Not only that, Tang Qi, who had heard the commotion, hurried over with Gu Wei in tow.
Both of them silently cursed in their hearts: *Who is this? Causing trouble at a time like this, don’t they know I’m trying to pursue Avi/Qiqi? Ruining my chances like this!*
Meanwhile, at the center of the commotion, the well-dressed young master Lang Zewen, surrounded by the crowd’s accusations, sneered like a spoiled noble. Ignoring the weeping Yu Yun, he cast a rather frivolous glance at Rong Nianxin and said, “I say, young master, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to jump to conclusions and slander others without knowing the full story?”
Rong Nianxin was inwardly furious at Lang Zewen’s mocking gaze, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she maintained her usual sweet and charming demeanor, her fair cheeks flushing slightly, adding a touch of color to her already beautiful face. “Oh? How am I slandering you? Would this young lady really lie in public and ruin her own reputation?”
“If you didn’t bully her and use your power to oppress her, why would she go to such lengths to tarnish her own name?!” Rong Nianxin angrily placed her hands on her hips.
The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement. Indeed, Yu Yun’s pitiful sobbing and disregard for her own reputation in public had instinctively swayed them to believe her.
After all, in this era, while women weren’t as strictly bound by societal norms, reputation was still not something one would lightly tarnish. A woman with a ruined reputation would have a hard life.
Lang Zewen sneered again and was about to speak when Tang Qi and Gu Wei arrived.
Tang Qi pushed through the layers of onlookers and stepped into the center, his expression cold as he demanded, “What’s all this commotion in public? Explain yourselves, one at a time.”
*Tang Qi internally: Hmph, what’s all this fuss? Don’t they know I’m trying (subtly) to pursue Avi? If they delay my efforts, they’d better believe I’ll make life difficult for them!*
At the sight of Tang Qi’s face, Rong Nianxin paled for a fleeting moment. Instead of stepping forward to display her righteous and fearless nature, she clenched her fists out of sight, a surge of murderous intent rising in her heart: *Him? How could it be him? Is he also a transmigrator? Is he that person? Does he… know about those things?*
Rong Nianxin lowered her head slightly. *No matter what, this person can’t be allowed to live. If you must blame anyone, blame your own face!*
As for Yu Yun, when she met Tang Qi’s sharp, all-seeing gaze, she immediately lowered her head, pretending to weep sorrowfully. Dressed thinly, she shivered in the cold wind, though in truth, it was fear that made her tremble. She didn’t dare rush forward to cry about her “pain and despair.”
Seeing that neither Rong Nianxin nor Yu Yun spoke up, Lang Zewen sneered and stepped forward. He cupped his hands toward Tang Qi and then to the crowd. “Esteemed heroes, I apologize for delaying everyone due to a personal matter of mine. Lang Zewen offers his sincerest apologies.”
With that, he bowed deeply, displaying his grace, upbringing, and excellent manners, which unconsciously swayed the crowd’s sympathy toward him.
Then, Lang Zewen flicked his sleeves and calmly explained, “This woman is Yu Yun, the daughter of a jewelry shop owner from my hometown. The ‘Brother Yu’ she mentioned is her sworn brother, Yu Gui. What I did to Yu Gui and her parents is true, but as for why she’s making such a scene…” He sneered, his gaze filled with mockery as he looked at Yu Yun.
Yu Yun couldn’t help but tremble, her heart turning cold: *He must already know everything. It’s over… it’s all over…*
Originally, Lang Zewen hadn’t wanted to air his dirty laundry in public. But considering this was Yun Tian City, recalling Tang Qi’s past actions as the lord of Yun Tian Fort, and thinking of how this woman was trying to force his hand with such despicable means, Young Master Lang Zewen decided he wouldn’t tolerate it any longer! So he laid bare all the Yu family’s secrets.
Yu Gui was supposedly her sworn brother, and Yu Yun was supposedly the adopted daughter of the Yu couple. But in reality, Yu Gui was the son of Yu’s father and his mistress, while Yu Yun was the daughter of Yu’s mother and her lover. The Yu couple had adopted Yu Yun only because she was a girl they could use to gain benefits for their family.
