Chapter 170:
Xie Wanning saw this and let out a soft hum. In truth, she was very unconvinced, but she only dared to mutter a couple of sentences to herself in her heart, not daring to say more.
On the contrary, Xie Yanyu glanced at her and said with a slight appraising tone, “You’ve been married for quite some time, yet you don’t worry about yourself…”
“Stop!” Xie Wanning quickly interrupted him, clasping her hands together and pleading, “Can we just not mention this anymore?”
Xie Yanyu’s gaze paused. Recalling what he had heard on the day his younger sister returned home for the third time after marriage, his expression gradually darkened. After a long while, he slowly nodded.
As an unmarried young lady, Yang would certainly not tell her daughter about such matters, so at this moment, Xie Ruyu heard nothing amiss at all.
After finishing a cup of tea, Xie Yanyu stood up and said to his younger sister, “Let’s go.”
Xie Wanning knew he had something to say to her, so she obediently rose and bid farewell to her cousin.
By now, the sky was gradually darkening, with red clouds dyeing half the sky. The brother and sister walked side by side on the stone slabs, their long shadows overlapping, and Xie Wanning thought of her childhood.
The two were four years apart in age. From a young age, Xie Yanyu had a steady temperament. At five or six years old, he would quote from books, lecturing on principles and rules in a set manner, just like a little adult.
Xie Wanning was the first girl in the estate, doted on endlessly, which was true, but her father was young at the time. As the heir to the Xie Clan, his energy was all on the imperial court, and her mother, as a virtuous wife, was naturally busy beyond measure. She could be said to have grown up on her elder brother’s back.
From the time she became sensible, she was closer to her elder brother than to her parents. A few years later, she met Lu Ziyan and found everything about him wonderful. Before ten years old, without regard for gender segregation, she followed Lu Ziyan playing all over the capital city.
After ten, they set an engagement and became an engaged couple, chasing each other openly without a care for her elder brother with his old father’s mentality…
Thinking of this, Xie Wanning suddenly felt a guilty conscience.
She tugged at the sleeve of the person beside her and asked with a smile, “Those years I chased after Lu Ziyan every day, Elder Brother must have been furious with me to death.”
“That’s all old history,” Xie Yanyu turned his head to glance at his own sleeve and said indifferently, “Why bring it up.”
Fair enough…
Xie Wanning didn’t know what was wrong with her; for no reason, she thought of the past.
At a young age, she judged by appearances. Before seeing Lu Ziyan, her elder brother was the most handsome person in the world in her eyes. After seeing Lu Ziyan, she realized that “handsome” had many varieties.
In any case, facing Lu Ziyan’s face—which was exceedingly handsome even when frowning—she felt she could eat an extra bowl of rice.
“Since Changqing is not in the capital city, why not come home to stay? Father and Mother often miss you,” Xie Yanyu said. “With Princess Duanyang managing the household at Duke Pei’s Mansion, staying home for a while shouldn’t delay anything.”
How could Xie Wanning not be tempted? She thought for a moment but still shook her head. “Xuan’er is discussing a marriage proposal. As the elder sister-in-law, I can’t hide back at my maternal home to enjoy leisure.”
Xie Yanyu paused slightly. “Still that person?”
“…” Xie Wanning fell silent for a moment, carefully glancing at his expression, but unfortunately could discern no clues, so she said, “Yes.”
Xie Yanyu turned his head to look at her.
“Those two cousin misses who came seeking refuge do indeed have intentions toward Zhao Rui,” Xie Wanning explained. “But the Zhao family said it’s all one-sided affection and they absolutely won’t keep them as their son’s concubines.”
With Princess Duanyang’s status right there, even if given a thousand guts, the Zhao family absolutely wouldn’t dare to deceive her into marrying her daughter over and then turn around and deny it.
Moreover…
Xie Wanning paused, seeing that her elder brother still seemed puzzled as to why it had to be the Zhao family, and continued explaining, “Zhao Rui is the person the Commandery Princess chose herself.”
Ever since receiving the rose flowers, Zhao Rui had visited several times to invite Pei Yuxuan out to play, and she had gladly gone each time, returning happily. It truly seemed like some affection had developed. Now they were matching horoscopes; once they matched, they would set a date to propose marriage.
The little Commandery Princess who had lit up with brightness in her eyes that day when mentioning her family’s elder brother was still vivid in her mind, yet now she was already discussing marriage with someone else.
As Xie Wanning was sighing, her head unconsciously tilted, just in time to see that as soon as she said “the person she chose herself,” her elder brother’s expression froze slightly.
