ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 135

The next morning, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. When Hai Tang stepped out the door, the cold wind hit her, making her shiver. She immediately retreated inside and found a thick, jade-red jacket for Li Zhizhi, saying, “My lady, you should wear this today.”

The bright color made Li Zhizhi’s features even more delicate and beautiful, her complexion as fair as snow, resembling a jade sculpture. Just then, Yu Lan poked her head in and said, “My lady, the carriage and horses are ready.”

“Let’s go.”

Since she had promised Yang Shen something, Li Zhizhi planned to visit the Su residence today to meet with Su Tangyu and get to the bottom of things. The two had known each other since they met at Mingyuan Garden and had been acquainted for several months now. Li Zhizhi believed she understood Su Tangyu fairly well. Su Tangyu seemed to like Yang Shen, so there was no reason for her sudden coldness and indifference.

Last time at Huixian Tower, Li Zhizhi noticed that the Su family were very warm toward Yang Shen. The Yang family was no small household either. Yang Shen’s mother was Princess Shou Chun, and though his father had pa.s.sed away, his grandfather had once held the position of Grand Tutor. While they might not have overwhelming power, they were of a n.o.ble lineage, and the two families were old friends. Their marriage could be considered a good match.

With a mind full of speculation, Li Zhizhi arrived at the Su residence. A servant led her to the flower hall, and the lady of the house personally came to greet her. After exchanging a few polite words, Li Zhizhi expressed her desire to meet Su Tangyu.

Upon hearing this, Madam Su appeared troubled and said, “My daughter has caught a cold these past few days and is resting in bed. I’m afraid her illness might spread to you, my lady.”

Li Zhizhi immediately replied, “Tangyu and I are friends. Now that she’s ill, I can’t just not visit her.”

Madam Su was deeply moved and personally led her to see Su Tangyu. As they pa.s.sed through the back garden, they had to walk by a flower pool. Li Zhizhi slowed her steps, trying hard not to look at the water under the Nine-Curved Bridge, instead focusing on the scenery around her. From the distance, she noticed someone sitting in a small pavilion by the lake. The figure looked vaguely familiar.

Madam Su also noticed and immediately said to a servant, “Why is Shang’er there? It’s cold today, and with his frail body, it could worsen his condition. Hurry and bring him back inside.”

The servant responded promptly, and Li Zhizhi asked, “Is that the second young master?”

“Indeed,” replied Madam Su.

Li Zhizhi recalled Su Tangyu mentioning that Su Qingshang had been ill. It turned out that he had been sick all this time. Madam Su explained, “Shang’er has been weak since childhood and falls ill every autumn and winter. It’s an old ailment.”

As they spoke, they pa.s.sed through a moon gate and soon arrived at Su Tangyu’s courtyard. The house was tightly closed, quiet and still. Madam Su personally knocked on the door and softly called out, “A’yu, A’yu?”

After a short while, the door opened from the inside. Su Tangyu stood there in a plain dress, her face pale and haggard, her eyes slightly red, looking weak and unwell. Madam Su quickly said, “The Princess is here to visit you.”

Li Zhizhi was shocked and called out, “Tangyu.”

Su Tangyu invited her inside. Madam Su wanted to say something, but Su Tangyu simply replied, “Mother, I’d like to speak with Zhizhi alone.”

Madam Su seemed a bit embarra.s.sed but agreed, “Alright, I’ll have the servants bring some tea. You two take your time.”

Li Zhizhi keenly sensed something strange between the mother and daughter. Silent speculation began to rise in her heart. Once Madam Su left, the room became quiet again. Li Zhizhi furrowed her brow as she studied Su Tangyu and asked with concern, “It’s only been a few days, how did you get so sick?”

Su Tangyu lifted her eyes to look at her, tears welling up in her almond-shaped eyes. She suddenly threw herself into Li Zhizhi’s arms, crying, “Zhizhi!”

Her sobs caught in her throat, startling Li Zhizhi. She quickly hugged her back, “What happened? Did someone bully you?”

It was the wrong thing to ask. At this, Su Tangyu began to sob even harder. Li Zhizhi comforted her for a long time before she finally stopped crying and choked out, “I’m not getting married. I’ll never marry in this lifetime.”

