Zhou Yu’s Bedroom.
Xu Zhuling was still kneeling on the floor. The room had been silent for an unknown length of time when she timidly looked up. “Cousin, will Ye Wanning…”
“She won’t.” Zhou Yu took a deep breath. “She has feelings for me and won’t break off the engagement. Although the Ye Family isn’t as influential as before, they have many branches. They wouldn’t let Ye Wanning break off the engagement over this matter. But you… you should return to your hometown first.”
Before Xu Zhuling could react, Zhou Yu called for Feng Ran. “Escort my cousin to the post station. Depart immediately.”
He was tired.
If he didn’t send his cousin away, he wouldn’t be able to explain things to the Ye Family.
Xu Zhuling burst into tears. She had no relatives in her hometown, and Mother Zhou was coming to Jingcheng soon. If she returned now, when would she ever be able to come back?
She understood Zhou Yu’s ambitions clearly. Their meager affection probably wouldn’t last much longer.
She absolutely couldn’t go back!
“Cousin, why don’t you arrange for me to stay outside the city?” Xu Zhuling promised, “From now on, I won’t come to the Zhou family without your permission. Please don’t make me go back. I’m just a weak woman with no one to protect me—how am I supposed to survive?”
Zhou Yu turned his head away. He had made up his mind to send Xu Zhuling away.
Despite Xu Zhuling’s crying, Zhou Yu remained unmoved. After a long while, he finally went to help Xu Zhuling up. “Cousin, you’ve always understood me best. It’s not that I want you to leave—the circumstances force me to send you away. Don’t you trust me? I’m doing this for our future. Don’t make this difficult for me.”
Hearing this, Xu Zhuling knew Zhou Yu was angry. “I… I’ll do whatever you say, cousin.”
Compliance was what Zhou Yu liked most.
Xu Zhuling wiped her tears. “Cousin, please take good care of yourself. As for Feng Ge’er, I’d like to see him before I leave. Is that alright?”
Zhou Yu wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but seeing Xu Zhuling’s red, tear-filled eyes, he nodded anyway.
What they didn’t expect was for the wet nurse to bring Feng Ge’er over.
Zhou Yu flew into a rage on the spot. “Who told you to bring Feng Ge’er here?”
Frightened by the outburst, Feng Ge’er started wailing loudly. Xu Zhuling quickly took her son into her arms.
The wet nurse explained what had happened, “The Wang family showed no mercy at all. They openly called the young mistress an Outside Woman in front of everyone. I had no choice—if I didn’t come to the Zhou residence, there was nowhere else to go!”
Neither Zhou Yu nor Xu Zhuling had anticipated this. Zhou Yu had arranged for the rental house without showing his face, but the wet nurse had carried Feng Ge’er all the way here—someone must have seen them.
Without time to think further, Zhou Yu urged Xu Zhuling to leave with Feng Ge’er. Ye Wanning already suspected him—he absolutely couldn’t let her see Feng Ge’er.
As Xu Zhuling was pushed away, she kept looking back, wanting to plead for her son. She could leave, but Feng Ge’er was her cousin’s flesh and blood—he should stay.
Just then, Xu Zhuling saw Mother Zhou entering the courtyard. Perhaps surprised by Mother Zhou’s timely arrival, Xu Zhuling froze in place.
Mother Zhou was plainly dressed, her face etched with wrinkles. Seeing the tear stains on Xu Zhuling’s face, she frowned and asked, “What’s going on here?”
“Aunt… Aunt!” Xu Zhuling cried out in grievance. Feng Ge’er cried along with her, making Mother Zhou’s heart ache terribly.
“My precious grandson, please stop crying. Your grandmother’s heart is breaking.” Mother Zhou hugged Feng Ge’er and urged Xu Zhuling to quickly explain what had happened.
Xu Zhuling trembled as she looked back. Zhou Yu had reached the doorway. They both knew that Xu Zhuling and her son wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
After the group returned and sat down, Xu Zhuling finished recounting recent events. Mother Zhou slammed the table and exclaimed, “This Ye Wanning claims to be a well-bred lady, but I see no difference between her and a shrew. How dare she drive out a delicate woman like Zhuling without any regard for the Zhou family?”
“Mother, please calm down first,” Zhou Yu said, still suffering from his injuries and uncomfortable while sitting.
