Xu Rong rarely faced such a choice in his life.
All she ever did was strive upwards. Starting from a much lower point than most people made it impossible for her to stop her pursuit, and she had no time to appreciate the scenery along the way. She never experienced the sweetness or bitterness of love.
...Of course, she hasn't tasted it yet; she just feels a little annoyed.
Xiao Xin really hasn't done enough homework.
She could only come to this conclusion, seemingly out of misplaced anger. She never used to have the time to overthink things like this.
"Second Madam?" Bai Fu urged.
Whether they invite you or not, they should at least give you a straight answer; just standing here doing nothing isn't going to do anything.
Furthermore, she was quite puzzled, having never seen Xu Rong so hesitant before.
Xu Rong waved his hand weakly: "—Go."
"yes!"
Before Bai Fu could move, Hong Liu responded enthusiastically and ran out in a flash.
She left quickly, but Xiao Xin arrived even faster. Xu Rong felt it was only a blink of an eye. Before she could even decide whether inviting him was the right thing to do, his tall and handsome figure had already appeared in her field of vision.
Upon closer inspection, his face grew even colder.
She looked at Xiao Xin, and Xiao Xin looked at her too, his eyes quickly scanning her from head to toe, as if inspecting something. After he finished scanning, he reached out and took her hand: "Let's go."
Xu Rong was led by him, feeling completely bewildered and wanting to ask him—who told him to lead her? How could it be so natural?
He was holding her quite tightly, and she couldn't break free. With Bai Fu behind her, it wasn't easy for her to struggle either, so she could only follow him forward in a daze.
Finally, after exiting the second gate and getting into the car, she regained her freedom. She pulled her hands back into her sleeves, feeling her fingers burning and tightening, still retaining the lingering sensation of being imprisoned.
"Second Young Master—" she hesitated, trying to think before she spoke.
"Hmm?" Xiao Xin looked over.
His tone of voice was much more ordinary.
"..." Xu Rong backed down, "It's nothing."
Forget it, how am I supposed to phrase this—don't love me, it's pointless?
It hasn't even gotten to that point yet; thinking about it, she embarrassed herself first.
—Don't like me?
It's still too serious, and it reeks of narcissism.
He never explicitly stated it, nor did he do anything excessive; he was generally well-behaved and did not commit any offenses.
In this situation, it would seem rash for her to say anything first. What's worse, if he didn't mean it at all and was just confused and hadn't figured it out yet, and she brought it up and was met with surprised looks, she would just have to dig a hole and hide.
Of course, there is an even worse possibility: he might actually be interested, but he's too young to understand romantic feelings. If she brings it up, he'll realize it, and she'll still be stuck in a rut.
...
Xu Rong hadn't seriously used her brain in a long time, and she never expected to start thinking about something like this again. All the way there, she kept her head down, secretly counting on her fingers inside her sleeve, calculating every possible countermeasure until she was completely dizzy. Finally, she arrived at a precise and reliable conclusion—
They won't talk, they'll drag it out, they'll play dead.
With a creak, the carriage came to a stop.
Xiao Xin jumped out of the car first and turned to reach out his hand to her.
He came out in a hurry and didn't change his clothes. He was wearing a plain blue robe with no embroidery, but he had a good figure. A wide belt with a blue trim in the same color cinched his waist, making him look exceptionally clean from head to toe under the clear autumn sky.
Xu Rong silently got out of the carriage with his help. There were already many guests outside the Cheng'an Marquis's mansion. Some were led into the mansion by the welcoming servants, while others happened to know each other and stopped to exchange pleasantries. At this time, Xiao Xin let go of her hand and held her arm loosely behind her back to prevent her from being bumped by the crowd, but he did not touch her shoulder or back.
He was very measured and skilled. Xu Rong didn't dare to turn his head. The question remained the same—how could he be so natural?
If we go back in time—we don't need to go back too far—they were all going their separate ways, and Xiao Xin wouldn't have cared about her at all. But now, he's almost taken over all of Bai Fu's work.
"May I ask the names of this gentleman and lady?"
The three large gates of the Cheng'an Earl's Mansion, adorned with animal-head carvings, were wide open. Inside the gate, on the left side, were two sets of tables and chairs. Two middle-aged men, who appeared to be scholars, sat behind the tables registering birthday gifts. When it was Xu Rong's and Xiao Xin's turn, one of them picked up a pen, bowed, and asked a question.
"We are from the Changxing Marquis's residence."
Xiao Xin gave his name, and Bai Fu presented him with a prepared gift. Qing Ke buried his head and quickly took notes.
A young maid with her hair in two buns in the corner heard this and her eyes lit up. She stepped forward and said, "Please come with me, Second Mistress. Our young lady has been waiting for a long time."
Xu Rong was surprised that Luo Yanfeng, with her carefree personality, was also quite considerate. She asked, "Is this your second young lady?"
The girl nodded quickly: "That's right."
Xu Rong finally glanced at Xiao Xin. She was going to see Luo Yanfeng and it wouldn't be appropriate to take Xiao Xin with her. Xiao Xin nodded knowingly, "Go ahead."
