In two years, Zhuang Jiayao first saw her father pass away, and then her heartbroken mother committed suicide by poisoning herself one night. She became exceptionally dependent on Qi Rongxuan.
Therefore, she was devastated when she discovered that Qi Rongxuan was keeping a mistress.
She brought people to the door, making a huge scene, scolding the mistress, and questioning Qi Rongxuan why he treated her like this, asking if he had promised to treat her well for the rest of his life.
Qi Rongxuan watched coldly as she acted hysterically like a madwoman. Only when she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, did he step forward, hug her, and comfort her. He said, "Jiajia, I didn't mean to either, it's just..."
"Back then, in order to be with you, I promised your father that the Zhuang family business could not be inherited by someone with an outsider's surname, which means... I cannot have children with you."
"But I promised my mother that I must continue the Qi family bloodline, so that's why I..."
Qi Rongxuan said with great pain, "Jiajia, I really didn't want to, but I'm already being unfilial by marrying into the family, and I can't continue to make my mother sad."
Zhuang Jiayao had no idea that her father had made such conditions and demands of Qi Rongxuan back then. She finally realized why she and Qi Rongxuan had been married for two years but had no children.
She originally thought it was because she couldn't have children, but it turns out... it was because Qi Rongxuan was keeping his promise to Zhuang's father.
But as a woman, how could she tolerate her husband having other women besides her? So she humbled herself and begged Qi Rongxuan, saying that she wanted to have his child and that he should not care about what Zhuang's father had said before.
Her pleading seemed to move Qi Rongxuan, and he agreed to her request.
Zhuang Jiayao began actively trying to conceive, but the more anxious she became, the less likely she was to get pregnant, and Qi Rongxuan's gaze towards her grew increasingly disappointed.
In her desperation, Zhuang Jiayao secretly sought out a doctor and obtained fertility medication. She drank it without Qi Rongxuan's knowledge, but he misunderstood and thought she was taking birth control pills.
Qi Rongxuan had a big argument with her about this and left despite her pleas. From then on, Qi Rongxuan reduced the number of times he went home.
Zhuang Jiayao begged him to come home again, and the two struggled for a long time. After Qi Rongxuan fell into the water while drunk, Zhuang Jiayao bravely jumped in to save him, and the two finally reconciled.
However, her body was damaged by the cold water, and she became completely unable to have children.
Qi Rongxuan seemed to feel very guilty towards Zhuang Jiayao, and he truly devoted himself to living with her. However, he often said to her, "It would be great if we could have another child."
"Jiajia, I've sacrificed so much for you, you have to treat me even better."
As she listened to Qi Rongxuan's words, her guilt towards him deepened. In the end, she relented and allowed Qi Rongxuan to bring his former mistress into the family.
Qi Rongxuan was overjoyed. He hugged her, kissed her, and said she was the best person in the world to him. That night, he stayed in the outer room.
Zhuang Jiayao forced a smile, but felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She had transformed from an innocent and carefree young girl into a melancholy and haggard old woman.
The three of them lived peacefully for a while. Six months after the mistress married into the family, she became pregnant.
Qi Rongxuan was very happy and gave the servants a raise early in the morning, and the whole mansion was filled with joy.
Zhuang Jiayao felt out of place with the festive atmosphere, so she didn't stay in the mansion that day and went out for some fresh air and to clear her mind.
Her hard-won peace of mind was turned upside down by this day.
On the third day after she returned to her residence, Qi Rongxuan suddenly came to her door. He was gentle and attentive to her, making her feel as if there was no third person between her and Qi Rongxuan, and that they had returned to the sweet and harmonious days when they were first married.
She was very happy and drank some wine with him. In her hazy state, she seemed to hear Qi Rongxuan ask if she was willing to give everything for him.
Zhuang Jiayao also remembered replying to him in a daze: "I'm willing..."
When she woke up again, she found herself dressed in a bright red wedding gown, lying on the bed of an obese man with lustful eyes.
She was terrified. She screamed and called out Qi Rongxuan's name, hoping he would come to save her, but she didn't expect to hear the man say, "Stop screaming. You are the one Qi Rongxuan sent to my bed."
"That kid is really willing to go all out; he's even willing to send his own wife to me to play with."
"My little beauty, be a good girl and be my bride for one night, and I'll guarantee your husband's success."
The difference in strength between men and women is already significant, not to mention that Zhuang Jiayao had been drinking and was shaken by his words, making her unable to resist and allowing the man to take advantage of her.
Unwilling to give up, Zhuang Jiayao pulled out her gold hairpin when the man rested, attempting to kill him.
But she was too weak to kill the man completely. Instead, he summoned the guards, and she was killed by the enraged man.
Even after she died, her face was slashed in revenge, and her blood splattered all over the room, even staining the clean bronze mirror.
She remained trapped in that sinful room, and because she died unjustly, her intense resentment turned her into a mirror ghost.
When she regained consciousness, she saw the man forcing the woman again. Without saying a word, she killed the man and, while the servants were in a frenzy, went to settle accounts with Qi Rongxuan.
However, upon arriving at the dealer's residence, they discovered that the place was already deserted.
Qi Rongxuan and his mistress, along with the servants of the Zhuang family, were all dismissed.
She couldn't find any trace of him, but from snippets of conversation, she learned that the man she had injured was someone of great importance. Qi Rongxuan had been angered by him and had abandoned the Zhuang family business to escape.
As for where he ran to or whether he is still alive, we have no idea.
Unable to avenge herself or find out why he treated her this way, Zhuang Jiayao's resentment grew even stronger. Unable to let it dissipate, she stubbornly clung to the mirror, searching for Qi Rongxuan's whereabouts from house to house.
While searching for his whereabouts, I would occasionally reprimand the unfaithful man, and before I knew it, I was here.
After Zhuang Jiayao finished telling her story, the men present had very complicated expressions. Only Nan Yuanman, being young, didn't understand these matters of love and romance. She just felt a little angry and uncomfortable after hearing it.
She just thought this ghost was stupid, but considering how miserable she was, she decided not to say anything, to save face for the wedding dress ghost, oh no, Zhuang Jiayao.
Wei Junchen couldn't help but ask her, "Even if your parents were gone back then, you were still the young lady of the Zhuang family. The managers of the Zhuang family listened to only you. Why didn't you just maintain the status quo instead of starting a new business? Why did you hand over the Zhuang family business to him?"
Zhuang Jiayao sighed: "I was devastated at the time and didn't want to see outsiders. He was the one who handled all the negotiations with the manager. But every time he came back, his servant would tell me, intentionally or unintentionally, that the manager outside looked down on him because he was a son-in-law who had married into the family. So I..."
"Isn't it natural to look down on him? If it weren't for your support, he probably would have starved to death on his way to the capital for the imperial examination. How can a person have both?" Xiao Qidong couldn't help but complain.
"Moreover, I think that the servant was not doing it unintentionally, but rather someone instructed him to say it."
Nan Yuanman looked at this and that, not understanding what the adults meant. She shook her little head and looked at Zhuang Jiayao, saying, "You've been dead for three hundred years, and he's dead too! Now I'm giving you two choices."
“First, I will help you summon him up to settle your karmic debt.”
"Secondly, you go to the underworld to find him, take the complaint to King Yama, and let King Yama judge his sins."
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