Chapter 710: Suicide to Preserve Innocence

Chapter 710: Suicide to Protect Her Virtue

"Big Brother, this is..." Yu Mingzhu pretended not to understand and asked in shock.

Yu Chongjie placed the still-unconscious Zou Pingping, wrapped in his cloak, on the divan in Yu Mingzhu's room and explained how he found her.

Yu Mingzhu gasped, acting shocked. "Such a thing could happen even in this sacred Buddhist temple!"

Yu Chongjie frowned. "Zhu Zhu, when you come to pray with others in the future, you must bring more attendants. Don’t be careless."

Seeing that Yu Chongjie’s concern was solely for her, delight flashed in Yu Mingzhu’s eyes, though her face remained troubled as she nodded in agreement.

Yu Mingzhu sighed with dramatic pity. "...Given Miss Zou’s condition, it’s inappropriate to call a temple healer. And now it’s so late—what should we do?"

Qi Huang whispered, "...The second wife of the Xing family, who came to pray next door, brought a maid who knows medicine. Earlier, a fainting pilgrim was treated with medicine by that maid. Should I go and ask her to examine Miss Zou?"

Yu Chongjie hesitated but ultimately decided that life was more important. "That’s our only option."

Yu Mingzhu gave Qi Huang a meaningful glance.

Qi Huang curtsied. "Then I will go and invite the knowledgeable maid to come and examine Miss Zou."

Yu Chongjie grunted in acknowledgment.

Yu Mingzhu said softly, "Big Brother, you came straight here after your duties and haven’t eaten yet, have you? Tonight, I ate with Second Brother and tried the vegetarian dishes at White Horse Temple—they were quite good. Shall I have a maid fetch you some food?"

Yu Chongjie glanced hesitantly at Zou Pingping, still unconscious on the divan.

Yu Mingzhu stepped closer and sighed, lowering her voice. "Big Brother, you know how infatuated Miss Zou is with you. Any ordinary girl who suffered such an ordeal would likely hang herself immediately. And to be discovered by the very person she adores—how humiliating must that be?... I know you want to see this through, but if you stay here, what if Miss Zou kills herself out of shame? I think it’s best to let her rest here while we go to Second Brother’s place. I’ll have the vegetarian meal sent there."

Yu Chongjie thought it over for a moment and agreed with Yu Mingzhu’s logic.

He felt he had already done his utmost—rescuing Zou Pingping and having his sister’s maid arrange for a medically trained servant to examine her.

With that thought, Yu Chongjie agreed and left with Yu Mingzhu for Yu Chongen’s room.

Once Yu Chongjie and Yu Mingzhu were gone, the room went quiet.

After an unknown length of time, Zou Pingping slowly drifted back to awareness.

The room was dark, with only faint moonlight filtering through the window to outline the furniture.

As Zou Pingping regained some awareness, her throat felt hoarse. "Water..."

The sound of her own voice startled her—it was so hoarse and ragged!

Then, the events before her unconsciousness came rushing back—

She had been assaulted by multiple men...

Zou Pingping’s face paled.

Meanwhile, murmurs floated in from the corridor outside:

"...Honestly, if I were her, I’d have thrown myself off the cliff right then. How could she still have the face to seek help?"

"Exactly! No shame at all, still clinging to life..."

"Didn’t you hear what the Xing family’s medically trained servant said? The marks on Zou Pingping’s body weren’t left by just one man... And yet she still dares to chase after our Young Master!"

The two maids were whispering outside, and Zou Pingping gripped the blanket draped over her tightly.

Unlike the filthy, sticky grime she felt before losing consciousness, there was now a soothing coolness where it hurt, likely from applied medicine.

Zou Pingping couldn’t bear to think back on the nightmare she’d endured, feeling only despair.

Yet the maids outside continued gossiping shamelessly about her body and what had happened...

Zou Pingping went ghostly pale.

By the time Yu Mingzhu and Yu Chongjie returned, they found Zou Pingping had tied a bedsheet into a noose and hanged herself from the ceiling beam.

Fortunately, she hadn’t been hanging long and was still barely breathing when they cut her down.

Zou Pingping was sobbing hysterically, "Just let me die!"

With that, she threw herself into Yu Chongjie’s arms, trembling violently as she cried.

Yu Chongjie was at a loss, unsure how to console her since this involved her virtue, and looked to Yu Mingzhu for help.

But as he instinctively glanced at Yu Mingzhu, he noticed the way she was looking at Zou Pingping seemed wrong—dark and gloomy, shadowed with something dark—like pure hatred.

