Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 92

The bed curtains swayed gently. The morning breeze carried a slight chill, waking the person from their sleep. Before even opening her eyes, Qi Zhenshu instinctively reached out to embrace the person beside her.

Failing to feel a warm body, Qi Zhenshu’s eyes snapped open.

The sky had just begun to show a pale white, and weak light streamed through the open window lattice, barely illuminating the room.

Not seeing Lu Sheng in the room, a faint unease spread in Qi Zhenshu’s heart, and she hurriedly flipped out of bed.

She quickly opened the room door, but there was still no sign of Lu Sheng in the kitchen or the courtyard.

Usually, when Lu Sheng left each day, she would call her to see her off at the carriage depot, but today she left without a word.

The unease in Qi Zhenshu’s heart grew stronger. She rushed back to the room to grab her outer garment.

Just as she put on the outer garment, her peripheral vision caught sight of an envelope on the desk. Qi Zhenshu’s eyes instantly darkened. She took three steps in two and arrived at the desk, tearing open the letter.

The moment she unfolded the letter, her long fingers trembled violently. Qi Zhenshu’s entire body tensed, and her heart felt as if it was being fiercely constricted by something.

This was a deed of divorce.

The very deed of divorce she had written for Lu Sheng.

Compared to when she gave it to Lu Sheng, a name had been added to the end of the deed of divorce.

Without time for further thought, Qi Zhenshu turned sharply, running out with a frantic expression.

The hour was not too late, Lu Sheng should not have gone far.

Jumbled thoughts spun in her mind. Qi Zhenshu forcefully suppressed her panic, carefully recalling the events of the past few days. Everything she had overlooked now resurfaced.

Lu Sheng must know that Father participated in the illegal sale of pig iron!

She clearly said she was delayed and would come next month, yet she rushed to Qingzhou the very next day.

The matter of subtly inquiring about the case details.

The constant hesitation every time she spoke of visiting her next time.

And the weariness inadvertently revealed on her face.

As well as this deed of divorce brought from Binhe County.

Even the relentless passion in bed recently was Lu Sheng’s way of saying goodbye to her!

One by one, these signs made Qi Zhenshu increasingly certain that Lu Sheng had known the truth before coming to Qingzhou, and had long been prepared for a divorce.

The reason Qi Zhenshu concealed it from Lu Sheng was that she guessed Lu Sheng would make such a decision upon finding out.

Running in panic all the way to the street corner of the carriage depot, Qi Zhenshu anxiously searched for Lu Sheng. Finally, she spotted that familiar figure by the roadside.

Lu Sheng had just agreed on a price with the driver and was about to step onto the carriage when she was suddenly grabbed by the wrist.

Qi Zhenshu’s movement was urgent and exceptionally forceful, causing Lu Sheng to stumble.

More surprising than almost falling was Qi Zhenshu herself.

Qi Zhenshu’s face was deathly pale, her outer garment was loose, and even her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders, looking completely unlike her usual neat and elegant self.

She held Lu Sheng’s wrist with one hand and a piece of paper with the other. Her eyes were red-rimmed, tears welled up, and as she saw Lu Sheng, they slid down the corners of her eyes. Her voice trembled uncontrollably, “You, you want to get a di-divorce from me?”

After the words left her mouth, the tears could no longer be held back, dropping one after another, wetting the collar of her shirt.

“You.”

Seeing Qi Zhenshu cry for the first time, Lu Sheng was startled. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe away the tears, her tone full of distress, “Why are you crying like this?”

Qi Zhenshu looked up again, gripping Lu Sheng’s hand, shaking her head lightly. Her dark eyes were filled with panic. She bit her lower lip and choked out, “Don’t divorce me, okay?”

As if suddenly realizing something, Lu Sheng looked at Qi Zhenshu in surprise, “Didn’t you see the other letter?”

“What other letter?” Qi Zhenshu paused, tears hanging from her long eyelashes, her face blank.

No wonder Qi Zhenshu was so emotionally distraught; it turned out she hadn’t seen the other letter she left.

“I left another letter for you. Did you not see it?” Lu Sheng was slightly amused and exasperated.

