IRTBACIWLATCP CH 01

Chapter 1. Legal Wife? Concubine?

“Jiui, Miss Ye is the precious daughter of the Prime Minister.”

“Her status is far higher than yours. Just the fact that she is entering the household on the same day as you is already unfair to her.”

“Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.”

Lu Xingyun looked at Song Jiui and tried to comfort her carefully.

Jiui clutched the teacup with her slender fingers, her heart burning with anger.

“You’re planning to bring both a legal wife and a concubine into the household? Do you really think someone as noble as Miss Ye would be willing to become a concubine?”

Unable to hide his awkward expression, Xingyun spoke.

“That’s not it. She is the legal wife… and you are the concubine.”

At those words, the warmth in Jiui’s eyes completely disappeared.

She stared straight at the man before her.

“Do you remember? When I saved you, you made me a promise. You said you would take only me as your wife for the rest of your life.”

“And yet… you never once told me that you already had a woman in the capital with whom you were engaged.”

Two years ago, not long after she had transmigrated to the small country of Zhao, she had been gathering medicinal herbs at the foot of a mountain when she discovered Xingyun lying beneath a cliff.

At the time, Xingyun had been covered in blood after being attacked, with both his legs broken and his body thrown down the cliff.

Jiui was the one who saved him.

She brought him home and painstakingly cared for him for two whole years.

She was also the one who had brought him back to life from a state where he could barely be considered a living person, confined helplessly to his bed, until he became the healthy man he was now.

After spending two years together, feelings naturally blossomed between them.

Xingyun had promised to marry her and had sworn that he would have only one wife for the rest of his life.

But at that time, Jiui had not known his true identity, nor had she known that he already had someone he was supposed to marry.

Five days ago, someone from the Marquis of Anjing’s residence had come looking for him.

After a secret conversation, Xingyun decided to return to the capital.

He had also brought Jiui with him, allowing her to stay at the Marquis of Anjing’s residence under the pretext that she was the woman who had saved his life.

After returning to the capital, Xingyun had been busy every day.

He met relatives and entertained guests, barely coming to see her.

And tonight—

He had called her out, saying that there was something important he needed to tell her.

But who would have thought that the important matter he wanted to discuss was nothing more than bringing both a legal wife and a concubine into the household?!

Xingyun paused for a moment before speaking quietly.

“Back then… I thought I would never be able to walk again.”

“But now I’ve recovered and can walk again, so I can no longer cling only to the relationship between a man and a woman.”

“I have to think about the future of the Lu family as well.”

“The future of the Lu family…”

Jiui quietly repeated his words.

“Lu Xingyun, is this really your choice?”

He frowned and avoided her gaze.

“There’s no other way, Jiui.”

“I am the heir of the Marquis of Anjing. With your status, you should consider it a great blessing just to enter the household as my concubine.”

A mocking laugh escaped her lips.

“I can’t accept it.”

Do you think I’m some lowly woman? Why do you assume I would willingly agree to become a concubine?

At that moment, a sharp woman’s voice cut through the air.

“Song Jiui, what could a merchant’s daughter like you possibly hope for?”

“With your status, the best husband you could ever hope for would be a servant or a coachman!”

“My son is the heir of the Marquis of Anjing, with a bright future ahead of him.”

“You should consider it a blessing from your ancestors just to be allowed into the household as his concubine. How dare you not know your place!”

A middle-aged woman emerged from behind the bamboo grove.

She wore luxurious clothes and carried herself with an air of dignity.

She was none other than Lady Shen, the mistress of the Marquis of Anjing’s residence.

A golden hairpin adorned her hair, while jeweled earrings hung from her ears.

The silk she wore was made of the finest Shu brocade, and her entire bearing radiated authority.

Jiui rose from her seat and respectfully greeted her before smiling.

“Madam, you’re being rather harsh with your joke. I know very well that my status is humble.”

“I never said I wanted to marry Young Master Lu in the first place.”

Her words were true.

It had always been Xingyun who had brought up the subject of marriage first.

He had also been the one who said they should escape the wars and struggles for power and live a quiet life together.

But believing those words was my mistake, and falling in love with him was my mistake as well.

He hid the fact that he already had a marriage arrangement in the capital, only to tell me that he wanted to take me in as his concubine?

What an absurd fantasy.

So this is his true nature.

He was a man with divided affections, someone who intended to have several women by his side.

She lowered her head.

If this relationship was destined to fall apart, then it’s fortunate that I found out before marriage.

There’s no way I could spend the rest of my life with a man like this.

Lady Shen looked Jiui up and down and sneered.

“You followed our household all the way from Ling County to the capital and stayed at our residence. What else could your intention have been except to gain a name and status for yourself?”

Without changing her expression, Jiui calmly replied,

“I am a physician. Young Master Lu’s legs have only just healed, so I followed him because I could not rest assured.”

“If he isn’t properly cared for in his current condition and gets injured again, he could end up disabled for the rest of his life.”

Upon hearing this, Lady Shen’s eyes lit up.

“Is that true?”

Jiui did not even look at Xingyun. She simply looked at Lady Shen and said,

“Madam, I am merely the physician who treated Young Master Lu. We have no other relationship.”

At those words, Xingyun’s expression slowly hardened.

“Jiui. Do you realize how much of a burden it already is for me to take you in as my concubine?”

“Can’t you just be satisfied with that and try to understand me a little?”

