Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 39

The matter of the indenture was troublesome. Y

u Jiao could already guess that even if she managed to earn enough from her consultations to buy her freedom, Yu Ruhai might still refuse to return her deed. 

If he chose to be shameless, there was nothing she could do about it.

Yu Qizhe’s brows furrowed slightly. His dark, thick brows drew together, forming a faint crease between them. His eyes were cold, carrying a rare sense of detachment. 

He stared at Yu Jiao for a while before finally saying, “If you want to leave that badly, then once my health improves, I’ll help you do just that.”

Yu Jiao didn’t notice Yu Qizhe’s displeasure. She just smiled cheerfully, “Then I’ll head to the back mountain in a few days to look for herbs.”

She looked down and counted on her fingers. “It’s still two months until mid-August. That should be enough time to nurse you back to health. You’d better study hard.” 

“Once you pass the imperial exam, we’ll go our separate ways, you’ll live your life, and I’ll go live mine. I’ll be free and easy, and you can marry your Chen Rou girl.”

Yu Qizhe looked at the bright smile on Yu Jiao’s face, and the discomfort in his chest only grew worse. He lowered his gaze, not wanting to say anything more.

That evening, Yu Zhizhou returned home. When he saw Yu Jiao was still there, his reaction was quite different from Yu Jinshu and the others. He was clearly nervous and kept pestering his older brother Yu Zhixing with questions about her. 

Once he learned that their grandfather had kept her around because he valued her medical skills, he finally relaxed.

During dinner, Yu Jiao sat openly and confidently at the table in the main hall. Ever since she’d been punished and forbidden from eating because of the dispute with Yu Ruhai over consultation fees. 

She’d only been eating whatever Madam Song could sneak to her while pretending to deliver food to Yu Mengshan.

Since they’d hosted a luncheon that day for Yu Jinshu’s classmates, there were plenty of leftovers, and the dinner was fairly lavish. All the brothers were present, and even Madam Zhao and Old Madam Yu were unusually pleasant, chatting and laughing. Yu Jiao kept her head down, quietly eating, not joining in their conversation.

But one gaze stayed fixed on her the entire time.

When Yu Jiao looked up, she caught Yu Zhizhou’s eyes quickly darting away. She pressed her lips together and narrowed her clear, almond-shaped eyes.

After dinner, the third branch gathered in the main hall to drink tea and keep the elderly patriarch and matriarch company. Meanwhile, Yu Jiao and Madam Song went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Once everything was cleaned up, Madam Song began heating water for everyone to bathe and told Yu Jiao to go rest in her room.

As Yu Jiao stepped out of the kitchen, she spotted a dark figure standing in the courtyard. When he saw her come out, the shadow glanced nervously toward the main hall, then beckoned her over.

Yu Jiao squinted in the dim light and finally made out who it was, Yu Zhizhou.

She hesitated for a moment before walking over to him.

Yu Zhizhou spoke gently, “Miss Meng, are you… doing alright? That day, it was my reckless suggestion that got you into trouble.” 

“If you hold any resentment toward me, I understand, it’s well deserved. I was too impulsive.”

Only a few lonely stars hung in the sky. The crescent moon was veiled by clouds, and the courtyard was cloaked in shadow. Yu Jiao’s dark eyes flickered as she looked at Yu Zhizhou, saying nothing.

He couldn’t quite read her expression in the dim light, so he continued on his own, “Miss Meng, you’re so lovely and charming. I thought Si-di (fourth younger brother) had feelings for you, that’s what I believed.” 

“I didn’t realize I was wrong, and you ended up suffering for it. I just… it hurt me to think such a good girl would end up a widow in all but name, bound to Wu-di. That’s why I said what I did. I caused you all this grief, and I’ve been filled with guilt ever since while at the school.”

Yu Jiao’s lips curved into a faint smile. His soft, comforting words stirred absolutely nothing in her heart. It was because of Yu Zhizhou’s deliberate insinuations that the former Meng Yujiao had risked everything to seduce Yu Jinyan. 

Otherwise, that bright, lively young girl wouldn’t have been beaten to death so cruelly, her life ended before it even truly began.

Calm and poised, Yu Jiao looked at Yu Zhizhou and said, “In that case, why don’t you go to your father and ask him, how about marrying me instead?”