Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Biological Son A sudden downpour began, and Nanny Liu glanced at the rain, estimating it wouldn't stop all night. She advised, "Madam, perhaps we should let San-ge'er go back. It's raining so heavily, and if he kneels in the courtyard and falls ill, wouldn't that delay his schooling?" "What difference does it make whether he goes to school or not?" Madam Qin's anger today wasn't directed at Lu Weijie. "That bitch Lady Cui kept pressing me with questions, and I couldn't even get a word in edgewise. And you—why didn't you help me say something?" "If this old servant had spoken up, others would say the Duke of Dingguo's estate has no rules. Marchioness Song insisted on sticking up for that bastard today—let her have her moment of triumph. Isn't there still County Princess Rongjia? She hates Marchioness Song even more than we do." Nanny Liu reminded her. Only then did Madam Qin think of County Princess Rongjia. She was about to speak when the Duke of Dingguo arrived. Upon learning that Lu Weijie had been punished to kneel, the Duke of Dingguo couldn't bear to watch and told Lu Weijie to rise, but without Madam Qin's permission, Lu Weijie dared not get up. "I am the master of the Duke of Dingguo's estate. Are you not going to listen to my words as well?" The Duke of Dingguo frowned as he looked over. Lu Weijie's lips had turned white—if he kept kneeling, he would truly fall ill. Though Lu Weijie wasn't the one he had chosen, he was already on the family registry, and was nominally his son. Lu Weijie trembled as he raised his head, hesitating, when he heard the Duchess of Dingguo's voice cutting through the rain. Startled, he quickly lowered his head again. "Without my order, he wouldn't dare get up." Madam Qin walked to the edge of the eaves, looking at the figure in the rain with a cold laugh. "Lu Zhong, what are you playing the good Samaritan for here? You've been hoping all along for that bastard to rise, wishing San-ge'er dead. Why bother with this hypocritical show of concern?" "Madam Qin, I'm not as vicious as you!" As the Duke of Dingguo spoke, the others in the courtyard had already been dismissed. "You insisted on bringing Jie-ge'er into the ducal estate, yet you don't treat him sincerely. What exactly do you mean by this?" "How am I not sincere? If he were capable enough, would I punish him?" Hearing the Duke of Dingguo defend Lu Weijie only made Madam Qin angrier. "The one I chose is none of your business. Go somewhere cool and stay there!" But the Duke of Dingguo paid no heed to Madam Qin's words. The two had long since grown weary of each other. Without another word, he hoisted Lu Weijie onto his shoulder and carried him away. "Lu Zhong, you stop right there!" Madam Qin rushed out, only to be driven back under the eaves by the heavy rain. She hurriedly told Nanny Liu to fetch an umbrella. "Put him down! He's the son I chose—it's not your place to interfere!" The Duke of Dingguo wouldn't listen. Without even turning his head, he carried Lu Weijie back with him. Both of them were soaked through. The Duke of Dingguo ordered someone to prepare warming medicine for Lu Weijie and personally brought him dry clothes. Seeing Lu Weijie's knees red and swollen, he frowned. "She told you to kneel, so you knelt?" "She... she is my mother." Lu Weijie said in a small voice. "Mother?" The Duke of Dingguo snorted coldly. "Does she treat you like a son? Would your former mother have treated you this way?" Lu Weijie lowered his head and remained silent. No. His mother had also hoped he would amount to something, but she would never beat or scold him at the slightest provocation. But he was afraid that if he didn't obey, the Duchess would cast him out, and then there would be no money for his biological mother's medical treatment. Lu Weijie came from a minor branch of the Lu family—an utterly inconspicuous one. His biological father was slightly better off, having earned the xiucai degree. With that, he could barely support the family. But his biological mother was frail and needed expensive medicine year-round. If he was obedient, the Duchess would give him money for his mother's medicine. "She treats you as nothing but a tool. But you're still a child. Since you've been adopted into the Duke of Dingguo's estate, you're not only Madam Qin's son—you're my son too. If anything happens, you can come to me. Understood?" The Duke of Dingguo looked at Lu Weijie with complicated feelings. He hadn't wanted to drag others into his affairs with Madam Qin, yet he had pulled a child into it. Lu Weijie didn't know how to answer, nor did he understand whether he could truly rely on the Duke of Dingguo. He looked at the Duke with uncertainty. As for the Duke of Dingguo, he simply found Lu Weijie pitiful and felt somewhat guilty toward him, which was why he had made a special trip to bring the boy over. In his private heart, he only regarded Zeyu as his biological son. "Alright. Rest well. I'll request leave for you. If Madam Qin punishes you without cause again, come find me!" Before leaving, the Duke of Dingguo patted Lu Weijie on the shoulder. This kind of concern was something Lu Weijie had felt for the first time since arriving at the Duke of Dingguo's estate. He wanted to ask more questions, but the Duke had already left. Could he really go to the Duke in the future? Lu Weijie hadn't figured it out yet when, early the next morning, Madam Qin dragged him into the courtyard, scolded him thoroughly, and then forced him to study. "Do you think Lu Zhong really cares about you? Let me tell you, in his eyes, you're nothing. He only cares about that bastard Cui Zeyu. And why? Because Cui Zeyu is his biological son." Madam Qin said it without restraint, simply to ensure Lu Weijie would only listen to her. Madam Qin knew this was a contest between her and Lu Zhong. But manipulating a child's heart—that she could still do. Lu Weijie was shocked. Hadn't they all been adopted? How had it become biological? Seeing Lu Weijie's eyes widen in shock, Madam Qin said with satisfaction, "So now you understand why he was indifferent to you from the very beginning, nowhere near as warm as he was toward Cui Zeyu?" The faint hope Lu Weijie had kindled just last night collapsed in an instant. "How is that possible?" "Why wouldn't it be? Otherwise, why would Lu Zhong adopt a son in his twenties? Was he just bored out of his mind?" Madam Qin countered. "And besides, what reason would I have to lie to you?" Lu Weijie couldn't think of a reason. "You see, you can't answer that either." Madam Qin said. "Don't be fooled by Lu Zhong's momentary sugar-coated tactics. One act of kindness proves nothing. Can he protect you at all times? Or can he treat you the way he treats Cui Zeyu?" Madam Qin answered for Lu Weijie, who had remained silent. "Jie-ge'er, you're a smart boy. I was too hasty these past few days—don't be angry with me. I've told you something so important; you should understand that in the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, you can only rely on me." There was too much information to absorb at once, and Lu Weijie couldn't process it all. He stared blankly at Madam Qin, trying to discern truth from lies. But Lu Weijie truly couldn't tell. He was only nine years old. "Mother, I... I believe you." Lu Weijie could indeed see that the Duke of Dingguo treated his second brother differently—the weight of that distinction was plain to see. "Good child. I am your mother; I would never harm you." Madam Qin's fierce demeanor from the past few days vanished, replaced by that of a gentle mother. "Rest well in the mansion today. Once you've recovered, you can return to the academy. Jie-ge'er, your mother has only you now, so don't disappoint me." "Your child doesn't need rest—I can study right now!" Lu Weijie was terrified that the Duchess would abandon him. He wasn't the Duke's biological son; he could only rely on the Duchess. Madam Qin nodded approvingly. As she turned around, her face immediately changed into another expression—one of undisguised contempt. She had an appointment with County Princess Rongjia today, and after leaving the mansion, she went straight to the theater.