Chapter 496 Grand Finale 1

Chapter 496 Finale Part 1

Qin Shaojing, relying on Cheng Qi's affection for her, repeatedly made demands and threats. When her desires went unfulfilled, resentment grew, leading her to have an affair with his subordinate out of spite.

She thought Cheng Qi would tolerate her actions just as he had turned a blind eye to her past affair with his father. No matter how far she went, she believed he would endure it—after all, he had already sacrificed and endured so much for her. What was one more thing?

Yet, to her surprise, this time, Cheng Qi had enough.

He divorced her, letting her be with his subordinate. At Cheng Hui’s insistence, he took a proper wife and rebuilt his life.

Qin Shaojing, however, was filled with regret upon seeing Cheng Qi move on and marry another. She returned daily to beg for forgiveness, trying to win him back and sway him to leave his new wife and take her back. But Cheng Qi remained unmoved, refusing to see her.

As for his subordinate, he wouldn’t dare marry her either. Overcome with guilt after being caught in the act, he resigned from his post and went back to the countryside to farm and serve at the border.

Naturally, Qin Shaojing could not follow such a man. Stuck in the remote borderlands with no one to turn to, she lingered for a year or two before finally returning to her own family—the now-destitute Qin Ducal Mansion. Word was her brother, on his third marriage, eventually married her off to a powerful local family as a second wife for their nearly seventy-year-old patriarch.

What happened afterward, Cheng Hui did not know.

Upon hearing Qin Shaojing’s fate, the women sighed sympathetically.

As the old friends continued sharing their daily lives, Lu Lingyun had another visitor—Wang Qiluo and her husband, Liu Shuhui!

In this era of prosperity, with envoys from all nations paying tribute, regional officials also came to the capital to report on their duties—among them, Liu Shuhui, the Canal Transport Commissioner of Jiangnan.

The couple arrived bearing gifts.

"Lingyun!"

Tears welled up in Wang Qiluo’s eyes as she saw Lu Lingyun after nearly two decades.

Lu Lingyun, equally moved by the sight of her now middle-aged friend, clasped Wang Qiluo’s hands tightly, embracing her. The two remained locked in their reunion for so long that Liu Shuhui had to cough several times before they finally noticed him—though even then, they hardly noticed him.

Lu Lingyun simply pulled Wang Qiluo toward her courtyard. "Perfect! Your room’s ready."

"Of course! I’ve already decided—we’ll share a bed like we did as children and whisper secrets for seven nights straight! I have so much to tell you!"

"Great! It’s all set up for you."

Liu Shuhui, left trailing behind: "..."

If they shared a bed... what about him?

Watching his wife, who usually doted on him, now completely forget his existence, Liu Shuhui could only smile helplessly without a word.

Soon, evening arrived, and the banquet began.

Guests streamed in—so many that both marquis’ mansions held banquets at the same time. Cheng Bingan and Cheng Binghao entertained male guests at the Ningyang Marquis’s Mansion, while Lu Lingyun hosted the women at the EverVictorious Marquis’s Mansion.

The small connecting gate between the two mansions was busy with guests coming and going.

Amid the lively celebrations, under the moonlight, a stocky man in worn-out clothes supported a gaunt, ragged woman as they passed by.

For today was not only the day of Lu Lingyun’s honorary banquet—it was also the day Li Bihan was released from prison.

Her son had come to fetch her.

Li Bihan gazed at the lively, bustling Marquis's Mansion, her eyes worn from three years in prison burning with disdain and hatred. "Son, this world is so unfair—it preys on people like us! But thankfully, I still have you. For you, I’d suffer anything and never regret it..."

No sooner had she spoken than she was shoved to the ground.

"What do you regret? I’m the one who regrets!"

Cheng Bingzhi, now unrecognizable compared to his brothers, glared fiercely at his mother. "This is all on you! I could’ve been with the mistress! If I had, this Marquis's Mansion would surely have another Lord Marquis—me! You wrecked my life!"

Li Bihan gaped at her son, stunned.

As a child, he’d clung to her, willing to give up anything just to keep her as his mother.

But now that he was grown, he wanted everything—except her.

She’d spent her whole life scheming for him...

"Cheng Bingzhi! How can you be so cruel? Haven’t I done right by you?"

"You stop it! Don’t think I don’t know—you’re just selfish! You shackled me to you for your own sake! You’re vile!"

Hearing his words, Li Bihan felt both heartbroken and guilty. She opened her mouth but could only cry out, "Bingzhi, I’m your mother by blood! How can you treat me like this?"

"My real mother is Lady Fengguo of the Ningyang Marquis’s house! Not some lowly concubine like you! You wrecked my life—you owe me!"

In that empty corner, Cheng Bingzhi rained blows on his mother.

——————————

As the drinking wound down, the mansions slowly cleared out. Lu Lingyun briskly directed the servants to see the guests off, arranging accommodations for those who wished to stay.

By the time the moon hung high in the sky, she finally made her way back to her courtyard.

Wang Qiluo had drunk herself into a stupor earlier, so Lu Lingyun had assigned her own maids to escort her back first. Alone in the hushed courtyard, she savored the rare quiet.

The crisp autumn breeze and the wine’s warmth left her pleasantly drowsy. She settled into the pavilion—then a shadow loomed over her.

Looking up, she met a pair of drunken, bloodshot eyes.

Lu Lingyun forced a polite, icy smile when she recognized him. "Ah, brother-in-law."

She stood up, glancing around for servants. "I’ll fetch someone to escort you."

Just then, a voice reached her ears.

"Jun'er!"

Lu Lingyun froze at Li Wenxun’s familiar tone. The next moment, the drunkard lurched toward her.

Fortunately, she had already taken two steps back, maintaining enough distance to dodge his advance. Li Wenxun crashed face-first onto the stone table in the pavilion.

Frowning at the sight, Lu Lingyun said, "Brother-in-law, you’re drunk. Let me call someone."

"Jun'er, don’t go! It’s me, Wenxun!"

Li Wenxun raised his gaunt face, features contorted in pain. "I know now... I know everything. It was supposed to be you I married! Back then, my mother arranged for you to be my wife—it was your sister who stole you from me!"

Lu Lingyun’s frown deepened. "Brother-in-law, have you lost your mind?"