Chapter 22. Torturing each other until old age is also a form of white...

The carriage stopped in front of the Yin residence, but the person inside hesitated to get out. The servants didn't dare to ask and just waited.

After a while, Yin Yuan helped the woman down, her nose glistening with moisture.

Leng Cuizhu opened her eyes and looked around blankly.

Where is this?

"The Yin residence."

"...The Yin residence?"

She instantly came to her senses: "No... I don't want to be here, I want to go back..."

She wanted to leave, but was pinned to the spot and unable to move; her body was limp and powerless.

Where are you going back to?

"Go back to where he is?"

"Yeah?"

The man held her even tighter, and although all the servants had their heads down, her face was still very red.

It wasn't just shame, but also an uncontrollable anger, which she couldn't vent due to her weakness, so she could only glare fiercely at the man.

The woman dismounted and was led to her by a young maid.

The maid, Leng Cuizhu, recognized her; it was Linglan, whom she had met several times before.

The woman she was holding hands with must be Madam Yin.

Leng Cuizhu was extremely embarrassed. She lowered her head in a panic, trying to push away the man who was pressed tightly against her from behind, but she couldn't.

She couldn't see Madam Yin's face clearly, and she didn't dare to look at her at all. She just stared at Madam Yin's trailing skirt and heard a jingling sound, which must have been the sound of jewelry.

"Brother, I'm going back now."

"Um."

After Madam Yin left, Yin Yuan pulled Leng Cuizhu straight into the mansion.

She had only been to the Yin residence once before, when Yin Yuan carried her through the front courtyard. She vaguely felt that the Yin residence was still the same as when she had visited before, still oppressive and suffocating.

The man pulled her into the study and made her sit down at the desk.

The man took a sheet of paper from the wooden box and laid it out in front of her.

"I have already written a contract to take you as my concubine."

Leng Cuizhu looked at the densely written words on the paper and laughed for no apparent reason.

"Is this how you intend to compensate me, sir?"

"You think you're very tolerant and magnanimous? Not only did you forgive my infidelity, but you also took me as your concubine."

"You want me to be grateful to you?"

Yin Yuan was clearly stunned.

He tightened his grip on the table, the back of his hand taut.

What else do you want?

"What else do you want?"

"More than a decade has passed, and now you're thinking of making amends?"

Leng Cuizhu lowered her eyes and murmured, "So stingy."

Where were you when I had a difficult childbirth? Where were you when Zhenzhen had hives and a high fever as a baby?

“When he and I argue and fight, you are always there, but you just sit there without saying a word.”

"It's alright, I'll just assume you're dead."

She actually fell in love with a corpse.

He still fantasized that she could forget all the pain she had experienced in the past.

On what grounds?

She silently forgave him many times. Whenever she was on the verge of collapse, he would give her a little bit of love, and she would be able to live on that little bit of love again.

Because this selfish man was so pleased with himself, she was willing to strip naked in front of him, spread her legs, and even give birth to his child and wash the dirty dishes in the kitchen.

She didn't want to belittle herself like that anymore.

"I am nothing more than a pet you keep."

"Because I was bought back by you with money, you must possess everything about me, and you cannot allow my attention to be elsewhere, much less allow me to leave."

"But Yin Yuan, do you know? You are really poor and incompetent. You've been an official for so many years and you're only a prefect." Her eyes welled up with tears.

Leng Cuizhu actually had a better option back then.

But she loved him so much back then, and the child in her belly was like a red thread connecting them, so she insisted on pulling him towards her.

She knew that was her only chance to get closer to him, and she had to take the gamble, betting that he had feelings for her.

She thought she had won the gamble, but in reality, she had already lost everything when she chose to gamble.

"I did have my own calculations back then, but... I really did like you."

Not now.

She picked up the contract page on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the water tank next to her.

