Chapter 120 Guarantee

Linfeng Hall.

As soon as Ye Mingzhu returned to her room, she asked Baozan to prepare a bath.

She's in a better mood now.

But perhaps fearing she was still unhappy, Sheng Yunche went to Su Xuetang and returned with a box of jewelry and jade, which he then placed in her hands.

Ye Mingzhu: "..."

Just as Ruyi had put the contents of the box into storage, Yaqin arrived again with Princess Ronghua's "comfort".

Ye Mingzhu reaped a huge fortune, and any lingering frustrations would never return.

Besides, she was already in a very stable mood.

What Ye Mingzhu didn't know was that while she was in a stable mood, some people were not.

Inside the Pine and Crane Hall.

After everyone had left, the old ancestor's expression turned grim.

"Grandmother, are you really going to move to Tingsong Residence in the Sheng Mansion next door?" the old nanny beside the Grandmother asked hesitantly. "Even if you want to supervise the Second Master's studies, you really don't need to move."

"Otherwise, what can we do?" the ancestor retorted. "Ronghua will never let Huai'an move here."

The old nanny said, "How about letting the second master come here to study during the day and go back to sleep and rest at night?"

“Ronghua would never agree to that either.” The old matriarch shook her head wearily. “Junzhao is her only child, and she cherishes him like the apple of her eye. Those people from the second branch of the family used underhanded tactics against Junzhao, and she will hold a grudge against them for the rest of her life.”

"She was already being ruthless in eliminating the second wife's family, let alone taking them back."

The old woman asked, "Is there really no other way?"

"Forget it," the old ancestor sighed. "I'm too old for that. I can't lower myself to a junior like Ronghua. Since she wants me to move out, I'll move out! But if she wants me to come back later, it won't be so easy!"

That was just said out of spite.

The old woman responded with a forced smile.

But inside, I was extremely anxious.

She didn't know whether others would bow down out of filial piety.

But Princess Ronghua would not.

As a princess, she couldn't possibly disregard filial piety. She wouldn't allow herself to be criticized, but she also wouldn't let filial piety restrict her.

The old matriarch moved to the Sheng family mansion next door, and in the end, she was probably the one who regretted it.

Why bother?

However, as a servant, she could only hint at it.

...

Several more days passed.

Ever since his ancestors moved to Tingsong, Sheng Huai'an's life went from hell to heaven in an instant.

The quality of his meals improved significantly, which made him appreciate the benefits of money even more.

With his wallet fuller and his confidence restored, he was more willing to go out and socialize.

Of course, there are also inconveniences.

That is because the ancestor made him study at Tingsong Residence. Since he couldn't go to the study in the front yard, he couldn't use the secret passage in the study to meet Liu Rumei in secret.

Fortunately, Yu Shu was by his side, and when he needed her at night, he could just pull her into bed and fool around with her.

Although Yu Shu is not as pure and innocent as her sister-in-law, nor does she possess such captivating talent, she has a good figure that her sister-in-law cannot match.

However, instead of seeking out Liu Rumei, Liu Rumei managed to contact him and ask how the matchmaking was going.

But Jia couldn't handle this matter well, and Sheng Huai'an didn't dare to consult with the old ancestor.

More importantly...

After calming down and studying diligently for a few days, he became confident in his outstanding talent and thought he could turn his life around by taking the imperial examination.

Therefore, in order to ensure a smooth career path in his future, he could not easily agree to marry.

Just imagine, next spring he will make great strides in the imperial examinations, and marry the daughter of a high-ranking official—how wonderful that would be!

He was caught in a dilemma.

On the one hand, he wanted Liu Rumei to give birth to the child, and he would cherish the child who carried their bloodline, because the child was a testament to their love.

On the other hand, he rationally knew that he could have another child, but the marriage he had sacrificed for was a sacrifice.

Even if one could divorce his wife, or even... secretly let her die, which proud and arrogant daughter of a high-ranking official would be willing to become a second wife or a concubine?

He was unwilling to sacrifice too much.

Nothing should stand in the way of his future.

After much deliberation, Sheng Huai'an found a moment of respite and approached Liu Rumei with a troubled expression... carrying the abortion pills that he had previously asked the doctor to prescribe.

“Sister-in-law, you can understand me, right?” Holding Liu Rumei’s cold hand, Sheng Huai’an said sincerely, “Actually, I’m not doing this entirely for myself; I’m also thinking of you.”

"Think about it, Hao'er is still young. You're already exhausted enough from putting so much effort into him. If you were to have a child for me now, wouldn't that just make things even more difficult for you?"

"Furthermore, now that our matriarch is living in Tingsong, nothing in the Sheng family can be kept from her. If she finds out that you're pregnant, our affair... no, our feelings will be impossible to hide!"

"I might be able to save my life then, but I'm afraid our ancestors won't let you off the hook."

"I was thinking, maybe we should just not have this child yet."

"Once I pass the imperial examination with flying colors, I will definitely be able to marry a woman from a good family. As long as I gain a foothold in the court with the support of my wife's family, I will immediately and quietly deal with her. A year or two later, I will marry you. At that time, you can openly and legitimately have children for me."

"..."

When Sheng Huai'an got emotional, his eyes even reddened.

But Liu Rumei only heard one sentence: "Let's not have the baby for now."

Her heart was as cold as ice. She looked at the abortion pills and gave a bitter smile: "So, you want me to take this pill? You've already made your decision, haven't you?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Sheng Huai'an's eyes, and he quickly said, "Sister-in-law, I know you are kind-hearted and can't bear to hurt the child in your womb, but... right now, we really have no way to raise him."

"Listen to me, okay?"

Sheng Huai'an held Liu Rumei's hand and said affectionately, "I know I've let you down this time and wronged you. Sister-in-law, tell me something I can do, and I will definitely agree."

“…Okay.” Liu Rumei, with tears in her eyes, nestled weakly into his arms and said in a sobbing voice, “I want you to write me a guarantee that you have deep feelings for me and that you will never let me down in the future.”