She wondered what Qi Zhenshu’s reaction would be when she saw that letter and then recalled how she had been crying like this.

She had left Qi Zhenshu two letters in total: one was the deed of divorce, and the other she had intentionally placed on top of the deed of divorce.

In that letter, Lu Sheng first wrote that she knew Lu Huacheng might be involved in the illegal sale of pig iron and that she could understand why Qi Zhenshu didn’t tell her.

But ten years of hard study were not easy, and moreover, Qi Zhenshu still needed to fulfill her mother’s last wish. Lu Sheng didn’t want her to easily give up on the imperial examination and entering officialdom.

The deed of divorce was left with her just in case. If the investigation truly found a problem with Lu Huacheng, she would say they had already divorced.

Of course, Lu Sheng wasn’t truly divorcing her; it was merely a temporary measure devised to protect Qi Zhenshu.

Although they would no longer have the official status on paper, Qi Zhenshu still had to maintain her integrity and not abandon her. Otherwise, she would tell Xiao Bai to eat Qi Zhenshu.

Of course, to make the act seem real, they shouldn’t have any overt interactions for the time being, which meant Lu Sheng couldn’t come to Qingzhou to see her next month. She told Qi Zhenshu to take good care of herself.

At the end of the letter, Lu Sheng specifically emphasized that she must keep her distance from other women, especially Princess Changning. The specific reason would be explained after she finished her exams.

Qi Zhenshu was stunned. Looking at Lu Sheng’s expression, she suddenly realized that she might have misunderstood Lu Sheng.

“But, but why would you leave this deed of divorce for me?” Qi Zhenshu’s brow furrowed tightly. There was still some disbelief on her face, and another tear rolled down her eye corner.

The content of the letter couldn’t be explained in just a few sentences, and Lu Sheng felt a bit embarrassed to say it out loud in front of Qi Zhenshu, especially since the letter contained a few lines of sappy romantic words.

“Just wait until you go back and read that letter, and you’ll know, okay? I’m not really trying to divorce you,” Lu Sheng quickly raised her hand again to wipe the tears from her face, holding her hand and gently reassuring her.

“Madam, are you still going? If you don’t go now, you’ll miss the boat to Binhe County!” the coachman shouted loudly.

This carriage ride was specifically for taking passengers to the pier. Seeing that it was almost time to set off and Lu Sheng still hadn’t gotten on, the other passengers in the carriage were already getting impatient.

Lu Sheng couldn’t possibly leave Qi Zhenshu in this state. She turned her head, intending to decline the ride.

“Not going, she’s not going.” After saying this, Qi Zhenshu was afraid that Lu Sheng would insist on taking the carriage to leave, so she immediately turned and pulled her to walk back.

Qi Zhenshu’s legs were much longer than Lu Sheng’s. She walked quickly, making Lu Sheng’s short legs struggle to keep up.

She gently tugged on Qi Zhenshu, wanting her to slow down, “Don’t…”

Qi Zhenshu stopped, her gaze fixed intently on her, but the words she spoke were full of pleading, “Don’t go.”

Although according to Lu Sheng, there might be a misunderstanding about the deed of divorce, she was absolutely unwilling to let Lu Sheng leave now.

The frantic state of mind from running all the way here left a deep impression on Qi Zhenshu, and it made her profoundly realize that she did not want to leave Lu Sheng, not one bit. The mere thought of them possibly separating felt like a dagger twisting in her heart.

“I won’t go.” Sensing her tension, Lu Sheng quickly comforted her, “You’re walking too fast, I can’t keep up.”

“Give me the baggage.” Qi Zhenshu reached out and took the bundle from her.

“The money pouch too.” After carrying the bundle on her back, Qi Zhenshu held out her hand to Lu Sheng, her expression serious.

Lu Sheng felt helpless and amused.

Was Qi Zhenshu worried she would run away?

“I’m not leaving today.” Lu Sheng smiled, “The carriage has left; it’s too late for me to go to the pier.”

Qi Zhenshu completely ignored her explanation. The hand held out in front of her remained motionless, and her pair of moist eyes stared straight at Lu Sheng.

