Chapter 15 Annulled Engagement 3

The lead-gray clouds hung low, like a wet cotton wad, heavily pressing down on the Yu family residence.

The wind swirled the sycamore leaves in the corner of the courtyard, making a rustling sound as they fell onto the bluestone slabs. Even the red lanterns under the eaves swayed from side to side, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground, much like the thoughts that had settled into Chen Xuanqing's mind at that moment.

The servant stood under the eaves with his hands hanging down and his head bowed, repeating what he had just said: "Seventh Young Master, my master got caught in the rain last night, and the doctor came to see him just now. He said that my master has caught a cold. After you left, my master was so weak that he could barely speak and was really unable to come out to entertain guests. Madam has instructed that she and Miss will accompany him at today's banquet. I hope you will understand."

Chen Xuanqing stood in front of the guest room window, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the carvings on the window frame. His fingertips touched the cold wooden splinters, but it didn't distract him in the slightest.

When I saw Mr. Yu in the main room just now, although he looked worried, his complexion was rosy and his voice was loud. He did not look like he had caught a cold at all.

He had only rested for half an hour when the Yu family delivered this message.

It was obvious that they had noticed his intention to come today and wanted to use the tactic of "feigning illness" to stop him and buy time.

"I see."

He turned around, his tone calm, but the depth in his eyes deepened. "Please lead the way, I'll go with you to the banquet."

The servant quickly replied "Yes," and led the way with the lantern.

The corridor was long, and the light from the lanterns seemed particularly weak in the twilight, as if a storm was brewing.

He walked slowly, but his mind was racing: Yu's father claimed to be ill and refused to see him, while Yu's mother and Yu Wanxue accompanied him, simply to play the "favor card".

Yu Wanxue was a young woman of marriageable age, and her mother was an elder. If he were to propose breaking off the engagement at the banquet, he would inevitably be branded as "bullying women and children," which was exactly what the Yu family had calculated.

After passing through two moon gates, the banquet was held in the flower hall of the west courtyard.

Just as they reached the door, they heard Yu's mother's gentle voice from inside: "Xuanqing has arrived? Please come in quickly."

Chen Xuanqing pushed open the door and entered. A brazier was burning in the flower hall, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus cake, which was completely different from the cold and damp outside.

Yu's mother sat in a chair next to the main seat, wearing a lotus-colored jacket and her hair was neatly combed, but there was a barely perceptible tension hidden in the fine lines under her eyes.

Yu Wanxue sat beside her, wearing a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). When she saw Chen Xuanqing enter, she quickly stood up and bowed, her voice barely audible: "Seventh Young Master."

Chen Xuanqing returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

The flames from the fireplace in the flower hall gently licked the charcoal, making Yu Wanxue's light green dress appear even softer.

As Chen Xuanqing turned slightly to the side, the corner of his sleeve inadvertently brushed against her fingertips resting on the edge of the table. The slightly cool touch felt like a feather, gently landing on his heart, causing him to pause abruptly.

He looked up and met Yu Wanxue's suddenly bright eyes.

The girl hurriedly withdrew her hand, her fingertips curled up, her ear tips turned so red they looked like they could bleed, and she even breathed softly, only daring to lower her eyes and whisper, "Young master... be careful not to burn the teacup."

The white porcelain cup in front of her was still steaming, with a little bit of osmanthus cake crumbs stuck to the rim, which she had accidentally gotten on when she handed it to him.

Chen Xuanqing's gaze fell on her fingertips, which were covered with a very thin layer of calluses, the result of years of needlework and household chores.

He suddenly remembered his past life.

After Yu Wanxue married into the Chen family, she would get up before dawn every day to tend to the inner courtyard, paying respects to the elders and even taking care of the writing implements in his study. One winter, he fell seriously ill, and she stayed by his bedside for three days and three nights without closing her eyes. In the end, she also fell ill, but she still smiled and said, "As long as my husband is well, that's all that matters."

Even when Gu Jinchao forced her to kneel, causing her to miscarry and rendering her unable to have children for the rest of her life, she still did not utter a single complaint.

Back then, she was just as quiet and gentle, putting all her heart and soul into the Chen family and into him, devoting herself wholeheartedly to him, yet she never received even a sliver of his true affection in return.

Sometimes I wonder, what has Chen Xuanqing done to deserve such treatment from a woman?

"Young Master?" Yu Wanxue noticed him staring at her hand in a daze and called out softly again, a hint of unease in her eyes, as if she was afraid that she had done something wrong to displease him.

