"I won't agree! Anyway, they can't dictate my actions. I'm Bai Shaoqing now, not Ji Shisu."
"What about the Ji family then?"
"Come on, my dear Ning'er. Don't worry about the Ji family. From now on, you won't be the second young mistress of the Ji family. I've said that I'll be with you for life, and I'll keep my word! In the future, you just need to be a noble lady with no big mansion to deal with and no socializing. Just be yourself happily."
At this point, Ji Shisu just remembered that he was still atoning for his sins, and it seemed that he had arranged things for Ning'er again without her consent.
He was like a puppy, with big, pleading eyes, squatting pitifully at Zhao Luoning's feet.
"Ning'er, I have no military merits, no title, and the Ji family doesn't want me anymore. I'm homeless. Can you take me in?"
Homeless? Zhao Luoning rolled her eyes.
This guy really knew how to tell tall tales.
"Send the jade bracelet back to the Ji family first."
"I have. I've already sent Yu Chi to handle it."
Zhao Luoning: "... It's at least a family - heirloom jade bracelet. Can you be a bit more serious?"
"That's the heirloom jade bracelet of the Ji mansion. I'm Bai Shaoqing now. What does it have to do with me?"
Zhao Luoning always thought that Ji Shisu's talk about leaving the Ji family was just sweet talk to please her.
Now she gradually realized something was wrong.
"Was what you just said true?"
He was the head of the Ji family. If he left with her, who would manage the huge Ji family business?
"I've said before that I won't tell you a single lie. Since I've said it, I'll surely do it."
By now, his choice had exceeded her expectations.
She thought he would at least consider his family. In fact, she had already prepared herself mentally before she spoke her mind.
If he was really in a difficult situation, she was capable of raising the child on her own.
But she didn't expect that he would choose to be alienated from everyone.
He chose the most unwise path.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll never forgive you and make you lose everything?"
Hearing that Zhao Luoning might never forgive him, Ji Shisu felt a bit dejected.
"It's not your fault. I've made too many mistakes. I need a lifetime to make up for them."
Zhao Luoning finally fell silent.
Just like when she made her decision back then, it was heart - wrenching and seemingly irrational. But if she wasn't certain about her feelings, she wouldn't have made such a difficult decision.
Ji Shisu's decision seemed hasty, but who knew that he hadn't thought it through and made up his mind?
He gave her full freedom to do what she wanted, so she should respect his choice.
Moreover, Ji Shisu was a stubborn person. Once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it easily.
Thinking this through, Zhao Luoning finally felt a bit more at ease.
Zhao Luoning tidied up her makeup and stepped out.
Ji Shisu followed closely behind her.
Zhao Luoning deliberately stopped, expecting him to catch up. But unexpectedly, Ji Shisu also stopped and followed her obediently from behind.
Zhao Luoning sighed and took a step back to walk shoulder - to - shoulder with him.
Then she reached out and took his arm.
Ji Shisu was stunned.
Zhao Luoning looked at him and said, "What? You can keep your promise, but I can't?"
Ji Shisu was a bit slow to react. Zhao Luoning tugged at him.
"Let's go. The guests are waiting for us."
The two walked hand in hand into the hall.
Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, envied by others.
Especially Mrs. Jiang and Zhao Luoyue, who were still outside the door, waiting for a seat at the feast.
Mrs. Jiang had met Zhao Luoning a few times before, but that was when Zhao Luoning was the second young mistress of the Ji family, wearing heavy makeup.
Now, with her plain face after removing the heavy makeup, Mrs. Jiang couldn't help but marvel.
"Ji Shisu is really lucky. His new wife is so beautiful."
Zhao Luoyue pouted discontentedly. "There's no new wife."
"Isn't this Lady Jun Zhifou the new wife of the second young master of the Ji family?"
"This is my eldest sister, Zhao Luoning. She's the same one as before." Zhao Luoyue suddenly had an idea. Her eyes rolled and she said, "Madam, you may not know this. My eldest sister faked her death back then."
"Faked her death?!"
"Yes. When something happened to the Ji family, she was afraid of death, so she came up with this trick to get away with it."
"Then... She was already named a noble lady. Why did she change her name?"
"She was afraid of being found out by the emperor. You have to say that the second young master of the Ji family is really bold, pulling a switch - a - bait right under the emperor's nose."
Mrs. Jiang's eyes lit up when she heard this news.
Zhao Luoyue knew exactly what Mrs. Jiang was thinking. She deliberately leaked this news to her, hoping that she would expose it.
She was just a nobody now, and few people would believe her words. Moreover, Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning had great power. She might be found out before she could even say anything.
Zhao Luoyue had to resort to the old trick of using others to do her dirty work, just like her mother used to do.
Mrs. Jiang had a wide network. As long as she said a few words, the whole Huangcheng would know about it.
It would be best if it reached the emperor's ears and he would severely punish Zhao Luoning!
Since she was unhappy, she wanted everyone to be unhappy.
But Zhao Luoyue didn't expect that Mrs. Jiang also had her own agenda.
After the feast at the Ye mansion was over, Mrs. Jiang came to pay a visit.
But she was stopped by the doorman.
"Who are you?"
After the feast, Ji Shisu had moved in openly on the pretext of protecting the noble lady, and all the doormen had been replaced by his people.
Ji Shisu's people had never seen Mrs. Jiang before, so she was stopped before she could even step in.
Mrs. Jiang forced a smile and said, "I'm a friend of your master. I'd like to talk to him about something."
Since Zhao Luoning was publicly announced as a noble lady, there had been a continuous stream of people coming to see her. Since Zhao Luoning was pregnant and needed rest, she had to refuse them all.
When people found this way didn't work, they turned their attention to Zhao Luochun, the second master of the Ye mansion, and came under the pretext of seeing Luochun. After many such attempts, the doormen had become vigilant.
The doorman sized Mrs. Jiang up and down and said, "Do you have an invitation if you want to see the master?"
Mrs. Jiang rubbed her hands awkwardly and said, "No. Could you please go in and announce me? Just say that someone from the Jiang family in the east city is here to talk to him. The master will surely see me."
The doorman pointed to the corner beside the door and said, "Wait here."
The corner was full of people. Zhao Luoning didn't mean to neglect them. She had arranged tea and seats in case they got impatient, but there were too many people, and there weren't enough seats.
As soon as Mrs. Jiang walked over, someone recognized her.