Cheng sneered coldly, angrily interrupting him, "Yuan Xing, don't you dare try to threaten me with this matter. I, Cheng Li, have never been threatened by anyone in my life."
Yuan Xing frowned deeply, "Why would I threaten you?"
Cheng gritted her teeth, "Are you still pretending?"
Yuan Xing was puzzled again, "Pretending what?"
Cheng was furious. She had received a message from Yuan Xing earlier in the evening, saying that he already knew the truth about the child back then and wanted to meet her in the yard tonight to discuss the child's matters, otherwise she would have to bear the consequences.
As soon as she heard this, she was scared out of her wits.
Apart from Sun Mammy, no one else knew about the child. And the night she spent with Yuan Xing, only Yuan Xing himself knew clearly!
If Sun Mammy had exposed this matter to Gu Ying, Gu Ying would not have endured it for so long without reacting. The only person who knew about the events of that year, apart from Yuan Xing, she couldn't think of anyone else!
She knew Yuan Xing had stayed in Bianjing as an official all these years with some ulterior motives. At first, she had secretly helped him a bit too, feeling that since she owed him, she would secure him a good future.
He was low-key, and had never come looking for her again. Gradually, she had put the matter behind and comfortably lived as the duchess of the duke.
Occasionally at some spring banquets she could still meet him, but they never spoke, only regarding each other as strangers, as if that night had never happened.
But she did not expect that Yuan Xing had been dormant all these years for his own official career. Now seeing her favored, and knowing Chang Xing was his own flesh and blood, he wanted to blackmail her.
She felt anxious and afraid, and worried that if Yuan Xing really made this matter public, and the Duke found out... then... all her glory and wealth would vanish in smoke!
As Cheng thought more and more angrily, she approached Yuan Xing step by step, staring at him with blood-red eyes through gritted teeth, "Don't think that just because Chang Xing is your offspring you can use him to threaten me to pave the way for you! Yuan Xing, don't even think about it!"
Yuan Xing was stunned, "What...what did you say?"
Seeing the puzzlement on the man's face, Cheng suddenly realized something was wrong.
But it was too late now!
The courtyard door was kicked open fiercely from outside with a "dong", and her heart skipped a beat as she looked straight at the door!
Zhao Hui, dressed in dark green robes, stood fuming at the door, his narrow eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at them coldly.
Behind him was Gu Ying in a light blue cloak, and another woman wrapped in a shabby robe, her features obscured from view, only a pair of eyes resembling Mrs. Lin's gazing coldly this way.
Cheng's breathing hitched, and her mind exploded as her body stiffened where she stood.
"Your Grace..."
Was she seeing right? Why would the Duke be here?
How much had the Duke heard of what she just said to Yuan Xing?
Cheng's heart suddenly burned wildly. She didn't dare think further, but meeting alone with another man in the yard in the middle of the night was a major taboo in the Duke Manor. The Duke would definitely not let her off!
She was stunned for a moment, then walked tremblingly towards Zhao Hui. Meeting the man's frighteningly cold gaze, she grabbed the corner of his robe, her eyes slightly red, "Your Grace, I can explain what happened tonight..."
Zhao Hui smiled without mirth, pointing to the stunned Yuan Xing in the yard, "Go on then, explain to me, who is he?"
"He..."
"And who exactly is Chang Xing's father!"
Cheng shuddered, swallowing hard as tears streamed down her face.
Zhao Hui watched her tears and laughed heartily. He laughed until he bent down to grab her neck, "Cheng Li, you've made me suffer for so many years!"
"Your Grace, it's not like that, our Xing'er..."
"Shut up!" Zhao Hui yelled angrily, his handsome face turning icy, "Don't mention that accursed bastard's name, it makes me sick!"
Cheng panicked and pleaded tearfully, "Your Grace, I beg you. After so many years as husband and wife, don't you have any feelings left for me or Xing'er?"
Zhao Hui laughed in extreme anger and kicked her to the ground, mocking, "How can you say that?"
Cheng fell miserably to the ground, her face deathly pale. She now knew that saying anything more was useless.
Yuan Xing looked worried and was about to bend down to help her up, but she pushed him away harshly, "Get lost!"
Yuan Xing awkwardly froze in place, unsure whether to help or withdraw his hands.
Cheng couldn't care less about Yuan Xing now. She only wanted to win Zhao Hui back desperately.
