Chapter 32:
“Let go!” Xie Wanning struggled, seeing him stand firm unmoved, and lost her patience: “Even if Young Master Lu is used to being normally unrestrained, he should still see where this place is.”
This was Xuanping Marquis’s Estate, and prominent families’ estates all had their own household guards.
Er Qing following behind her, and the several doorkeepers and guards nearby, saw their own young lady being entangled, and all had very ugly expressions.
They were just waiting for her order to take action.
Even if he, Lu Ziyan, could fight a hundred with one and still gain the upper hand, so what.
Running to someone else’s estate to entangle their young lady, even if he was a powerful court heavyweight, no matter where it was spoken of, it was he who would lose face.
But Lu Ziyan still stood motionless looking at her, looking at the impatience between her eyebrows and eyes, and said in a deep voice: “Wanwan, what do you want me to do to be willing to talk properly with me? No matter how fierce your temperament, you shouldn’t be so heartless over my few words of nonsense, not even giving me the slightest leeway to salvage it.”
The early summer evening breeze was gentle, blowing the jade beads on Xie Wanning’s head to sway lightly, and she was slightly stunned for a moment.
Somewhat realizing why he was so stubborn about not breaking off the engagement.
Yes, in his eyes, she should have been wholeheartedly infatuated with him, yet just because of a few words of nonsense, she insisted on breaking off the engagement, and not only that, he had already humbled himself to seek reconciliation, but she wouldn’t even give him an opportunity to explain.
The sense of disparity was too great, it was normal for him to be unable to accept it for a while.
The matters that happened in those dreams, only she knew.
She couldn’t point at his nose and tell him that she had a dream, dreaming of their future.
Xie Wanning sneered: “You want me to ask that question from that day again, wanting me to talk properly with you?”
Lu Ziyan tightened his grip on her hand, seeing her beautiful lips slightly parted, and said word by word: “After our marriage is called off, considering the affection from growing up together, the next time I see you, perhaps I can manage a good expression.”
……Marriage called off.
Lu Ziyan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his emotions, and said: “Anything except this, except breaking off the engagement, whatever you want me to do is fine.”
“Then there’s nothing to talk about,” Xie Wanning’s expression turned cold, too lazy to say more to him: “Let go!”
The several guards nearby heard the sound and ‘shua’ drew half their sabers from their waists.
Lu Ziyan was utterly oblivious, still staring fixedly at her, trying to find traces of past adoration on her face.
Even a little bit would do.
After a long time, he released his grip in a dazed manner.
Xie Wanning drew out her own wrist, didn’t look at him again, and left directly with her maidservant.
…………
All the way until they had walked far away, Er Qing patted her chest, still with lingering fear: “This servant thought Young Master Lu was really going to fight with our household guards.”
“What is there to fear,” compared to her close maidservant’s shock and panic, Xie Wanning was quite calm and composed, saying indifferently: “This is Xuanping Marquis’s Estate.”
In the dream, her willingness to marry into Lu Family to suffer hardship was her own foolishness, but there was no reason to let Lu Ziyan bully her even in her own home.
Er Qing looked at her calm and composed demeanor, and secretly sighed in her heart; these days, her family’s young lady had really changed a lot.
Before, her whole heart was tied to Young Master Lu, and whoever saw it wouldn’t say she was infatuated.
But now facing her former beloved, she was completely heartless, showing no sign at all that she had once been so joyful.
Not to mention Young Master Lu, even she as the close maidservant was somewhat astonished by this change.
Amid the astonishment, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
How much disappointment and grievance must her family’s young lady have accumulated to become so dead set.
Xie Wanning was completely unaware of what her nearby maidservant was thinking, strolling leisurely under the setting sun.
When arriving at Jinxiu Hall to pay respects to Madam Zheng, Xie Yanyu happened to be there too; seeing her enter, his eyebrows slightly moved: “You’re back at this time, you didn’t run into anyone at the gate, did you?”
Xie Wanning’s steps halted, and she raised her eyes: “I did, was it Elder Brother who let Lu Ziyan in?”
The daughter’s complaining tone made Madam Zheng reveal a slight smile, “You this child, when you liked him you wished to place him on the clouds and hold him up, now that you don’t like him, you can’t even bear to see him?”
She said reprovingly: “You two still have an engagement after all, you must sort it out clearly; the betrothal gifts that should be returned must be returned, the betrothal gifts must also be exchanged back—how can you just cut ties forever like this.”
That was the reasoning, Xie Wanning sat down beside her mother, then looked toward her elder brother: “Then what did he say?”
“He didn’t mention breaking off the engagement at all, only said he wanted to see you once; this time his posture was put very low, finally having a bit of the appearance of seeking marriage.”
Xie Yanyu glanced at her, his tone indifferent: “See, if you had your current mindset earlier, how could he have manipulated you for so many years.”
Prominent families forming marriage alliances emphasized marrying off daughters with face up and taking brides with face down.
Since he wanted to seek marriage with another family’s young lady, he should show the posture of seeking marriage, yet Lu Ziyan had rarely even visited Xie Family before, whereas Xie Wanning had gone frequently to Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate.
Anyone could see that she was the one more invested in this marriage.
Xie Wanning hung her head low, full of guilt.
It was her fault; she had eagerly offered her warm face, single-mindedly liking Lu Ziyan, dragging down her elder brother and parents who, out of consideration for her feelings, had to endure Lu Ziyan’s cold face.
In the dream, her elder brother had even, because of her, taken the initiative to find Lu Ziyan to ask him to dismiss his concubine, but was refused.
One could imagine, Lu Ziyan was always cold-hearted and blunt, without the courtesies between prominent family heirs; his refusal words were absolutely not tactful, probably very harsh.
Just thinking about it, she felt sorry toward her own family.
Madam Zheng, how could she bear to see her pearl-like treasured daughter looking so wilted; she shot her son a glare, hurriedly pulled her daughter’s shoulder, and coaxed: “It’s good that you’ve figured it out now; my daughter’s temperament is pure, treating people with true heart, it’s just Lu Ziyan who doesn’t know to cherish—how can it be blamed on you.”
Xie Yanyu pursed his lips, poured a cup of tea for his younger sister, handed it over, and also softened his voice: “When Father returns, I’ll discuss it with him; in these couple of days when there’s time, we’ll return all the betrothal gifts from Lu Family in full.”
“Will he agree?” Xie Wanning’s eyelids were somewhat red, “Just now seeing him, he didn’t seem willing to break off the engagement.”
Xie Yanyu said indifferently: “If he wants any face, he should know what to do.”
Their family had already clearly expressed their wish to break off the engagement, plainly not intending to make trouble.
Marriage isn’t making enemies; forced marriages aren’t common among prominent families.
The reasoning was this, but Xie Wanning thought of Lu Ziyan’s current changes and was still somewhat uneasy.
This bit of unease, after the news that the concubine kept by Young Lord of Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate was already pregnant spread throughout the Capital City overnight the next day, turned into astonishment.
She remembered in the dream, Liu Manrou’s pregnancy was something she only learned after marrying into Lu Family.
Calculating the days, the wedding date hadn’t arrived yet, and it had inexplicably spread out.
If previously the news of Lu Ziyan keeping a concubine circulating in the Capital City, Xie Wanning was certain Liu Manrou had spread it herself, now she didn’t think so.
