Chapter 15 Wan Yan Ming Zhao. "If we were to marry, we would each live our own lives..."

Xie Wanyan and Wei Mingzhao

Extra five

The night was like a thick sesame paste, smeared on people's mouths and noses, making it hard to breathe.

Xie Wanyan squinted at his broad and solid back, which looked several sizes bigger than before, almost unrecognizable.

She glanced at him briefly, and Wei Mingzhao, as if sensing something, turned to look at her, his sharp gaze as piercing as a hawk's in the night.

Their eyes met, and Xie Wanyan blinked, fully waking up from her dream.

It's real, not a dream.

She frowned slightly, grabbed the armrest, and prepared to get up and go back to her room.

He had only taken two steps when his deep, hoarse voice came from behind him, "Are you really going to marry Xie Xun?"

Xie Wanyan thought this man was seriously ill. What did it matter to him who she married?

Without hesitation, he went back into the room and closed the door.

As the two wooden doors slowly closed, their eyes met again.

She has lost all interest in love.

As Xie Wanyan sat down at her dressing table to remove her hairpins and put them into her makeup box, she noticed a glass hairpin lying to the side. It was made by Wei Mingzhao after he went out to learn a craft and mastered it. It was made in the color of jade, which he said suited her name perfectly.

He summoned the old woman and handed her the hairpin, saying, "Old woman, throw this away."

The old woman took the hairpin, her face showing hesitation. She looked at the hairpin in her hand, then at her young mistress, unsure whether to offer any advice.

The young lady loves this glass hairpin the most; she has touched it so much that it's become smooth.

Putting aside the fact that old feelings are hard to forget, it's a shame to just throw it away like this.

Seeing the young lady's expression, the nanny swallowed her words.

He quickly retreated with the hairpin, went around to the back alley, stood under the shade of a tree, sighed, still reluctant to smash it, so he stuffed it into the tree hole and covered it with leaves and soil.

He glanced back one last time before leaving.

After the old woman entered the mansion and closed the back gate, a figure slowly appeared, blending into the night.

-

Wei Mingzhao's return to the capital was nothing short of a grand affair. Everyone knew he had been appointed as the Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with only the Commander above him. And that Commander was of advanced age; for Wei Mingzhao, the position was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

If anyone is the most uneasy right now, it would be the family that framed the Wei family unjustly; they can hardly sleep at night.

That guillotine hangs over our heads; who knows when it will fall?

The capital has been relatively calm lately, but apart from this matter, there is another issue that has attracted much attention.

That is Xie Xun, the grandson of the Grand Tutor, who is already engaged to the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Zhongwu's family. It is rumored that he already has a lover, and this marriage is not something he is willing to do.

Some say that the young master of the Wei family and the Marquis of Zhongwu's mansion were like family back then, especially Wei Mingzhao and the eldest daughter of the mansion, who were practically about to confess their feelings. Now, Wei Mingzhao's aggressive arrival may have a purpose.

But Wei Mingzhao joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and his reputation was terrible. How could he compare to the noble family of the Grand Tutor?

Even if there were past feelings, the Marquis of Zhongwu's mansion would probably not agree to this marriage.

That day, she went to the street to buy some trinkets, but she ran into Xie Xun, who was accompanied by a slender woman.

The woman looked up at Xie Xun, and from her perspective, one could easily see the love and sadness in her eyes.

Suddenly, Xie Wanyan hesitated. Even though she was cooperating with Xie Xun, and even if it was unintentional, would it still harm this woman?

She clenched her handkerchief, hesitating for a moment, and seemed to have a hint of sadness and sorrow in her expression.

Unbeknownst to her, this scene was also witnessed by others, in those deep and intense eyes.

A few days later, another outbreak occurred in the capital.

Xie Xun rushed to find her, his eyes filled with panic, and asked Xie Wanyan if he had seen her.

She disappeared, and her belongings were gone too.

There was only one woman they could talk to.

Xie Wanyan shook her head, saying she had never seen it before.

Xie Xun thanked her and hurried away. That panicked look—how could it have ever appeared on the usually composed Xie Xun?

Xie Wanyan watched his departing figure, feeling a pang of envy.

At least that woman won over her heart.

It seems the woman couldn't bear the thought of this and was afraid of being heartbroken, so she ran away first.

She didn't want to hurt anyone, but she still became the executioner who hurt people.

Xie Wanyan clutched her chest and slumped onto the soft couch.

But she needs to think carefully about this marriage.

