After all, the disappointment and heartache that Zheng Xing showed during their meeting at Xu Hui's house that moment wasn't feigned. Zheng Xing liked Xu Hui, but Xu Hui didn't reciprocate his feelings.
“Hui Niang is naturally the most understanding and sensible.” Chen Qian pulled Xu Hui’s hand and sat her down to the side. He smiled and said, “When I came in just now, I heard that some of your old neighbors had come. I wonder which close friend it was that managed to find their way here. It’s truly not easy.”
Xu Hui looked up at Chen Qian.
Chen Qian simply smiled and spoke to her in a gentle tone. Unable to tell whether Chen Qian was asking casually or deliberately, or whether he was upset about Zheng Xinglai's matter, Xu Hui couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
“You’ve met this person before.” Xu Hui finally didn’t dare to lie, and her smile became somewhat forced. “He was the eldest brother of the Zheng family at my house that day. Our family and the Zheng family used to be neighbors and had a very good relationship. Aunt Zheng took good care of my mother and me.”
Chen Qian continued watching, his smile deepening. "But that Aunt Zheng took good care of you?"
It seemed Chen Qian was determined to get to the bottom of things today, so Xu Hui had no choice but to grit her teeth and say, "Brother Zheng often comes to my house to help out—"
"Oh, I see. It sounds like you two grew up together, childhood sweethearts." Chen Qian smiled, but the temperature in his eyes grew even colder. "I wonder what this Brother Zheng has come to help you with today?"
Seeing his openly sarcastic attitude, Xu Hui was also displeased. Before she could even vent her displeasure, she was forced to humble herself before Chen Qian!
Chen Qian had clearly deceived her first, yet he still questioned her so righteously.
Xu Hui had been patiently enduring it all. What else had she done wrong? She had already been holding back enough!
Looking at Chen Qian's ambiguous smile and his seemingly all-knowing gaze, Xu Hui couldn't suppress her anger. Between suppressing it and exploding, in a flash, Xu Hui suddenly understood why Chen Qian was angry—she had clearly done enough.
She simply got up from beside Chen Qian, took two steps back, picked up a handkerchief, and began to rub her eyes.
"Sir, what more do you want from me!" Xu Hui cried out, both angry and helpless. "Do I really have to explain everything clearly?"
"Are you forcing me to ask those questions?"
Chen Qian's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Xu Hui without saying a word.
"Yes, I know everything!" A small part of it was feigned, but most of it was genuine. She cried out hoarsely, "You're going to become the principal wife of the Marquis's daughter soon! What am I supposed to do then! Were all your promises just empty words?!"
"What do you mean you want to welcome me into your family! Do you just want me to be your concubine?"
Seeing Xu Hui's seemingly deranged state, Chen Qian finally felt relieved. He softened his tone and his voice became genuinely gentle as he pulled Xu Hui to his side. "Hui Niang, don't be angry. Let me explain slowly to you."
Xu Hui angrily shook off Chen Qian's hand and retreated forcefully, refusing to get close to him. Her eyes were red, and she looked utterly aggrieved.
The more she struggled, the more attentive Chen Qian became, pulling her close and gently coaxing her.
While Xu Hui understood, her heart felt icy cold.
******
Lu Mingxiu, in a "majestic and domineering" manner, led An Ran back to the Pingyuan Marquis's residence, which infuriated the Grand Princess of Lin'an. In front of a group of noble ladies, she declared that she would go to the Emperor to impeach Lu Mingxiu.
Otherwise, she would lose too much face.
While others outwardly offered advice to the Grand Princess of Lin'an, many secretly awaited the outcome. Only figures like the Princess Consort of Yi and Lady Zhao were somewhat worried, as Anran had married into the Pingyuan Marquis's household and naturally did not wish for anything to happen to it.
Therefore, after she made those harsh words, Princess Yi, being a relative by marriage, was concerned but there was still a distance between them; it was Zhao who was truly worried and very uneasy, and she even told the Grand Madam about it when she got back.
The Dowager Madam didn't seem very worried, and simply comforted Zhao Shi with the words, "The Marquis of Pingyuan is a man of his word, there's no need to worry about him."
Still feeling uneasy, Zhao secretly sent someone to see An Ran.
With the betrothal day fast approaching, Anran should return to her parents' home to visit, so she decided to come back to put Zhao Shi's mind at ease.
Rong'an Hall.
Yu-ge'er had already been taken out to play by the maids. The Seventh Sister and the Tenth Sister were taking lessons at Tingfeng Pavilion, and the Sixth Sister was still embroidering her dowry in her room. Therefore, Anran was talking with Zhao Shi and the Grand Madam.
“You and Grandmother both know about the old story of the Pingyuan Marquis’s mansion.” Seeing that the concern in Zhao’s eyes seemed genuine, An Ran explained gently, “Now those two branches of the family want to reconnect with the Marquis, but he has never given the go-ahead.”
"They even came to the Marquis's residence twice before, when he wasn't there—"
Before An Ran could finish speaking, Madam Zhao hurriedly asked, "You didn't take the blame for the Marquis just because you were soft-hearted, did you?"
Lu Mingxiu's attitude was clear: he refused to acknowledge them. After all, it wasn't even clear whether these two families had actually kicked him when he was down; they had simply walked away when the Marquis's mansion was in trouble. Now that the Pingyuan Marquis's mansion had prospered again, did they really think they could get back to him? Not a chance!
No one would agree to this.
Even the Nan'an Marquis's family, which had a verbal marriage agreement with the Pingyuan Marquis's family, didn't dare to propose marriage when Lu Mingxiu was reinstated.
Moreover, the third and fourth branches of the Lu family, who were born out of wedlock, had committed acts of betrayal and treachery!
Zhao was quite shrewd. She worried that Anran, being young and inexperienced, and kind-hearted, might be easily swayed by the sweet talk of those two people. After all, Anran was unaware of what had happened at the Pingyuan Marquis's residence. If she agreed to such a thing without fully understanding the situation, it would put Lu Mingxiu in a difficult position, potentially damaging their relationship.
Looking at Zhao Shi, who had a rare moment of brilliance and was quite sensible, the old lady couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
She was right in her thinking, but she didn't think about it any further. If An Ran had agreed, would there have been any consequences? The people from the third and fourth branches of the family wouldn't have needed to ask the Grand Princess of Lin'an for help.
"Mother, don't worry, I didn't agree." An Ran wasn't upset; she smiled good-naturedly, her attitude utterly respectful. "I know nothing about what's going on there, I've never even heard of it, how could I dare to make decisions for the Marquis?"
Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“There are things that happened more than ten years ago involved here, and there are things you may not know about.” Madam Zhao said to An Ran, “Don’t get involved in these matters. Just do what your son-in-law tells you to do.”
Anran nodded obediently.
"That Grand Princess is something else, always meddling in other people's business!" Madam Zhao had long harbored resentment towards the Grand Princess of Lin'an. Back at the Prince Yi's residence, it was she who forcefully interfered, insisting on granting Li the status of a concubine. And now, she's even extending her reach to the Marquis of Pingyuan's residence, trying to meddle in Jiu Niang's family affairs—
This is just too much trouble!
"Does she really think she's some kind of respectable elder of His Majesty?" Madam Zhao sneered, "She doesn't even know her own worth!"
"Alright," the Dowager Lady interrupted, "Those matters concerning the imperial relatives are not for us to discuss. Let's not concern ourselves with them anymore."