Chapter 29: Outstanding

The old woman was delighted. Did this mean the young lady had decided not to call off the engagement? “Miss, I’ll go fetch a handkerchief. You and Heir Xie go inside; it’s not safe here.”

Li Wan’er nodded slightly, her eyes radiating warmth. “Go ahead.”

Watching the joy in the old woman’s eyes, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. She tilted her head and softly asked, “Will the Heir be participating today?”

Xie Yunzheng shook his head. He had numerous official duties, but today he didn’t have to attend to them.

A complex expression flickered in his phoenix eyes—coldness mixed with an undercurrent of anticipation. He was eager to see how his younger brother would injure himself today.

Fortunately, he had already convinced Yongjia that the treasury could provide a title for them.

“My younger brother has always been mischievous. This time, the invitation was issued in the name of the mansion. I’m here to keep an eye on things and prevent any chaos.”

“You and your brother have a good relationship,” Li Wan’er observed, finding him quite responsible.

Xie Yunzheng nodded slightly, accepting the compliment without feeling guilty. “Miss Li, please.”

Li Wan’er followed him into the arena, secretly glad she almost called off such a good engagement.

No matter how good Yongjia Junzhu was, she was already his sister-in-law, and they could never be together.

If she just put in a little effort, surely he would notice that she wasn’t inferior.

From a distance, a group of noble ladies gathered near the entrance, excitedly fanning their faces and squealing internally. Heir Xie had truly arrived.

But who was the woman beside him? They had never seen her before.

Xie Yunzheng kept his gaze straight ahead, walking directly into the arena to greet the Crown Prince, with Li Wan’er trailing closely behind.

Li Chen glanced over and withdrew his gaze. “Heir Xie, Miss Li, please take a seat; the first match is about to begin.”

Xie Yunzhao was supposed to participate, but when he saw Shen Shurong changed into a dress and take her seat in the viewing area, he sat down at the table next to her.

Ye Man and Qiao Yue sat nearby, not wanting to intrude.

Lu Ziqian was nearly pulling his hair out. Why wasn’t this ancestor coming out to play?

He rushed over to confirm with Xie Yunzhao, “You really aren’t competing?”

Xie Yunzhao shook his head. “I’m not going.” How could he ask him to compete when he couldn’t even handle this little affair without ruining Shurong’s mood?

Lu Ziqian noticed that Shen Shurong had changed into her usual attire and understood. If the Junzhu wasn’t participating, neither would he.

He cast a glance at Xie Yunzheng nearby, knowing he dared not advise the Junzhu.

The viewing area was filled with single tables where close friends would squeeze together.

Xie Yunzheng sat on the left side of the Crown Prince, with Li Wan’er at the table next to him. The Third and Fourth Commandery Princesses were on the right side of the Crown Prince, followed by Shen Shurong and Xie Yunzhao.

The Third Commandery Princess occasionally glanced at Li Wan’er, secretly comparing her to see where she fell short.

The Fourth Commandery Princess’s gaze repeatedly swept toward Shen Shurong, seemingly casual, but each time she looked, she saw Xie Yunzhao smiling at Shen Shurong, engaging in conversation, which made her feel a pang of jealousy.

Shen Shurong genuinely hadn’t expected Xie Yunzheng to come and was indeed unhappy. People from the palace, including those she disliked, had all come. They avoided approaching her, fearing her man would feel upset.

The Fourth Commandery Princess leaned in and whispered to the Third Commandery Princess, “Sister Yongjia seems a bit unhappy.”

The Third Commandery Princess snorted. “Sister Yongjia doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today?”

Shen Shurong shot her a sidelong glance. “As long as you’re in a good mood, that’s enough.”

The Third Commandery Princess was momentarily taken aback, anger flickering in her eyes before she composed herself again. “Well, it’s understandable that someone would feel upset when Heir Xie and his fiancée come together.”

Both Xie Yunzheng and Li Wan’er heard her but said nothing.

Xie Yunzhao’s temper flared. Now he understood why Shurong disliked people from the palace. Sitting up straight, he glared at her, “Why would the Commandery Princess be upset because of my brother? If you can’t stand watching the match, I can send someone to escort you back to the palace.”

“Who said I wanted to return to the palace?”

“If you’re not going back, then watch properly and don’t disrupt my view of the match.”

“You…” The Third Commandery Princess’s face flushed with anger; she was at a loss for how to deal with this reckless person. Continuing the argument might lead to hurtful words.

“Yunzhao, you mustn’t be rude!” Xie Yunzheng interjected sternly. “The Third Commandery Princess is both a guest and a princess; how can you neglect her?”

Xie Yunzhao rolled his eyes. “If you’re so concerned about her feelings, why don’t you marry her instead?”

“You…” Xie Yunzheng hadn’t expected him to bring that up. “I think it’s time for our father to keep a closer eye on you.”

“What nonsense are you talking, Xie Yunzhao?” The Third Commandery Princess collapsed onto the table, crying. “Does this princess still have to care about her reputation?”

“Oh?” Xie Yunzhao raised an eyebrow. “So, you don’t want to marry my brother, is that right?”

“What are you saying?” The Third Commandery Princess glared at him, fearing that Heir Xie might misunderstand her feelings about not wanting to marry.

“Xie Yunzhao!” Xie Yunzheng was genuinely angry now.

Xie Yunzhao waved his hand dismissively. “I understand, I understand. Yunzhao apologizes to the Third Commandery Princess. I misunderstood you.”

The Third Commandery Princess was angered and humiliated, burying her face in the table and crying loudly.

Xie Yunzhao was annoyed by her crying; she wasn’t Shurong, so why was she crying in front of him? “So, do you want to marry or not? No matter what I say, it won’t be right.”

With a flick of his sleeve, he said, “Forget it. It doesn’t matter whether you want to or not. My brother already has a fiancée. Let’s just watch the match!”

Shen Shurong covered her mouth, smiling. After his commotion, she felt much better. “Yes, since it’s already decided, let’s not argue about it. It only adds to the troubles.”

The Third Commandery Princess didn’t want to stay any longer and stood up to leave.

The Fourth Commandery Princess hurriedly pulled her back, shaking her head. She had been the one to ask the Crown Prince to bring them here, and it wouldn’t be good to leave now. In truth, she felt upset too; why was he defending Yongjia like this?

The Third Commandery Princess wiped her tears and, suppressing her grievances, sat back down.

Li Chen didn’t help her, finding it quite amusing. The young ladies were merely bickering; he glanced at Xie Yunzheng, realizing that men could also be trouble.

Xie Yunzheng didn’t notice this. He was focused on Shen Shurong, wondering if she really was troubled by the woman beside him.

He was also concerned about her close relationship with Xie Yunzhao. Fate was playing tricks on them; he and Shurong were in love, yet they were being forced apart.

But who could guarantee that they wouldn’t have a chance in the future?

What did it matter if she was his sister-in-law? If his younger brother was no longer around, the household would naturally need him as the elder brother to protect it.

Li Wan’er had been silent, but she could see clearly that both the Third Commandery Princess and Yongjia Junzhu had affections for Heir Xie.

It seemed that the husband her parents had chosen for her was indeed as remarkable as they had said.

Today she had prepared a riding outfit, and she was quite good at polo. It would be an opportunity for them to see her skills.

She slightly parted her lips, “If we’re going to compete, we should do it on the field. It’s better than for us to sit here and watch the match peacefully.”

The personal maid feigned a reminder, “Heir Xie, my lady is very good at polo. How about you compete together?”

“You little girl, you’re not being modest at all, selling your lady out like this,” Li Wan’er teased as she lightly slapped her palm.