Chapter 44: A Dazzling Debut

Xu Qingyi’s self-derogatory humor calmed her nerves, but the maids and mamas around her were incredibly anxious.

Who in the world didn’t know Xie Yunzhi’s reputation?

And since this was the first time the Young Madam was appearing as the Young Master’s wife, there couldn’t be any mistakes.

So, everyone worked through the night preparing headwear, jewelry, clothes, shoes, and socks for Xu Qingyi.  Even the hair buns and makeup were tried out on the maids several times, just waiting to be used the next day.

Next door, Xie Yunzhi also heard about his aunt, Imperial Concubine Xue, summoning Lady Xu. His heart tightened.

While the princess mansion wasn’t exactly a dragon’s lair, it was pretty close. He was worried that Lady Xu wouldn’t be able to handle it.

The servants who had “leaked” the news chatted among themselves.  “There are so many noble daughters in the capital who want to marry our Young Master. This is the first time our Young Madam is appearing in public.  I wonder if she’ll be bullied?”

“I don’t think so.  The Imperial Concubine is protecting her, so others shouldn’t dare to do anything.”

“Yeah, the Imperial Concubine treats our Young Master like her own son,” Ming Yu said optimistically. “Our Young Madam is so charming, I’m sure the Imperial Concubine will be especially kind to her.”

Putting themselves in the Imperial Concubine’s shoes, they were sure she would appreciate the Young Madam’s devotion to the Young Master.

Xie Yunzhi wasn’t so optimistic. He remembered his aunt once suggesting that he marry his second cousin.

He had refused without hesitation, explaining that he didn’t want to marry, and even if he did, he wouldn’t choose his second cousin.

This honest answer reached his second cousin’s ears, and she flew into a rage.

Tomorrow, Lady Xu would be visiting his second cousin, Princess Xining, at her princess mansion.

Wouldn’t the meeting be fraught with tension?

However, so much time had passed, and he was no longer as glorious as before. Perhaps his second cousin had already let go of her resentment, Xie Yunzhi worriedly thought.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingyi was being pampered by maids and mamas: soaking in a milk bath, receiving a massage, and getting a manicure.

They were frantically preparing for her dazzling debut tomorrow.

This meant Xu Qingyi didn’t have time for her regular meeting with the Young Master.

(To clarify, this was a literal meeting; she had just finished her period and wasn’t in the mood for intimacy.)

After a good night’s sleep, Xu Qingyi looked radiant as she boarded the carriage.

Seeing Madam Qin already inside, she smiled.  “I’m so sorry, I’m late. I kept you waiting, Mother-in-law.”

“It’s alright. I just arrived myself,” Madam Qin, dressed in her finest attire, smiled kindly but secretly observed her daughter-in-law, who had married her paralyzed stepson.

She found something odd.  Why did Xu Qingyi seem more and more radiant?

Before, Madam Qin had critically assessed Xu Qingyi with the eyes of a mother-in-law, finding her future daughter-in-law merely passable.

She was quiet and demure, with average looks.

But now, after marrying her stepson, Xu Qingyi seemed to radiate brilliance day by day, like a blossoming flower, captivating the eye.

With a pang of jealousy, she thought, Xie Yunzhi was paralyzed, yet he still managed to make a woman glow.

Fortunately, Xie Huaian had recently returned to his studies and become more sensible and diligent, and Du Jinyun had also behaved herself.  Madam Qin was in a good mood.

Therefore, she viewed Xu Qingyi more favorably and kindly offered some advice.  “Qingyi, don’t be nervous.  The Imperial Concubine is Yunzhi’s maternal aunt, and she’s always been kind to our Marquis residence. She won’t make things difficult for you.”

Yet, she couldn’t help but think that there were so many noble ladies eager to marry Xie Yunzhi. It seemed unfair that Xu Qingyi should benefit from this, and she feared that many would make things difficult for her at the banquet.

As a mother-in-law, there would be little she could do; she could only blame Xie Yunzhi for attracting so much attention.

“Alright, I understand, Mother-in-law,” Xu Qingyi replied with an appropriate smile.

Meanwhile, at the princess mansion…

Imperial Concubine Xue decided to meet Xu Qingyi at the princess mansion rather than summoning her directly to the palace, and this was indeed at the request of Princess Xining.

