Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 382 How much is innocence worth?

Yingzi arrived just in time to bring reinforcements, so Lu Ying didn't suffer much of a beating. She had a few bruises on her left lower back, which were painful but didn't affect her mobility.

Granny Li was still upset: "If it weren't for Yingzi's quick thinking, we would have suffered a great loss today."

Yingzi hurriedly said, "This servant was just grasping at straws when I was ill. I happened to see the eldest young master returning home, so I asked him to come and help me out. Who knew he would agree? It's truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!"

"Go and bring a pot of tea." Granny Li took the handkerchief from her hand.

As soon as Yingzi stepped outside, she suddenly called out "Young Master," drawing the attention of the two people inside.

Through the open window, Yan Liang stood in the courtyard and asked, "Where is your grandmother?"

Yingzi turned around and pointed into the room.

Yan Liang glanced at the door without moving, then took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket: "Take this and apply it to your grandmother."

Upon seeing this, Lu Ying stood up, straightened her clothes, went out the door, took the bottle of medicine from Yan Liang's hand, and smashed it hard on the ground!
Everyone around was startled.

Yan Liang also suddenly raised his head.

Granny Li stepped forward: "Grandma!..."

Lu Ying said, "Go down!"

Granny Li pursed her lips and told everyone to leave.

Lu Ying looked at Yan Liang: "What are you doing, young master? Are you and your wife playing good cop, bad cop? You slapped me first, then gave me a piece of candy?"

Yan Liang took a breath: "I didn't mean that. I just came to see you."

"What's so interesting about me? Didn't you already arrange for people to keep an eye on me? It's not enough for them to be watching me, you have to watch me yourself?! In that case, why don't you come into the room, and we can eat and live together? That way, I can never escape your sight, and your Yan family will be safe!"

Yan Liang frowned: "What are you saying?"

"Then what do you want me to say?" Lu Ying's eyes were red. "You're all so afraid of being harmed by me, by my father, so why don't you just divorce me? Wouldn't that be cleaner? I'd rather save myself from living a life of widowhood here!"

Upon hearing the end, Yan Liang's rising anger suddenly subsided: "Living as a widow? What does that mean?"

"What I'm saying is that I've been married for over half a year and I'm still a virgin! Your brother is completely impotent!"

Yan Liang was shocked and took half a step back!
Lu Ying glanced at the door: "Of course you won't believe me, then you can go ask him! You can also go ask your mother, your grandparents!"
"Everyone present at Anqing Hutong that night knows about it!"
"It just kept it a secret from all of you who weren't there!"

"From the very beginning, I married into this family to save face for Yan Qu! But how has he treated me? And how has your family treated me?"
"If you're trying to force me to my death, why bother with the pretense of bringing medicine? Why play the hypocrite? Don't you find it laughable?"

Yan Liang was indeed unable to recover from this shock for a while.

That night he did not rush to Anqing Hutong. After all, it was an embarrassing matter of his ancestors, and they should stay as far away from each other as possible. Therefore, he deliberately avoided it afterward and never inquired about it.

Furthermore, since Madam Yan and the others were deliberately keeping it a secret, it was even less likely that he would find out!
However, many of the past inconsistencies seem to become understandable with this explanation.

He looked at Lu Ying with mixed feelings, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"What good would it have done to tell you earlier? Who are you? You're just my brother-in-law! Can you really stand up for me? Even if you could, so what? I'd still have to spend my whole life in this dark abyss!"
"I have no husband, I cannot be a mother, and my life is destined to be no different from becoming a nun!"

Yan Liang avoided her gaze: "Even so, I can still make your life less unpleasant." Lu Ying's lips curled into a sarcastic smile: "Which aspect are you referring to? For example, I also want to experience the pleasures of the bedroom and have my own child. Can you help me with that?"

Yan Liang's face darkened: "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course I know." Lu Ying stared at him intently. "Cousin, do you really have no feelings for me at all?"

Upon hearing the sudden call of "cousin," Yan Liang swallowed hard.

Lu Ying took his hand and placed it on her injured back: "It hurts here."

It wasn't very cold yet, and my clothes were still thin; her body temperature was right under my palm.

Yan Liang's hand froze. The infuriating scent of her hair and rouge still wafted into his nostrils, so close to his.

"I want a child. If you want to help, then help me like this!"

Lu Ying stared straight at him, "Now that I have the Yan family's bloodline, I can never have any disloyal intentions. Wouldn't you feel more at ease then?"

Yan Liang's gaze darkened, and he quickly turned around: "Someone come here!"

Granny Li and Yingzi, who were standing outside the door, rushed in in a panic.

Yan Liang flicked his sleeve: "The young mistress is confused from her injuries, let her go in and rest!"

The two men quickly bowed their heads and helped Lu Ying back to her room.

Yan Liang turned around and strode towards the courtyard gate.

Lu Ying suddenly pushed open the window and said through gritted teeth, "I have no grudge against you, yet you have harmed me like this. I will hate you forever!"

After saying that, she slammed the window shut, the clanging sound particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Yan Liang stopped outside the courtyard gate, took his hand out of his sleeve, and the cold moonlight shone on his five fingers, on which perhaps her body temperature still floated.

……

"grandmother……"

"do not talk."

Inside the closed room, Lu Ying's face still showed lingering anger. "He is still in mourning. If I succeed, the censors can sue him and send him to prison!"
"With him in prison, that wicked woman in the main courtyard can't control me, and Yan Qu can't keep me in check either. Isn't that a good thing for me?!"

Yan Liang is now the most capable person in the entire mansion besides Yan Song. Ever since he was discovered to be in private contact with Lu Jia last time, Yan Liang has secretly placed spies around her.

She was indeed frightened and believed that she was no match for his methods, so she had been very restrained these past few days.

But tonight she was almost beaten to death or seriously injured by Madam Yan. What strategy could she possibly have at a time like this?
If she can't take down Yan Liang, she can forget about leaving here! Yan Liang will never let her, as the daughter of Lu Jie, go!

"Grandma!" Granny Li said anxiously, "You're hurting yourself as well as the enemy! If he goes to jail, do you think you can escape? Your reputation will be ruined!"

“Of course I was prepared! I’m not that stupid. I have to prove his wrongdoing! I can’t possibly go to jail with him, can I?” Lu Ying said. “All I’ll get is some damage to my reputation. But what’s a reputation worth?”

"Even if I didn't do that, I've already married into this family. Do you expect me to be treated like a virgin?"