After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 14 Gambler
Bai Wanqing lifted the carriage curtain and instructed one of the drivers to return to the alley and keep an eye on Meng Zhan before leaving with peace of mind.

As they walked back, the streets gradually filled up with people, and the shops on both sides became bustling.

“Ruixin, this road is difficult to travel, so let’s change our route and try to avoid people when we go to the Zhang family.”

Looking at the bustling crowd, Bai Wanqing felt that their carriage was too conspicuous, which is why she instructed Ruixin.

Because of her affair, Sister Furong lost her engagement, and she was really unwilling to accept it. So today, after visiting Meng Zhan, she planned to go find the second son of the Zhang family and explain Furong's situation to him.

"Miss, let's go through the back streets; there shouldn't be many people there."

"Ok!"

Bai Wanqing's carriage turned at the next street corner and entered a back street. There were some shops here, but they were all engaged in shady businesses. The streets were mostly crowded at night, and were relatively deserted during the day.

However, the streets here are narrower than the main street, so their carriages can't move very fast.

They sat in the carriage, and could occasionally hear the conversations of the pedestrians on both sides.

"Brother Zhang, I heard you broke off your engagement with that fool from the Bai family?" A male voice from the tavern came into the carriage. Bai Wanqing and Ruixin exchanged glances, and Ruixin immediately understood and slightly lifted the curtain to see the two people speaking.

It was the second young master of the Zhang family and a young master they didn't know.

They were drinking in a nearby tavern. "Stop the carriage!" Bai Wanqing ordered the carriage to stop beside the tavern. She hadn't expected to run into Young Master Zhang on the way, but she didn't intend to spoil his fun. So she took Ruixin and sat down at a table by the door, waiting for an opportunity to go up and explain things.

When Zhang Er Gongzi heard his colleague mention the idiot from the Bai family, he rolled his eyes and said, "It's over! It's finally over! If Father hadn't forced me to marry her, how could I have agreed to be engaged to an idiot?"

The young master opposite smiled and said, "Don't say that. Master Zhang was forced into this situation by you. You owe the gambling house so much money. If you don't go to the Bai family, who else can fill that hole for you?"

"Besides, if that girl from the Bai family isn't stupid, she definitely wouldn't be able to stay a day longer if she knew you owed so much money; she would go back to her parents' home immediately."

Young Master Zhang, however, didn't care. "No matter how rich you are, if you don't pay it back, you're just a fool. You don't know, every time I see her, she just smiles at me like an idiot. Although she's not bad looking, her eyes are really disgusting."

When Bai Wanqing heard Zhang Er Gongzi describe Bai Furong in this way, she couldn't help but clench her teacup tighter. How could Zhang Er Gongzi describe Bai Furong in such a completely different way?

"So what about the money you owe? You're not paying it back?" The young master opposite was curious about this matter. This second young master Zhang married Bai Furong in the hope of using her dowry to fill the hole. Now that he's not marrying her, there's no news of this kid making a fortune somewhere.

"Hehehe, now I'm rich! I don't need to marry that idiot to get money from the Bai family, so why should I marry her?" Young Master Zhang said smugly.

This left the young master on the other side completely bewildered.

"Brother Zhang, I don't understand what you're saying. What? Did the Bai family give you the money?"

Young Master Zhang made a shushing gesture, then whispered in the man's ear, "Do you think the Bai sisters are all stupid? It was that little idiot's third sister who came to me and said that as long as I break off my engagement with Bai Furong, she would give me three times the dowry."

"Three times! That gives me time to gamble for a while."

Why did she give you money?

"Why? Isn't it because she's afraid her reputation will be ruined by her eldest sister, and she's using the little fool's annulment of the engagement to try and get the eldest daughter of the Bai family to leave the Bai family?"

"Just because of this, you were given so much money?" The young master opposite him couldn't believe it.

"That's why I said the Bai family sisters are all fools!" Young Master Zhang laughed out loud when he thought about it.

"I didn't expect Master Zhang to agree so readily!"

"My father?"

“My father was afraid of offending the Meng family. Meng Zhan’s status now is no longer that of a poor scholar. Bai Wanqing is also a fool. Her husband just achieved fame and success, and she divorced him.”

