The closed window trembled three times, and the courtyard fell into a deep silence.
In a moment, a faint murmur from the maid Hua Wu could be heard inside, and then suddenly the window was pushed open again.
Song Tangning, avoiding the injured hand, propped up the window with her arm and revealed a flushed, red face. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her expression was a mix of shyness and embarrassment. In a soft, hesitant voice, she said, “Big Brother, why are you here?”
Xiao Yan, seeing her blushing face, couldn't help but smile. The rigid tension in his body relaxed, and after his waist muscles loosened, he returned to his usual lazy demeanor.
“I just finished court and came to see you,” he said, walking past the courtyard and into the room. He saw the young girl wrapped tightly in layers, her face completely red.
He stood a bit away and asked, “How do you find this house? Do you like it?”
“I like it.” Upon talking about her future home, Song Tangning's shyness was forgotten.
“This house is truly wonderful. The carved railings and painted walls in the front courtyard are exquisite. Even the carvings on the beams are mesmerizing. Hua Wu mentioned that there are also many begonia flowers by the warm spring in the backyard. In a month or two, they should start blooming.” She peeked out with her bright, dark eyes, looking like a child who has found a beloved toy, her face as radiant as a spring begonia in full bloom.
“You don’t know, but my mother loved begonias the most. The manor was once filled with all kinds of begonias. Even my name was given by my mother based on the flowers.” She smiled, recalling her mother calling her “Little Begonia,” and would say that her little begonia would one day be even more beautiful than the flowers.
As she spoke about her favorite things, her eyes were clear, and her smile was bright. Her small mouth revealed two dimples, making her look very sweet.
Xiao Yan found her face almost identical to that of the chubby little child from years ago, and his eyes softened with a smile.
“If you like them, I can have someone plant begonias in other parts of the backyard as well. The palace has a few varieties of begonia seeds, which are exceptionally rare and beautiful when they bloom. I’ll have someone find a few seeds and transplant them to your manor. They should bloom next year.” The mention of “your manor” made Tangning’s eyes crinkle with happiness. “Would it trouble you too much, Big Brother?”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Then could I also have two branches of drooping begonias?” The girl, afraid of seeming too greedy, blushed as she asked softly, “There is a large begonia garden in the Imperial Garden. They are incredibly beautiful when in bloom. If you could secretly get me a couple of branches, would that be alright?”
“It’s no problem. I’ll have someone dig up a few plants.” Tangning’s eyes widened in surprise and delight. “Thank you, Big Brother.”
Xiao Yan smiled slightly. After inviting Xiao Yan to sit, Tangning had Hua Wu bring the tea set to make tea for him and handed over the silver notes she had prepared earlier.
Hearing that the money was for buying the house, Xiao Yan did not refuse and accepted the notes directly.
“I heard from Uncle He that you want to rename this house to Tang Mansion. I’ll have someone bring over the property deeds later. You should send a reliable person with Uncle He to the Jingzhao Prefecture to handle the paperwork. From now on, this house will be your property, and no one else can touch it.”
“Since it’s your house, the original plaque is no longer suitable. In a few days, find someone to make a new one to replace the current one. If you have a preferred design, let someone draw it for me, and I’ll have it made.” Hearing this, Tangning looked up at him with a touched heart.
This man was exceptionally kind to her, always attentive and considerate without needing to say much. He cared about her feelings, paid attention to her needs, and showed a kind of protection and care that was different from others like Song Jinxiu and Lu Zhinian.
He wouldn’t make decisions for her just because he was powerful. Instead, he encouraged her to make her own choices about her future.
Even though this house was worth much more than the amount she paid, which could have been sold for at least double the price, he was willing to sell it at half price, reassuring her with a fair deal. He never explicitly mentioned gifting it to her, understanding her anxiety about having nowhere to settle after leaving the Song family.
Song Tangning blinked and said softly, “I’ll listen to you, Big Brother.” When she behaved obediently, she was truly endearing. She was naturally beautiful, with the wounds on her face covered by medicine not hiding her features. Her soft hair was loosely tied at the back of her head, with a few strands falling over her forehead, making her look like someone you’d want to gently ruffle their hair.
Xiao Yan fiddled with his fingertips, his robe hanging beside him. “I heard someone from the Lu family came by?”
Song Tangning nodded honestly. “It was a personal attendant of Lu Zhinian, named Song Mo.” As she mentioned Lu Zhinian, her smile faded.
“Yesterday, the Lu family found out that Song Jinxiu and the others came to look for me, and they also learned that I moved out of the Cheng Wang Mansion with you. They thought they could send someone to coax me back.”
“Lu Zhinian even had Song Mo deceive me, saying that the Old Madam Lu punished him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall because she was heartbroken over my injury. He hinted that my disturbance in the Qian family had implicated him and then sent me a coral bracelet he didn’t want, hoping it would make me go to the Lu family to help him out.” Xiao Yan observed her expression as she spoke, noting only disgust, without any sadness, and her eyes were clear and determined. “What do you think about this?”
“I just feel like they’re treating me like a fool,” Tangning’s face darkened with sarcasm. “You don’t know how indulgent the Old Madam Lu is with Lu Zhinian. Not only is it impossible for her to punish Lu Zhinian by making him kneel in the ancestral hall for me, but even if he did kneel, it certainly wouldn’t be because of me.” The Old Madam Lu would only blame her for not following the rules, for not letting things settle, for causing trouble that implicated her precious grandson and tarnished the Lu family’s reputation.
She wouldn’t feel sorry for her near-death experience in the mountains or for being abandoned and suffering so much.
“As for that coral bracelet, it’s something I liked six months ago.”
“On my coming-of-age day, I saw that bracelet on his wrist at first glance. I heard that Lu Zhinian had two identical coral bracelets, so I wanted him to give me one.”
“But no matter how much I hinted or implied, he seemed to completely misunderstand. He didn’t pick up on my hints at all and put the bracelet away, never wearing it again.” Tangning had initially thought he simply didn’t understand her feelings, and while she was disappointed, she didn’t think much of it. Now, she realized how foolish she had been.
Lu Zhinian had always known what she liked and understood what she wanted. He even believed that by taking something she liked, he could win her favor. He had always been aware of her feelings but was unwilling to respond, treating her genuine emotions as a huge joke.
Xiao Yan listened to her words, his dark eyes growing cold. “Then why not call off the engagement?”
“I will, but not right now.” Song Tangning took a deep breath. “I remember you told me that it’s most dangerous to act impulsively without a plan, and you shouldn’t easily put yourself in a difficult position.”
“The matter with the Lu family is even more complicated than with the Song family. It involves the Empress and the reputation of the Lu family. The Lu family would never tolerate anything that tarnishes Lu Zhinian’s reputation. With the Song family involved, they won’t allow me to ruin the engagement or lose the chance to be connected with the Empress.”
“I need to first resolve things with the Song family before I can decisively end the engagement with the Lu family. That’s why I haven’t confronted Lu Zhinian directly. I only let him think that I’m upset with him and find his apology insincere. By dragging things out, I can both appease the Lu family and give myself time to investigate the Song family situation.” The young girl carefully explained her thoughts, then looked at Xiao Yan with her long, thick lashes.
“Big Brother, did I do the right thing?”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 50 here
I'm sorry dear translator, but the names keep changing it is quite confusing. I hope u can pay more attention to it.
ReplyDeleteI fixed it. So sorry
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