In fact, the Yu couple had even discussed with Lang Zewen’s parents about marrying Yu Yun to him—either as a wife or a concubine. In their city, the Lang family’s status far surpassed the Yu family’s, so marriage was out of the question, but a noble concubine might have been acceptable. Though Yu Yun was only an adopted daughter, Lang Zewen wasn’t the family heir, so the arrangement was tentatively settled.
However, no one could have predicted that Yu Yun and Yu Gui would become entangled. When the Yu family discovered their affair, Yu Yun was already betrothed to Lang Zewen. But the Yu couple, who had always lived their own carefree lives, didn’t care much.
They wanted to use this marriage to connect with the Lang family, and since Yu Gui was Yu’s father’s only son and heir, they not only didn’t punish the pair but even helped cover up their affair.
After all, despite their wild lifestyles, the Yu couple had strangely weak fertility. After years of effort, they only had Yu Yun and Yu Gui. One was to be used for marriage alliances, the other to inherit the family business.
What else could they do? Of course, they had to keep spoiling them!
Yes, that was the Yu couple’s logic. But they never expected Lang Zewen to find out about Yu Yun and Yu Gui’s affair.
As a young master who loved idling around with his fellow wastrels, Lang Zewen had a wide network of friends and followers. Yu Gui and Yu Yun, being young and inexperienced, had limited places to meet secretly, so one of Lang Zewen’s followers eventually stumbled upon them.
And thus, Lang Zewen learned the truth. Though he didn’t love Yu Yun, that didn’t mean he’d tolerate being cuckolded!
Still, as a young master of the Lang family, raised with elite education, Lang Zewen didn’t lose his temper outright. Instead, he began investigating the Yu family in secret, uncovering the twisted relationships among the four of them—including the fact that the Yu couple knew about Yu Gui and Yu Yun’s affair.
This discovery enraged Lang Zewen. After all, as a Lang family young master, how could he allow such humiliation?
What followed was the retaliation against Yu Gui and the Yu couple that Yu Yun had mentioned.
Lang Zewen stepped forward, gripping Yu Yun’s chin and forcing her to look up at him. He sneered, “What, did you really think you were some peerless beauty who could enchant me so thoroughly that I’d tolerate you having a lover and cuckolding me? Or did you think this little act would force me to swallow my pride and still marry you?”
He patted her cheek mockingly. “You’re overthinking it. Wake up—stop daydreaming.”
With that, he took out a handkerchief, wiped his hand clean, and tossed it aside, completely ignoring Yu Yun’s increasingly ugly expression.
Then, Lang Zewen turned to Rong Nianxin, his gaze cold as he took in her unsettled expression after hearing the truth. “Before meddling in others’ affairs, you should first understand the whole story. Don’t jump to conclusions based on blind faith and hearsay. Otherwise, the only one who’ll end up embarrassed is you.”
Rong Nianxin seethed inwardly at his “kind reminder,” but she wasn’t foolish enough to show it. She turned her head away bashfully. “I’m sorry, Young Master Lang. It was my fault for suspecting you without knowing the truth. I just…”
“As long as you admit your mistake, I hope you’ll correct it.” Lang Zewen cut her off before she could finish. After saying his piece, he cupped his hands toward Tang Qi and the crowd, then walked away leisurely. As for Yu Yun and Rong Nianxin? They were no longer his concern. As a wastrel, Lang Zewen had never been one for excessive kindness.
Seeing that the spectacle was over, the crowd dispersed to go about their business. Yu Yun knelt on the ground, her face ashen. She knew—she was finished. Likely, her family was too. But perhaps this was just the consequence of their own actions.
With the situation resolved, Tang Qi sighed in relief and turned to find Gu Wei so they could resume their time alone. But when he turned, he saw Gu Wei standing beside a rather noble-looking man, the two appearing quite intimate. Instantly, jealousy bubbled up in Tang Qi’s heart.
Though he knew they’d only just met and that his jealousy was unreasonable, he couldn’t help it. He forced a gentle smile as he approached Gu Wei. “Avi, who might this be?”
Gu Wei reached out, pulling Tang Qi to his side, and introduced him to Gu Yu. “This is Tang Qi, my good (heart’s) friend (beloved).”
The way Gu Wei introduced him as if presenting a partner to his junior made Gu Yu’s eyebrow twitch. Catching the unspoken meaning in Gu Wei’s words, he nodded politely at Tang Qi. “I’ve heard much about you. It’s an honor.”
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