Chapter 65

To whom can I inquire about your life or death?

The next day, Lu Qin walked out of her room with dark circles under her eyes. She guessed that Hao Jingshi would be sleeping in the side room, so she went straight there and sure enough, she saw Xuan Lan silently guarding outside the side room.

Seeing Lu Qin approach, Xuan Lan said, "Young Madam, you're awake. I've already had your luggage packed, and we'll get a carriage ready to take you back to the Lu family."

Lu Qin approached and said, "We were husband and wife after all, I'll go say goodbye to him."

Xuan Lan stepped forward to block the door: "Young Master said that he will not change his mind, and you don't need to see him again. He also instructed me to make sure you leave today. Please don't make things difficult for me."

"oh."

After hearing this, Lu Qin tilted her head and, out of the corner of her eye, caught a glimpse of a figure standing behind the window. She then sweetly called out, "My husband is right. It's better to cherish the memory than to meet again. I'll be going now."

Xuan Lan quickly turned to the side to block her view.

Last night, seeing that the young master was sullen, he knew that the two of them had had a falling out.

He thought they would be fine after one night, just like before, but little did he know that the young master was determined to divorce and even wanted to send the young mistress away.

The young mistress's reaction puzzled him even more. Her tone was cheerful and relaxed, as if she were going on a long trip and would be back soon.

Xuan Lan was extremely panicked.

He knew that if things continued like this, he would be the one to suffer, so he hurriedly urged Lu Qin to leave, gesturing wildly: "You should go, the young master is still asleep and can't hear us."

Lu Qin crossed her arms: "So happy right after the divorce, sleeping so soundly. Your young master is really heartless."

After saying that, he muttered that he was hungry and turned to stride towards the kitchen.

After a simple breakfast, Xuan Lan sent someone to fetch the carriage. Before leaving, Ling'er insisted on following, clutching her luggage, because she was a maid of the Hao family and could not go back to the Lu family with Lu Qin. She would no longer have the opportunity to serve Lu Qin.

Xuan Lan felt a little sad. When Lu Qin was around, the manor was always full of joy. Now that she was gone, life would inevitably become boring again.

More importantly, no one will be able to control Hao Jingshi from now on. If Hao Jingshi gets angry, he will definitely suffer.

On the way, the three of them rode in the same car. Seeing that the two of them were sullen, Lu Qin tried to lighten the mood.

The sadness of parting made Xuan Lan and Ling'er forget their former master-servant relationship, and they sincerely discussed with Lu Qin all the way, guessing the reason why Hao Jingshi insisted on divorce.

Despite much guessing, the truth could not be pieced together. However, Xuan Lan patted his chest and assured everyone that Hao Jingshi had no one else in his heart.

"Young Master may seem heartless, but he actually stayed up all night preparing a lot of medicine to help you with your pregnancy." Xuan Lan patted the large bundle on his back. "He was afraid that other doctors wouldn't be reliable, so he even wrote out the prescriptions. How could he not be thinking about you?"

Lu Qin felt uneasy and said, "If he doesn't want to talk about it, then so be it. The truth will come out eventually. If anything happens then, remember to send me a message."

Xuan Lan: "Yes, don't worry too much. Maybe things will be resolved in a few days. When that time comes, the young master will be eager to bring you back."

The word "baba'er" he used was inexplicably humorous, like describing a little dog wagging its tail and running over happily. Lu Qin couldn't help but twitch her lips after hearing it.

Thinking of Hao Jingshi's deep regret and his pleading with Lu Qin to return to the manor, Ling'er covered her mouth and laughed.

...

At noon, the carriage finally arrived at the Lu family's house.

Lu Qin took the luggage, bid farewell to Xuan Lan and Ling'er, and walked heavily toward the gate of the Lu residence under their reluctant gazes.

The area in front of the Lu residence was swept clean, but the gate was closed and unattended, making it seem rather desolate.

The trip was rushed, and she hadn't even had time to tell her father about her return home, so there was no one at home to meet her.

Lu Qin approached and knocked on the door. When the servant opened the door, he was stunned for a moment, and then shouted excitedly.

"Young Miss! It's Young Miss!"

"Master, Miss is back!"

Hearing the shout, a group of bandits scurried into the courtyard, surrounded Lu Qin, and cheered, "Big Brother is back! Big Brother is back! Welcome, Big Brother!"

This scene was comparable to the Monkey King returning to Flower Fruit Mountain. Lu Qin twitched her lips; she had completely forgotten that she still had these lively characters in her household.

She waved her hand to signal everyone to calm down, and the bandits obeyed. They immediately made a shushing gesture to each other, and the group silently ushered her in.

As Lu Qin walked, she called out "Father!" and someone inside the house responded, followed by two more people walking out hurriedly.

The two people who came were Lu Pan'an and Master Lu, who was being helped out by Lu Pan'an. Lu Pan'an was still as handsome and refined as ever, while Master Lu looked more radiant than before. It seemed that having someone to accompany him made him happy, and his wrinkles had nowhere to appear.

