Chapter 354: Chapter 353: My Fault, I Scared You
The sky was still clear.
The entrance to the Minister of Justice Mansion was bustling like a marketplace.
Guests thronged the doorway, among whom were not a few there to celebrate, and quite a few hoping to forge connections, everyone harboring their own thoughts but with shallow smiles on their faces.
As Shen Hua had anticipated, the carriage from Duke Wei Mansion was also on its way.
Wei Xiheng had even personally gone to the Governor Mansion to pick up guests.
Once this news spread, it drew quite a crowd of onlookers.
Someone exclaimed with excitement: "Did the Yan girl truly board the carriage of Duke Wei’s Mansion?"
"Why are you stuttering? It’s quite fitting. Duke Wei Wei Wei, why don’t you just say Wei Xiheng Gong gong."
"It’s true, I saw it with my own eyes."
"Was she forced?"
"Who could know that for sure? But she looked so pale and thin as though a gust of wind might blow her away."
All these commotions were heard by Yan Mi. She sat properly, with her usual dignified noble lady’s demeanor.
Wei Xiheng looked at her for a long time. Then he remembered something Dowager Yan said when he picked her up.
—— Eldest Young Master of Wei, my Mi has always been prosperous and has never suffered a bit. The rumors outside are so nasty, even I can’t bear to hear them, let alone her. The child is also naive, with thin skin, and can’t stand such humiliation; she even had thoughts of suicide out of desperation. Alas, what a calamity. You must not create any fissures between you.
In a nutshell. The message revealed was just one point.
Yan Mi definitely did not attempt suicide because she was unwilling to marry him.
Whether the words were true or false, who knew.
Wei Xiheng wasn’t a fool either.
Hasn’t Yan Mi always been cold to him in his presence?
But one should always be more tolerant towards a girl.
Compared to before, Yan Mi was dressed rather modestly today, but undoubtedly she was still beautiful.
Wei Xiheng may not be able, but he is still half a man.
In the presence of beauty, naturally gentle and caring.
"The rumors outside, I’m afraid the Fourth Prince deliberately spread them. The malice of the masses is sky-high and their words unbearable. It’s not surprising that you would be affected by this..."
Wei Xiheng said tenderly: "But I do not wish for such an incident to happen a second time, Lady Yan. You are a sensible person. Some things, I need say only once."
"You need not worry too much. I have been taught by saintly books since childhood and will not dwell on this matter. In the future, once you enter Duke Wei Mansion to keep your own counsel, I will only cherish you."
He smiled.
"If it weren’t for Mama falling ill because of this and my own inability to leave the house, I would have definitely come to visit you at the Yan family."
...Truly unnecessary.
Yan Mi listened to him with a tenseness in her scalp.
"Today, there are many people at the Zou Residence. Lady Yan, you should know what to do and what not to do. By appearing close in front of others, those vulgar rumors will naturally be self-defeating."
He smiled and patted a spot beside him.
"Why sit so far away? Come sit closer."
Yan Mi finally spoke up: "It’s not proper."
"What’s not proper about it? Even if I truly do something to you, would your Yan family dare to fault me for anything?"
Wei Xiheng grabbed her hand and squeezed it, feeling its softness to the bone, and couldn’t help but grow fonder of her. Under Yan Mi’s astonished gaze, he tenderly brought it to his lips and kissed it.
"What ointment are you using? It smells really good."
He, like a benevolent yet poisonous snake, examined her bit by bit with a sticky gaze.
Yan Mi’s face turned pale, and she quickly drew back her hand, but the feeling as if it lingered. Involuntarily, she trembled slightly and began to incessantly wipe her hand with her handkerchief.
Wei Xiheng watched with a sinister look.
A malice stirred back and forth in his chest.
Since the injury resulting in his impotence, his temper had grown worse and worse. He always found ways to torment nearly to death those maids who served him in his bedchamber.
But... none of those women were as good-looking as Yan Mi.
People like Yan Mi, gentle and elegant with the grace of poetry and literature in their belly, even if they looked down on him, so what?
She could not escape him regardless.
With that thought, he chuckled again: "It’s my fault, I scared you."
————
At that moment,
Unlike the stifling atmosphere here, the carriage of Marquis Yangling Mansion was bursting with liveliness.
Just yesterday, Cui Rong who vowed rather to study than to visit Zou Residence has changed her tune. She stubbornly stayed in the horse carriage, refusing to come out no matter who called her.
"Think you can leave me behind?"
"No! Way!"
"Don’t even think about dropping me!"
The little rascal suddenly laughed, flashing two adorable little tiger teeth. Shaking her head so that the topknot followed, she said, "I always feel someone’s going to be unlucky, I really worry for her~"
"Are you going to take revenge for Mama?"
"That shameless main wife, I’ll point her out to you later."
"And the others that I find displeasing, tidy them up for me too, don’t give them face, trample them ruthlessly!"
Cui Rong remarked with emotion, "Wherever you are, it’s like a jianghu [martial world]!"
Shen Hua nibbled on her snacks, replying with only a lazy yawn.
Knowing when to be humble or tough, Cui Rong was generous with her compliments to get Shen Hua to do her bidding: "Sister Shen, you look truly beautiful today. Those other girls who are attending the banquet can’t even compare to half your pinky finger."
She quickly corrected herself: "I misspoke, they don’t even qualify to be compared with you! Not at all!"
Shen Hua, who loved flattery, restrained her lips from curving upward, feigning modesty in a soft and delicate tone: "You don’t need to go that far."
"Although it’s the truth, we still need to save some face for the others."
While saying, "My shoulder here..."
Cui Rong hurriedly got up.
"Is it uncomfortable? Quick, let me massage it for you, is this pressure alright?"
After massaging the shoulders, she even wanted to massage the legs.
Cui Yun flipped through her book scroll: "There are many eyes and ears today at Zou Residence, don’t be too reckless."
These words were meant for Shen Hua.
Shen Hua’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
Many eyes and ears.
And...don’t go too far.
She got the message.
When the carriage stopped, Cui Yun was the first to get out.
Shen Hua barely stuck her head out when she saw Ji Huo looking somewhat impatient not far away.
Before Ji Huo stood Princess Consort Gong.
She repeatedly cautioned: "Ever since your last incident in the imperial study, your father has grounded you. It was only now that he’s willing to let you out. You’d better behave today."
Ji Huo looked somewhat dazed.
He was even a bit puzzled.
This menace that he was, shouldn’t be let out today; yet here he was, standing in front of Zou Residence.
During the last incident in the imperial study, he almost angered Emperor He to death.
As satisfying as it was, he still trembled before Prince Gong upon returning home.
Prince Gong, at that time, just scoffed coldly.
"You’ve really grown some nerve!"
Just as he thought his father would impose family punishment, Prince Gong instead said in a cryptic way.
"Go back to your room and reflect on your actions."
Baffled but still daring, he didn’t forget to remind his father.
"Father, aren’t we going to kneel in the ancestral hall and take the cane? Every time it’s ten lashes, how could you forget!"
"Get back to your room!"
In the end, he didn’t get hurt at all.
Ji Huo had no interest in the Jinsun 100-day celebration at Zou Residence. He didn’t even want to go in.
The in-laws of Ji Zhui, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with them.
Moreover...
It was because of the emotional debt left by Ji Teng that Ji Ge wouldn’t come.
Not to mention others, Ji Teng wouldn’t be invited, and presumably, Wei Yingying wouldn’t come either.
A cousin like Shen Hua, wouldn’t have any chance of attending either.
Such a pity! His! Four People Gang! They haven’t made their name in Shengjing yet!