Chapter 80: Empty Words Cost Nothing

Chapter 80: Empty Words Cost Nothing

"I get the idea of cutting people some slack, but I can't keep compromising myself just to satisfy the Sun family's wishes."

"The eldest son of the Sun family, can you truly make decisions on behalf of your mother?" Lu Mingchao's soft-spoken words turned the tables.

No one knew how Sun Zhiye, this paragon of virtue, would respond.

Sun Zhiye's hands were hidden deep in his wide sleeves, clenched into fists, the veins on the back of his hands standing out. His head was bowed, and no one could see his expression.

To those watching, it just looked like he had remarkable self-control.

Meanwhile, Xie Yan's expression darkened.

Lu Yao, the exiled immortal, with his impassive and icy demeanor, also seemed to radiate a certain coldness.

The magistrate's wife was overwhelmed with emotions, her spirit serene and her bones chilled, untainted by worldly worries.

In a way, both Xie Yan and Lu Yao embodied the essence of winter snow.

One was stern and ruthless.

The mournful wind of late winter, the snow that blotted out the sun all day. Listening closely, there was silence, but visually, everything was pure and white.

The other was cold and proud.

Opening the door in the morning to see the mountains blanketed in snow, the sky clear and the sunlight icy.

Neither was ordinary.

Sun Zhiye raised his head, calm and composed. "I am dutiful and respectful to my elders, but I value justice and truth even more."

"My mother loves her children deeply, and her worry has caused her to speak out of turn. But a son does not criticize his mother's mistakes. It is entirely my oversight and failure."

"I hope Madam Xie will allow me and the Sun family a chance to make things right."

Lu Mingchao smiled without speaking.

Nice try, still using the 'concern leads to mistakes' excuse.

How is this any different from a mother excusing her misbehaving child by saying, 'He's just a kid, don't make a big deal out of it'?

What a paragon of virtue.

In the crowd, Madam Sun tried to make herself inconspicuous.

Zhiye had strictly forbidden her from attending the plum blossom banquet, and she had hurried here only after he left.

She could already picture the scene after the banquet, when Zhiye would come home and berate her like a wolf pup.

Being a mother to this degree is truly humiliating.

Is Magistrate Xu out of his mind or what?

A perfectly fine plum blossom banquet with separate seating for men and women, and he had to go and stir up all this drama.

"Eldest Son of the Sun family, there's no need to be so submissive."

"My issues with the second young master of the Sun family were resolved in court. Today, hearing your fair and just words to restore my shaky reputation is more than enough."

"What's done is done, and rehashing it won't do any good."

She could easily spout such empty, pretty words.

"Besides, I'm not the one who needs to be compensated."

"From now on, let's stick to new topics."

So, no matter who from the Sun family crosses her again, she won't hold back.

After all, business is business.

"Madam Xie, you're a true heroine, and I admire you," Sun Zhiye said, cupping his hands again.

Magistrate Xu clapped lightly, "It's better to settle disputes than to let them fester. Once it's out in the open, it's easier to talk about."

"The Lake Pavilion's scenery is truly unmatched, with a misty, almost magical atmosphere."

"Why not set up a screen to divide it, with the men's seats here for poetry, music, painting, and enjoying the plum blossoms?"

"What do you think?"

He had also taken a stack of silver notes from Sun Zhiye, so he had to make sure things went smoothly.

He couldn't let Sun Zhiye humble himself to make peace, only for the careless Madam Sun to cause more trouble and make things worse.

With Sun Zhiye here, Madam Sun should watch her tongue.

On one side was Sun Zhiye, full of potential, and on the other was Lu Mingchao, out of her depth. He wanted to play both sides.

Not to mention, Lu Mingchao had a talented brother.

This tangled web of relationships required his careful handling.

Having shared a bed for years, the magistrate's wife knew her husband well and smiled, "Of course."

Her favor towards Lu Mingchao didn't mean she had turned her back on Sun Zhiye.

She still had to consider her husband's feelings.

At her command, the maids and servants brought foldable screens to divide the Lake Pavilion, surrounded by water and serene scenery.

Before sitting down, Xie Yan gave Lu Mingchao a wink.

Lu Mingchao shook her head, signaling she hadn't lost out.

In a battle of wits, she wouldn't lose.

If it came to knives, as long as it wasn't against an expert, she could hold her own. She had everything from pots and pans to knives and axes.

Xie Yan relaxed, and the tension in his brow eased.

Seeing this, Lu Yao smiled, his voice barely audible, "You really trust Chaochao."

"Yes, I trust her," Xie Yan replied, unbothered by the teasing, his stern face softening.

It was strange, yet it felt right.

For some reason, Lu Yao suddenly remembered the first time he met Xie Yan.

Thinking back, it must have been a winter day two years ago.

It was a snowy day, with pristine white snow blanketing the rooftops and streets of Changxi Village.

Everyone in Changxi Village assumed Xie Yan had left his kids with Granny Qi while he went off into the mountains for days on end.

But in the dead of night, when everything was still except for the howling wind and the heavy snow, Xie Yan came back from outside the village.

With a flick of his hand, he broke the neck of the person tailing him. The hot red blood spilled onto the snow, freezing and turning black in an instant.

Expressionless, Xie Yan dragged the lifeless body into the vast mountains.

If not for his light-colored robes and the distance, with the wind muffling his breath, Xie Yan might have killed him on the spot.

The bright red blood, the endless white snow, and the cold, unyielding Xie Yan made for a scene that was both eerie and oddly harmonious.

Oddly enough, he felt no fear or terror in his heart.

As he stared at the grotesque scar on his right hand, remembered the struggle of relearning to write with his left, and saw the clueless look in Xiao Xin's eyes, a thrill stirred within him.

From that moment, he knew without a doubt that he wanted Lu Miao dead.

And from then on, he was certain that Xie Yan, who'd settled in Changxi Village, was hiding a big secret.

But he never expected Xie Yan would end up as his brother-in-law.

Xie Yan was a strange one, no doubt.

When he killed, he was cold, decisive, and ruthless—like human life meant nothing to him.

Yet, this same villain would lend a hand to the villagers of Changxi, saving people like Lu Miao and others.

As Lu Miao clung to Xie Yan, he watched coldly as the murderous glint in Xie Yan's eyes grew sharper.

But Lu Miao was a local, and her entanglement with Xie Yan had stirred up enough gossip that Xie Yan, weighed down by his secrets, couldn't act recklessly.

It seemed Lu Miao's marriage would lead to her quietly disappearing.

With Lu Miao's personality, it was either she'd drag Xie Yan to his grave, or he'd take her out first.

To everyone's surprise, Lu Miao wasn't even a Lu by blood. She broke off the engagement to find her real family, dodging disaster.

Honestly, he'd felt a pang of regret back then.

Later, when Chaochao came back, he quietly objected to the engagement, saying they weren't a good match.

But Chaochao, considering his feelings, also found Xie Yan's looks appealing.

When Xie Yan met Chaochao, his murderous intent vanished like dew in the sun. For a moment, he looked like a young general, full of life and energy.

So, after hashing it out with Xie Yan, he let it go.

"Was he your classmate?"