Chapter 17 Perhaps she really did make the right bet.
Although Lou Zhongyan had left, Lou Xueying still couldn't find peace and quiet. Cailing would run out to take a look every now and then, and then come back to report to her: "They're still chatting."
Lou Xueying sat by the window, absent-minded and in a state of utter confusion. A cup of tea beside her had gone cold, but she hadn't taken a single sip.
She didn't know how much time had passed, until the sun was setting and dusk was approaching, when Cailing excitedly ran in again and said, "Miss, it seems that the Marquis and the others are about to leave. Do you want to come out and take a look?"
Logically speaking, the man and woman should not meet again before getting married, but if they only see each other from a distance, it should be fine, right?
Lou Xueying hesitated for a moment, but still got up.
She lifted the hem of her skirt, stepped over the threshold, walked to the entrance of the courtyard, and cautiously peeked out.
Cai Ling was right; Li Pan was indeed leaving. From a distance, she could only see a few blurry figures walking towards the gate. Actually, she didn't know what she had come out to see. She didn't really want to see Li Pan; even seeing his back didn't alleviate her anxiety in the slightest.
Just as he was at a loss, Lou Zhongyan seemed to sense something, turned around, and found that his sister had really come out. He quickly waved to her, signaling her to go back quickly.
Lou Xueying pursed her lips, about to go back into the house, when she suddenly saw Li Pan turn around as well.
Their eyes met, and although she couldn't see his expression, Lou Xueying subconsciously held her breath, as if she were nailed to the spot. One hand was on the arched blue stone doorway, and the other was hanging down under her sleeve, her palm clenched nervously.
Lou Xueying saw Li Pan turn his head and say something to his parents, then stride towards her.
Cai Ling gasped in shock.
Lou Xueying stared blankly as he approached, approached, and approached again, finally stopping outside the doorway, three steps away from her.
Today, Li Pan was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with narrow sleeves. He had broad shoulders and a strong waist, and his figure was as tall as a mountain. Standing in front of her, she had to raise her face slightly.
"Miss Lou." He looked at her, his tone flat, neither clear of distance nor politeness, but when his bright, star-like eyes looked directly at her, she clearly felt that he was speaking to her very seriously and attentively.
"Excuse my boldness, but are you truly willing to marry me?"
Although his words were polite, his imposing manner was undiminished. Lou Xueying was stunned for a moment before she realized what he was talking about.
She stiffened, her ears turning bright red, and lowered her head, whispering, "Yes...it was my own choice."
Li Pan pressed further: "Even if none of this had happened, you would still be willing to marry me, not because you were trapped by rumors or coerced by others?"
Lou Xueying recalled what her father had said when he returned that morning, and her face flushed even more. Her fingernails unconsciously rubbed against the patterns on the stone door as she said, "Yes... no one coerced me, and it wasn't because of those rumors. It was all my own choice."
She heard Li Pan exhale a heavy breath.
"So be it," Li Pan said. "Since His Majesty has already bestowed the marriage upon Miss Lou, and Miss Lou has no objection, then I, Li Pan, will certainly treat Miss Lou with courtesy in the future and live up to His Majesty's grace."
After saying that, he cupped his hands in greeting to Lou Xueying and then hurried away.
Cailing watched in stunned silence until Li Pan and the others disappeared from sight, then she couldn't help but say to Lou Xueying, "Miss, Marquis Wu'an is truly..."
She couldn't quite put her finger on what it really was.
He just came over and spoke to the woman so openly in front of her family, without any restraint. It was clearly a very impolite act, but the questions he asked were in a way that respected Lou Xueying's own wishes. It really makes one... not know how to judge.
Most importantly, he left right after saying that! He didn't even seem to miss me!
Lou Xueying gently covered her rapidly beating chest and whispered, "Let's go."
Marquis Wu'an... is indeed different from ordinary men. Perhaps she really did make the right bet.
At the entrance of the Lou residence, watching the Marquis of Wu'an's carriage rumble away and disappear around the corner, Lou Zhongyan irritably flicked his sleeves and complained, "That Marquis of Wu'an is really impolite. How can he do that? He just said, 'I have a few words to say to Miss Lou,' and rushed over without waiting for our reply!"
Madam Lou said, "Forget it, don't bother with such a trivial matter. Marquis Wu'an doesn't follow the rules, and your sister isn't much better. I think these two are truly a match made in heaven."