The little girl was clever; she beckoned a servant boy over and told him to lead Xiao Xin to the area where the male guests were received.
Xu Rong followed the little maid along another path. It was her first time visiting the Cheng'an Marquis's Mansion. She looked around and saw that it was a very new residence. The roof tiles and beams were brightly colored. While it was "new," it also felt somewhat superficial. It was hard to describe the feeling in detail. If you wanted to find a comparison, it would probably be like the Duke of Ying's Mansion. It had ordinary carved beams and painted rafters and lush vegetation. Walking through it, you would feel an extra sense of gentle elegance and nobility. That was the foundation of a founding family.
And this mansion, like the title of Marquis of Cheng'an, is brand new.
"Second Madam, we've arrived. Our young lady is inside." The maidservant circled around and finally arrived at the back door of a flower hall.
This flower hall is located on the west side of the front courtyard. It is spacious and has been newly painted. Xu Rong was a little puzzled as to why the maid was leading her in through the back door. However, she followed the host's lead and saw that there were two maids standing on each side of the back door. Their demeanor was very respectful, no less so than the maids she had seen around Old Madam Zhang. She was relieved but also a little surprised: it seems that the Cheng'an Marquis's mansion has some refinement.
The maid went in to announce her arrival. Xu Rong paused briefly, not having time to look at her any further, when Luo Yanfeng, dressed in a red dress, rushed out like a gust of wind: "Sister Xu, you've finally arrived!"
"Greetings, Second Miss."
Xu Rong greeted her with a smile, but Luo Yanfeng shook her head vigorously: "I'm not good, Sister Xu, let me tell you, I'm so annoyed—"
As they walked in, one after another, they affectionately linked arms with her and led her inside. Once inside, Xu Rong discovered that the flower hall was actually divided into two parts. The one they entered was the inner hall, which was fully furnished with tables and chairs. In addition, there was a twelve-panel screen depicting the Four Gentlemen, which separated half of the space into the outer hall.
Xu Rong subconsciously glanced over there first, and vaguely saw people sitting there, but she couldn't tell if they were men, women, or children. When she looked away, she was startled—there were other people in the inner hall as well.
She was a young woman in her early twenties, with her black hair tied up in a bun, wearing a green jacket and skirt, sitting quietly in the corner by the window.
Because she was so quiet, Xu Rong didn't notice her at first.
"Sister Xu, this is my eldest sister." Without her even asking, Luo Yanfeng excitedly introduced her first.
Xu Rong felt dizzy for a moment.
She didn't know how many sisters Luo Yanfeng had, but she was the second oldest, so there could only be one older sister.
Crown Princess.
She was caught between laughter and tears, unsure whether to blame Luo Yanfeng. She had thought Luo Yanfeng was considerate, but instead, she had led her to the second most important woman in the world without any greeting or even a hint.
She curtsied and said, "This humble servant, Xiao, greets Your Highness the Crown Princess."
The Crown Princess raised her hand and said in a soft voice, "No need for formalities, please rise."
Xu Rong stood up.
Luo Yanfeng had no idea what good deed she had done. She happily pressed her down into a chair and, without ordering the maid, poured her a cup of tea herself: "Sister Xu, come, have some tea."
He sat down next to her again.
After the initial surprise, Xu Rong calmed down. Whether it was the eldest sister of the Luo family or the Crown Princess, it ultimately had no bearing on her. Meeting her by chance was a good opportunity to broaden her horizons.
She picked up the teacup, moistened her lips with it, and seeing that the Crown Princess was sitting quietly and showed no intention of speaking, she took the initiative to smile at Luo Yanfeng and asked, "What's wrong? Have you failed to learn needlework, or did you get into trouble and get scolded?"
"Sister Xu, why are you making fun of me too?" Luo Yanfeng said reproachfully. "My mother said I'm all grown up now and she needs to rein in my temper. I haven't gone out in a long time, that's why I haven't caused any trouble."
"That's needle and thread?"
Luo Yanfeng pouted, "No, not exactly." But then, like a little adult, she shook her head and sighed, "Oh, Sister Xu, I can't tell you."
Xu Rong saw her as a little sister and found it easy to talk to her, so she smiled and coaxed, "Okay, then I won't ask."
"You," Luo Yanfeng persisted, glancing towards the window below, her voice lowering slightly, "Sister Xu, if you really want to ask, I can tell you. Right, eldest sister?"
The Crown Princess didn't speak, but her gaze flickered and looked over, her expression indifferent, seemingly without any meaning.
But Xu Rong realized that the matter might be related to her, and smiled slightly, "How about this, if I can help, then tell me; if I can't help, then telling me won't do any good, so don't say anything."
She was politely declining.
She was certain she couldn't help, and she didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the imperial family.
Luo Yanfeng was indeed disheartened: "Sigh."
She sighed again, looking utterly troubled.