For a moment, Yu Chongjie wondered if he’d imagined it.

Yet when he looked again, Yu Mingzhu’s expression was all compassion and concern. She even stepped forward to embrace Zou Pingping’s shoulders, whispering for her to hang on.

Zou Pingping, however, kept clutching fistfuls of Yu Chongjie’s robe, refusing to let go.

The whole situation was painfully awkward.

Eventually, Zou Pingping worn herself out from crying, nearly fainting, and Yu Mingzhu jerked her chin at the maid to "haul" her off.

Yu Chongjie also went to rest.

Only Yu Mingzhu and Qi Huang remained in the room.

Yu Mingzhu’s face, half-hidden in the flickering candlelight, looked downright sinister.

"I never thought she’d be so shameless—that soiled, broken thing, still daring to covet my elder brother!" Yu Mingzhu’s face contorted in rage.

Qi Huang soothed, "Don’t anger yourself, miss. It doesn’t matter how shameless Zou Pingping is—in a few days, she’ll end up as charcoal anyway."

Yu Mingzhu remained seated, her voice icy. "...Before we leave tomorrow, Qi Huang, light a fire under those men again. They must act quickly."

Qi Huang bowed her head obediently in agreement.

...

The next day, Yu Chongjie escorted Yu Mingzhu down the mountain in a carriage, dragging Zou Pingping with them.

Yu Chongjie rode his horse not far behind the carriage.

When they reached a certain point on the mountain path, Zou Pingping suddenly started shaking violently and screamed.

"This is the place... they dragged me into the woods..." She sobbed uncontrollably, insisting the Young Master come to her side. "I want the Young Master here!"

She started causing a commotion.

Yu Chongjie, riding nearby, naturally heard Zou Pingping’s cries.

He hesitated slightly.

It was rare for Yu Mingzhu to show a cold face to outsiders, casting a frigid glance at Qi Huang.

Catching her meaning, Qi Huang slightly raised her voice: "Miss Zou! Stop this nonsense! After what happened to you, it’s bad for our young lady’s reputation to be involved! Yet, out of compassion for your misfortune, she arranged for a skilled healer to tend to you, sent servants to care for you, and now, despite the risk to her own reputation, she’s escorting you home. Don’t you feel even a little grateful? Must you cause such a fuss just to get close to the Young Master? Have you no consideration for our young lady? Honestly, Miss Zou, this is downright ungrateful!"

Qi Huang’s words were sharp, her face full of scorn.

After this lengthy tirade, Yu Mingzhu finally chided, "Qi Huang, is that any way to speak to Miss Zou? She’s just suffered a terrible ordeal. I understand her distress."

Blushing with shame and anger, Zou Pingping started demanding to get out of the carriage: "I get it now! You and your lady think I’m dirty, don’t you? Fine, I’ll get out—I’ll get out right now!"

But to Yu Chongjie, it seemed Yu Mingzhu was bending over backward while Zou Pingping, taking advantage of her misfortune, was throwing a tantrum.

Yu Mingzhu made a show of stopping Zou Pingping inside the carriage: "Miss Zou, calm down! If you’re upset with me, just tell me. I’ll fix it, I swear—"

Zou Pingping wasn’t listening, insisting on leaving.

Yu Chongjie cut in sharply: "If she wants to get out, let her! We rescued her—does she think we’re indebted to her?!"

Angrily, he added, "Miss Zou, if you’re unhappy, then leave!"

Zou Pingping froze, no longer daring to speak. Sniffling, she curled up in the corner of the carriage and went quiet.

Yu Mingzhu shot her a look, her eyes full of open contempt.

Just wait. Even if Zou Pingping was doomed to die in flames, Yu Mingzhu wouldn’t let her off so easily.

Everyone knew Second Wife Xing couldn’t keep a secret.

The healer sent to check on Zou Pingping had grilled her for answers.

Soon, everyone would know Zou Pingping had been defiled.

Yu Mingzhu looked down, a sly smile tugging at her mouth.

Then let’s see if Zou Pingping would dare chase after her brother again!

The Duke of Xinguo’s carriage came to a stop before the Zou residence.

This was Yu Mingzhu’s first visit to the Zou household. She eyed the front gate with distaste before motioning for Qi Huang to escort Zou Pingping out.

Though medicated, Zou Pingping was still in pain, her legs trembling as she stepped down.

Zou Wan Shi, alerted to their arrival, ignored Zou Pingping at first, instead fawning over Yu Mingzhu seated inside the carriage: "Miss Cen, what brings you here today?" She gushed with flattery.