She looked up anxiously and happened to see Yu Gu wrapped up. She mocked hysterically, "Blame me, Your Grace! But what about you? Don't you also keep a woman outside? We're both guilty of the same!"
Zhao Hui couldn't believe that at this point, Cheng still dared to be unreasonable.
He clenched his fist and walked over to yank her up from the ground. "Shameless! Come back with me, I have to settle accounts with you! And bring that bastard child of yours too!"
Cheng was flustered as the man dragged her out by the hair stumbling.
Reaching the door, she suddenly lunged at Yu Gu wildly, "She's your mistress, isn't she! Since Your Grace shows me no mercy, we'll make everything public tonight! Bring her back too! Make trouble, if you want trouble, let's make trouble together. I want to see what others will think when they find out a man of your age still keeps a woman outside! If you don't care about Zhenguo Duke Manor's reputation, then neither do I!"
Caught off guard, Yu Gu's face veil was torn off randomly by her, revealing a small scarred face.
She hurriedly covered her cheeks, but it was too late, Cheng and Zhao Hui had seen her features under the thick veil clearly.
Cheng was stunned speechless, as if struck by lightning.
Zhao Hui also suddenly stopped.
On the side, Gu Ying looked up curiously at her appearance.
The night breeze blew, and the fragrance of unknown flowers in the alley floated subtly.
Yu Gu hung her head low, her cheek contours elegant, nose bridge straight, lips slightly pale, but not at all marring her extraordinary beauty.
Even with the hideous scars covering her face, one could still discern her once beautiful countenance, and...
Gu Ying stifled a gasp. She couldn't help but inhale sharply.
When she had first married into the Duke Manor, she felt the Heir only resembled the Duke in 30%. Now she knew, the Heir's features were the spitting image of Yu Gu...
Yu Gu was not a mermaid at all - she was highly likely to be the Heir's mother, Mrs Lin!
The previously noisy chaos suddenly went silent.
Seeing Yu Gu's appearance clearly, Cheng's expression instantly changed as she cowered behind Zhao Hui, trembling in fear.
Zhao Hui stared fixedly at Yu Gu. He couldn't help but tremble, "You... you are..."
Cheng sneered coldly, angrily interrupting him, "Yuan Xing, don't you dare try to threaten me with this matter. I, Cheng Li, have never been threatened by anyone in my life."
Yuan Xing frowned deeply, "Why would I threaten you?"
Cheng gritted her teeth, "Are you still pretending?"
Yuan Xing was puzzled again, "Pretending what?"
Cheng was furious. She had received a message from Yuan Xing earlier in the evening, saying that he already knew the truth about the child back then and wanted to meet her in the yard tonight to discuss the child's matters, otherwise she would have to bear the consequences.
As soon as she heard this, she was scared out of her wits.
Apart from Sun Mammy, no one else knew about the child. And the night she spent with Yuan Xing, only Yuan Xing himself knew clearly!
If Sun Mammy had exposed this matter to Gu Ying, Gu Ying would not have endured it for so long without reacting. The only person who knew about the events of that year, apart from Yuan Xing, she couldn't think of anyone else!
She knew Yuan Xing had stayed in Bianjing as an official all these years with some ulterior motives. At first, she had secretly helped him a bit too, feeling that since she owed him, she would secure him a good future.
He was low-key, and had never come looking for her again. Gradually, she had put the matter behind and comfortably lived as the duchess of the duke.
Occasionally at some spring banquets she could still meet him, but they never spoke, only regarding each other as strangers, as if that night had never happened.
But she did not expect that Yuan Xing had been dormant all these years for his own official career. Now seeing her favored, and knowing Chang Xing was his own flesh and blood, he wanted to blackmail her.
She felt anxious and afraid, and worried that if Yuan Xing really made this matter public, and the Duke found out... then... all her glory and wealth would vanish in smoke!
As Cheng thought more and more angrily, she approached Yuan Xing step by step, staring at him with blood-red eyes through gritted teeth, "Don't think that just because Chang Xing is your offspring you can use him to threaten me to pave the way for you! Yuan Xing, don't even think about it!"
Yuan Xing was stunned, "What...what did you say?"
Seeing the puzzlement on the man's face, Cheng suddenly realized something was wrong.
But it was too late now!
The courtyard door was kicked open fiercely from outside with a "dong", and her heart skipped a beat as she looked straight at the door!
