Facing Yu Zixi's expectant look, the mockery in Wei Dongling's eyes was obvious. She picked up the teacup with her slender fingers, brought it to her lips, blew on it slowly, and then lowered her head to take a gentle sip.
Seeing that she remained silent, Yu Zixi's heart skipped a beat. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If you're willing, I'll take you away right now!"
Wei Dongling slapped the tea lid heavily on the table and said coldly, "Young Master Yu, there's no need for this! I'm unworthy!"
Yu Zixi looked at the woman in front of him in disbelief, his face deathly pale. For the first time, he felt that Wei Dongling's face was so cold and strange! It had only been a few days since they last met, yet she seemed like a different person. Yu Zixi called out to her tremulously, at a loss, "Dongling..."
Wei Dongling curled her lips into a faint smile. She took out a bracelet wrapped in red cloth from her lapel, placed it on the table, and unfolded it.
The bracelet had simple patterns. Yu Zixi recognized it at a glance. It was the meeting gift that Grandma Yu had given Wei Dongling when she first visited the Yu Mansion! Yu Zixi asked tremulously, "What are you doing?"
Wei Dongling said coldly, "Please return this to Grandma Yu for me. I don't have the good fortune to be her grandson's wife."
Yu Zixi's face turned deathly pale. Shivering, he asked, "Are you really going to be this heartless?"
Me, heartless?
Wei Dongling scoffed. "The world knows that I, Wei Dongling, love money like my life. If this jade bracelet were more valuable, I might have kept it. But it's worth so little! What's the use of keeping it with me?"
Hearing this, Yu Zixi's face turned ashen. He said tremulously, "You... How could you be like this..."
"Like what?" Wei Dongling raised her eyes to look at him, asking with a half - smile. "So snobbish and materialistic? I'm sorry, Young Master Yu. I, Wei Dongling, have always been like this! Before, because we had some feelings for each other, I reluctantly didn't despise this bracelet out of sentiment. But now that you've turned around and are going to marry someone else, what's the use of keeping this cheap bracelet with me? If I don't return it to you, am I supposed to enshrine it and offer incense to it?"
Yu Zixi was enraged by Wei Dongling's contemptuous attitude. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "I've said! My marriage with Miss Qi is just a deal! If you're not willing, I won't marry her!"
"If I'm not willing?" Wei Dongling laughed hysterically as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. Tears streamed down her face. Laughing through her tears, she said wildly, "Yu Zixi! I whole - heartedly approve of your marriage with Qi Jinxuan! You can rest assured and boldly marry your beautiful bride! From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine! We'll stay out of each other's way! There's no need for us to have any more contact in this lifetime!"
Yu Zixi could hardly believe his ears. His whole body trembled, and his eyes were bloodshot. Tremulously, he asked, "How could you say such heartless words? Were all the tender moments with me before fake..."
Tears streamed down Wei Dongling's face like broken beads. Without saying another word, she roared hoarsely, "Jingzhe! Cheng Hao! Come and show the guest out!"
Soon, two figures rushed in from outside the door. Jingzhe glanced at Wei Dongling on the bed, then at Yu Zixi standing stiffly in place. He reached out his hand towards the door and said, "Young Master Yu, please!"
Yu Zixi stared fixedly at Wei Dongling's frosty face. A sense of despair gradually welled up in his heart. His Dongling seemed to really not want him this time.
Wei Dongling whispered a few words to Cheng Hao. Cheng Hao picked up the bracelet on the table, wrapped it in the red cloth, and presented it to Yu Zixi with both hands. Bowing respectfully, he said, "Young Master Yu, please!"
A chill ran down Yu Zixi's spine. Two lines of tears slid down his cheeks involuntarily. He took one last look at Wei Dongling, who had turned her head away and refused to look at him. Then he grabbed the bracelet wrapped in red cloth and left dejectedly.
Wei Dongling slumped down listlessly and buried herself in the quilt without saying a word.
Jingzhe and Cheng Hao glanced at each other. Neither dared to step forward to disturb her. Cheng Hao picked up the ghost - face mask on the ground and quietly placed it on the table beside them. Then he and Jingzhe withdrew.
Cuihuan brought up a sumptuous meal. Wei Dongling picked up her chopsticks and mechanically stuffed the food into her mouth, but it tasted like wax.
At night, Wei Dongling hugged Cuihuan's waist and listened intently to her even breathing. She couldn't fall asleep all night.
It was not until dawn that she finally managed to doze off.
Strange voices roared and raged in her mind. Zhao Chuanyi, Li Mingyang, Qi Jinxuan, and Murong Yunqian's faces appeared in her mind. They quarreled and made a ruckus. They grabbed her throat tightly, making her unable to move.
Wei Dongling gritted her teeth and reached out to grab Murong Yunqian's neck. But then she heard the Emperor's voice nagging in her ear, "Yunqian is your younger imperial brother! You should be lenient when you can!" Wei Dongling's hand trembled and finally retracted.
But Murong Yunqian didn't care. He raised a knife and stabbed Wei Dongling hard in the chest.
Instantly, a sharp pain in her heart spread throughout her body. Wei Dongling covered her chest and gasped for breath. She knew that her heart palpitations had flared up again!
Vaguely, she felt someone pressing on her wrist to take her pulse. A familiar voice roared in surprise and anger, "How could you have ruined your body like this?"
Was it Ruan Niang?
Wei Dongling struggled to open her heavy eyelids. Ruan Niang's beautiful face came into view. Her nose twitched, and tears streamed down her face. She asked softly, "Why are you here, Ruan Niang? How is Grandpa Su?"
Ruan Niang gave Wei Dongling a disgruntled look and complained, "If I had come any later, you might not have survived!"
Wei Dongling looked at Ruan Niang as she was giving her an acupuncture treatment, feeling wronged. She couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here? Have Uncle Li and the others returned to the capital?"
Ruan Niang had no choice but to take her hand and tell her what had happened these days in detail.
After they parted ways with Wei Dongling at the border of Xiliang, Li Lang, Luo Xunlong, and Yu Haiming left the wedding procession and rushed back to the capital day and night without stopping. Everyone knew that Wei Dongling's heart - palpitating poison hadn't been cured, so they were worried about her. They left Ruan Niang alone at the border of the Celestial Dynasty. She waited for news of Wei Dongling while searching everywhere for precious medicinal herbs to treat heart palpitations.
It wasn't until Yu Zixi found out where Wei Dongling was and sent a letter to Ruan Niang in time that Ruan Niang rushed over in a hurry.
Seeing Wei Dongling looking so absent - minded, Ruan Niang sighed softly and said, "Yesterday, I received a message from a carrier pigeon saying that Brother Lang and the others searched all over Xingshan but didn't find any news about Old Su."
Wei Dongling was shocked and angry. That bastard Zhao Chuanyi had broken his promise and played a trick on them?
Ruan Niang added, "We also can't find any news about the Zhao family in the capital. Uncle Qin claimed that on the day Old Su disappeared, there was another person who disappeared with him."
Wei Dongling said hatefully, "Wasn't it that Lady Liu who was colluding with them from the inside? That scoundrel Zhao Chuanyi is really extremely cunning!"
Ruan Niang nodded and said, "Now your body has been tortured like this! It may take at least a year or two to recover! Let's go back to the capital first and then think of other ways!"