Chapter 43

Xu Duanyi returned to Mingzhu Pavilion.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, several maidservants hurried out to greet her.

When they saw her from a distance, they quickly rushed over, breathing a sigh of relief and said, “The princess has finally returned. We were worried when you didn’t come back. We thought something had happened to you.”

Xu Duanyi replied, “I’m fine,” and then looked around the courtyard, asking, “Has Bixi returned?”

The leading maid, who was Xu Baozhu’s personal servant, immediately responded respectfully, ” Bixi returned about a quarter of an hour ago, but since you hadn’t returned, she went out again to look for you.”

Maidservants who serve their masters are never foolish.

This particular maid was quite clever and adept.

Before Xu Duanyi could respond, the maid spoke first, “The sun is strong now, Princess, why don’t you go rest in your room? I will send someone to find Bixi.”

Xu Duanyi nodded and said, “Thank you,” before heading inside.

Upon entering the room, Xu Duanyi was greeted by several people. Xu Baozhu, who had been sitting on the couch sulking with a frown, immediately came over.

She was wearing a full set of jewelry, making it inconvenient for her to walk. Nonetheless, she grabbed Xu Duanyi’s arm, pouting and complaining, “Where did you go, cousin? In the blink of an eye, you disappeared, and now you’re only just returning. I was so worried!”

Today, her cousin was her pillar of support.

After finishing the meal earlier, when the maids mentioned the upcoming ceremony, she felt anxious and irritable. Seeing that her cousin still hadn’t returned, her unease grew even more.

When Xu Baozhu was upset, it showed on her face.

Although there were many noblewomen who came to accompany her today, many of them grew up with her, but they dared not say anything when Xu Baozhu was upset.

Now that Xu Duanyi had returned, it was clear that Xu Baozhu felt relieved. The entire room of servants and noblewomen also breathed a sigh of relief.

“I was just talking to your sister-in-law to see what we need to do at the Liu family later,” Xu Duanyi gently reassured Xu Baozhu, patting her hand.

She glanced around the room, noticing that the important maids had already gathered. It was clear they were there to discuss the proceedings with Baozhu.

She helped Baozhu over.

“Alright, we’re about to leave. You should listen carefully to the maids so nothing goes wrong,” Xu Duanyi added with a smile.

“Today is your big day, don’t you want to avoid leaving any regrets?”

With just a few words, Xu Duanyi had persuaded Xu Baozhu.

Upon hearing this, Xu Baozhu didn’t dare to cause any more trouble. She hurriedly asked the maids to speak quickly, afraid of missing anything that might ruin her long-awaited wedding.

However, she still held onto Xu Duanyi’s hand, unwilling to let go.

It was evident that she was still a little scared.

She needed Xu Duanyi’s company to feel better.

Xu Duanyi didn’t mind, staying by her side and listening to the maids.

After the maids finished speaking, and seeing that the time was almost up, a maid came over to touch up Xu Baozhu’s makeup. Finally, Xu Duanyi was free and walked to the side to speak with Bixi.

From Bixi, Xu Duanyi learned that Xie Qingya had already left, but she wasn’t surprised.

He should have left by now.

What surprised her more was that Xu Baozhu had been looking for her. When she saw Xu Duanyi talking to Bixi, she thought something was wrong and asked, “Cousin, what happened?”

“It’s nothing.”

Bixi quickly withdrew.

Xu Duanyi walked over to Xu Baozhu.

She didn’t hide the fact that Xie Qingya had left. After walking over, she said, “The prince had other matters to attend to, so he left. He asked me to send his best wishes for your wedding.”

Xu Baozhu wasn’t very interested when she heard this.

She didn’t like Xie Qingya to begin with.

Whether or not he had left didn’t concern her at all.

But since her cousin was standing next to her, she didn’t want to be rude. She simply said, “I understand. Please thank him for me.”

After that, there was no further conversation.

Xu Duanyi didn’t say anything more.

The wedding ceremony continued smoothly.

Except for a few people, no one knew about the events that had occurred by the Lotus Flower Lake that afternoon.

The Ming family and Xiao Yuanxing had kept it well hidden.

Xiao Yuanfu, having been threatened by Xu Duanyi, naturally didn’t dare speak about it to anyone.

As for Xie Qingya’s departure, no one thought much of it.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon for guests to leave after lunch. The guests who went to the groom’s or bride’s family were rarely the same. Most of the people who left were relatives from the bride’s side.

