Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

The words "Amei" struck Wei Ziye's heart like a heavy blow.

In that instant, he recalled the rainy night when he first met Shen Mingshu.

At that time, he returned from the training ground and immediately saw a maid kneeling in the main hall, wiping the floor.

As I approached, she looked up, her face covered in rain and her body in mud, but her eyes shone with an alarming brightness.

"Ming Shu greets her cousin."

Wei Ziye's forehead slammed into the ground, startling him so much that he took a step back and frowned: "Who's your cousin?!"

At that time, Zhang Yu also casually remarked, "If you become the top scholar in the imperial examination, this will be your younger sister."

Now, three years later, the top scorer has been determined, and the title has been settled—it's simply laughable!

"Mother! How can her current reputation tarnish yours! I disagree!"

Zhang Yu stopped indulging him: "I'm a member of the Zhang family now, why should I need your permission!"

Zhang Yu sneered, "Men! Pack your things and let's go!"

"yes!"

Seeing Zhang Yu help Shen Mingshu out of bed, Wei Ziye blocked Zhang Yu's way, saying irrationally, "Mother! Her staying in the Wei residence is a secret order from the Emperor! Do you want to defy the imperial decree?!"

Zhang Yu replied, "Since it's a secret order, if you don't speak up, who can complain?"

As she spoke, an old woman brought over servants' clothes and dressed Shen Mingshu in them.

Wei Ziye was furious: "Where do you place me?!"

Zhang Yu looked at him and sighed heavily: "Ah Ye, no matter what happens between your father and me, the Zhang family will never be closed to you. You can come anytime."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingshu lowered her eyes, trying her best to minimize her presence.

This was the best she could do.

From now on, we can only wait and see what the Lu family's attitude will be.

With Lu Yanzhi around, as long as she can maintain her distance from Wei Yuan, it will be easy for the Lu family to retain an official position.

"Mother."

Wei Ziye stared intently at Shen Mingshu's feigned obedience, belatedly realizing that what was happening now might not be so simple.

"I need to talk to her."

"!!!"

Shen Mingshu instinctively shrank behind Zhang Yu, her face full of resistance: "Auntie, Auntie, it hurts, cough cough—"

Despite the pain, Shen Mingshu managed to say with difficulty, "Later, cough cough cough—we'll talk about it another time..."

"Business."

He looked up and saw that Zhang Yu's eyes were as dark as a deep winter pool, devoid of tears, anger, or sorrow, only a thin layer of loneliness remained.

"Please, Mother, don't make things difficult for your child anymore."

"..."

No mother is without feeling guilty towards her divorced child, even though she was also heartbroken by Wei Ziye's attitude.

Zhang Yu's eyes reddened, and she turned her head away: "A quarter of an hour."

Shen Mingshu's heart tightened, but looking at Zhang Yu's departing figure, she was helpless and could only suppress her fear and keep her distance from Wei Ziye.

Wei Ziye looked at her fear, his expression a mix of mockery and self-mockery.

"Is this your revenge?"

"..."

Wei Ziye's shoulder line was taut and sharp as cold jade. His figure showed no sign of losing his composure, but he appeared colder and more aloof than ever before.

Shen Mingshu swallowed, feeling the pain, and remained silent.

Wei Ziye stepped closer, and Shen Mingshu retreated step by step: "You're vindictive, you're scheming, you're ruthless—"

Shen Mingshu bumped into the windowsill, surrounded by Wei Ziye in his arms: "So you're retaliating against me even more?"

"..."

"Speak!" Wei Ziye growled, pinching Shen Mingshu's face.

Beneath that pale, clean face, the bluish-purple bruises on his neck looked particularly horrifying.

Even though she was so afraid, there was still a hint of stubbornness in Shen Mingshu's eyes.

Weak, yet capable of stirring up towering waves!

"Shen Mingshu, you really are amazing."

Wei Ziye's eyes were filled with a dangerous glint of murderous intent. He gently picked up Shen Mingshu's twisted finger and slowly rubbed it.

