Chapter 25: It Is My Fault!

"What do you mean?" Nan Yan was even more confused.

He let out a long sigh. "Actually... the letter of divorce was not my wish. Back then, I knelt for three days and three nights just to beg the old Duke to allow you to marry me. After three years of deep affection, how could I bear to cast you aside just like that?"

Nan Yan furrowed her brows. Did Meng Boji mean that he had been forced by Madam Meng and the Dowager to write the divorce letter?

But it was true that Xia Qingfei was his mistress, wasn't it? And it was true that he intended to bring her into the family, right? That betrayal could not be fake!

Meng Boji seemed to see through her thoughts and even shed tears.

"It is all my fault... I am to blame. It was a moment of drunken folly—"

"Qingfei has indeed been entangled with me all these years, but she is not my mistress!"

Nan Yan narrowed her eyes, her expression impossible to read—it was unclear whether she believed him or not.

"My heart belongs only to you, Yan'er! I never expected to encounter Qingfei again in the capital, and she has been pestering me relentlessly!"

"She and I are from the same hometown. She is particularly favored by my grandmother, and my mother is partial to her as well."

"The most unexpected thing is... she actually drugged my wine, which is why she became pregnant with my child..."

Meng Boji sobbed as he spoke. "And even more shocking is that my mother and grandmother were helping her the whole time!"

"When they found out Qingfei was pregnant, they forced me to stage this scene tonight to divorce you..."

"If I refused, they threatened to torture you. How could I let you suffer? I had no choice but to agree."

"But who would have known they had another vicious scheme—"

"The wine you just drank was exactly what my mother and grandmother wanted me to give you. It was only after you left that I overheard the three of them and realized the wine was poisoned. They intended to find someone to ruin your virtue—"

At this point, Meng Boji nervously gripped Nan Yan’s shoulders, then wept with relief.

"Fortunately, I was in time to save you. You were not harmed; otherwise, I would never be able to atone for my sins, even if I died ten thousand times—"

His words sounded so sincere and heartfelt that it seemed as if he were truly the victim of those three women's persecution.

"Now that your father and brother have been framed for colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, I know you are anxious and worried. You must trust me—"

"The divorce letter was truly a last resort. If I hadn't written it, the matter concerning your father and brother would inevitably have implicated the entire Meng family—"

"By distancing the Meng family, at least I will still have a voice in the imperial court to speak on this matter, won't I?"

Hearing this, the last flicker of suspicion in Nan Yan's eyes vanished completely.

She was certain that Meng Boji was lying to her.

Weren't these the exact words she had heard in her dream? Every single word was identical!

Tears instantly welled up as Nan Yan looked at Meng Boji in despair. She had already guessed his true intentions.

Looking back at the version of herself in the dream, she was likely hovering nearby, screaming at herself not to believe him.

How ironic!

Wanting to hear him state his purpose himself, Nan Yan played along with his charade.

"Will you... truly plead for my father and brother before the Emperor?"

"That goes without saying—they are, after all, my father and my brother as well!"

Nan Yan remembered clearly that in her dream, she could see the heavy calculation in his eyes; now, she could see it even more distinctly.

He continued his feigned affection, step by step, coaxing and bewitching her.

"You should stay at the estate outside the city for a while. Once things have calmed down, I will surely welcome you back!"

"Saving your father and brother will inevitably require silver. I am afraid... it will require your dowry, as well as the fields and assets of the Duke's estate..."

"But rest assured! I will never touch the Duke's silver unless absolutely necessary—I would rather give up this large Meng family residence!"

Every word, every hypocritical gesture, was exactly the same as in the dream.

If she hadn't seen his look of triumph after his scheme succeeded in her dream, Nan Yan might truly have been deceived!

The version of herself in the dream had been trembling with rage, and she felt the same intense hatred now. She wanted nothing more than to tear this unfaithful man to pieces—

But it was not yet the time.

Nan Yan pretended to believe him. "Even if we were to give up the Meng residence, I fear it would not be enough to bribe all the officials..."

"Besides, if you truly lose the house, where would you live? Where would the entire Meng family live?"

"I will give you the dowry list, as well as the deeds to the Duke's land and property. Whatever it takes, we must save my father and brother—"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Meng Boji joyfully pulled her into his arms. "Rest assured, I will do everything in my power!"

Right now, he must be wearing that look of triumph, right?

Nan Yan smiled as well. Since he was heartless, he could not blame her for being ruthless!

She pitied her past self for being so angry and full of self-reproach in the dream, regretting that she hadn't possessed this mindset then, only to make herself sick with rage.

Fortunately, it hadn't been in vain. At the very least, that dream had let her know in advance that the deed to the Meng family mansion was the key.

And because of that, she had been able to prepare tonight before the Meng family demanded the divorce, successfully securing her dowry.

Nan Yan lifted her head from his chest. "The dowry list is at Baohua Temple, and so is the deed to the Meng family mansion!"

"When you were sent to Zhuxi Town to compile the local gazetteer, the abbot of Baohua Temple said that praying with one’s most cherished possessions would ensure safety. I rented a room there, and on the first and fifteenth of every month, I would pray with that dowry list. The list is kept under the Buddhist shrine in that room."

"Everything happened so suddenly tonight that I haven't had a chance to retrieve it, but the dowry and valuables have already been transported back to the Duke’s estate."

"It’s perfect. I will go back and retrieve the Nan family’s lands and property. As long as it is to save my father and brother, my grandfather will not refuse!"

"At Baohua Temple?!" Meng Boji’s eyes lit up.

"Yes, the second room from the left in the side courtyard on the south side."

Nan Yan paused. "Those men earlier only wanted to abduct me and ruin my virtue, so this poison is likely not lethal."

"But my body is weak and I cannot walk. There is no time to lose; you must go to Baohua Temple and retrieve it!"

Meng Boji wished he could sprout wings and fly there immediately, but he still had to appease Nan Yan.

"And what about you, Yan'er..."

"I will wait for you here. Once you return, I will accompany you back to the Duke’s estate to see my grandfather!"

"Good!"

Meng Boji rushed out of the ruined temple, unable to contain his impatience.

In truth, there was no dowry list. Nan Yan had only said this to trick Meng Boji into leaving so she would have time to escape.

And, as a lesson to him, it would serve as some measure of justice for herself, for the coachman who had died so tragically, and for Nanny Su and Bie Zhi!

Once Meng Boji was gone, Nan Yan’s tears flowed like a fountain.

She had successfully taken her dowry tonight, and she had thought that by doing so, she had changed the dream, ensuring it would not come true.

Yet, it had happened anyway. This meant that even if she could use the dream to foresee some events, she could not change them.

If that were the case, then her father and brother... were likely in grave danger.

Realizing this, Nan Yan could not stop her tears.

She forced herself to ignore the dizziness and weakness caused by the poison, biting her tongue until it bled. Stimulated by the sweet, metallic scent of blood and the pain, she struggled to rise.

Leaning against the wall, she took a single step, only to collapse once more.