Two guards stationed outside Zuoshun Gate were chatting quietly.
"What's wrong with Gu Er today? He looks so gloomy, like we owe him money. Wasn't he all smiles and eager to treat everyone to drinks just a while ago?"
"What else could it be? His wife ran away."
Lu Xingjian stopped in his tracks.
Just as Steward Li was about to go out and scold the two guards who were chatting, Lu Xingjian stopped him with a glance.
The two guards were having a lively conversation.
"He ran away? Wasn't he going to marry the granddaughter of the former Grand Secretary Su? Why did he run away?"
"I don't know, but I heard that the Su family didn't agree and the marriage was called off."
"Hey! This is Gu Er's first marriage. Countless noble ladies would kill to marry him. The Su family doesn't even agree to him marrying a widow? That's really strange."
"Who can argue with that?"
The guard lowered his voice, looked around, and whispered:
"I heard it's the Xu family causing trouble, saying that Su Wanwan was pregnant with an illegitimate child back then, and that she cuckolded the Xu family..."
Lu Xingjian's body trembled slightly, his face suddenly tightened terribly, and he looked sharply at Steward Li.
Manager Li shuddered in fright and shook his head innocently and blankly.
Your Majesty said there was no need to report on Madam Su's condition anymore, and I haven't been paying attention to it either. You can't blame me!
Lu Xingjian clenched his fists tightly behind his back. Steward Li noticed that the veins on his hands were bulging, indicating that he was clearly not calm.
After a while, Lu Xingjian turned around and walked back.
Steward Li followed behind with his head down, and hurriedly sent people to collect the latest news about Su Wanwan.
Lu Xingjian went to the East Palace.
He locked himself in the room and searched everywhere.
It wasn't until dark that they found a small, locked box on top of a cabinet.
The key is nowhere to be found.
Lu Xingjian took out a dagger and pried open the box.
What came into view was a box of letters, most of which were still unopened.
...
Su Nan's arrival in Beijing instantly provided Su Wanwan and Su Wanying with a sense of security.
These next few days, they only need to stay quietly in the back of the Su family mansion, while Su Nan handles all the outside affairs.
Su Wanwan's leg wound has healed, leaving a faint scar. However, the bone injury still needs time to heal.
That evening, Su Wanying pushed Su Wanwan to cool off under the osmanthus tree in the yard.
She looked up at the osmanthus tree and wondered, "I wonder if all these osmanthus flowers will have finished blooming by the time we leave Beijing?"
Su Wanwan smiled and said, "If you like osmanthus, when you go back to Luoyang, I'll plant an osmanthus tree in your yard."
Su Wanying was overjoyed. "Really? Sister, I'll make you osmanthus sugar cake then. I'm very good at making it. The lady of that family used to love my cooking."
Su Wanwan felt a pang of sadness.
My cousin cleverly escaped the clutches of river bandits after falling into the water, but was sold by human traffickers to a family to work as a maid, where she suffered endless hardships.
Later, when her master was imprisoned in the capital, she was also implicated and sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).
Ultimately, it was she who dragged Wan Ying down, and she really wanted to make amends.
"Wan Ying, what else do you like? I'll find it all for you, okay?" Su Wanwan asked gently.
Su Wanying didn't speak, but stared wide-eyed at the distance not far behind her.
Su Wanwan turned her head and saw a handsome and tall figure scaling the wall and landing gracefully.
He walked a few steps to Su Wanwan and stopped in front of her, his face serious and somewhat frightening. He looked down at her and said, "Let's talk."
His aura was chillingly cold, and his attitude brooked no refusal.
Su Wanying had lived in Xiaoyuan before and recognized Lu Xingjian. After shivering, she tactfully excused herself, saying, "I'll go see if my second uncle has returned yet."
Su Wanwan didn't know what he wanted to do, so she climbed over the wall and looked at him warily with pursed lips, "What is it?"
Lu Xingjian tried to keep a calm expression, staring sharply at her: "Whose child is it?"
The color drained from Su Wanwan's face.
Her small face was as pale as paper.
After a long while, her stiff body finally moved, and she awkwardly forced a smile.
"What child?"
Lu Xingjian watched her every move closely and sneered twice:
"Su Wanwan, who gave you the audacity to marry someone else while carrying my child?"
Su Wanwan froze, pressed her lips tightly together, closed her eyes helplessly, and let the tears roll down her cheeks.
The mental walls built up over the years crumbled at this moment.
She could face anyone who questioned her with composure, but she couldn't face him with composure.
After a long while, she finally raised her reddened eyes and looked at him.
His narrow eyes were cold and scarlet, with a suppressed, overwhelming rage in their depths.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
Her pale skin turned red with anger.
Like a ferocious beast on the verge of exploding, ready to tear her apart at any moment.
If it weren't for his exceptional self-control, he probably would have torn her to pieces already.
Su Wanwan took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling voice:
"At the time... I didn't know I was pregnant."
Lu Xingjian gritted his teeth, leaned down, braced his hands on the armrests of the wheelchair, and looked close to Su Wanwan's face, gazing into her eyes:
"So, you don't want it?"
These words were extremely light, yet they seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and he had to use all his strength to squeeze them out from between his teeth.
Su Wanwan had no choice but to tilt her head back to avoid his oppressive gaze.
"No. Our boat encountered river bandits. The river water was especially cold in early March. I stayed in the water for too long and hurt myself, child..."
She paused, her voice less trembling.
"Later, it couldn't be saved."
Lu Xingjian reached out and pinched her chin, his voice terribly hoarse.
"You didn't intend for me to know about its existence?"
Su Wanwan was forced to raise her chin, but kept her eyes down, and two lines of clear tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Anyway, the child is gone, and I'm already married. You're going to marry the Crown Princess anyway, so there's no need to make a fuss about this."
A sarcastic smile curved his lips, seemingly a smile, yet carrying an indescribable bitterness and sadness.
"You are so considerate."
Su Wanwan became increasingly calm.
"It's been several years since then, there's no need to bring it up again."
"After I finish dealing with the matters of the Duke of Wei's mansion, I will return to Luoyang with my father, and I will have no further contact with you. Let's forget about the past."
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