Zhao Chengle had grown up for the first time being hit by his mother.
Fifth Aunt Qin might have a strong personality, but she had never laid a hand on her son before, always settling matters with verbal education.
So these two slaps caught Zhao Chengle off guard. His eyes instantly reddened, and he stared blankly at his mother, saying, “Mom, you hit me.”
Fifth Aunt Qin was done looking at him. She wasn’t naive; now that she knew her son had long been aware of the truth, everything he had done before suddenly had a completely different explanation.
Even though her heart felt like it was tearing apart, she was determined to cut out the rot. She would no longer let the people who hurt her succeed.
“You three, pack your things within ten minutes and get out of the Qin Family estate. If I see any of you here after ten minutes, don’t blame me for having the bodyguards throw you out.”
“Mom!” Zhao Chengle was truly frightened. Was his mother planning to kick him out too?
“Ten minutes,” Fifth Aunt Qin said coldly. “I never go back on my word.” She then turned to Zhao Jianghe and added, “I’ll notify you tomorrow to come sign the documents. Come alone! I don’t want to see anyone else.”
Zhao Jianghe had nothing to say in response.
Lu Yunqing, sobbing, tried to say something, but Fifth Aunt Qin raised her hand and snapped, “If you say one more word to disgust me, I’ll keep hitting. Don’t make your exit any more humiliating than it has to be.”
With that, Fifth Aunt Qin turned and walked away.
Seeing his mother about to leave, Zhao Chengle rushed over, trying to grab her hand, but she dodged.
“Even if I made you unhappy, I’m your son. I didn’t make a huge mistake.”
Zhao Chengle knew his actions might upset his mother, but he never expected it to amount to being treated the same as the other two, being scolded and then exiled. He hadn’t thought it would come to this.
“Because you’re my son, your betrayal is even harder for me to forgive,” Fifth Aunt Qin said with an icy expression. “I’ve said it before, I don’t have a son like you. Do you think I’m talking in anger?”
What happened next stunned not just Zhao Chengle, but everyone else, including the people from the Qin Family and Zhao Jianghe’s entourage. No one had expected Fifth Aunt Qin to be so ruthless with Zhao Chengle.
Even Ji Fei, who had known all along what was going on, found Fifth Aunt Qin’s actions somewhat surprising. Zhao Chengle’s only apparent crime was withholding information.
But perhaps that’s what the Old Master meant: anyone with the family’s bloodline should protect their own. If someone didn’t, why keep them around?
The younger generation of the Qin Family didn’t try to dissuade Fifth Aunt Qin. In fact, they even helped block Zhao Chengle as he tried to approach her as she left.
Zhao Chengle was red-eyed with desperation. “Don’t block me. Do you all really hate seeing me happy? I need to talk to my mom and make her understand. She can’t say something like this in the heat of anger!”
Qin Xian replied coldly, “You made your choice.”
“From the moment you chose to stand against your mother and help the other woman, you no longer deserved to be her son,” Ji Fei added.
With that, everyone dispersed.
Qin Wenqiang and Qin Yi called the steward to explain the situation and asked him to supervise the three as they packed and left.
Having been with the family for a long time, the butler was furious upon hearing the details but was shocked to learn that Zhao Chengle was also being exiled. He worried that Fifth Aunt Qin might forever damage her relationship with her son in her anger.
Despite carrying out the orders, the butler decided to seek advice from the Old Master.
In the main house, where the family was supposed to be resting, the commotion had woken everyone up. Coming out to see what was happening, they approached the younger family members for an explanation.
Faced with the situation, the men were furious and wanted to beat the culprits.
The Old Master eventually came out to ask Fifth Aunt Qin about her decision. With clarity, she explained her thoughts.
Hearing that she no longer considered Zhao Chengle her son, some elders couldn’t resist offering some words of advice, given that she had only one son and he was still young and ignorant.
But the Old Master ultimately decided to let Fifth Aunt Qin handle the matter herself. After all, she was already forty, and her life should not be dictated by others.
In the end, no matter how Zhao Chengle cried and pleaded to see his mother, he was denied. Instead, the butler and the bodyguards escorted him, along with the other two, into a car.
Zhao Chengle resisted, so they tied him up, and even his luggage was thrown in, implying that there was no turning back.
The others watched the drama unfold, content in their roles as onlookers.
As the car was about to leave, Lu Yunqing, her face swollen, turned to Ji Fei, the closest one there, and said, “Can you please tell Yu that I’m sorry? We truly didn’t mean to hurt her.” Her eyes were filled with tears as she spoke.
“Enough,” Zhao Jianghe defended his lover. “She already beat you like this; that’s more than enough.”
Zhao Chengle continued to struggle, his desperate actions conveying the fear of being abandoned. Deep down, he knew that one wrong move had cost him the most important person in his life.
Ji Fei found Lu Yunqing’s last words distasteful but refrained from responding until the latter brought up “Yu.” That’s when Ji Fei couldn’t hold back anymore.
Smiling, Ji Fei commented, “I’m curious. Why were you so willing to compromise instead of trying to break up their family? Why settle for being the other woman?”
Her words sparked a discussion among the onlookers.
Eager to take advantage of the attention, Lu Yunqing excitedly replied, “Because I didn’t want to destroy their family. I wanted everyone to be happy! But I loved Zhao Jianghe too, so…”
“So, you wanted Aunt Qin to continue being the proverbial ‘old face’ holding everything together while you and Zhao Jianghe enjoy life in the spotlight,” Ji Fei cut in. “From what I hear, you couldn’t get married because you can’t have children. So, as long as you had a kind stepson like Zhao Chengle, that was enough for you. You built a good relationship with him, secure that his strict mother would keep him in line. Doing all the hard work, Aunt Qin took the blame, while you took the credit, reaping all the benefits without any effort. Enjoying the love between husband and wife that even Aunt Qin couldn’t have, all thanks to the sacrifices she made.”
Her words were like a thunderbolt, finally revealing the twisted logic behind Lu Yunqing’s actions.
Lu Yunqing, exposed beyond any excuses, realized how sinister her own intentions looked when spoken out loud. She hadn’t acted with malicious intent. She had merely filled the gaps that Yu couldn’t, ensuring a stable home for her lover. As for Zhao Chengle, every child needs a balance between strictness and leniency. If Yu played the strict role, it was only natural for her to be the kind one. How could she be vilified for trying to make things work?
Observing Lu Yunqing’s stunned expression, Ji Fei understood. Here was someone truly stupid and cruel—completely oblivious to her own evilness.
Though Ji Fei’s words also shocked Zhao Jianghe and his son, Zhao Jianghe quickly snapped back to rationalizing things under Lu Yunqing’s soft sobs.
Zhao Chengle, on the other hand, was struck dumb, seemingly realizing the weight of his actions for the first time.
“Well, at least Aunt Qin can rest now,” Ji Fei concluded. “No one will benefit from her hard work ever again.”
Qin Xian signaled, and the driver and bodyguards finally escorted the three out of the mansion.
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