CH 35

~ End of chapter 34

Zhao Zhi snorted coldly, “Lord Wei is really smitten.”

Wei Chiyu hadn’t yet uttered a word.

Zhao Zhi said coldly again: “Shizi‘s words are right, that is, if the person dislikes the poor and favors riches, if you can not give her a lifetime of fabulous wealth, you might as well put an end to your love.”

Wei Chiyu held back again and again, “I thank the crown prince for the advice.”

Zhao Zhi’s chest had been holding a rage that he couldn’t vent and his eyes emitted a chilling murder intent. After he mockingly said those two sentences, his inner rage gradually calmed down.

Just now, he had lost his temper. During this one year, Zhao Zhi had never heard “Wei Chiyu”, these three words, in Ming Zhu’s mouth. The one she liked now was him.

Chapter 35

(12.4)

Zhao Zhi got on the carriage, “I’ll leave first.”

“Your Highness, would do you give us a ride?” Sheng Wenlin asked shamelessly.

” Scram.”

Sheng Wenlin was startled and turned his head to look at Wei Chiyu, “Did you hear that just now?”

“……”

“His Highness, the crown prince told us to scram?!”

“……” Wei Chiyu said, “I’ll be leaving first, too.”

Sheng Wenlin looked at his legs, “You’re going to walk the way back ? The carriage from my residence should be arriving soon, I’ll give you a ride?”

“Thanks a lot, there is no need.”

From the the palace gates to the back alley, Wei Chiyu walked for two incense sticks worth of time.

(TL’s note : not sure but I l believe one incense stick is worth 15 minutes, so that makes for 30 minutes.)

He made his way, like a ghost, to the back door and stood under the eaves waiting in silence for a long time, without knowing himself what he was waiting for.

The sky darkened, black clouds gathered together and it was about to rain.

Ming Zhu opened the small back door of the residence. Looking up, her eyes met with a pair of quiet, dark eyes. She pinched her hands hard and almost thought she was hallucinating.

Four eyes were facing each other, in silence for a long time.

She didn’t see Wei Chiyu’s reddening eyes. The once slightly skinny teenager seemed to have already become an adult man.

A burst of thunder sounded and a light drizzle began to fall.

When the sound of the rain was pounding, Wei Chiyu asked her in a hoarse voice, “Does he treat you well ?”

Ming Zhu’s eyes reddened as she lowered her eyelashes, and she nodded in silence.

After a long time, Wei Chiyu then asked softly, “Zhu Zhu, do you like him now?”

(13.1)

Ming Zhu’s heart felt as if it was being tightly clenched. Her red eyes, feeling sour, turned slightly wet as she silently gritted her teeth while her lips trembled. She couldn’t say a word for a long time. She originally wasn’t good at lying to people, she could barely lie to Zhao Zhi, but she really couldn’t bring herself to tell one deceitful word to Wei Chiyu.

Ming Zhu, when she was first experiencing love, was liking Wei Chiyu in an obscure way. She felt that that big brother was handsome, had a good heart and was motivated to work hard. When she was spending time with him, she never felt uncomfortable, on the contrary, she was rather happy and at ease. But even back then, more than anything else, Ming Zhu was regarding Wei Chiyu as a savior that would free her from the Ming family, she wanted to marry the person to get out of the Ming family, that deep swamp and scorching hell, wishing to be free of this life of oppression under the tyranny of her elder legitimate sister.

Because back then Ming Zhu’s feelings for Wei Chiyu weren’t pure, now when she thought of the past, she felt guilty towards him.

Ming Zhu remained silent for a long time and Wei Chiyu was waiting very patiently. Quietly looking at her, he didn’t say even one word to urge her to speak.

Ming Zhu raised her head and held back the wet glowing waves that were about to fall from her eyes. In fact, in her last life, before Zhao Zhi granted her that cup of poisoned wine, she was already aware that she had already fallen in love with Zhao Zhi. Those years after years of interacting with him, the little details, the kindness, the warmth, the love that seemed sincere, all of these moved her heart.

Although she just realized now, being good to one person, doesn’t necessarily means liking that person.

Ming Zhu’s nails sank deep into the soft flesh of her palms, pressing with force until a few nail marks appeared, until she felt the pain, that’s when she finally hardened her heart and nodded.

She could have simply shaken her head and used Wei Chiyu to help her escape, but Ming Zhu didn’t want to be so selfish as to get him involved.

Her life was already like this but Wei Chiyu still had an official career ahead of him, and in the future, in court, he could get promoted and rise up rapidly in the world.

Ming Zhu’s purse contained the jade bracelet he once gave her. She took the bracelet out, “This bracelet, I’m giving it back to you.”

As Wei Chiyu walked a few steps forward, the rainwater going down the corners of the eaves fell on his shoulders, he stepped on the rainwater and walked to her, “I gave it to you, then it’s yours.”

“I can’t keep it.”

“If you give it back to me, I’ll just smash the bracelet anyway.”

“This is what your mother left you ……”

“It wasn’t left for me, it was left for you.”

Wei Chiyu couldn’t remember quite well when was the last time he had seen her face to face. When the Ming family came to cancel the marriage, he was coming back home after having bought chestnut cakes. Holding the still warm chestnut cakes, he was intending to send them to her through the back door. On his way back home, his family servant boy hurriedly approached him and told him that the Ming family’s people wanted to cancel the marriage.

The chestnut cakes he was holding all fell to the ground. Even as he used the fastest speed to rush back home, it was still too late.

The Ming family’s attitude was extremely hard, “We will return double the bride price back to you, you just take it as if this engagement never existed.”

Wei Chiyu’s turned red as he tried to reason with them, “I really want from the bottom of my heart to marry Zhu Zhu, I will never let her down. If the Ming family wants to cancel the marriage, please give me a reason that can convince me, otherwise I’m afraid I can’t accept it.”

“There is no reason, this marriage has to be canceled whether you want it or not.”

After that day, Wei Chiyu never saw his Zhu Zhu again.