"They were so shameless that they kicked the old lady of the Meng family and Lord Meng out of their home."

“My father would never dare to be related to such a family. If Lord Meng were to retaliate in the future, our Zhang family is too small to bear the consequences.”

The young man opposite them agreed repeatedly, and the two of them drank to their hearts' content. "Then I wish Brother Zhang can get rid of this marriage. There will surely be a better beautiful woman waiting for you in the future!"

Young Master Zhang was very pleased with these words. "Of course, let's go to the gambling den in a bit. I'm sure I'll have good luck today."

Bai Wanqing stood up and led Ruixin out of the restaurant.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly dignified young master is actually such a despicable person. Bai Qinglian's bad deed has now turned into a good thing, making Furong break off her engagement with such a family, which is just right. "Miss, should we... tell Miss Furong?"

"Let's not say anything yet! Find an opportunity to bring Furong here for a visit. Once she sees Zhang Er Gongzi's true colors, she might feel relieved," Bai Wanqing said.

"What about Miss Qinglian! She framed you like this, Miss!"

"Qinglian just wants me to leave the Bai family. I'll find an opportunity to talk to my father about it."

Bai Wanqing got back into the carriage and hurried back to the Bai family.

But as soon as they entered the Bai family's residence, they saw that the Bai family's servants were all in a chaotic mess.

When Uncle Liu saw that it was the young lady who had returned, he ran over.

Bai Wanqing asked, "Uncle Liu? Has something happened at home?"

Uncle Liu sighed, "Ah! It's the second young lady. Her maid went to her room early this morning and hasn't seen her since."

"We just had the servants search the entire house, but we couldn't find the Second Miss."

"I'm afraid she secretly slipped out of the house sometime ago."

Uncle Liu was a little anxious. "This second young lady is always accompanied by maids when she goes out. She has never gone out alone before. Now we don't know where she has gone. It's really worrying!"

Bai Wanqing frowned. Where could Furong go if she left the manor alone?

Without further ado, Bai Wanqing followed Uncle Liu out to look for Furong. They asked Furong's maid where Furong usually liked to go, and then they split up to search.

Bai Wanqing went out onto the street and went to the pastry shop and silk shop that Furong frequented.

I searched all the way but couldn't find any trace of Bai Furong.

Where else can we go?

"Miss, do you think the Second Miss has already gone back?" Ruixin rubbed her slightly frozen hands.

"No! If she had gone back, Uncle Liu would have sent someone to inform us. The fact that Uncle Liu hasn't sent anyone means that Furong hasn't gone back yet." Bai Wanqing looked at the crowd of people coming and going and had an idea in her mind.

"Let's go! We're going to the Zhang residence!"

"Miss, but Young Master Zhang isn't at the Zhang residence!" Didn't they just bump into each other at the tavern?
"Young Master Zhang is not here, and Furong may not know. In any case, let's go and check first, and then we'll talk about it."

When Bai Wanqing arrived at the Zhang residence, the gatekeeper did indeed see Miss Furong, but she heard that the Second Young Master Zhang was not there and had left not long ago!
Nobody knows where they went.

When the gatekeeper said this, his eyes were clearly darting away. Bai Wanqing walked up to him and pressed the knife against his chin.

Who would have thought that a wealthy merchant's daughter would do such a thing? It really surprised the Zhang family's gatekeeper.

"Tell me! Where did you take our Furong?"

Bai Wanqing's eyes were terrifyingly cold at this moment, as if she were about to kill someone at any moment.

The cold touch of the blade had already made the gatekeeper's legs go weak. "I'll talk! I... I told Miss Bai that our young master went to the back street, and she... she went in that direction."

After listening, Bai Wanqing put away the dagger, called Ruixin, and headed towards the back street.

The Zhang family gatekeeper behind him was still covered in cold sweat. "What kind of rich girl is this? No wonder she was divorced by the Meng family. Who would want such a vicious woman!"

These words landed squarely on the ears of the gray-robed man who had just come out of the alley selling medicine.

"Hmm? Her again?"

The man watched Bai Wanqing's hurried departure. "She's actually the Bai family's daughter?"

The man wanted to see what other mischief this woman was up to, so he followed her.

(End of this chapter)