Di Xiu would meet Su Wanrou once a month. If Wei's mother urged him more, he might meet her once or twice more. They would either have tea or go for a spring outing, chatting about the books she had recently read and occasionally bringing up the topics they had discussed for the first time.
Su Wanrou's mother had passed away, and she was not well received by her stepmother at home. Princess Fu'an took her into the Princess's residence as her mother. The Su family did not dare to say anything, and would send her things or letters every now and then to maintain their relationship.
She often accompanied the eldest princess, attending fewer banquets and instead wandering around the city or auditing classes at the Imperial Academy.
The old scholars at the Imperial Academy couldn't help but comment, but the Princess deflected their criticisms with a few words.
Princess Fu'an was a remarkable person. Despite being born into this environment, she never placed her hopes on anyone.
When she was assigned to marry a foreign ruler, she agreed before being abandoned and happily married him. She won the favor of the enemy king and the love of the people, and ultimately helped Tiansheng win that vast territory.
After her three subsequent marriages, she was quite adept at "cursing" her husbands. Although her reputation was ruined, she became the most honored princess of Tiansheng, and even her own younger brother had to show her respect.
She found a way to survive in the cracks, and now she has handed that over to Su Wanrou.
The first lesson is: do not place your hopes on anyone, including your parents and siblings. Parents and siblings are unreliable, let alone a husband with whom you have no blood relation.
Su Wanrou still looked at Di Xiu with affection, but that affection was no longer her everything.
At the same teahouse, Di Xiu asked Su Wanrou what she liked. This time, she didn't say "I'll listen to you, young master," but instead said, "I like Qi Hong."
Qimen black tea has a fresh, mellow, sweet, and delicate flavor, which she prefers compared to other teas.
Di Xiu had no complaints, so he ordered a pot of Qihong tea.
Su Wanrou sat upright opposite him, her expression still gentle, but she seemed hesitant, her fingers twisting her handkerchief. After a long while, she stammered, "Wei Lang, I am learning medicine from my mother."
She hadn't even reached the entry level before, so she hadn't told anyone about it, and Di Xiu pretended not to know either.
"How do you like it?"
Su Wanrou's eyes lit up, and she immediately replied, "I like it, I really like it."
Di Xiu asked in a gentle voice, "How is your learning going?"
"I've only just learned to recognize various herbs, and I'm currently looking at medical records and prescriptions." Su Wanrou said with a hint of frustration.
"No rush, remember to solidify your foundation. If you need any help, just come to me." Di Xiu thought that he could get some medical books and case studies from Yanling.
The Princess's residence had everything, but Su Wanrou still did not refuse his kindness and softly agreed.
Then the room fell silent. Su Wanrou hesitated, struggling to speak. Di Xiu took the initiative to ask her, "Is it related to the question I asked you half a year ago?"
“Yes, I want to continue studying medicine,” Su Wanrou immediately followed his words and said what she really wanted to say, but she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. She pursed her lips and looked directly at him. “I want to be a female doctor.”
"If you want to do it, then do it. I've said it before, you should think about yourself."
She took a deep breath, her smile vanished, and her face became serious: "I also want to be an itinerant doctor, to see the vast landscapes my mother spoke of, and to treat many people."
"A very good goal."
Su Wanrou was taken aback, looked at him inquisitively, exhaled, and smiled with genuine joy, which then faded back to normal.
She pursed her lips and cautiously probed, "But a woman is supposed to be a good wife and mother after marriage."
Just then, the tea was brought in, and the waiter poured tea for the two of them before leaving.
After the door closed, Di Xiu looked at her: "So, do you not want to get married, or do you not want to stay in the backyard? If it's the latter, I'll talk to your parents, or I'll ask for a transfer to a military post so I can take you away from Zhaodu." Abandoning literature for martial arts is also a transfer to a military post, but he didn't make it clear.
Su Wanrou shook her head: "That's not fair to you."
Di Xiu said quietly, "It's not fair to you either."
Su Wanrou suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and a sense of grievance welled up in her heart from nowhere.
She lowered her head and pretended to drink tea to hide her embarrassment. After a while, she looked up again and carefully examined the man in front of her. Suddenly, she couldn't remember what he used to look like.
It resembles everything, yet it doesn't resemble anything at all.
She ultimately didn't ask that question, even though she already had a guess in her mind.
She truly loved the Wei Lang of the past, who was gentle and considerate, but the Wei Lang of the present made her feel at ease.
There's no need to flatter or pretend to like things you don't like at all. You can express your own thoughts, and he'll even encourage you to find your own path.
She realized she was being selfish, which was why she didn't dare to shatter the illusion before her.
She looked down at her reflection in the red soup, her gaze gradually hardening. She looked directly into his eyes and solemnly said, "I don't want to marry him."
Di Xiu nodded: "I will talk to your father, mother and your mother, but the annulment of the engagement will inevitably affect your reputation."
Emperor Xiu wouldn't want to smear himself and take all the blame, but whether it's a clash of personalities or incompatible horoscopes, the woman will definitely be the subject of gossip.
Su Wanrou shook her head again: "I never planned to get married anyway, and now that my mother is protecting me, no one will gossip about me."
With the matter brought up, Su Wanrou felt relieved. Holding her teacup, she secretly glanced at him, feeling somewhat embarrassed at being caught red-handed.
"Does Second Sister have anything else to say?"
Su Wanrou's lips moved, and suddenly she remembered something. She offered him tea instead of wine: "I am very grateful for your guidance and help, which gave me a new life. I also wish you can find a good match with someone who is like-minded."
Di Xiu raised his teacup and nodded slightly: "I also wish you all your wishes come true and that everything goes smoothly for you in the future."
When it was time to part, Di Xiu saw her onto the carriage. As the maid lifted the curtain, Su Wanrou bowed to go in, but then paused, hesitated, and looked back at him with a myriad of emotions in her eyes.
Di Xiu met her gaze and asked, "Do you want to ask about him?"
Su Wanrou didn't expect him to bring this up on his own initiative. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded.
"He is protecting you."
Su Wanrou subconsciously looked around, wanting to ask more questions, but when she saw him put his index finger to his lips, her eyes immediately welled up with tears. She bit her lip and nodded.
Go, don't ask anymore, don't look back.
After seeing Su Wanrou off, 001 angrily knocked Di Xiu on the head: "Why did you tell her? What if it gets out and people think you're some kind of monster?"
"Her silence speaks volumes."
"When did you become so trusting of others?"
"It's not that I believe her, it's that I can't tell her."
After processing the information, 001 asked again, "Didn't she really like Wei Zixiao? She wasn't sad at all when she found out he was gone? Looking at the timelines, her feelings for Wei Zixiao didn't seem fake either."
"First, I don't know anything about matters of the heart."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
