Chapter 87 [V] Utterly Useless
Han Yue felt very irritable. He had had a smooth life from childhood to adulthood and had never felt this irritable before.
Even though he took several years to pass the imperial examinations, he wasn't frustrated at the time. He just felt that he would pass sooner or later; it was just a matter of timing.
Sure enough, he later passed the exam and became the top student in the high school.
But this time, his state of mind was completely different from before.
He had a very bad feeling that he was going to fail the imperial examination this year.
The highlight of his life was probably the year he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. After that, he went downhill almost every day.
Everything was going wrong, which inevitably made him anxious and restless.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered the words of Cui'e, the maidservant beside his wife. She said that it was the second mistress who stole the fortune that originally belonged to her young lady.
Looking back carefully, it seems that their once prosperous life began to decline rapidly after Erniang went to the city.
Now that things have come to this point, Han Yue feels he has no choice but to consider this possibility.
Standing in the main room, Han Yue glanced towards his wife's bedroom. After lingering there for a long time, he finally stepped forward and approached his wife's room. He raised his hand and gently knocked twice.
The couple has long since fallen to the point where they don't see each other unless there's something going on, and they've been sleeping in separate rooms and beds for a long time, not to mention marital relations.
Li Jiaojiao had long since given up any hope for her husband. She was now aware of her own limitations; if she were Han Yue, she would probably avoid him like the plague.
These past two days, she's been having a lot of wild thoughts. She even considered that since she wasn't going to live anyway, she might as well die together with Li Yan.
But it's just a thought; she doesn't even want to step out the door now.
He even refused to let Cui'e serve him in his room at night. Apart from having Cui'e bring him his three meals a day, he would send her to stay in the side room next door.
Hearing the knocking, Li Jiaojiao assumed it was Cui'e and said irritably, "Don't bother me."
Han Yue: "It's me."
After that, there was no sound. Before long, the sound came closer, and it seemed that she was already standing behind the door, with the couple separated only by the door.
"What are you doing here?" She could be so angry with Cui'e that she would lash out at her, but she wouldn't dare do that to Han Yue.
It's clear that Han Yue is the one who's fickle and easily bored, and he also deserves some credit for making her the way she is now.
If he could still cherish and love her as before, even if her appearance changed, he would still remain faithful... and she wouldn't be so heartbroken.
In fact, she knew very well that Han Yue's attitude determined her mood.
Outside the door, Han Yue was equally distraught. He pressed his brow together, trying his best to calm himself down: "Can we talk face to face?"
"What do you want to talk about?" She thought he finally realized his mistake and knew he had neglected her these past few days, so he wanted to talk to her to improve their relationship and get back to how things were before.
But when she heard his answer, Li Jiaojiao's eyes, which had just brightened slightly, instantly dimmed again.
"Talk about Second Sister? Talk about her what?" Li Jiaojiao was very sensitive now. She felt that Li Yan had become more beautiful, and her husband must be coveting her beauty. After all, in the beginning, it was Li Yan and Han Yue who were engaged.
Li Yan's birth mother and Han Yue's mother had some connection. Before Lin Shi passed away, the two chatted and, on a whim, mentioned this matter. They even exchanged bracelets as tokens of their friendship.
However, after Lin passed away and Li Yan grew uglier, the matter was no longer mentioned and was eventually dropped.
Then came her fate with Han Yue.
Han Yue fell in love with her at first sight. After finding out her identity, he remembered his past connection with the Li family.
So he went home to see his mother and asked for the marriage.
Then came her happy and fulfilling life with Han Yue for about six months after their marriage.
"Did you think of your engagement with her back then because you see how beautiful she is now?" Li Jiaojiao felt a sharp pain in her heart, her voice became even shriller, and she was almost hysterical.
Han Yue remained calm and indifferent, his emotions seemingly unaffected. He simply said in a low voice, "Don't overthink it. I want to talk to you about something else." Although he said this, his wife's mention of his past with Li Erniang inevitably brought up some things from long ago.
At that time, Li the carpenter's wife was not the one he had now, but a woman named Lin. Lin had been a maid in a wealthy family in the city, and was quite respectable. After being redeemed, she returned to her hometown and developed a relationship with my mother. Because Lin had grown up in a wealthy family, she had received some education and knew some characters.
She is also an excellent embroiderer.
Her mother admired her greatly, and at the time, Li Erniang was exceptionally beautiful and adorable. On a whim, her mother proposed a marriage.
Looking back now, he realized that Li Erniang wasn't ugly from childhood.
Besides, given her mother's good looks, she couldn't possibly be ugly.
Although she looks better now than her mother did back then, it's not an exaggeration.