Zhao Hui, dressed in dark green robes, stood fuming at the door, his narrow eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at them coldly.
Behind him was Gu Ying in a light blue cloak, and another woman wrapped in a shabby robe, her features obscured from view, only a pair of eyes resembling Mrs. Lin's gazing coldly this way.
Cheng's breathing hitched, and her mind exploded as her body stiffened where she stood.
"Your Grace..."
Was she seeing right? Why would the Duke be here?
How much had the Duke heard of what she just said to Yuan Xing?
Cheng's heart suddenly burned wildly. She didn't dare think further, but meeting alone with another man in the yard in the middle of the night was a major taboo in the Duke Manor. The Duke would definitely not let her off!
She was stunned for a moment, then walked tremblingly towards Zhao Hui. Meeting the man's frighteningly cold gaze, she grabbed the corner of his robe, her eyes slightly red, "Your Grace, I can explain what happened tonight..."
Zhao Hui smiled without mirth, pointing to the stunned Yuan Xing in the yard, "Go on then, explain to me, who is he?"
"He..."
"And who exactly is Chang Xing's father!"
Cheng shuddered, swallowing hard as tears streamed down her face.
Zhao Hui watched her tears and laughed heartily. He laughed until he bent down to grab her neck, "Cheng Li, you've made me suffer for so many years!"
"Your Grace, it's not like that, our Xing'er..."
"Shut up!" Zhao Hui yelled angrily, his handsome face turning icy, "Don't mention that accursed bastard's name, it makes me sick!"
Cheng panicked and pleaded tearfully, "Your Grace, I beg you. After so many years as husband and wife, don't you have any feelings left for me or Xing'er?"
Zhao Hui laughed in extreme anger and kicked her to the ground, mocking, "How can you say that?"
Cheng fell miserably to the ground, her face deathly pale. She now knew that saying anything more was useless.
Yuan Xing looked worried and was about to bend down to help her up, but she pushed him away harshly, "Get lost!"
Yuan Xing awkwardly froze in place, unsure whether to help or withdraw his hands.
Cheng couldn't care less about Yuan Xing now. She only wanted to win Zhao Hui back desperately.
She looked up anxiously and happened to see Yu Gu wrapped up. She mocked hysterically, "Blame me, Your Grace! But what about you? Don't you also keep a woman outside? We're both guilty of the same!"
Zhao Hui couldn't believe that at this point, Cheng still dared to be unreasonable.
He clenched his fist and walked over to yank her up from the ground. "Shameless! Come back with me, I have to settle accounts with you! And bring that bastard child of yours too!"
Cheng was flustered as the man dragged her out by the hair stumbling.
Reaching the door, she suddenly lunged at Yu Gu wildly, "She's your mistress, isn't she! Since Your Grace shows me no mercy, we'll make everything public tonight! Bring her back too! Make trouble, if you want trouble, let's make trouble together. I want to see what others will think when they find out a man of your age still keeps a woman outside! If you don't care about Zhenguo Duke Manor's reputation, then neither do I!"
Caught off guard, Yu Gu's face veil was torn off randomly by her, revealing a small scarred face.
She hurriedly covered her cheeks, but it was too late, Cheng and Zhao Hui had seen her features under the thick veil clearly.
Cheng was stunned speechless, as if struck by lightning.
Zhao Hui also suddenly stopped.
On the side, Gu Ying looked up curiously at her appearance.
The night breeze blew, and the fragrance of unknown flowers in the alley floated subtly.
Yu Gu hung her head low, her cheek contours elegant, nose bridge straight, lips slightly pale, but not at all marring her extraordinary beauty.
Even with the hideous scars covering her face, one could still discern her once beautiful countenance, and...
Gu Ying stifled a gasp. She couldn't help but inhale sharply.
When she had first married into the Duke Manor, she felt the Heir only resembled the Duke in 30%. Now she knew, the Heir's features were the spitting image of Yu Gu...
Yu Gu was not a mermaid at all - she was highly likely to be the Heir's mother, Mrs Lin!
The previously noisy chaos suddenly went silent.
Seeing Yu Gu's appearance clearly, Cheng's expression instantly changed as she cowered behind Zhao Hui, trembling in fear.
Zhao Hui stared fixedly at Yu Gu. He couldn't help but tremble, "You... you are..."
