"Your grandmother... your grandmother is nothing but a little old woman from the countryside! What could she possibly know? And yet you hang on her every word. You’ll regret it one day, you will."

Mrs. Li had never thought the Zhao Family was anything special. If she had truly thought they were an amazing catch, she would have fought to preserve the engagement for her daughter’s sake, even if it meant defying the old matriarch.

But people are contrary by nature.

The more Chen Wanyue disparaged the Zhao Family and praised her grandmother, treating the old woman’s words as gospel, the more Mrs. Li felt compelled to disagree.

"Maybe Jing will be blessed by a benefactor and become a Scholar next year. Your grandmother said he’d never pass, but back then, he was just your husband-to-be. Of course your uncle wouldn’t go out of his way to help him. But now he’s going to be your uncle’s son-in-law. Just you watch, your uncle will be watching over him constantly. As long as your uncle is willing to put in the effort, there’s no reason Zhao Jing can’t become a Scholar."

Chen Wanyue grabbed Mrs. Li’s hand. "Say what you just said again."

"Say what? Repeat what? What did I say?"

"You know what you said. Think."

"’There’s no reason Zhao Jing can’t become a Scholar’?"

"No, the sentence before that."

Mrs. Li thought for a moment, her face breaking into a look of sudden realization. "I said, ’As long as your uncle is willing to put in the effort, there’s no reason Zhao Jing can’t become a Scholar.’"

Chen Wanyue gritted her teeth, her gaze darkening.

’How could I not have thought of that?’

’In my last life, when I married Zhao Jing, he was merely Chen Song’s nephew-in-law. Chen Song certainly wouldn’t have given him his all. But now that Zhao Jing is to be his actual son-in-law, Uncle will want to give him the very world.’

’If Zhao Jing suffers from agonizing stomach pains, Uncle will surely summon the best physician to treat him. He might even have constables deliver freshly brewed medicinal tea to him on a set schedule.’

’If Zhao Jing’s Mutual Guarantee of Relatives gets stolen, with Chen Song’s influence, even if he can’t catch the thief right away, he can certainly get a replacement immediately. It absolutely wouldn’t delay Zhao Jing’s examination.’

’Zhao Jing doesn’t lack knowledge, he lacks luck.’

’He only ever runs into trouble on his way to the examination hall. But if he actually makes it inside, Chen Wanyue was absolutely certain that, with his talent, he would pass with flying colors.’

A dawning horror washed over Chen Wanyue.

’So, that was it? The solution was that simple? All someone had to do was ensure Zhao Jing made it safely into the examination hall?’

The moment she realized this, a sharp pain shot through Chen Wanyue’s head, as if someone had taken an awl and struck her skull, cracking it open.

When the future she had foreseen was so starkly different from the future that was now likely to unfold, Chen Wanyue felt completely lost.

That feeling of being lost gave way to a violent, uncontrollable trembling.

’If Zhao Jing becomes a Scholar this time, then what was the point of all the trouble I went through to get engaged to Li Cun?’

’This can’t happen!’

’I can’t let things proceed like this!’

’I will not allow my broken engagement to become a laughingstock!’

’And I absolutely cannot tolerate Zhao Jing becoming a scholar before Li Cun, or becoming more successful than him!’

’What can I do to stop Zhao Jing from taking the county examination?’

"Yue’er, what are you thinking about? Your grandfather is taking your father to the county seat. Do you want to go with them? The other day, Mr. Li secretly sent word that she wants to see you and your grandmother. I suspect Mr. Li has heard about your uncle’s promotion and is having second thoughts. She either wants to call off the engagement or demand you bring a larger dowry."

Mrs. Li scoffed, her expression turning sour.

She and Mr. Li both shared the surname Li. By rights, they could have been from the same family three hundred years ago and should have gotten along well.

But that was not the case.

The moment Mrs. Li heard that Mr. Li had deceived her own son, Li Cun, into getting engaged to Wanyue, she had been filled with disgust for the woman.

Even though her own daughter was the beneficiary, Mrs. Li could tell from Mr. Li’s words and actions that she was a woman who never did anything without a profit in it—a domineering, calculating, and ruthless person.

With this preconceived bias, and knowing this woman was to be her daughter’s future mother-in-law—under whose thumb her daughter would have to live—it would be a cold day in hell before Mrs. Li could ever bring herself to like Mr. Li.

"Li Cun’s mother wants to see me and Grandmother?" Chen Wanyue said, snapping back to the present. "I’m not going. The wedding date is set; I should stay at home and prepare as is proper. I am the daughter of a respectable family, and it’s not appropriate for me to be seen out and about. Whatever Mr. Li wants, she can discuss it with Grandmother. I’m of a younger generation; it wouldn’t look right for me to get involved in such matters."

Mrs. Li nodded. "That’s the right attitude. Besides, your grandmother is no pushover. If she’s the one dealing with Mr. Li, none of that woman’s schemes will ever succeed."

Chen Wanyue didn’t hear another word Mrs. Li said. Her mind was racing, consumed with a single thought: with Chen Song protecting Zhao Jing, what could she possibly do to keep him from ever setting foot in that examination hall?