Chen Xuanqing snapped back to reality, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he suppressed the surging reluctance in his heart.

He picked up the teacup in front of him, the warmth spreading up his fingertips, but it couldn't warm the chill in his heart.

The debts from the past life are real, but the obsessions in this life are also real.

He thought of Gu Jinchao.

Gu Jinchao is bright and vibrant, like the midday sun, able to illuminate all the darkness in his heart.

Yu Wanxue, on the other hand, is gentle and compliant, like the moonlight at dusk, quiet yet elusive.

In his past life, he mistook gentleness for his destiny and wasted his life; in this life, he has finally met someone he wants to protect with all his might, so how can he go back to the same path?

"It's nothing." Chen Xuanqing put down his teacup, his voice returning to its previous calm, though the gentleness in his eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of unwavering determination.

"I heard that Uncle has caught a cold. I wonder if it is serious? If you need medicine, I will have someone send some over from Chen's Pharmacy right away."

This was both a polite remark and a test.

He deliberately mentioned "sending medicine." If Yu's father was really sick, Yu's mother would definitely agree to go along with the conversation; if he was faking it, she would inevitably give herself away.

Madam Yu paused for a moment while holding the teacup, then quickly waved her hand with a smile: "Thank you for your concern, young master. It's just a minor cold. I've already called a doctor to take a look and he's prescribed a medicine, which is being decocted. There's no need for you to worry about it."

She avoided the topic of "delivering medicinal herbs," only mentioning it vaguely, her eyes showing even more tension.

Yu Wanxue sat to the side, sensing the subtle tension in their conversation, but remained silent.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Madam Yu waved her hand and had a maid push a plate of freshly steamed osmanthus cake in front of Chen Xuanqing. "This was made by Xue'er herself today. Young master, please try it and see if it suits your taste."

Chen Xuanqing looked at the delicate osmanthus cakes on the plate, and felt a mix of emotions.

He picked up a piece, took a small bite, and the sweet, glutinous texture spread in his mouth, but it didn't bring him any pleasure.

He looked up at Yu Wanxue and saw her looking at him with clear, expectant eyes. He swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He simply couldn't bring himself to say the words "break off the engagement" to such a gentle and tender face.

A sudden rumble of thunder came from outside the flower hall, followed by large raindrops pounding against the windowpanes, the pattering sound breaking the tranquility inside.

Chen Xuanqing put down the osmanthus cake in his hand, a few crumbs on his fingertips, but he didn't care. He simply said in a calm tone, "Auntie, Wanxue, I came to visit today because I did have something I wanted to discuss with Uncle, but I didn't expect Uncle to be unwell..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze falling on Yu's mother's face. Seeing her instantly tense expression, he understood immediately—the Yu family was indeed stalling.

"Since Uncle Yu is unwell, it's not too late to discuss what I've said later."

"I'm afraid I've been bothering you during my stay at your residence these past few days. I hope you'll forgive me, Auntie." Chen Xuanqing bowed.

The heater crackled and sparks flew up, landing right on Yu's mother's tense nerves.

Chen Xuanqing's words, "Let's discuss it later," were like a key, instantly unlocking the knot in her heart that had been nagging at her for so long.

She suddenly loosened her grip on the handkerchief, the whiteness in her knuckles slowly fading, and a gentle smile immediately spread across her face, even smoothing out the fine lines at the corners of her eyes: "It's alright! It's alright! Xuanqing, it would be great if you could stay a few more days! The house hasn't been this lively in a long time, and Wanxue will have more people to talk to."

As she spoke, she quickly winked at the maid beside her: "Quickly! Go and prepare 'Listening to the Pine Residence' in the east courtyard. That courtyard is quiet and by the pond, making it the perfect place for the young master to rest. Also, bring two new brocade quilts from the storeroom over there. It's been raining and chilly these past few days, so don't let the young master get cold."

The maid responded and quickly withdrew.

Yu Wanxue sat to the side, and when she heard that Chen Xuanqing was going to stay for a while, she secretly clenched the hem of her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with her fingertips, and couldn't help but glance at Chen Xuanqing.

He wore a moon-white long robe with dark patterns embroidered on the cuffs. His posture was upright when he bowed, and even the stray hairs at his temples exuded a refined and handsome air.

Her heart was pounding like a rabbit's, and she felt less reserved than before. She even felt that the continuous rainy days weren't so bad after all.

However, if he really wants to break off the engagement, the method proposed by Granny Zhang might not be a bad idea to give it a try.

