041 admitted it
"Young Master Yuan, what do you mean by that?" Xu Biyun suddenly felt uneasy.
Yuan Chongjing pointed at the paper and said, "Look at this paper. It's clearly Jingxian Qingtan Xuan paper, which was just released this year. The ink is new, and the creases are fresh too. How could it be something I wrote five years ago? Biyun, did you write this on purpose and try to hide it in my study, taking advantage of my amnesia, to make me think that my relationship with Yangyang is fake?"
Xu Biyun immediately realized that she had fallen into a trap. They had set up such a grand scheme just to catch her red-handed.
She shook her head, her eyes misty and on the verge of tears: "I didn't, Young Master Yuan. My son and I depend on you for the rest of our lives. How could I possibly harm you? I really saw this agreement on your bookshelf."
After Xu Biyun finished speaking, she looked at Li Yang beside her, her thin layer of tears gradually gathering and finally flowing down her cheeks: "It was you, wasn't it! You knew I came to visit Young Master Yuan, so you hid an agreement here to slander me! Li Yang, I know you don't like me, and you don't like Song'er either, feeling that his existence affects the status of your son, Xiao Taozi. But Song'er is, after all, also... also... How could you bear to treat us, mother and son, like this!"
Li Yang was still in shock at Yuan Chongjing speaking up for her.
She knew the two had been intimate the night before, and she knew their relationship was much closer than before. But compared to Xu Biyun, she still felt insecure.
She thought she couldn't compare to Xu Biyun.
Yuan Chongjing, however, did not want to bring up the matter again. His words directly addressed Xu Biyun's motives: "Biyun, don't drag Yangyang into our affairs. You and I both know Luo Song's identity. I can tolerate the rumors only so that you can survive under Luo Minzhi's influence. But why have you come to my study to slander my wife in front of me?!"
Xu Biyun was speechless after his barrage of words. She knew that he had seen through her purpose for coming, and she stammered, unsure of what to say: "Young Master Yuan, you have really misunderstood me."
"Whether you misunderstand or not, you know it yourself. Now I just want to tell you that you and Luo Song have already left the Duke of Luo's mansion. Those people who want to threaten you again will have to think twice. Even for the sake of Luo Song's future reputation, I hope you will not act rashly again. The people and things outside are not something that you can contend with with your little woman's thoughts."
He looked at Xu Biyun, his eyes serious: "Originally, I didn't plan to say these things now, but considering we were classmates, I can't bear to see Brother Yan's son suffer a bad end. Biyun, I believe you are intelligent, and I also believe that you are currently being coerced and in a difficult situation. I believe you must have seen through the motives behind those people. You should know in your heart what the best choice is for you and for Luo Song. I will pretend that today's events never happened. If there's nothing else, don't come here again."
Xu Biyun's petite body swayed slightly. She looked at Yuan Chongjing, her helplessness impossible to hide.
The sight of a beautiful woman shedding tears evokes a sense of pity.
Yuan Chongjing did not respond at all, but simply looked at her silently, maintaining his decision.
After a long silence, Xu Biyun smiled wryly and said, "I understand. I've disturbed Young Master Yuan today."
She slowly walked towards the door, each step feeling as if countless sharp knives were thrust beneath her, making her journey exceptionally difficult. When she finally reached the door, still no one spoke. Xu Biyun, gripping the doorframe, didn't turn around: "It's the Third Prince. He used Song'er's life to coerce me, ordering me to come and sow discord between you and Li Yang, so you can't regain your memories. He also told me to find something at the Yuan residence; he said it was a blue bundle containing a list. That's all I know."
She paused, then let out a heavy sigh: "I am very grateful to you for helping me escape from the Duke of Luo's mansion. I have repaid that debt of gratitude today. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. As for Song'er..."
Xu Biyun left the study without saying a word.
Outside the courtyard, Xue'er and her maid were teasing Luo Song. Xu Biyun had her head down, and the tears in the corners of her eyes had not completely disappeared. She went over to thank the two of them, gave them two purses, and then hurriedly left with Luo Song in her arms.
Xue'er accepted the money, wondering what excuse she should give if the second young master and young mistress asked why she had let Xu Biyun into the study. Meanwhile, her maid noticed the tears on Xu Biyun's face: "Why is Madam Xu crying?"
Xue'er casually said, "What else could it be? She must have been made to cry by the young mistress. Let's go, we should go back, or Zhou Mama will nag us again."
"Hey Xue'er, do you think what they're saying outside is true? Could this young master Song'er really be our second young master's child?"
"Who knows? It's none of our business. Let's go, let's go."
Xu Biyun had no interest in listening to their opinions. After leaving the Yuan residence with Luo Song, she took the opportunity of buying cooking utensils on the way home to meet someone: "I failed. But I put all the blame on the Third Prince, as originally planned."
The cookware vendor bent down to help her choose suitable cookware, saying, "Yuan Chongjing isn't stupid; he'll figure it out sooner or later. His Highness has been busy lately and can't attend to things here. Just stay here peacefully for now, and I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Hearing his words, Xu Biyun felt a surge of panic: "What else do you want me to do!"
"How about that?" the man scoffed. "You think you can get away unscathed after boarding our ship? You didn't find the goods and you've been exposed. You should be glad that His Highness isn't interested right now, otherwise your son's life would really be in trouble."
Xu Biyun hugged Luo Song tightly, her beautiful eyes glaring at them angrily: "If you dare touch my Song'er, I'll never let you go, even if I die!"
