Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 35

When the tune finished, Pei Yuqing looked up and asked, "Shall we listen to another one?"

Xie Wanqing shook her head and politely declined, "No, thank you."

One shouldn’t be greedy with good things.

She finished her cup of tea and stood up, saying, "It’s getting late, I should be going back."

Pei Yuqing paused slightly, his fingers slowly withdrawing from the strings of the zither.

Seeing him like this, Xie Wanqing couldn’t help but smile and said, "Coming here today, I’ve had the privilege of enjoying tea brewed by Heir Pei himself and also got to witness Heir Pei’s zither skills; it was quite delightful."

There was a teasing look in her eyes, and Pei Yuqing, feeling uneasy, lowered his gaze and said, "If you need anything, you can come to me anytime."

Xie Wanqing nodded happily and laughed, "Does this count as a private meeting between us?"

"It doesn’t count," Pei Yuqing straightened his expression and looked up, "Our feelings begin with emotion but are bound by propriety. I would never do anything inappropriate toward you."

Isn’t that self-deception?

Amused at heart, Xie Wanqing didn’t argue, as she had no plans of getting married and didn’t care much about her reputation as a maiden.

Even if people knew they met privately, it wouldn’t matter much.

Just as she was about to put on her veil hat and prepare to leave, Pei Yuqing stood up, walked in front of her, raised his hand to hold her wrist, and led her back to the tea table. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Xie Wanqing didn’t expect him, who had been restrained and courteous all afternoon, to suddenly become physical just as she was about to leave. Surprised, her pupils slightly trembled, and before she could speak, she found herself being guided to sit down.

Pei Yuqing sat across from her, taking her hand in one of his, while three fingers of his other hand rested on her wrist.

He began to check her pulse.

"..." Xie Wanqing was speechless.

The person checking her pulse seemed to have sensed something unusual and glanced up at her, "Why are you feeling tense?"

Xie Wanqing paused and couldn’t help but say, "I thought you couldn’t bear to let me go and wanted to make me stay."

The fingers on her wrist paused slightly as Pei Yuqing looked at her silently for a few seconds, then lowered his gaze to continue checking her pulse.

That look in his eyes...

Xie Wanqing pressed her lips together and said no more.

After a while, the person across from her withdrew his hand and frowned, "Excess liver fire, anxiety, and worry. You’re so young, where do you get so many troubles?"

Clearly, she didn’t look like someone who was tossing and turning, unable to sleep at night because she wanted to cancel the engagement with Lu Ziyuan.

He couldn’t know that, contrary to his assumption, Xie Wanqing was anxious because she was worried about being unable to call off the engagement, which kept her up at night.

Xie Wanqing pretended to sigh deeply, "I’ll leave this old problem to you, great doctor Pei."

She smiled brightly, leaned her neck forward a bit, and pointed to her eyes, "See, I haven’t slept well these days, and there are dark circles under my eyes."

Disturbed by dreams for some time, she hadn’t slept well. When the dreams proved to be true, she was even more restless night and day.

At times, it was the woeful scenes from her dreams, the cold heartlessness of Lu Ziyuan.

At other times, it was the entanglements in reality, with Lu Ziyuan refusing stubbornly to let her be free from the engagement.

After such a long time, it’s no wonder her pulse wasn’t in good condition.

Pei Yuqing glanced at her, got up, walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a neatly packed brocade box to hand to her.

"It’s difficult to control the heat when boiling the medicine, so I’ve made it into pills for you. Remember to take one after dinner every day."

Xie Wanqing didn’t stand on ceremony and reached out to take it directly.

In her heart, she felt this person was indeed considerate.

"So... I’m leaving?"

Pei Yuqing made a sound of acknowledgment and handed her the veil hat.

Once she had it on, he called out loudly, "Pei Er."

The door was pushed open from outside, Pei Er walked in with his head slightly lowered, not daring to look around haplessly.

Pei Yuqing lowered his gaze to the girl in front of him and said softly, "I won’t see you off personally."

With the teahouse being crowded and eyes everywhere, Xie Wanqing didn’t mind and nodded.

She took Erqing with her downstairs, stepping quickly onto the carriage.

......

In the carriage returning home, Erqing had an expression as if wanting to speak but hesitating.

"What’s with that look," Xie Wanqing reached out to tap her on the forehead, "There’s nothing taboo between us, if there’s something you want to say, just go ahead and say it."

"Miss..." Erqing looked moved as she finally understood why her miss was determined not to want Heir Lu, but still...

She hesitated for a few moments, leaned closer, and whispered, "Although Heir Pei is good-looking, isn’t he a bit too old?"

As for his physical condition, she hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

But his age — he was a full cycle older than their miss.

Xie Wanqing chuckled, "If you didn’t know his age, would you think he’s that old?"

Erqing shook her head.

"Exactly," Xie Wanqing continued, "And also, I’m not breaking the engagement with Lu Ziyuan because of him. Your miss is not someone who is fickle with her affections."

Erqing furrowed her brow, "If you don’t like Heir Pei, why did you spend the entire afternoon alone with him?"

"...." Xie Wanqing felt stuck and, after thinking about it, said, "Perhaps it’s human nature to admire beauty."

No one would be willing to avoid something beautiful and non-threatening, right?

Pei Yuqing was just that kind of being.

Even when alone with him, she felt entirely at ease, unconsciously lowering her guard, and even felt like teasing him.

If we’re talking about liking, it probably wasn’t the case.

When she liked Lu Ziyuan, she thought about him all the time, wanting to see him whenever she had the chance as long as he was in the Capital.

She was willing to temper her attitude for him, learn to be gentle and understanding, even though she wasn’t naturally soft-tempered.

In front of Pei Yuqing, she’d never constrained her nature, acting boldly and mischievously, and loved to tease him without any of the poised elegance expected of a noble lady.

Thinking about it this way, Xie Wanqing couldn’t help but feel amazed.

We can blame it on that person’s consistently good-natured demeanor, making her grow increasingly bold and presumptuous.

......

When she arrived at the mansion, just after getting off the carriage, intending to head to Brocade Hall to pay respects to her mother, she saw Nanny Li from Mrs. Zheng’s side coming over.

After curtsying in greeting, Nanny Li said in a low voice, "Shortly after you left, Heir Lu came over, saying he agreed to cancel the engagement, but he has a request."

Upon hearing that Lu Ziyuan was here again, Xie Wanqing reflexively frowned. Hearing that he agreed to the cancellation afterward, she was quite surprised and asked, "Really? What does he want?"

Nanny Li replied, "Heir Lu said he has something to discuss with you alone, that only after explaining can he agree to cancel the engagement."

Again with wanting to talk to her privately.

Xie Wanqing immediately felt somewhat resistant, given that news about his mistress being pregnant had already spread like wildfire. Did he still feel there were things left unexplained between them?

She took a deep breath, "Where is he?"

"In the reception hall of the front courtyard, with neither the Marquis nor the Princely Heir at home, it’s the steward entertaining him. He’s been waiting all afternoon," Nanny Li said. "The madam had me wait here to ask for your opinion, and if you don’t want to meet him, have the steward see him off."

Xie Shu and Xie YanYu, the father and son, had both gone to their duties. Mrs. Zheng, though a woman, was an elder and could have stepped forward personally, but she arranged for only the steward to entertain, not showing herself.

This showed the extent of her aggravation with Lu Ziyuan.

Xie Wanqing wanted more than anyone to settle these matters soon, so she made her way to the front courtyard, "I’ll go see what he really has to say to me."