Chapter Thirty-One: Not Worth Mentioning
Looking back on the past three years of upheaval in Yun Yao's life, she found it filled with despair, pain, deception, coercion, and exploitation.
He was like a puppet being manipulated, or rather, like a "gift." In short, he wasn't like a person, not like a free, dignified, and upright individual.
All his suffering stemmed from this.
This is not what he wanted. He shouldn't be like this. Why did he end up in such a state? Every night, he tormented himself with these questions.
Since his mother's death, his life seemed to have descended into darkness. His father's crimes dragged him down with him into hell.
His father's economic crimes stemmed from greed and an inability to resist temptation. Those desires extinguished all warmth and sincerity.
Yun Yao was truly terrified. These people, whom everyone flocked to, were precisely the culprits who had destroyed his life. Now, he viewed them as if they were ferocious beasts, something he would avoid at all costs.
He truly didn't want to get involved in this vortex again. If he had a choice, he would never go near it again.
At that moment, Yun Yao's lips trembled as he grasped the hand that his wife had used to stroke his cheek. Under his wife's surprised gaze, Yun Yao said, word by word, "No, Madam, I will not go to the North."
The lady's gaze darkened, and she grasped the boy's hand in return. "Why, Yun'er? Don't you want to stay by my side anymore?"
Yun Yao lowered his head. If he had a choice, if his wife could treat him sincerely, he had considered having a purer relationship with her. But reality had woken him up; he knew he had been too naive.
He can't have everything; he can live without his wife, but he can't live without himself.
This may be his only chance to fight for his freedom, and he thinks he will cherish these dreamlike days with his wife in his heart.
Yun Yao made up his mind. He looked up at his wife and said softly, "Madam, I am very grateful to you for this. But I know that I am not suitable to go to the north with you. I am just an ordinary person and I cannot handle everything."
He couldn't help but look at his wife with a touch of longing: "I'm sorry, Madam, I've disappointed you. I'm unworthy. When you return to the North, please take good care of yourself. I will always remember your kindness to me."
Before he could finish speaking, the lady suddenly tightened her grip on his hand.
She stared intently at him, a terrifying storm brewing in her eyes: "Yun'er, do you know what you're saying?"
Yun Yao closed his eyes briefly, enduring the sudden surge of pressure, and continued, "I'm sorry, Madam, but Nanhang is where I was born and raised. Although most of my relatives have passed away, the imprints of my life with them, those memories and those emotions, are still here. Everything I know is in Nanhang... Madam, I want to stay in Nanhang. I don't want to go anywhere else."
At this moment, Yun Yao felt the lady release his hand. He opened his eyes and saw the lady lean back in her chair with a cold expression.
The way the lady looked at him now seemed to return to the time when they first met, making him feel vaguely afraid and a little sad, but it was all his own choice.
Yun Yao gritted her teeth and continued, disregarding everything, "Madam, I have failed your expectations. If you wish me to leave now, I will have no complaints. Please don't be angry for someone as insignificant as me..."
"Yun'er," the lady coldly interrupted Yun Yao, her expression unreadable, only exuding an oppressive aura, "who told you something? Or do you really not understand?"
Yun Yao felt a little breathless. He held back the tears that welled up for some reason, and stubbornly looked at his wife without backing down.
I don't know how much time had passed; it felt as if even the air had frozen.
Finally, the lady frowned and sighed silently, "What am I supposed to do with you, Yun'er?" No one else would have the chance to disobey her orders in front of her.
"Madam, I..." Yun Yao opened his mouth in a hoarse voice. He wanted to say something more, but his wife stopped him by raising her hand.
The lady seemed a little tired. She said softly, "Yun'er, go back to your room. You need time to think it over."
...
Yun Yao was forced back to his room. As soon as he stepped out, he saw two servants staring at him from the doorway. He was under house arrest.
Yun Yao returned to his room dejectedly. He sat on the bed, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart. He wondered if his thoughts were insignificant to his wife.
But he tried his best, he doesn't regret his actions today, and at least he said what he wanted to say.
Yun Yao could only pray that his wife would grant his wish, or that she would let him leave because she disliked his disobedience. As long as he didn't go to the north, he would do anything.
At this moment, Yun Yao was unaware that a storm, sparked by the Madam's anger, was sweeping through Cuiwei Manor. Butler Cheng investigated the manor staff who had been in contact with Yun Yao, and even Master Lin and his group, who had visited once before, were questioned.
A storm was brewing, and a tense atmosphere hung over Cuiwei Villa.
Yun Yao was kept in confinement for three days without knowing anything. It wasn't until the fourth day that someone entered the room where he was being held captive.
The visitor was Butler Cheng. He first described to Yun Yao the unimaginable prosperity and bustle of the North, then promised her a host of benefits that most people would envy. But Yun Yao remained completely unmoved, only staring coldly at him.
Butler Cheng's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Yun Yao, you're asking for trouble. Don't you know who you are? Back then, your former sugar daddy, Qin Rao, begged me to send you to Madam's bed. Now what are you acting all high and mighty for? You received Madam's favor, and your father was saved, and now you're turning your back on us? Yun Yao, this is called ingratitude!"
Yun Yao turned pale from the scolding. He looked at Butler Cheng, but couldn't utter a word.
