Chapter 220 That was a man's disgrace!

The servants of Mulan Courtyard received the message from the head of the household and turned to inform Qingling.

"...The Marquis instructed that Miss should dress up nicely and take the young master with her."

Qing Ling gave a cold laugh, knowing full well what Marquis Zhongyong was thinking.

He simply wanted to use her and the child to curry favor with Zhan Xingzhuo and gain advantages for his family's official career.

However, his uncle is already quite old, and it's unlikely he'll be promoted any further. These days, he seems to have resigned himself to his fate, spending his days with his concubine Zhao, showing no ambition whatsoever.

Lou Yue snorted: "The eldest young master was demoted to the Buddhist Registry. He's thinking of his son and wants to ask Miss to do him a favor."

"This family is endless. Not a single one of them is capable; they're all bloodsucking worms!"

Xia Chan frowned and looked at Qing Ling: "Miss, are you going?"

Qingling certainly had the right not to go, but if she didn't show up, the Marquis Zhongyong would lose face and probably wouldn't let her have any peace.

Before she could secure the title for Zhao'er, she didn't want to ruin her relationship with her uncle. Although this marquis's mansion was earned through her father's military achievements, Qingling had no say in its affairs.

If she angered her uncle, he would expel her from the Marquis's mansion.

It's just a meal, Qingling can tolerate it.

She got off the kang (a heated brick bed), changed into casual clothes, and didn't bother to dress up. That was how she got over it.

The wet nurse carried Zhao'er and followed behind her.

Qingling didn't let Xia Chan and Lou Yue come along, but only let Nie Yun and He Yin accompany them.

Upon arriving at the main hall of the courtyard, they found only Zhan Xingzhuo, but not the Marquis of Zhongyong.

The man stood with his hands behind his back in front of the stained-glass window, admiring the tranquility of the snowy night. Hearing a sound, he turned around and gave Qingling a casual glance.

He wore a jade crown and a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with water patterns. Tall and elegant, he stood gracefully in the light and shadow, looking like a refined and noble gentleman.

In addition, he is exceptionally handsome; any unmarried woman would surely be captivated by such a man.

Three years ago, Yao Qingling had fallen for a man like this.

Now, when she looks at him again, all she sees is a calm and indifferent indifference.

She simply walked in, sat down at the table, without even a hint of surprise.

But Zhan Xingzhuo frowned slightly when he saw Yao Qingling's attire.

The color of his casual clothes had faded, the embroidered flowers were even out of shape, and they looked rough and had some kind of stains that hadn't been washed off.

This outfit wasn't even as vibrant as the green dress embroidered with pomegranate flowers she wore when she first returned to the manor.

The man's gaze fell on her hair, which was not adorned with a head full of pearls and hairpins, but was simply tied up with a jade hairpin.

It's so simple and plain, like someone going to become a nun.

The man walked over and sat down opposite her, saying calmly, "If I didn't give you money, why would you dress up like this to embarrass me?"

He remembered that Yao Qingling dressed like this when she was in the new mansion.

Qingling picked up her chopsticks and said calmly, "Sir, you're here to eat, why are you bothering about how others dress?"

"I wear whatever I feel like, whether I want to please anyone. Please do as you please, sir. If you feel that I offend your eyes, you may go back to your own home."

Zhan Xingzhuo took a deep breath: "Yao Qingling, can't you be without your thorns when you're facing me?"

"Even if you've forgotten the happy days we had, shouldn't you at least have a proper meal with me for the sake of the children?"

Qing Ling remained silent for a moment.

A pleasant day?

She looked at him: "Sir, what do you consider to be a long time, and what is a short time?"

Zhan Xingzhu frowned and said, "A moment is short, a year is long. Ten years is a cycle, and sixty-one cycles..."

He continued speaking in a lecturing manner, but Qingling interrupted him, "How long can your memories be preserved?"

Zhan Xingzhuo seemed to understand her meaning, but avoided the answer she wanted. He said, "I have had a photographic memory since I was a child. I remember all the books I have read and all the notes I have written."

Do you remember what you ate and what clothes you wore three years ago?

Zhan Xingzhuo's lips moved slightly: "How could I possibly remember such trivial details?"

Even if he has a photographic memory, he doesn't need to remember everything.

"You remember?" he asked Qingling in return.

"I don't remember either." Qing Ling smiled faintly. "Even if I remember some, it's all faded away, just becoming an ordinary day among countless others."

She then asked, "Do you remember what clothes you wore and what you ate a year ago?"

Zhan Xingzhu thought for a moment and vaguely remembered it.

He wears new clothes every year, and anything older than a year is unlikely to still be in his wardrobe.

Qingling said, "I still remember."

But it was just because she didn't have many clothes at that time, so she kept changing her outfits over the years.

"Three years ago is actually a long time ago, and the happiness from that time has long faded. But the memories of the last year or two are very vivid in my mind. So the happy memories you mentioned are just ordinary now. I won't hold on to memories from three years ago or miss you from that time."

"Zhan Xingzhuo, once the lie is exposed, all that's left is hatred."

The man's hand, which was resting on the corner of the table, clenched into a fist in an instant: "You hate me that much?!"

Yao Qingling didn't say anything more, nor did she want to look at him.

Zhan Xingzhuo took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

She always managed to provoke his anger with ease.

The memories from three years ago have long faded, but he remembers them all. He even remembers the paintings he made for her.

Zhan Xingzhuo said coldly, "Yao Qingling, you don't need to say these nasty things to try and drive me away. Do you remember what I told you before?"

"There will be a time when you'll be begging me while you're crying."

Now that he is a vice minister, he has plenty of ways to make her submit with just a flick of his finger.

He added, “The Marquis’s mansion is not a place you can rely on. Your uncle and aunt, for their own sake, are willing to offer you to me with open arms.”

"Outsiders won't help you for no reason. Look at the 'General Lin' you took in. You admire his integrity and dedication to the country and its people. Now he's a high-ranking official in the Ministry of War. But even if he were just a lowly official, do you think he would still pay attention to you?"

"I'm afraid if we met on the road, we'd pretend we didn't know each other, right?"

"Do you know why he changed so quickly?"

Yao Qingling pressed her lips together tightly, and after a while she finally spoke: "I don't know, tell me?"

Zhan Xingzhuo felt that Yao Qingling's calm and composed demeanor was just a facade.

In truth, she was already heartbroken. Lin Shiyuan had betrayed her; she had raised a heartless wretch who was not only a waste of her time but also of her wealth and her feelings.

She was scammed again.

They were just using her. Once she was no longer of any use, she became a "stain" in their eyes because she had seen that man at his lowest point.

Being rescued by a woman and living off her is a disgrace to a man!

Little did she know, Yao Qingling pursed her lips, only recalling Lin Shiyuan's clumsy yet passionate kiss.

Only by recalling the happiness she now possesses can she have the courage to face Zhan Xingzhuo and leave without showing any displeasure.

Zhan Xingzhuo considered himself magnanimous. Considering that she had given him a son, he disregarded past grievances and gave her a chance to repent and start anew. She should be grateful to him.

The man slightly raised his chin and said, "Because he looks down on your lowly status. If he doesn't sever ties with you, you will only become a stumbling block in his career."

"Lin Shiyuan had no family background and no talent to become the top scholar. He was just a rude and reckless man. Even if he entered the Ministry of War, he could only be a minor official and couldn't even afford a house in the capital."

"He's a bit ambitious and wants to become a high-ranking official, so he has to curry favor with the young ladies of noble families and become their son-in-law."