Pretend he was dead?
That worked for her.
Zheng Qian stood up.
"I had a way to reconnect your leg," she said calmly. "I even told you before. But since you're so heartless, I'll pretend you're dead as well. Goodbye, Brother."
As she turned to leave, she suddenly swept her sleeve across the table, sending bowls and plates crashing to the floor.
Everyone was shocked—including Zheng Chi.
He had never seen her lose her temper like that.
Strangely, he respected her more now.
He had always hated her old timid, fawning personality. Seeing her now—bold and fierce—felt oddly refreshing.
"Stop," he barked.
Zheng Qian turned back.
"Oh? Brother, you resurrected? Dead people can talk now?"
"Impudent!" Zheng Chi snapped.
Zheng Qian studied him thoughtfully.
"Impudent?" she repeated slowly.
Was that something a mere marquis' son should say?
For a moment Zheng Chi looked uneasy before recovering.
"Why smash dishes in my courtyard?" he demanded.
"I'm unhappy. So I smashed them," Zheng Qian said. "Want compensation? I can throw silver at your face. After all, Ancheng Junwang just gave me thirty thousand taels."
Zheng Chi's face turned dark.
Finally he asked coldly, "What did you want me to help with?"
He had yielded first.
Zheng Qian smiled inwardly.
Relationships were like springs—push harder, and the other side moved back.
"I want to break my engagement with the Wen family," she said.
"Wen Zhao isn't a good match. Marrying him would mean raising a whole pack of huskies like his grandmother—cleaning up their disasters forever."
Zheng Chi blinked.
"What is a husky?"
"A type of dog," Zheng Qian said seriously. "Beautiful, angelic smile… but completely brainless. If you're not careful, it will tear your entire house apart."
Zheng Chi had never heard of such a creature.
He sighed deeply.
"You're almost eighteen," he said. "Breaking an engagement now will make remarriage difficult."
"I've thought it through."
"I've investigated the Wen family's dowry," Zheng Qian continued. "They already gave forty thousand taels to our household, but it's likely been spent. I'll slowly retrieve it from Father and repay them."
"You worked with Xiao Mingyu to earn money for this?" Zheng Chi asked.
"Yes."
After a moment he said coldly, "You're ordinary in appearance. Even if you break the engagement, what kind of husband do you expect to find?"
"You could say I'm not pretty without being so direct," Zheng Qian said.
"You are ordinary," he replied bluntly. "Why else would Father dislike you?"
She sighed dramatically.
"Brother, you hurt my heart."
Zheng Chi didn't understand the phrase at all.
"Just write the cancellation letter," Zheng Qian said. "If I can't marry later, I won't rely on you."
"That's for the best," he replied.
"After this, we'll both keep our promises and pretend the other is dead."
"Good."
He called for paper.
Soon he wrote a formal cancellation letter, promising to return forty thousand taels to the Wen family and declaring the engagement void.
He stamped it with his seal.
Zheng Qian was delighted.
"Since you kept your promise, I'll keep mine," she said. "Let me examine your leg."
"You said I was dead," Zheng Chi replied coldly. "Dead men don't need treatment."
Zheng Qian sighed.
"Think about it again. I can make you a prosthetic leg. You'll walk with a slight limp, but otherwise you'll be normal."
Zheng Chi pointed to the door.
She picked up her cat, took the cancellation letter, and left.
After she was gone, Yuzhong entered.
"Master, why not let her try?" he asked.
Zheng Chi gave him a cold glance.
"A prosthetic is just another crutch," he said.
His entire leg was gone. How could any device replace it?
He had already lost hope.
Eight years ago he had become a living corpse.
"No one can make me walk again," he thought coldly.
No one.