As the saying goes, "Success and failure both depend on Xiao He."

If we don't try, what if she regrets it for the rest of her life?

As Yu Wanxue pondered, Chen Xuanqing suddenly straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Yu Wanxue's reddened earlobes, and he paused slightly in his heart.

He could naturally see the girl's joy; her barely concealed shyness was like a willow branch just sprouting in spring, so tender it made his heart ache.

She was the same way in her past life. As long as he was willing to stay a little longer and talk to her a little more, she could be happy for days.

But he stayed in this life not to fulfill her wishes, but to find a more appropriate time.

If the engagement is broken off now, and Yu's father claims to be ill, and Yu's mother panics, Yu Wanxue might not be able to handle it on the spot. It would be better to stay here first, and wait until the Yu family's emotions have calmed down and her father arrives before making things clear. At least that would save her some embarrassment.

"Thank you for your trouble, Auntie." He spoke calmly, his complex emotions well hidden as he cupped his hands in greeting. "But I'm afraid I've been bothering you for so many days and causing you trouble."

“Don’t say it’s troublesome!” Mother Yu waved her hand hastily, her enthusiasm almost excessive. “You and Wanxue are already engaged, so it’s only right that you stay here. If you get bored in the next few days, Wanxue can accompany you for a walk in the yard, or you can go to the study to read some books—although we don’t have any valuable books, we have quite a few common stories and poetry collections.”

She deliberately brought up the "engagement" and said that she wanted Yu Wanxue to accompany her in order to secretly get closer to Chen Xuanqing, hoping that Chen Xuanqing would remember this affection and give up the idea of ​​breaking off the engagement.

Chen Xuanqing agreed, "Thank you for your help, Auntie, and also thank you, Miss Wanxue."

When Yu Wanxue heard him call her name, she quickly looked up, her eyes shining like stars, and replied softly, "No, no need to trouble you, young master. I... I often go to the study to read, so I can keep you company."

After she finished speaking, she was afraid that she would seem too eager, so she quickly lowered her head and repeatedly rubbed her fingertips on the hem of her clothes.

Looking at her like this, Chen Xuanqing's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he suppressed the surging guilt in his heart.

He knew that his "compliance" at this moment might bring Yu Wanxue joy, but when the truth was revealed, that joy would only turn into deeper hurt.

But he had no choice—he couldn't just throw cold water on Yu's father when he was "recuperating," Yu's mother was in a panic, and Yu Wanxue was full of expectations.

The torrential rain outside the window hadn't stopped. The wind whipped the raindrops against the window paper, making a rustling sound, as if reminding everyone how fragile this temporary calm was.

The stove in the flower hall burned its last embers brightly, illuminating the gradually cooling dishes on the table, still retaining a hint of smokiness. A small portion of lotus seed soup remained in the celadon bowl; the honey-soaked lotus seeds had sunk to the bottom, indicating that Yu Wanxue had specially asked someone to add extra sugar.

After the meal, the maid returned to report that Ting Song Ju had been cleaned up and the charcoal fire had been lit.

Yu's mother quickly got up and said to Chen Xuanqing with a smile, "Xuanqing, shall I have Wanxue take you there? She knows the way well and can give you directions. Some places in the yard are slippery when it rains, so don't fall."

Chen Xuanqing looked at Yu Wanxue and saw that she had already stood up, her eyes full of expectation, so he nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Wanxue."

Yu Wanxue quickly shook her head, her voice as soft as raindrops: "Young master, you're too kind. This way, please."

The two walked out of the flower hall one after the other, and the rainwater flowed down the eaves, weaving a fine curtain of rain.

Yu Wanxue walked ahead, slowing her pace, occasionally turning back to say to Chen Xuanqing, "Be careful, it's slippery here," her voice filled with barely concealed joy.

Chen Xuanqing followed behind, watching her light green skirt sweep across the bluestone pavement, but his heart felt like it was weighed down by a stone.

He knew that the moment he uttered those words, the peaceful warmth before him would be shattered, like the rain curtain beneath the eaves.

“Young Master, Tingsong Residence is just ahead.” Yu Wanxue stopped and pointed to the courtyard with lights on in the distance, her eyes full of anticipation. “The winter plum blossoms in the courtyard will be in bloom soon. When the weather clears up, Young Master can come out and take a look. The fragrance is wonderful.”

Chen Xuanqing followed her finger and saw warm yellow light shining through the window paper, reflecting the red lanterns hanging at the courtyard gate, creating a warm atmosphere.