Chapter 287: Who Dares to Stop Her

Chapter 287: Who Dares to Stop Her

"Miss Qinwu, there was never any sincerity between us, and it all began with scheming. How do you expect me to view you?"

Lu Minghua slightly lowered his eyelids, his brows revealing an uncharacteristic depth and sharpness—carrying a striking youthful vigor and aggression.

A principled gentleman isn't dough, to be kneaded at will.

Qin Wanrou's face turned pale by degrees as she covered her eyes and choked out, "Qin Fuxi wants nothing to do with you either."

Lu Minghua raised an eyebrow. "Makes no difference to me."

"She has the right to choose whether to refuse or accept."

"Lu Gongzi, it was just one bad decision." Qin Wanrou’s weeping grew more desperate, trembling as she reached out to tug at Lu Minghua’s sleeve.

Lu Minghua avoided her, looking at Qin Wanrou with a faint, mocking smile.

Like storm-tossed duckweed, adrift and rootless—

Pathetic and fragile, enough to stir sympathy in anyone’s heart.

But he had deliberately investigated Qin Wanrou. Beneath this saintly face lay a heart just as calculating as Lu Minghui’s.

Truly, birds of a feather flock together.

Lu Minghui and Qin Wanrou were of the same kind.

"If it was just one bad decision, then why not repent and make amends?"

"Set things right and return everything to its proper path."

Qin Wanrou’s hand froze mid-air as she murmured in a broken voice, "But I’ve already given myself to you."

Lu Minghua continued, "Then come clean to everyone."

Qin Wanrou retreated again.

Lu Minghua laughed. "This wasn't some one-time mistake."

"Miss Qinwu, every move you've made has been wrong."

"So, wouldn’t it be better to keep up polite appearances? Must you dig to the root of things? Don't you get tired of this?"

"No need for Miss Qinwu to see me out. I know my way out of the Qin estate."

Qin Wanrou watched that slender figure grow ever more distant, humiliation and rage warring with stubbornness.

Her red lips trembled, and she called out, "Lu Minghua."

"If I can make Gu Huai give up pursuing your sister Mingchao, would you be willing to marry me as planned?"

"Treat me as an equal partner."

She dared not ask for her heart—just her respect.

Lu Minghua did not turn back. "Let's keep this clean between us."

"There's no need for Qinwu Guniang to concern herself with my sister's affairs."

"As long as Qinwu Guniang refrains from pulling underhanded tricks behind the scenes, all will be well."

Lu Minghua thought to himself—how foolish would he have to be to choose to collaborate with someone who was aligned with Lu Minghui?

Qin Wanrou could only watch helplessly as Lu Minghua walked away.

A moment later, a hunched old man silently appeared behind Qin Wanrou. "Fifth Young Miss, the master requests your presence."

Qin Wanrou's heart quivered. "The study?"

The old man replied, "The small parlor."

Qin Wanrou curled her lips into a soundless smile.

In her father’s eyes, she still wasn’t worthy of stepping into the study.

Not even for a reprimand.

...

The Yongning Marquis, who had been placed under house confinement for reflection, was met with yet another devastating piece of news.

His son had gone to Grand Tutor Qin’s residence without consultation and postponed the wedding date, which had been carefully selected by the Chief of the Imperial Astronomers.

"Ming Hua!"

The Yongning Marquis felt a stabbing pain in his chest.

Nothing was going right!

Nothing was going right!

Should he visit a temple to pray, or perhaps invite a reputed mystic to the residence for guidance?

"How could you take such liberties? How am I supposed to face Grand Tutor Qin now? What dignity do I have left?"

Grand Tutor Qin!

A man held in the Emperor’s highest esteem, second only to the sovereign himself, standing above all others.

The entire court scrambled to curry favor with him, yet Ming Hua rushed to offend him instead.

Lu Minghua lowered his head and spoke gently, "Father, you are currently under house confinement for reflection."

"For the time being, you won’t need to face Grand Tutor Qin."

