Chapter 32. They couldn't tolerate anyone else between them. ...
As the last rays of the setting sun faded, the sky turned into an ambiguous, gloomy twilight.
She looked up at Yu He'an, her brows relaxed and her expression peaceful.
She had already mentioned it once before.
She didn't want to be rejected again.
Yu He'an's lips curled up slightly, and the emotions in his eyes were unreadable. "This is, after all, your marriage, and it should be handled with care."
If she were truly the lady of the Marquis's household, Chu Minglang would treat her with humility and politeness. He wouldn't necessarily seek perfect harmony, but at least he would treat her with the respect due to a guest.
Lingnan is warm, and she doesn't even need to be in charge of the household affairs. She can still be a carefree lady who indulges in fun and games, just like when she was in her boudoir.
She could probably figure out why she had chosen Chu Minglang.
She now asks Yu He'an for help to refuse Chu Minglang's marriage proposal, and then Old Madam Song will set her sights on other young men.
Jiang Tingfeng or some other young master in Bianjing...
Yu Hean could help her this once, but what about in the future? She couldn't keep asking him for help every time. She would eventually get tired of it, and then what would she do?
"I don't know..." She lowered her head, looking helpless and lost in sorrow.
She truly didn't know what the future held.
She couldn't know what Chu Minglang would do in the future, but at least he was easy to get along with now. If she were to encounter someone like Ji Yushang...
Her days that followed were even more difficult.
Yu He'an didn't respond to her for a while, which she found strange. She looked up at him, her brows furrowed, and a hint of melancholy could be seen on his jade-like face.
She quickly added, "If my brother and grandmother think it's good, then I think it's fine too..."
At this moment, her previous confusion and hesitation appeared to others as the girl's shyness.
Are you going to read again tomorrow?
The temptation to sleep was great; Yu He'an had finished his scientific expedition, and she no longer had to worry about disturbing him.
Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded.
She bid farewell to Yu He'an at the rockery by the lake, and then took Lan Xin to Mingjingzhai to visit the injured Chu Minglang.
Mingjingzhai is located on the left side of the lake. It is a two-story building that is usually kept clean and is used as a place for guests to rest.
When she arrived, Chu Minglang had changed into a peacock blue round-necked robe and was striding out. When he saw her, the corners of his eyes and mouth turned up, and his smile melted into his eyes.
"Sister Yu, you've arrived."
"Is your injury, Young Master Chu, any better?"
As if knowing she didn't like people getting too close, Chu Minglang stopped two or three meters in front of her.
"The doctor just came to check on me. He applied some medicated wine, and the bruise has faded a bit. It'll be fine in a few days." Chu Minglang placed his left hand on his right shoulder and twisted his shoulder. "See? It's really fine now."
If Chu Minglang's brows weren't constantly furrowed, she would believe what he said.
"The small kitchen has prepared a medicinal meal, Young Master Chu..." Where are you going?
The Chu family did not have a residence in Bianjing. When the Chu family was involved in factional strife, they were nominally granted a fiefdom in Lingnan, but in reality, they were exiled.
Chu Minglang had been staying at the largest inn in Bianjing, but this time Old Madam Song intended for him to stay at the Yu Mansion.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Sister Yu." Chu Minglang's smile widened, revealing her gentle, affectionate, and easy-going nature.
"You're too kind, Young Master Chu. You were injured because of me."
Lately, Yu He'an has been smiling more often, with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, as if he is trying to be a gentle older brother. However, his expression and temperament are still aloof, making him seem somewhat out of place.
Thinking of this, she lowered her head and chuckled softly.
Lanxin gently placed the food box on the side table. She lifted the lid, and the aroma of food mixed with the scent of medicinal herbs wafted out.
The exquisite three-tiered snack box has several delicate bowls and plates on the top two tiers, all containing dishes from the small kitchen of Lanfangyuan, which are colorful, fragrant and delicious. The bottom tier contains a pot of medicinal cuisine.
Chu Minglang sat down in the armchair: "If you really want to thank me, just call me Minglang, like when we were children."
"Minglang".
A soft call, if the voice were any softer, would probably be inaudible, but it stirred up a thousand waves in Chu Minglang's heart.
It was as if she had been given a certain identity, a qualification to stand beside her.
All of this undoubtedly delighted him.
Chu Minglang said solemnly, "Yaoyao."
The room was dimly lit, even with the lights on, creating a slightly ambiguous atmosphere.
She had intended to leave after Chu Minglang finished his meal, but he insisted on seeing her off, so she quickly declined.