She was immediately startled. “Elder Brother, don’t tell me you toward the Commandery Princess…”
“Wanwan!” Xie Yanyu scolded. “This concerns a young lady’s reputation; don’t talk nonsense.”
“…” Xie Wanning gritted her teeth and smiled. “You’re just stubborn. I’ve long noticed you’re slightly different toward the Commandery Princess, yet you always refuse to admit it!”
When a man comes of age, having someone in his heart—is that something shameful?
Why refuse to admit having intentions toward the little Commandery Princess, and ruthlessly reject her, forcing her to seek another match!
How could her elder brother be so quarrelsome!
The more she thought, the angrier she got. Xie Wanning hugged the arm of the person beside her. “I don’t care; you have to explain clearly to me why you won’t face your own feelings, why you refuse to take a wife…”
As she spoke, it was as if lightning struck her mind, and she stared blankly at her elder brother before her. “You… could it be…”
“Wanwan,” Xie Yanyu’s lip twitched hard. “If you dare talk nonsense again, I’ll go get the disciplinary ruler.”
Xie Wanning: “…”
She quickly restrained her gaze, blinked, and stubbornly pressed, “Then what exactly is the reason?”
Why, when he clearly had some affection for Pei Yuxuan, did he ruthlessly push her a thousand miles away?
Could it be because she married Pei Yuqing? Siblings swapping marriages wasn’t good?
But the two families weren’t even blood relatives of the same clan or lineage; it had no impact at all.
If anything, it was double joy added.
The capital city wasn’t without such precedents.
Xie Yanyu thought seriously for a moment, lowered his eyes to look at his younger sister. “Why do you always think I have intentions toward the Commandery Princess?”
Xie Wanning frowned and countered, “Don’t you?”
“I don’t know, perhaps a little,” Xie Yanyu paused and said. “But this bit of affection isn’t enough to move me to want to marry her.”
“What do you mean?” Xie Wanning was somewhat confused. “Elder Brother, since you have intentions and are of marriageable age, wouldn’t it be fine to just bring her in?”
What did he mean by liking her but not enough to want to marry her?
In prominent families, finding a marriage where they mutually like each other was already a great fortune.
…Could it be he wanted to find a “no one but her” true love?
How had she never realized her elder brother was someone who valued romantic love so much?
“Elder Brother refuses the Commandery Princess because he seeks a lover no one but her will do?”
“Not so,” Xie Yanyu shook his head. “It’s that the Commandery Princess is too deeply affectionate. The response she wants, I can’t give. If she marries me, her expectations are doomed to be disappointed.”
His words weren’t entirely clear, but Xie Wanning understood.
A young girl’s budding affection contains not a trace of impurity. Pei Yuxuan’s pursuit of Xie Yanyu was like a little sun, her love bravely revealed.
But the more she loved, the more she would expect equal reciprocation from the other.
Xie Yanyu was naturally indifferent by nature, with few emotional fluctuations. Toward Pei Yuxuan’s affection, he might have been moved, but as he said, that bit of being moved wasn’t even enough to make him want to marry her, let alone give equal reciprocation.
So, even if Xie Yanyu were willing to marry her, once wed, the fact that the person she deeply loved didn’t love her would be right before her eyes every day, and Pei Yuxuan would eventually be disappointed one day.
By then, they would end up as a resentful couple.
Better not to start at all than that.
Pei Yuxuan marrying someone who didn’t love her that much, though regrettable inevitably, could still live a happy and joyful life.
Xie Yanyu marrying a lady from a prominent family as his wife, treating each other with mutual respect, supporting one another, without facing her blazing love and feeling guilt for not loving her equally.
This was the best path for their lives.
Xie Wanning figured it all out, sighing that she could analyze her elder brother’s thoughts so clearly, yet surprised at his indifference.
At this moment, she thoroughly believed Xie Yanyu’s words.
He truly had no affection at all for Pei Yuxuan.
How indifferent must one’s heart be to unaffectedly see their potential union so clearly.
With even a little love, one couldn’t make such a decision.
He hadn’t even considered that after marriage, day and night together might make him fall for his wife.
Xie Wanning was somewhat stunned.
This was probably the true face of a man toward a girl he didn’t like.
Calm, indifferent, not even emotional fluctuations.
Her elder brother was kind, unwilling to let this girl full of love for him be sad and disappointed, so he chose rejection.
If it were another man, even for Pei Yuxuan’s status, he would half-push and take her as wife.
After all, marrying whom wasn’t marrying?
The rest of the way, the brother and sister both fell silent.
Until they reached Madam Zheng’s courtyard, Xie Wanning said indignantly, “Elder Brother, you truly have a heart of stone.”
