Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 124 - 100_3

Favor, offspring, status.

They are the ones filled with love and affection as a family, while she is just a childless and unfavored wife locked away in the ancestral shrine for months, forbidden to have visitors.

Of course, these circumstances only crushed her spirit, yet haven’t cost her life.

But his responsibility in her death, can he truly escape it?

If he hadn’t been so self-righteous in thinking he was doing what’s best for her, if he could have given her a bit more trust, not bearing everything alone, and revealed some of it to her.

Had she known about his danger, had she understood his intention of placing her in the ancestral shrine, would she still have allowed Lu Xiyao to come in? Would she still have treasured the small kindness Lu Xiyao offered to her because of solitude, and worn that bracelet on her wrist?

If it were like this, she wouldn’t have fallen into such a scheme, dying inexplicably.

Even taking a step back, if it weren’t for him luring his own sister to have feelings, Lu Xiyao wouldn’t have been driven by jealousy to wish for her death.

In conclusion, he cannot evade the responsibility for her death.

Lu Ziyuan thought the same. Hearing her questioning, he wasn’t angry but nodded in agreement, revealing a strange expression on his face.

Like pain, like laughter, faintly with a trace of madness.

Xie Wanqing felt a shiver in her heart just by looking at it, then heard him say, "I have also paid the price."

"Do you know," Lu Ziyuan took a deep breath, smiled at her gently, "For five whole years, every day you refused to wake up was a punishment for me."

Between life and death, his mind was filled with thoughts of her alone.

When she could no longer wake up, he lived like a walking corpse, with no vitality except for revenge.

No one but himself knew how he endured those five years alone.

Xie Wanqing was already stunned; she blinked stiffly and suddenly, as if enlightened, recalled what he had just said. She retreated several steps in succession, showing fright, "Are you insane!"

Insane?

Lu Ziyuan’s smile slowly faded as he looked at her steadily.

"I went insane long ago; every day you couldn’t wake up, I lived like a madman,"

Afraid to scare her, he then smiled again, gently saying, "I have already punished myself. If you are unsatisfied, you can dispose of me as you wish, okay?"

"You deserved it!" Xie Wanqing resisted fear and gritted her teeth, "Everything you suffer is deserved, even death is deserved!"

Every word was cold and unfeeling.

Lu Ziyuan stood in place, watching the girl eager to escape.

Suppressing the heartache, he poured out everything, feeling pathetic himself, but her face was filled with panic, showing resistance and fear.

No concern.

No tenderness.

No slightest hint of moving emotion.

She truly seems to care not a bit about him anymore.

Their past full of resentment or deep feelings had turned a page for her, returning to peace, leaving him alone in the story, living like a madman.

Lu Ziyuan’s face turned pale as paper, his outstretched hand slowly retracted as if unable to bear it, his body tilted, supporting himself on the table to barely maintain standing, yet his gaze persistently clung to her.

He leaned on the table, gazed at her, with tears sliding down his prominent nose.

This was the first time Xie Wanqing saw him cry with her own eyes.

Previously, when he seemed to shed tears, he would either bury his face in her palm or nestle into her neck.

But this time, he looked at her with tears streaming down.

As the tears fell, her tightly pursed lips formed some inexplicable anger.

"Why are you crying like this? Are you really feeling wronged?" She glared at him in annoyance, "You need to understand, I owe you nothing."

It’s he who owes her; no matter his excuses, it’s he who owes her.

She married him with all her love, and what she received in return was humiliation, betrayal, and death.

"Do you still remember how you treated me?" Her smile was icy cold, "On our wedding night, you told me that in a few days you would welcome Liu Manrou into the residence, officially raising her as a concubine."

Saying such words on the wedding night was trampling a wife’s dignity into the ground.

If he wanted to bring Liu Manrou into the second house, did he have to do it in a way that hurt her?

Ultimately, it was because he didn’t care about her feelings.

Confidently assuming she loved him to the point of foolishness, she should endure these harms.

He didn’t need to bother with her, as she was a submissive and foolish girl.

Lu Ziyuan’s lips trembled, attempting to retort but unable to utter a sound.

Xie Wanqing’s smile grew colder, "Later, when Liu Manrou got pregnant, how did you treat me then?"