"Wherever Madam goes, Cai Qing will follow,"
Cai Qing said without hesitation. If Madam left, there would be no point in her staying at the Ling Estate.
It would be better to leave with Madam.
...
Ling Mo Han's face was grim. The wine in his cup flowed like water, cup after cup poured into his mouth.
"This is wine, not water. Do you really want to drink yourself to death?"
Gu Bei Chen snatched the wine cup away. If he drank any more, he'd surely die.
"Is it that serious? Your ugly wife wants a divorce. Fine, divorce her. After that, I'll find you someone better."
Gu Bei Chen slung an arm around Ling Mo Han's shoulders. She was just an ugly wife; there would be plenty of better ones.
"Scram!" Ling Mo Han roared in anger, launching a palm strike at Gu Bei Chen.
The palm wind was powerful. Gu Bei Chen couldn't resist it at all, being sent flying back more than a meter.
"Ling Mo Han, you've truly gone mad! Murdering your own brother!"
For the sake of an ugly wife, he would even strike down a brother with whom he had faced life and death. What a heartless brute.
He shouldn't have risked his life to pull Ling Mo Han back in the first place.
"Be polite to Feng Jin from now on. She is my wife, and she is the only one for me, in this life and the next."
The words tumbled out of his mouth without him even thinking.
Ling Mo Han didn't know what had come over him. When he heard Feng Jin say she wanted a divorce, it felt as though a piece of his heart was missing, a piercing pain.
When he heard Gu Bei Chen speak ill of Feng Jin, he was filled with such rage that he felt like killing him.
"You... you've truly lost your mind over her!"
He was once indifferent to women. When a spy from an enemy nation lay naked in his bed, he had simply bundled her up and thrown her out.
Now, he was on the verge of madness for a woman.
"It's over, it's over. You're hopeless!" Gu Bei Chen sighed, shaking his head. "Have you really fallen in love with your ugly wife?"
Ling Mo Han's hand, gripping the wine cup, trembled slightly. He had fallen in love with Feng Jin...
He wasn't sure if this feeling was love, but he knew he couldn't live without Feng Jin.
He didn't know when it started, but he cared immensely about Feng Jin's every move.
When he learned that Feng Jin was being bullied by the second branch of the family, he abandoned his military duties and rushed back without delay, all to protect her.
When he stayed in the palace, he stood in the freezing wind all night, just to see Feng Jin safe.
When Feng Jin secretly slipped out of the estate, he deployed his hidden guards to search the entire city just to find her.
Seeing her safe brought him peace. When she smiled, he would unconsciously smile too.
Through their interactions, Feng Jin's actions had, unbeknownst to him, begun to tug at his heartstrings.
Ling Mo Han lowered his head in silence. At the very moment he fell in love with Feng Jin, she was planning to divorce him. Could there be anything more tragic?
Ling Mo Han let out a self-deprecating laugh, draining the wine from the pot. He stood up unsteadily.
"Where are you going..." Gu Bei Chen shouted from behind him, but received no response.
...
"Young General, you cannot enter. Madam is asleep."
Cai Qing bravely blocked Ling Mo Han's path.
"Move aside," Ling Mo Han said angrily, his face dark.
"Young... Young General... forgive me, but Madam has instructed... that you are not to enter the room."
Either way, it was a dead end. Madam had shown her great kindness to her, and she would die a worthy death for Madam.
Having made up her mind, Cai Qing wore an expression of defiant resolve.
The door behind them creaked open from the inside. Feng Jin stood there with a stern face, her eyes coldly fixed on Ling Mo Han.
"Young General, are you going to penalize even the maids now?"
Upon seeing Feng Jin, a foolish smile spread across Ling Mo Han's lips. "Feng Jin, I..."
"Come in first. There are too many eyes around. You, as a cautious person, Young General, must understand this."
Feng Jin stepped aside, creating an opening for Ling Mo Han to enter.
After a pause, Ling Mo Han followed her in.
"Feng Jin, I actually..."
"Young General, our divorce is a done deal. There's no use in saying more. We should part on good terms."
Feng Jin's tone was firm and distant, delivering a death sentence to Ling Mo Han.
A bitter taste welled up in Ling Mo Han's heart. He regretted his past actions so much that his insides turned green.
"What happened before was my fault. Can you give me another chance?" Ling Mo Han said, lowering his tone. It was the first time he had ever spoken the word "fault" to anyone.
Feng Jin let out a cold laugh. What was the point of saying this now?
A heart that had grown cold could never be warmed again.
"If you've come here only to say these things, Young General, please leave."
Not wanting to waste any more time with him, Feng Jin directly ordered him out.
"What must I do for you to give me another chance?"
"A chance... You jest, Young General. This marriage between us was, at its core, merely a transaction. Isn't it better to part on good terms now? Why must you cling on so persistently?"
Feng Jin truly couldn't understand what Ling Mo Han was thinking. He used to guard her as if she were a thief. Now that she was actively seeking to leave, she wasn't even asking to be sent off in a grand palanquin.
She just wished he would ignore her existence and let her leave easily, for everyone's sake.
"In your eyes, it was just a transaction, and nothing more?"
Now it was Ling Mo Han's turn to feel heartbroken. If Feng Jin was determined to leave, what would he do?
"Wasn't it?" Feng Jin replied without hesitation. "Young General, have you forgotten that I cured your Frost Curse? You once promised me, as repayment for saving your life, that you would grant any request I made."
Feng Jin marveled at her own foresight. Ling Mo Han wouldn't go back on his word.
"You... What do you mean?"
Instantly, Ling Mo Han became flustered. Could it be...
"Now is the time for you, Young General, to fulfill your promise. You and I divorce, and we go our separate ways, each free to marry again. From this day forth, we will have no connection or ties whatsoever."
"Besides this, I will agree to anything else you say."
Ling Mo Han refused without a second thought. He deeply regretted ever agreeing to Feng Jin's request.
This was truly a case of reaping what he had sown, a just retribution!
"You, the mighty General of Nan Chu, the Imperial Tutor of a nation, you actually go back on your word!" Feng Jin was furious. He was truly shameless now.
"Get out, get out... mmmph..."
Before the words could fully leave her lips, her mouth was sealed by his lips.
Feng Jin's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the enlarged handsome face before her.
Her mouth was filled with the scent of alcohol, and Feng Jin felt slightly tipsy. For a moment, she forgot to resist.
Ling Mo Han kissed her lips as if in worship, a shallow touch, reluctant to leave Feng Jin's soft lips. He drew the woman's pliant body into his embrace and said in a voice that was slightly hoarse, almost pleading, "Please don't divorce me, okay?"