As for the other guests—

Liu Xun, in the end, was just a Hanlin Academy editor, a minor official. The noble families attending the banquet didn’t really care about him.

Even those who had gone with him to the banquet probably did so only out of respect for the Xiao family.

They didn’t want the wedding to look too shabby.

After a while, the makeup was finished, and the music for the ceremony began.

Even Xu Baozhu, who was used to acting willfully, couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous at this point.

“Cousin…”

She searched around for Xu Duanyi.

“I’m here.”

Xu Duanyi had been sitting to the side. Hearing her, she walked over.

Almost as soon as she got close, Xu Baozhu immediately grabbed her hand.

Feeling the pain on the back of her hand, Xu Duanyi furrowed her brows slightly but didn’t say anything. Knowing that she must be extremely anxious at this moment, Xu Duanyi gently patted her hand, offering comfort, “Don’t be afraid.”

Though she didn’t particularly like Liu Xun, she still hoped that Baozhu would be happy after marriage.

Women in this world already face numerous challenges.

When it comes to marriage, if you meet a good man, it is a great fortune; but if you meet a bad one, it feels like half your life is lost.

Although Baozhu sometimes didn’t act very wisely, Xu Duanyi didn’t want her to fail in her marriage.

“The man you marry is the one you like, so there’s nothing to fear,” she said, gently patting Xiao Baozhu’s hand to comfort her.

She had said this to herself on the day she married Xie Qingya.

But Xiao Baozhu was still nervous.

She tightly grasped Xu Duanyi’s hand as if it were a lifeline.

“But I’m still nervous.”

It seemed that every woman, when about to leave, felt this way.

Even the bravest woman couldn’t help but worry and feel unsure about her future.

“Why weren’t you scared that day, cousin?” Xiao Baozhu asked.

Hearing the sound of firecrackers outside, she knew Liu Xun would arrive soon, and her nervousness intensified.

Her heart seemed to beat louder than the sounds of the celebrations outside.

She was confused, wondering why her cousin seemed so calm when she married Liu Lang, who treated her so well. Yet she felt anxious, while Xu Duanyi had married that scoundrel, Xie Qingya, and was so composed.

Xiao Baozhu thought that her cousin must have always been calm, which was why she could remain composed in such situations.

She couldn’t help but admire her cousin from the heart.

No wonder Auntie liked her cousin so much.

She would probably never be able to learn her cousin’s calmness.

Thinking this, Xiao Baozhu looked at Xu Duanyi beside her, and in her nervousness, couldn’t help but sigh, “Cousin, you’re really amazing.”

Xu Duanyi smiled upon hearing this.

She understood what Baozhu was thinking, but unfortunately, she was wrong.

The reason she had been calm that day was not because of her natural composure, but because she had no expectations for the future.

She was worried.

It was because she feared that married life wouldn’t be as wonderful as she had imagined.

But she had never had any expectations, so how could she worry?

Thus, when Xie Qingya told her not to concern herself with his matters, she felt a bit disappointed, but it was nothing too serious.

These feelings weren’t enough to affect her mood.

“The groom is here! He’s almost at our door!” The maid’s anxious voice suddenly came from outside.

“Cousin!”

Xiao Baozhu became even more nervous. Her heart was in a turmoil, and her thoughts were scattered. She didn’t care about anything else, tightly gripping Xu Duanyi’s hand and refusing to let go.

“Don’t be afraid, we’re all here with you,” Xu Duanyi said softly, her thoughts collected, comforting her.

Seeing her cousin’s usual gentle expression and the calmness in her eyes, Xiao Baozhu’s nervousness gradually eased.

The maids around them also tried to reassure her, fearing the auspicious time would pass and bring bad luck.

Knowing the time was tight, Xiao Baozhu realized she couldn’t delay any longer. She took a fan and held it to her face, then let her personal maid help her stand up.

At this point, she no longer thought about Xu Duanyi.

The master and servants made their way out.

Xu Duanyi didn’t follow immediately but mingled with the guests and exited with the rest of the group.

Bixi followed her, noticing the crescent-shaped marks on her hand. She couldn’t help but grab Xu Duanyi’s hand, frowning and feeling sorry. “Cousin, you should have shaken her off earlier; now there are marks.”

Xu Duanyi glanced at it. It hurt a bit, but it wasn’t serious. She smiled and said, “It’ll fade in a while.”

