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Chapter 13

Having caught Zhu Mingxuan secretly meeting with Lin Qingmiao, Song Jinhe’s sharp reprimand left Zhu Mingxuan trailing behind, and she lost all desire to remain at the banquet.

Back at the mansion, she suddenly realized she had forgotten once again to give the originally prepared jade hairpin to Madam Sheng.

The jade hairpin had been taken out of the residence by Mingqiu and then returned.

This meant she would have to find another opportunity to visit the Sheng residence.

Annoyed, Song Jinhe decided to keep her head down for a while, planning to go to the Sheng residence only when Sheng Congyuan was away.

On Lord Li’s birthday, Song Qingcang took Yu Lan to the villa to recuperate.

They only returned home leisurely five days later.

Coincidentally, on that very day, with Song Qingcang and Yu Lan’s return, Song Ning also brought his wife to pay a visit to their parents.

Just as Song Jinhe had prepared everything and was about to go to the main courtyard, Zhu Mingxuan—who had been silent those past days—suddenly arrived.

He entered the residence without first paying respects to the head of the family, heading straight for Song Jinhe’s courtyard.

As Song Jinhe stepped out of her room, she locked eyes with Zhu Mingxuan, who was held back at the courtyard gate by a guard, his emotions slightly stirred.

Zhu Mingxuan trembled and hastily said, “Jinhe, please let me in. I have something to say. Please allow me to explain what happened the other day.”

Song Jinhe remained expressionless and simply raised her hand, signaling the guard to let him through.

Seeing this, Zhu Mingxuan’s eyes lit up, thinking he still had hope. He quickly smoothed out his rumpled clothes before stepping inside.

“Jinhe, have you calmed down these past few days? I thought you might have been upset and wanted to give you some time before explaining everything properly. Marriage is not a trivial matter, and the things I said then were inappropriate. I have no involvement whatsoever with Miss Lin from the Jin Prince’s residence, and that jade bracelet has nothing to do with me. I was caught off guard by your sudden accusation and couldn’t explain properly at the time. There were no wealthy merchants involved, no resale—none of it’s true. You should trust me.”

Song Jinhe did not stop walking; she moved steadily toward the exit.

Zhu Mingxuan followed her closely, speaking rapidly and incessantly.

Her face remained indifferent, and it was unclear whether she absorbed his words. She gave a slight nod, allowing him to continue.

Knowing her nature required coaxing, Zhu Mingxuan paid no mind to her coldness and kept talking beside her. “We’ve known each other for over ten years, since childhood. When have I ever lied to you? Heaven can bear witness to how I’ve treated you.”

Song Jinhe suddenly halted, turned, and gave Zhu Mingxuan a meaningful look. “Heaven can bear witness? Indeed, heaven can bear witness.”

It bears witness to his treachery and deceit, his despicable and vile character.

That was why heaven sent her those dreams, allowing her to avoid all this in advance.

How could that not be a true witness?

She let out a soft laugh, though no warmth reached her eyes.

Then she quickened her pace.

Unaware, Zhu Mingxuan followed her all the way to the main courtyard of the Song residence.

When he belatedly realized her intent, panic overtook him and he tried to stop her.

But Song Jinhe had already pushed open the door and entered the hall.

Inside, Song Qingcang had just been informed by a servant and now sat with Yu Lan in the hall, having prepared tea and waiting for their daughter.

Song Ning and his wife, Li Qiang, sat nearby.

Hearing the noise, the group turned to see Song Jinhe entering with Zhu Mingxuan, all momentarily stunned.

Song Qingcang spoke, “When did Zhu arrive? Jinhe, why didn’t you inform us in advance?”

Song Jinhe bowed slightly. “I only just saw him myself, but since he happened to be here, I brought him along to explain everything to you, Father, Mother, Brother, and Sister-in-law.”

Song Qingcang’s expression shifted subtly. He sensed the tension between the two and immediately sided with his daughter, pulling her close with concern. “What’s wrong, Jinhe? Has something happened?”

Zhu Mingxuan sensed trouble and quickly spoke before Song Jinhe could, “Uncle Song, it’s my fault. A few days ago, I upset Jinhe. I was clumsy with my words and failed to clear up the misunderstanding. Things aren’t as Jinhe thinks. She impulsively wants to break off the engagement. It’s all a misunderstanding, and I shouldn’t have troubled you all.”

Song Qingcang frowned deeply. Regardless of the reasons or Zhu’s lengthy explanations, all he heard was that his precious daughter wanted to end the engagement.

Song Ning’s face darkened instantly.

He didn’t spare Zhu Mingxuan a glance and instead turned to Song Jinhe. “Jinhe, what did he do?”

Song Jinhe opened her mouth but was interrupted.

Zhu Mingxuan, worried she’d speak first and knowing the Song family would side with her, hurriedly spoke again. “Uncle Song, Brother Song, here’s what happened. At Lord Li’s birthday banquet, Jinhe accidentally saw me with Miss Lin from the Jin Prince’s residence. You know I’ve had dealings with the Jin Prince’s residence lately, so naturally, I know Miss Lin. She was lost and didn’t know the way back to the banquet, so I showed her the way—that’s all. But Jinhe misunderstood, accusing me of having some relationship with Miss Lin and saying the jade bracelet on her wrist was something I bought from a wealthy merchant at a high price.”

