The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 61

What did he mean, “talk in detail” when she returned to the capital? Ning Fu didn’t move, but her eyelids flickered.

Zong Si watched her for a moment and explained, “The Prince of Xuan’s house and the Duke of Ning’s mansion may find it difficult to accept what happened between us so suddenly. Therefore, we must wait until you return to the capital to decide how to account for this to our elders.”

Ning Fu remained silent. She had no intention of marrying him, and she never would.

Zong Si leaned down over the bed. As the stiffness left her limbs, Ning Fu raised her arm and delivered a sharp slap across his face. Only after the strike did the resentment in her heart subside slightly.

To her surprise, Zong Si didn’t get angry. He dropped his usual high-and-mighty stance and lowered his eyes, saying nothing.

Ning Fu sneered inwardly. Who needs his good temper now? She resented his interference; she had never asked for his help. She knew exactly whether Meng Shen would have dared to actually climb into her bed.

“In your heart, you regret this,” Ning Fu said, determined to lay their embarrassment bare. After discovering this was her grandmother’s trap, his first reaction must have been regret.

“A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his fleeting thoughts. Do not guess what I think; watch what I do. I will not shrink from the responsibility I owe. Last time we kissed, it was you who refused to let me take responsibility,” Zong Si replied.

“Then should I praise the Heir for his upright character?” Ning Fu mocked.

“A person’s character isn’t defined by a single event,” Zong Si countered. “The human heart is guarded; even your own grandmother was plotting against you, wasn’t she?”

“That is my business,” Ning Fu snapped.

Zong Si continued, “You know better than anyone that your grandmother didn’t set this up solely for your sake. She has her own selfish motives.”

His words were blunt. From his perspective as an outsider, Kangyang’s actions were calculated. He viewed the world with a healthy dose of cynicism to avoid being cheated—and he was right. Ning Fu had realized this the night before, but being the victim made it harder to remain detached. She lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions.

“Heir, the carriage is ready. We must leave,” a servant called from outside. The pass into the capital was treacherous; arriving at night would be dangerous, so they had to start early.

Zong Si glanced at Ning Fu. She looked exhausted. Recalling the previous night, his ears reddened slightly. If Ning Fu had looked closely, she would have seen a trace of bashfulness that was entirely unlike him.

“I’m leaving. Rest well. If you need anything, write to me,” he said.

Outside, Yue Niang and Qu Yang had been waiting. They knew something had transpired between Zong Si and Kangyang. Seeing Grand Princess Kangyang today—radiant, sharp-eyed, and dressed in her finest—she looked nothing like a prisoner. She looked like a victor.

Qu Yang felt a pang of unease; the Princess was far too cunning for his liking. He only relaxed when he saw Zong Si emerge unharmed.

“Heir!” Yue Niang’s vigilance vanished the moment she saw him. She hurried toward him, forgetting her usual decorum, her face etched with worry. “Are you alright?” She knew the tension between the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Xuan was like fire and water.

“I am fine,” Zong Si said.

Kangyang glanced at Zong Si, then at Yue Niang, a mysterious smile on her lips. “Safe travels, Heir.”

Zong Si’s face remained a mask, but Kangyang sensed his cold displeasure. She added leisurely, “There is no need for hostility. Once the Heir is married, it is quite possible we may become allies.”

She spoke as if she had finally grasped his weakness. Qu Yang sensed the storm brewing beneath Zong Si’s calm exterior.

“Farewell,” Zong Si said shortly.

As the carriage left Yongzhou, Qu Yang fumed. “That old fox Kangyang is too arrogant. If the chance arises, we must remove her.”

Zong Si remained silent.

Yue Niang sighed. “Evil brings its own retribution. The Emperor cannot tolerate her; her downfall is only a matter of time. Once we return to the capital, the Emperor will not let her off easily.”

“Lady Yue is right. I’ll scout ahead,” Qu Yang said as they approached the pass.

“Are you thirsty, my Lord? I have some nectar prepared,” Yue Niang offered.

