determination
After changing her clothes, Jingwan curled up on the bed, her eyes wide open, empty and lifeless.
Wuxia noticed something was wrong with her and picked up a handkerchief to wring out her hair. But when she touched her shoulder, the person sitting there was so startled that she gasped.
Wuxia was almost startled by her and turned around to look at her.
"Girl? Girl?"
Jingwan finally came to her senses. Although there was fear in her eyes, she was at least back to her senses. She looked around the room and saw that there were only the two of them. Finally, she took Wuxia's hand and said tremblingly, "Dongxia, I...I want to go back."
Wuxia knew she was timid, but that only meant she wasn't good at getting along with people. She wasn't timid when it came to other things, so how did she become like this after falling into the water?
She was a little puzzled and was about to ask for more details when she heard footsteps outside the door.
"Jingwan? Jingwan, have you changed your clothes?" It was Lin Fangru.
Not hearing anyone speak, Lin Fangru peeked in and saw that Jingwan was dressed before coming over and sitting on the edge of the bed talking to her.
"You really scared me to death! You said you'd come and get me if I fell into the water, but I never expected it would be you who fell in."
She genuinely cared about Jingwan, taking the handkerchief from Wuxia's hand to wipe her hair. While wiping, she continued to joke with her, trying to comfort her: "You're not allowed to say you're a good swimmer anymore. When the weather gets hot in summer, I'll come and invite you, and we'll go to Lishui to learn to swim together."
Wuxia then realized that something was wrong.
Jingwan sometimes stayed up late carving jade. When her mind wasn't clear, she would carry a basin of water, immerse her face in it, and hold her breath, saying that this was a way to deliberately clear her mind.
Wuxia was also frightened when she first saw her do this, but she got used to it later and admired her for being able to hold her breath. At that time, Jingwan told her that jade is mostly collected in the autumn and spring in the Northwest, but when the river swells in the summer, she would occasionally dive into the water with some friends from the village to collect jade for fun.
If she can swim, how could she have drowned after only struggling for a couple of moments in the lake?
Seeing Jingwan's pale face, Wuxia instinctively felt that she couldn't stay here any longer. After seeing Lin Fangru off, she went to inform the Duchess that Jingwan was unwell and should return to the manor first.
The Princess Consort asked, "Should we still ask a doctor to come and take a look? It was the Prince's Mansion that was inconsiderate in not arranging a doctor at the manor."
The Duchess smiled awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "It's not that the Prince's Mansion was inconsiderate..."
"The young lady is alright, but she is still a little frightened and cannot bear to bother the Princess Consort any further. Please forgive her." Wuxia interrupted the Duchess and returned to the Princess Consort first. She did not see the noblewoman of the Gao family gritting her teeth and angrily scolding the lowly maid for overstepping her bounds.
The Princess Consort nodded, her emotions unreadable. She simply instructed her servants to arrange a carriage. Without having time to thank the Princess Consort, she said, seeing that everyone was there, "My young lady said that it was all her fault for being playful and careless. She lost her footing and fell into the water from the boat, disturbing the Princess Consort and all the young ladies' enjoyment. She felt very sorry. If the Princess Consort does not mind, she will come to visit and express her gratitude another day."
Upon hearing this, the most distinguished woman in the center of the crowd finally smiled. She looked at the maid in front of her with satisfaction, because Wuxia had explained in just a few words that the reason Jingwan fell into the water was entirely her own fault and had nothing to do with the Prince's Mansion. There was no need for the guests to suspect that it was the fault of the host family.
The girls who were on the same boat as Jingwan also exchanged glances after hearing this.
See? Just say she fell down by accident, so as not to implicate others.
This maid spoke with neither servility nor arrogance. Having witnessed her rescue of the person, she was both brave and resourceful. The Princess Consort suddenly became interested in her: "What is your name?"
"My name is Dongxia."
"What a loyal servant!" The Princess Consort had her maid give her a few pieces of gold, but Wu Xiao did not accept them. After thanking the Princess Consort, she left.
Wuxia wanted to carry Jingwan away, but Jingwan quickly stopped her and got out of bed to put on her shoes: "Dongxia, I'm fine."
They boarded the carriage, but when they arrived at Yuquefang, the carriage could not proceed. Wuxia helped Jingwan down, and as soon as they stood still, they saw the young man standing under the gate of the ward.
Jingwan's eyes welled up with tears instantly, and disregarding the stares of those around her, she ran toward Qin Ziyou.
The young man stepped forward in a few strides, opened his arms to embrace her, hugged her tightly, and then pulled her away.
Wuxia did not stop them and watched them leave.
Qin Ziyou took her out of the city and to the orchard again. There were fewer fruits in winter, and the woods were mostly desolate and withered. There were also few tourists, so they found a wide and secluded spot to sit.
Jingwan hugged Qin Ziyou and whispered to him, "Were you also at that manor?"
She thought she was going to become a water ghost in the lake, but in a daze, she felt someone pulling her to the surface. She thought she saw Qin Ziyou. It was the first time she had ever seen him so anxious, but she was afraid that she was seeing things.
Qin Ziyou hummed in agreement: "It's me."
She nestled in the boy's arms, feeling the warmth, but the stark contrast made the lake in the manor seem even more terrifying.
Noticing her trembling, Qin Ziyou thought she was cold and hugged her tighter.
Jingwan wanted to cry even more. She was still holding the boy, and two lines of tears soaked the boy's shoulder: "Ziyou, I don't want to stay in Pingdu anymore. I want to go back to the Northwest. I want to go back to Yongye."
