Chapter 25 He Didn't Return Home All Night

"Qingling—" Just as the Grand Princess of Deyang was about to say something, Yao Qingling stood up and bowed to her: "Mother, it's getting late, I should go back to the manor."

Her voice was calm, so calm that no emotion could be detected; her expression was calm, so calm that it made one feel numb.

Zhan Xingxiang said angrily, "Second sister-in-law, second brother is ignorant. Don't spoil him this time. Mother is here, she will stand up for you."

Qing Ling smiled faintly: "I saw the heir of the Marquis of Xincheng talking to you. Later, I chatted with the Marquis's wife. The heir is not yet engaged, and she has a good impression of you."

She looked at the Grand Princess Deyang and said, "Mother, pick a day and ask someone to go to the Marquis's residence to inquire about the birth dates and times. If both parties are interested, then we can finalize the engagement."

The Spring Banquet was originally intended for Zhan Xingxiang, but due to Zhan Xingzhuo's departure, everyone's attention was on Zhan Xingzhuo after the banquet, and they forgot about Zhan Xingxiang.

Yao Qingling suddenly changed the subject, and her expression was too calm, making people feel that Zhan Xingzhuo and Zhou Zhining's matter was just ordinary and not worth mentioning.

Before leaving, she brought the focus back to the present.

Zhan Xingxiang was young, and her face turned slightly red when she mentioned the person she liked: "Second sister-in-law, you were talking about second brother, why are you bringing me up?"

Qingling gently plucked a flower petal from Zhan Xingxiang's hair, as if speaking to an outsider: "Your second brother is just like that, what's there to mention?"

She acted as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, without even a hint of anger or frustration.

Moreover, it was said in front of Princess Deyang, which seems to imply that the Princess Deyang should give up on this son.

"Your current matter is the most important."

She gently patted Zhan Xingxiang on the shoulder and left.

Thinking to herself, she wanted to quickly finalize Zhan Xingxiang's marriage so she could formally file for divorce.

God knows how much effort she had to put in to keep from saying anything about divorce.

After Yao Qingling left, the Grand Princess of Deyang was stunned for a long time.

She found Yao Qingling strange, but couldn't quite put her finger on why.

It was perfectly quiet, just like before, but something felt off.

Not only Princess Deyang, but also Lady Cui felt that she was a bit strange, with a kind of... feeling of utter despair.

But perhaps she wanted to use this to make her mother-in-law feel sorry for her, treat her better, and favor her more.

Madam Cui's eyes flickered slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but Zhan Xingxiang spoke first: "Mother, Second Sister-in-law is so pitiful. I can't see any life in her eyes, they're like a stagnant pool. Second Brother cares about others, but doesn't he care about Second Sister-in-law?"

Cui felt a lump in her throat and swallowed her words.

Princess Deyang was completely focused on Zhan Xingzhuo when she was suddenly enlightened by Zhan Xingxiang.

Yes, it's a stagnant pool, devoid of any expectation.

It was this look that prevented the Grand Princess from reprimanding her for failing to control her husband and allowing Zhou Zhining to lead him by the nose time and time again.

Princess Deyang frowned. Her sympathy and guilt for her daughter-in-law disappeared. What she was thinking now was: If Yao Qingling doesn't care, does she want Xingzhuo to continue like this? What use is Yao Qingling then?

“Mother, can’t you do something about my second brother?” Zhan Xingxiang felt sorry for Qingling and couldn’t stand her second brother. “Mother always says that once children get married, parents shouldn’t interfere in their children’s affairs. But if I meet a husband like that in the future, will Mother just watch me suffer like this? Then I shouldn’t get married.”

“Nonsense,” Cui couldn’t help but say. “My sister-in-law only knows how to please my second brother and always give in. She hasn’t used any strong measures to deter Zhou Zhining. Over time, everyone will naturally think she’s easy to bully.”

"If you ask me, let's have someone beat Zhou Zhining out of there with a few sticks, and see if she still has the nerve to keep bothering Xing Zhuo—"

Princess Deyang gave Cui a cold, deathly look. Cui remembered how much Zhan Xingzhuo had argued with the Duke's mansion over Zhou Zhining.

Back then, even when the Duke beat him with a stick, he didn't make him put down that woman. Wasn't this a veiled criticism that his mother-in-law hadn't disciplined her son properly?

Madam Cui changed her tune: "Xingxiang, you are a young lady of the Duke's mansion, who would dare to let you suffer any injustice..."

"Alright, that's enough. Just shut up." The Grand Princess of Deyang rubbed her temples, not saying a single kind word.

However, Yao Qingling's heartbroken and utterly indifferent gaze remained etched in her mind.

She had a vague feeling...