After sitting there in a daze for a long time, I felt someone standing behind me. I slowly turned my eyes and saw Wei Mingzhao's gloomy face.

"You like him that much?"

Wei Mingzhao's jaw tightened, her chin slightly raised as she glanced down at him. "Knowing he has someone he loves, you still married him?"

Xie Wanyan frowned, composed herself, and said, "What does this have to do with you?"

Wei Mingzhao seemed to be angered by her indifferent attitude. The veins on his forehead bulged, and he turned his face away and let out a loud sigh.

"I'll take over your marriage arrangements, and I'll help you with the things you want to investigate."

Xie Wanyan's pupils contracted sharply, but she denied it, "What do I need to investigate?"

This time, Wei Mingzhao could no longer maintain his composure and paced anxiously back and forth beside her. "How long has it been since Aunt Jia returned to the capital? The Marquis has been sending people to Jiangnan to fetch Aunt Jia every month, but they still can't bring her back."

This was something she didn't know, and Xie Wanyan suddenly looked at him.

When Wei Mingzhao saw that she only reacted slightly when Aunt Jia was mentioned, a sour feeling welled up in his throat, but he calmly swallowed it back. "I have found some clues. If you want to know, marry me."

Xie Wanyan stared at him, and Wei Mingzhao did the same, looking straight back.

After a long pause, Xie Wanyan nodded. Wei Mingzhao raised his long eyebrows, about to speak, but Xie Wanyan interrupted him.

"If we were to marry, we would each live our own lives."

Xie Wanyan thought for a moment, "It's just a title. If you meet a woman you love in the future, just tell me, and I will divorce you to let you be together."

Wei Mingzhao's brow twitched, and he took a deep breath, his chest heaving.

That's infuriating.

Xie Wanyan's gaze was indifferent, devoid of any sparkle. Her eyes seemed to be looking at him, yet they held no interest in him.

Wei Mingzhao felt terrible, but since it was his own fault, he could only grit his teeth and agree.

Xie Wanyan lowered her eyes, unsure of what to say.

The following day, rumors began to circulate in the capital that the infamous Jinyiwei Tongzhi Wei Mingzhao had somehow managed to obstruct the marriage between the Grand Tutor's family and the Zhongwu Marquis's family, and had actually managed to get the Zhongwu Marquis's family to agree to marry their eldest daughter to him.

Unbeknownst to others, after Wei Mingzhao and Xie Wanyan's marriage was arranged, the concubine who had suddenly disappeared from Xie Xun's courtyard was transformed into a cousin who came to the Grand Tutor's residence to stay with him.

It is said that the young lady saved Xie Xun's life, and Xie Xun had no other choice but to repay her with his body.

These two incidents did not cause much discussion in the capital. There were plenty of interesting things happening in the capital, and they were quickly swept away like a tide.

The day before the wedding, the mother returned to the mansion.

He didn't go to live with his father in the main courtyard, but stayed with her in her own courtyard.

She was also curious and wanted to ask what had happened, but seeing her mother's thinner face and the undisguised melancholy between her brows, she swallowed her words.

Before long, the wedding day arrived.

Xie Wanyan got up early and let the matchmaker dress her up. She looked at her face, which was as radiant as a peach blossom, in the bronze mirror, and then suddenly lowered her eyes.

The groom came to fetch the bride, his face covered by a veil, but a hand with distinct knuckles was stretched out in front of her.

She paused, then put her arm around his forearm.

Wei Mingzhao's fingers froze, then clenched into a fist.

Getting married is really tiring.

After escorting Xie Wanyan back to the main room, Wei Mingzhao went to the front to greet the guests.

Wei Mingzhao is currently riding high, not to mention that he recently found out the mistake that framed the Wei family and is now slowly manipulating him, and the Regent, who now holds great power, is not interfering. People in the court are adept at reading the winds and know that the situation in the court has changed again, so they are taking advantage of this joyous occasion to befriend Wei Mingzhao.

Xie Wanyan was unaware.

She lifted her veil and looked around the main room. Seeing that the furnishings and decorations were almost identical to those in her own boudoir, her expression became complicated.

Now, after all these years, Xie Wanyan has gained experience and wisdom, and knows that Wei Mingzhao did that back then because he was afraid of implicating her and the Marquis's mansion.

But the thorn in her heart couldn't be removed so easily. She still didn't understand why he acted that way. Couldn't he just explain it to her?

But the tears she shed when she was heartbroken were real.

She now finds the unpredictable nature of romantic relationships too frightening and uncontrollable.

