Chapter 20:
Xie Wanning originally thought that her words were harsh enough.
Lu Ziyan was such a proud person, and she had pointed at his nose and called him disgusting— it would be strange if he didn’t lose his temper.
But she never expected that he really didn’t lose his temper.
Apart from his gaze growing darker, falling on her like something tangible, his tone was very calm.
“Wanwan,” he said word by word: “If you really can’t accept it that much, then I just won’t let her through the door.”
Whether it was because he rarely made such concessions or because he truly couldn’t bear to part with Liu Manrou, his expression wasn’t good when he said this.
Upon hearing this, Xie Wanning’s first thought was that he could still listen to reason after all, and he finally stopped calling her Rou Niang every other word— then she laughed.
She laughed until her eyes curved, tilting her head up to look at him, her tone lightly mocking: “Are you willing to keep the person in your heart outside forever, making her a concubine who isn’t even as good as a lowly one?”
Lu Ziyan’s eyes drooped low, narrowing as he stared at the prickly young lady before him, his expression profound and inscrutable.
After a moment of silence, he seemed to sigh lowly before saying: “I didn’t know that having one more person by my side would make you react so intensely.”
After all, his fiancée adored him extremely, and she was truly very obedient in front of him— obedient to the point that he assumed she would unconditionally obey his decisions, and that he didn’t need to explain a single word to her.
Anyway, no matter what, she would love him unwaveringly.
But this time, when he brought back Liu Manrou, she found out and seemed like a completely different person.
Sharp-tongued and prickly all over, jealous by nature.
By worldly standards, she really wasn’t suited to be the matriarch of a marquis household.
He thought calmly to himself that he should indeed call off the marriage engagement and marry a tolerant and magnanimous noble lady instead, but his gaze couldn’t move an inch from the girl’s face before him.
It had been so long since his return to the capital, and they had only met once, parting on bad terms.
Normally, the young lady who would take the initiative to seek him out after just a few days apart was truly heartless this time.
…But thinking that everything was because of her jealousy, Lu Ziyan wasn’t so angry in his heart.
“Wanwan, you actually don’t need to care so much about those irrelevant women.” After all, I never intended to marry anyone else.
He pursed his lips, swallowing the latter sentence, unwilling to let her get too smug, and said indifferently: “I promise you, we’ll follow Xie Family rules— no taking a concubine before the age of thirty.”
Xie Wanning’s eyebrows rose slightly, somewhat surprised.
So he wasn’t truly unyielding after all; he was capable of making concessions too.
It was just that her temperament had been soft and compliant before, so he never needed to concede to her.
And now, even though he was willing to make such a merciful concession, she no longer wanted it.
After Lu Ziyan finished speaking, his gaze fixed tightly on her expression. As soon as Xie Wanning curved her lips into a smile, he coldly interrupted: “Think it over before you speak— don’t make a decision you’ll regret.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t regret it.”
Xie Wanning lowered her eyes, her line of sight falling on the sachet at his waist, and said: “It was I who was blind before and didn’t see clearly that the Lu Family offspring are sparse, so I’m truly not suited— and I don’t want to delay your great cause of continuing the Lu Family lineage.”
“I’m petty and jealous, unable to tolerate others. My husband not only can’t take a concubine before thirty, but absolutely not after thirty either— he can only have me alone for life.”
“So, let’s call off our marriage engagement. You can marry another wife who can tolerate you widely taking concubines, and bear many offspring for the Lu Family…”
She paused, finally looking up again. Seeing the ashen face of the man before her, she was slightly startled but continued: “I sincerely hope the Lu Family offspring flourish, and that you have wives and concubines in droves, with children and grandchildren filling the halls.”
She had never thought of turning back, nor did she want to enter the Lu Residence again, to guard a small courtyard day after day enduring hardship.
In his eyes, she must seem extremely ungrateful, which was why his face was so unsightly, his eyebrows and eyes sharp, his dark pupils seemingly burning with towering rage, his jaw clenched tight, gritting his teeth as he stared at her.
Yes, it was rare for him to concede once, yet she rejected it without the slightest hesitation.
Xie Wanning wanted to laugh again but held back out of consideration for his mood.
Having said what needed to be said, she slightly curtsied in farewell. As she turned to enter the door, she heard his slightly hoarse voice from behind: “Wanwan, don’t you like me?”
Since she liked him, how could she so cleanly sever emotions and wish him wives and concubines in droves?
Xie Wanning’s steps faltered slightly, and she smiled bitterly in her heart.
Sure enough, he had always known how much she liked him, and he knew exactly how to use that liking to harm her.
As the sky gradually darkened, merging into the night, the young lady shrouded in it never turned back. Lu Ziyan quietly watched her back until the moment her extremely soft voice sounded— his tall figure suddenly stiffened.
What Xie Wanning said was: “I don’t like you anymore.”
…I don’t want to like you anymore.
After saying that, it was as if she had shed some mental burden, and she stepped briskly through the door.
The heavy gate slowly closed, and Lu Ziyan stood in place without stopping her.
Under the dark sky, his joy and anger were well-concealed, impossible for anyone to glimpse— even so, the chill emanating from him made people dare not approach.
Even Ming Jian, not far behind him, didn’t dare to rashly step forward and disturb.
………..
As soon as Xie Wanning entered the door, she saw her elder brother standing quietly under the eaves holding a lantern embroidered with lotus flowers, his wide sleeves and long robe billowing in the night breeze, his demeanor like a celestial lord descended to the mortal world.
She blinked, and before she could speak, Xie Yanyu walked over holding the lantern, reached out to pat his younger sister’s little head: “Look forward, don’t be sad.”
“…” Xie Wanning held back, but ultimately couldn’t, letting out an “aowu” and pouncing into her elder brother’s arms.
She used quite a bit of strength, causing Xie Yanyu’s body to sway slightly, but fortunately his Six Arts of a Gentleman were well-learned, and he steadied himself in the end.
He sighed softly and began patting his younger sister’s shoulder: “Cry it out, but only this once.”
“I didn’t want to cry.” After crying for just a moment, Xie Wanning annoyedly pulled away from her elder brother’s arms.
She really hadn’t intended to cry at all, yet he had coaxed her into it.
She took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, somewhat embarrassed as she accused: “It’s all Elder Brother’s fault, being so sentimental out of nowhere.”
“Isn’t it because I’m afraid you were bullied too badly?” Xie Yanyu lowered his gaze to glance at her, rarely praising: “You did well just now— that’s right, make that Lu fellow know that the young ladies of the Xie Family aren’t ones he can summon at will.”
“…” Xie Wanning fell silent for a moment, then lifted her eyes to look at him.
With such a good elder brother, she suddenly couldn’t bear to match him with Princess Pingning anymore.
The brother and sister walked side by side on the bluestone bricks, their long shadows dragging on the ground. Xie Wanning watched for a while, then tilted her neck and asked: “If I insisted on marrying Lu Ziyan, would you be furious to death?”
Xie Yanyu said indifferently: “Marry him if you want, what would I have to be angry about?”
Aowu!!!!!!
I want an elder brother so badly, but sadly I only have one elder sister~~~
Begging for tickets, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, all kinds of tickets. Tomorrow is PK time, dear ones— your time to shine has come, come cheer me on~~~ Don’t forget to read, interact more, love you all~~~
