Chapter 143

Chapter 143: Adopted Daughter "I'm terribly sorry, my hand slipped. You won't hold that against me, will you?" Cui Zeyu couldn't bring himself to call her "Mother," and there was no way he would ever address Madam Qin as such. Madam Qin had never liked Cui Zeyu to begin with, and now she was even angrier. "I think Shuyang was right—you're full of wicked schemes. Even little Weijie didn't make a mistake when offering tea. How could you knock over the teacup? You did that on purpose!" "You wrong me, Madam. Since I'm to become your and the Duke's child, why would I deliberately offend you?" Cui Zeyu wore an innocent expression. He was naturally handsome and refined, and even when putting on an act, people were more inclined to believe him. "The truth is, I'm just timid. This is my first time witnessing the grandeur of the Duke's mansion. You're a magnanimous person—surely you won't quibble with me over such a small matter?" Madam Qin clutched Nanny Liu's hand tightly. The Lu clan elders didn't think Cui Zeyu had any reason to offend Madam Qin either. In their eyes, Cui Zeyu was simply too provincial and unsophisticated to handle himself properly, and had genuinely knocked over the teacup. "Let it go, sister-in-law. Today is the auspicious day of your mother-son reunion—don't make an issue of it." Someone spoke up, and others immediately chimed in, "Yes, sister-in-law, let it go. I don't think Zeyu did it on purpose. Today should be a day of joy." Madam Qin was about to faint from rage. She was certain Cui Zeyu had done it deliberately. Unfortunately, those Lu clan elders were blind in both eyes and heart, unable to see that Cui Zeyu had done it on purpose. If not for Qin Shuyang's outburst earlier, which had soured the Lu elders' impression of the Qin family, she would have made a scene right now. Seeing the mockery in Cui Zeyu's eyes, Madam Qin stormed out of the room. Her lack of composure irritated the elders as well. Moreover, this adoption had come about precisely because of Madam Qin's jealousy. Now that they had to endure her foul mood, they turned away one by one to exchange pleasantries with Cui Zeyu and the Duke of Dingguo. Regardless, now that the Duke of Dingguo had finalized the adoption today, Cui Zeyu and Lu Weijie were members of the Duke of Dingguo's household. They needed to curry favor with them—the Lu family depended entirely on the Duke of Dingguo's mansion for support. The Duke of Dingguo's mansion held a family banquet that day, and Cui Zeyu was plied with plenty of wine. He did get quite drunk. When he woke up the next morning, he saw the Duke of Dingguo sitting at the edge of his bed. Startled, he sat up immediately. "You... what are you doing?" "I was too excited last night. This is something I'd dreamed about for so long, and now that it's finally come to pass, I'm truly overjoyed." The Duke of Dingguo couldn't help but laugh as he spoke. "My son, you've finally been restored to your rightful place in the family." With his name recorded in the family genealogy, it was now an indisputable fact. "You don't need to worry about Weijie. He's still so young—he can't compete with you for anything. In the future, the entire Duke of Dingguo's mansion will be yours. And you don't need to worry about Madam Qin either; she's getting old and can't manage that much." Then, the Duke of Dingguo felt particularly grateful to Cui Lingrong. "Speaking of which, the reason you survived is thanks to Marchioness Song. Now that your status is settled, shouldn't we pay a visit to thank her?" Cui Zeyu said that indeed they should. "Good, then I'll have someone prepare congratulatory gifts." The Duke of Dingguo was in exceptionally high spirits. That afternoon, he brought gifts to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. However, he hadn't forgotten how Song Shulan had instigated Qin Shuyang to cause trouble. So when Song Shulan came out to receive them, the Duke didn't even crack a smile and immediately sneered, "Has the Marquis been eating too much salt at home?" Song Shulan was baffled. "When did my family's affairs become any of your business?" The Duke of Dingguo snorted coldly, raising a hand to signal Song Shulan not to explain. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Qin Shuyang admitted it with his own mouth. I've noted this debt. Today I'm here to thank your wife, not to argue with you. I'll settle accounts with you another day!" Song Shulan's head was spinning. He hadn't expected Qin Shuyang to sell him out! That idiot! Seeing the Duke of Dingguo's sour expression, Song Shulan was filled with regret. He tried to force a smile and speak with Cui Zeyu, but Cui Zeyu ignored him too. It wasn't until Cui Lingrong arrived that Cui Zeyu's face immediately broke into a smile, and the Duke of Dingguo also came over beaming. "Zeyu told me everything—if it weren't for you, he would have starved to death by the roadside long ago." The Duke of Dingguo thanked Cui Lingrong sincerely. "You are his second mother. That he could be restored to his family is all thanks to you!" The more the Duke of Dingguo spoke, the more emotional he became. He had his servants bring forward all the prepared gifts. There were fine ginseng and deer antler, as well as genuine gold and silver. The Duke of Dingguo's mansion was wealthy, so his thank-you gifts were all substantial, high-quality items—even Song Shulan was dazzled by the display. Cui Lingrong felt a bit embarrassed to accept them. "I didn't really do much. Even if it had been anyone else, I would have saved them just the same." "It's precisely your kindness that is so rare and precious." The more the Duke of Dingguo looked at Cui Lingrong, the more satisfied he became. Cui Zeyu added, "That's right, sister. These are my father's sincere feelings. Please accept them." Hearing his son call Cui Lingrong "sister," the Duke of Dingguo suddenly had an idea. "These things are all worldly goods. Your kindness to Zeyu is as vast as the heavens. How about this—I'll adopt you as my daughter. From now on, I'll be your adoptive father, and you and Zeyu can be siblings. What do you think?" Being recognized as kin by the Duke of Dingguo would elevate Cui Lingrong's status considerably. Cui Lingrong said that no matter what, she would always be Cui Zeyu's sister. "That's different. If you and I acknowledge each other as family, then we'd be true relatives. From now on, the Lu family would be your natal home too—isn't that wonderful?" The Duke of Dingguo genuinely thought this proposal was a good one, and turned to look at his son. "Zeyu, what do you think?" But Cui Zeyu couldn't bring himself to smile. He had never wanted to be siblings with his sister. If his father were to adopt her as a righteous daughter, wouldn't his secret feelings become even more shameful?