Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Mei Wanying’s Favor

Chen Shujing did not agree to a divorce, but he left in the end.

Fortunately, Xue Xingyao hadn’t held out any hope for him, so she wasn’t in despair now.

Since she had brought up divorce, she had no intention of maintaining any lingering ties with Chen Shujing.

Xue Xingyao didn’t move into the Chen Family’s residence. Instead, she took her people and checked into an inn.

Part of her dowry included properties in the Capital City—thriving shops, houses, and farmlands. She intended to take this opportunity to deal with them all.

She would convert them to silver coins, which she would have great use for.

After this, she would probably never return to the Capital City.

Xue Xingyao was unwilling to rely on Chen Shujing anymore, but the Xue Family’s matter was too grave. With her own connections alone, she couldn’t be certain she’d be able to see her family.

Fortunately, before she returned to the Capital City, Pei Yan had given her a letter that could be useful if necessary.

As Mei Wanying’s close friend, Xue Xingyao felt she had let her down.

Ah Yin only wanted to stay away from Pei Yan, but because of her situation, the two were now entangled again.

She had accepted Pei Yan’s help, which, in the end, was a favor owed by Ah Yin.

The more she thought about it, the more Xue Xingyao felt she was holding Mei Wanying back.

’I can only keep this debt in mind and be sure to repay Ah Yin if I get the chance in the future.’

Pei Yan was now the Crown Prince. Even though he wasn’t in the Capital City, his influence was just as effective.

Xue Xingyao was finally able to see her relatives.

Life as a prisoner was difficult. In just a few short months, Mrs. Xue had grown so thin her cheekbones protruded, and white hairs had appeared at her temples.

Seeing this, Xue Xingyao’s heart ached, and she began to cry.

"Mother, just wait a little longer. I’ll be able to get you all out of here soon."

Knowing that she and her son would be able to escape unscathed, Mrs. Xue was not anxious.

At a time like this, it was more important than ever to remain calm.

Otherwise, she would just be causing trouble for others.

You can’t stop those who are determined to court death. They couldn’t afford to fall into disarray themselves.

She reached through the bars to wipe her daughter’s tears.

Just as she was about to comfort her, she caught sight of her daughter’s flat abdomen out of the corner of her eye.

Before the Xue Family’s misfortune, she had received a letter from the Chen Family saying that Ah Yao was pregnant.

’Ah Yao is truly blessed. Getting pregnant right after marriage will give her more standing with her in-laws.’

She never expected that after all this time, not only was her daughter not showing, but she had also lost weight.

Mrs. Xue had a bad feeling.

"Ah Yao, the baby..."

Xue Xingyao shook her head. In front of her family, all her grievances felt magnified.

Her nose stung, and it felt as if a lump was caught in her throat, leaving her speechless and breathless.

Seeing this, what was there for Mrs. Xue not to understand?

The baby was really gone.

The Duke Mansion had fallen, and now Ah Yao had lost the child she could rely on. Life in the Chen Family would probably be very difficult for her.

Mrs. Xue’s heart ached with anxiety and pain. "My poor child, how did you end up in such a terrible situation!"

Xue Xingyao didn’t see it as a disaster. If the child were still here, divorcing Chen Shujing would have been an excruciating ordeal.

Now, with no ties or worries, it was for the best!

Her reason told her this, but she couldn’t stop her tears from falling.

Xue Xingyao didn’t want to worry her mother, but when she met those eyes full of pity for her, her grievances rushed forth like an uncontrollable flood.

Seeing her daughter cry so sorrowfully, Mrs. Xue’s heart ached as well.

She gripped Xue Xingyao’s hand tightly. "Mother won’t ask anymore. As long as you’re all right, that’s all that matters."

After all, this was her own daughter. As Mrs. Xue spoke, her eyes grew moist.

"You’re still young. As long as you take good care of your health, it won’t be difficult to have another child."

Her mother was already worried enough. Xue Xingyao could only temporarily hide her plans for a divorce.

Otherwise, her mother would surely be unable to find peace day or night.

When her daughter remained silent, Mrs. Xue assumed she had been wronged by the Chen Family.

She quickly asked, "What did your in-laws say? And what is Ah Jing’s attitude? Why didn’t he come with you today?"