Qin Ziyou patted her back gently and said in a soft voice, "Okay, let's go to the Northwest and not stay in Pingdu anymore."
She thought Qin Ziyou was just trying to comfort her, but after she finished crying, Qin Ziyou asked her seriously, "Shall we leave next month?"
"Leaving next month?" Jingwan wiped her face and asked him, "Does your family allow it?"
Qin Ziyou didn't dare look her in the eye: "I don't care about them. I'm all grown up now and can make my own decisions."
Jingwan understood; his family probably wouldn't allow it.
"And what about Uncle Gong?"
"We'll come to pick up Uncle Gong once we've settled in the Northwest."
Jingwan looked at him: "Qin Ziyou, have you decided to elope with me?"
The moment Jingwan uttered the word "elopement," Qin Ziyou was filled with shame. Perhaps Jingwan had thought he would marry her and travel to the Northwest together with the blessings of their families. But she never expected that, once the veil of shame was lifted, he had simply abandoned his family and taken her away without any relatives or matchmakers.
Jingwan hugged him and said, "Qin Ziyou, let's elope!"
If it weren't for what happened today, she might have hesitated, but the facts prove that Pingdu cannot tolerate her.
After several dangerous encounters, it's better to leave.
After the Princess Consort's tea party ended, the Gao family and others left the manor. The Princess Consort saw them off at the gate, showing great hospitality.
She didn't return to the manor with her daughter until the last guest left in a carriage.
The mother and daughter chatted idly, and Li Changying deliberately mentioned the girl who fell into the water earlier that day, steer the conversation toward the women of the Gao family.
Upon mentioning the Gao family, the Princess Consort showed disdain: "Although she is born out of wedlock, she is still a member of the family. But look at her, after that girl was rescued, apart from that little servant, no one in the family wanted to go and take care of her. This shows that the family is not harmonious and the relatives are not on good terms. How can such a family possibly rise to power?"
Remembering that it was Qin Ziyou who jumped into the water to save people, the Princess Consort quite admired this young man she hadn't seen in a long time.
Aside from not being in officialdom, she liked his family background, appearance, and temperament very much. More importantly, the prince needed this in-law.
The Qin family is a prominent clan in the current dynasty. The elder brother, Qin Gang, has a bright future, and the grandfather is a veteran of two dynasties. Even if this young man does not hold a high official position, he can become their son-in-law, and his future will not be a concern. Moreover, their daughter, Changying, also likes him.
Just by looking at her daughter's face, the Princess Consort sensed something was wrong: "What's wrong?"
Li Changying had a close relationship with his parents and always liked to confide in his mother. After hearing Qin Ziyou's words today, he knew he would definitely not marry her.
"If Qin Ziyou doesn't like me and doesn't want to marry me, Mother, can we call off this marriage?"
The princess stopped and looked at her daughter: "He doesn't want to marry you?"
Changying nodded: "He has someone he wants to marry, but unfortunately it's not me."
"Hmph," the Princess Consort scoffed. "What's so special about this? The marriage alliance between the Qin and Li families was a long-standing decision. It's not something Qin Ziyou can simply refuse to do. With the family's power and influence, marriage has long been a tool to consolidate the family's wealth and status. How could romantic love possibly have a place in it? But..."
She told Li Changying, "You don't have to marry him, but you will eventually have to get married. Changying, do you want to marry someone you love, or someone you don't love?"
Changying looked somewhat dejected, but still said firmly, "Of course I want to marry the person I love, but..."
"It's just that the person you like doesn't like you back!" The Princess Consort finished the sentence for her daughter.
She touched her daughter's face as if examining a precious artifact, a masterpiece created with half a lifetime of effort, an extension of her bloodline.
"He just doesn't like you right now. Once you're married and spending every day together, he'll understand how good you are. Even the person you loved most in the past will have their mark erased by time, but you will become the one who gets etched deeper and deeper into his heart."
She held her daughter's hand and imparted her life experience: "If you are unwilling to compromise yourself and only want to marry the person you love, then don't hesitate any longer. The marriage is settled. There are many ways to win a man's heart. But if you are willing to compromise yourself and give up this marriage, then your mother will look down on you."
"Changying, you gave up without even trying. Are you really willing to accept that?"
Chang Ying understood.
That evening, under Wuxia's insistence, Jingwan drank three bowls of ginger soup until she felt warm all over before stopping.
Recalling what happened during the day, she was very grateful to the princess consort. Not only did she not blame her for spoiling everyone's mood, but she also sent people to take care of her, and she couldn't help but offer a few words of praise.
Wuxia looked at her with amusement and said, "This servant has already told the Princess Consort about this poem. I also told her that my young lady will come to express her gratitude another day."
"Huh?!" Jingwan exclaimed, her mouth agape in surprise.
She held her head in her hands, already thinking about when to go to the Prince's mansion. Also, she couldn't go empty-handed; what should she bring?
Wuxia was amused by her dazed look: "Don't worry, the threshold of the Prince of Runan's mansion is not so easy to cross."
Upon hearing this, Jingwan agreed that it made sense.
As a concubine's daughter, her desire to enter the Prince of Runan's mansion was seen by the Princess Consort as nothing more than an attempt to climb the social ladder and gain power. How could the Prince's mansion possibly grant her such an opportunity?
She looked at Wuxia, pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, hugged her, and sighed deeply: "Good Dongxia, I don't know how to thank you."
Wuxia was not used to such a tender scene. She felt a little uncomfortable, but she still patted Jingwan's head like she was petting a kitten.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
