SFS Chapter 264 Revealing the truth
Chapter 264 Revealing the truth
Shen Mingzhu has her own pride and backbone in front of Shen Qingtan. She never shows her unbearable side in front of Shen Qingtan, and she is even less willing to admit defeat.
She stared intently at the key in Shen Qingtan's hand, her pride and integrity forbidding her from accepting it.
But the harsh reality she now faces has shattered her pride, broken her back, and rendered her unable to utter a word of refusal.
Shen Mingzhu had no choice but to accept the villa that Shen Qingtan used to humiliate her.
"Shen Qingtan, don't be too smug. Zhao Yi is healthy, just like a normal person. Do you think he'll still treat you well?"
Shen Mingzhu snatched the keys and glared at Shen Qingtan with hatred.
She will watch, watch Shen Qingtan fall from grace.
"Second Master is not Zhao Jue, and that day will never come." Shen Qingtan was not angered by her. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, "Anyone who betrays me will be punished without regard for the consequences."
Shen Mingzhu was stunned. She went through Shen Qingtan's words in her mind and couldn't help but think about her own situation.
If it were Shen Qingtan, what would she do?
Shen Mingzhu thought of the fate of the Marquis's mansion.
Will Shen Qingtan kill the person who betrayed her?
Shen Mingzhu clenched the key in her hand. The pain of the key digging into her palm brought her back to her senses.
She watched Shen Qingtan leave with an umbrella. Even in the rain, Shen Qingtan remained calm and composed, her elegance and ease ingrained in her very being.
This innate noble temperament is something she cannot imitate.
The icy rain washed over Shen Mingzhu, and she knew how disheveled she looked without even looking down at herself.
The two women's different circumstances highlight the vast difference in their fates.
Shen Mingzhu looked at the key in her hand, but instead of returning to the villa, she endured the pain in her abdomen and went to Chunfeng Tower to verify Shen Qingtan's words.
She stood opposite Chunfeng Tower and saw Yue Niang change out of her wedding dress and into a light blue long skirt, chatting happily with the madam at the door.
Where is there even a trace of the pitiful appearance she had in the Zhao family?
Meanwhile, the other women in Chunfeng Tower, dressed in their finest attire, interacted with Yue Niang with expressions and gestures that were remarkably familiar and natural.
The identity of Yue Niang is self-evident; she is the courtesan of Chunfeng Tower.
Before she could think any further, she saw Yue Niang get into a small sedan chair, and the sedan chair bearers carried Yue Niang away.
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously chased after him, but the pain in her lower abdomen became more and more intense, as if she had become numb from the pain.
She seemed oblivious to everything and followed the sedan chair bearers all the way to Wuping Lane.
The sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair through the side gate of the house.
Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the shadows and blocked the sedan chair.
The red lanterns under the eaves illuminated the faces of the visitors.
Shen Mingzhu recognized the person as Zhao Jue.
She heard Zhao Jue say in a humble voice, "Yu Niang, I've dealt with Shen Mingzhu. She won't bother me anymore. Today is our wedding day, and I've come to take you home."
Hearing these words, Shen Mingzhu felt as if she had been pierced by a thousand arrows.
While she was in the Zhao family, she only saw Zhao Jue protecting Yue Niang, and never knew that Zhao Jue was so humble in front of Yue Niang.
Even when she was the daughter of a marquis, Zhao Jue still had to rely on the power of the marquis's family, and he remained aloof and superior when facing her.
A prostitute is considered lucky to be bought into a household as a lowly concubine; she doesn't even qualify to be a respectable concubine.
Zhao Jue, however, married her into the household as his principal wife.
He abandoned his wife and children for a worn-out shoe.
Shen Mingzhu has always regarded Shen Qingtan as a thorn in her side, hating that Shen Qingtan stole her identity and that her childhood friendship with Zhao Jue made Zhao Jue unable to forget her.
At this moment, she could no longer deceive herself.
Zhao Jue simply doesn't like her.
In Zhao Jue's heart, she was not even as good as a prostitute.
