Even as a concubine, Meng Zifang’s status would have been a step up by marrying into the estate of Marquis Wuwei.
No matter how one put it, Lin Yuwei could not be said to have done wrong.
Meng Mingchi felt a wave of irritability. “Stop talking about this matter. Why were you in such a hurry to open your mouth before hearing things clearly? Have we not lost enough face? Lin Yuwei, I even suspect whether you intentionally wanted to watch my sister and me make fools of ourselves!”
“Brother Meng, do you still not know how I feel about you?” Lin Yuwei felt a chill in her heart, consumed by immense grievance. “If I did not fancy you, why would I, a dignified legitimate daughter of a fourth-rank Ministry of Revenue Director, marry you? Is there anything about your Meng family worthy of my craving?”
“You!” These words sounded exceedingly harsh, doing nothing less than adding fuel to the fire. They fanned the flames of Meng Mingchi’s anger—which had been smoldering with jealousy and suspicion all day—sending it surging upward. He stared at Lin Yuwei and sneered cold-heartedly, “Indeed, by what virtue or capability does our Meng family have anything for the legitimate Miss of the Lin family to crave? I am merely a low-ranking Secretary of the seventh rank. In the Five Armies Commandery, there are hundreds of Secretaries like me. In this lifetime, I may not even get a chance at promotion, and even if I do, I will never reach great heights. This is all my life will ever be. So, are you regretting it now?”
Lin Yuwei was stunned. “What?”
Meng Mingchi gritted his teeth and sneered, “Marquis Wuwei holds a high position, resting on the laurels of his ancestors with endless glory, wealth, and honor to enjoy. I heard your Lin family originally intended for you to marry into the Marquis Wuwei’s estate, didn’t they? Right now, do you regret not having married over there? If you had married him, everything your sister possesses today would be yours!”
Recalling the way she had stared at Lin Yulan’s valuable, luxurious clothes and jewelry, the bitter words she had blurted out, and the secretive glances she had stolen at Shao Xun, Meng Mingchi felt a wave of immense bitterness and rage.
With what could he compare himself to Marquis Wuwei?
If they met on the street, he would still have to bow and pay his respects deferentially, whereas the Marquis would not even need to cast a glance at him from the corner of his eye.
To put it bluntly, even a prominent servant from the Marquis Wuwei’s estate could bark orders at him.
Meng Mingchi slammed his fist onto the table, letting out a sharp grunt through gritted teeth.
Lin Yuwei was dumbfounded, shouting in flustered rage, “What nonsense are you spouting! I do not regret it, I do not! What is so great about the Marquis Wuwei’s estate? I do not care for it at all! I told you my heart only has you, and I willingly married you. Why are you simply unwilling to believe me?”
“Where is the reason?”
“What?”
“Is it truly just because… you like me?”
“Yes! Otherwise, what else could it be for?” Lin Yuwei burst into tears. “You also know my father and mother originally wanted me to marry into the Marquis Wuwei’s estate, but I… I fell in love with you at first sight, and I only wanted to be with you. I gave up the glory and wealth within my reach for your sake, and today during my return visit I even suffered quite a bit of mockery and ridicule from my sister. I never expected you would actually speak to me like this.”
Seeing this, Meng Mingchi panicked a little. He clumsily held her, gently patting her shoulder. “…I am sorry, I am sorry. It was my misunderstanding, it was my fault. Yuwei, please stop crying, alright? I will never doubt you again, nor will I ever say such words.”
Lin Yuwei cried even more heart-wrenchingly, sobbing out her accusations. Meng Mingchi felt both remorse and heartache, so anxious he nearly swore an oath.
Internally, Lin Yuwei felt secretly triumphant. Only after a while did she take the proffered step down, seizing the opportunity to say, “You must remember your words today, and remember my deep affection for you. In this lifetime, you can only treat me well. Even if you prosper in the future, you are not allowed to betray me or make me sad and heartbroken. Whatever you have, you must give to me.”
These words made Meng Mingchi feel vaguely uncomfortable, as if in her heart he were an ungrateful, treacherous person. However, engulfed in guilt at the moment, he did not overthink it and nodded. “Alright, alright, I promise you, I promise everything.”
Lin Yuwei grew even more smug, raising her chin as she pouted at him coquettishly. “Then I want you to swear an oath.”
“What?”
“Swear an oath! I gave up so much for you, yet I am merely asking you to swear an oath. What is so difficult about that? If you are unwilling to do even this, how can you speak of true sincerity!”
Meng Mingchi’s face darkened slightly. Suppressing his impatience, he forced a smile. “Yuwei, that is hardly necessary… Do you truly not believe me?”
Lin Yuwei smiled sweetly and said in a teasing voice, “I do believe you, but I just want to hear you swear an oath. Hearing it will make me happy. Can’t you just do it to coax me and make me happy?”
Meng Mingchi: “…”
He could not articulate what felt wrong, only feeling extraordinarily aggrieved and suffocated.
Lin Yuwei was still being relentless. “Hurry up, Brother Meng. I want to hear it, I just want to hear it!”
Meng Mingchi felt helpless. Just as he was about to comply with her wishes, a series of booming knocks on the door startled them both.
Mother Meng’s loud, angry voice possessed strong penetration: “Open the door! Lin Yuwei, get out here! What are you doing hiding inside with the door shut in broad daylight? Which family’s new bride acts like you? Do not ruin my son! Hurry up and open the door!”
All the romantic atmosphere evaporated instantly. His mother’s malicious, vulgar suspicion made Lin Yuwei’s face burn with rage and shame. Her voice trembled as she said, “Brother Meng, listen, just listen! What kind of words are those from Mother? What does she mean by that? I am the new bride of your family. Is there any aspect where the Lin family falls short of your Meng family? Not to mention being grateful, she actually speaks such words!”
Meng Mingchi felt thoroughly embarrassed as well, but Lin Yuwei’s words were also grating on his ears—yes, she had married down into the Meng family, and she was so elevated! But had she not thrown herself at him voluntarily? It was not as if the Meng family had forced her. What did she mean by bringing all this up again now!
“Mother did not mean it maliciously. Speaking of which, it is also our fault; we returned without going to see Mother first.”
Meng Mingchi hurriedly opened the door and said with a smile, “Mother, we were just about to look for you—”
“Move aside!” Mother Meng shoved Meng Mingchi out of the way, rushed forward, and slapped Lin Yuwei across the face. Pointing at Lin Yuwei—who was covering her face in complete stupor—she berated, “You shameless, vile creature! What deep hatred or grudge does my Zifang have against you that you would set her up like that? Is there anyone who acts as a sister-in-law like you? Crying, crying, crying—you still have the nerve to cry!”
Mother Meng raised her hand to strike again, but Meng Mingchi hastily restrained her. He too felt a bit angry. “Mother, what on earth is going on? What did Yuwei do wrong for you to hit her? Can we not talk things over properly?”
“You are still protecting her? Ask her yourself what grand thing she did!” Mother Meng said furiously, “She actually instigated your sister to seduce that Marquis or whatever, making a fool of herself at the Lin family. If word gets out, how is your sister supposed to go on living? Tell me, does she deserve a beating or not!”
Meng Mingchi was stunned. “This—how could this be possible!”
Mother Meng sneered, “Could what Zifang said be wrong? Could Zifang have wronged her? Hmph, I knew she was no good! If she were truly a good girl, would the Lin family let her marry into our family?”
Lin Yuwei felt utterly ashamed, humiliated, enraged, and embarrassed, covering her face as she wept bitterly.