Zhu’s words seemed rehearsed, flowing smoothly.

He scanned the others’ faces and, seeing no reaction, continued, “But that’s not true. I don’t even know about the bracelet or the merchant. You may verify with the merchant yourself. Jinhe was too angry to hear my explanation, which caused this mess.”

Zhu Mingxuan was skilled at shifting blame. Since he brazenly mentioned the bracelet again, he must have been busy those silent days colluding with the merchant to fabricate this story.

Song Jinhe, irritated by his incessant chatter, didn’t want this petty matter to waste her family’s time and took over. “Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, I want to break off the engagement. I was the one who misjudged his character and caused you trouble. But since this has happened, I cannot allow him to continue tarnishing my and the Song family’s reputation.”

She cast a cold glance at Zhu Mingxuan. “Not only the bracelet—I’ve also uncovered that before this, he had years of secret dealings with Miss Lin. If Father doubts me, a simple inquiry will reveal some truths.”

Song Qingcang said, “How could I not believe you?”

Yu Lan, unusually angry, spoke, “Zhu Mingxuan, is what Jinhe said true?”

Li Qiang frowned. During those years in Yuxiang City, she cared for Song Jinhe and their bond was no less than family.

Zhu Mingxuan’s mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t utter a word.

He stared at Song Jinhe in disbelief, never imagining she would uncover all his secret dealings with Lin Qingmiao in such a short time.

Every deed leaves traces. Even if he tried to hide them, it was impossible to cover every detail flawlessly.

His recklessness was built on the assumption that Song Jinhe would never investigate.

Now, he could not recall how many times he met with Lin Qingmiao or how many traces he left behind.

At this point, there was no need to listen to more from Zhu Mingxuan.

A fierce light flashed in Song Qingcang’s eyes. Looking at Zhu Mingxuan’s face, he was so angry he wished he could kick him twice.

Zhu Mingxuan’s mind was in chaos, but he still tried to defend himself, “It’s not like that, actually I—”

“Enough!” Song Qingcang roared in fury. “If you still want to call this a misunderstanding, do you want me to expose all your misdeeds for you to finally shut that mouth? I don’t want to waste more words on you. When your parents come, I’ll tell them the truth. Now, get out.”

Zhu Mingxuan didn’t leave willingly. He lost control, shouting and screaming as Song Qingcang’s men dragged him out.

Once Zhu Mingxuan was thoroughly expelled, Song Jinhe quickly offered tea to her parents, brother, and sister-in-law. “Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, please have some tea. Sorry for worrying you all.”

Song Qingcang was still quite angry, while Yu Lan looked full of concern.

Song Ning and his wife exchanged a glance; Li Qiang subtly wiped the sweat from Song Ning’s fist as if it had touched something dirty.

They accepted the tea, and Song Jinhe stood quietly by, appearing like a gentle lamb—so obedient.

After sipping the tea, Song Qingcang finally calmed down a bit. Realizing something, he suddenly turned to his daughter. “When did you find out about his misdeeds? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

In front of her parents, Song Jinhe no longer pretended. She admitted frankly, “It was on Lord Li’s birthday. But everything I said afterward was made up. Father, if you investigate, you might find nothing.”

She had no time to investigate Zhu Mingxuan’s past dealings with Lin Qingmiao. If she had truly found evidence, it would have made her sick.

Song Qingcang was momentarily stunned, then felt both anger and amusement.

Even lacking evidence, Zhu Mingxuan’s foolish reaction was enough to reveal everything.

Song Qingcang waved his hand. “Forget it. In the end, this is my fault for being negligent. Don’t worry, my dear, we’ll cancel this engagement. I’ll find you a new match myself. This time, I’ll personally oversee the investigation, examine the person inside and out, and then let you approve. How does that sound?”

Song Jinhe’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. “I don’t blame you, Father. Just cancel this engagement, and I won’t seek anyone else for now.”

Song Ning felt a pang of sympathy. “That won’t do. This is my fault. I failed to see through that man and arranged the engagement for you. Little sister, don’t take him to heart. I will handle everything properly and won’t let you suffer. But if you like someone in the future, you should still pursue it.”

Song Ning knew that from a young age, Song Jinhe longed for a beautiful marriage.

Her innocent and pure heart had always been cherished and protected by the family. She shouldn’t give up on that hope because of one man.

Song Jinhe understood Song Ning’s concern and had no intention to blame him.

After all, it was her own eagerness to return to the capital that led her to hastily agree to Zhu Mingxuan’s proposal without much thought.

She stepped toward Song Ning and was pulled into Li Qiang’s embrace. Playfully, she nuzzled against Li Qiang and then said, “Alright, alright, but there’s no need for Father and Brother to worry. I’ll choose someone myself, okay?”

Song Ning responded with a chuckle, “Fine, fine,” but inwardly thought that whoever it was, they’d have to get past him first.