With that, she stomped her foot and ran into the room, leaving Xie Yanyu standing there helplessly, watching his younger sister’s fleeing back.
Dinner was already laid out full on the table. Seeing her daughter enter, Madam Zheng, who was speaking with her husband, smiled. “You heartless girl, back home and you don’t spend more time with your mother; only when your elder brother calls do you come back.”
“Today was different; wasn’t I chatting with Ru Niang…” Xie Wanning coquettishly took her mother’s arm, giggling. “I knew Elder Brother came for me because Mother missed me.”
The intimate sight of mother and daughter made Xie Shu beside them hum softly. Xie Wanning jumped up from her mother’s shoulder, quickly offered hot tea, and fawned, “Father, don’t be angry. Drink tea quickly; your daughter misses you too.”
Xie Yanyu happened to enter and saw this scene, his gaze gentle.
The family sat at the dinner table together after a long time, enjoying a warm meal affectionately, and by then the sky was late.
Madam Zheng wanted to keep her daughter overnight, but Xie Wanning said, “I didn’t tell Mother-in-law when going out today; it’s not good to stay overnight at home rashly.”
Of course she could send a servant to inform, but that would somewhat disrespect her husband’s family.
After all, Princess Duanyang treated her extremely well; she couldn’t truly lack all rules and etiquette.
Returning to her maternal home was a small matter, staying overnight there was small too, but she should personally let them know.
That made sense, so Madam Zheng didn’t press and instead smilingly praised her daughter a few words.
Night had fallen; the Xie and Pei families weren’t far apart. Xie Wanning had brought several household guards when returning to her maternal home today, and the capital city’s security was good, but Xie Yanyu looked at the sky and still worried, personally riding to escort his younger sister to the gate of Duke Pei’s Mansion.
Seeing the carriage enter the estate, he turned his horse around and left.
Xie Wanning felt moved in her heart. She didn’t know if Pei Yuqing had instructed something before leaving the capital city, but she felt her elder brother had become more cautious. If it were before, this short distance wouldn’t need such escort.
Returning to Xuan Hua Courtyard, Xie Wanning told Er Qing, who had followed her all day, to rest first, and instructed Yuan Zhu and Yuan Yue to prepare hot water.
The next instant after dismissing the servants, closing the door, and turning around, just as she was about to pick up a book to read a couple of pages, a figure suddenly appeared before her.
Sharp features, deep eyebrows and eyes, face as somber as water, tall with long legs, an imposing aura.
Who else but Lu Ziyan?
Xie Wanning widened her eyes; as her mouth opened, the man before her covered it with his hand.
“Be good,” he leaned very close, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. “Think it over first before deciding whether to shout for help.”
If not for fearing this girl would yell and call everyone, then regret it and blame him in the end, he actually hoped she would shout loudly—best if she called his aunt too—so he wouldn’t need to worry about anything else and could just abduct her to the Northern Frontier.
He didn’t care, but Xie Wanning couldn’t not care. Her eyes widened roundly, constantly trying to pry his wrist to make him let go, but she didn’t even dare struggle too hard, afraid of accidentally making noise for the servants outside to hear.
Lu Ziyan glanced at his wrist gripped by her, then his gaze returned to her face. He moved the hand covering her lips away and said softly, “Don’t be afraid; I won’t do anything rash.”
The next instant her lips were freed, Xie Wanning wanted to put some distance between them. After just two steps back, she was tugged back by her wrist.
“Lu Ziyan!” Xie Wanning said in shock and anger. “What do you want to do!”
At this moment, they were leaning by the door; just beyond was two maids standing guard.
Lu Ziyan glanced at her, said nothing, but tugged her wrist, pulling her around the screen, where an intricately carved canopy bed came into view.
Both fell momentarily silent.
This bed was part of Xie Wanning’s dowry.
Daughters of high families had their dowries prepared from birth, including lifetime clothing, food, housing, transport, money used, vessels employed, even the coffin after death—all complete.
And this bed before them, which she had shared with Pei Yuqing, had of course been her dowry in her past life too.
They were both familiar with it.
On this couch, they had done countless blush-inducing intimate things; he probably knew the patterns carved on the headboard clearly.
Lu Ziyan stiffened; his original intent was thrown to the back of his mind the instant he saw this bed.
His mind was full of thoughts of what she had done with that man on this couch.
They had been married over half a year, consummated for nearly half a year; such a long time was enough for him to do every intimate thing to her.
Had she ever taken the initiative to kiss that person?
…How did she kiss?
Back now; from today, at least six thousand words daily. This chapter is four thousand; another later~~~~