Shen Mingzhu wanted to laugh, to laugh at her own pathetic state.
The next moment, she heard Zhao Jue continue, "Yu Niang, you brought your dowry back again. The steward in the manor is eyeing the family business left by your parents, and your relatives are also eyeing it."
You can be angry with me, or you can ignore me, but you can't put yourself in danger.
If you are disappointed in me and do not wish to marry me again, that is fine. You can stay at the Zhao family's house for now, and move out once you find a place to settle down.
Zhao Jue's words were profound and righteous, showing that he was always thinking of Yue Niang's best interests.
"Third Master, you are my benefactor. If I were to hinder your future, it would be repaying kindness with enmity."
Moon Lady's voice was soft and delicate, yet very decisive. She instructed the sedan bearers, "Return to the mansion."
The sedan chair bearers carried Yue Niang around Zhao Jue and into the mansion.
Zhao Jue tried to stop him, but suddenly his sleeve was grabbed.
His gaze sharpened as he saw Shen Mingzhu's pale face. She was soaked to the bone, the icy rain chilling her lips to the white.
"Let go." Zhao Jue's forehead veins throbbed; he hadn't expected Shen Mingzhu to still be haunting him. He abruptly shook off Shen Mingzhu's hand and hurried after the sedan chair, only to hear Shen Mingzhu's voice from behind: "Third Master, do you know what kind of person Yu Niang is?"
When Shen Mingzhu uttered the name "Yu Niang," her voice sounded a little strange.
After learning about Yue Niang's background, she thought that "Yue Niang" was a nickname, and that she changed her name to "Yu Niang" after she was redeemed from her servitude.
She had just sensed something was amiss in Zhao Jue's words.
What kind of family fortune could a prostitute possibly have?
Suddenly, as Shen Mingzhu looked at the magnificent house in front of her, a thought flashed through her mind.
Yue Niang disguised herself as a wealthy woman and deceived Zhao Jue.
Zhao Jue abandoned his wife and children to marry Yue Niang in order to secure Yue Niang's family business.
Thinking of this, Shen Mingzhu felt a mixture of hatred and pleasure.
She gave a wry smile, seemingly with a hint of schadenfreude: "Ah, no... her name isn't Yu Niang, it's Yue Niang."
Zhao Jue stopped and looked at Shen Mingzhu with a cold gaze. Her expression was strange and somewhat eerie in the light of the red lanterns.
"Third Master, your 'Yu Niang,' she's a courtesan at Chunfeng Pavilion." Shen Mingzhu felt a sudden surge of satisfaction upon seeing Zhao Jue's gloomy face: "Do you know why your father wanted to sever ties with you after you married Yue Niang?"
After Shen Mingzhu's prompting, Zhao Jue suddenly remembered his father's strange behavior in the wedding hall. Combined with Shen Mingzhu's words, an answer became clear.
Sure enough, he heard Shen Mingzhu say, word by word, "Because, Second Master is Yue Niang's patron."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jue was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
Shen Mingzhu saw Zhao Jue's expression suddenly change and burst into laughter, laughing that Zhao Jue had gotten his comeuppance.
Zhao Jue listened to Shen Mingzhu's shrill laughter, as if she were mocking him for being a clown who had schemed and plotted but was ultimately fooled by a prostitute.
He despised prostitutes the most in his life, finding them filthy.
But in the end, he married a prostitute.
She was his father's woman.
Zhao Jue's fig leaf was torn away by Shen Mingzhu. Enraged, he shoved her aside and strode away.
"what--"
Shen Mingzhu cried out in surprise and fell heavily to the ground. The pain became more and more obvious, and a warm current seemed to surge out.
She clutched her lower abdomen tightly for a while, but the pain not only didn't lessen, it became increasingly intense.
By the light of the lamp under the eaves, Shen Mingzhu saw blood mixed with rainwater flowing out from under her skirt.
Although she knew she couldn't save the child, she felt utterly devastated when the child actually left her.
Everything she wanted to keep, she couldn't keep.