"A toddler is useless to me. As long as you behave well, who would bother with him? Alright, take your things and leave!" The man said impatiently, then placed a large, heavy pottery vessel in front of her and said defiantly, "Three hundred coins in total, thank you for your generous gift, madam!"
Xu Biyun was furious and disregarded her status, standing up and saying, "It's so expensive! I'm not buying it!"
After saying that, she ignored the people around her and carried Luo Song all the way home.
Luo Song was only two years old, not even three, and couldn't understand their conversation. But he could still sense Xu Biyun's emotions. When they got home, Xu Biyun put him down, and he stumbled to her back, reached out and pinched her shoulder, saying in a childish voice, "Your Highness, don't be angry, don't be angry. Song'er will pinch you, don't be angry."
The pent-up grievances and sadness in Xu Biyun's heart burst forth like a flood amidst Luo Song's intermittent comforting words. She turned and hugged Luo Song tightly. His soft body and the sweet scent of his milk filled her nostrils. Xu Biyun could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
On her way back, countless thoughts flashed through her mind: since she couldn't go on living, she would take Song'er with her to see Luo Yanzhi. That way, no matter where it was, the three of them would be together and fearless.
But every time she tried to make up her mind, she would remember what Luo Yanzhi said on his deathbed: he wanted her to live well, raise Song'er, and watch Song'er get married and have children.
It's so hard, it's so hard to survive.
She was about to lose control.
***
The two remaining people in the Yuan family's study stood motionless.
Li Yang dared not move, fearing that any movement would attract Yuan Chongjing's attention and remind him of the prenuptial agreement. Xu Biyun had been too emotional and preoccupied with Yuan Chongjing to notice, but Li Yang had. She had discovered that the prenuptial agreement, which Yuan Chongjing claimed was a frame-up, bore Yuan Chongjing's handwriting.
The paper was indeed the recently popular Qingtan Xuan paper, but the content was exactly the same as the previous agreement. In other words, that agreement was written by Yuan Chongjing himself.
She didn't know if Yuan Chongjing had restored her memory or what.
Regardless, Yuan Chongjing now knows that their marriage back then was a sham.
She didn't know how to deal with it.
Yuan Chongjing was the first to act. He looked at Li Yang and said, "Are you tired of standing? Sit down and rest for a while."
Li Yang, supporting her somewhat stiff legs, sat down in a spot some distance away from him.
"What do you think of Xu Biyun's words?" he asked.
Li Yang came to his senses: "It's half true and half false. The Third Prince can't think of such complicated things. I guess someone by his side gave him the idea to use the Third Prince's power to win over the Duke of Luo's mansion, and at the same time put down the Xu family and the Yuan family."
Fifth Prince.
The name flashed through their minds simultaneously. They exchanged a glance, then Li Yang quickly looked away, fiddling with the hem of her clothes as she looked down: "She's clever; she even tried to sow discord between you before she left."
He hesitated to reveal Luo Song's identity, hoping to arouse her suspicion and then have a proper confrontation with Yuan Chongjing.
Yuan Chongjing smiled and praised, "Luckily you're smart enough not to let her succeed."
Hearing his words, Li Yang looked up in surprise and saw him gazing at her tenderly with smiling eyes. She said, "You..."
"What about me?"
He still had a touch of boyishness on his face, and Li Yang was now certain that the Yuan Chongjing in front of him was not the same person who had been working in the officialdom for five years.
He has not yet regained his memory.
Li Yang asked, "When did you discover this?"
Yuan Chongjing looked down at the folded piece of paper and said, "It's been a long time. After I finished reading it, Beihai accidentally burned it. I was afraid there might be some entanglement, so I wrote another copy of the same one. I took it out to air it a couple of days ago and just put it on the bookshelf. It's not like she found it."
This is to explain to Li Yang Xu Biyun's statement that "she and Yuan Chongjing are of one mind".
"Then why don't you ask me why we wrote it back then?" Li Yang asked urgently.
Yuan Chongjing asked nonchalantly, "Why ask? The result is right in front of us. We have Xiao Taozi, and our family is harmonious and happy now."
"Happiness? Do you feel happy with your life now?"
Yuan Chongjing withdrew his gaze from her, turned around, straightened his back, sat down in the chair, lowered his head and pretended to tidy the hem of his clothes, and mumbled an "hmm".
Li Yang stared at him until his cheeks flushed pink, then she asked blankly, "Really? Will you think so too after you regain your memories?"
Her voice was soft, and Yuan Chongjing didn't hear her clearly: "What?"
Li Yang shook his head, about to change the subject, when he heard Xia He calling from outside: "Second Young Master, Young Madam, people from the Dali Temple have arrived!"
The two quickly stood up and left the study. Li Yang asked, "The Dali Temple? Why are they here?"
A male voice came from the courtyard gate in response to Li Yang's question: "I received intelligence that Yuan Chongjing disobeyed the orders of the Dali Temple and left the mansion without permission yesterday."
Song Hezhou stepped out from behind the yamen runners, his eyes fixed on Li Yang, his voice calm and composed, even tinged with resentment: "What, Madam Yuan, do you have any brilliant ideas?"
Those eyes, like those of a wild wolf lurking in the night, emitted a predatory light.
Li Yang felt her heart pounding as he stared at her.
Sensing her emotions, Yuan Chongjing stepped aside, partially blocking Li Yang's body, and turned to the side towards Song Hezhou: "Lord Song."
Song Hezhou didn't even glance at him, his eyes still fixed on Li Yang, a half-smile playing on his lips. He gritted his teeth and said, "Heh, Li Yang, you've been hiding well enough. It's really hard for me to find you!"
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