Chapter 44: Vigilance

Li Wan’er’s expression was unpleasant; she had long known that Wei Yuanran was infatuated with Heir Xie Yunzheng and had been wanting  to marry him.

Before Xie Yunzheng could speak, a surprised exclamation came from nearby.

“Elder Cousin?” Li Shuang was taken aback, turning to Qingying, “Is Second Cousin here too?”

Qingying flashed a toothy grin, “Second Master said he and the Junzhu are inspecting shops. Since he learned that Heir is coming to row boats today, he asked me to bring you over.”

Li Shuang’s face fell; he did that on purpose!

Qingying walked up to Xie Yunzheng and bowed slightly, “Greetings, Heir. I’ll trouble you to take care of Miss.”

Li Wan’er was gripping her handkerchief so tightly that it was crumpled. Didn’t these people understand how to avoid an awkward situation when two betrothed individuals met?

So lacking in tact, yet they were residents of the capital!

Jinzhi was overjoyed, nearly pushing aside Li Shuang’s maidservant to support her as they boarded the boat. “Miss Li, the Junzhu instructed me to protect you at all times.”

Xie Yunzheng secretly laughed; Xie Yunzhao must have thought that, since Li Shuang often mentioned him to the Junzhu, he didn’t want to bring her along.

“Let’s board the boat,” Xie Yunzheng said, stepping in first.

Even though Li Wan’er was very displeased, she couldn’t refuse in front of so many people. She was holding back her anger as she stepped onto the boat.

Li Shuang followed closely behind with a dark expression. Jinzhi was specifically arranged by the Junzhu to keep an eye on her older cousin and his fiancée. Second Cousin was so foolish; she would eventually expose her true nature.

Wei Yuanran stood still, but her sister pulled her up, and she could only shyly say she was intruding.

Jinzhi shot a glare at her, knowing she should leave quickly if she was aware of the disruption. She was a young lady from the Wei family, for goodness’ sake! How dare she try to climb into Heir’s bed!

Inside the cabin, the four noble young ladies sat around a square table, while Xie Yunzheng stepped outside, standing at the bow of the boat, his mind filled with thoughts of Shen Shurong and her every smile.

As long as she was present, everyone else would pale in comparison.

Li Wan’er felt even angrier seeing him outside. They hadn’t exchanged many words.

Wei Yuanran quietly sipped her tea.

Li Wan’er, no matter how angry she was, understood she was half the host, “Try these snacks; Heir specially prepared them for me. They must be delicious.”

Li Shuang praised, “Thank you, Miss Li. The snacks from Elder Cousin’s house are indeed delicious, and what Elder Cousin prepared for you must be the best.”

Li Wan’er’s eyes curved with delight; this little cousin wasn’t bad, “You are living in the Duke of Lu’s Mansion now. If you feel bored, you can come to the Li residence to find me.”

“Sure, Miss Li can come find me too. I will just mention it to my aunt, and she will definitely welcome you.”

Li Wan’er was even happier, pulling Li Shuang’s hand and slipping off her jade bracelet, “As a token of our first meeting, here’s a little gift.”

Li Shuang smiled as she accepted it, “We’ll be seeing each other often in the future.”

They indeed would after their marriages; Li Wan’er smiled widely.

Jinzhi looked down on Li Wan’er’s demeanor; she was clearly a bumpkin from the countryside, easily flattered by a few nice words.

“Oh dear, knowing people’s faces but not their hearts! You just arrived in the capital, let me share an amusing story,” Wei Yuanran said, pretending to be friendly while secretly cursing their ignorance.

“What amusing story?” Wei Yuanran noticed no one was speaking and took the initiative to ask.

“I heard that a young lady from the Cui family came, and her sister-in-law treated her particularly well. However, that young lady ended up climbing into the big brother’s bed, which made her sister-in-law so angry she almost tried to take her own life!”

Li Wan’er was startled upon hearing this; did Li Shuang know that Heir had invited her? Was she here for the same purpose?

She immediately shifted slightly away from Li Shuang, clearly indicating her intention to keep her distance.

Li Shuang frowned; why was Miss Wei targeting her?

