Chapter 122: A pair of happy enemies

It was late at night and all the lights in the second courtyard were off, but Ruan Xiaoyue couldn't fall asleep.

This is the first time I’ve returned to live here since the conflict with my grandmother and my uncle’s family. This is the house I’ve lived in since I was a child, but now that I’m in it, I don’t feel like I belong at all. Instead, I feel like a guest.

Before today, she had always been resentful of her grandmother. As they were both granddaughters, she resented why her grandmother always favored Ruan Qinghuan and could not see her own good side.

Now when I think about it, I suddenly find myself ridiculous.

Isn't it all my own fault that I have ended up in this situation?

Ruan Xiaorou also stayed tonight, and she couldn't sleep either.

Since we moved to the separate courtyard, my parents always quarreled because my mother gave all the money to my uncle, and every time my father slammed the door and left in anger.

When she came back to see her grandmother today, she heard what her grandmother said to her sister and was shocked.

"Sister, are you really planning to get a divorce?"

The sudden voice startled Ruan Xiaoyue, and she said coldly, "Don't talk nonsense, go to sleep."

Ruan Xiaorou couldn't sleep at all, so she sat up from the bed and said, "Sister, if your brother-in-law treats you badly, I support you in getting a divorce."

Ruan Xiaoyue laughed dumbly: "What's the point of your support?"

Ruan Xiaoyue knew very well in her heart that even if everyone in the world agreed with her divorce, her mother would not agree.

Besides, the marriage with Pei Chong was her own choice. If she divorced now, wouldn't she be looked down upon even more?

Ruan Xiaorou hesitated several times before finally speaking: "My brother-in-law is not someone you can trust. I saw him go to Zuihualou a few days ago. Do you really want to spend your life with someone like him?"

Ruan Xiaorou didn't dare to say this at first, but she saw her sister's situation today and couldn't bear to see her spend the rest of her life in the Pei family.

What is Zuihualou?

Pei Xiaoyue remained silent. What bothered her were the affairs at home. The concubine, sister-in-law, maids... They really opened her eyes and made her completely give up.

But despite this, she couldn't divorce him. She had to swallow her anger no matter what.

**

"Your whole family is attending the Ruan family's banquet, leaving me alone to guard this lonely courtyard. When will this dark life end?"

Lin Qiutang was half covered with a veil, leaning in Pei Chong's arms with a tired look on her face, a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"Aren't I back now?" Pei Chong said perfunctorily.

"Hmph, if your concubine hadn't been pregnant, would you have come to the main room to see me?" Lin Qiutang rolled her eyes at him and leaned closer.

Her slender fingers wandered over his body, and it was obvious that she didn't want to go to bed so early.

But Pei Chong's interest had passed. He was thinking about money in his mind. He couldn't help but feel a little irritated. He grabbed Lin Qiutang's restless hand and said, "Sister-in-law, stop making trouble. I'm annoyed."

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

"It's not about the money."

Lin Qiutang teased: "If you say that this concubine's daughter of a rich family is useless, then if you marry her, won't it be a waste of time and effort?"

Pei Chong looked unhappy: "If you say something frivolous again and make me angry, you will suffer the consequences."

"Who offended you? I'm here to help you find a solution."

Pei Chong frowned.

Lin Qiutang raised her eyebrows proudly: "It's impossible to force the Ruan family's money, but what if they insist on giving it to me?"

Pei Chong frowned even deeper: "What do you mean?"

"The Ruan family doesn't value the women of the second branch, but doesn't the second branch have a young master?" Lin Qiutang said as she stood up, dropped the veil on her shoulders, half leaned on Pei Chong, and whispered in his ear.

At last, he raised his eyebrows and said, "If this is accomplished, it will definitely solve your urgent problem."

Pei Chong: “…”

**

"What?" Ruan Xiaoyue looked at Pei Chong in disbelief. After a moment of silence, she refused, "You know the relationship between Ruan Qinghuan and I, so there is no need for a farewell banquet."

Pei Chong suddenly proposed to hold a banquet for Qingzhou Food Shop. Ruan Xiaoyue didn't know what he was planning, but it would definitely not be as simple as just inviting people to dinner.

More importantly, she didn't want people to think that she was deliberately trying to please the eldest wife. If she really invited them to dinner, it would definitely lead to a lot of rumors.

They said that the second branch of their family could not survive without the Ruan family, so they were humble and showed weakness.

Pei Chong: "It was my mother who decided this. It will be held tomorrow night."

The next morning, Ruan Qingzhou will set off for Jiangnan. He only has one chance tomorrow night.

Ruan Xiaoyue thought for a moment and said, "Time is too short and there's no time to prepare. I think we should just forget it."

"I've handed over the banquet to my sister-in-law. You don't have to worry about it. You just need to go back to the villa and bring my mother-in-law and my brother's wife over."

Ruan Xiaoyue felt a little uneasy. Pei Chong had always been proud, so why did he suddenly make such a gesture of goodwill?

**

When the Ruan family received the invitation from the Pei family, Zhou Yunzhi gave it to Ruan Qinghuan. Ruan Qinghuan was chatting with Xu Zining. When he heard his mother state the purpose of the visit, he also had doubts in his heart.

Xu Zining was not clear about the affairs of the first and second branches of the Ruan family. She only knew that the second branch of the Ruan family moved to a separate courtyard because of some things.

But seeing that Sister Qing Huan looked a little strange, he asked doubtfully, "Sister, don't you want to go?"

Ruan Qinghuan really didn't want to go.

She didn't have a good impression of Pei Chong or even the Pei family. As the saying goes, there's no gain without pain. What on earth was he trying to do by causing such a thing?

But this post was made in the name of Old Madam Pei. If they did not go, it would seem too rude and would make people think that they were arrogant and looked down on others.

"Qing Huan, why don't you just let your father go alone?"

"Mom, let's all go except Qingzhou."

Zhou Yunzhi nodded: "That's right, after all, we are relatives, so we still have to give him some face."

As soon as Madam Zhou left, Xu Zining lowered her voice and said, "It turns out that my sister and Madam don't like the Pei family either."

Seeing Ruan Qinghuan looking over, she continued, "It was at the banquet last night that I heard with my own ears that the man from the Pei family asked Miss Xiaoyue to please the old lady so that the second branch could move back to the Ruan family."

"After Sister Xiaoyue left, I vaguely heard that person say something about being in urgent need of money."

Ruan Qinghuan: "Besides silver, is there anything else?"

Xu Zining thought for a moment and shook her head: "There were many people around, and the voices were mixed, so I couldn't hear clearly, but I could see that Miss Xiaoyue's husband didn't treat her well."

Ruan Qinghuan nodded. Even outsiders could see it, so how could Ruan Xiaoyue not know it?

My grandmother must have kept her here last night for this reason.

She had come to comfort Zi Ning, so she changed the subject: "Zi Ning, Qing Zhou has a somewhat impetuous temper. If he has wronged you, you can tell me and I will help you teach him a lesson."

Xu Zining shook her head: "No, my senior brother and I have known each other since childhood, I understand him."

Although she said this, Ruan Qinghuan could see that she was still angry: "By the way, I went to see him this morning and found that he didn't look well. I asked him what was wrong, and he just said that he hadn't slept all night. I went to look for Senior Xu, but he was not in the room, and I didn't know where he went..."

"Did he say where he felt uncomfortable? Was it his chest or his headache... Could it be that he walked too much yesterday and his leg injury got worse?" Xu Zining's mind was in a mess and she was in no mood to chat. She was muttering to herself as she almost reached the garden gate.

Ruan Qinghuan laughed.

The two of them are really a pair of bickering lovers.