Chapter 22: Explanation

Knowing that Xu Xiuhong was truly enraged this time, Zhang Lanya had no desire to hear any talk of cutting ties or ending their relationship; she simply wanted to leave as quickly as possible. As it turned out, Zhang Lanya fled before Xu Xiuhong could even get out her harsh words, moving with a speed that left Xu Xiuhong stunned.

This behavior from Zhang Lanya left Xu Xiuhong speechless, and she could only curse her shamelessness under her breath. Ning Rujun had already broken off her engagement with Wei Zhitao, and Wei Zhitao had behaved so disgracefully with Feng Qingxue—even getting her pregnant—and with so many people having witnessed the scandal, they had already lost all face. Yet, Zhang Lanya still expected to continue associating with their family, keeping up ties, and hoping to extract further benefits?

Knowing Zhang Lanya’s character well, Xu Xiuhong could already guess as she watched her hurry away that Zhang Lanya would certainly have the gall to show up at their house again, using their past friendship as an excuse. Thinking of such shamelessness made Xu Xiuhong feel a deep sense of revulsion. She had no intention of continuing to play nice, deciding that if Zhang Lanya dared to come over again to take advantage of them, she would prepare a large broom to sweep the shameless woman out.

As for Wei Zhitao coming to apologize, there was no need for that either. The engagement was broken, and it was better to make a clean break to avoid gossip or rumors. Given the level of shamelessness displayed by Zhang Lanya and Wei Zhitao, Xu Xiuhong knew she had to be on guard.

Ning Rujun, who had been standing by her mother’s side, noticed her agitation. She helped her sit down and comforted her softly, "Mother, don't be angry. We don't need to pay them any mind. The engagement is broken, and Wei Zhitao has acted so ruthlessly that we simply won't associate with their family anymore. As for Feng Qingxue, she is equally shameless; I will have nothing to do with her from now on."

As she spoke, Ning Rujun gently patted her mother’s back to help her calm down, fearing the stress might take a toll on her health. After all, despite how disgusting the actions of Zhang Lanya and Wei Zhitao were, it was better not to let them cause any harm to their own well-being.

To further soothe her mother, Ning Rujun continued, "Mother, a while ago, something happened at the entrance of the village, and I happened to see it. That shameless woman, Feng Qingxue, tried to scheme against me. She wanted to push me into the water and have Zhao Dacheng save me, hoping to ruin my reputation, force me to be linked to him, and thereby wreck my engagement with Wei Zhitao. Fortunately, I managed to escape and circled back from behind."

"Feng Qingxue was swearing that I had fallen into the water, and many people heard her. But my sudden appearance proved her claims were nothing but lies, and no one believed her anymore."

Seeing her parents’ growing anger, Ning Rujun continued to explain the aftermath. "I don't know what happened, but while Feng Qingxue was on the bridge shouting that I had fallen and begging others to save me, she accidentally slipped and fell into the water herself. She was rescued by Zhao Dacheng, and during the process of getting back to shore, some rather unseemly things occurred, which severely damaged her reputation. It happened in full view of everyone, and Wei Zhitao was there too; he even got into the water, so he knows exactly what happened. I suspect the whole scheme was cooked up by both of them, but their plan failed miserably."

Although revealing these details would surely anger her parents, Ning Rujun felt it was necessary to explain the conspiracy so they would be prepared. It was better to be fully informed than to hear distorted versions from others later, which might cause more misunderstandings or rage.

After a pause, she continued, "Although Feng Qingxue and the others plotted all this, and I was indeed pushed, I managed to escape before anyone knew. Later, I changed my clothes and returned, pretending not to have been at the scene, which made everyone think Feng Qingxue was lying. She ended up falling into her own trap, and her reputation is certainly ruined. And with the news of her miscarriage—and the fact that the child was Wei Zhitao’s—I felt it was urgent to break the engagement immediately to avoid being dragged down by their misfortune."

Seeing that her parents, while still angry, seemed slightly more composed, Ning Rujun let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Mother, I wasn't entirely sure if the news about Feng Qingxue was true, but if she really was pregnant with Wei Zhitao’s child, I certainly wouldn't have kept that engagement. When Auntie Zhang came over to talk about breaking it off, I seized the opportunity to agree, which saved us a lot of trouble. She probably didn't know about the miscarriage, which is why she seemed so anxious. I truly believe breaking the engagement was the best choice."

Shaking her head with a sigh, Ning Rujun concluded, "Feng Qingxue has suffered greatly this time—miscarrying after falling into the water, injuring her body, and being compromised by Zhao Dacheng in front of so many people. The news will definitely spread, and both her and Wei Zhitao’s reputations are finished. Given their lack of shame, it's hard to say how this will end, but I don't want to leave any room for further trouble or be used in their schemes ever again."