This sorrow was out of character for her usually straightforward personality. Xu Rong wanted to pat her head to comfort her, but then, remembering that her real older sister was sitting there, she moved her arm and withdrew it.
"Yanfeng," the Crown Princess spoke at this moment, her voice still gentle but with a hint of admonition, "when you entertain guests, you should act with courtesy. How can you just sigh and complain all the time?"
"Oh." Luo Yanfeng was willing to listen, sat up straighter, and looked at Xu Rong expectantly. "Sister Xu, I don't know why, but I feel close to you when I see you. I forgot myself for a moment. You won't blame me, will you?"
Xu Rong smiled and shook her head: "It's okay, everyone has bad days, it'll pass."
Luo Yanfeng quickly asked, "Sister Xu, are you also having some troubles?"
Xu Rong wanted to say "no," but the boy's deep and profound gaze suddenly appeared, causing her to pause for a moment.
She really didn't expect that Madam Xiao hadn't caused her any trouble, nor had Xiao Lunchang, Shuyin, or Xiao Shan. In the end, it was Xiao Xin, the one least likely to cause problems, who had run into trouble.
It's a dilemma—to be too lenient or too harsh, to say it or not to say it.
It would be much easier to fight with Madam Xiao for three hundred rounds.
"Sister Xu, are you really like my eldest sister?" Luo Yanfeng exclaimed, her voice tinged with surprise.
Xu Rong snapped out of her daze: "...What?"
How did they get linked to the Crown Princess? They have absolutely nothing in common.
Luo Yanfeng's face was full of understanding and knowing: "Sister Xu, I won't hide it from you, and you shouldn't hide it from me either. Did you hear what they were saying about you outside?"
What did you say about her?
Xu Rong was completely unaware of this. She rarely went out, and she wouldn't have accepted the invitation today if she hadn't finally gotten bored staying at home.
She glanced at Luo Yanfeng while concealing her doubts, because Luo Yanfeng had already let slip the truth, and even if she didn't know, she had to find out.
She knows hers, which is equivalent to knowing the Crown Princess's.
"That means you're not pregnant yet," Luo Yanfeng said, thinking she was embarrassed, and took the initiative to speak first. "My mother heard it. That woman from the Chang family, the one who stole your husband, got pregnant first, and those gossipy women started talking about you."
"These people are so annoying! They have nothing better to do than gossip all day long. Sister Xu, don't take them to heart," Luo Yanfeng advised, but as she tried to comfort her, she herself was puffed up with anger. "They've been saying these things about my eldest sister all along. The Emperor and my brother-in-law, the Crown Prince, aren't worried, so what's it to them? They've been talking about her since just two or three months after she got married, and they're still talking—"
"Yanfeng," the Crown Princess interrupted her.
Luo Yanfeng retorted, "Big sister, you've already gone back to your parents' home in anger, can't I say a few words? There are no outsiders here, and Sister Xu is in the same boat as you. They're criticizing you, so you should also criticize them. Maybe that will cheer you up a bit."
"..." Xu Rong tried hard to control her expression.
She discovered that, in some ways, Luo Yanfeng and Xu Huazhang were a perfect match. Neither of them thought in the conventional way. For example, she never expected that Luo Yanfeng would connect her and the Crown Princess in such a way that they would be on the same side.
what to do.
We have no choice but to accept it.
She couldn't possibly explain that she wasn't bothered by it at all, and that it was only the Crown Princess's problem—what would the Crown Princess think if she heard that?
A solution flashed through her mind as Xu Rong composed herself. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult; she just needed to think of Xiao Xin. A sense of melancholy naturally arose within her: "Second Miss, so this is what you mean by this. I don't go out much, but I know a little about it. Alas, to tell you the truth, my mother came to see me the other day and found some prescriptions to help me recover. She repeatedly told me to take them on time."
The Crown Princess finally moved, turning her entire body around.
Xu Rong continued, half-jokingly, "But this isn't something that can be achieved just by wishing for it. Although I desperately want to hear from you, I just haven't received any news, and I can only worry anxiously—"
She was so engrossed in making up stories and watching the Crown Princess's reaction that she didn't notice that two people had appeared at the front door of the outer hall. They were stopped by the people in the hall and did not enter immediately, but they were separated by only a screen and could hear each other. Upon hearing her words, one of them stared straight at her.
"How is your husband?" the Crown Princess asked softly.
“He was in a hurry too,” Xu Rong said without changing her expression. Once she got the hang of it, she spoke fluently, and besides, she wasn’t entirely faking it. “My mother even got him a prescription.”
Luo Yanfeng gasped and covered her face—she was, after all, a young lady from a respectable family. The Crown Princess paused, then asked, "But him—?"
"No, no," Xu Rong quickly tried to cover up the misunderstanding, "The second young master is in good health and there is nothing wrong with him. It's just that my mother is a worrier and asked for an extra prescription. Actually, it's useless. It's just to give the old lady some psychological comfort."
The Crown Princess slowly nodded.
Someone outside the hall lowered their head, as if bored or unable to contain themselves, and lightly kicked the ground with their toe.
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