Lou Shu: "It's fine to say these things now, but once Susu is married to him, we shouldn't say them anymore. By the way, while the shops on the street are still open, quickly send someone to inquire about the construction period and price. If we really set the wedding date according to the most recent auspicious day, I don't know if it will be in time."
Inside the carriage.
After being tense for more than an hour, Li's mother was finally able to relax without any worries.
She rubbed her legs and then pinched her lower back, muttering, "I've never been this tired even when I'm out of bed. How do you think Lord Lou and Madam Lou manage to stay in that position without moving? The chair back is there for people to lean on, isn't it? If they don't lean on it, I don't dare to lean on it either!"
Li Pan: "I'm just leaning against it, and nobody cares about me."
Li's mother said, "No one is really watching you, but I noticed that young master Xiaolou secretly stared at you several times. Maybe he thought your posture was unseemly. I'm not going to embarrass myself like that."
"Whatever," Li Pan said. "But to be honest, Mother, it's true that people can't teach you everything, but you can learn things quickly. I didn't expect you to be even more motivated than me and have persisted for so long! And I see you're quite articulate; you speak logically and clearly. I'm just an extra. If you do this a few more times, I think you and Madam Lou won't be any different."
"Oh, it's all thanks to my in-laws' kindness. They knew I was new to the capital and didn't know much, so they patiently explained everything to me without complaining about my slow reaction time," Li's mother sighed. "The Lou family truly lives up to its reputation; their upbringing is so excellent. Even young Master Lou is so kind and gentle, speaking with such refined manners, and quite handsome. I'm almost embarrassed by his appearance. In my opinion, growing up in such a family, Miss Lou could never be a spoiled or willful person!"
At this point, Li's mother suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, "Was that Miss Lou you were talking to just now? What did you say to her?"
“I didn’t say anything, just asked her if she married me willingly, she said yes, and that was it.” Li Pan shrugged.
"What kind of question is this! Do you think she'd be so disrespectful as to say she's unwilling?" Mother Li said angrily. "Besides, this is a marriage bestowed by His Majesty. How dare she say she's unwilling?"
“If she’s unwilling, I’ll plead with His Majesty again, maybe it will work,” Li Pan said. “But since she’s willing, then let it go, otherwise it’ll seem like I hate her so much.”
“That’s more like it! You should have settled down and lived a proper life a long time ago!” Li’s mother said. “Now that you have a family, don’t act on a whim like before. Think more about your wife, your in-laws, and even your future children. In everything…”
"Stop!" Li Pan quickly told his mother to stop. "I understand the reasoning, so please don't say anything more."
Mother Li: "Understanding is one thing, but being able to do it is another... Sigh, I only caught a glimpse of her from afar, and I couldn't even make out what Miss Lou looked like, but just by looking at her figure, I thought she was too thin. You must be very careful with such a delicate young lady in the future. She's not as thick-skinned as your mother. If you two quarrel, she might really get sick from your anger. Besides, she's ten years younger than you! She's still a young girl, so you should be more accommodating to her!"
Li Pan touched his chin and suddenly smiled.
Li's mother asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"
“When I was eighteen, you didn’t understand that I was young. If I lost a fight, you would say that I was useless for being so big, that I was just wasting my time, and that I didn’t even ask others to be considerate of me. But now that it’s my daughter-in-law, you’ve changed your tune. She’s not even married into the family yet, and you’re already criticizing me. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was your daughter!”
Li's mother said sullenly, "Such a big man, so petty, arguing with his own wife."
Li Pan regained his composure and said, "Let's get down to business, Mother. After dinner tonight, let's sit down with Old Lü and go over what we discussed with the Lou family during the day. Especially the Marquis's residence. Originally, it was just a few of us living there, so it was fine to keep it simple. But now that we're getting a new bride, and it's an imperial marriage, there will be many guests. We can't be negligent, so we definitely need to hurry up and renovate it properly."
"Yes, yes, yes." Mother Li nodded repeatedly. "Oh dear, thinking about it this way, time is really tight! The Lou family hopes to get married in May, I don't know if we'll have enough time!"
-
As Lou Xueying wished, the most auspicious day was in May, and the wedding date was tentatively set for May as well. All the procedures were proceeding in full swing.
