"Break off the engagement?"
Chu Changning was surprised and suspicious.
"Yes, they've come to break off the engagement."
Xie Rongyue wrapped her fox fur tightly around herself, leaned against the stone wall, and stood up. Her pale face was completely bloodless.
"But who knew that as soon as I came out of Master Biao’s Willow Garden and passed by the garden pond, I was inexplicably pushed into the pond from behind."
"There were too many people coming and going, and I didn't dare to show my face in this state, so I had to swim all the way to this side of the artificial hill. Luckily, I met you."
She was able to escape and avoid making a fool of herself by having an underground passage dug into the pond in the back garden of the Yan family, connecting it to the artificial hill and garden.
I don't know who was so heartless as to do this to her.
In the courtyard, along the long corridor and the tower, the cold wind was like a knife, making the bells under the eaves jingle.
Frost Moon appeared out of nowhere and draped a snow-white cloak over Chu Changning's shoulders.
"Madam, please be careful not to catch a cold."
Chu Changning hummed in agreement and said to Xie Rongyue, "There are rooms in the back. Go and change your clothes quickly, or you'll catch a cold."
"good."
The two avoided the people in the mansion and went to the side room in the backyard.
Upon entering the room, Xie Rongyue took a piece of clothing and went to the washroom at the back to wash up.
Chu Changning had someone prepare ginger soup.
She disliked large crowds, so she poured herself a cup of hot tea and sat outside to wait.
Mr. Cousin?
It seems that the only cousin living in the Yan family ancestral home was the old lady's half-brother.
But this old man is a cripple, and he has married countless beautiful concubines. How could he be engaged to Xie Rongyue?
What good girl would marry an old man who's over fifty?
I'd heard from the servants that this old man had become quite eccentric after he became crippled, and that he loved to torment people in bed. If Xie Rongyue wanted to marry him, wouldn't she be jumping into a fire pit?
She thought about it suspiciously for a moment, and then, Xie Rongyue changed into a clean set of clothes and came out from the back room.
"Changning, thank you very much this time."
Chu Changning snapped out of her reverie, shook her head dismissively, and brought the ginger soup to her.
"Drink it quickly to ward off the cold."
Xie Rongyue had been hiding in the cold water for so long that her face turned deathly pale from the cold.
After thanking her, she drank all the ginger soup.
Once her body and limbs had warmed up a little, she sat down and began to speak.
"Changning, that cousin in your household has a really strange temper. I even suspect that he's deliberately getting revenge on me."
Upon hearing her mention it, Chu Changning opened her mouth and asked.
"Who arranged this marriage for you, and why are you engaged to him?"
Xie Rongyue's face darkened slightly. "It was the mistress who told me that Master Yan had taken a liking to me and wanted to take me as a concubine."
She suspected that Wang Hezhan was behind it all. She had never met this cousin before, so how could he have taken a liking to him?
The mistress was coming to the Yan family's ancestral home to see the old lady, so she begged to come along, wanting to see that cousin and see if they could break off the engagement.
She was foolish; without any incentive, how could that lecherous old man have let her go?
Chu Changning looked at her dim eyes and clicked his tongue slightly.
There's quite a bit of filth in this family.
"This cousin is very much spoiled by the old lady. If the Xie family doesn't have someone influential to speak up for you, it's probably impossible to break off the engagement."
Xie Rongyue understood this principle well, so she lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Looking at her features, Chu Changning suddenly remembered that when they were in Bei Chaoge, Xie Rongyue had always been by Wang San's side. After that, the two of them had no further contact.
Could this sudden connection with this old man be the work of Wang San?
Thinking about it, she couldn't help but feel disgusted.
The eldest son of the Langya Wang clan is so despicable.
Xie Rongyue was in a daze. After the banquet ended, she returned to the mansion with her mistress. That night, a maid suddenly came to deliver a message to her, saying that the young master of the Lu family had invited her to Jinchi Garden to enjoy the lanterns.
Jinchi Garden was a popular garden for young men and women from the upper-class families of Yandu. At night, it was brightly lit, with pavilions, towers, and exotic animals. In the depths of winter, the plum garden was a picturesque sight.
Xie Rongyue tidied herself up briefly and then went out.
The winter solstice brings a chilly night.
When she arrived at Jinchi Garden, she saw a handsome young man in a dark blue robe standing in the plum grove. He was dignified and elegant.
"Young Master Lu."
Hearing the voice behind her, Lu Yu turned around and smiled gently.
"Miss Xie."
Xie Rongyue clutched the handkerchief and asked softly, "Is there something you need from me?"
Looking into her beautiful eyes, Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to begin.
Xie Rongyue understood his meaning and couldn't help but feel sad.
If it weren't for this unpleasant situation, she could have married Lu Yu as his principal wife without having to be a concubine and suffer humiliation.
But now, it's all ruined.
The Yan family rules over all the aristocratic families in the land, while the Lu family of Fanyang is just an insignificant upper-class family. Moreover, Lu Yu is merely a son of a collateral branch of the family and cannot afford to offend the Yan family. She cannot implicate him.
"Young Master Lu, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."
In his haste, Lu Yu quickly grabbed her sleeve.
Are you getting married?
In the distance, along the plum grove path, a beautiful couple walked slowly side by side. The young man was tall and imposing, wearing a blue cloak that exuded elegance.
The woman beside him was dressed in a lake-blue dress, with a bright and elegant appearance. When she saw her husband stop, she suspiciously followed his gaze to the pavilion not far away.
"Is that a girl from the Xie family?"
Yan Du had long heard rumors that her fiancé was having an affair with the Xie family's illegitimate daughter, and now that she saw it, it was indeed true.
Yan Yuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "This Xie family girl will be my aunt in the future. She's younger than me, but I'll have to call her aunt."
Wang Hezhan stared grimly at the two people tearing at each other not far away, ignoring her.
Yan Yuan's smile deepened. "Aren't you going to say hello?"
"Someone, take the Third Miss back first."
As guards stepped forward from behind, Yan Yuan's expression turned cold, and she turned and left.
Xie Rongyue noticed an unfriendly gaze fixed on her from behind.
She turned around instinctively and saw the man not far away.
The moonlight slanted through the plum branches, casting shadows that vaguely revealed his deep silhouette.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, and he walked straight through the plum grove towards the lotus-viewing pavilion at the back.
Lu Yu didn't notice any of this, looking somewhat dejected at the withered flowers on the ground.
She's right. Children of noble families are born to enjoy the support and education of their families.
He has no right to go against the wishes of his family and to break ties with them for the sake of a young woman.
They cannot bear such a heinous crime.
The hand that was gripping her hem gradually slipped away.
Xie Rongyue snapped out of her daze, glanced at him, took a step back, and gave him a curtsy.
"May you find a good match in the future, young master."
The moonlight was cold and the wind was biting.
When Xie Rongyue arrived at Chunlan, she was stopped by someone.
She recognized the man; he was one of Wang San's bodyguards.
"No, move aside."
"Please don't make things difficult for me, young lady."
Several bodyguards suddenly appeared and surrounded her, their threat obvious.
Xie Rongyue clenched her fists, hidden in her sleeves, her eyes reddening with anger.
"Men and women should be treated differently. It is getting late. I will definitely visit the general another day."
The head guard remained silent, watching her coldly.
Xie Rongyue turned her face away and said coldly.
"Lead the way."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com