Butler Cheng glanced at him disdainfully: "The fact that you were taken back to the North by Madam is simply incredible. What kind of place do you think that is, where just anyone can enter? Who do you think you are, daring to disobey Madam? You're incredibly audacious. You don't actually think that after disobeying Madam, you can still live a good life in Nanhang, do you?"
As if Yun Yao's face wasn't pale enough, Butler Cheng sneered, "And you don't think I didn't know it was that Xing family brat who tipped you off, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Yao abruptly looked up at Butler Cheng, his heart aching with fear that he might have implicated Xing Yu.
Butler Cheng continued disdainfully, "What do you think that Xing family brat is? His clan said they sent him here as a caregiver, but can't anyone see what they really were thinking? That Xing Yu only stayed by Madam's side as a servant because he didn't have Madam's favor and relied on his uncle's connections and favors. Ha, you still consider him a friend? He's probably jealous of you to death and is digging a pit to harm you."
"Think it over carefully, Yun Yao." Butler Cheng left with a threatening remark, "Without Madam's protection, your father and you could be crushed as easily as crushing ants. You'll see if you don't believe me."
Just before he left, Yun Yao asked, "Have you told Madam about Xing Yu?"
Butler Cheng stopped in his tracks, looked at Yun Yao, and his eyes darted around. "What? You want me to tell Madam that it was that brat Xing Yu who harmed you? You want me to plead for you?"
Yun Yao's face was pale, but she shook her head. "No, this was all my own decision. It has nothing to do with Xing Yu. I forced him to tell me some things."
Butler Cheng was genuinely surprised. "You're barely able to protect yourself, yet you're still putting on this show of brotherhood? What if that kid Xing Yu is really plotting against you?"
Seeing that Yun Yao remained silent, he pondered for a moment with a gloomy face, then coldly snorted, "Nothing in Cuiwei Manor can be hidden from Madam. I can tell Madam that the Xing family boy accidentally let it slip, and lessen his punishment. But the premise is that you have to be sensible, Yun Yao. I'm only giving you one day to consider. Think carefully about your father, your friends, and yourself, or you'll end up with nowhere to cry!"
After Butler Cheng left, Yun Yao slumped weakly into a chair, utterly exhausted. He hadn't expected his refusal to escalate things to this point. This relentless pressure sent a chill down his spine.
What pained Yun Yao even more was that he knew very well that without his wife's tacit approval, Butler Cheng could not have come in here to say these things to him.
This time, Yun Yao finally understood: his wife would always be the unchallenged, supreme ruler. A monarch is ruthless; serving one is like walking on thin ice. What could he possibly bet against his wife's soft heart and willingness to compromise? He was utterly ridiculous.
He had never had the right to bargain before.
Yun Yao silently buried his face in his hands on the table and wept bitterly. His wishes were worthless; everything he had was in his wife's hands.
The next day, Yun Yao, pale as a ghost, agreed to Butler Cheng's request. However, he asked to see Xing Yu one more time before seeing Madam.
Butler Cheng arranged for Yun Yao and Xing Yu to meet at Lanfang Courtyard, the same place where they first reunited at Cuiwei Villa.
This time, however, both of them looked terrible, and an awkward atmosphere permeated the two former friends.
Still looking haggard with dark circles under his eyes, Xing Yu couldn't help but speak first. As always, he was sarcastic, saying, "Why did you come to see me again? You know about my shameful past of being delusional. Or are you just here to show off? Madam actually had that old scoundrel Cheng make such a big fuss for you. Madam is actually so infatuated with you that she's making an exception to take you back to the family home in the north, a privilege no one else has ever received. I think you're really something. Even Qin Rao, who brought you in, is still hung up on you. They all love you so much, you must be so proud of yourself!"
Yun Yao gave a bitter laugh and whispered, "Love? How could that be love..."
He looked at his former friend, his eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. "Xing Yu, I just want to know, how much of what you said to me before was as a friend? And how much of it was out of genuine hatred?"
Xing Yu turned his eyes away, his lips trembling slightly, but he still stubbornly said, "Guess for yourself. I just like to talk nonsense, just pretend I'm talking nonsense."
He lowered his head again and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm probably going to be deported. But I deserve it. Yun Yao, I've seen a lot of scum. Actually, if you see too many scumbags, you can easily become one yourself."
Yun Yao looked at him and sighed, "Xing Yu, in my opinion, you're just occasionally sarcastic and make sarcastic remarks about me. Maybe you have your own little thoughts at certain moments, but I don't think your shortcomings are serious enough to be called scum. Maybe there are many scumbags in the world, but in my eyes, you're not one."
Xing Yu's pupils trembled as he looked at Yun Yao, feeling that he could no longer be so eloquent.
Yun Yao lowered his head as if recalling something, and continued, "Moreover, when I was confused and lonely, you accompanied me and gave me a lot of courage. I always remember you when I was a child, and I remember when we met..." He looked up at Xing Yu, his eyes glistening with tears, "I have always considered you a friend, whether in the past or now."
Xing Yu finally couldn't hold back his tears and burst into tears in front of Yun Yao. He rushed over and hugged Yun Yao, crying out, "Yun Yao, I never meant to really hurt you. I just sometimes couldn't control myself from saying those hurtful things to you... I was wrong."
Yun Yao patted his head, sighed, but held back her tears.
Xing Yu left. Before he was seen off by Butler Cheng, he whispered to Yun Yao, "Yun Yao, if you need anything when you get to the Northern Garden, you can ask my uncle. He's an upright man and can help you."
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