"Look, it really is my sister back!" Lu Pan'an exclaimed with delight. "Yesterday, Brother Lu Hua was saying he should go to the capital to get the manuscript, and here you are today!"

Lu Qin wanted to rush to the two of them, but as she got closer to home, she became more timid and her legs were too heavy to move. She stood there, at a loss.

Upon seeing his long-lost daughter, Master Lu was so excited that he was speechless. He took Lu Qin's hand and carefully observed the changes in her appearance. After a long while, he began to murmur her name.

"Qin'er, let your father take a good look at you... Where is your husband? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Father..."

Lu Qin smiled foolishly, opening her mouth several times, wanting to simply tell him the truth directly.

After thinking about it, I felt that he would find it hard to accept, so it would be better to wait a while before talking about it.

Lu Qin felt a lump in her throat and could only swallow the bitterness, saying, "Husband... Husband had something to do, so I came back on my own. Father, I really missed you. This time I'm going to stay a few more days."

“Nonsense! You’re married now. How can you abandon your husband and run off to your parents’ home?” Master Lu scolded him, but he was secretly pleased. “If you want to stay, then stay. But don’t stay too long, or people will laugh at you.”

Lu Qin feigned reluctance and said, "Father, I'm pregnant. My husband is busy with the clothing shop and is afraid he won't be able to take care of me, so he asked me to come back and stay for a while. Are you in such a hurry to send me away?"

"Really?" Master Lu was overjoyed. "Good, good, good! This is a great joy! Pan An, quick, quick, buy some of the best tonics for Qin'er. This is our Lu family's first grandson. Qin'er is weak, so we must be careful."

Lu Pan'an readily agreed, a smile spreading across his face. He quickly called on his brothers in the courtyard to go buy vegetables and meat.

Master Lu took Lu Qin into the house to reminisce and inquired about her recent situation.

Lu Qin shed tears several times. She knew that her father never felt that she was a broken relationship. Even if he knew that she and Hao Jingshi had divorced, he would only feel sorry for her and would not blame her.

She didn't mention the matter at all, only saying that the clothing store was doing very well and had even won the favor of the Imperial Concubine, so Hao Jingshi was too busy to spare any time for her. Master Lu believed her and then instructed her to be careful with her words and actions and to live a good life with her husband.

The two chatted until dusk, and only stopped when Lu Pan'an called everyone to dinner.

The whole family enjoyed their dinner in harmony. Afterwards, they sat in the courtyard under the moon, chatting about everyday matters. Master Lu mentioned that Lu Xishi was approaching marriageable age and asked Lu Qin to keep an eye out for suitable families in the capital for her.

Lu Xishi has grown even more beautiful, a gentle beauty just like her brother, and Lu Qin readily agreed.

After agreeing, she sadly thought that she and Hao Jingshi had already divorced, and she didn't know when she would be able to return to the capital.

She still wasn't used to it. Subconsciously, she would think of him with every word she spoke, unable to accept that everything about her would be unrelated to him in the future.

Although I know he has something he can't talk about, I still feel a thorn in my heart—worry and an unbreakable bond with him.

Perhaps only when the truth comes out will this thorn completely disappear.

...

Lu Qin slept in her pre-wedding boudoir, where Master Lu had specially assigned two experienced and mature nannies to take care of her. The boudoir was as clean as ever, showing that it was cleaned every day.

Lu Qin stayed at the mansion for two days. She was so exhausted that she couldn't eat or sleep, but she still forced herself to be energetic and pretended to be nonchalant.

She thought she had kept it a secret, but after dinner that day, Lu Pan'an suddenly called her over and invited her to sit in the pavilion in the courtyard.

As soon as the two sat down, he got straight to the point: "I've noticed you haven't been acting quite right these past two days, sister. Did you... suffer some injustice at the Hao family's place?"

Lu Qin was surprised, but her expression remained unchanged as she asked, "Brother Lu, why do you say that?"

"You came back so hastily, without even sending someone to inform me beforehand. That's too strange," Lu Pan'an said gently. "Besides, you're pregnant. How could Young Master Hao let you come back alone? He should at least have sent a servant to accompany you. Tell me honestly, what happened between the two of you?"

Lu Pan'an's thoughtfulness left Lu Qin at a loss for words.

She felt bitter and had no one to confide in, which made her feel really stifled. Now that Lu Pan'an asked her, she felt like she had grasped at a straw and decided to tell him the whole story.

After listening, Lu Pan'an sighed. He had meant well in wanting to help Lu Qin, but the complexity of the matter far exceeded his expectations.

He offered a few words of comfort: "If there is something you can't say, it will eventually slip up. Don't worry, Brother Lu Hua is going to the capital in a couple of days, so we can have him ask Young Master Hao."

Fearing she would be upset, he then brought up the clothing store she was interested in.

"To be honest, I'm not good at business. Since you left, the clothing shop has not been doing well. Now that you're back, it'll be easier to manage it again."

Lu Qin shook her head, a faint sorrow in her eyes: "The draft... there's no need to take it. His right hand is injured, and he can't draw it for a while."

