Chapter 4:
Her words had just fallen when a light laugh sounded from the side.
It was the man who had come with Xie Yanyu. Seeing her line of sight turn toward him, the man’s smile paused slightly as he nodded faintly in greeting. “Young Lady, do not blame me. I was impolite.”
He was dressed in a cyan long robe, extremely tall in stature, with an elegant demeanor. Just standing there was enough to attract everyone’s line of sight.
At this moment, however, he was slightly lowering his head, his eyes containing a smile as he apologized to her, his entire bearing unlike that of an ordinary person.
His voice was gentle and slow, making one feel as refreshed as a spring breeze upon hearing it.
Xie Wanning only met his gaze for an instant before hurriedly looking away.
She had always been bold, yet at this moment she felt somewhat uncharacteristically uneasy. Only after averting her eyes did she steady her mind, when she heard him say again, “But I guess your elder brother is not someone who has become pedantic from reading books…”
He paused, his gaze turning toward the bustling Zhuque Street, and smiled. “Rather, it is that Young Lady’s beauty is too striking and overly eye-catching.”
Xie Wanning was slightly stunned upon hearing this. Following his line of sight, she finally noticed that the passing pedestrians would all glance over here surreptitiously.
“…” She fell silent for a moment, withdrew her line of sight, glanced at him, and said with a half-smile, “Does Young Master not look in the mirror in his daily life?”
How could he say such things about her being eye-catching.
“Wanwan,” Xie Yanyu interrupted their exchange from the side, saying helplessly, “This is the Young Lord of Duke Pei’s Mansion. Do not be rude.”
Xie Wanning was stunned.
The Young Lord of Duke Pei’s Mansion?
She thought for a moment and finally found information about this Young Lord in her memory.
The son of Princess Duanyang, born prematurely, he had been weak from the womb and was diagnosed by the Imperial Doctor as not living past thirty years old.
The Princess was His Majesty’s own elder sister, of noble status. This Young Lord was not only her eldest son but also her only son. Even with his weak constitution and the look of early death, he had still been granted the title of Young Lord at three years old, his position unshakable.
It was said that this Young Lord had poor health, did not like going out to meet guests, had no interest in vying for power in officialdom, and only devoted himself to mountains and rivers, living a life like an idle cloud wild crane.
From the time he was seventeen, the matter of selecting a Young Lord’s Wife had been put on the agenda. Even with his poor health, his status was after all noble. As long as he was willing to speak of taking a wife, the young ladies of the Capital City were all his to choose.
Yet he had not the slightest intention of taking a wife and having sons.
According to rumors in the streets, this lord had personally said that he was not someone who could live for many more years, so it was better not to marry and harm some other family’s young lady.
This had driven his parents who were eager for him to leave an heir to desperation…
He could be considered an outlier among the noble families of the Capital City.
Xie Wanning suddenly understood in her heart. No wonder she had never seen him; this Young Lord was very low-key and rarely appeared in public. It would be strange if she had seen him.
…Born so good-looking, if he just went out and walked around more, he would not be so unknown.
Xie Wanning could not help but lift her eyes to look again. Perhaps due to preconceived notions, this time she finally saw the unnatural pallor on the handsome face of the man before her.
It was the color of long-term illness and weak constitution…
Pei Yuqing happened to lower his gaze, their lines of sight meeting, and he was slightly taken aback before smiling. “Your younger sister is innocent and adorable, speaking without reserve. There is no need for excessive courtesy.”
Xie Wanning blinked her eyelashes upon hearing this.
…Speaking without reserve?
Her gaze met his as she asked, “May I ask how old the Young Lord is?”
He did not look very old, so how could he so naturally use an elder’s tone to speak of her.
The young lady’s eyes flickered, as if rippling with autumn waves. Pei Yuqing’s gaze paused slightly, and he looked away first, saying warmly, “I am many years older than you.”
Xie Wanning showed a curious expression and pursued, “How many is many?”
Xie Yanyu’s face darkened slightly upon hearing this, and he frowned. “Wanwan!”
“…” Xie Wanning was speechless.
How had she forgotten that there was still a lecturing elder brother beside her.
She immediately withdrew her line of sight, lowered her head to appear obediently receiving instruction, and said, “I was wrong, Elder Brother. Do not be fierce with me.”
Xie Yanyu had always doted on his younger sister and could not bear to truly scold her. He sighed inwardly, reached out to untie the reins, handed them to his younger sister, and instructed, “Remember to return home early.”
“Got it, got it,” Xie Wanning took the reins with a grin, nimbly flipped onto the horse. “I will return home soon.”
Once those master and servant had whipped their horses and left, Xie Yanyu withdrew his line of sight, only to see his good friend beside him absent-minded, completely different from his usual calm and composed demeanor, not knowing what he was thinking.
Xie Yanyu’s heart thumped. He paused slightly and said, “Changqing, do not take offense. My little sister is just like that in personality and had no intention of teasing you.”
“No harm,” Pei Yuqing turned to look at him and smiled. “The young lady is lively and adorable. I only feel she has true temperament. How could I take offense.”
“…” Xie Yanyu inexplicably felt something was off, but seeing his good friend already turning to walk toward the teahouse, he could only withdraw his thoughts and follow.
………..
Xie Wanning had been betrothed to Lu Ziyan since childhood, and coming to the Lu Family was like returning to her own home. But this time as she stepped through the gates of Wuyuan Marquis’s Estate, her heart felt somewhat heavy.
The scene from the dream unfolded bit by bit in her mind, impossible to ignore.
She headed to the Main Courtyard as usual. As she walked, her skirt swayed, her bearing graceful and splendid, yet her brows were slightly furrowed, as if worried.
Old Madam Lu was reclining on the couch, chatting with her two daughters-in-law. Seeing her enter, a smile appeared on her face. “Wanwan is here? I was just thinking of you.”
Xie Wanning paid her respects, holding the pastries she had brought, and smiled faintly. “On the way here, I passed by Linji Pastry Shop and remembered you like the chestnut pastries there, so I bought a few packages to bring.”
The old lady was advanced in age with poor teeth, so she could only eat soft and easy-to-digest food. Though the Marquis’s Estate did not lack such pastries, Linji Pastry Shop’s business was extremely good, and personally going to buy them was a token of affection.
“Wanwan is a filial child,” Old Madam Lu took her hand and patted it, saying happily, “In less than two months, it will be the wedding date. This old body has waited so many years and is finally about to see you and Yan’er marry.”
“Indeed,” First Madam Lu from the side looked at Xie Wanning with full loving kindness and smiled in agreement. “I have also waited many years for Wanwan’s wife tea.”
She was Lu Ziyan’s birth mother, having borne three sons. Her husband and eldest and second sons had all died on the battlefield. Under such a heavy blow, her hair had turned white early. Compared to noblewomen of the same age in the Capital City, she appeared very old, and her health was not good.
Xie Wanning had always respected and pitied this future mother-in-law who had lost her husband and sons, but at this moment, she was dazed.
This current scene had appeared in her dream, on the day Lu Ziyan returned from bandit suppression in Bianzhou.
Including the words spoken by Old Madam Lu and First Madam Lu, they were repeated word for word without difference.
She did not react for a long time. Lu Family’s Second Madam on the other side noticed her expression was off and could not help asking, “What is wrong with Wanwan?”
As she spoke, as if thinking of something, she asked with concern, “The wedding is near at hand, yet Ziyan has been away for two months. Does Wanwan have any dissatisfaction in her heart?”