*Yongning Marquis: Was he supposed to thank Ming Hua for his thoughtfulness?*

"Ming Hua, what I mean is—it’s not worth angering Grand Tutor Qin over a minor adjustment like postponing the wedding date."

Lu Minghua blinked slowly and asked earnestly, "Father, are you suggesting that I should take it a step further and call off the engagement altogether?"

"If Father permits, I have no objections."

The Yongning Marquis clutched his chest. "Do you mean to be the death of me?"

"Father," Lu Minghua said solemnly, "In my opinion, maintaining an appropriate distance from the Qin family might not be such a bad thing."

"At present, the emperor's favor and indulgence have brought the Qin family great prosperity. But given time, if turmoil arises, the Qin family will be His Majesty's most suitable scapegoat."

"Father, the Yongning Marquisate should seek stability rather than reckless ambition."

The Yongning Marquis frowned, deep in thought.

After a moment, he belatedly realized, "Such fine-sounding excuses."

"You keep preaching about keeping your distance from the Qin family, so why were you so determined to marry Qin Fuxi back then?"

"Naive!" the Yongning Marquis rebuked angrily.

"You're just deceiving yourself."

"Qin Fuxi's blood brother is the next head of the Qin family—how can such close ties be severed?"

"Once my house arrest is over, I will personally take you to apologize."

Lu Minghua said calmly, "Father, in two days, I will be returning to Baopu Academy."

"Before the Spring Examinations, I likely won't return."

The Yongning Marquis glared. "With a single order from me, you won't be able to leave the marquisate. No one here, including your mother, dares defy my word."

Lu Minghua remained calm. "Father, I have Zhaozhao."

"Zhaozhao still considers me her brother."

"Zhaozhao has received rewards from Empress and an invitation from Yongming Grand Princess to attend the flower-viewing event. Who in the marquisate dares stop her, and who could stop her?"

"Father must be regretting it now."

"Regretting how heartless you were back then, completely disregarding fifteen years of father-daughter affection, shattering Zhaozhao's heart."

"Father, if you had reached out to me and waited for my return before making decisions, things would never have escalated to this point."

The Yongning Marquis studied him intently. "Did Zhaozhao give you this courage?"

"Since the plum blossom banquet incident last winter, you've been listless, drifting through life in a haze, silent and wasting away."

"Now, with Zhaozhao back, still waters have become living waters."

A faint smile touched Lu Minghua's eyes. "Yes."

"Zhaozhao faced sudden upheaval yet stood tall like pine and bamboo, evergreen against the storm."

"As her elder brother, even if I can't match her, I shouldn't fall too far behind."

"Father, what's rightfully mine, I won't give up. If you wish to hand it to someone else, let them try to take it from me."

"I still need to prepare for my journey, so I won’t keep you company any longer."

The Yongning Marquis felt conflicted.

Was this a subtle dig at him?

Without his help, no bastard could ever take the marquisate's heirship, no matter how desperately they tried.

The Yongning Marquis sighed.

Along with the displeasure of being contradicted, an inexplicable thread of relief spread through him.

Was he just born a wretched person?

The moment this thought arose, the Yongning Marquis was completely thrown off balance.

...

The setting sun melted into gold, and twilight clouds fused like polished jade.

A luxurious carriage bearing the emblem of Yongming Grand Princess’s estate stopped outside the Yongning Marquis’s residence.

Lu Mingchao, resting her hand on her attendant’s arm, stepped down from the carriage using the footstool.

Amber followed behind, holding the reciprocal gifts from Yongming Grand Princess.

The servants watched this scene.

And soon reached every master’s ears.

Once again, the sound of shattering porcelain rang out repeatedly.

Lu Mingchao sighed softly—typical nobility, treating porcelain like it grew on trees.

Those who vented their anger by breaking things didn’t deserve delicate and precious valuables.

Might as well give them wooden junk—reusable, practical and thrifty—how noble.

"The worst of the worst rakehells."