Li Zhizhi was utterly confused and asked in astonishment, “What happened?”

Su Tangyu reacted and said, “Could it be that your parents disapprove of you and Yang Shen…?”

Su Tangyu shook her head and began to cry softly, “They approve, but… but…”

As she wiped her tears, she explained the situation, and after hearing the whole story, Li Zhizhi was both shocked and speechless. She didn’t know what to say, feeling both anger and disbelief. “How could they do such a thing?”

The story began with Jiang Ziyu. After the incident at Huixian Tower, her reputation had been utterly ruined, and the scandal had spread like wildfire throughout the city. Even the street children knew her name. In such a situation, not to mention marrying into a prestigious family, even ordinary households wouldn’t want to take her as a wife.

In contrast, Su Tangyu, although she had once broken off an engagement with Song Lingyun, was favored by Yang Shen. The Yang family was a n.o.ble household—Yang Shen’s elder brother was promoted to a fourth-rank official last year and had been transferred back to the capital. Moreover, Yang Shen was known for his exceptional writing skills and had topped the provincial exam. If he were to pa.s.s the imperial exams next year, his future would be limitless.

This led the Jiang family to hatch a plan. Mother Jiang approached Mrs. Su, suggesting that Jiang Ziyu could become Su Tangyu’s maid and be taken along when Su Tangyu married into the Yang family, where she could serve as a concubine.

At first, Mr. and Mrs. Su thought the request was ridiculous, and Su Tangyu’s eldest brother even cursed Jiang’s mother for being shameless. After all, Su Tangyu and Yang Shen weren’t even officially engaged yet, but the Jiang family was already scheming.

Unexpectedly, after hearing their refusal, Mother Jiang returned home without a word and brought out her husband’s memorial tablet. She and her daughter sat at the entrance of the ancestral hall, crying and wailing, lamenting her husband’s early death, accusing the Su family of being ungrateful, and making a huge scene, even threatening to hang herself.

Su Tangyu, unable to endure the pressure, fell ill. She no longer dared to meet Yang Shen and would avoid him whenever he sent a letter.

With red-rimmed eyes and a heavy heart, she said, “They’ve trapped my parents with blackmail, hoping to use this to hold us hostage for the rest of our lives. Jiang Ziyu can’t find a husband, so they want to tie me down…”

As she spoke, Su Tangyu’s tone turned resentful. “They can dream on! Even if I never marry in this lifetime, I won’t let Jiang Ziyu get what she wants!”

Li Zhi was at a loss for words. She had always thought Jiang Ziyu was shameless, but she hadn’t realized the extent of it. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of frustration toward Liu Man as well. If she hadn’t caused Song Lingyun’s death, none of this would have happened.

Just then, they heard hurried footsteps approaching, along with frantic shouting in the distance. Su Tangyu wiped away her tears and called out, “What’s going on?”

Before long, a maid rushed in, her face still showing signs of panic, and said, “Second Young Master, it’s the Second Young Master by the lakeside pavilion—he’s saying he’s going to, going to jump into the lake!”

“What?!”

Both Su Tangyu and Li Zhizhi were shocked. They exchanged glances and immediately stood up to leave. As they hurried along, Su Tangyu anxiously asked, “What exactly happened?”

“I don’t know,” the maid, panting heavily from running, replied. “He—he somehow tied up the cousin, and they’re by the lakeside. Someone’s already gone to inform Madam Jiang…”

“And my mother?” Su Tangyu asked urgently.

“She went too!”

From a distance, Li Zhizhi could see a familiar figure standing by the lakeside pavilion—it was Su Qingshang. The wind by the lake was strong, and he was dressed in a pale white robe that made him look somewhat frail. He occasionally clenched his hand into a loose fist and coughed weakly.

Seeing this, Su Tangyu’s heart clenched with worry. She called out loudly, “Second Brother!”

Su Qingshang heard her and turned to look in their direction. His once-handsome face was now paler than usual, making his dark, ink-like eyebrows stand out even more. His gaze shifted from Su Tangyu to Li Zhizhi, and he seemed to be momentarily taken aback. Then, he gave her a slight smile, just like when they first met—early summer sunlight casting rainbow hues.

“Miss Li,” he said slowly, “long time no see. I hope you’ve been well.”

