Chapter 82: Don’t Ever Think I’ll Come Back—Never!

Upon hearing this, Hua Qingci nearly jumped up in fury. “Utterly ungrateful, sick in the head—deserves to die from her illness!” she muttered angrily, turning her back on Qin Youtian in frustration.

“Whether I live or die is none of your concern!” Qin Youtian, usually reserved, retorted sharply.

“You—hmph!” Hua Qingci, enraged, sprang upright, arms crossed before her chest. “Ungrateful wretch, like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, unable to recognize kindness!”

“I don’t recognize your so-called kindness. Besides, are you really a good person?”

“You—you’re infuriating!” Hua Qingci clenched her molars tightly.

“Get out!” Qin Youtian, ablaze with anger, felt his only bottom line was being trampled. This damned woman repeatedly tried to touch that boundary—his tolerance was already lenient. Had it been anyone else, he’d have torn them apart long ago.

“Qin Youtian! How dare you tell me to leave?” Hua Qingci leapt from the bed, burning with rage. “Fine, you said it. I’ll go! It’s not like anyone can’t live without the other. You just wait for your death.”

She quickly dressed herself. From childhood, she had been pampered; no one had ever dared treat her so harshly. Now, she was truly beside herself with anger. All thoughts of Qin Youtian’s virtues, his pitiable illness, his repeated rescues—at this moment, none of it mattered.

Let him die or live—it had nothing to do with her.

After gathering her belongings, and seeing Qin Youtian unmoved, Hua Qingci tightened her bundle and walked out.

As she stepped outside, she caught sight of Qin Mingyue’s disappearing silhouette.

Qin Mingyue had been eavesdropping at the wall, repeatedly tempted to barge in and tell Hua Qingci it was time to leave, even though it was the middle of the night.

But the atmosphere inside was too ambiguous, and as an experienced woman, she stayed by the door, listening, waiting for the two to finish whatever they were doing before entering.

She often wished that if it weren’t for Lord Qian’s affair, things would be so much better—Hua Qingci had won her son’s affection, and she herself was reluctant to separate them.

Yet Lord Qian was someone they simply couldn’t afford to offend.

As she pondered, she was surprised to hear the two suddenly start quarreling again.

She only heard Qin Youtian telling Hua Qingci to leave.

At that moment, she felt delighted. She had expected to quarrel with her son again, but unexpectedly, he let Hua Qingci go.

Suddenly, she felt her son was still hers, their hearts still aligned.

She resolved that once Hua Qingci was gone, she would personally choose a gentle, considerate wife for her son, carefully overseeing it for his sake.

Qin Mingyue returned to her room. There was still some silver left from what Hua Qingci had given her last time. Knowing Hua Qingci had a house in the county, she felt reassured.

Once Hua Qingci left the Qin family, whether she remarried was her own affair. In these times, she couldn’t stop anyone, and even if she married Lord Qian, Qin Mingyue would simply pretend not to see.

She took the written divorce letter in hand, rushed to Qin Youtian’s room, and, without uttering a word, grabbed his hand and pressed his fingerprint onto it.

Throughout, Qin Youtian thought it was Hua Qingci being coquettish. He impatiently withdrew his hand and went back to sleep.

Qin Mingyue, elated, hurried after Hua Qingci.

“Qingci, wait!”

Outside, Hua Qingci had just stepped out of the Qin family courtyard.

She lingered, wondering if Qin Youtian would come out to apologize, but instead, it was Qin Mingyue who appeared.

She realized then that this time, she truly had to leave.

“Qingci, please don’t blame Tian’er. It was my idea. Our family truly has no more silver to give,” Qin Mingyue said, choking up. She knew it was hard to treat a child without parents this way, and she felt reluctant, but her son mattered more to her than anyone else; she could only sacrifice Hua Qingci.

She wiped her tears, sniffed, handed the divorce letter to Hua Qingci, and gave her the few remaining pieces of silver.

Hua Qingci glanced at them but did not accept.

Seeing this, Qin Mingyue hurriedly persuaded her, for her son’s sake. “Qingci, please don’t blame me. Sometimes a mother has no choice. When you have your own child someday, you’ll understand how I feel now.”

Qin Mingyue had once wished Hua Qingci would die in the mountains, but then thought herself too cruel.

“Madam Qin, I understand,” Hua Qingci replied, even changing her form of address. She cast a glance at the doorway, took the divorce letter, and turned to leave without hesitation.

“Qin Youtian, don’t ever think I’ll return—never!” Hua Qingci declared. As she spoke, a resolute crystal tear dropped from her bright eyes, and with wind beneath her feet, she walked away swiftly.