Chapter 106 – Rebirth is useless

Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen

Zheng Nian wasn’t lying.

Having lived a second life, he now understood what he truly wanted.

In the past, he had been too vain and arrogant, believing that Tang Qing wasn’t good enough for him. Now, all he wanted was to win Tang Qing back and make amends.

In the future he had witnessed, after his divorce from Tang Shanshan, Tang Qing lived alone, unmarried for the rest of his life.

Then, when rebel forces stormed the Imperial Star and the royal family fell, he lost all trace of Tang Qing forever.

In that lifetime, he never got another chance to earn Tang Qing’s forgiveness.

Looking back at the course of this life, most of it aligned with the parallel world he remembered: his engagement to Tang Qing, being manipulated by Tang Shanshan, the broken engagement—all following a similar path.

But in that parallel world, Tang Qing never married.

In this life, however, he had married into the royal family.

Zheng Nian, convinced he could predict the trajectory of history, believed that after the rebelion, the once-glorious royal family would collapse overnight, and Tang Qing, as a member of that family, would surely meet a tragic end.

Especially since Tang Qing had married Xie Qingzhi!

That infamous royal madman!

There was no guarantee Tang Qing would even survive long enough to see the rebellion.

“Tang Tang, listen to me—I know you might not be able to forgive me right now, and that’s okay, I can wait. But you must divorce Xie Qingzhi. Staying with him will only lead to ruin!”

Zheng Nian’s face was flushed with agitation as he gripped Tang Qing’s hand tightly, speaking with impassioned urgency.

Just then, a sharp female voice cut in.

“Zheng Nian, what are you doing here?” Tang Shanshan, dressed in an elegant gown, hurried over. When she saw the scene before her, her eyes instantly welled with tears.

“Elder Brother, I’m sorry… Are you still angry with me? It’s all my fault. I’m the one who caused Zheng Nian to break off the engagement with you. It’s all because of me.”

As she spoke, Tang Shanshan looped her arm through Zheng Nian’s, adopting a fearful, vulnerable posture, leaning against him as she always had, trying to cling to him like before.

She knew Zheng Nian had a deeply chauvinistic streak—playing the weak, helpless girl always earned his sympathy.

But this time, Zheng Nian shattered his usual gentlemanly demeanor and shoved Tang Shanshan away in disgust.

The push was so forceful that it sent her stumbling backward, crashing hard into the table behind her.

Tang Shanshan fell to the ground in a daze, looking up at her fiancé in bewildered shock.

This was the first time Zheng Nian had ever been so rough with her.

“Tang Shanshan, the only reason I agreed to become engaged to you was to have a chance to see Tang Qing again. I would never actually marry you—you opportunistic, fickle woman.”

After spitting out these venomous words, Zheng Nian didn’t even glance at her, turning his attention back to Tang Qing instead.

Hearing his words, Tang Shanshan’s mind went blank.

To be so openly despised by her own fiancé at their engagement ceremony, in front of everyone—it was utterly humiliating. Her face burned with shame.

She didn’t understand why Zheng Nian had suddenly turned on her like this over the past few days.

But she didn’t dare provoke him further; she knew he responded better to weakness than defiance.

So she wiped the tears from her face, put on a pitiful expression, and looked toward Tang Qing, raising her voice slightly:

“Elder Brother, did you come here today just to seduce my fiancé and get back at me?”

At her words, the eyes of the crowd shifted to Tang Qing, their expressions changing instantly.

Compared to Zheng Nian’s disjointed ramblings, Tang Shanshan’s tearful accusation was far more direct and damning.

Tang Qing almost laughed in disbelief.

He had only planned to make a brief, polite appearance before returning to the Duke’s residence.

He never expected to get caught up in this messy drama between the two of them.

“Miss Tang Shanshan, I have zero interest in your fiancé and have never tried to seduce him. Don’t make baseless accusations.”

“As for you, Young Master Zheng Nian, I have no idea what you’re talking about. In any case, we had mutually agreed to end our engagement—we owe each other nothing. Please stop saying these strange things to me. I am now married to His Highness Xie Qingzhi, and as long as he does not reject me, I will not divorce him.”

Seeing Tang Qing’s protective stance toward Xie Qingzhi, Zheng Nian felt a pang of heartache.

It was all his fault for not cherishing Tang Qing, for pushing him into the hands of that royal madman. The thought of how Tang Qing must live in constant fear under that madman’s control, forced to please Xie Qingzhi just to avoid abuse, made his heart ache unbearably.

“Tang Tang, it’s all my fault, but you shouldn’t have married Xie Qingzhi out of spite because of me. He’s nothing but a madman! I, Zheng Nian, would risk my life to beg His Majesty the Emperor to grant you a divorce!”

Tang Qing was growing angry.

“Zheng Nian, what’s wrong with you? His Highness Xie Qingzhi treats me very well. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful my marriage partner turned out to be him, and not anyone else. I believe there’s no one in this world more suited to me than him.”