Wei Yuanran discreetly smirked behind her fan, gently tugging at her sister’s sleeve, “Sister, you shouldn’t discuss other people’s family matters.”

“Sister, I’m just trying to be kind and remind someone not to misjudge others.”

Li Shuang was unaware of the animosity between the Wei sisters and saw no need to explain. She didn’t like her older cousin, and her sister-in-law would eventually figure it out.

Jinzhi rolled her eyes; there wasn’t a good cookie among them. She approached Li Shuang softly, saying, “Miss Li, there are indeed many amusing tales in the capital. For instance, someone shouting ‘thief’ while being the thief themselves is not uncommon.”

Li Shuang couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, and the others heard it as well.

A maid dared to be so disrespectful? Just as Wei Yuanran was about to get angry, she realized this was the Junzhu’s main maid and quickly shut her mouth.

Li Wan’er also came to her senses. While Li Shuang might be oblivious to her motives, Wei Yuanran’s intentions toward Xie Yunzheng were evident, and she was clearly trying to sow discord between her and Li Shuang.

With a straightforward personality and no love for beating around the bush, she said coldly, “The Wei sisters are well-traveled and knowledgeable; knowing too much can be a curse. There’s a saying, ‘A woman without talent is virtuous,’ otherwise, it will be hard to marry. Miss Wei, you’re almost nineteen, aren’t you?”

Wei Yuanran was so furious she almost stood up.

Wei Yuanran tightly held her sister, her eyes reddening as she staggered to her feet, “You all continue chatting; I’ll go outside for some fresh air.”

Hearing her sister was leaving, Wei Yuanran sat back down in relief, hoping her sister could spend more time with Heir outside.

She envied sincere love the most and felt that her sister’s deep feelings shouldn’t go to waste.

Li Wan’er immediately felt alarm bells ringing; how shameless of that woman to go outside to meet her man!

“Miss Wei, please wait!” Li Wan’er stood up and chased after her, with Jinzhi following closely, realizing Wei Yuanran’s intentions.

Wei Yuanran walked quickly, reaching behind Xie Yunzheng. Pretending the boat was rocking, she was about to lunge forward when the agile Li Wan’er grabbed her, and the two of them fell to the ground together.

Jinzhi, unsure of what happened, also stumbled and fell.

Xie Yunzheng turned around to see a splendid scene.

Wei Yuanran was furious; she was just one step away from touching him!

Li Wan’er gritted her teeth; if she had been a moment late, she might have to deal with her husband taking a concubine before they were even married. That Wei woman was even more shameless than she had imagined.

Meanwhile, Wei Yuanran and Li Shuang were stunned; how could this happen?

Under Xie Yunzheng’s gaze, Li Wan’er forced a smile, “The boat isn’t stable.”

“Do you want to get up?” Xie Yunzheng was disdainful; even the Junzhu was braver than them, never getting seasick, and would run around when they were young.

Feeling embarrassed in front of Heir, the few of them quickly lost interest and agreed to go back on shore.

After landing, Xie Yunzheng excused himself, citing official duties, and Li Shuang followed him back to the residence.

Jinzhi walked beside Li Shuang’s carriage, continuously watching Xie Yunzheng’s retreating figure, her admiration growing stronger.

With Heir protecting her, Qingying didn’t return to the residence but instead went to find Xie Yunzhao.

Li Wan’er was furious as she collapsed into the carriage; she had heard that Xie Yunzhao personally picked up the Junzhu every time they went out.

She had never felt so aggrieved in her life!

The Wei sisters’ expressions were also not pleasant; upon learning that Heir was leaving, they had come with great expectations, only to meet him briefly before he left, their little scheme thwarted.

Seeing Qingying return quickly, Xie Yunzhao knew that Xie Yunzheng was enjoying himself, and he had done his duty as a brother.

The two of them had inspected three shops that morning and had lunch at Xu’s Restaurant.

Xie Yunzhao secretly thought that getting rid of Li Shuang was the right decision; he could enjoy a meal with Rongrong outside. If they could be together in the afternoon as well…

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. As he helped Shen Shurong with her food, he tentatively asked, “Rongrong, shall we go boating to admire the lotus flowers this afternoon?”