The ink spread and smeared in the vat, and the tea leaves and cold water were stored in the half-withered lotus leaves. Suddenly, it was poured out, and the spilled water could not be recovered.

Leng Cuizhu left the study alone.

Yin Yuan stopped where he was and did not chase after him.

She wandered around the mansion like a headless fly, unable to walk fast, so she walked and stopped intermittently, dragging her heavy body with her legs tucked together.

She needed to find a place to remove the thing between her legs.

"You're the master's mistress?"

The woman squinted and looked Leng Cuizhu up and down.

When she smiles, her eyes widen a bit, revealing more of the whites of her eyes. Her lips are a little thin, but she's applied a little lip rouge, which makes it look just right.

She picked at the tip of her crimson fingernail: "You're as beautiful as a lotus emerging from clear water... You really are pretty. Actually, I saw you from afar before, but you had your head down and I couldn't see your face clearly. I just thought you were quite thin and as white as a dead person."

You should know who I am, right?

Leng Cuizhu bit her lip: "Greetings, Madam."

"Did you have a fight with the master?"

Yi Yinwan glanced at her: "I knew it. You were crying?"

"Foolish woman."

Leng Cuizhu wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes and adjusted her breathing: "Madam... I want to ask you, is what happened to Leng Zhen true?"

Why should I tell you?

"Don't you know what kind of person your own son is?" Yi Yinwan clicked her tongue. "Well, you must know what kind of person the master is, right? He doesn't come to see you often."

Leng Cuizhu frowned.

"slave……"

Yi Yinwan sighed deeply, "Leng Cuizhu, you're so stupid."

"Is all you do every day just talk about love? You really do have a face that looks like you'd do something stupid for love."

"If we were rivals in love, I would still have a chance to be friends with you, but unfortunately... you really do have a good son."

"Men are all the same at any age: selfish, fickle, and prone to flirting. Is it worth it for a man to stand up for his wife at home while he's out having affairs?"

Leng Cuizhu didn't understand. After Yin Yinwan finished speaking, she asked softly, "Madam, I'm not feeling well. Could you tell me where there are any vacant rooms..."

Yi Yinwan: "Are you even listening to me? I've said so much and you haven't given me any response at all?"

"Um... Madam is really amazing."

Yi Yinwan didn't seem very satisfied: "Fine, come with me."

Yi Yinwan led her to a side room. The room was clean and there was incense burning, so it looked like someone lived there regularly.

"...Is this someone's room?"

Leng Cuizhu waved her hands repeatedly: "No, how can I dirty my master's room? Madam, please take me to the woodshed."

"I walked all that way to bring you here, and now you want me to take you to the woodshed? Why didn't you say so halfway there? Hey, are you out of your mind?"

“You will be the master of this room from now on,” Yi Yinwan said, rolling her eyes. “This room was indeed inhabited before. Clever Lady Leng, why don’t you guess who it was?”

How could she possibly know who had lived there?

As Leng Cuizhu pondered this, Madam Yin and her servants had already left, leaving her alone in the room.

She stared at the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner, then leaned against the wall and walked into the inner room.

After removing the dripping jade pillar, she collapsed onto the bed, feeling utterly weak.

A faint medicinal scent lingered on the pillow. She pulled the covers up, gently inhaling the herbal aroma, and recalled Leng Zhen's aggrieved appearance at the yamen.

Leng Zhen must be very disappointed in her.

Disappointment is disappointment, she was also very disappointed in him, regardless of whether he stole or not.

Of course she would be disappointed when he insulted her like that.

However, she still worries about his life in prison.

The prison is full of vicious men, I wonder if he will be bullied inside... This child was also beaten with a cane. When he was little, he would feel terrible after being spanked a few times by Leng Zhen, let alone being beaten thirty times with a wet wooden stick.

His butt must be really sore right now.

You'd better protect your butt in prison...

Leng Cuizhu turned around and buried her face in the pillow.

Since it's inconvenient to leave the Yin residence now, we can only make the best of it.

