Chapter 17: For Your Own Good

Ning Rujun listened calmly to Zhang Lanya’s various schemes, yet she had no intention of playing along. Since the engagement had been called off, she preferred to go their separate ways; she had no desire to maintain any connection with the Wei family, nor would she ever consider rekindling a past romance. Zhang Lanya hoped to use this opportunity to wriggle out of returning the betrothal gifts her family had originally given, but Ning Rujun was not about to let that happen.

Noticing that her mother, Xu Xiuhong, had become infuriated by Zhang Lanya’s shameless demands, Ning Rujun reached out and gently patted her mother’s back. After years of hard labor, her mother’s health was frail, and Ning Rujun could not bear to see her become ill from Zhang Lanya’s antics—it simply wasn’t worth it. Furthermore, before returning to the waterside, Ning Rujun had made various preparations within her hidden space. Now possessing a certain level of strength, she was better equipped to disguise her true condition while secretly plotting to make Feng Qingxue suffer for her actions.

As she patted her mother’s back, Ning Rujun subtly channeled a trace of wood-element energy into her, easing her mother’s physical pain and providing some much-needed relief. Under her daughter’s care, Xu Xiuhong began to feel better; otherwise, she might have been so enraged by Zhang Lanya that she would have fainted on the spot. Today, she had truly witnessed the depths of Zhang Lanya’s shamelessness, which had completely shattered her perception of the woman. All that talk about "compensating" Ning Rujun was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to continue taking advantage of their family. Had her health been better, Xu Xiuhong would have grabbed a broom and chased Zhang Lanya out the door.

Of course, once her physical discomfort subsided, Xu Xiuhong regained her composure. To sever ties with the Wei family completely, they needed to finalize the annulment properly to avoid any messy entanglements in the future. Once she had calmed down and thought things through, Xu Xiuhong took a deep breath and gave her daughter’s hand a gentle pat.

Seeing her mother’s breathing steady and her discomfort ease, Ning Rujun felt a sense of relief. Knowing her mother would not rush to confront Zhang Lanya, she turned to the woman and continued, "Aunt Zhang, since both our families have decided to call off the engagement, perhaps we should skip the idea of becoming god-relatives as well. It will save us all a lot of awkwardness in the future."

"Since Brother Wei and Xiao Xue are clearly a pair deeply in love and wish to marry, and you have already accepted Xiao Xue as your daughter-in-law, I wish them a lifetime of happiness together, never to be parted. It is rare to see such a pair of lovers, and I would hate to intrude upon their relationship."

Though she noticed Zhang Lanya’s look of shock and displeasure, Ning Rujun had no intention of offering kind words to smooth things over. Things had reached this point; she no longer needed to maintain a facade or suffer in silence. She would no longer play along with Zhang Lanya’s manipulations.

Remaining calm, Ning Rujun finished her thought: "As for me, my parents love me dearly, so there is no need to add another familial tie. I won't be becoming your goddaughter, Aunt Zhang."

"Xiao Xue is a sensitive person. Since I have agreed to break off the engagement with Brother Wei, I must do it thoroughly to avoid any misunderstandings that might affect their relationship. That would be for the best. I know you want to adopt me out of kindness, Aunt Zhang, but I don't want to put you in a difficult position, nor do I want Xiao Xue to have the wrong idea or make things uncomfortable for Brother Wei. If we proceed with this god-relative arrangement, they might think I’m still clinging to the past, and that would be impossible to explain."

Watching Zhang Lanya’s expression shift repeatedly, unable to argue against such seemingly considerate logic, Ning Rujun felt a sense of satisfaction. Everything she said was framed as being for the sake of Wei Zhitao and Feng Qingxue; even if Zhang Lanya wanted to lash out, she had no opening to do so without looking unreasonable. Being rendered speechless and furious, Zhang Lanya was left fuming, which brought a sense of vindication to Ning Rujun. She was done with being the one to suffer.

And she wasn't finished yet. Zhang Lanya cared deeply about her reputation, and since she had been the one to initiate the breakup, as long as Ning Rujun played along, Zhang Lanya would have no chance to back out. She would keep up the act of being polite, leaving Zhang Lanya unable to voice her frustrations.

Pausing, Ning Rujun took a silver bracelet from her pocket and handed it directly to Zhang Lanya. Ignoring the woman’s strained, unwilling expression, she pressed on.

"Also, Aunt Zhang, this is the betrothal gift you gave me. Since we are breaking the engagement, I am returning it to you now. Xiao Xue has seen this bracelet before and has always wanted it. Once you have it back, if you give it to her, I’m sure she will be thrilled and see it as a sign of your approval, which will surely make her more filial toward you. Please, take the bracelet back for Xiao Xue."

In truth, the bracelet was of little value, and Ning Rujun found it repulsive to keep. Moreover, since Feng Qingxue was so desperate to steal Wei Zhitao away, this very token of their engagement was something she coveted most. With this justification, Zhang Lanya could not refuse. By returning the bracelet, Ning Rujun was naturally setting the stage to reclaim the watch her own family had gifted to Wei Zhitao. She would not be the one to lose out.

Looking at Zhang Lanya’s twisted face, Ning Rujun smiled politely. "Aunt Zhang, now that I have returned the bracelet, could you please return the watch our family gave to you? After all, these were exchanged during the betrothal; they carry different meanings, and it is only right that we swap them back. The bracelet is here, and the watch is with you. Since we have agreed to the annulment, returning these tokens is the only way to finalize it and ensure we never have to bicker over these things again."