Chapter 16:
These years, she had kept her posture too low, so it was only natural that others looked down on her like this.
Not to mention the Lu Family, even she herself, if not for confirming the dream was real time and again, probably couldn’t have resolved to let go of Lu Ziyan.
Madam Zheng, somewhat exasperated, tapped her brow: “You, if only you’d thought this clearly earlier.”
“It’s not too late now,” Xie Wanning smiled faintly, kneading her mother’s shoulders, and said: “Mother, rest assured, your daughter will never let herself be manipulated like this again.”
Only after dying once did she feel regret; those dreams were as if she had experienced them herself, constantly reminding her how wrong she had been before.
“But don’t overcorrect,” Madam Zheng affectionately patted her daughter’s hand and said warmly: “Our Wanwan is perfect in every way. Lu Ziyan doesn’t know to cherish her; he’s the one without eyes. There are still good men in this world like your father.”
She feared her daughter would get tunnel vision and go to the other extreme, which would be bad.
Xie Wanning softly hummed in acknowledgment and nodded obediently.
Madam Zheng continued: “The Lu Family has been refused three days in a row; they must understand our family’s determination to break off the engagement. Let’s see how they plan to respond.”
“In any case, no matter what, I won’t marry Lu Ziyan,” Xie Wanning helped her mother sit down and said firmly: “Even if he’s willing to send away that concubine, it won’t do.”
Things were developing somewhat differently from the dream; the Lu Family refused to break off the engagement, and Lu Ziyan had even personally come to the door to request a meeting. Xie Wanning had begun to worry that he would first send away Liu Manrou to coax her parents into relenting.
“This is your marriage; as long as you don’t want it, your father and I will never force you,” Seeing her daughter’s full reluctance, Madam Zheng said: “Now we only hope the Lu Family will do it with some dignity, stop the entanglement, and quickly return the marriage certificate.”
…………
Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate, Main Courtyard.
Three invitations lay untouched on the square table, returned as they were; the atmosphere in the hall was tense.
Old Madam Lu leaned obliquely against the soft pillow, her face grim as she looked at her eldest daughter-in-law seated below: “Yan’er still refuses to send away that woman of unknown origin?”
“This…” First Madam Lu’s complexion was no better, “You know how stubborn Yan’er has been since he was young; no one can persuade him when he doesn’t want to.”
Yet, she had never imagined that her son, who was only ever lukewarm toward his fiancée, would one day, for a woman of unknown origin, disregard even his mother and grandmother’s words.
He had hidden her so tightly that when she personally went to that courtyard to see what kind of celestial beauty had bewitched her son, she couldn’t even get through the courtyard gate.
How could she not be angry!
Of course, she wasn’t angry at her own son, but at that cheap maidservant who had seduced him.
“Go,” Old Madam Lu instructed the standing maidservant: “Go to the Front Courtyard and wait. When the Young Lord returns, have him come here.”
By coincidence, Lu Ziyan, who had been busy from dawn till dusk without touching the ground since returning to the capital, came back early today. Hearing his grandmother had summoned him, he went straight to the Back Courtyard without even changing out of his official robes.
Seeing him enter, Old Madam Lu slowly straightened her body. Her turbid eyes looked at her only grandson for a few breaths, but fondness ultimately prevailed; she really couldn’t bear to scold him harshly.
She sighed faintly and said: “If you truly can’t bear to part with that cheap maidservant, then break off the marriage with Wanwan. The Xie Family is strong and won’t let their daughter suffer grievance. Grandmother will find you another noble lady from a lesser family with a softer temperament who will treat your concubine kindly, how about that?”
Even now, the several Madams of the Lu Family still hadn’t considered that the breaking off of the engagement was Xie Wanning’s decision; they all assumed it was the Xie Family refusing to let their daughter, not yet married in, be so neglected by her husband-to-be, and ordering her not to accept any more invitations to come to the Lu Residence.
Old Madam Lu pitied her grandson and, seeing he truly couldn’t let go of that concubine, reluctantly agreed to accommodate him. She thought he would happily accept, but unexpectedly, the person who had just sat down abruptly stood up upon hearing this, suddenly raising his eyes to look over: “The wedding date is set; how can it be broken off just like that.”
This reaction startled the several Madams of the Lu Family.
First Madam Lu said: “You are not yet married, yet you keep a concubine—and one everyone knows about. The Xie Family has a strict family tradition; how can they tolerate you treating their daughter so poorly? A few days ago, they came to propose breaking off the engagement—you know this. It’s been several days, and you still won’t send away that concubine. Your mother thought you had made your choice, so why are you so surprised?”
She pointed at the three gold-embossed invitations on the small square table: “Three days in a row we’ve sent invitations inviting Wanwan to visit, and all were returned without a hint of yielding. Do you still think the Xie Family father and son were joking when they spoke of breaking off the engagement?”
Outside the window, spring rain fell lightly; the maidservants and old women in the room were all silent as cicadas in winter.
In the silence, Lu Ziyan’s dark eyes fell on the invitations, his brow slightly furrowed: “I’ll go to the Xie Residence and talk to her.”
“Stop and think,” First Madam Lu called to her son, amused to anger: “Is your head made of elm wood? The Xie Family is angry that you’re disregarding their daughter’s face by keeping a concubine before marriage. If you don’t deal with that cheap maidservant, do you think you can even get through the Xie Residence gate?”
Clearly a youth who became famous young, repeatedly praised by His Majesty and seen as a key pillar of the state with great hopes placed on him—how could he be so obtuse about matters of men and women.
Looking at her solemn and handsome son, First Madam Lu asked oddly: “My son isn’t thinking that he can keep that cheap maidservant without affecting the marriage, is he?”
She didn’t object to her son having women on both sides, but no matter what, he should still give face to his wife.
The wedding date was still over a month away; for other families, even if there were already bed-warmers, they should be sent away to please the new bride upon entry. But her family was the opposite: originally spotless around him, now entangled with a cheap maidservant at this time.
And making it known to everyone—what was this if not slapping the Lu Family’s face?
Lu Ziyan closed his eyes, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Old Madam Lu assumed her good grandson couldn’t make the decision and couldn’t bear to see him so troubled, so she said gently: “Since you can’t bear to part with either, first move the one outside to another place and announce she’s been sent away. After Wanwan marries in, you can make plans then; it’s not too late.”
………………
That very afternoon, news spread to the Xie Family that Lu Ziyan had sent away his concubine.
Xie Wanning was truly shocked, followed by a wry smile.
…So when she took a firm stance and resolutely refused to accept Liu Manrou, Lu Ziyan really would yield.
Even if it was just a delaying tactic.
Right, Xie Wanning completely didn’t believe Lu Ziyan would be willing to give up Liu Manrou.
Not to mention their tender affections, but by the timeline, Liu Manrou was already carrying his eldest son.
Yet in the dream, he wouldn’t even pretend, not yielding an inch even when her elder brother talked to him.
Because he was certain of her feelings for him.
Relying on her love, he acted without fear.
Now, having let go of all obsessions, Xie Wanning could see it clearly.
But the clearer she saw, the more she felt it wasn’t worth it for herself, the colder her heart grew.