"After we finish our meal, I'll head back to the inn. I can walk with you a little longer then." Chu Minglang consciously left her a few steps behind.
After failing to trigger the plot several times in a row, her resistance lessened somewhat, and she could at least calmly pretend that he didn't exist.
Since Madam Song didn't mention him staying, she naturally wouldn't.
If they stay in the manor, the frequency of their meetings will increase, which could easily lead to trouble.
A gentle evening breeze carried a hint of dampness.
Half an hour passed very quickly, as if in the blink of an eye. He had sent Yu Tan back to Lan Fang Courtyard from Ming Jing Zhai, and watched Yu Tan enter the courtyard and disappear completely.
He looked away, unable to stop smiling. He could tell that Yu Tan was not so nervous about him, and even seemed a little relaxed.
He walked briskly, turned and left the Jade Mansion; this was an excellent start.
*
On that day, after Madam Song returned to the mansion, Yu Tan spent most of her morning at He Xiang Courtyard.
She had breakfast with Madam Song and played chess to aid digestion.
As usual, she went to tidy up the chessboard, but Old Madam Song stopped her. "Yaoyao, we're not playing chess today. Come and take a look."
Yu Tan moved a low stool and sat obediently next to Madam Song. On the small table were a pile of birth charts, and she recognized the names of several young women, all legitimate daughters of prominent families in Bianjing.
Yu Tan blinked: "Grandmother, what are you doing here?"
Old Madam Song gently tapped her hair with a birth chart: "Are you really confused or just pretending to be confused? You don't even know that."
Yu Tan rubbed his head and laughed, "Grandmother, why didn't you have such a grand ceremony when you arranged my marriage? Are you showing favoritism?"
Old Madam Song patted her a few more times with the birth chart: "You little ungrateful girl, your pomp and circumstance is not big enough. I personally went to Lingnan and stayed for a few months."
Yu Tan lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She pursed her lips, and her hand felt damp.
She knew, she had always known, Madam Song's intentions.
She had lived peacefully in Bianjing for decades, so why did she suddenly want to spend the Spring Festival in Lingnan last year? It was all for her.
Yu Tan bent over and pressed her face against Old Madam Song's knee: "Grandmother, can't I stay with you forever without getting married?"
She raised her head and looked at Old Madam Song pleadingly, "Grandmother..."
"Don't talk nonsense." Old Madam Song took it as her being coquettish and affectionately patted her head. "How long can you stay with me? You'd better get your marriage arranged quickly. You have to attend the spring banquet..."
“Grandmother, I’d rather stay home with you than go to the Spring Banquet to find a place to hide and bask in the sun.”
“You’re with me every day, or you’re at your brother’s courtyard.” Old Madam Song’s face tightened. “It’s all my fault for being too restrictive.”
She muttered, "I don't like going out anyway."
"Even if I live to be a hundred, you can only stay with me for another twenty years. You have to walk the rest of the road by yourself. Your father and brothers are busy with their family business and have no time to take care of you. I have seen Chu Minglang. He is a decent young man from a prominent family in this generation."
Her voice softened: "I'll go, Grandmother."
She gripped her sleeves, pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, and stopped looking at Old Madam Song's face.
She could only delay these few months by relying on Chu Minglang.
*
Chu Minglang returned to the inn to rest for a day, only to realize with a start that he had not yet given away the gift he had prepared for Yu Tan.
For several days in a row, I went to the Marquis's residence to look for Yu Tan, but Yu Tan was not in Lanfang Courtyard.
On that day, when he arrived at Lanfang Courtyard again, only a maid in green was waiting there.
Lanxin led him to the outer hall, where tea was thoughtfully prepared for the guests, and incense was burning all around, the same fragrance of epiphyllum that Yutan was used to.
Spring had arrived, but the underground heating in Lanfang Courtyard was still burning brightly, which made him somewhat anxious.
He was born and raised in Lingnan and disliked the underfloor heating that was always burning in the house, as he always felt suffocated by it.
"Young Master Chu, please wait a moment, this servant will go and fetch my wife back." Lanxin curtsied.
Having rejected Chu Minglang for three consecutive days, Yu Tan specifically instructed him this morning that if Chu Minglang came to visit again, he should go to Fengxu Courtyard to find her.
Seeing that things were looking promising, Chu Minglang smiled and said, "Yaoyao is with Old Madam Song. There's no need to trouble her to make the trip. I'll go with her and deliver the things before heading back."
Lanxin stammered for a long time, and seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, she had no choice but to tell the truth:
"My wife is looking at the account books in my husband's study."
