Before Song Jiangmei could come up with any rebuttal, Zhu Jiayu spoke again:
"Just like you said, you are beautiful enough and clever enough to manipulate men. When you were around them, you must have secretly mocked their stupidity."
"I don't know about the past, nor could I have been involved. No one can predict the future, but—"
She paused for a moment and then said, "You are good enough. You will meet good people in the future. It doesn't matter if you don't. In the end, don't force yourself to do these unhappy things anymore. It's not worth it, and it's not a smart choice."
Song Jiangmei stopped her bluster and silently looked down at the pearls on her shoes. Her hands, which had been tucked into her sleeves, gradually relaxed.
Zhu Jiayu was right. She was indeed taking revenge on herself, punishing herself. She manipulated those men, but never felt happy or pleasure; she only felt disgusted.
But she didn't know before that she could do anything else besides those things.
She has never truly experienced what it feels like to be loved and cared for.
She might have had those memories in her childhood, but they were so distant that she couldn't recall them clearly. The only thing she could remember was the secluded, uncared-for life she led in the inner quarters after her mother remarried into a merchant family.
That home made her feel suffocated, even to the point of not being able to breathe. She escaped that cage-like place, only to turn Heling City into another cage with her own hands.
"You still haven't told me what you want to do. How will you help me? And what do you need me to do?"
Although touched by Zhu Jiayu's tenderness, Song Jiangmei still remembered that she was making a deal with Zhu Jiayu, not accepting her salvation.
"What I want to do?" Zhu Jiayu's lips curved slightly as she looked at Song Jiangmei:
"I will walk a bloody path."
"I want to sit in the top seat of the Yujing family."
"I want my sword to be the only weapon that obeys my commands, and none will dare to disobey."
Perhaps it was Zhu Jiayu's earnest expression that was too alluring, or perhaps it was her words that were too powerful; in any case, Song Jiangmei did indeed begin to have a slight thought of believing her.
But she quickly came to her senses and asked the question, "Why should I?"
Zhu Jiayu looked at her, but her gaze was distant, as if she were looking through Song Jiangmei's eyes at something deeper and farther away.
"Because I am Zhu Jiayu."
Based on her alone, Rong Heng would never have been able to win every battle in his previous life; based on her intelligence, she was able to produce articles that shocked the literary world after only half a year of studying with the Imperial Censor; based on her profound strategies and fearlessness.
Thinking of what Qiu Zhuqing had said at the family banquet today, she said, "If you really don't trust me, why don't you wait half a month until the evaluation results of the essays submitted by the students of Bailu Academy are released? If Qiu Zhuqing wins first place, then you can join my team, and I will help you take revenge on the Shang family. How about that?"
“Qiu Zhuqing has always been slightly inferior to my cousin…” Song Jiangmei said, then looked at her as if suddenly realizing something, “You mean, you will take action?”
"If I were to intervene and help Qiu Zhuqing defeat Song Huaiyu, would you still doubt me?" Zhu Jiayu didn't answer, but instead asked in return.
Song Jiangmei pondered for a while.
She doesn't have many years left to live, so instead of planning everything on her own, she might as well cooperate with Zhu Jiayu. At least Zhu Jiayu seems to be very capable.
She nodded and said okay.
Having received her consent, Zhu Jiayu raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Then Miss Song, please wait for good news. But next time, there's no need to come so late at night. The wind and dew are heavy at night, so Miss Song should take care of herself."
After she finished speaking, she stood up, bowed, and got off the carriage.
Just as she was about to turn around and walk back, Song Jiangmei suddenly lifted the carriage curtain and called out to Zhu Jiayu.
Zhu Jiayu, confused, turned to look at her.
She bit her lip: "Can I ask why me?"
Zhu Jiayu's smile deepened: "Because you're ruthless enough."
She likes people who are a bit ruthless.
He's decisive and skillful. He makes a great partner. A person who can be ruthless to themselves will only be more ruthless to others. That's a good thing. Being soft-hearted can easily lead to trouble.
"If we become allies, will you always stand by my side?" Song Jiangmei asked again.
Zhu Jiayu shook her head.
The young woman stood in the pale moonlight, her face radiant, her eyes as deep and cold as stars: "No, I will always stand before you. Miss Song is too frail; if we become allies, I worry that you won't be able to withstand the harsh realities of life."
Song Jiangmei smiled and lowered the curtain.
A moment later, the woman's soft voice reached Zhu Jiayu's ears through the curtain: "Just as Miss Zhu said, I am at the Song residence, waiting for good news."
As soon as she finished speaking, the carriage turned around and drove out of the alley. Zhu Jiayu also turned around and returned to the Qiu residence.
But the smile on her face quickly faded.
Because Qiu Lingyan was standing in front of her, looking at her with resentment.
Zhu Jiayu turned to look at Lüzheng, wanting to ask her why she hadn't reminded her.
Before Lü Zheng could even defend herself, Qiu Lingyan angrily said:
"Don't look at her anymore. I told her not to bother you. It's one thing if others don't know, but don't you know what Song Jiangmei has done? Even if I didn't like you at first, I've asked myself honestly, have I ever wronged you in any way?"
"I treated you like my own sister, but I never expected you to treat me like this? Zhu Jiayu, you've gone too far!"
She stomped her foot hard, turned around, and ran away.
Zhu Jiayu could even faintly hear her crying.
Green Kite cautiously leaned closer to explain, "Miss, I did give you a hint..."
Zhu Jiayu waved his hand.
It doesn't matter anymore.
The important thing now is how she needs to coax the little girl.
"Never mind, let's go back first," she sighed.
Qiu Lingyan cried so hard that it alarmed all the servants in the courtyard, and soon the news reached Zhu Shi's ears.
Having already sat before the bronze mirror, preparing to remove her hairpins and jewelry, Madam Zhu reluctantly rose, donned an outer robe, and went to her youngest daughter's room. She then dismissed the others, looked at her daughter who was sobbing uncontrollably on the table, and said irritably:
"The last time you cried like this was because of Liu Yasheng, the time before that was because you made a mistake and your monthly salary was deducted, the time before that was because I didn't let the accountant give you the money you wanted in the first year, so what is it this time?"
Upon hearing her mother mention Liu Yasheng's name, Qiu Lingyan forgot her tears and stared blankly at her mother. She couldn't understand how her mother had found out, given that she had kept it a secret so well from beginning to end.
She hiccuped and looked cautiously at her mother: "You know everything?"
Madam Zhu poked her forehead: "Only you think we're all still in the dark. It's not just me, the second and third wives all know." Seeing her daughter struck dumb, she slowly dropped the final bombshell, "Your brother knows too."
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