“How can I possibly calm down?” Mother Zhou took a deep breath and began rolling up her sleeves. “Zhuling is the only remaining bloodline from my maternal family. If she’s bullied, am I supposed to swallow my anger? I refuse to send Zhuling and her son away. If the Ye family has the nerve, let them call off the engagement. I’d like to see if they’re afraid of public criticism!”
Mother Zhou didn’t believe Ye Wanning could find anyone better than her son.
Zhou Yu found his mother’s narrow perspective frustrating, but he couldn’t be harsh with her. He could only advise gently, “It’s not like they’re leaving forever—they’re just going back to recuperate for a while. Please don’t be angry, Mother. You wouldn’t want this to affect my future, would you?”
“It’s just a trivial romantic affair. How could it affect your future?” Mother Zhou didn’t consider it a big deal. “You’ve already achieved the top rank in the imperial examinations. It’s the Ye family that’s unworthy of us now. Why are you still tiptoeing around Ye Wanning? If you ask me, we should take this opportunity to lay our cards on the table with the Ye family. After Ye Wanning enters our household, let Zhuling become a Pingqi. It would be even better if the Ye family disagrees—then you can just marry Zhuling directly.”
“Mother, you must consider my reputation!” Zhou Yu felt exhausted. Whenever it came to matters involving the Xu family, his mother became unreasonable. Seeing Xu Zhuling holding Feng Ge’er silently, he said helplessly, “No matter what, cousin and Feng Ge’er cannot stay in the Zhou residence. I will arrange another place for them. If you still refuse to listen to me, I might as well resign from my official post and return to our hometown to avoid becoming a laughingstock in Jingcheng.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Mother Zhou felt certain her son had been bewitched by Ye Wanning. Her once obedient and filial son was now threatening her. This Ye Wanning was truly formidable—she would have to deal with her sooner or later!
Regarding the matter of Xu Zhuling and Feng Ge’er’s stay, Zhou Yu ultimately arranged for them to go to a posthouse. He didn’t specify when they would leave, which gave Xu Zhuling some relief.
Meanwhile, at the Wang residence, Madam Wang learned that the wet nurse had taken the child to the Zhou family. She was a straightforward person. In her youth, her husband had favored an Outside Woman and nearly divorced her because of it. It was only through her powerful family’s influence in official circles that she managed to keep her position in the Wang family. Since then, she had harbored deep hatred for such “Outside Women.”
Madam Wang had met Ye Wanning several times and greatly admired her dignified and generous demeanor as a young lady from a respectable family. Thinking of Ye Wanning’s impending marriage to Zhou Yu, though she felt it inappropriate, she still had the news spread.
“I hope the Ye family will investigate after hearing this. If they still proceed with this marriage, then consider me blind,” Madam Wang told her trusted maid.
“But Madam, won’t this offend the Zhou family?”
“Am I afraid of them?” Madam Wang retorted. “I’ve lived for decades and finally understood one thing: neither face nor reputation matters as much as one’s own happiness!” She didn’t think much of Zhou Yu—a Zhuangyuan Lang without family background. Who knew how many years it would take for him to reach a high position?
After the Wang family spread the word, the news became the talk of Jingcheng by the next day.
This time, not only Ye Mingyue knew, but everyone in the Ye Family except the old madam was aware of the matter.
Ye Wanyu was so furious her teeth ached. She wanted to go to the Zhou family to demand an explanation, but since the rumors had yet to be confirmed, she feared her sister would be heartbroken upon hearing them. For once, she restrained her temper and cautiously sent someone to investigate.
Lin Shi also worried that Ye Wanning might take things too hard and came early to check on her.
Just as Lin Shi entered the room, before she could even speak, a maid came to announce that Madam Zhou had arrived.
“She must have come specifically to explain about Zhou Yu. Wait here, sister-in-law will go meet her on your behalf,” Lin Shi reassured her.
“I’ll go with you, sister-in-law,” Ye Wanning said with a faint smile. Her elder sister-in-law was too gentle—facing the sharp-tongued Mother Zhou, she would surely be at a disadvantage. Ye Wanning had long anticipated Mother Zhou’s visit. She wanted her to make a scene so that others would say it was the Zhou family being unreasonable.