These words were truly strange. Although the siblings had been close since childhood, the image of Yu Tan hiding in Yu He'an's arms uncontrollably surfaced in his mind last time in the corridor.
Chu Minglang's expression changed slightly, but quickly returned to its gentle demeanor, a polite smile on his face: "Isn't this a coincidence? Brother He'an just finished the imperial examination, and I will also be taking it next time. After delivering Yao Yao's things, I can conveniently ask Brother He'an for some advice. It's a win-win situation."
Lanxin was caught in a dilemma. Yutan had instructed her to go and announce the news, but not to bring the person to Fengxu Courtyard. However, Chu Minglang was the future grandson-in-law chosen by Old Madam Song.
Lanxin frowned, hesitated for a long time, and then clasped her hands together.
"Why are you, a mere servant, obstructing me? Don't you understand Madam Song's meaning?" Chu Minglang's smile vanished, and Lan Xin actually saw a hint of sarcasm and meanness on that gentle face.
"Young Master Chu, that's not what I meant," Lan Xin hurriedly explained, afraid of displeasing Chu Minglang.
Qiaoxin came in and explained, "Young Master Chu, my wife specifically instructed that you were injured while saving her, and she would feel guilty if you continued to go through all that trouble."
Chu Minglang glanced at Lan Xin impatiently and pursed his lips: "I almost misunderstood Yao Yao's good intentions."
"We servants are clumsy with words, please don't blame us, sir," Qiaoxin said, pulling Lanxin along to offer a polite apology.
Chu Minglang pointed at Qiaoxin: "Take me to find Sister Yu."
"Yes," Qiaoxin replied obediently, then winked at Lanxin, signaling her to inform Yutan as soon as possible, "Lanxin, Madam said she wanted to eat candied fruit at noon."
Lanxin had been by Yutan's side since childhood and had rarely been scolded like this. She was a little embarrassed and her eyes reddened with grievance. "This servant will buy candied fruit right away."
Qiaoxin led Chu Minglang toward Fengxu Courtyard. When they passed through the winding corridor, she would slow down a bit and whisper, "The palace lanterns under the corridor, my lady likes to use octagonal glass lanterns, with several pieces of cloisonné glass hanging below. When the wind blows, they sound like wind chimes."
Seeing that Qiaoxin was intentionally revealing Yutan's hobby, Chu Minglang showed unusual patience towards this sensible maid.
"Yaoyao is quite witty. These palace lanterns are indeed more beautiful and exquisite than ordinary ones."
Qiaoxin lowered her head and smiled, "Young Master Chu, if my wife asks, please don't answer like that."
"Oh?" Chu Minglang frowned.
Qiaoxin explained, "It's not that Madam likes things to be exquisite and beautiful, but rather that Madam is afraid of the dark and doesn't like the quiet of the night, so the style of all the palace lanterns under the corridor of the Marquis's residence has been changed."
Chu Minglang said, "Thank you."
Seeing that she had already wasted enough time, Qiaoxin slowly made her way to Fengxu Courtyard.
Qiaoxin entered the courtyard first, and seeing that Lanxin had already left and wouldn't give herself away, she led Chu Minglang into the inner room.
Upon arriving at the outer hall, they knocked three times on the door. Through the semi-transparent window paper, they saw that Yu Tan was not asleep on the soft couch.
"My lady, Lord Chu is here... He needs to see you."
"Come in," a cool male voice said.
The study door opened with a click, and a wave of heat from the heated floor rushed out, making him feel even more uncomfortable.
Yu Tan sat opposite the desk, slowly flipping through the account book with her fingertips, one hand supporting her head, her head drooping, her eyelids drooping, like a cat whose good sleep had been disturbed.
Yu He'an was much more serious. He reread the account book that Yu Tan had flipped through, and circled any strange parts with a red pen and pointed them out to Yu Tan.
The two heads were very close together, intimate and at ease.
Seemingly unaware of his arrival, that strange feeling spread again.
He had been feeling smug about being able to stand next to Yu Tan, but now he realized that no matter how hard he tried, Yu Tan couldn't see him.
He recalled the way Yu Tan looked at Yu He'an, always with dependence and trust, as if there was no room for anyone else between them.
Author's Note: Thank you MiMaouksophie and Yan & Huan for the nutrient solution [lop-eared rabbit head][lop-eared rabbit head][lop-eared rabbit head]
Chu Minglang: Wasn't my provisional fiancé? Why do I feel like I'm the other woman...?
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