The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

The steward spoke respectfully, but everyone knew it was just an excuse; the Duke of Huguo's mansion didn't take the people from the Marquis of Zhongjing's mansion seriously at all.

Lu Mingzhao understood the situation and nodded with a normal expression.

The group was not led into the house, but instead led into a garden. From a distance, they saw the old lady of the Duke of Huguo's mansion, Madam Cui, sitting in an octagonal pavilion, with an unknown woman sitting beside her, chatting and laughing.

The two were of similar age, and during their conversation, Cui would occasionally reveal a flattering and ingratiating expression.

Upon seeing the people from the Marquis's residence arrive, Madam Cui waved her hand and ordered someone to bring over seats.

Upon hearing from the steward that the Marquis's residence had brought gifts, Madam Cui chuckled twice, saying, "Look at you all, you're all in such a hurry."

"I've been busy entertaining guests these past few days and haven't had time to deal with the betrothal gifts, and you've already come to our door. If word gets out, people will think your daughter can't get married."

While Cui smiled mockingly, her eyes kept drifting towards the woman beside her, as if she intended to use the incident as a source of amusement for the woman.

The woman smiled faintly and took a sip of tea: "And what is it this time? It's really disrespectful to say that in front of your in-laws."

"You don't know."

Fearing that even a second's delay in explaining would lead to misunderstandings, Mrs. Cui quickly sighed:

"Ever since the engagement, the whole capital has been saying that the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Zhongjing looks down on my son and is unhappy with the marriage. She hasn't left the house for a whole month and has been crying until her eyes are sore."

"I was thinking that since things are like this, we might as well break off the engagement. Is our family having trouble finding a husband? But Liang'er is kind-hearted and worried that if we break off the engagement, it will be a loss of face for her as a young lady."

"It's only because it's our Duke of Huguo's mansion. If it were any other family, they would have already fallen out long ago if they heard that the woman was engaged but was acting like she was going to die."

"Tell me, if I don't leave them out in the cold for a few days, wouldn't my Liang'er have suffered in vain?"

Zhou Shixu's face had turned completely black. He wanted to rush up and argue, but Lu Mingzhao grabbed his sleeve.

Lu Mingzhao chuckled lightly: "So that's why your family has been so hesitant to offer betrothal gifts. Isn't that a coincidence?"

"That's exactly why we're here."

Madam Cui glanced at her, not understanding the implied meaning, and continued to say to herself, "In a few days, when Liang'er is in a better mood, I will take him to propose marriage. You should wait a little longer."

Lu Mingzhao: "Your family has misunderstood. What I meant was—to annul the engagement."

Cui's half-mocking smile froze on his face.

"break off an engagement?"

Her gaze swept quickly over Lu Mingzhao twice before she finally gave a disdainful smile.

"Madam Lu, how can marriage be a matter of serious importance?"

"I know your good intentions as a mother; you're using this tactic to provoke me, just to get me to propose sooner. But if I actually agree, where will you put your face?"

Lu Mingzhao bowed slightly, returning the same smile, but with a more sincere look in her eyes: "Madam Cui, is your hearing not working very well?"

"I meant—the annulment of the engagement."

"If you don't understand, then find someone who can understand to speak to me."

Madam Cui's eyes widened, but mindful of the guests beside her, her face flushed red: "How...how can you speak like that!"

"Madam Lu, this isn't your Marquis's mansion. We won't let you run wild like this!"

Lu Mingzhao straightened up and slightly raised his chin: "I originally wanted to save face for your family, but since you've said so today, I suppose I don't need to go to any more trouble."

"Your son has spoken ill of my daughter to outsiders, and this has happened more than once or twice."

"My daughter never leaves the house. It's a shame that such an innocent girl has been bullied like this. It's a good thing she has such a strong will and just keeps crying. If it were someone with a weaker personality, she probably would have given up long ago."

Madam Cui glanced hastily at the woman beside her, then slammed her hand on the table and stood up, shouting, "What nonsense are you spouting! My Liang'er would never do such a thing!"

Lu Mingzhao had expected this, and chuckled, "Since you don't believe me, why don't you call your son out to confront my Xu'er?"

"The other day, my son Xu'er beat someone up. I'm sure your son knows very well who that young master was."