Princess Xining had harbored feelings for her extraordinarily handsome cousin, Xie Yunzhi, for many years, but unfortunately, he did not return her affections.

As a result, she was now twenty years old and still unmarried.

Although she had established a princess mansion outside the palace, she found herself longing for love, yet she lived a carefree and free-spirited life.

After all, if Xie Yunzhi wouldn’t marry her, he wouldn’t marry anyone else either—that was a promise he had made to her.

This way, the man she couldn’t have, no one else could have either, which made Princess Xining feel somewhat better over the years.

However, more than half a year ago, when Xie Yunzhi was injured on the battlefield and fell into a coma, Princess Xining was heartbroken. Ignoring her status as a royal princess, she cried by his bedside for several days, refusing to leave.

It wasn’t until her mother became furious and ordered the maids to take her back to the princess mansion, forbidding her from disturbing Xie Yunzhi at the Pingyang Marquis residence, that she finally left.

A princess represented the dignity of the royal family.  What if a scandal broke out?

Princess Xining, however, didn’t care.

Everyone knew that at age twenty she still refused to marry, all for Xie Yunzhi.

Earlier, when Princess Xining heard from Imperial Concubine Xue that the Pingyang Marquis residence intended to find a wife for Xie Yunzhi to continue the family line, she was once again heartbroken and tormented.

Because she knew that Xie Yunzhi’s wife could never be her.

No matter how much the Emperor favored her, he would never marry her off to the paralyzed Xie Yunzhi. It was simply impossible.

That day finally arrived. When she heard that Xie Yunzhi had married, Princess Xining nearly fainted and fell into a daze, refusing to eat or drink.

She felt utterly miserable.

Xie Yunzhi hadn’t chosen her when he was healthy, and now that he was paralyzed, she still wasn’t the chosen one.

It was said that the inconspicuous Lady Xu was originally the fiancée of Xie Huaian, Xie Yunzhi’s younger brother. They had even exchanged vows before she was inexplicably given to Xie Yunzhi. What a joke!

The stunningly handsome Xie Yunzhi ended up marrying someone like her?

In the capital, countless people shared Princess Xining’s sentiments, already inquiring about who Xu Qingyi truly was. It turned out she was so ordinary and plain that she hardly seemed worthy of Xie Yunzhi.

Most of their information came from Xu Tingjun, the wife of the Duke of Yongguo, who shared these insights.

But Xu Tingjun, as the elder sister, didn’t exaggerate; she merely spoke the truth.

In her impression, her second sister, Xu Qingyi, was dull, introverted, and utterly average.

Although she had been taken aback during the last visit home, breaking years of ingrained perceptions was no easy feat.

Perhaps, deep down, Xu Tingjun didn’t want her younger sister to change, even if others mocked Xu Qingyi in her presence, saying she wasn’t even worthy of carrying Xie Yunzhi’s shoes.

One could only say that the Pingyang Marquis residence underestimated Xie Yunzhi’s charm.

Had the the Marquis and the Old Madam not hastily agreed to Xu Qingyi’s marriage proposal, they might have found a better match.

However, whether she could get along well with the people of the Marquis residence in the future remained uncertain.

After all, if one’s mental fortitude wasn’t strong enough, dealing with three adopted sons alone would be tricky enough.

Upon hearing that Xu Qingyi would be making an appearance at the banquet at the princess mansion today, everyone was eagerly anticipating the chance to see the true face of “Xie Yunzhi’s wife.”

Once Xu Qingyi stepped out of the carriage, she immediately sensed the tense atmosphere.

While smiling, she thought about the gazes coming from all directions—critical, questioning, disdainful—hardly any of them seemed friendly.

If she were a naive seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, her mindset would surely crumble under the pressure.

But she was grateful that she had been through society’s hardships for over a decade. Her skin was tough, and she was resilient to harm.

In this splendid world, just as Madam Qin wished, everyone seemed to dislike Xu Qingyi. She turned her head and smiled at the eldest daughter-in-law, wanting to offer some comfort and show her kindness and generosity.

However, she found that Xu Qingyi was completely unfazed and didn’t take it to heart at all.