Since they were still at the Duke’s residence, Bixi didn’t dare to say anything further and let it go for the moment.

Outside, there was a loud celebration with drums and gongs. Xu Duanyi, following behind, asked Bixi, “Is the carriage ready?”

With Xie Qingya gone, she no longer had her own carriage.

Earlier, she had instructed Bixi to inform Li Guan to prepare another carriage for her.

Such small matters had already been arranged.

Bixi replied, “It’s all set. The Young Master’s wife sent someone to say they will go with you later.”

“That’s fine,” Xu Duanyi said.

Having a companion on the road would be better than being alone.

She didn’t dwell on it further.

As they walked outside, she looked at the group of men and women in the courtyard and quietly asked Bixi, “Where is Xiao Yuanfu?”

Bixi already knew about what had happened earlier.

She was furious that this man had dared to challenge their master. She was also angry that she hadn’t brought Shiyu today—otherwise, Shiyu would have surely taught him a lesson!

“She heard that the Young Master sent someone to visit him. I didn’t dare to inquire about the details, but I’m sure he won’t be coming out today.”

That was enough for Xu Duanyi.

She didn’t say anything more.

Once the wedding ceremony was over, Xiao Baozhu and Liu Xun bade farewell to the elderly matriarchs of the Xiao family and boarded the wedding sedan to leave.

Xu Duanyi also met with Ming Shi and got into the carriage heading to Liu’s house.

—–

That night.

At the South An Prince’s residence.

Xie Qingya had finished his meal and bathed.

Dressed in black, he sat in a recliner reading a book.

The book in his hands had been flipped through several pages, but the words that had actually caught Xie Qingya’s attention were few.

He read for a while.

Then he raised his head and looked at the hourglass on the high desk.

After several glances, he saw that the scale had stopped between the hours of Xu and Hai, and in a while, it would be at the start of the Hai time.

Xie Qingya frowned slightly.

He remained silent for a long time, and finally, he called for Ling Ji to come in.

Lingji had been waiting outside.

Hearing the noise, he immediately came in: “Master, what is it?”

Xie Qingya saw him come in but felt some hesitation.

His hand that was holding the book tightened into a fist without releasing it, his eyelids lowered as if he were still reading, giving the appearance that he was not taking it too seriously.

It wasn’t until Ling Ji asked him again that Xie Qingya casually asked, “…Has she returned?”

But Lingji wasn’t Chang Feng, so he couldn’t immediately understand the implied meaning. After hearing it, he still looked confused and asked, “Who?”

As soon as the words left his mouth.

He suddenly saw the Prince lift his head and glare at him fiercely.

Lingji, startled by the glare, shrank his neck, not knowing where he had asked wrong. After a while, he finally reacted and said, “Master, were you asking about the princess?”

Xie Qingya naturally didn’t want to admit it.

He had just told Xu Duanyi in the afternoon to not worry about his matters, and she had agreed.

How could he, after such a short time, start caring about her matters?

His mind had been restless all evening.

Especially as the time grew later, not knowing whether Xu Duanyi had returned yet, his heart became increasingly uneasy.

Though there was no longer that scoundrel Xiao Yuanfu.

Who knew if there would be some other scoundrel around?

Liu Xun wasn’t a good person to begin with. People tend to associate with their own kind, who knew what kind of people his guests were?

What if someone like Xiao Yuanfu came along and offended Xu Duanyi again…

Though Xu Duanyi was no longer the same as before, Xie Qingya still couldn’t help but feel worried.

Some men, when drunk, behave like they’ve lost their wits.

They not only show an ugly side but also think they are the most important in the world.

She hadn’t brought Shiyu with her today.

Xie Qingya was worried she might be at a disadvantage.

Thinking of this, Xie Qingya couldn’t sit still.

He propped his hand on the armrest, wanting to get up but not wanting others to see his thoughts. So, he leaned back into the chair, his face serious as he lightly hummed.

“This, I don’t know either. If you want to know, I can go and inquire?”

As soon as Lingji finished speaking, he was met with another glare from Xie Qingya.

After being glared at twice in a row by the master.

Lingji still looked confused, unable to figure out what he had said wrong. He could only cautiously ask, “Master, should I go outside to inquire?”

Seeing his puzzled expression, Xie Qingya couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

He really didn’t want to speak.

But he also knew that with Ling Ji’s intelligence, if he didn’t speak up, it would be difficult for him to understand.

