The Double
Chapter 158 - 158 86 Hatred_5

158: Chapter 86 Hatred_5 158: Chapter 86 Hatred_5 Madam Ningyuan could not stop it no matter what, so she could only watch helplessly as Marquis Ningyuan, tired from beating, threw down his whip with a huff and, without looking back, walked away.

Madam Ningyuan hurried to his side, and seeing Zhou Yanbang’s barely breathing form, she couldn’t help but burst into tears and urgently commanded the servants, “Quick, go fetch the doctor!”

The doctor arrived promptly and wrote several prescriptions for Zhou Yanbang.

Madam Ningyuan hurriedly sent someone to get the medicine prepared in the kitchen while she personally applied ointment to Zhou Yanbang’s back.

After a while, the comatose Zhou Yanbang finally came to and called out weakly, “Mother.”

Tears fell on the back of Madam Ningyuan’s hand as she felt both pity for his misfortune and anger for his lack of struggle.

She wished she could strike Zhou Yanbang herself but couldn’t bear to do it, and instead asked, “What have you done?”

Zhou Yanbang couldn’t say a word.

What had he done?

From last night until now, he had been in a daze, unclear about everything.

Madam Ningyuan continued, “It’s one thing to get entangled with Jiang Yue, after all, she is just the daughter of an illegitimate son.

If it really comes to it, taking her in as a noble concubine would suffice.

But why on earth would you meddle with Shen Ruyun?

She’s the sister of the Assistant Head Writer, and now Emperor Hongxiao holds Shen Yurong in the highest regard.

By offending the Shen family, the Emperor will inevitably dislike you, which led your father to such fury.”

Zhou Yanbang felt overwhelmed.

When had he ever troubled Shen Ruyun?

He didn’t even know what Shen Ruyun looked like; it wasn’t until she tearfully accused him last night, that Zhou Yanbang finally saw her face clearly for the first time.

How could he have wronged such a stranger?

Zhou Yanbang himself couldn’t figure it out.

“Didn’t you previously say you were fond of Miss Jiang Li, the Second Miss of the Jiang family?

If you fancied her, how did you end up involved with Miss Jiang the Fifth and Shen Ruyun, Yanbang?

What on earth are you thinking?

How could you make such a foolish mistake?”

Jiang Li?

Zhou Yanbang was stunned, the pain from the whipping on his back momentarily forgotten.

He remembered, last night he was supposed to meet Jiang Li in Yuxiu Pavilion.

How did it turn into Jiang Yue?

He had seen someone from Yuxiu Pavilion approaching, and thinking it was Jiang Li coming for their appointment, he was overjoyed and couldn’t contain himself.

Could it be that even then, it had actually been Jiang Yue?

Seeing Zhou Yanbang silent, Madam Ningyuan asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Zhou Yanbang snapped out of it and replied dismissively, “It’s nothing.” But inside, his mind was like a tempest, utterly unable to calm down.

How did Jiang Li turn into Jiang Yue?

The note was supposed to be delivered to Jiang Li, and the messenger had confirmed that Jiang Li had received it.

Such an important item would not be casually discarded for someone else to find.

Zhou Yanbang then remembered last night, after Shen Ruyun drew a crowd, Jiang Li was standing among them, her gaze void of surprise and eerily calm.

She had known all along.

Like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, Zhou Yanbang felt a shiver all over, his body turning icy cold as the flames of hatred and rage in his heart grew more furious and intense.

Jiang Li, not wanting to keep their appointment, outrightly conspired with Jiang Yue to set him up.

Jiang Yue was desperate to marry into the Jiang family, and Jiang Li must have known about it in advance to have given her the note.

Thus, she stood in the crowd, watching his disgrace with cold eyes!

Zhou Yanbang was beside himself with fury.

Even as foolish as he could be, he knew that after last night’s incident, his career was completely ruined.

Students from the Imperial College were first judged on their morality.

His morality, witnessed by so many, had become a joke.

Disliked by Emperor Hongxiao, he had no chance to make a mark on his career!

All of this was thanks to Jiang Yue and Jiang Li.

Zhou Yanbang hated Jiang Yue, but he hated Jiang Li even more.

She could have just refused to meet him, but she used such a humiliating method.

She turned her back on his genuine feelings and discarded them like worn-out shoes.

With this ploy, she destroyed his life.

She was a vicious woman!

Seeing Zhou Yanbang shake all over, Madam Ningyuan became anxious and asked, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?

Should we have the doctor look at you again?”

“No need,” Zhou Yanbang replied, suppressing the pain in his back and the chill in his heart, and asked, “Mother, what should we do now?

I’ve now become entangled with Miss Jiang the Fifth and Miss Shen.

What should I do?” He forced a smile, “The marriage with Youyao must be impossible now, right?”

Madam Ningyuan was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

“Early this morning, the Jiang family sent someone over,” she said, her tone a mix of anger and regret.

“As for the marriage with Youyao, you should act as if it never happened.”

Zhou Yanbang replied, “No matter, the marriage with Youyao was never meant to be.”

Madam Ningyuan found his words strange and couldn’t help but look at him.

However, Zhou Yanbang remembered that his marriage with Youyao was originally a substitution for his and Jiang Li’s.

Now that Youyao was out of the picture, things had come full circle.

But his ties with the Jiang family seemed to be not entirely severed.

“How is Jiang Yue?” Zhou Yanbang asked.

“It seems I need to give her a position.

Mother, what do you think about making her a concubine?”

“That would be for the best,” Madam Ningyuan snorted.

“She should take a look at herself and her status.

If that’s not enough for her, she might as well forget about entering Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion.”