Madam Cui immediately replied, "My Liang'er is not home!"

"Not here? I heard your son didn't leave the manor today."

Zhou Shixu was slightly taken aback before realizing that the question she had asked at the corner was for this reason.

Cui stood frozen in place, speechless for a long time.

The woman standing nearby said calmly, "This is something I, as a guest, shouldn't be concerned with, but since I've stumbled upon it..."

"How about we ask Feng Liang to come over?"

Cui was visibly panicked.

"Madam, Liang'er caught a cold the other day, and the imperial physician said she needs to rest..."

"Since he can't go out, we might as well go over there," Lu Mingzhao said immediately.

Cui glared resentfully at Lu Mingzhao, who returned the gaze with a smile.

"What does Madam Cui think? Or would it be better for us to skip all this trouble and just annul the engagement?"

Given the current situation, where is there any room for her to refuse?

Cui gritted her teeth and gave a forced smile: "Fine, then let's cancel the payment."

"But you'd better think carefully. You were the ones who got engaged in the first place, and now you're the ones who want to break it off. If you try to back out again, I will absolutely not tolerate it."

Lu Mingzhao had no intention of getting the upper hand with her words. Now that she had achieved her goal, she didn't want to linger any longer and turned to leave with the two of them.

It wasn't until they left the mansion that the two people following behind came to their senses.

"So... the engagement was called off?" Zhou Shixu murmured.

Lu Mingzhao laughed: "What else? Isn't it good that things are going so smoothly?"

"Of course!" Zhou Shixu glanced at her.

However, to everyone's surprise, she actually came to annul the engagement for An'an, and she had even made preparations in advance.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Shixu still refused to admit her good intentions, raising his chin: "You're just lucky. If that lady next to you hadn't been here today, that Cui guy might not have given in so easily."

"You'll still have to rely on me then!"

Lu Mingzhao glanced at him with amusement, ignored him, and turned to Liu Muqiu: "Speaking of which, do you know that lady?"

Liu Muqiu gently shook her head: "I have never seen it."

She was also very curious about the other person's identity.

As the wife of the Duke of Protectorate, there were few people in the capital who could make Lady Cui so flattering and fawning.

Liu Muqiu looked ashamed: "I don't often attend banquets, and I don't know many people."

"It's okay, I don't know them either. We can just go out more often, it's nothing."

Lu Mingzhao casually ruffled Liu Muqiu's hair and walked towards the carriage.

Liu Muqiu was left alone, bewildered in the wind.

My mother-in-law just... touched her head, right?

Is it not her hallucination?

She stared blankly at her uncle.

Zhou Shixu's expression was equally complex.

This woman really knows how to spread her favors evenly, dedicated to plunging everyone in the mansion into chaos.

Zhou Shixu got into the carriage and found that Lu Mingzhao was still in it.

He hesitated, but ultimately did not utter a word in rebuttal.

On the way back, Zhou Shixu kept lifting the curtain to look outside, trying to ignore the person opposite him.

Lu Mingzhao knew that he was far from believing in him.

Being able to sit in a carriage already shows that the Zhou dynasty had yielded, so they didn't care. Instead, they found their youngest son's stubbornness endearing.

Until Zhou Shixu suddenly gritted his teeth and cursed, "That bastard, he still dares to go out!"

Lu Mingzhao paused, then immediately looked in the direction the other person was pointing. "Was it him you hit last time?"

Zhou Shixu regretted not being able to hold back earlier. Hearing this, he could only purse his lips, nod, and keep a straight face, waiting for Lu Mingzhao's reprimand.

However, the next second, Lu Mingzhao directly lifted the curtain: "Go."

"Give him another beating."

Zhou Shixu was dumbfounded, wondering if he had misheard.

Lu Mingzhao said calmly, "You're out shopping just two days after the beating? You don't look like you were about to be beaten to death. Since the beating wasn't severe, you probably won't learn your lesson."

She repeated, "Go, give him another beating, and say it the way I taught you..."

On the bluestone path, Chen Ziyi, with the compensation money from yesterday's Zhongjing Marquis's mansion tucked in his pocket, was humming a little tune as he leisurely walked towards Chunxiang Tower.

The servant behind him suddenly grabbed him, his voice trembling with terror: "...Master! It's him! He...he's here again!"