Her expression made Lu Sheng have the illusion that if she didn’t hand over the money pouch, Qi Zhenshu would cry for her again.

“Here you go, here you go.” Lu Sheng sighed and placed the money pouch into Qi Zhenshu’s palm.

Tucking the money pouch into her own pocket, she pulled Lu Sheng back towards the house.

Evidently, the initial state of helpless panic was gone, and Qi Zhenshu had regained her composure. She walked in silence, the air pressure around her so low that Lu Sheng was alarmed.

Leaving the deed of divorce without consulting Lu Sheng made Lu Sheng feel somewhat guilty, which was why she woke up early and left secretly.

She truly hadn’t expected Qi Zhenshu to wake up so early and run out after only seeing one letter.

Qi Zhenshu only released Lu Sheng’s hand after leading her all the way back to the desk in the room.

First, she looked at the desk surface, then she walked further in, past the chair, and finally saw the other envelope lying on it.

Seeing her pick up the envelope from the chair, Lu Sheng quickly said, “It was probably blown down by the wind.”

Qi Zhenshu glanced sideways at Lu Sheng, her eyes full of unspoken reproach.

Lu Sheng averted her gaze, feeling guilty, and avoided making eye contact.

Fine, she should have put both letters in one envelope; it would have saved them from this huge misunderstanding, which ended with Qi Zhenshu crying a river.

Qi Zhenshu’s eyes were fixed intently on the paper in her hand, scrutinizing every single word.

Lu Sheng watched her sideways, and saw Qi Zhenshu’s already slightly furrowed brows slowly knit together, until finally, a faint flush spread over her originally pale face.

The moment Qi Zhenshu put down the letter, Lu Sheng preemptively said, “See? I wasn’t really trying to divorce you.”

Qi Zhenshu pursed her lips, her voice subdued, “But you should have discussed it with me.”

Just leaving a letter and walking away was clearly Lu Sheng making a unilateral decision, with no intention of discussing it with her at all.

Lu Sheng didn’t want to take all the blame alone. She pouted and grumbled, “You can’t blame me entirely for this. You were the one who kept things from me first.”

Qi Zhenshu keeping things from her and not telling her was also making a decision on her own, trying to give up her pursuit of fame.

Startled for a moment, Qi Zhenshu pursed her lips, “It was my fault first. I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

Both of them—one keeping silent, the other making a private decision—were ultimately doing it out of consideration for the other.

“But I don’t agree to a divorce.” Qi Zhenshu said firmly.

Even if Father was involved in the illegal sale of pig iron case, she would not divorce Lu Sheng.

“No way.” Lu Sheng shook her head, her tone equally resolute, “If Father truly participated in the illegal sale of pig iron, your hard-earned imperial examination qualification would be wasted.”

It would be too unfair for Qi Zhenshu to lose the results of so many years of painstaking study just because Lu Huacheng made a mistake.

“As wives, we are one. We should share both honor and disgrace and advance together. How could I abandon you to save myself?” Qi Zhenshu shook her head in disagreement, her expression determined.

“Furthermore, I was only able to study thanks to Father’s support. If I were to sever ties with him the moment he gets into trouble, how would I be different from those who are ungrateful?”

Lu Sheng could understand Qi Zhenshu’s reluctance to divorce: there was her affection for her, her filial piety towards Lu Huacheng, and her desire to maintain a clear conscience.

“It’s not a real divorce, is it? We can still secretly keep in touch.” Lu Sheng walked to her side, took her hand, and said, “Father also hopes you can pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom.”

“Father hopes even more that I will protect you and Lu Qi.” Qi Zhenshu’s attitude was firm, refusing to yield even slightly, “If we divorce, I won’t even have the official identity to openly stay with you and our daughter.”

“But…”

“Even if I can’t become an official, I can become an advisor in Princess Changning’s manor.” Qi Zhenshu interrupted her.

If it were a few days ago, Qi Zhenshu might not have been sure of Princess Changning’s attitude, but after yesterday’s banquet, she clearly knew that even if she were implicated by her father, Princess Changning would still recruit her as an advisor.

