Madam Meng, however, was not as optimistic as Meng Jinrong, though she showed no sign of it on her face. “I have already sent people to search everywhere. Do not panic,” she said.
Though her words were reassuring, Madam Meng had a bad feeling in her heart.
Meng Jinyue was merely a weak and foolish girl. To ensure nothing went wrong, Madam Meng had selected over a dozen of the best men for the task. In theory, they should not have failed.
But where were they now?
Meng Jinrong nodded reluctantly, only to look up and see Meng Jinyue and Xie Yunye walking hand in hand toward her.
Meng Jinrong’s pupils contracted, her eyes widening in disbelief.
She could not believe what she was seeing.
She had only ever dreamed of such a scene in her worst nightmares, but now that nightmare had become reality.
“You wretch! You wretch!”
Meng Jinrong’s voice trembled.
She had completely lost her composure. How could she possibly remain calm?
Unlike her elder sister, who sought wealth, glory, and a future of untold nobility, all Meng Jinrong had ever wanted was to spend her life with the one she loved.
But now? Her desires were so simple—she only wanted Xie Yunye. Yet Xie Yunye was with the half-sister she despised most.
“How dare you be with Brother Xie!?”
“Meng Jinyue, how dare you? Are you truly not afraid of death? What about your mother? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you all?”
Right there in public, Meng Jinrong began to speak recklessly, openly threatening murder.
“Jinrong!” Madam Meng scolded, trying to stop her, but it was no use.
Tears streamed down Meng Jinrong’s face as she sobbed uncontrollably. “It was Su Lie before. Back then, you said you didn’t seduce him, and I spared you. Now it’s Xie Yunye. What do you have to say for yourself this time? I will kill you, I swear I will!”
Madam Meng could not hold her back, nor could the servants around them.
Just as Meng Jinrong pulled out a hairpin and lunged toward Meng Jinyue, Xie Yunye grabbed her wrist. “Enough!”
Xie Yunye’s face was cold.
Seeing his utterly indifferent attitude and how he shielded Meng Jinyue behind him, Meng Jinrong felt as if her heart were being torn apart.
“Brother Xie, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“You are my fiancé. I am to be your wife in the future. Yet now, for the sake of my sister, you treat me like this?”
Seeing her so vicious, Xie Yunye felt even more disgusted.
Today, there was no longer any room for hesitation.
Xie Yunye intended to make things clear with Meng Jinrong.
Meng Jinrong had loved Xie Yunye for years and understood him well. Even before he spoke, she could instinctively guess what he was about to say.
“Shut up! Shut up! Don’t you dare speak!”
“I want her to speak. Meng Jinyue, are you only going to hide behind Brother Xie now? Have you gone mute?”
“You shameless, wanton woman!”
“Meng Jinrong!”
Xie Yunye’s cold voice cut off her stream of insults.
He had only called her name, but Meng Jinrong covered her face, crying even more bitterly.
He had shouted at her. He had scolded her—all for Meng Jinyue.
“We are breaking off the engagement. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”
Meng Jinrong said, “Brother Xie, is this what you have to say to me? Don’t you have even half an explanation?”
“What do you want me to explain? Or what do you want her to explain?”
Xie Yunye glared at her coldly. “You are the one who should explain. She is the one who should be questioning you.”
“Who sent those men last night? Who used those despicable methods?”
Xie Yunye had not wanted to bring such filthy matters into the open.
Yet Meng Jinrong acted as if she were the most innocent person in the world, completely unaware of the evil she had committed.
Meng Jinrong was first taken aback, her expression flustered, before she vehemently denied it. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Brother Xie. I haven’t done anything.”
Xie Yunye sneered coldly. “At this point, why continue to lie? We both know the truth.”
“You are the one with a malicious heart, the one who wanted to harm others. So why do you now have the right to question her?”
“Do you know what would have happened to her if I hadn’t saved her yesterday?”
Meng Jinrong was stunned for a long moment, frozen in place, her pupils shrinking.
He said she had a malicious heart!!
If these words had come from anyone else, she wouldn’t have been so affected, but it was Xie Yunye.