Mrs. Xue fired off several questions in a row.

Ah Yao was a daughter-in-law of the Chen Family. Logically, she should be at the Chen residence, recuperating and trying to conceive again as soon as possible.

But instead, she had returned to the Capital City.

And her son-in-law wasn’t by her side.

Chen Shujing was known by all to be thoughtful and proper in his conduct.

Letting Xue Xingyao come to a place like this alone was truly not his style.

Looking again at the exhaustion in her daughter’s eyes, Mrs. Xue’s heart sank. ’I’m afraid there’s a rift between Ah Yao and my son-in-law.’

Watching the mother and daughter weeping, Xue Yunshu’s brow furrowed tightly.

’What dreadful luck,’ she cursed silently.

’I never should have returned to the Xue Family. Now I’m implicated because of them, and my fate is uncertain.’

’Even if I live, I’ll probably be exiled to some desolate, freezing land.’

’The Xue Family has ruined me, and I haven’t even cried. What right does Xue Xingyao have to act so pitiful?’

’If I had known it would come to this, I never would have pushed so hard for Xue Xingyao’s marriage to Chen Shujing back then.’

’It would have been better for us to suffer misfortune together than for me to watch Xue Xingyao live a carefree life.’

Xue Yunshu was seething with hatred.

She clenched her jaw. "Cry, cry, cry! You’re not the one who’s locked up, so what right do you have to cry?"

Xue Yunshu had never been afraid of Mrs. Xue, and now she had completely dropped all pretense.

’We’re all prisoners here. No one is nobler than anyone else.’

Besides, the Xue Family had already given up on her. The chance at life they’d earned from their Contribution from the Dragon wouldn’t be used on her, so why should she bother respecting these people?

Mrs. Xue wiped her tears and shot Xue Yunshu a vicious glare. "Shut up!"

Xue Yunshu felt utterly wronged. "I’ve been dragged into this mess by you all, and now I’m not even allowed to speak the truth? Not a single one of you in the Xue Family is any good!"

Xue Yunshu loved to twist the truth and always felt that everyone owed her something. Xue Xingyao had long been familiar with her shamelessness, but this was a whole new level.

"Don’t forget, you’re the one who brought this disaster upon the Xue Family!"

Xue Yunshu looked completely self-righteous. "I am Father’s biological daughter. It was only natural and right for him to save me when I was in trouble!"

’Who knew he was so stupid that he’d let the Useless Crown Prince use him to pass on treasonous letters?’

Xue Yunshu felt she was completely innocent.

’If I had known, I would have been better off not letting the Xue Family save me. If they’d just let me fend for myself, my fate might have been better.’

’I barely enjoyed any of the Xue Family’s fortune, yet now I have to go to hell with them. How could I possibly accept that?’

Xue Yunshu pushed all the blame onto the Xue Family, conveniently forgetting that she herself had offered to be a mole for the enemy in order to survive.

During the time she was abducted, she had spilled every single thing she knew.

Even without Duke Xue’s act of treason, she would never have been able to escape unscathed.

Xue Xingyao thought this person was a lunatic. "You’re just like your mother—a complete menace!"

Xue Yunshu defended her biological mother. "What’s wrong with us trying to climb higher? If you’re going to blame someone, blame your father. He’s the one who falls for that sort of thing!"

In the next cell, Duke Xue’s face went pale, then dark.

He had seen plenty of noble ladies, so the Medical Woman from all those years ago had seemed special. He thought he had found true love.

He never imagined she only wanted to climb the social ladder.

If she hadn’t died so young, she would have surely brought Xue Yunshu to their doorstep herself and turned the Duke Mansion upside down.

He had been blind to fall for such a vain and ambitious woman.

And to have treasured the daughter she bore him!

Duke Xue wished he could rush over and slap Xue Yunshu across the face.

Meeting the pairs of eyes that resented him, Duke Xue shivered.

He felt certain he couldn’t escape death.

He would either die by the judgment of the Court...

Or... at the hands of his own Xue Family members.

"I was blind and foolish! I will go and repent to my ancestors right now!"

As he slammed his head against the wall, Duke Xue thought, ’Surely my clansmen won’t resent me now, right?’