“No.” Zong Si was lost in thought. Marrying into the Duke of Ning’s mansion would require significant effort. The court politics were tangled; he was taking the blame for the Li Fang affair, and if he proposed marriage immediately, the Emperor would suspect something.

Ning Fu was right—he did feel a sense of unwillingess. Sacrificing the interests of the House of Xuan for one woman wasn’t “rational.” Yet, as his mind drifted back to the previous night, his regret wasn’t as strong as his logic suggested it should be.

“You seem… tired today,” Yue Niang noted. As she leaned in to massage his temples, she caught a faint scent of gardenias on him. She froze as the realization hit her.

After being brought back to Yongzhou, Ning Fu refused to leave the West Court. The beautiful scenery of the city had lost its charm to her.

“Miss…” Dong Zhu cried as she saw the bruises on Ning Fu’s back while bathing her.

“As long as the Duke’s reputation remains intact, this is no great tragedy,” Ning Fu comforted her, wiping the maid’s tears. “Everyone has secrets. The fault was not mine; why should I be the one to suffer?”

“Don’t try to comfort me,” Dong Zhu sobbed. “I failed to protect you. I don’t know how to face the Madam. Even if she beats me to death, I deserve it.”

“If you die, I’ll never find another maid as good as you,” Ning Fu smiled gently.

Ning Fu truly didn’t care about the loss of her “purity” as much as society expected. In her previous life, she had been his wife; this was merely a repeat. She felt no psychological burden of “sin,” only the danger of the secret being discovered.

Jingcheng visited several times. Ning Fu wasn’t as cold to her as she was to Kangyang, but the warmth was gone.

“I’m sorry, Afu,” Jingcheng wept.

“You were raised by Grandmother; naturally, you wouldn’t hide things from her,” Ning Fu said. She realized now that Jingcheng must have told Kangyang about the hickey she saw during their first meeting, leading the Princess to believe they were already intimate.

Ning Fu realized she had been too trusting. She had only just met her grandmother, yet she let the bond of blood blind her to the woman’s nature.

“I didn’t know her plan. I just didn’t want you to be mistreated,” Jingcheng cried.

Ning Fu sighed. Jingcheng had the outward bearing of her grandmother but was truly a simple girl at heart. “Afu, will you never trust me again?” Jingcheng asked, heartbroken. Ning Fu, who always had a soft spot for sincerity, couldn’t bring herself to be cruel.

As for Kangyang, Ning Fu refused to see her. Even when the Princess held a poetry party, Ning Fu stayed away.

“Is she still refusing to come out?” Kangyang asked.

“Let her be for a while,” Nanny Zhuang suggested. “She’s a girl raised in the capital; this is a lot to process.”

A few days later, Ning Fu made a decision. “I want to go to my father in Liangzhou for a while.” She wanted to be away from the manipulation and didn’t want her mother in the capital to see her current state.

“If you wish to go, then go,” Kangyang said after a silence.

Ning Fu wasn’t mourning her “honor”; she was mourning the betrayal. She had been willing to use her own marriage as a bargaining chip to save her grandmother, but her grandmother hadn’t trusted her enough to even mention the plan.

The most painful thing in the world is a stab in the back from someone you care for.

Ning Zhenyuan received his daughter’s letter. Though Liangzhou was dangerous, he couldn’t refuse her earnest plea. “Afu is coming, but I can’t leave my post to fetch her,” he sighed to his companion. He was currently on a mountain mission to suppress bandits.

“I will go,” Lu Xingzhi said, looking at the letter.

When Ning Fu arrived in Liangzhou, she was stunned by its rugged, barren beauty. It was a world away from the lushness of Yongzhou.

“Miss, stay in the carriage,” Dong Zhu whispered, looking at the beggars blocking the road. Ning Fu began distributing the food they had brought.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves approached. Ning Fu looked up to see a troop of men. At their head was a handsome man in armor.

Lu Xingzhi reined in his horse and looked down at her. “Fourth Lady, I have come to receive you on Lord Ning’s orders.”