Yesterday, when she was called to the study by Headmaster Ruan, Princess Changning first asked about her future plans, and she answered truthfully.

Evidently, her answer satisfied Princess Changning. In the subsequent conversation with Headmaster Ruan, Princess Changning openly mentioned the current political situation and even asked for some of her views.

Such an obvious intention to win her over was impossible for Qi Zhenshu not to notice.

Hearing Qi Zhenshu say she was going to be Princess Changning’s advisor, that faint melancholy welled up in Lu Sheng’s heart again.

How was it that no matter what happened, it only led to the two of them getting more and more entangled?

Seeing Lu Sheng’s brows form a small mountain peak, Qi Zhenshu turned and held Lu Sheng’s hand, looking at her as she slowly opened her mouth to cautiously ask, “You don’t want me to be Princess Changning’s advisor?”

This question made it difficult for Lu Sheng to either nod or shake her head.

If Qi Zhenshu insisted on not divorcing, becoming Princess Changning’s advisor was indeed the better path, but personally, Lu Sheng did not want the two of them to have too much contact.

Every time she saw the harmonious way the two of them interacted, it felt like Lu Sheng had soaked herself in a vinegar vat, sour to the core.

“You don’t want me to interact with Princess Changning?” Before Lu Sheng could answer, Qi Zhenshu asked again.

When she interacted with Princess Changning, she always adhered to propriety and kept her distance, never making any inappropriate moves.

On the other hand, Lu Sheng was naturally open-minded and not usually prone to jealousy, yet she always showed some displeasure whenever she saw Princess Changning.

Qi Zhenshu pondered for a moment but couldn’t find a single clue, so she could only look to Lu Sheng for confirmation.

“Mm.” Lu Sheng softly affirmed but didn’t state the reason.

“Why?” Qi Zhenshu pressed.

This question hit the core issue. To explain why she didn’t like Princess Changning, she would inevitably have to talk about her being a transmigrator in a book.

Lu Sheng had originally planned to wait until after Qi Zhenshu’s exams to tell her, but with the conversation reaching this point today, it seemed unavoidable.

Her gaze swept over the paper on the desk, and a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Qi Zhenshu. She asked, “Is it perhaps related to your background?”

Lu Sheng was momentarily surprised that Qi Zhenshu could guess it directly. Then, remembering the person’s smart mind, she wasn’t surprised anymore and simply nodded, “Yes.”

“Tell me about it.”

Qi Zhenshu stood up, pulled Lu Sheng to sit on her lap, held Lu Sheng’s hands, and looked at her with bright eyes.

“The story is very bizarre.” Lu Sheng gave her a heads-up, her expression exceptionally serious, “Are you sure you want to hear it?”

Qi Zhenshu didn’t answer Lu Sheng’s question. The corners of her lips curved slightly, and she asked with a gentle smile, “Are you a fox spirit?”

“How is that possible!” Hearing this ridiculous question, Lu Sheng blurted out a denial.

“Even if my wife were a fox spirit, I still wouldn’t divorce you.” Qi Zhenshu’s eyes crinkled with amusement, her tone carrying a rare hint of teasing.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Lu Sheng raised her hand to pinch Qi Zhenshu’s face and pulled hard.

The originally serious and solemn atmosphere of the conversation was disrupted by Qi Zhenshu’s interjection, and Lu Sheng felt less nervous.

“What Zhenshu says is absolutely true; Heaven and Earth can attest.” Qi Zhenshu took her hand, joining it with her own, and spoke with solemnity.

“Hmph.” Lu Sheng let out a breath from her nose, “Remember your words.”

Having been together for so long, Lu Sheng could guess that Qi Zhenshu might accept her being a transmigrator, but she wasn’t sure if she could accept the fact that she was living in a novel.

“Has Zhenshu read any fiction stories?” Lu Sheng briefly set the stage.

Qi Zhenshu was puzzled but still nodded, “I’ve read one volume.”

The only volume of fiction she had read was the book she had copied last time to earn money.

“Then, what would you think if I told you that we are all living within a volume of fiction?”

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