Zhao Jing'an's Dilemma

Lady Wei dared not get too close to Zhao Ruyu's carriage. Only when Zhao Ruyu's carriage was out of sight did she instruct the driver to set off. Instead of going to the main gate, she drove to a side gate near the Marquis's residence and stopped in a secluded spot.

It took about the time it takes to eat a meal to arrive before Zhao Jing'an came. However, he didn't come out through the side gate, but rather through the main gate and then took a long detour.

"Mother." As soon as he got into the carriage, the child, who had never experienced anything before, burst into tears.

Lady Wei affectionately stroked her son's head and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night? I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Zhao Jing'an nodded somewhat ashamed.

He was genuinely worried about his mother, and thought he wouldn't be able to sleep last night. But he couldn't resist the drowsiness and fell asleep shortly after getting into bed.

But don't tell your mother any of this, lest she be saddened.

"Mother, are you alright? Will you be alright? Sixth Sister said you'll be sent back to the Wei Family after being divorced, is that true?" Zhao Jing'an was an honest boy, and he had nothing to hide from his mother, so he asked Lady Wei directly with his eyes wide open.

Lady Wei's expression froze. She cursed Zhao Ruyu inwardly, but a worried look appeared on her face as she sighed, "Your sixth sister is right. I've truly made a grave mistake this time."

The naive Zhao Jing'an panicked upon hearing this. "What should we do? Mother, I don't want you to be divorced. If you leave, Father will definitely marry me a stepmother. I'll be tormented to death by my stepmother." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

Lady Wei felt a pang of pain in her heart and quickly comforted her son, "No, no. As long as you do as your mother says, I won't be divorced."

"Really?" Zhao Jing'an stopped crying and looked at Lady Wei with pleading eyes.

"Yes." Lady Wei nodded vigorously.

"Okay, Mother, please tell me what I should do?" Zhao Jing'an immediately perked up.

Half an hour later, he returned to the Marquis's residence listlessly. He went to his room, lay down on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

His servant, Qingmo, had gone out with him earlier, but hadn't boarded the carriage and didn't know what Lady Wei and Zhao Jing'an had discussed.

Seeing Zhao Jing'an like this, he couldn't help but say, "Second Young Master, you haven't taken a bath yet. Let me fetch you some water, so you can take a bath before you go to sleep."

Zhao Jing'an shifted listlessly, turned over, and asked the servant, "Tell me, is my mother a good person?"

"This... this..." Qingmo said awkwardly, "This humble servant dares not speak ill of my master."

Seeing Qingmo like this, Zhao Jing'an understood.

If his mother were a good person, Qingmo would certainly have showered her with praise and flattery. Now that he's in such a predicament, he definitely doesn't think his mother is a good person.

"What if she asks me to harm someone?" he asked.

What his mother had just asked him to do completely overturned his understanding of her. He really wanted to talk to Zhao Jingli about his feelings and discuss it. But he knew he couldn't.

His mother's dismissal was ordered by the First Madam. He and Zhao Jingli are now on opposite sides. He absolutely cannot tell his elder brother what his mother asked him to do. He dares not gamble on whether his own mother or his cousin is more important to his elder brother.

Now, the only person he trusts is his Qingmo.

Qingmo has been by his side since he was five years old, growing up alongside him. Even if he said something outrageous today, Qingmo wouldn't spread it.

"This..." Qingmo was even more troubled, "Young Master, I'm just a servant."

"What's wrong with being a servant? You've been studying with me since you were little, you know how to read and write, you're not just any ordinary servant."

Zhao Jing'an sat up and simply recounted what Lady Wei had asked him to do, then asked Qingmo, "What do you think I should do?"

Qingmo knew he couldn't avoid this trouble. After thinking for a moment, he scratched his head in confusion. "Why? Why would the Second Madam do this?"

Zhao Jing'an shook his head. "I asked my mother the same question, and she said I didn't need to know, just do as she said."

Qingmo was chosen by both the First Madam and the Second Madam to be placed by Zhao Jing'an's side because he was a very clever boy. Moreover, as Zhao Jing'an's servant, he had a lot to worry about during his growth.

He needed to see clearly the open and covert struggles between the various factions in the Marquis's mansion so that his young master could avoid pitfalls; he needed to understand the working styles of the stewards and head maids, be familiar with all the rules of the mansion, and know which maids harbored designs on his young master... Only in this way could he ensure that his young master made fewer mistakes.

The young master made a mistake, and the second madam couldn't bear to scold her son, but she wanted to beat the servant boy with a board.

In short, Zhao Jing'an's carefree upbringing and current easygoing nature are not only due to his privileged family background and the love of his elders, but also inseparable from Qingmo's care and protection in all aspects.

Qingmo said to Zhao Jing'an very seriously, "Young Master, you know in your heart whether what Madam asked you to do is good or bad, right?"

Before Zhao Jing'an could even finish his snacks, he continued, "I don't know about other things, but I do know that if a woman is insulted before marriage, she either commits suicide to prove her innocence or marries into the family against her will, and then she'll never be able to hold her head high again. Her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and husband will all look down on her. It's a lifelong disgrace."

Upon hearing the word "suicide," Zhao Jing'an's face turned pale.

Qingmo continued, "Young Master, Fifth Miss is your own sister. Can you really bring yourself to destroy her happiness for life? After doing this, can your conscience be at peace for the rest of your life?"

They grew up together, inseparable, and he could be said to be the person who understood Zhao Jing'an best in the world.

Zhao Jing'an is kind, honest, and simple-minded; he's an excellent person. If he really did such a thing, it's fine if Fifth Miss is doing well, but if she's not, he'll feel guilty for the rest of his life.

He really didn't understand why the second wife would do such a terrible thing to the second young master.

Isn't the second wife the one who dotes on the second young master the most?

Zhao Jing'an's expression changed again. "No, I can't."

Qingmo was worried that the young master would be saddened by the Second Madam's intentions, so she quickly changed the subject. "Young master, think about it. You've been staying in the manor the whole time. Madam could have easily sent someone to call you out. But she didn't call you; instead, she sent the Sixth Miss to call you. Don't you find that a bit strange?"

Zhao Jing'an's newly formed thoughts were thus interrupted by Qingmo.

He asked curiously, "What's strange?"

"I suspect that Madam must have gone to Sixth Miss first, wanting her to do this. After all, Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss are both young ladies, they both live in the inner courtyard, and they even entered the Women's Academy together. Although they didn't enter the same school, they still have more to talk about with others, right? Sixth Miss is definitely more familiar with Fifth Miss than you are with Fifth Miss, isn't she? Wouldn't it be easier for her to go and call Fifth Miss out?"