Chapter 119 -

Chapter 119: Chapter

Yimei stepped out of the carriage and walked into the Northern Courtyard, the cold winter wind blowing against her cloak.

While the rest of the Bai Manor was in pure chaos with crying servants and panicking relatives, the Northern Courtyard was totally quiet.

She walked straight to Zhengyu’s room and pushed the wooden door open. A wave of warm air hit her face. Zhengyu was sitting near the window in his wheelchair, holding a book in one hand and taking a slow sip of hot tea. He didn’t look worried at all. In fact, he looked completely relaxed.

"You took your time coming back," Zhengyu said smoothly, not even looking up from his book.

Yimei untied her cloak, handed it to Qinqin, and motioned for her to wait outside. Once the door closed, Yimei walked over and sat right across from him.

"I had business to take care of," Yimei said, pouring herself some warm tea. "The whole market is talking about Grandmother’s order. Everyone thinks our family is completely ruined."

Zhengyu set his cup down with a soft sound and looked right at her, a sharp glint in his dark eyes. "Let them talk. Only fools waste time crying over lost money. Second Uncle and Madame Chen are probably running around right now trying to hide their silver."

"And what about you?" Yimei asked, leaning forward slightly. "You didn’t look surprised at all when Grandmother stripped everyone’s wealth. You actually looked like you were enjoying it."

Zhengyu’s lips pulled into a cold, sharp smirk. "Why should I be surprised? Grandmother knows this family has gone bad from greed. Taking away the money forces all the snakes out into the open. Besides..." He paused, his dark eyes locking onto her calm face. "...my First Young Madame doesn’t look worried either. You look like you already have a plan."

Yimei smirked right back at him. "I always have a plan. I don’t need the Bai family’s money to survive, Zhengyu. Going to the southeast isn’t a punishment for me, it’s a chance to make more."

Zhengyu let out a low, smooth laugh. "Good. Because in three days, when we get to that old mansion, the real war starts. My relatives think they can play dirty to win that 100,000 taels, but they have no idea what is coming for them."

Yimei raised her tea cup toward him. "Enough about the other family members. What about you? How exactly are you planning on coping without the family’s wealth, servants, and comfort? You won’t even be able to take Liu Feng with you since he is a servant belonging to the main estate, so you will have no one to rely on. And don’t even think about relying on me. I have enough things on my hands to busy myself with than to take care of a full-grown man."

[Host! Why on earth would you hit the nail on the head like that?!] Nine shouted in her mind, sounding completely stressed out. [Can’t you show a little bit of care or sympathy?!]

I am just telling him the truth, Yimei replied coldly in her head. He needs to know reality.

Zhengyu, however, did not give Yimei the angry or embarrassed reaction she expected. He didn’t yell or frown. Instead, he just looked at her with calm, unbothered eyes before turning his head to stare out the window at the falling snow.

"For three whole years, I took care of myself in this manor," Zhengyu said, his deep voice soft and steady. "I had no cooks, no personal servants, and no comfort. Only Liu Feng has been by my side all this time. Leaving him behind will be hard, but it is a small sacrifice I am completely ready to make for my revenge."

Hearing his words, Yimei went totally quiet. She stared at his side profile as he looked out into the cold courtyard. For a second, the harsh reality of his lonely past hit her, making the room feel heavy.

Yimei finished her tea in one quick gulp, set the empty cup down on the table with a soft clack, and stood up to leave.

"When we get to the southeast, we will go see Grandmaster Zhang and his family again," Yimei said, her tone softening just a little despite her best efforts. "Your legs need to be checked one more time. In no time, you will be able to walk on your own feet, and you won’t need anyone’s help, especially not Liu Feng’s."

Without waiting for his answer, she turned around and walked out of his room, leaving Zhengyu alone with a tiny, subtle smirk playing on his lips.

....

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the morning of their departure finally came.

Early in the morning, while Qinqin was busy packing a few clothes and essential bundles in her room, Yimei picked up her acupuncture box and walked across the cold courtyard to give Zhengyu his treatment.

As she arrived at his room, she saw Liu Feng kneeling on the freezing stone ground outside the wooden door. His head was bowed low, his body trembling slightly in the biting wind as he repeatedly begged in a raspy voice.

"Please let me come with you, Master... Please, let me follow you to the southeast..."

Yimei stopped in her tracks, looking down at the loyal guard. Liu Feng had been with Zhengyu through his darkest years, and the thought of leaving his master behind was clearly breaking his heart.

She set her needle box gently on one hand and stepped closer to him. "Get up, Liu Feng. If Old Madame Bai sees you like this, she will only punish you."

Liu Feng lifted his pale face, his eyes red and filled with desperation. "Young Madame... please persuade Master! I don’t care about wages or food, I just want to protect him!"

Before Yimei could say another word, the room door slid open. Zhengyu sat in his wheelchair right at the entrance, wearing a simple dark blue cloak over his robe. His face was cold and calm as he looked down at his kneeling servant.

"Rising or kneeling won’t change anything, Liu Feng," Zhengyu said softly, his deep voice cutting through the chilly morning air. "Old Madame’s orders are clear. No personal guards or servants from the main manor can leave with us. You stay here, keep your eyes open, and look after my affairs in the capital."

Liu Feng bit his lip tightly, squeezing his fists on the snow until his knuckles turned white.

"You won’t need to do that.. you will be able to follow your master."