The two children got along well, and he and his wife had long since silently prepared the betrothal gifts, planning to propose in a few days. They never expected such a thing to happen.
"Niece, can you give us another chance? Yan'er and Xiang Jun are in love. Can you bear to break up a pair of ill-fated lovers?" Old Master Li pleaded cautiously.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the Liu family. After so many events, he had realized that this young lady from the Liu family was no simple person. The county magistrate truly couldn't do anything about her. As for the Li family, they had betrayed the magistrate and revealed Liu Xiang Jun's whereabouts. For the moment, the magistrate seemed indifferent, but Old Master Li lived in constant fear of retaliation.
If the Li and Liu families were still in-laws, it would invisibly provide a strong barrier for the Li family.
"Ill-fated lovers? In love? Touch your conscience before you speak. Do you think that after what happened, our Liu family will pretend nothing occurred? It was your Li family's elder master who insisted on betrothing your son to my father. If you didn't like the Liu family, you could have openly come to break off the engagement. There was no need for such despicable tactics." Don't think he didn't know that Miss Li was arrogant and her fate was fragile. She felt she had some beauty and looked down on the ordinary family background of the Liu family, wishing to climb higher.
And the Li family, seeing their increasingly outstanding daughter, also felt pity for her. If they could openly break off the engagement, Wu Caiwei would have felt indifferent, as a forced marriage is not sweet. However, the other party not only wanted to break the engagement but also preserve their reputation. They directly spread rumors that Liu Xiang Jun was often seen with a woman, and Miss Li, after witnessing it several times, couldn't bear it and broke off the engagement.
Their stories were so vivid that three people talking about it could make it seem true. The ignorant public was swayed by public opinion and began to condemn the Liu family.
"Niece, what are you saying? When did we want to break off the engagement? We're too late to curry favor with the Liu family." Father Li quickly denied it. Although he had such thoughts before, he absolutely dared not now.
"Whether it's important or not, the important thing is that our Liu family despises your Li family's backstabbing behavior and also looks down on Miss Li. We have better options." Wu Caiwei directly extinguished their hopes.
Old Master Li desperately wanted to cling to them, but he hadn't forgotten Wu Caiwei's frantic actions a few days prior. He could only reluctantly hand over the marriage contract.
After leaving the Wang family, Old Master Li couldn't help but worry. In fact, his concerns were not unfounded. As soon as the news of the broken engagement between the Liu and Li families spread, his workshop in the county town was sealed, and his shops in town were forced to close. The reason given was that someone had eaten at their restaurant and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, dying a few days later. The magistrate suspected they had poisoned the food and ordered an investigation.
Wu Caiwei learned about this because of Li Yan'er. She came to see her, but Wu Caiwei ignored her. Li Yan'er then knelt outside her door and refused to get up.
Wu Caiwei feared that her brother would be swayed, so she ordered the news to be kept quiet, as his tears at the time were not fake.
To be honest, Li Yan'er regretted it at this moment. She knew a crowd of people had gathered behind her, pointing and discussing her. In the past, she would never have been able to put her pride aside, but the Li family had fallen, and her father was in prison with an uncertain fate. The only ones who could speak to the county magistrate were the Liu family.
She knew her actions recently had angered them, but she had no other choice. She could only kneel here to atone and see if she could soften Liu Xiang Jun's heart. After all, when they were together, he looked at her with unusual eyes. She didn't believe he had no feelings for her.
At some point, it started raining heavily. Liu Xiang Jun slowly walked up to her, holding an umbrella. "You finally came to see me." Li Yan'er was overjoyed and wept.
"I advise you not to waste your time. There is no possibility for us. We will have no further ties. Dismiss those unrealistic thoughts as soon as possible." Liu Xiang Jun admitted that his heart bled as he said these words. After all, he had known since childhood that he had a fiancée. He had met her a few times, but her image was firmly etched in his heart, and he longed for the scene of them growing old together.
When Li Yan'er heard this, she broke down. She hugged his legs and looked up, begging, "I know I was wrong. Help me one last time."
Liu Xiang Jun used all his strength to pull his leg out of her embrace. Hearing the sound of her breaking down and crying behind him, he couldn't help but pause.
In the end, his heart softened. He looked at his sister with guilt. Wu Caiwei knew this would happen and couldn't help but roll her eyes. She said irritably, "What are you thinking?"
"I never thought of getting back together with her. After all, they were together for a while. I can't bear to see her family destroyed. I'll help her one last time. From now on, she'll go her separate way, and I'll go mine." Liu Xiang Jun knew that after what had happened, it was impossible for them to be together without any reservations. Moreover, his parents and sister were not happy with her, and as a filial son, he had to consider their opinions.
Wu Caiwei then understood that he just wanted to bid farewell to that relationship. She nodded readily.
Soon, Old Master Li was released. Although he was eventually acquitted, the news of him being taken away by the authorities had spread throughout the small town. His shops reopened, but their business was halved. The townspeople were simple and respected the government. Knowing he had been in prison for a few days, they felt uneasy, and his business remained lukewarm.
Soon, the Li family was no longer the richest family in town. They closed several shops and lived a meager life. His lifelong ambitions could never be realized. Old Master Li became dejected and soon fell ill. His sons took the opportunity to fight over the family property. Old Master Li tried his best to stop them, but he was unable to. He could only watch as the Li family disintegrated. Overwhelmed with grief, he vomited blood and soon passed away.
As for Li Yan'er, she lost her father's favor, and her mother didn't manage the household. Under the arrangement of her brothers and sisters-in-law, she was exchanged for a substantial betrothal gift.
It is said that her life was miserable. Her husband's family was dissatisfied with the small dowry she brought, and they often mocked her. Her husband felt he had bought her with his own money and showed her no respect, often beating and kicking her. At this time, she would often think of Liu Xiang Jun's gentleness, tears blurring her vision.
In the past few days, Wang Zifeng had been pestering her daily. He learned from his uncle that his poison was administered by Wu Caiwei. The moment he heard this news, his first thought was not hatred, but surprise and hope.
He had been tormented for days. He brought all the gold, silver, jewelry, and valuables from his treasury to Wu Caiwei's room and tried to bribe her, saying, "I'll use these things to buy your antidote. What do you think?"
"I think it's fine." Wu Caiwei readily agreed, leaving Wang Zifeng stunned. His prepared speech was useless, making him feel as if he were in a dream. He pinched his thigh and felt pain, realizing that everything was real.