Lou Xueying herself didn't really have anything to worry about. Although Madam Lou often took her to see various flower patterns and asked her what designs she liked, she really didn't care. She always chose the simplest designs that were the easiest to make. In the end, Madam Lou couldn't stand it anymore and said that she was only thinking about men and had even forgotten how to dress herself, so she took over all the work.
Lou Xueying was now completely free, spending her days reading in her room, but only she knew how much she actually absorbed.
When Yao Biyue visited, and came to her house for tea, everyone could clearly sense that something was wrong with her.
"Susu, what's wrong?" Yao Biyue frowned. "Is something on your mind? Tell me, or do you think I can't help you?"
This wasn't her first visit. In fact, she had intended to visit Lou Xueying the day after she fell into the water, but when her carriage reached the Lou residence, she found that the Marquis of Wu'an's carriage was also there, so she turned back. Unexpectedly, that very evening she heard the news that His Majesty had bestowed a marriage upon the two families.
Yao Biyue initially thought that Lou Xueying disliked a martial artist like Li Pan and would be extremely upset about being betrothed. However, after careful consideration, she found it strange that Lou Xueying would attend a banquet at the Guangping County Duke's mansion, with whom she had little connection, and then inexplicably fall into the water. She tossed and turned all night trying to figure it out, so she went to visit again on the third day.
Faced with her doubts, Lou Xueying honestly confessed that falling into the water that day was not an accident, but a deliberate scheme she had orchestrated because she had fallen in love with Marquis Wu'an at first sight.
Yao Biyue was stunned. She never expected that just by inviting Lou Xueying to dinner and watching the excitement, she would find Lou Xueying a husband—most importantly, she didn't see at all that Lou Xueying had fallen in love at first sight!
But since things have come to this, Yao Biyue, no matter how unbelievable it seems, can only wish her friend good fortune in finding a good man to spend the rest of her life with.
Madam Lou felt that her daughter was going crazy from staying cooped up in the house all day thinking about men. She thought it would be good to have an unmarried girl to keep her company, so she invited Yao Biyue to come and play often.
After visiting several times, Yao Biyue keenly noticed that Lou Xueying was not in a good state. She was often lost in thought and did not look like a happy bride at all.
At first, she thought Lou Xueying was just too nervous. But then she realized something was wrong. Even the most nervous bride should be shy or excited when talking about her beloved husband. How could Lou Xueying be like this, showing no particular emotion when talking about Li Pan?
"Susu, if you really have something on your mind, just say it." Yao Biyue solemnly held her hand. "Before we get married, let's resolve what we can quickly so we don't have any worries later."
Lou Xueying's throat tightened slightly.
How dare she say that? Was she afraid the emperor would come and steal her away? She dared to say it, but even Yao Biyue might not dare to listen.
Seeing Yao Biyue's expression, as if she wouldn't give up until she got to the bottom of things, Lou Xueying had no choice but to say, "I had a dream before, in which someone wanted to... to break me up with Marquis Wu'an, and not only that, but also insisted on forcing me to marry him... I was so scared, and I've been feeling uneasy ever since I woke up..."
"Oh, I thought it was something serious!" Yao Biyue breathed a sigh of relief, squeezed her hand, and comforted her, "Dreams are always the opposite of reality, so don't worry! Think about it, if you dream that someone wants to break you up with Marquis Wu'an, then in reality someone is trying to match you up with Marquis Wu'an. If someone wants to force you to marry, then in reality someone is trying to force you to marry someone else! When you think about it this way, doesn't it all make sense? Isn't it just that His Majesty insists on matching you with Marquis Wu'an and even wants to bestow a marriage upon you two?"
Lou Xueying: "..."
Yao Biyue: "Stop thinking about all that nonsense. The imperial decree has been issued. Who can disobey it and break you and Marquis Wu'an up? Are you tired of living? Tell the kitchen to make you some calming and nourishing soup. Drink it before you sleep, and you definitely won't have these crazy dreams anymore. His Majesty is blessed with a golden dragon and personally bestowed this marriage upon you. With his protection, what evil spirits would dare to interfere?"
Lou Xueying: "..."
Now I can't sleep at all.
A note from the author:
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Yao Biyue: What should I do if my best friend is obsessed with love and insists on marrying someone who doesn't like her? Oh well, my best friend is too lucky; she actually managed to hire the emperor to be her love protector.
Emperor: Who? Me? [The Joker]
Male lead: Who invited you? [Rolls eyes]
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