After receiving the message sent by the Empress, Lu Zhinian played with the jade button on his sleeve, looking at the invitation to the Spring Banquet from the Cheng Prince's mansion. A knowing smile appeared in his eyes.
He understood Song Tangning all too well. She had followed him since childhood, accustomed to relying on him, and her heart often aligned with his wishes. She could stay up all night copying scriptures just because he mentioned liking it. She gave up her favorite sweet cakes because he disliked sweets, searched tirelessly for a fine guqin as a birthday gift for him, practicing until her fingers bled. She was eager to stay by his side every day, hoping to marry into the Lu family as soon as possible.
The fact that she managed to maintain her temper and distance from him for half a month after a minor disagreement was already remarkable. How could a little girl like her truly bear not seeing him?
Xie Yin, lounging in Lu Zhinian's room and sipping tea disdainfully, said, "You should've seen how stubborn she was before. I thought she'd really give up on you. But the moment my father mentioned that the Empress and Lady Lu were displeased with her, she immediately changed her tune."
Saying she wouldn’t marry into the Lu family—who was she trying to fool?
A faint smile spread across Lu Zhinian’s face. "Tangning is just childish."
"Childish? She's more than that! You don't know how miserable Old Lady Song was after returning home. I heard she's been bedridden, so frail she almost didn't make it. And that's her own grandmother! I've never seen anyone as heartless as Song Tangning."
Xie Yin was full of grievances toward Song Tangning.
He could tolerate the humiliation from the Qian family incident. He even apologized to Song Tangning afterward, but she continued to be hostile, refusing to even let him step foot into Jiyun Alley. Despite several attempts to mend their relationship, Song Tangning shut him out completely. Even his mother had gone mad and wouldn't help him at all.
She wasn’t even that injured, yet she had caused such an uproar despite their apologies. While Xie Yin hadn’t lost his reputation as badly as Song Jinxiu, he had still suffered greatly. Just thinking about Song Tangning filled him with disgust.
"I visited the Song family yesterday. Brother Jinxiu is utterly devastated, constantly ridiculed by his peers at the Hanlin Academy. And Shulan is even worse. She secretly went outside the city to Lingyun Temple, kneeling and bowing the whole way to seek forgiveness for Song Tangning, but she fainted on the way. If the Yongshun Earl's household hadn't passed by and brought her back, who knows what could’ve happened."
When Xie Yin visited, Song Shulan had been weak and pale, her forehead bruised from kneeling, her knees and feet blistered and raw. She had barely walked a few steps before blood soaked through her skirt.
Lu Zhinian frowned. "Why did she do that?"
"Because Song Tangning pushed her to it," Xie Yin said coldly. "The Song family is in dire straits. Song Tangning has been tormenting Shulan over her background, turning the household upside down. With Xiao Yan protecting her, no one can touch her. Old Lady Song is furious, so they take it all out on Shulan."
"When I went yesterday, Shulan had just been punished by the first lady, kneeling in the ancestral hall despite her injuries. She didn’t even dare cry out loud. But it’s not Shulan’s fault; why should she be the one punished?"
Lu Zhinian sat on the low couch, recalling the first time he had seen Song Shulan. She had appeared so delicate and pitiful.
At the time, Song Tangning had been showing off two new pearl hairpins, proudly asking him which matched her ornate hunting outfit better. In the distance, a girl in a simple dress stood quietly, gazing at them with admiration but no jealousy in her eyes.
Only later did Lu Zhinian learn that she was Song Tangning's recently discovered half-sister, raised in poverty with her widowed mother due to complicated family circumstances. A single pearl hairpin from Song Tangning could have fed her for six months, yet Song Shulan had never expressed any resentment. Instead, she seemed grateful for the little she had and was always joyful when shown the slightest kindness.
Compared to Song Tangning, who had grown up spoiled, willful, and proud, this girl seemed easy to please and grateful for any act of goodwill. Even after learning her mother had been a concubine, Lu Zhinian found it difficult to feel any ill will toward her; instead, he grew more sympathetic to her difficult situation.
His brows furrowed with sympathy. "Is she alright?"
"How could she be? She’s been through hell."
Xie Yin’s tone was full of concern. "I’ve heard the Song family is planning to send Shulan out of the capital to placate Tangning. She's a fragile girl who's already lost her parents. If they send her away without any protection, what will become of her?"
Lu Zhinian’s eyes grew cold. The Song family wanted to send her away?
Was this Tangning’s idea?
How could she be so reckless and immature? What good would it do to exile Shulan?
Seeing his reaction, Xie Yin pressed, "Zhaozheng, Tangning listens to you the most. Please talk to her and convince her to show some mercy. Shulan isn’t competing with her for anything. Just let her live."
Lu Zhinian frowned. "I’ll find a chance to speak with her."
Xie Yin had come to deliver an invitation to the Lu family and, after a few more complaints, left to visit the next household. Once alone, Lu Zhinian remained deep in thought.
"Sir, you’re not seriously considering helping Song Shulan, are you?" Songmo, his servant, asked worriedly. "The young lady is extremely sensitive about you getting close to other women. She’s already caused enough trouble over Song Shulan. If you bring it up now, she’ll be furious."
"It might be better to placate her first, then mention it after she returns to the Song family."
Seeing Lu Zhinian’s troubled expression, Songmo added quietly, "The Empress is already displeased with all the chaos recently. And your father has been forced to retreat step by step under the pressure from Supervisor Xiao. If the young lady can’t be soothed, we’ll have even bigger problems with Xiao."
Lu Zhinian’s face darkened as he recalled the message the Empress had sent him.
The biggest issue right now was that eunuch Xiao Yan.
Tangning was easy to appease. Once she returned to the Song family, matters concerning Song Shulan could be handled later.
Lu Zhinian recalled the last time Song Tangning casually threw away something he had sent her, realizing she merely disliked his lack of care. Since she was willing to humble herself now, he decided to give her a way out.
He instructed Songmo to prepare paper and ink, then, recalling the girl’s likeness, personally drew a small portrait.
“Take this to Jiyun Alley.”
Songmo immediately smiled, saying, “Your Highness, this is such a fine painting. Song Tangning will surely be pleased to see it.”
The Lu family's servants entered Jiyun Alley. Although they did not see Song Tangning, they delivered the portrait inside. The servants returned joyfully to report, but not a single glance was spared by Song Tangning at the painting. She had Huawu find a place to put it away carelessly.
Huawu held the painting and whispered, “Miss, aren’t you going to take a look?”
“What’s there to see? It’s just some trinket meant to placate me.”
Lu Zhinian had always been proud, so proud that he thought a little effort on his part would make her feel grateful and overjoyed. He feared she was so eager to please him that she couldn’t endure it anymore after a few days and bowed her head and tried to please him like before, which was why he casually bestowed this self-important "reward." He never considered that as her fiancé, he hadn’t shown his face in a month while she was injured—hardly a reasonable expectation.
Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting long shadows on the wall.
Tangning looked at her scarred hands, the ripped nails still not grown back, and the pink flesh at her fingertips looked cruelly raw.
Her long hair was loosely tied in a small bun, the ends cascading down to her waist. The shadows blurred her expression, making it hard to see the emotions in her eyes.
She merely glanced at the painting tucked away in the corner, her voice soft yet chillingly cold.
“We are only strangers from now on. Whether I look at these things or not doesn’t matter. Find a place to store it. After the Spring Banquet, pack up everything he sent me and return it all to the Song family.”
She no longer had feelings for Lu Zhinian and certainly wouldn’t waste her energy on him again.
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[You can read ahead to chapterr 100 here]
[You can read ahead to chapterr 100 here]
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