“You don’t need to act like you’re saving me from some living hell. My husband isn’t the monster you all make him out to be—on the contrary, he’s better than what anyone could have imagined. I’m with him willingly, and as long as he doesn’t reject me, I will remain his wife.”

What Tang Qing said truly came from the heart.

Compared to his two former fiancés—who were engaged to him while entangled with his half-siblings—Xie Qingzhi was far better than any of them.

Sure, his “collector’s obsession” was a bit unusual, but he had never harmed Tang Qing. Under his protection, Tang Qing had found peace and avoided much of the Tang family’s shady dealings.

“Tang Tang, don’t give up on yourself like this! I will find a way to get you away from Xie Qingzhi!”

Tang Qing finally realized: no matter how much he talked until he was blue in the face, Zheng Nian simply wasn’t listening to a word he said.

All Tang Qing wanted to do was to free his arm and leave this troublesome situation, letting the couple sort out their own drama.

He quietly lifted his leg, ready to kick away the man gripping his arm.

“What kind of drama are we performing here?”

The so-called “royal madman” had silently appeared behind them, watching with apparent amusement.

Startled by Xie Qingzhi’s sudden presence, Tang Qing worried he’d be seen making an undignified move.

He quickly pulled his foot back, losing his balance slightly and leaning against Xie Qingzhi’s solid chest.

Seeing Xie Qingzhi, Zheng Nian finally released his grip.

Tang Qing breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to his husband’s side, rubbing his sore arm.

This was one downside of being a Beta—their physical strength was no match for an Alpha’s.

But soon, Zheng Nian’s next move shocked him.

Zheng Nian suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud and declared loudly:

“Your Grace, I beg you, please let Tang Qing go!”

“If you have even a shred of compassion for him, please divorce him and give him a chance at life, I implore you…”

Zheng Nian, in full view of everyone, was actually pleading with Tang Qing’s newlywed husband to divorce him.

The crowd was stunned.

They had never witnessed such an absurd scene.

“Is Young Master Zheng… out of his mind?”

“I heard he was the one who called off the engagement with Tang Qing, and now at his own engagement party, he’s begging Tang Qing’s husband to divorce him.”

But Zheng Nian paid no attention to the whispers and pointing.

Xie Qingzhi was mad, disfigured, and wouldn’t live long once the rebels invaded. He just hoped Xie Qingzhi would have enough self-awareness to let Tang Qing go. He was the one truly suited for Tang Qing.

Tang Qing had no idea what Zheng Nian was thinking now. He felt nervous and looked up at Xie Qingzhi.

Would his husband think he was still entangled with his ex?

He pressed his lips together slightly, afraid this unpredictable Duke would direct his anger toward him.

But Xie Qingzhi only let out a derisive laugh, as if he’d heard the world’s biggest joke. Beneath the silver mask, his gray-blue eyes were shadowed, his voice icy: “And what are you, to plead for my wife here?”

Born into nobility and armed with the experience of two lifetimes, Zheng Nian wasn’t as afraid of Xie Qingzhi as he once was. Mustering his courage, he met Xie Qingzhi’s snake-like gaze and said firmly, “Your Grace, if you truly care for Tang Qing even a little, you should know that letting him go is what’s best for him.”

A scornful chuckle rumbled in Xie Qingzhi’s throat.

“I’m rather curious where you found the standing or the nerve to say that to me.” The man was exceptionally tall, looking down coldly at Zheng Nian from his height.

“What is best for Tang Qing is not for you—who hurt him—to decide.”

Those gray-blue eyes were sinister and terrifying, sending chills down the spine.

The courage Zheng Nian had mustered quickly faded, leaving him rigid and speechless.

“If you feel guilty and want to make it up to Tang Qing, you don’t need to beg me. Tang Qing is his own person. You only need to respect his wishes: never appear before him again, and take your fiancée as far away as possible.”

“Instead of properly handling your own fiancée at your engagement party, you manhandle Tang Qing and tarnish his reputation for nothing.”

Hearing Xie Qingzhi’s words, Tang Qing felt a wave of gratitude.

He never expected Xie Qingzhi not to be angry, but to fully consider his perspective.

He was certain he’d never given Zheng Nian any hint of wanting reconciliation, yet Zheng Nian kept pestering him.

Making such a scene in public would only embarrass Tang Qing.

“You showed Tang Qing no consideration when you broke off the engagement, and now you want a grand, dramatic reunion? Do you think you’re being brave and moving? I don’t know whether to call you selfish and arrogant, or just as stupid as a dog.”

With that, Xie Qingzhi lifted his leg and kicked Zheng Nian to the ground with a heavy thud.

His voice was dark and violent, sending shivers down the spine:

“Let me make this clear: in this life, Tang Qing can only be my wife.”

“Even if I become a ghost, I will never let him go. Even in death, I’ll drag him down with me.”

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