He was frustrated.

If he had known, he would have had Chang Feng stay for the night watch.

But…

Being too clever wasn’t always good either.

He didn’t want Chang Feng to catch on to anything.

After a long moment of frowning, he was just about to speak when suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the courtyard.

Xie Qingya’s heart tightened.

Fearing something might have happened, he quickly looked outside.

When he saw the figure of Aunt Deng, Xie Qingya’s face subconsciously changed, his posture stiffened. But after thinking for a moment, he concealed his expression, leaned back into the chair, and in a lowered voice, warned Lingji, “Close your mouth, don’t speak out of turn.”

His hand, still gripping the book, tightened inexplicably.

Clearly, he was worried that Aunt Deng’s hurried appearance meant something had happened.

Lingji also saw Aunt Deng’s figure in the courtyard but didn’t understand why the prince suddenly told him to keep quiet.

Although confused, Lingji, who was used to obeying Xie Qingya’s orders, naturally didn’t argue and just reluctantly muttered, “Oh.”

When Aunt Deng entered, Lingji greeted her first.

But Aunt Deng wasn’t in the mood to chat.

She was extremely anxious.

She had already come twice today.

The first time was when she heard that the Prince had returned alone.

Worried that the Prince and the Princess might have had a falling out, she hurried over.

After learning that it was the Princess who had sent the Prince back, she finally relaxed.

The second time was when she brought food over in the evening, and casually asked the Prince if he wanted to go pick up the Princess.

She was naturally trying to mediate between them.

At that time, the Prince didn’t give a clear answer, so she didn’t say much and left.

She was also waiting to see if the Prince would go on his own.

But after asking a maid just now, she found that it was already so late, and the Prince hadn’t gone to pick up the Princess yet, and the Princess hadn’t returned.

Naturally, she became anxious again.

So, she hurried over once more.

Seeing the Prince still leisurely reclining in the chair, crossing his legs, reading some unknown miscellaneous book, Aunt Deng was both anxious and angry.

She didn’t have time to greet him properly.

She opened her mouth and scolded, “My lord, why are you still sitting here? What time is it now? The Princess still hasn’t returned, why aren’t you going to Liu’s house to check on her?”

Hearing this, Xie Qingya’s heart, already half worried, began to race.

It seemed like nothing had happened after all.

Seeing that Xu Duanyi hadn’t returned yet, Xie Qingya’s concern, which had already subsided halfway, resurfaced.

He didn’t want to show it, though, to avoid Aunt Deng going to Xu Duanyi and saying things she shouldn’t.

He lowered his eyes and continued flipping through the book, which he hadn’t really been paying attention to, and lazily said, “She’s not a three-year-old child. Do you think she’ll get lost on her way home?”

When Aunt Deng heard this, she was furious.

“My lord, that’s your wife! Look at other families’ husbands—how could they let their wives be alone outside at a time like this?”

She was anxious.

Unconsciously, she almost wanted to mention the Prince and the Princess, as they were never like this in the past.

Luckily, she stopped herself just in time.

Cold sweat broke out on her back.

Aunt Deng was also a little scared.

If she had spoken those words, it would have caused a great disaster… After that, Aunt Deng’s anxiety and helplessness seemed to have eased somewhat.

She had been so eager earlier to chase them out.

But now, looking at the young man lying on the lounge chair, Aunt Deng opened her mouth, suddenly sighed, and instead of continuing to persuade him, spoke in a tone that was more earnest, “If you truly won’t go, then I’ll go myself.”

“It’s already late; we can’t let the princess think that no one in our house cares about her.”

“Miss did send someone to inquire about it earlier.”

“If the princess doesn’t return safely tonight, Miss won’t be able to sleep either.”

With that, she stopped talking.

Seeing that the prince was still in the same mood as before, Aunt Deng’s face showed a helpless expression.

She couldn’t understand why the prince was like this.

Clearly, the princess was so good…

And he had accompanied someone earlier today.

She thought things would change, but unexpectedly…

As the time grew later, she decided not to waste any more time and intended to go out and fetch the princess herself.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard the prince’s voice ahead, “Fine, I’ll go take a look. You should let Changning sleep early.”

With that, Xie Qingya seemed to reluctantly put down the book and stood up.

When he got to the side of Lingji, Xie Qingya added, “You come with me,” so that this fool wouldn’t say anything that might slip.

Then, he walked out.