There were some snacks on the table, including her favorite mutton flatbread. On the bed were dates, peanuts, and other treats for wishing her to have a son soon.

She first ate a flatbread, which was still warm. The mutton inside was fresh, fragrant, and chewy, and the juices filled her mouth.

After cleaning up the dates and peanuts, and washing up, she went to bed.

I'm very tired today.

But unexpectedly, it seemed like he had only dozed off for a moment before someone came to his side.

She struggled to open her eyes and saw Wei Mingzhao sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking down, she saw that Wei Mingzhao was playing with her own hands.

She then tried to pull her hand back.

"Aren't you happy to marry me?"

Wei Mingzhao seemed to have drunk too much, his breath tingling with alcohol.

You actually asked that question.

Xie Wanyan looked at him in surprise.

It's just a matter of each person getting what they want, what's so exciting about it?

Wasn't he marrying her to regain his former status as the young master of the Wei family?

Unexpectedly, Wei Mingzhao's eyes reddened under her sharp and direct gaze. He quickly lowered his eyes to cover them, but at that moment, a tear fell and landed on her hand.

"But I'm very happy."

He said in a trembling voice.

After saying that, he suddenly let go of her hand and unbuttoned his shirt.

Xie Wanyan thought he was going to do something, so she quickly stopped him, saying, "We agreed to live our own lives."

Wei Mingzhao paused, gave a muffled "hmm," and after a long while said, "It's not about doing that kind of thing."

He paused slightly, then said, "I'm just showing it to you."

Should I show it to her?

What should I show her?

Her bright red dress fell to the ground, revealing her honey-colored chest.

The upper part of the head has distinct muscle lines, mixed with some old scars, some deep and some shallow.

He was probably really drunk, Xie Wanyan thought.

"Don't you like it?"

Wei Mingzhao placed her hand on his chest, "Now you have a husband, you don't need to look at others."

Xie Wanyan never expected him to do such a thing.

Startled, her face flushed instantly, and she tried to pull her hand back. But Wei Mingzhao wouldn't let go.

"It was my fault back then."

Wei Mingzhao suddenly said, "I shouldn't have pushed you away."

Xie Wanyan paused.

He pursed his lips, his eyes red-rimmed, yet he stubbornly furrowed his brows, "But if I hadn't done that back then, it would have damaged your reputation as well."

"There are plenty of bedbugs in the dark, and it wouldn't be good if they bothered you."

He produced a golden whip from nowhere and shoved it into her hand, saying, "If you're still breathing, whip me."

Xie Wanyan's hand was outstretched, and he forced her to hold it.

"I know you may have someone else in your heart, but it's okay, I can wait."

He said it was okay, but those few words were said with such clenched teeth.

Xie Wanyan looked at him.

Unexpectedly, he thought she really liked Xie Xun.

Xie Wanyan didn't say anything, she just watched him quietly.

Not hearing her denial, Wei Mingzhao was extremely disappointed.

He knew that he was already a thing of the past for Xie Wanyan. Only he knew how calm her gaze was when she looked at him upon his return to the capital.

But it's okay.

He can wait.

After getting married, Wei Mingzhao became very clingy.

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard was extremely busy, he would return to his residence every day if he was in the capital.

Sometimes they even come back for lunch.

Every time he tried to linger for a meal, Xie Wanyan would kick him out.

Her heart was made of stone; once she said she had separated from him, she refused to share a room with him.

The change came when, on one occasion, Wei Mingzhao was injured and on the verge of death, Xie Wanyan discovered the glass hairpin he had hidden in his chest.

Didn't she tell the nanny to throw it away?

Upon closer inspection, the broken parts had been carefully glued back together.

Xie Wanyan looked at Wei Mingzhao with a truly complicated expression.

There were reasons for what happened earlier, but she no longer has the same mindset as before.

Nowadays, Wei Mingzhao and Xie Xun are not much different.

If there's any connection, it's that Wei Mingzhao understands her better.

After Wei Mingzhao recovered from his injuries, since he was injured because of her, Xie Wanyan turned a blind eye to his staying in her room.

However, there was still a sense of awkwardness and distance between the two.

Wei Mingzhao was extremely anxious, but thankfully, the information he had been investigating had finally arrived.

But after reading the secret letter, he sat in his study all night.

He knew that something might have happened at the Marquis of Zhongwu's residence, but he did not expect it to be so serious, far exceeding his expectations.

Should he tell Xie Wanyan?

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A note from the author:

Next chapter preview:

Although they lived close by, he knew that in Xie Wanyan's heart, he was still very far away.

As far as you want.