face.

“Father had never laid a finger on me from childhood. This was the only time he ever hit me.”

Shame and indignation filled Zhu Weixi’s face. “I must have been truly disgraceful at that time.”

Young Master Pei looked at Zhu Weixi with lingering fear, thinking: When a woman digs in her heels, even ten oxen can’t pull her back.

Yan Sanhe asked, “What happened after?”

“Mother locked me up for three days but ultimately couldn’t bear it and let me out. Only after coming out did I learn that Father had fallen ill after slapping me. At that point, I finally felt some guilt.”

Guilt didn’t equal giving up hope.

Though she couldn’t leave the residence, in her heart she still hoped that one day Geng Songsheng would bring the Geng family elders and her maternal grandmother to formally propose marriage.

Though his career prospects were ruined, he was still a Geng family descendant, the eldest legitimate son. The Geng family estate would eventually be his.

But three months later, what she received instead was a pregnant woman.

The sun, moon, mountains, and rivers were beautiful, but he had never mentioned that the women along the way were beautiful too.

One night of pleasure, and she was with child.

Zhu Weixi looked at the woman’s slightly swollen belly, feeling like someone had struck her hard on the head—the pain was unbearable, but it also completely killed her feelings.

Father and Mother had fallen in love at first sight and committed to each other at second sight. The couple relied on each other, loving each other to this day.

She didn’t expect to have her parents’ good fortune, but she couldn’t marry a man who scattered his affections everywhere.

“Sometimes a person wakes up all at once, understands everything all at once.”

Zhu Weixi sighed. “Looking back now, I was truly absurdly wrong then. Not putting full effort into studying, cheating in the imperial examination… all the signs had already shown that this man was not a good match.”

Yan Sanhe said, “So you married Xie Erli.”

Zhu Weixi nodded. “Father chose him for me, saying he was my good match. Mother was satisfied too.”

“Were you satisfied?”

This sudden question from Yan Sanhe made Zhu Weixi freeze, unable to speak for a long time.

Damn it, you eloped with someone and still dare to be dissatisfied with Elder Brother Xie?

What’s wrong with our Elder Brother Xie?

Young Master Pei’s nose nearly twisted with anger, thinking: If I tell Elder Brother Xie all this, who knows what kind of trouble you two will have later!

“I was dissatisfied with only one thing.”

“What thing?”

Zhu Weixi’s eyes held a glimmer of moisture, her expression calm.

“I was dissatisfied that when he came to my family for the viewing, I told him everything about the past, holding nothing back, but he never told me anything about his own affairs.”

Elder Brother Xie knew?

Young Master Pei was shocked speechless.