WBSGVS Chapter 50 V2

She didn’t go out for lunch, and after a meal and a nap, she woke up and began practicing her martial arts stances and moves. By the evening, she had Panshun prepare hot water for a bath, and slowly began tidying up some of her previous belongings.

Afterward, she picked up a book and settled in to wait for Cheng Zhaoyang.

Sure enough, after returning home from work, Cheng Zhaoyang pushed the door open forcefully, almost the same way he had the day before. In a deep voice, he said, “Qingli, my mother is sick. Why haven’t you gone to see her?”

Qingli put down her book, her eyes already reddening with grievance as she said, “I’m sick too. Why haven’t you asked about me at all since last night?”

Cheng Zhaoyang’s demeanor immediately softened. “You’re sick too?”

Qingli rubbed her temples, her voice weak. “Yes, I’m sick. I fell into the water yesterday while saving Yue’er. You know how cold it is right now. The water was freezing, and I’ve caught a cold.”

Cheng Zhaoyang’s expression turned awkward.

But Qingli continued, “Cheng Zhaoyang, am I really important to you? From yesterday until now, you haven’t said a single word of concern for me.”

Cheng Zhaoyang’s face grew tense, afraid she would bring up the bandit incident again like yesterday. He quickly said, “Of course you’re important! I’ve just been worried and overwhelmed.”

Qingli tentatively asked, “Since I’m so important to you if I tell you that I was rescued from the water by the son of the Li family, will you be angry?”

“What?!” Cheng Zhaoyang was both shocked and furious. “You were saved by the son of the Li family?!”

Qingli immediately pressed a handkerchief to her face and cried, “I knew it, Cheng Zhaoyang! To you, I’m not important at all. The first thing you care about when you hear I fell into the water is my reputation. Do you like me, Cheng Zhaoyang?”

At that moment, Cheng Zhaoyang was past caring about anything else; he focused solely on one question: “Did he save you?”

Qingli glared at him. “Yes! What are you going to do about it?”

Cheng Zhaoyang was almost livid, feeling as if he had been cheated. Seeing her boldness only made his face turn green with anger. He raised his hand as if to strike her, asking, “What do you mean, what am I going to do?!”

Qingli became even more heartbroken, choking on her tears as she shouted, “Go ahead, hit me! If you do, I’ll lose my reputation! If you’re unhappy, let’s get a divorce! After all, you don’t like me. You don’t care about me at all. You keep talking about how you’re sacrificing your future and your leg for me—who knows if that’s even true?!”

Her words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Cheng Zhaoyang’s head, cooling him down as he forced a smile and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? In this situation, you think I shouldn’t be angry?”

Qingli replied defensively, “But I’m more important than your life! How can you get angry over something so trivial? Besides, if it weren’t for saving your sister, would I have fallen into the water? Now you’re blaming me? You’re angry with me?”

Cheng Zhaoyang felt exceptionally frustrated, gritting his teeth as he spat out a few words: “I’m a man, your husband. Now you’ve been rescued from the water by another man, and I can’t be angry?”

“You shouldn’t be!” Qingli retorted emphatically. “Besides, you should be grateful to him. If it weren’t for him, I’d be dead!”

“Impossible!” Cheng Zhaoyang gritted his teeth, fists clenched. The fact that he hadn’t struck her was already a testament to how restrained he was.

Disappointed, Qingli looked at him, then turned and picked up a small bag she had already packed. With a cold expression, she said, “If that’s the case, let’s get a divorce.”

“Not allowed!” Cheng Zhaoyang instinctively objected, wanting to reach out and grab her. He warned darkly, “Luo Qingli, stop right there…”

“Ah—” Qingli screamed in fright, shaking off his hand and running outside in a panic, shouting, “Cheng Zhaoyang hit me! Boohoo… I’m so scared! Cheng Zhaoyang hit me!”

Cheng Zhaoyang: “!!!”

Watching Qingli flee in a hurry, he took a deep breath and quickly chased after her. However, because of his limp, he couldn’t run fast. Frustrated, he stomped his foot. Noticing that the neighbors had gathered to watch the commotion, his face darkened like charcoal as he quickly returned and said to Cheng Zhaohua, “What are you still watching for? Go after her!”

“Oh, oh!” Cheng Zhaohua rushed out.

But by that time, it was already too late.

Qingli had completely vanished.

Seeing that Cheng Zhaohua returned without having found anyone, Cheng Zhaoyang felt darkness descend before his eyes, and his heart filled with anger, shock, and hatred. He was so furious that he felt like he might explode and angrily shouted, “Luo Qingli!”

Cheng Zhaohua was unaware of the details and was still dazed by what had just happened. Seeing his older brother so angry, he couldn’t help but ask softly, “Brother, what happened to sister-in-law?”

Cheng Zhaoyang forced a twisted smile, his tone dark as he replied, “Nothing.”

He wiped his face, his fury rising. He didn’t want to go find Luo Qingli after all that had happened. In this town, the only place she could go was the Luo family. Cheng Zhaoyang wasn’t worried about her disappearing.

Of course, it might even be better if she disappeared. Without Luo Qingli, the Luo family would feel more guilt and would have to pay up.

Although he had somewhat liked Luo Qingli before, now that he knew she had been pulled out of the water by another man, just thinking about it made him feel disgusted. Who knew if that man had taken advantage of the situation?

In the room, Madam Xiong and Cheng Yue’er, pretending to be ill, were about to laugh, saying, “Your brother has finally gotten back in control! If he hits her a few more times, she’ll listen.”

But after waiting and waiting, when the expected developments didn’t come, their expressions turned anxious.

Cheng Yue’er peeked outside and saw that no one was in the courtyard. She hurried back, saying, “Mother, Luo Qingli won’t go back to her family, will she?”

Madam Xiong’s expression darkened. “She’s become too bold! Don’t worry; she won’t dare go far!”

Cheng Yue’er’s face turned bitter; she still felt somewhat guilty. The Cheng family still relied on the Luo family, and it would be bad if Luo Qingli went back home to complain. She said, “But the courtyard is empty, Mother. She won’t go home, will she?”

Madam Xiong’s expression grew even darker, but she stubbornly insisted, “If she goes, then let her go. Just wait and see! The Luo family values their reputation. Once a daughter is married off, how many days can they shelter her?”

Cheng Yue’er considered this and, seeing her mother’s determination, felt her worries lessen. She nodded eagerly, “You’re right, Mother. In the end, she’ll have to come back in disgrace! I’ll just shut the door and let her bully me!”

The two of them exchanged glances, both feeling quite pleased.

The members of the Cheng family shared this mindset, so they all chose to ignore the situation, believing Luo Qingli would return.

Little did they know, the next day, there was still no news.

Cheng Zhaohua returned to the academy, leaving only Cheng Zhaoyang at home. He didn’t dare to face the situation, and Madam Xiong and her daughter didn’t want him to go either, so they waited another day.

On the third day, they finally heard a knock at the door. Madam Xiong eagerly went to open it, ready to speak sarcastically. However, when she opened the door, she found it was a man from the local yamen. “Who is Panshun? Your master has sold you to us. Come with us.”

The Cheng family members, who were busy instructing Panshun on her work, were left stunned: “?!?”