Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 173

For a moment, Shen Yu found himself at a loss for words.

Yu Jiao continued, “From the sound of your words, it seems you’ve known all along. If you truly felt guilty and sincerely wanted to help, why wait for me to come to you?”

Shen Yu’s good intentions were sharply rebuffed, and he huffed in frustration. “What do I have to feel guilty about? If I help you, it’s out of my own sense of righteousness. But with that attitude of yours, do you really think that’s how someone should act when asking for help?”

He slumped into his chair and added, “If you don’t want your three brothers’ futures ruined, then apologize to me, say something nice.”

Yu Jiao gave a faint smile. “Asking for help? Young Master Shen’s righteousness is better spent elsewhere. I won’t trouble you with this.” With that, Yu Jiao turned and walked out of the private room. Yu Fuling quickly followed.

Shen Yu hadn’t expected her to leave just like that. His handsome face darkened, and he slammed his sleeve across the table in frustration.

Dayong, standing nearby, cautiously peeked at Shen Yu and ventured, “Young Master, Miss Yu has left…”

Shen Yu glared at him. “You think I’m blind?”

Dayong trembled in fear and dared not speak further.

Just as Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling stepped out of the room, they were confronted by a woman wearing a cherry-pink outer jacket and a pale crimson embroidered skirt. Two maidservants followed closely behind. Upon seeing Yu Jiao, the woman snapped coldly, “Stop right there!”

The two maids immediately blocked Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling’s path.

Yu Jiao frowned and looked at the woman leading the group. Her delicate, elegant face seemed vaguely familiar. After a moment of thought, she realized, it was Zhang Xiuyue, whom she had once treated.

Gone was the shy, embarrassed girl from before. Zhang Xiuyue’s face was now cold and proud. She glanced at Yu Jiao dismissively, then brushed past her and made straight for the private room.

Hearing footsteps, Shen Yu assumed Yu Jiao had returned. His tense expression softened somewhat. “What, changed your mind? Ready to beg—”

He looked up and stopped mid-sentence, stunned to see Zhang Xiuyue. His brow furrowed. “What are you doing here?”

Zhang Xiuyue’s face grew colder upon confirming Shen Yu’s presence.

Ever since the Shen family broke off their engagement, she had wanted to explain things in person, that she wasn’t impure, just suffering from a private ailment.

She’d had a servant keep watch outside the Shen estate for days, but every time Shen Yu left the house, he went to Huichun Hall. She hadn’t dared confront him there.

Today, she’d finally heard from her servant that Shen Yu had gone to Zuiyun Restaurant, and she rushed over only to hear that another woman had entered Shen Yu’s private room. Her heart filled with bitterness. She suspected Shen Yu’s real reason for the broken engagement wasn’t her supposed impurity, but because he’d found someone new.

Who would’ve thought his secret lover was none other than the crude village woman who’d treated her illness?

Zhang Xiuyue turned back out of the room, glaring icily at Yu Jiao, who was still blocked by her maids. Her father had recently discovered that this physician girl had visited Huichun Hall several times, leading him to suspect that she had disclosed Zhang Xiuyue’s condition to the Shen family.

Fury surged in Zhang Xiuyue’s chest. Her face flushed with anger, she pointed at Yu Jiao and shouted, “You, come in here!”

Yu Jiao looked at her coolly. “What’s with all this posturing, Miss Zhang?”

She hadn’t even gone to settle accounts with the Zhang family yet, and now Zhang Xiuyue was putting on airs to cause trouble. Did they really think she was easy to bully?

“What’s with me? You, born of lowly origins and full of deceit, clearly have no shame!” Zhang Xiuyue was so angry she forgot all her ladylike decorum. She furiously accused, “Today I will expose your vile intentions in front of Shen Yu!”

Their commotion attracted attention from the first-floor hall below. Several heads turned to watch the drama unfold.

Yu Jiao remained expressionless, her almond-shaped eyes sharp and cold as she stared at Zhang Xiuyue. “You can eat carelessly, but don’t speak carelessly. Miss Zhang, I suggest you choose your words carefully.”

Standing at the doorway, Shen Yu was growing increasingly frustrated as he noticed all the curious stares from downstairs.

His face darkened as he tried to keep his temper in check. He said in a low voice to Zhang Xiuyue, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Hearing his accusatory tone, Zhang Xiuyue’s eyes turned red and filled with tears. She trembled slightly with anger and grievance. “Shen Yu, she’s deceived you. Why are you protecting her?”

Yu Jiao moved slightly, but Yu Fuling grabbed her hand. Yu Jiao looked at Zhang Xiuyue and said, “I’d like to hear exactly what vile intentions you believe I’ve been hiding, Miss Zhang.”

With that, she stepped into the private room. Yu Fuling followed closely behind.

Shen Yu frowned at Zhang Xiuyue. “We’ve already broken off our engagement. You shouldn’t be clinging to me anymore.”

Zhang Xiuyue felt both heartbroken and furious. To her, it was clear Shen Yu was doing everything in his power to protect Yu Jiao. Raised as a pampered noblewoman, she had never lowered herself like this for anyone. If it hadn’t been for her deep affection for Shen Yu, she wouldn’t have humbled herself so.

Wiping the tears from her face, she stubbornly declared, “Shen Yu, today I must make everything clear. I want you to understand that I’m not the kind of woman who lacks purity or self-respect.”

She still harbored hope, maybe Shen Yu had been misled by that crude physician. If only the misunderstanding was cleared up, and she could prove her innocence, perhaps he would still consider marrying her.

Shen Yu saw she was determined to entangle herself further. After a moment’s silence, he stepped aside, ready to put an end to it once and for all, so she would give up hope.