Yu Mingzhu patted her lips with a handkerchief. "...Miss Zou met with misfortune near White Horse Temple yesterday and even attempted suicide. Our Duke of Xinguo’s family has always been kind-hearted—we couldn’t just stand by. Now that we’ve returned her, we hope you’ll take better care of her, Mrs. Zou."

Her words hit Zou Wan Shi like a slap.

What did she mean by "misfortune"?

Mechanically, Zou Wan Shi turned to Zou Pingping, whose eyes were swollen from crying.

Faint bruises peeked from beneath her collar, trailing into her clothes.

A horrible thought crossed Zou Wan Shi’s mind, and her knees almost buckled. "...No, third child, you—?"

Zou Pingping, overwhelmed with shame, covered her face and wept.

Zou Wan Shi understood everything at once. Her eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted.

Qi Huang stepped forward to support her.

Zou Wan Shi trembled all over, pointing at Zou Pingping: "You... you..."

Her mind was filled with the thought that her daughter had lost her chastity, and worse, the Duke of Xinguo's household knew about it. Any hope of tying the family to the Duke of Xinguo was now completely blocked!

Not only that, even that low-ranking Official Ge would likely avoid her daughter from now on!

How could her daughter ever show her face again?!

And with such a disgraced daughter in the household, what respectable family would be willing to marry their daughter to their Ming Lei?!

Their Ming Lei was set to enter Zhi Zhi Academy next month, where all the students were from respectable families. With this scandal, how could their son hold his head high there?!

A thousand terrible thoughts raced through Zou Wan Shi's mind as she stared at Zou Pingping with an extremely complicated gaze.

Yu Mingzhu watched the scene. Her lips curled in a smirk.

That Zou Pingping's own mother was such a heartless wretch didn’t surprise her in the slightest.

Yu Mingzhu naturally cared little about the storm that would now rage in the Zou household. She leisurely rode away in her carriage.

For the first time, Zou Wan Shi had no interest in "strengthening ties" with Yu Mingzhu. She grabbed Zou Pingping’s arm and dragged her into the courtyard.

Zou Wan Shi’s eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted in fury. Suppressing her fury, she demanded, "What exactly happened?!"

Zou Pingping wailed hysterically as she recounted the events. Zou Wan Shi nearly fainted again!

After a long while, Zou Wan Shi finally regained her composure. Her emotions had settled somewhat, as if she had made some grave decision.

She gazed coldly at Zou Pingping. "...Since ancient times, a virtuous woman kills herself to preserve her chastity. Pingping, there’s no other way out for you."

Zou Pingping had once attempted suicide in despair, but deep down, she had hoped to make Yu Chongjie take pity on her—she hadn’t truly wanted to die.

But now that she no longer wished to die, her own mother was telling her to!

Zou Pingping screamed through her tears, "Mother, why?! It wasn’t my fault! Why should I die?!"

Her daughter’s wailing grated on Zou Wan Shi, yet her gaze was colder than ever. "Why? Because you’ve lost your chastity!"

She called for the servants and, ignoring Zou Pingping’s struggles, ordered them to lock her in a room, intending to starve her for a few days.

That evening, Zou Haigui returned reeking of cheap perfume, only to be met with a teacup hurled at his face!

Zou Haigui dodged clumsily, shouting, "Have you lost your mind?!"

Zou Wan Shi sneered. "Lost my mind?! You spend all your time fooling around outside, and you didn’t even know your own daughter was violated!"

Zou Haigui gasped. "You shrew, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Zou Wan Shi spat back, "I said, your daughter—while burning incense at White Horse Temple—was dragged into the woods by a gang of ruffians and violated! Not only that, but Yu Chongjie saw her in that wretched state, and today, it was Ming Zhu who had to drag her home!... I’m ashamed! Our Ming Zhu is spotless and highborn, while your Pingping couldn’t even keep her chastity intact!"

Zou Haigui reeled, but his mind was already made up. "...Pick a lucky day and let Pingping go. At least that way, it can be turned into a virtuous legend."

The idea aligned perfectly with Zou Wan Shi’s thoughts. She gave a grudging nod.

Zou Haigui even shed a few tears. "They’re sisters... how could one be so superior and the other so worthless..."

As the couple lamented, they had no idea that Zou Pingping was desperately covering her mouth behind the wall, biting back a scream!

Compared to her own parents wanting her dead, the bombshell in their conversation shocked her even more.

They’re sisters?... Sisters!