"It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet."

"..."

Shen Mingshu withdrew her hand, her eyes no less cold than Wei Ziye's.

"Wei Ziye, if I were you, I wouldn't always be so stubborn and invite hatred upon myself, yet I can't do it."

She pushed him away violently, her hoarse and dry voice revealing extreme vulnerability, yet also full of provocation.

"I'm waiting for you. One day, you'll kill me."

"..."

Their eyes met, and the room fell silent. Even the surrounding objects seemed frozen by the surging hostility between them.

There was no trace of the warmth they once shared between them.

Beneath their deep gazes simmered resentment and hatred; neither was willing to look away first, to show weakness, or to shy away from the intense hatred in each other's eyes.

That one glance seemed to erase all past love and affection, leaving only deep-seated hatred standing between them, with no room for reconciliation.

……

Back then, the Zhang family was not powerful, and Zhang Yu's dowry was not much.

But the Wei family hadn't seen such a scene in a long time. As boxes of things were being moved out, everyone fell silent.

They lowered their heads and worked silently, not daring to make a sound.

Wei Ziye stood under the corridor, watching Zhang Yu walk towards the gate with her usual graceful and dignified demeanor, head held high, seemingly deliberately, yet also reluctantly, always maintaining the proper dignity.

She had many maids and servants around her, all of whom belonged to her.

Among them, Shen Mingshu stood out in the crowd with her tall and slender figure, delicate limbs, and thin shoulders and back.

She lowered her head, and the loose fabric of her robe accentuated her tall and slender figure.

She possessed a refined and aloof character, and although her face was clearly expressionless, one could still discern the urgency and forbearance beneath it.

As Wei Yuan watched her walk out of the Wei residence step by step without stopping or looking back, the chill in his heart grew inch by inch.

No one expected that Shen Mingshu's initial intention in bringing him into this situation was to betray him.

No one in the world knows better than Shen Mingshu about his hatred for Zhang Yu, yet even so, she still shows no affection whatsoever.

She turned around and became the adopted daughter of his enemy.

Good, that's really great!

Wei Yuan's eyes gradually turned cold and sinister, his fingers clenched tightly, turning bluish-white.

Even so, he still harbored a sliver of hope in his heart.

He hoped Shen Mingshu would turn around and look back, even if it was just for half a moment longer, he was willing to trust her again and give her the bone whistle again...

Or perhaps, after extreme disappointment, this insignificant hope came true.

As she boarded the carriage, Shen Mingshu glanced at him slightly as she waited.

That one glance instantly shattered the coldness on Wei Yuan's face, and he unconsciously moved a step closer to her.

But then the guards appeared and returned the bone whistle that Shen Mingshu had left behind to him.

"..."

Upon seeing the remaining bone whistle, Wei Yuan's eyes trembled violently, and his heart suddenly felt empty, as if a piece of flesh had been ripped out, a dull pain spreading through his limbs and bones.

She knew...

Seeing that the bone whistle had been safely returned, Shen Mingshu's lingering hope completely vanished.

At this moment, she couldn't tell whether she was disappointed or sad. Wei Yuan had treated her extremely well, and even if she broke her bone whistle, it was a perfectly justified way for her to vent her anger.

She betrayed him without explaining her intentions, so she was already in the wrong.

Perhaps it was because Wei Yuan's favoritism and deep affection were too intense and overwhelming that Shen Mingshu had the illusion that he would understand and tolerate her.

But everyone has a human heart, and everyone will experience disappointment. Wei Yuan was disappointed by her selfishness.

But he wanted too much—fame, fortune, even marriage and the future—and he clearly got it all this time.

Yet he still refused to give Shen Mingshu a way out.

Shen Mingshu was also disappointed by his probing, and her neck was still aching slightly.

If Bone Whistle can't protect her properly, she might as well not have it.

Shen Mingshu no longer lingered, withdrew her gaze, and completely severed all feelings from this place.

From now on, we will each go our own way.