“Second Young Master,” she replied.

Su Qingshang wanted to speak, but started coughing heavily again. Su Tangyu wanted to step forward, but he motioned for her to stop. Only then did Li Zhizhi notice that there was someone else beside him—it was Jiang Ziyu. She had her eyes closed, still unconscious, her body tied tightly with ropes as she leaned against the railing, completely unaware of her surroundings.

At that moment, a worried voice called out, “Shang’er, what are you doing? Come back at once!” It was Madam Su.

Su Qingshang didn’t listen. Not only did he ignore her, but he sat down in the pavilion leisurely and asked, “Where is Aunt?”

Soon after, a woman came rushing over—it was clearly Madam Jiang. The moment she saw her daughter in the pavilion, she became furious and shouted, “Su Qingshang, what madness is this? What do you intend to do to my daughter?”

She roared as she charged towards the pavilion by the lake. Su Qingshang, however, remained calm, coughing lightly. He nudged Jiang Ziyu with his foot, causing her body to dangle dangerously over the edge, her head already hanging outside the railing.

Madam Jiang screamed in fright, “Stop! Stop right now!”

Su Qingshang responded calmly, “Aunt, don’t act rashly. I’m not in good health. If I lose control—cough cough cough—who knows what might happen.”

He even smiled faintly.

Madam Jiang dared not approach further, her face filled with terror as she anxiously pleaded, “Pull her back! Now! Ziyu! Ziyu, wake up!”

The chilly wind seemed to stir Jiang Ziyu from her unconscious state. Slowly, she woke up, initially unaware of where she was. But as soon as she saw Su Qingshang, she screamed in horror, “Help! Mother, help me!”

“Ziyu!”

Amid the shouts and cries, Su Qingshang remained the calmest of them all, his voice steady as he said, “Stop making noise.”

Madam Jiang’s face turned deathly pale, looking worse than the sickly Su Qingshang. She trembled as she asked, “What…what do you want?”

“Not much,” Su Qingshang said softly, coughing again. “I just want to settle the score between the Su family and the Jiang family.”

He continued in a detached tone, “Years ago, Uncle saved my life here, but he drowned. So you put the blame on our Su family. You and your daughter have lived in our household all these years, taking whatever you wanted. My sister, a proper young lady, has been treated worse than Jiang Ziyu in every way. Whenever things didn’t go your way, there was crying and fussing. And now, you’ve even set your sights on her marriage.”

His gaze was icy as he stared at Jiang Ziyu, the loathing in his eyes chilling. Su Tangyu, eyes red and choked with emotion, sobbed quietly.

Madam Su, too, was in tears, pleading, “Shang’er, please come back…”

Su Qingshang coughed forcefully again, covering his mouth, before turning to Madam Jiang. “Since Uncle saved my life, this debt should be repaid by me alone. One life for another. If I jump into the lake and drown today, the Jiang family must immediately leave the Su residence.”

His voice remained calm, but it sent shockwaves through everyone. Madam Su and Su Tangyu cried out in unison, “No! Shang’er, don’t do anything foolish!”

“But,” Su Qingshang suddenly changed his tone and looked at Jiang Ziyu, “before that happens, you should repay your debt as well.”

Jiang Ziyu, trembling violently with fear, tears streaming down her face, begged, “I was wrong! I was wrong! Second cousin, please spare me! I won’t do it again, I swear!”

Su Qingshang paid no attention, continuing as if she hadn’t spoken, “Back then, I fell into the water because you said your purse had fallen into the lake and asked me to retrieve it. After I fell in, not only did you not call for help, but you were so frightened that you hid. Uncle happened to pa.s.s by and saved my life.”

He stared coldly at Jiang Ziyu’s terrified face, then slowly stood up. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the chance. My hesitation only made you greedier.”

Li Zhizhi suddenly remembered something—back when they were at Su Manor, she had taught Jiang Ziyu a lesson, and Su Qingshang had thanked her, saying, “You did what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Suddenly, amidst a series of screams and gasps, Su Qingshang kicked Jiang Ziyu into the lake with a swift motion. She plunged into the water with a loud splash, sending waves crashing. He even smiled slightly and said, “It’s time for you to repay your debt.”

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