Fortunately, Madam Yin treated her very well, not only giving her a room to rest but also having her maids bring her meals.

"Miss Linglan, please convey my thanks to Madam." She held the palm-sized peony cake, her eyes reddening.

"It definitely will." The maid nodded. "Madam, please eat quickly. These peony cakes were specially made by the small kitchen at Madam's request. They won't taste as good when they cool down."

"good!"

As soon as the maid turned to leave, Leng Cuizhu quickly stuffed the peony cake into her pocket and quietly followed behind the maid.

She was going to ask Madam Yin for help.

Perhaps Madam Yin can help her escape from the Yin residence and go to the prison to see Leng Zhen.

The only person she can rely on right now is Madam Yin; she will absolutely not beg Yin Yuan.

Leng Cuizhu never expected that Madam Yin would dine with Yin Yuan for dinner.

She walked into the pavilion and then realized that the man sitting there was Yin Yuan.

Turning away now is clearly too late.

Upon seeing her arrive, Yi Yinwan picked up the empty plate beside her elbow and turned it upside down over the bowl of abalone and shark fin soup in front of her.

"Hey, who's this young lady? I've never seen her before."

Leng Cuizhu: "...I've come to the wrong place."

Yin Yuan put down his chopsticks and stared intently at her.

His gaze was both too cold and too sticky.

No matter how hard she tried to shake him off, she couldn't. She was pinned to the spot, unable to move, let alone leave.

"Wrong place?"

Yi Yinwan rolled her eyes: "Then why don't you hurry up and leave..."

Yin Yuan suddenly slammed the teacup on the table, spilling a few drops of tea.

"Brother, I'm full, I'm leaving."

Yi Yinwan pulled her maid and walked out of the pavilion.

As Leng Cuizhu passed by, she clearly heard Madam Yin curse.

"Who are they putting on this for?"

...If only I were as assertive as Madam Yin.

Leng Cuizhu felt a pang of emotion.

However, she clearly said some very harsh words to Yin Yuan, saying that she wanted to sever ties with him.

He just wouldn't let her go, how disgusting.

Is killing Yin Yuan the only way for her to get rid of him completely?

Killing someone is so difficult.

Although she had killed.

Yin Yuan gazed at her for a long time before asking, "Do you like Yi Yinwan?"

"You've been watching her."

"……like."

Leng Cuizhu had to admit that Madam Yin was a very kind person, and she was very grateful to her.

"Even she can like him."

His eyes darkened: "You're so good at loving people, why can't you love me again?"

"I don't love you that much, and I can't give you the love you want."

However, he gave her all his love.

Love creates separation, abuse creates loyalty.

Even if you torment each other until you grow old together, that's still growing old together.

Yin Yuan believed that he could hardly be considered not to love her.

He clearly loves her very much.

“But,” he loosened his collar, revealing a small patch of skin on his chest, “look.”

The spot where the fingertip pointed was covered in a gnarled wound, as if it were about to slice away the flesh and blood to reveal the white bones.

"I apologize for biting you last time."

"But I tried."

His empty eyes were actually filled with tears: "It doesn't hurt at all."

"If you're still angry, then come in."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Love creates separation, abuse creates loyalty. — Zeng Qifeng

It takes a lot of love for a woman to willingly go to the kitchen and wash those dirty dishes. — Li Bihua

Don't take off your underwear for a little money. Don't spread your legs for a man you don't like. Don't strip naked in public because of a man's flattery. Don't mistakenly believe that something as trivial as stripping naked in public will change your life. Don't sleep with a man in front of others to gain his praise. Don't be smug because some selfish man has lustful thoughts about you. Don't live off a man's approval. Don't respond to a man's indifference with a smile. Don't seal away your emotions. And... stop belittling yourself. —Chizuko Ueno

Some sentences weren't used directly, but they were sources of inspiration, so I've marked them as well.