Song Yao rubbed her eyes. “Senior Brother, Xue Qing and I have known each other for quite some time. I know her temperament well, so rest assured—no matter what happens, she and I will always be good sisters.”
Su Chuang gestured for Song Yao to take a seat, and the two sat back down on their chairs.
Once settled, Su Chuang said that since his junior sister had decided to call off the marriage, they should proceed accordingly.
To be honest, his son Liancheng currently had no intention of marrying.
That child always insisted on achieving something significant in his career before settling down.
Liancheng had only agreed to this match because he didn’t want to defy his father.
Now that the marriage alliance had fallen through, it could be considered a relief—as a father, he would no longer force his son to do something he disliked.
Hearing Su Chuang’s words, Song Yao felt an even sharper pang in her heart.
So, in her previous life, her sincere efforts had not only been wasted on a pack of ungrateful wretches who could never be satisfied.
She had not only brought suffering upon herself but had also caused Liancheng to marry someone he never wanted to.
Recalling all the foolish things she had done in her past life, Song Yao’s heart grew increasingly heavy.
Unable to help herself, Song Yao shook her head. “Senior Brother, it truly is my fault for letting you and Liancheng down.”
Su Chuang replied, “Junior Sister, please don’t speak like that. Hearing you say such things truly makes me uneasy.”
Song Yao insisted, “Senior Brother, I’m not just being polite. I am sincerely apologizing to you. Please accept my apology and don’t ask anything more.”
Her eyes were filled with unwavering determination. Seeing this, Su Chuang said nothing further.
Instead, he asked, “So, what do you plan to do next? Now that you’ve seen their true colors, I imagine you can no longer live in the Marquis Manor as you did before.”
Song Yao paused briefly. “I won’t let them off easily for scheming against me.”
“I’ve made up my mind. I want a divorce from Han Qingfeng. Moreover, I want his entire family to spit out everything they’ve taken from me.”
Su Chuang supported Song Yao’s decision to seek a divorce. He said, “If you want a divorce, you should settle matters with the Marquis Manor as soon as possible.”
“As for making them return what they’ve taken from you, I advise you not to dwell too much on what’s already lost.”
“If you drag this out, even if you eventually succeed in divorcing the Marquis of Yunzhou, you will inevitably end up battered and bruised once again.”
“Junior Sister, listen to my advice. Since you’ve already made up your mind, cut through the entanglement swiftly. Don’t get caught in endless struggles. Wealth is external; preserving your life is what matters most.”
At first, Song Yao didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind her senior brother’s advice.
After pondering for a moment, she looked into his eyes. “Senior Brother, have you known all along that the Han family was scheming against me? Have you been keeping an eye on me in secret?”
Su Chuang hadn’t expected Song Yao to voice this so directly.
He raised a fist to his mouth and coughed dryly.
“Your are my junior sister. As your senior brother, caring for you shouldn’t be considered overstepping, right?”
Though Su Chuang’s expression remained calm, the dry cough he had just made had betrayed him.
Song Yao knew that her senior brother only used his fist to cover his mouth and coughed dryly when he was nervous.
Why would her senior brother be nervous for no reason?
Noticing Song Yao staring at him as if trying to see through him, Su Chuang asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Were you even listening to what I said?”
Song Yao pushed aside her wandering thoughts. “I was listening.”
“Senior Brother, I married into the Yunzhou Marquis Manor. Without me, their family would not be where they are today.”
“To let them off without holding them accountable for anything? I am not a saint, I cannot do that.”
“If I could forgive a pack of ungrateful wretches who schemed against me, then what would all the schemes I suffered through amount to? Was I born to deserve it?”
Su Chuang fell silent for a moment before saying, “Even if you don’t let them off, what can you do?”
“You are a weak woman, trapped in the wolf’s den of the Marquis Manor, surrounded by wolves on all sides.”
“What if those people discover you plan to leave? Do you think you can just walk away cleanly?”
“By then, you might not only fail to reclaim what they owe you, but you could also end up losing your life in the process.”
“Money and possessions are external things—just let them go. As long as you are alive, what you have lost, you will surely earn back one day.”
“Junior Sister, listen to my advice. Do not let hatred cloud your judgment and place yourself in danger.”
“Since you have made preparations to leave that household, I will do everything in my power to help you.”
“But I do not want you to risk your life! Can you, for once, take your senior brother’s words seriously?”
Recalling carefully, it seemed she had indeed never listened to him before. Song Yao said, “Senior Brother, thank you for worrying about me. But… I still want to defy you this once.”
Su Chuang, enraged, slammed his fist heavily onto the tea table beside him.
Once again rising from his chair, he paced back and forth in the reception hall.
Song Yao also stood up again. “Senior Brother, rest assured, I will not be as reckless as before. I have died once, and now I cherish my life dearly.”
Su Chuang halted his steps and stood squarely before Song Yao. “Died once? Are you saying that family nearly cost you your life?”
Song Yao: “More or less. But fortunately, I survived.”
“Since I have been given a second chance at life, and heaven has granted me the opportunity for revenge, why should I let them off easy?”
“Senior Brother, I know you mean well for me. But this time, I truly cannot heed your words.”
“I do not want to let those who harmed me go unpunished. Letting them off easy would truly leave me with deep resentment.”
The phrase “given a second chance at life” from Song Yao struck a chord with Su Chuang.
Although he did not fully understand what his junior sister meant by “given a second chance at life,”
since she had nearly been killed by that family,
and had almost lost her life before, then indeed, those murderers should not be let off scot-free.
Su Chuang met her gaze for a moment before asking, “What do you plan to do next? Can you share it with me?”
Song Yao’s eyes brimmed with intense hatred. “I want to divorce Han Qingfeng! But I want him to beg me to agree to the divorce.”
“Only then will he return everything that belongs to me.”
Su Chuang had thought Song Yao might say something like
she would send the members of the Marquis Manor’s family, one by one, to hell, or words to that effect.
He never expected her to say she wanted Han Qingfeng to beg her for a divorce.
To make that man turn around and beg his junior sister for a divorce?
How could that be achieved?
By looking into her senior brother’s eyes, Song Yao knew exactly what he was thinking.
Song Yao said, “Senior Brother, I know you have some connections with the master of Tianxiang Pavilion.”
“Could you help arrange an introduction for me? I wish to meet the master of Tianxiang Pavilion.”
Meet the master of Tianxiang Pavilion?
On the surface, Tianxiang Pavilion specialized in the brothel business, but in reality, it also took on other kinds of work.
Did his junior sister want to meet the master of Tianxiang Pavilion?
Su Chuang narrowed his eyes slightly. “Junior sister, could it be that you want to…”
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Song Yao’s lips. “Exactly, senior brother, just as you think. Can you help arrange an introduction?”
Without another word, Su Chuang agreed at once.