Xu Yijie struggled to get up from the ground, frantically pounding on the door. This time, no matter how hard he knocked, no one opened it for him.
He wanted to create a scene in front of the door, but the moment he thought about the owner of this courtyard being from the Zhang family, he lost his nerve. After all, they were someone he couldn't afford to offend.
In the end, he could only huddle dejectedly by the door, thinking about how his long-term efforts had yielded nothing. His heart was filled with unwillingness.
Leaning against the wall, he looked up at the starry sky. He pondered all night but realized he could no longer survive in the city. Tears streamed down his face. If only he had known Leng Shui Xiang was so formidable, why had he gone through all this trouble?
Early the next morning, he went to the pawnshop and pawned the hairpin on his head and his clothes, exchanging them for thirty taels of silver. With the heavy silver in his hand, he didn't know where to go.
Finally, he rented a dilapidated small courtyard and settled down. Deep down, he was still unwilling and wondered if he could win back Madam Zhou's heart.
Before long, someone spread the news of Wu Cai Wei and Xu Yijie's relationship far and wide. They even spoke with vivid detail about how Xu Yijie had sought Wu Cai Wei's help and was then thrown out by her. The fact that things were understood so clearly immediately brought the image of the eldest madam of the Zhang family to Wu Cai Wei's mind.
Although there was no evidence, her intuition told her it was her. However, this matter was harmless to her. If it were another woman, people would call her cruel, and a potential suitor would hesitate when she remarried. But these were entirely outside her concerns.
She paid no attention to the deliberate distance others kept or the whispers behind her back, calmly facing everything around her.
The very next day, rumors spread through the streets and alleys again: she was ignoring Xu Yijie because she was having an affair with the young master of the Zhang family. She had used her seductive charm to lure him, otherwise, why would she be living in the Zhang family's courtyard?
Before Wu Cai Wei could react, the young master of the Zhang family was the first to become agitated. He quickly sent people to investigate. After much searching, the investigation led back to their own household. When all the evidence was laid bare, showing that the culprit was his own wife, the young master of the Zhang family's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He couldn't understand why his wife would do such a thing. He instinctively wanted to protect her, but at the same time, he didn't want Wu Cai Wei to be wronged. He was in a difficult dilemma.
The eldest madam of the Zhang family calmly took the evidence from his hand. Seeing his disapproving gaze, she knew this day would come, but she hadn't expected it so soon. She said with a touch of sorrow, "How do you intend to deal with me?"
Seeing that she didn't even try to defend herself and directly admitted it, the eldest young master of the Zhang family complained, "Why did you do this? What benefit did you gain? She's raising a child with difficulty, and you know how important her reputation is to her."
The eldest madam of the Zhang family, seeing that he spoke only of Wu Cai Wei and was constantly considering her, said with a hint of sarcasm, "You need to understand, I am your wife. You are defending another woman in front of me. The reason I targeted her is that you made me feel like she is my greatest competitor, a dangerous presence."
The eldest young master of the Zhang family looked at her in shock and suddenly faltered, not knowing what to say. He wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. If he admitted it, she had already said there was no possibility between them in this lifetime.
He dared not look his wife in the eye, turning his head away and saying helplessly, "You're overthinking it. There's no possibility between her and me. Let's forget about this. I hope you won't be so impulsive and hurt others next time. After all, she's my business partner. Without her, our Zhang family would still be suppressed by the Zhou family, and we wouldn't have become the richest family in the city."
Seeing her husband flee in a hurry after saying these words, the eldest madam of the Zhang family felt a sense of desolation. So many years of companionship, so many years of sharing joys and sorrows, couldn't compare to just a few months of acquaintance.
She was an intelligent woman. Her woman's intuition made her realize that her husband's heart was no longer with her. The reason she didn't let the other party enter the Zhang mansion was likely, as Wu Cai Wei had said, that she already had someone in her heart. Otherwise, she believed that if she so much as hinted at it, her position would be in grave danger.
Wu Cai Wei didn't take the young master of the Zhang family's apology to heart. She had long guessed who was behind it. She even knew more than the young master of the Zhang family. The initial rumors were indeed spread by the eldest madam of the Zhang family, but it was Madam Zhou who had sent people to spread the rumors about her seducing the young master of the Zhang family.
Xu Yijie walked on the street and naturally heard the rumors about Leng Shui Xiang. When he heard people say she was having an affair with the young master of the Zhang family, his anger surged. He secretly cursed her as a promiscuous woman, shameless.
To vent his anger, he went to the Zhang family's medical hall. Seeing Wu Cai Wei calmly treating patients, he thought this woman had a thick skin. Unable to hold back, he rushed up to her and angrily questioned, "Your affairs are all over the streets and alleys, yet you act like nothing happened. How can you have the nerve?"
When Wu Cai Wei saw him, she chuckled with exasperation. "Don't talk about what didn't happen. Even if it did, you have no right to question me. Shall I tell everyone about your affairs with Madam Zhou?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Yijie quickly looked around. Seeing everyone looking at them with gossip in their eyes, he immediately backed down and smiled sheepishly. "I'm talking about your issues. Why are you bringing me into it? As a woman, you're always out and about. You should pay more attention to your reputation."
"I'll give you one last chance. Disappear from my sight immediately. Believe it or not, if you say another word, I'll immediately tell everyone about your relationship with Madam Zhou and your disgraceful actions." Wu Cai Wei was thoroughly annoyed. She didn't know what the original owner's taste was to have fallen for him.
Xu Yijie had seen this woman's ruthless side and knew she would do as she said. He quickly slipped away.
Seeing such an interesting scene, many people that day began to guess what the relationship between Madam Zhou and Xu Yijie was.
Although Madam Zhou thought she had acted secretly, there was no impermeable barrier in the world. Soon, news of her having kept male companions spread within a small circle. Those who heard it were astonished. As a result, when Mr. Zhou went out, he always felt people looking at him intentionally or unintentionally. When he turned around, they would immediately avert their gaze.
Confused, he quickly sent people out to inquire what had happened. When the steward cautiously relayed the rumors from outside to him, Mr. Zhou's face suddenly turned red. He had never felt so humiliated.