Xiong Kun had just driven the carriage down the mountain when he saw another carriage approaching through the wind and snow from the opposite side of the official road.
As soon as he saw the carriage, his eyelids began to twitch, giving him an ominous premonition.
Huangjue Temple was the only destination on this mountain. With such heavy snow, no matter how devoted one was to the Bodhisattva, they wouldn't come to offer incense at a time like this.
Madam Zhu and the Heir were still inside the carriage. Could it be Madam Zhu's family looking for her?
After all, she was a married woman. It was one thing to sneak around secretly, but if they were caught red-handed, who could bear such humiliation? It might even cost someone their life!
Speak of the devil; as the carriage drew near, he saw that the driver was none other than a servant from Madam Zhu's household.
Xiong Kun had been to Qingyi Alley several times and had heard Madam Zhu call him Uncle Lyu. There was absolutely no mistaking him.
Despite the freezing weather, Xiong Kun broke out in a cold sweat. He drove the carriage while staring straight ahead, not daring to even glance at the other carriage from the corner of his eye. He only hoped that Uncle Lyu's old eyes were blurry enough not to recognize him, and that they could just pass each other by as strangers to save everyone's dignity.
Of course, this was purely Lord Xiong's wishful thinking.
With Xiong Kun's bear-like physique, Uncle Lyu recognized him from a mile away. In fact, Uncle Lyu was panicking even more than Xiong Kun.
Yesterday, Nanny Wang had told him that Madam left in Vice Minister Gu's carriage and hadn't returned all night.
Considering Vice Minister Gu had once brazenly followed Madam into the inner courtyard, it was truly hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
However, as servants, it wasn't their place to gossip about Madam based on mere hearsay. They could only pretend to know nothing, and they certainly wouldn't dare tell the Master.
Yet, the moment the Master woke up this morning and found Madam missing, he insisted on looking for her. Who knew what the Third Miss had told him, but the Master specifically asked to come to Huangjue Temple.
Now, as luck would have it, they had run straight into the Gu family's carriage. It would be fine if Madam wasn't inside, but if she was, and especially if someone else was in there with her, what were they going to do?!
Uncle Lyu was deeply worried. The Master had just woken up and was still ill. With just the two of them, old and frail, there was no way they could win a physical fight. He just prayed the Master wouldn't die from sheer anger.
While Uncle Lyu and Xiong Kun were both drowning in anxiety, not even daring to greet each other, Zhang Shen spoke from inside the carriage:
"Uncle Lyu, stop the carriage."
Since the Master had spoken, Uncle Lyu had no choice but to stop the carriage and carefully help Zhang Shen down.
Zhang Shen was already in poor health, and after his recent imprisonment, he had grown even more emaciated. Standing in the wind and snow, his frame was so frail he looked as if he might be blown away. Coughing, he asked Xiong Kun:
"Lord Xiong, excuse me. I see you are coming from the direction of Huangjue Temple. Have you seen my wife?"
Xiong Kun didn't dare to answer. Since he hadn't coordinated a story with the Heir beforehand, he didn't even know what to say. Should he say he had seen her? Or that he hadn't?
Ahhhhh! The hulking Xiong Kun was on the verge of a breakdown. Unable to think of a solution, he desperately hoped that either the Heir or Madam Zhu inside the carriage would speak up and set the tone.
Strangely enough, the carriage remained dead silent. No one said a word.
Seeing Xiong Kun not answering, Zhang Shen didn't press him. Instead, he stood frozen in place, staring intently at the quiet carriage behind Xiong Kun.
Heavy snow fell relentlessly, landing on Zhang Shen's collar and hair.
The carriage remained silent, but it suddenly swayed for no apparent reason.
Zhang Shen finally moved. Covering his mouth with a handkerchief as he coughed, he took slow but determined steps through the snow toward the carriage, under Xiong Kun's astonished gaze. He called out:
"Qingyu, are you there? I've come to take you home."
Inside the carriage, Zhu Qingyu simply had no opportunity to answer.
Just moments ago, upon hearing Zhang Shen's voice, Zhu Qingyu had tried to step outside. However, Gu Zhao was faster. He grabbed her hand, pinned her against the carriage wall, pinched her chin, and kissed her hard.
The two of them crashed into the side of the carriage, causing the entire vehicle to sway.
Zhu Qingyu turned her head, placed her hand over his lips, and whispered:
"Lord Gu, our agreement is over. Are you going to break your word?"
The mere thought that letting her go meant she would return to another man, a man who openly occupied the position of her husband, made Gu Zhao mad with jealousy.
Who said it was over? He didn't agree. Absolutely not!
Instead of letting go, Gu Zhao pressed her even tighter against the wall, giving her no chance to leave the carriage. He whispered in her ear:
"So what if I break my word? I've never been a man of honor anyway. Zhu Qingyu, divorce him. You two aren't truly husband and wife; we are."
Zhu Qingyu rejected him flatly:
"No. We are nothing to each other, and we will have no ties in the future. Let me go."
Repeatedly rejected and told they were nothing, Gu Zhao's eyes reddened with heartache, but his words were ruthless:
"Then let him see with his own eyes exactly what we've been doing. Do you think he will still want to be your husband after seeing you pinned in my arms, being kissed by me? Will you bring up the divorce, or will you let him see for himself and bring it up? You choose."
Outside the carriage, Zhang Shen's voice calling for her sounded very close now.
Although Zhang Shen would find out eventually, it couldn't be today, and he absolutely couldn't see it with his own eyes.
Like Uncle Lyu, Zhu Qingyu was extremely worried about Zhang Shen's current health. She feared that if he suffered a shock right now, he might not survive it.
The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow outside drew nearer until Zhang Shen stopped right beside the carriage.
He was so close that if he simply raised his hand, he could lift the carriage curtain and clearly see the situation inside.
Zhang Shen spoke again:
"Qingyu?"
Zhu Qingyu was still pinned down by Gu Zhao, and overpowering him with physical force was simply impossible.
She couldn't let Zhang Shen suffer a shock, so she had to shock the other man instead.
Zhu Qingyu said:
"Fine. I will divorce him today, and tomorrow I will marry Shen Chongshu. Lord Gu, do you think you are the only man in the world? Did you really believe that as long as I got a divorce, I would definitely choose you?"