No, that's impossible. Yao Qingling doesn't have that kind of courage.

...

Yao Qingling returned to the new residence.

She thought Zhan Xingzhuo would do the same thing as countless times before, bringing people to the mansion without her consent. But when she entered the courtyard, the mansion was quiet, and the servants were not busily going in and out of the west wing.

The maids and servants in her courtyard were not transferred away; it was still the same few servants.

"No, Master didn't bring Miss Zhou back, and he hasn't returned either," said the maid Chang Le, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Has something happened to Miss Zhou again?"

Tao Ye scolded, "Who told you to ask such a question? Get down."

The little maid pouted and obediently withdrew.

Tao Ye poured Qing Ling a cup of tea, handed it to her, and said, "With such a big incident, the young master can't possibly leave Zhou Zhining at the Wang family's house. Judging by the time, he should have brought her over by now. Is the Wang family refusing, and things are at an impasse?"

Although it was springtime, the wind still carried a chill. Yao Qingling had been exposed to the wind for almost the entire day at the Duke's mansion, and she was holding a teacup to warm her hands.

The ladies and young women gathered together to drink tea, admire flowers, and chat privately. Qingling was the subject of their conversation, but she couldn't join in.

They looked down on her, and Qingling overheard some of their comments.

"What's the point of being a legal wife if I can't get my husband's love?"

"What sworn sister? What's the difference between her and a lover? She's the legal wife, yet she's being treated like a maid, having to cover for them."

"Yes, I thought they were getting along really well. When Yao Qingling got off the carriage, Zhan Xingzhuo even helped her, and they walked in hand in hand. But who would have thought that they would run away halfway through?"

"The second young master was just giving her face. This trick both appeased Yao Qingling and made her willingly cover for him."

"They're just burying their heads in the sand, pretending we don't know anything."

"..."

Each word was like a knife stabbing into Qingling's heart.

Even though she was prepared, hearing these gossips firsthand still made her feel embarrassed and heartbroken.

She has endured this pain for two years.

I thought I was already numb, but I still couldn't completely stay out of it.

The warmth of the tea slowly spread from my palms to my body.

Yao Qingling said, "Regardless of whether he brings anyone back or not, prepare the guest rooms first."

“Miss, why are you still helping him? Didn’t you hear what they were saying…” Tao Ye thought of the ladies’ gossip behind her back, glanced at Qing Ling, whose face was not good, and Tao Ye shut up in time, then said, “The young master didn’t send anyone back to tell us, so we’ll pretend we don’t know anything.”

Yao Qingling shook her head.

Zhou Zhining attempted suicide by hanging, but she didn't truly want to die. Otherwise, given the extent of Wang Xuan and his mother's disgust for her, they would have preferred to turn a blind eye and wait for her to actually die.

Zhou Zhining made such a commotion to incite Zhan Xingzhuo's hatred towards Qingling and resentment towards her for driving Zhou Zhining away.

If Qingling were unprepared, Zhan Xingzhuo would not let her off the hook; he would only use the opportunity to make trouble.

Qingling didn't want things to escalate beyond repair before the divorce.

Yao Qingling rubbed her left arm.

Although the injury has healed, it left a scar that she can never forget.

Taoye followed her movement, glanced at her arm, and understood what was going on.

I was angry, but also powerless to do anything about it.

She nodded: "Okay, I'll send someone to clean up the west wing now."

Yao Qingling waited for a long time that night.

Zhan Xingzhuo did not return home.

He did not return home all night.

He didn't return until the evening of the second day.

At that time, Yao Qingling was having dinner. He sat down and asked the servants to add more bowls and chopsticks, as if nothing had happened.

Yao Qingling glanced at him and saw him calmly eating and drinking soup, but her heart began to pound.

It's abnormal that he seems perfectly fine.

But Qingling couldn't ask about Zhou Zhining, let alone why he hadn't come home all night; she simply ignored him and waited to see who would lose their temper first.

Zhan Xingzhu ate half a bowl of rice, waiting for Yao Qingling to ask him what he had been doing yesterday.

He didn't suppress the news; with Yao Qingling's abilities, she should already know what happened to the Wang family.

Why aren't you saying anything?

He watched as Yao Qingling leisurely drank a bowl of sour duck soup, and he himself found it hard to eat.

The man put down his bowl, his face stern as he looked at the woman opposite him: "Aren't you going to ask me what I was doing?"

Yao Qingling picked up a lion's head meatball, finished eating it, and then said calmly, "My lord is busy with many things, and as his wife, I must not hinder him or prevent him from doing his work."

Zhan Xingzhu snorted coldly: "So you know you can't trip me up. In that case, give me a thousand taels of silver."