Chapter 27:
Do you agree?
She asked him if he agreed!
In his memory, that bright and charming girl who had only him in her heart and eyes, revolving solely around him, was now actually asking him if “each going our own way” was okay?
Lu Ziyan closed his eyes, and after a long while, he spoke: “You’re dreaming.”
“Xie Wanning, you’re dreaming!” His voice was hoarse: “When you clung to me, I let you cling, so why should you be able to break off the engagement just because you say so.”
“Want to each go our own way?” He opened his bloodshot eyes, staring deadly at the girl opposite him, gritting his teeth: “You’re dreaming!”
“Whether our bond ends or not, and how it ends, isn’t up to you.”
“???” Xie Wanning widened her eyes in disbelief, never imagining he would be so unreasonable, and she was amused to anger: “I don’t want to marry, are you going to force yourself on a common girl?”
“Whether you want to marry or not, that’s our business,” Lu Ziyan stared at her unblinkingly for a long time, his gaze slowly passing over Pei Yuqing beside her, his voice line returning to calm: “Our engagement is still in place, no matter how unhappy you are, don’t drag other men into it.”
Xie Wanning retorted: “Have you forgotten? You were the one who first dragged other women into it. The engagement can be voided at any time, why should I wait around eagerly for you alone? Where does that reasoning come from?”
Her intention was to mock back, but in Lu Ziyan’s ears, it was interpreted as his Wanwan truly being angry because another woman had appeared by his side.
After all this fussing, it was all just her being jealous, and she only wanted him to coax her a couple of times.
Normally, Lu Ziyan wouldn’t have the time to pay attention to a young lady’s little thoughts.
But now, looking at the man standing shoulder to shoulder with her opposite him, he truly empathized.
A chest full of sourness was assaulting his reason, making him wish he could kill that man who had held her right then and there.
This thought made Lu Ziyan’s heart feel less pained, and his tightly clenched fist slowly loosened. He spoke softly: “If you don’t like it, I won’t let Rou… Liu Manrou appear in front of you again, I…”
He paused, his gaze turning to the man beside her, stiffly saying: “Wanwan… let’s talk alone. Whatever is making you unhappy, I can explain it to you.”
Over these years, he had devised strategies, accustomed to having the final say, handling many things by just doing them without explaining to anyone, let alone offering explanations.
Now, in front of a third person, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
But Xie Wanning felt repulsed even hearing Liu Manrou’s name, so how could she be willing to talk alone with him? She immediately refused: “You should leave. There’s nothing for us to talk about, and no need for you to explain to me. No matter what you say, I won’t marry you again.”
“Then who are you going to marry?” Lu Ziyan pointed with his hand, his voice icy: “Him?”
Xie Wanning was stumped by the question and pursed her lips without speaking.
His tone made it seem like if she dared nod, he would strike right then.
This place was remote, but it was still the back courtyard of the Marquis’s Estate, and they were hosting a banquet today. If things got noisy and drew a crowd, it wouldn’t be good.
She didn’t answer, and Lu Ziyan’s expression actually improved a bit.
“Wanwan, whatever is making you unhappy, come at me directly. I can explain it all to you, but don’t use other men to make me jealous.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, lips pursed slightly: “I don’t want to scare you.”
With that, he actually turned and left directly.
Xie Wanning watched his departing back, her brows furrowed tightly.
Why did she feel that Lu Ziyan really minded Pei Yuqing’s existence.
And not just the simple kind of minding his fiancée getting too close to another man.
A faint suspicion had just flickered when she immediately dismissed it.
How could Lu Ziyan possibly like her.
If he had even a shred of affection for her, the her in the dream wouldn’t have had that ending.
All of this now was just his extreme pride at work.
As for explanations?
If the dream was real, he already had a child with Liu Manrou—what was there to explain?
In the dream, those two years of back courtyard life: Liu Manrou’s provocations and humiliations, his cold neglect, her two personal maidservants—Er Xia taken by him as a concubine, Er Qing ordered beaten to death by him. She had stagnation of the heart and spat blood to death.
What more could she expect from him?
If this wasn’t enough to make her give up, then she was too self-deprecating.
Her wrist was gently grasped, and a warm voice sounded from her side: “Your complexion doesn’t look good. Let’s go rest in the pavilion ahead.”
Xie Wanning was pulled along by him, lowering her eyes to look at the man’s long, slender finger bones on her wrist—pale and smooth.
Looking at it, for a moment she even forgot to pull her hand back, letting him lead her into the pavilion.
She had just sat on the stone bench when he took her wrist again, this time placing three fingers directly on it.
Xie Wanning was astonished: “You know medical skill too?”
Pei Yuqing lifted his eyes to glance at her, said nothing, and instead seriously took her pulse.
After a long while, he released her, saying faintly: “You’re not old, but you have too many thoughts. Excessive thinking harms the spirit, do you know that?”
“I know, but there’s no way around it,” Xie Wanning propped her cheek with one hand, making a helpless expression: “You know too, I’ve run into some trouble lately. Proposing to break off the engagement right before the wedding date—for a young lady, it’s no different from the sky falling. How could I not overthink?”
She spoke of the sky falling, yet her face was smiling brightly, her eyes blinking as she looked over: “Your medical skill is so superb, and just these past couple of days I’ve thought a bit too much, yet you’ve seen right through it.”
In the dream she had been ill from worry, but not yet now.
“Long illness makes one a doctor; I know a little of the arts of medicine.” Pei Yuqing lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze, saying: “There’s no paper and pen here. If you trust me, come find me at Yuxuan Teahouse when you have time another day. I’ll give you a spirit nurturing prescription.”
Xie Wanning propped her cheek with one hand, lightly tapping the stone table surface with the other, then suddenly said: “Can I ask you a question?”
“No need for honorifics with me,” Pei Yuqing glanced at her: “Ask.”
“Alright then, I’ll ask,” To show seriousness, Xie Wanning straightened up, then smiled: “Young Lord Pei, are you this good to everyone?”
Pei Yuqing’s expression paused slightly, ripples slowly rising in his eyes, as if stumped by the question. He pursed his lips slightly and said nothing.
Xie Wanning blinked, her smile deepening.
First the jade pendant, then saying he’d protect her. Lu Ziyan’s fierce, menacing look earlier—who wouldn’t feel panicked and short of breath? Yet he calmly and composedly said he’d protect her.
And now he was even going to give her a spirit nurturing prescription.
It was obvious his prescription must be a secret formula personally gathered by the Princess, even the current Majesty, to regulate his body—absolutely rare and precious.
They weren’t relatives, and hadn’t known each other long…
Xie Wanning’s tapping hand paused, staring unblinkingly at the person opposite, getting straight to the point: “Pei Yuqing, do you have feelings for me?”
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