After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Meng Yu walked slowly behind Mei Wanyin, picked up a small stone, and threw it into the pond, startling the fish that had gathered around Mei Wanyin's hand.

"Did you call me here for something?"

Seeing that all the fish had escaped, Mei Wanyin turned around with some annoyance. When she saw that it was Meng Yu, she was startled and hurriedly stood up. However, a glint flashed in her eyes.

She hadn't seen Meng Yu in a long time.

The last time they met was during their engagement; she peeked at them through a crack in the screen in her mother's room.

Looking at Meng Yu up close now, he seemed even more handsome and dashing. Meng Yu's eyes held a hint of nonchalance, and his whole being exuded a lazy and casual air, radiating a strong sense of unruliness, spontaneity, and a rebellious spirit that defied discipline.

This was completely different from the scholars Mei Wanyin usually encountered; he stood out remarkably. Mei Wanyin could almost hear her own heart pounding.

Meng Yu hadn't seen Mei Wanyin for a long time either. Separated by two lifetimes and the long river of time, he could hardly remember that Mei Wanyin had ever been so delicate and radiant.

He was momentarily dazed when he saw the other person turn their head and look at him with brimming eyes.

For a moment, the two looked at each other without saying a word.

"This is the inner courtyard, how did you get in here?" Mei Wanyin was the first to come to her senses, and then she turned her head back to Meng Yu.

"Tsk, didn't you send me?" Meng Yu also came to his senses, his voice lazy.

"You're talking nonsense! When did I send you here?" Mei Wanyin said with a hint of anger.

"You're accusing me for no reason; I might as well just smash my head against a wall."

After saying this, Mei Wanyin's eyes filled with tears, and she turned around to run into a rock on the side.

No sooner said than done. Suddenly, a maid rushed out from the side, grabbed Mei Wanyin around the waist and hugged her tightly, then knelt down in front of the two of them with a "plop".

"Miss, it's me!"

"It was a note I wrote to Young Master Meng, inviting him to come here."

Meng Yu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a maid in a blue jacket kneeling on the ground. Meng Yu recognized the maid; she was Lüzhi, Mei Wanyin's personal maid.

"You brat! What have I done to wrong you? Why are you doing this to me?!" Mei Wanyin cried, furious.

"If people find out I'm having an affair with a man, how can I live?"

Mei Wanyin cursed as she forcefully pounded Green Branch with her fist. But the force was like pounding a cotton pillow—delicate and gentle. The two lines of clear tears on her face made her even more pitiful.

“Young Master Meng, that note was written on my own initiative, it has nothing to do with Miss.” Green Branch kowtowed to Meng Yu, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Since our engagement, Miss has been unable to eat or sleep properly for several months, and has become terribly thin. I couldn't bear to see her like this any longer, so I mustered up the courage to pass you this note."

“Miss, if you have something to say, just tell Young Master Meng directly. It’s better than keeping it to yourself and suffering.”

Both mistress and servant were shedding tears. Tsk, tsk, they were truly like delicate flowers glistening with dew, possessing a unique charm. Even the most hard-hearted person would likely soften.

Meng Yu crossed his arms, watching the two women put on an act with a half-smile. He wondered to himself how he could have been so blind in his past life, failing to see through such a contrived performance.

In their past lives, Mei Wanyin and Lüzhi would often stage such a scene. Usually, it was Lüzhi who would speak up for Mei Wanyin, risking punishment to stand up for her, while the latter would never say much, silently enduring the situation, appearing both forbearing and resilient.

And I actually believed it.

"Alright, you can go now. I'll have a good talk with your young lady."

Meng Yu waved his hand, dismissing Lü Zhi, then lifted his robe and sat down opposite Mei Wanyin.

"Is your engagement to me making you very unhappy?" Meng Yu asked calmly.

Mei Wanyin lowered her head, clutching the handkerchief in her hand, and remained silent.

"Since you are unwilling to accept this marriage, Mei Er, how about we annul the engagement?"

Mei Wanyin paused in pulling at her handkerchief, then finally raised her head and looked at Meng Yu.

"Marriage is a major life event that is always arranged by parents and matchmakers. Does it matter whether I want to or not?"

"Besides, the marriage between the Meng and Mei families is not something that you and I can control."

"The new emperor has not been on the throne for long, and the court is in turmoil. The Meng family holds a large army to guard the northern border, but they have no one in the court. The Mei family is the opposite; they have people in the court, but no troops, so they will have difficulty protecting themselves in critical moments."

“Our marriage is a matter of the rise and fall of our two families. I have grown up in the Mei family in luxury since I was a child, and I cannot abandon the interests of the entire Mei clan for my own selfish reasons.”

"I know that Young Master Meng is a free spirit and has many female companions. I dare not ask for anything else, I only hope that for the sake of the interests of both families, Young Master Meng will not make things too difficult for me."

"If you have a woman you like, you may bring her into the manor a year after the marriage. I will have no objection."

Mei Wanyin spoke softly, recounting each and every incident in detail. It was the forbearance and gentleness that Meng Yu had seen in his previous life, as well as the grievances of sacrificing oneself for the greater good.

Mei Wanyin had said these words in her previous life, but only on their wedding night. At the time, it filled Meng Yu with immense guilt and pity. From then on, he always treated her with utmost respect, giving her everything a matriarch of the household should have.

In this life, Meng Yu has no intention of doing it again.

In his previous life, the marriage between the Meng and Mei families was indeed very important at that time. However, in this life, since he already knew the future development and fate of all parties, this marriage was insignificant.

However, there was one thing Meng Yu couldn't understand: in his previous life, he had quite a few concubines—two in the Duke of Wei's mansion and two more in the Northern Frontier, two of whom were taken in by Mei Wanyin herself. So why couldn't she tolerate Gan Cai'er?

"The predicaments of the Meng and Mei families are not limited to marriage as an option. You, a weak woman, should not take on these responsibilities."

“I have always been fond of indulging in sensual pleasures and have a dissolute lifestyle. It’s not something that can be changed overnight. I’m afraid I can’t do what you’re talking about. It would be better if you informed Prime Minister Mei and asked him to annul the engagement.”

"Just say I'm of poor character and untrustworthy." Meng Yu spoke of himself without a care in the world.

"Our engagement is common knowledge in the capital. If we break it off, how am I supposed to face anyone after this? If you want to break off the engagement, you might as well give me a white silk ribbon and let me die!"

Mei Wanyin's tone was resolute, and then she began to wipe away her tears.

"Hey, A-Cai, didn't you say before that unmarried men and women meeting in private is considered 'illicit'?"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out not far from the two of them.