"There's no need to ask any more questions. You know his personality perfectly well. If he doesn't want to talk, no one can get anything out of him."

Seeing her like this, Lu Pan'an knew that continuing the conversation would only backfire, so he urged her to go back and rest, citing that worry was bad for her health.

Before leaving, Lu Qin specifically asked Lu Pan'an to keep it a secret and not let her father know.

Lu Pan'an agreed to cover for her. Lu Qin knew his character well and trusted him, thinking that she could at least keep it from her father for a while longer.

But to my surprise, the matter was exposed in just two days.

That day, Lu Qin returned from the clothing store without knowing anything. She saw Master Lu sitting in the hall with a stern face. She thought he was angry that she was disobedient and insisted on going to the clothing store to cause trouble, so she smiled and went forward to ease the tension.

Seeing her laughing so carefree, Master Lu was both angry and helpless, and couldn't help but point at her forehead and question her.

When did this happen?

"When did this happen?"

Lu Qin feigned ignorance, but unexpectedly, Master Lu suddenly raised his hand and slammed the divorce papers and sachet onto the table.

"The nanny found this under your pillow while making your bed. This sachet is something the son-in-law often wears, and this divorce agreement isn't your handwriting either. Aren't you going to tell your father the truth?"

“He has been neglecting you ever since the day we got married, not to mention all these years. You must have suffered a lot of grievances, right?”

"No, no..."

Lu Qin quickly waved her hand and tried to explain, but Master Lu was still angry and immediately went out to the Hao family to demand an explanation.

"No matter what difficulties he may have faced, he shouldn't have abandoned his wife and children. He's utterly despicable! Father must go to the Hao family and get to the bottom of this. If the Hao family doesn't give him an explanation, don't even think about letting this child be recognized by his ancestors!"

After finishing his speech, Master Lu left with his men. Lu Qin couldn't stop him and could only wait anxiously.

Fortunately, Master Lu returned in less than fifteen minutes, saying that Master Hao and the old lady had gone to the palace to celebrate the young prince's birthday and were not at home, and he would go to find them another day.

Lu Qin breathed a sigh of relief, not thinking much about it. She advised him to calm down and quickly slunk away, taking the divorce papers and sachet back to her room.

...

Master Lu went to the Hao residence four times in a row to demand an explanation, but each time he received news that the master and madam had not returned.

When he returned, he was puzzled. Lu Qin heard this and also began to find it strange, since the palace gates were already locked at this hour.

She advised her father to rest first and talk about it tomorrow, then turned and went back to her room, only to realize that she had not received a reply to the letter she had written to Ling'er the day before.

Lu Qin had a bad feeling. After a agonizing night, she hurriedly asked Lu Hua to go to the capital to find out the news.

She went to the clothing shop absentmindedly, only to find a group of government officials guarding the door, saying they were going to seal it off.

Lu Qin was very puzzled: "Gentlemen, please wait. Our shop has all the necessary permits and is a legitimate business. Can you please explain why it has been shut down?"

The leader said irritably, "There's an order from above: the entire Hao family is to be raided and exiled. This clothing shop is registered under the name of the young master of the Hao family, so it naturally has to be shut down. Are you still not satisfied?"

Confiscating property...exile?

Lu Qin's back stiffened for a moment, and then a "buzz" sounded in her mind, as if countless strings had snapped.

It took her a long time to process what he said, and she exclaimed in shock, "Why exile? Have you made a mistake?"

"How would I know? Get out of the way and don't get in our way, or we'll take you with us!"

After the group finished speaking, they went inside and kicked all the servants out. Watching the servants walk out one after another with bitter faces, Lu Qin stood there in a daze, suddenly connecting all the events.

Hao Jingshi ruthlessly ordered her to leave... Master Hao and Madam Hao went to the palace and never returned... Ling'er didn't reply to her letter... The Hao family was exiled...

As Lu Qin thought about it, her throat tightened. She was eager to know the whole story, so she ran back to her residence.

Lu Hua had just ridden back at full speed when he met her at an intersection in front of the mansion. He jumped off his horse and shouted in a loud voice, "Big brother, it seems that something happened to second brother. I saw that the clothing shop was sealed off, and the Hao mansion was full of government people. I didn't see second brother at all!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qin could no longer bear the blow and clutched her chest, retching.

The truth was revealed, but the thorn in her heart did not disappear; instead, it pierced even deeper.

She had seen the plot in TV dramas: exile, nominally making one a sinner for all time and sending them to the frontier to suffer, was actually just a more dignified way to die.

The journey to exile was incredibly long and fraught with danger at any moment; no one could guarantee what might happen.

What will she do then?

Hao was suddenly convicted, and she didn't even know why. What could she possibly do...?

Lu Qin's mind was in complete chaos, her chest was throbbing with pain so bad she could hardly breathe, and her lower abdomen was also cramping.

Tears welled up in her eyes, a look of helplessness on her face.

"My husband, what should I do? I don't even know where you are."

"To whom can I ask whether you are alive or dead..."

"Could this parting be forever?"