For years, she had pretended to be gentle and considerate in front of Xie Yunye, always hoping to leave a good impression on him.
And now, he despised her so much.
“Brother Xie, you must be under some spell, right? You’ve been bewitched by that seductress, which is why you’re saying such things to me!”
Madam Meng watched from the side, unusually silent and not stepping forward to defend her daughter.
“She is not a seductress. I am the one who loves her. Don’t blame her. If you must blame someone, blame me—and blame yourself for harming others.”
“If it weren’t for your scheming yesterday, I wouldn’t have had the chance to take responsibility for her, nor would she have agreed to be with me.”
Meng Jinrong’s heart sank to the depths, feeling as if it had been pierced a thousand times.
Tears streaming down her face, she stared fiercely at Xie Yunye, then at Meng Jinyue.
The one who had been hiding behind Xie Yunye now peeked out.
She seemed to be smiling, a smile filled with disdain and mockery.
“You wretch!”
“What’s wrong with me harming her? What’s wrong with me wanting to kill her? She’s nothing but a lowly concubine-born daughter, her life as fragile as paper. I only regret not killing her sooner.”
That smile pushed Meng Jinrong over the edge.
She lunged forward once again.
Xie Yunye grabbed her wrist firmly. “Enough!”
“There are laws in this world. She is the one I love. If you lay a hand on her, I will not let you off.”
These words pushed Meng Jinrong over the edge. She collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably before finally fainting.
“Take the young miss back.”
Madam Meng clenched her fists tightly beneath her sleeves.
Her heart ached for her daughter, but she needed her to see clearly, to remember this day, and to remember not to be consumed by Xie Yunye as she had been before.
With Meng Jinrong’s heart-wrenching cries gone, the surroundings fell silent.
“Let’s talk.”
Madam Meng looked calmly at Xie Yunye.
“What do you want?”
Madam Meng got straight to the point.
She already understood that Xie Yunye’s presence here meant her plans from last night had failed—and failed completely.
“Many people outside only know that the Xie and Meng families are discussing a marriage alliance, but they don’t know which young lady of the household is involved.”
Madam Meng stared at Xie Yunye. “Are you sure you want to change the marriage arrangement?”
Madam Meng admired Xie Yunye; otherwise, she wouldn’t have worked to arrange this marriage in the first place.
Xie Yunye was accomplished at a young age. In his teens, he went alone to the borderlands, achieving near-invincibility on the battlefield.
Even the Emperor spoke of Xie Yunye with appreciation.
The Crown Prince and Xie Yunye were sworn friends. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Xie Yunye’s status would likely rise even higher.
It could be said that in the entire capital, aside from the Crown Prince, Xie Yunye was the one Madam Meng admired most.
She understood her daughter’s temperament well—if she didn’t marry someone kind-hearted and upright, their household would likely be thrown into turmoil after the wedding.
Xie Yunye was the best choice for her youngest daughter.
“Ah Ye, think it over again. I’ve always been fond of you, and I know your stepmother in the household is domineering. If you’re willing to marry A Rong, today’s matter can be swept under the rug. With A Rong’s temperament, as long as you’re willing to turn back, she won’t hold any grudges.”
“Thank you for your kindness, but I’ve already made up my mind.”
Madam Meng still felt unwilling. The son-in-law she had painstakingly chosen for her daughter was now going to be handed over to Meng Jinyue for nothing.
“If you marry A Rong, the Meng and Chen families will spare no effort to help you secure the position of heir. If you marry her, you’ll gain nothing—you might even make a few more enemies. Are you really sure about this?”
“No need for your concern, Aunt. I’ll secure the heir’s position on my own. As for enemies, I am loyal only to His Majesty and consider only the Xiongnu as my foes.”
Madam Meng’s expression darkened slightly, her tone turning cold:
“A Rong has been utterly sincere toward you—you could even say she loves you as much as her own life. But this person behind you—does she have any genuine feelings for you?”
“Could she possibly be as sincere as A Rong has been toward you?”
“You may be wholehearted, but she might be approaching you with ulterior motives. There’s no medicine for regret in this world. Are you truly certain?”