Old Madam Ji was angry not because Ji Changfeng had left in displeasure, but because her own sons and grandsons were simply too disappointing.
She had raised Ji Changfeng into such an outstanding young man, so why were her own descendants so embarrassing? Every one of them was petty and small-minded!
What she refused to admit was that she had never actually cared for Ji Changfeng at all. Precisely because of that, she felt even more resentful.
With a dark expression, she said, “Dajiang is already a grown man. This rabbit leg goes to Xiaohu!”
A smug smile appeared in Liu Shi’s eyes. Although the incident with Zhang the Leper had made Old Madam Ji treat her more coldly than before, as long as she had Xiaohu—the family’s only biological grandson—the old woman’s heart would always favor the third branch.
Li Shi watched helplessly as Liu Shi took the rabbit leg.
“Mother…”
“Shut up! You’re a useless woman who only gives birth to money-losing daughters. When you finally give birth to a son, I’ll give him a rabbit leg too!”
Li Shi closed her mouth resentfully.
Being called a “money-losing daughter” filled Ji Pingping with anger and frustration. Looking at Ji Changfeng, who had already walked out, she suddenly raised her voice.
“Big Brother, are you going back to your room? Song Zhaoxi has been staying there this whole time. Do you want me to clean it up for you?”
Song Zhaoxi glanced at her.
She suddenly remembered that she had locked Ji Changfeng’s room that morning and had forgotten to unlock it. She hurriedly stood up and followed him outside.
A look of schadenfreude appeared on Ji Pingping’s face.
Ji Changfeng liked cleanliness and hated it when others touched his things.
When Song Zhaoxi reached the courtyard, she saw Ji Changfeng standing with his back to her in front of the door.
His tall, slender figure looked neither thin nor weak. The cool moonlight stretched his shadow across the ground.
Unsure whether he was angry, she stepped forward and unlocked the door.
“I didn’t have anywhere else to stay,” she said gloomily. “I didn’t touch any of your things, and I cleaned your room for you.”
Ji Changfeng didn’t answer.
He pushed open the door and looked inside. The room was indeed spotless, exactly as it had been when he left.
But knowing someone else had lived there still made him uncomfortable.
Aware that the Ji family was watching, he stepped inside.
Song Zhaoxi followed him in and closed the door.
Outside, Ji Pingping’s smile gradually stiffened.
Big Brother didn’t say anything?
Did that mean he had accepted Song Zhaoxi staying in his room?
Then… what about the promise she had made to Ji Xue?
Ji Changfeng hadn’t expected Song Zhaoxi to follow him inside. Turning around, he looked at her with a strange expression.
“Now that I’ve returned, does Miss Song intend to continue staying in my room tonight?”
The way he addressed her—Miss Song—clearly drew a line between them.
His tone was calm, and there wasn’t the slightest emotion on his handsome, immortal-like face, but Song Zhaoxi keenly sensed that he was angry.
She tried to reason with him.
“Ji Changfeng, I was dragged here by your family to bring you good luck. I have nowhere to live. Isn’t it reasonable for me to stay in your room? Now that you’re better, are you planning to burn the bridge after crossing it?”
“Bring me good luck? Burn the bridge after crossing it?”
Ji Changfeng let out a soft laugh, and his dark eyes made Song Zhaoxi feel inexplicably guilty.
Even the Ji family themselves probably didn’t believe in such nonsense as a lucky bride.
Ji Changfeng said calmly, “It seems Miss Song’s mind hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
“That’s none of your concern.”
Finding him incredibly annoying, Song Zhaoxi decided that instead of directly asking for a divorce agreement, she should strike first.
“Ji Changfeng, I know you don’t like being married to me. As long as you behave a little better, I’ll sign the divorce papers.”
Ji Changfeng looked at her coolly.
“So Miss Song wishes to divorce me. I don’t particularly mind. But… can you even write your own name?”
Song Zhaoxi: “…”
He continued, “Therefore, I think writing a letter of repudiation would be more convenient. What do you think, Miss Song?”
She looked at him in disbelief.
“You want to divorce me by repudiating me?”
A mutual divorce was one thing. But if she were cast aside by her husband, her reputation in this era would be completely ruined.
How would she ever find herself a handsome young gentleman afterward?
Didn’t supporting female characters deserve love too?
Looking at the heavenly-looking youth before her, Song Zhaoxi suppressed the fear in her heart.
So what if he was the future Grand Secretary? Right now, he was just a country boy. Why should she be afraid of him?
Determined to disgust him, she said,
“Ji Changfeng, your family was the one who forcibly brought me here in the first place. Don’t tell me… you can’t bear to part with me? In that case, I’ll cling to you for the rest of my life.”
After speaking, she awkwardly threw him a flirtatious glance.
Ji Changfeng visibly shuddered, and his expression suddenly became strange.
“You don’t remember what happened back then? You could have left our family.”
“What?”
Song Zhaoxi clearly didn’t understand what he meant, but a bad feeling rose in her heart.
Ji Changfeng didn’t continue. Instead, he said,
“If you want to sign a divorce agreement, I have two conditions. First, learn to write your own name properly.”
“That’s easy enough.”
Thinking he had suddenly grown a conscience, Song Zhaoxi felt delighted.
“And the second condition?”
Ji Changfeng suddenly smiled.
“It depends on Miss Song’s performance.”
He had returned her own words to her, word for word.
“…”
Song Zhaoxi finally understood what it meant to drop a stone on your own foot.
Fortunately, she had always been someone who knew when to bend and when to stand firm. She wasn’t going to argue with a little man.
Immediately changing to a smiling face, she said,
“Well, you must be hungry, right? I’ll make something delicious for you. I bought it with great expense.”
Thinking about the crayfish she had spent ten copper coins on, Song Zhaoxi hurried into the kitchen.
Changlan and Chang’an were also there.
She was startled.
“You two are full already?”
Ji Changlan replied,
“I couldn’t eat anymore. Just looking at them ruins my appetite! Mother and Father came out too—they’re in Big Brother’s room.”
The couple hadn’t seen their son in a long time and naturally had much to talk about.
Song Zhaoxi smiled.
“If you’ve lost your appetite, then don’t eat. I’ll make something delicious for you.”
Then she thought of Ji Changfeng and asked,
“Oh, right. When I was first brought to your family… did anything, um, unpleasant happen? And how did your big brother react back then?”
Ji Changlan froze.
Just like Ji Changfeng earlier, he looked at her strangely.
“Sister-in-law… you’ve forgotten?”
“What?”
An awkward expression flashed across Ji Changlan’s face.
“When you first came to our house, Grandmother said you were here to bring good luck to Big Brother, but no one dared force him. Big Brother said he didn’t need anyone to bring him luck and told you to leave.”
The sense of foreboding in Song Zhaoxi’s heart grew stronger.
“Then… how did I stay?”
Beside her, Chang’an raised his little hand and said in his childish voice,
“I know! The moment Sister-in-law saw Big Brother, you drooled all over the floor. Then you pounced on him and refused to let go, saying you wanted to have babies with him. Grandmother was so happy that she kept you here!”
Song Zhaoxi: “…”