His anger flared at her firm rejection.

Is she perhaps bringing up the promise I made and trying to pressure me into taking her as my legal wife?

But I am the heir of the Marquis of Anjing. I am someone who cannot keep that promise!

You may be able to act however you want, but I cannot.

Lady Shen exchanged a glance with Xingyun and smiled in satisfaction.

“Then that’s good. Since you saved Xingyun’s life, our household will not treat you carelessly.”

I was worried about how Xingyun’s insistence on having both a legal wife and a concubine would be explained to the Prime Minister’s family.

But now that Song Jiui has drawn such a clear line, things have actually become much easier.

The corners of Jiui’s lips lifted slightly, but there was no trace of a smile in her eyes.

“Thank you, Madam. However, over the past two years, the expenses I incurred while treating Young Master Lu have been quite substantial.”

“I hope those expenses will be settled in full.”

I’m not going to walk away having suffered a loss!

Xingyun’s face instantly stiffened.

He forced down his emotions and said,

“Jiui. We’ve been together for two years. I treated you so well. Do you really not understand my feelings?”

“Just because you didn’t get your way in this one matter, there’s no need to turn your back on me completely, is there?”

A trace of confusion slowly appeared in Jiui’s eyes.

“Young Master Lu, you treated me well? When?”

“When both your legs were broken and you couldn’t even get out of bed, everything you ate, wore, and used came from me.”

“I couldn’t even properly change my own clothes. I stayed by your side until you were able to walk again.”

“And yet… what exactly did you ever do for me in return?”

“Nothing but worthless sweet words. Other than that, did you ever actually do a single thing for me?”

He had not even been able to keep the promise he himself had made.

As Jiui’s words continued, Xingyun’s face immediately flushed red.

“Fine! If you insist on going this far, then I won’t hold on any longer either!”

“From today onward, our relationship is over. Whether it’s the debt of gratitude or anything else, I’m cutting all ties with you!”

Jiui raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Fine. But as I said earlier, please settle the medical expenses, caregiving costs, food, and lodging expenses from the past two years.”

Xingyun gritted his teeth and glared at her.

“So you’re a woman who only cares about money. I really misjudged you.”

I am the heir of the Marquis of Anjing.

I am someone Song Jiui could never reach even if she lived her entire life!

If I lower my head first, she should at least stop being unreasonable and give me some room to step back!

And yet she’s talking about money right now?

She actually wants to calculate everything, argue over every detail, and take everything she can get. How disgusting!

Xingyun’s face turned pale.

He angrily shook out his sleeve and turned away.

His back was still proud and imposing, but his steps were subtly unsteady.

Watching him leave, a cold, mocking smile flashed through Jiui’s eyes.

His legs are no longer my concern.

Sensing Jiui’s gaze, Lady Shen suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Now come with me and collect the silver. I’ll have the servants pack up your belongings.”

Jiui lightly stroked the jade ring on her finger.

“There’s no need to pack anything. I didn’t bring anything with me in the first place.”

Some things have to be thrown away.

The same goes for the past.

From now on, everything connected to him will disappear from my life.

Lady Shen looked down at her with a mocking expression.

“Xingyun was right. You really are blinded by money. Tell me, how much do you want?”

Jiui smiled calmly.

“By a rough calculation… about two thousand taels of silver.”

“That’s approximately how much I spent on Young Master Lu over the past two years.”

“Of course, that isn’t the important part. Madam, you can calculate for yourself how much Young Master Lu’s life and his two legs are worth, and pay me accordingly.”

Lady Shen gritted her teeth.

“Fine. The residence will give you five thousand taels of silver. But in return, you must put it in writing that you will never have anything to do with Xingyun again.”

There’s no way I can let this girl cling to him again. I need to completely eliminate any possibility of that.

“If we’re putting it in writing, then it should be fair.”

“Please sign it with me as well. From now on, I will have no connection whatsoever with the Marquis of Anjing’s residence. And, of course, the residence must agree not to seek me out again.”

Lady Shen snorted.

“The capital is filled with noble young ladies and renowned physicians. There will never be any reason for the residence to seek you out.”

She immediately ordered a servant to take five thousand taels’ worth of silver notes from the treasury and bring a brush and ink.

Two copies of the agreement were prepared, with each side keeping one.

They stamped their fingerprints and carefully checked the documents.

“From this day onward, Song Jiui shall sever all relations with the Marquis of Anjing’s residence and shall not establish any connection with it in the future. Both parties shall refrain from interfering in each other’s affairs.”

Everything was over.

Jiui accepted the document and looked at it calmly.

Her expression did not change in the slightest.

But her eyes were completely different.

“You may leave now.”

After checking the agreement, Lady Shen put it away with satisfaction, displaying all the dignity of the mistress of the Marquis of Anjing’s residence.

“Always remember your promise. Otherwise, no matter how vast the world is, our Marquis of Anjing’s residence will never let you go.”

Jiui smiled gently.

“Madam, rest assured. Young Master Lu may be a treasure to you, but he is not worth that much to me.”

Lady Shen’s face stiffened.

When Jiui accepted the silver, the heaviness that had been lodged in her heart finally eased somewhat.

I’ve gotten rid of a worthless man and even received compensation for it. Isn’t this a win-win situation?

Still, the resentment lingering in a corner of her heart had not completely disappeared.

Huan’er saw her off and carefully asked,

“Miss Song, shall I call a carriage for you?”