On the contrary, she described those earlier years as sleazy, which is truly unbelievable.
Rather than saying that Li Erniang borrowed Li Da Niang's current fortune, it would be more accurate to say that Li Da Niang stole Li Erniang's fortune during those years, which is why she once lived in a low point.
Thinking this, Han Yue became somewhat lost in thought.
The sound of Li Jiaojiao pulling open the door instantly brought Han Yue back to reality.
Suddenly, a plain-looking face came into view. Han Yue was momentarily stunned, unable to hide the disgust on his face.
By the time he realized what was happening and tried to adjust his facial expression, it was clearly too late.
Li Jiaojiao was already insecure about her appearance, and she was extremely concerned about her husband Han Yue's attitude. Seeing his expression this time only hurt her pride more. She immediately turned her face away, trying her best not to let him see her face, but her face, hidden in the shadows, was extremely gloomy and terrifying.
After quickly composing himself, Han Yue asked her, "Cui'e said before that your luck was stolen by your second aunt... What does that mean?"
Li Jiaojiao kept her face down, refusing to look at him, and only answered him, "Is there even a need to ask? She was like this before, and she is like this now. I was like this before, and I am like this now..." At this point, she slowly raised her hand and gently touched her face, "Isn't the truth right in front of us?"
Han Yue looked down at her, but could only see a section of her neck that was exposed when she lowered her head. Even that section of her neck was no longer as delicate as it used to be.
Han Yue looked away, focusing his gaze elsewhere, and said again, "But such a thing as stealing someone's fate... how absurd does that sound?"
Li Jiaojiao knew that he was a scholar and didn't believe in such superstitious nonsense. But if it hadn't actually happened to her, she wouldn't have believed it either.
“It’s true!” Li Jiaojiao said confidently, “Such things really do exist in this world.” She was so sure because she had seen it when she was a child.
But there are some things she can't say, because everything she once had came from her second aunt.
So she was also afraid, afraid that what she once possessed was just a fleeting moment. Now, it was all gone.
No, it's not as simple as just returning it.
Now, she doesn't even have what she should have had.
If she hadn't taken what belonged to her stepmother, she wouldn't look like this. When she was little, she wasn't particularly outstanding, but she wasn't ugly either.
"Really, believe me, it's true." Li Jiaojiao didn't go into details, only repeatedly telling him that it was true and that he should believe her.
Li Jiaojiao was originally self-conscious and didn't dare to look Han Yue in the eye. But in her moment of panic, she forgot about that. So now, she was looking up at Han Yue.
Han Yue gazed calmly at her face, seemingly lost in silence for a moment, before finally speaking and posing the crux of the matter: "You're so certain that this is true, so aren't you actually the one who stole someone else's fate?" Han Yue was undoubtedly intelligent, and he quickly grasped the crux of the problem.
Otherwise, most people wouldn't say something like "stealing someone's luck."
Sure enough, Li Jiaojiao froze immediately after he so openly exposed her. Although she wouldn't admit it, the expression on her face clearly betrayed her.
At this moment, Han Yue's expression as he looked at her face grew increasingly cold.
It turns out that everything she had from the very beginning was a lie.
From the very beginning, what he valued in her was her beautiful appearance, her supposed virtue, intelligence, and her good reputation that spread far and wide... all of it was a lie.
It's no wonder she's ended up like this; it was all meant to be hers.
Then, thinking of her mother, Han Yue seemed to suddenly realize something. She had wondered how a mother like that could raise such a daughter, but it turned out that it was all a lie, a smokescreen.
It turns out that this mother and daughter were inherently evil.
It's no wonder that a mother like her would raise a brat like her brother.
To be honest, at this moment, any lingering concerns I had were completely gone.
It turns out that everything he valued and cared about from the very beginning was a lie.
Han Yue suddenly found it funny, so he smiled and laughed self-deprecatingly.
After being exposed, Li Jiaojiao was first ashamed to the point of wanting to disappear, and then her eyes were filled with resentment and anger.
She believed that Han Yue must have been attracted to Li Yan's beauty and had therefore fallen for her.
He was helping Li Yan.
"You see her beauty and covet her. But have you considered that she is already married? Moreover, her husband is a military officer, not a commoner. Do you think you, with your current status as a scholar, can compete with Xue Yi?"
The two couldn't understand each other, and Han Yue thought she must be crazy.
She must be insane to say something so mad.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Han Yue frowned, displeased. He found her increasingly unpleasant. He used to think that although her appearance had changed, she was at least kind-hearted, but now he saw nothing good about her.
Unable to live with such a person any longer, Han Yue considered getting a divorce.
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