Chapter 299

Chapter 299: A Big Fight Qingshan stammered, seeing Young Master Yu approaching with a dark face, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "G-Great Madam, the Marquis says if you don't return now, then... then don't bother coming back at all." After speaking, Qingshan immediately lowered his head, not daring to breathe too loudly. Cui Zeyu was furious. "That Song Shulan really doesn't know when he's beaten! He treats my sister poorly at every turn, and still dares to send a letter of divorce? He should take a good look at himself in the mirror!" "Mother, you..." Song Yu looked at her mother anxiously. Cui Lingrong, however, calmly took the divorce letter, opened it, and read through it. Seeing that there was no signature or seal at the end, she knew it was Song Shulan's threat. "Qingshan, take this letter back. If your master truly wants to divorce me, he'll have to sign his name first." Qingshan was stunned. "Great Madam, actually, you could just go back. If you keep staying here, the Marquis will lose face, and that's why he did this." "If he can't afford to lose face, then what about me? He expects me to swallow my pride at every turn—can I afford to lose face?" Cui Lingrong snorted. "You go back and tell Song Shulan that the matter of Madam Qian slandering me is far from over. Even if Madam Qian was sent to the country estate, that wasn't Song Shulan helping me—that was my own scheme. If he wants to save face, he can come kowtow to me three times and apologize!" Cui Lingrong turned and walked away. Song Yu didn't go back either, following her mother into the Cui residence. Cui Zeyu was even more exasperated with Qingshan. "Go back and tell Song Shulan that my sister—I can support her myself. I don't need him! And if he wants to separate, that's fine too, but it won't be a letter of divorce—it'll be a Mutual Divorce agreement!" Seeing that Great Madam had not a single soft word to offer, Qingshan returned dejectedly to the Marquis's residence, only daring to briefly convey Great Madam's meaning to his master. "What? She, Cui Lingrong, actually wants me to apologize to her before she'll come back?" Song Shulan's chest heaved violently. "Fine. Now that she has her Gaoming title, she thinks she's really something!" When Song Shulan learned that both his son and daughter were staying at the Cui residence, he flew into an even greater rage. A few more days passed, and Song Shulan noticed many of his colleagues giving him strange looks. Finally, Gao Jingzhi came to him and asked what was really going on between him and Cui Lingrong. "I heard people say you were grabbing at Lady Cui and making a scene in the teahouse, and that's what led to all this. You're really slipping, letting a woman get the better of you like this. If she won't come back, you should just tie her up and drag her home!" Gao Jingzhi clicked his tongue twice. "I say, Brother Song, you're becoming less and less of a man. Where's your backbone?" Those words struck a nerve in Song Shulan, and he shoved Gao Jingzhi away. "Stay out of my business. Get your own affairs in order first!" Gao Jingzhi had recently taken a beautiful concubine, but his wife at home didn't like it, and his inner quarters were in constant uproar. Still, he didn't seem to mind. "Women fighting for favor just means they all want my attention. Don't be jealous of me—I'm still vigorous and strong." With that, Gao Jingzhi pulled Song Shulan along. "Want to come have some fun with me?" "Get lost. I still have real business to attend to." Song Shulan left with a dark face. That day after finishing his duties, Song Shulan went to the Cui residence. He stormed in to find Cui Lingrong, and seeing her playing chess with Yu-jie, he swept the board off the table. "The whole city is buzzing with rumors, and you two still have the heart to sit here playing chess?" "The board is made of sandalwood—with the pieces, that's thirty-five taels of silver." Cui Lingrong looked at Song Shulan, telling him to pay up before he said another word. Those words turned Song Shulan's neck red with rage. "You... you're actually counting money with me?" "And why not? Shouldn't you and I settle things clearly?" Cui Lingrong said with biting sarcasm. "Song Shulan, you've already sent me a letter of divorce. Are you still going to talk to me about marital affection?" The night Qingshan delivered the divorce letter, Cui Lingrong hadn't slept a wink. She felt she was ridiculous. More than ten years of marriage, and this was what she got—a letter of divorce from Song Shulan. Though she had kept her composure in front of others, in private, Cui Lingrong's thoughts had been thoroughly unsettled. Looking at Song Shulan before her, Cui Lingrong continued, "I've been married to you for over ten years. I never once thought about Mutual Divorce before. But Song Shulan, whether you were trying to scare me or had some other purpose, you actually wrote that letter. So it seems you and I have truly come to this point." "Isn't it you who forced me to?" Song Shulan said. "What other matriarch acts like you, never coming home day after day? If you truly cared about this family, couldn't you just endure a little? Why must you make such a huge scene and drag it through the whole city?" "Did I start this?" Cui Lingrong spoke with rising emotion, unable to stop herself from standing up. "I wasn't the one who stirred up trouble, yet you insist I swallow my pride. Song Shulan, you really live up to being a man who became a eunuch—you're utterly spineless in everything you do!" "Cui Lingrong, what did you say?" Song Shulan looked around and saw his daughter's shocked expression. He pointed at Cui Lingrong. "Don't talk nonsense. Yu-jie is right here!" "You know your daughter is still here, so why don't you restrain yourself a bit, or at least think of me?" Cui Lingrong snorted coldly. "What I said, I will never take back. Since you're here today, let me make it clear to you. If you truly want a Mutual Divorce, I'll give you what you want!" Song Shulan was stunned. After a long moment, Song Shulan asked, "Cui Lingrong, you really do have someone else, don't you? Is that why you want a Mutual Divorce with me?" Cui Lingrong couldn't be bothered to explain. No matter what she said, Song Shulan would always think she had someone else. Having lived with Song Shulan for over a decade, Cui Lingrong never thought there would come a day when the very sight of his face made her want to vomit. She took a deep breath. "Song Shulan, we've been husband and wife for over ten years, yet I've never received any respect from you. I'm truly tired of this life. Don't worry about whether I have someone or not—I'm giving up my position. You and Zhao Susu should be happy about that. From now on, you go your way, and we'll have nothing to do with each other. Isn't that exactly what you want?" After saying this, Cui Lingrong turned aside, unwilling to look at Song Shulan any longer. Song Shulan hadn't actually intended to seek a Mutual Divorce. Lately, all of Bianjing was gossiping about the two wives of the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion being at odds, and some even said he was greedy—all sorts of rumors were circulating. Even if Prince Rong demanded that Song Shulan choose between Cui Lingrong and Zhao Susu, Song Shulan's plan was to stall as long as possible, wanting to keep the benefits from both sides. Now hearing Cui Lingrong bring up Mutual Divorce, Song Shulan's first reaction was refusal. "You wish! If I were to divorce you, wouldn't that let you fly off into the sunset with that barbarian?" "I'm telling you, Cui Lingrong, even if you die in this lifetime, you'll still be a member of the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion!" With that, Song Shulan turned to his daughter. "Come back with me!" Song Yu stood still, not moving. She was utterly disappointed in her father. "Song Yu, I'm talking to you—did you hear me?" Song Shulan raised his voice. Song Yu pressed her lips together. "Father, I have never once criticized you to your face. But you have truly disappointed me. How can you be so selfish?" Song Shulan's brows knitted tightly. "What did you say?" "I said I'm not going back. If you and Mother separate, then I won't be the eldest daughter of the Marquis Mansion anymore. I will follow Mother." Song Yu's gaze was resolute.