Chapter 15.1

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“Isn’t that Changyu’s live-in husband?” one of the neighbor women whispered.

“I caught a glimpse of him on their wedding day. Haven’t seen him in a while—seems he’s gotten even more handsome!”

“A face-off between the live-in husband and the former scholar fiancé… this is going to be interesting!”

The neighborhood women, seeing Xie Zheng appear, exchanged glances between him and Song Yan, murmuring quietly among themselves.

At that moment, Changning spotted her older sister. She immediately grabbed Xie Zheng’s sleeve and hurried over, calling out, “Sister!”

Her two little pigtails bounced with each step, her round face rosy and framed by a warm, thick jacket, making her look like a tiny snowball with short arms and legs.

The ground was covered in a thin layer of ice, slippery and treacherous. Fan Changyu quickly called out, “Slow down! Your brother-in-law’s leg is injured—be careful not to slip!”

The words “brother-in-law” felt awkward on her own lips, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious as she said them.

Fan Changyu glanced at Yan Zheng’s expression, noting that his elegant and composed face showed no particular reaction to her addressing him as “brother-in-law.” It was as if he were quite used to the title—though, in truth, Changning did often call him that, even if Fan Changyu herself wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.

Changning had already dashed to her sister’s side, sticking out her tongue mischievously. She wrapped her short, chubby arms around one of Changyu’s legs, casting a wary look at the Song mother and son across from them. She had deliberately pulled her brother-in-law over, after all; if these two troublemakers dared to bully her sister, he’d have no problem hobbling over and smacking them with his crutch! Of course, she hadn’t let her sister in on her “brilliant” plan.

Unaware of her sister’s little schemes, Fan Changyu gently patted her on the head before looking toward Xie Zheng. “Your injury hasn’t healed yet, and going out must be troublesome. There’s no need to humor Ningniang’s antics…”

Her words were polite, but to the onlookers, she seemed the image of a caring wife, considerate of her husband’s well-being.

Several people’s gazes darted back and forth between Song Yan and Xie Zheng, clearly intrigued by the contrast.

Some of the onlookers found themselves musing silently that, in terms of looks, Fan Changyu’s new husband certainly had the upper hand. But when it came to ability, Song Yan seemed superior; after all, not just anyone could pass the provincial exams and earn the title of scholar.

Xie Zheng lowered his gaze, noticing the faint redness lingering around her eyes. He remarked simply, “It’s fine.” Yet his striking phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. Had she been crying? For her former fiancé?

So she really hasn’t let go, he thought with a hint of sarcasm. Impressive.

The northern wind whipped through his hair, the long strands brushing past his face as he lazily lifted his gaze toward the man in the blue robe behind Fan Changyu. His eyes were calm, almost indifferent, yet the intensity was unmistakable, an aura of danger veiled in composure.

As their eyes met, Song Yan felt as if he were being watched by a wild wolf. His hair stood on end, and an instinctive chill ran down his spine, forcing him to look away. Despite averting his gaze, he couldn’t shake the tight, uneasy feeling in his chest, like prey barely escaping a predator’s jaws.

Without wasting words on the mother and son, Xie Zheng stated plainly, “Pay back the money.”

Not only did the Song mother and son and the onlookers fall momentarily silent, but even Fan Changyu was taken aback for a second.

Xie Zheng was not one to repeat himself, and seeing no reaction from the mother and son, a hint of impatience flickered in his striking phoenix eyes. “You think you can avoid paying your debt just because her parents are dead?”

Changning, lips tightly pressed in anticipation, couldn’t hide her excitement as she watched her brother-in-law’s crutch with eager eyes. Was he going to hit someone?

Finally snapping back to reality, Song Yan and his mother were hit by the force of his words. Song’s mother nearly choked with outrage. These Fan family members! Each one has a sharper tongue than the last! She hadn’t even managed to say a word before they’d already labeled her a freeloader.

Shaking with fury, Song’s mother had to be supported by two women to keep her balance. “When did we ever say we wouldn’t repay the debt?”

She turned to Song Yan. “Yan’er, count out the silver for them!”

Even when Song’s mother had been destitute, begging for a coffin on the streets after her husband’s death, she hadn’t felt as humiliated as she did today. After snapping out her order to Song Yan, she stormed off toward the end of the alley, as if she couldn’t bear to stay another moment.

That’s how dignity works—when you don’t have it, no amount of hardship seems to hurt. But once you’ve built a reputation, having it stripped away can be deeply painful.

Fan Changyu hadn’t expected Xie Zheng’s few words to provoke such a reaction from Song’s mother and glanced over at him in surprise. He met her gaze briefly, giving her a look that she somehow interpreted as, Since you lack the nerve, I’m collecting this debt for you. She stared back, a bit bewildered.

Back when Fan Changyu’s father had helped the Song family with the funeral costs, it wasn’t just a coffin he provided; there had also been burial clothes and funds for the funeral itself, totaling ten taels of silver.

Song Yan’s tuition had been two taels of silver per year while studying at the village academy. He studied there for five years before finally passing the exams to enter the county school, where his tuition was waived due to his family’s poverty. In total, Fan Changyu’s father had covered ten taels for Song Yan’s schooling.

When Song Yan handed over the two silver ingots to Fan Changyu, a slender, strong hand intercepted them on her behalf. Looking up, Song Yan saw it was her husband, his expression cold as he said simply, “We’re even.”

Yes, from now on, she and Song Yan were indeed “even.”

Song Yan’s gaze lingered on Fan Changyu, his lips tinged with bitterness. But the man didn’t give him a chance to make eye contact with her. As he passed the silver ingots to her, he shot Song Yan a faint, dismissive glance, then turned to Fan Changyu and said, “Let’s go.”

As a fellow man, Song Yan could tell there was no hostility in that look—just pure disdain, like a mother hen guarding her chick.

Fan Changyu, the “chick” in question, didn’t fully grasp the situation until they were back inside their home. As soon as the door shut, the man’s restrained disdain was no longer hidden. “That sort of man… you think he’s worth pining over for so long? You even shed tears for him?”