Chapter 028
Chapter 28: I’ll Give You One Last Chance
Xia Meng Yan turned her head toward the door and snapped at the steward: “This is the inner courtyard. Why did you let a strange man in? Do you want to lose your job?”
The steward bowed, knowing he was old service to the Xia Family and should have remembered that the Xia Family did not welcome Lin Ye Lan: “I already told the Marquis of Ping An that the master is not at home. The marquis injured a servant and forced his way in. I could not stop him. Please punish me, great miss.”
Old Madam Xia, seeing the Marquis of Ping An, finally understood why Madam Wan had just knelt. It was a retreat to advance. She dropped her cold act and spoke first with a mild smile: “We are all one family. How can you call it ‘forcing the way in’? The marquis hurried back to the capital and came to see Meng Yan right away. It shows he cares about the mother and child. Talk it out and clear up the misunderstanding.”
Xia Meng Yan stared at her grandmother and answered in a chill voice: “Misunderstanding? Grandmother, are your ears not working? Just now the marquis asked whose child is in my belly. He thinks I put a green hat on him. Is that the result you all wanted?”
Old Madam Xia froze, remembering how Madam Wan had mentioned the Heir Apparent Duan earlier. She hurried to scold: “What nonsense. Everyone in the capital knows you like the Marquis of Ping An. Do not smear yourself because you are angry. The Xia Family cannot afford to lose face.”
Lin Ye Lan fixed his eyes on Xia Meng Yan. Her cool, distant look fanned the fire in his chest, but after hearing Old Madam Xia, his reason returned. [Yes. Xia Meng Yan has liked me for years. If she had anything with Duan Yi Chen, we would not have married.]
The room went so quiet a pin could be heard. Every gaze fell on Xia Meng Yan.
She gave a short laugh, low but full of bite: “Ha.”
Lin Ye Lan frowned and asked in a hard tone: “What are you laughing at?”
Xia Meng Yan sat down with Chun Yue’s help and let the cold anger spill across her face: “All of you are plotting on my head. Do you really take me for a fool?”
Lin Ye Lan grew more and more annoyed. He did not dare explode in front of Old Madam Xia, so he drew a steady breath and bowed to the old lady: “Old Madam, I have private words to say to Meng Yan. Please allow us a moment.”
Old Madam Xia nodded and rose, putting on the air of a kind elder as she looked at Xia Meng Yan: “Do not speak out of anger. Think of the child in your belly.” Then she left with Madam Wan.
Xia Meng Yan no longer bothered to pretend and spoke with open impatience: “Marquis, we already separated. Do not forget that and make the young misses outside misunderstand.”
Lin Ye Lan knew what had happened lately and that Meng Yan and his mother had broken all ties. On the way here, he had considered many outcomes, but when he heard “young misses misunderstand,” his lips curved. [So this whole fuss is jealousy of Huo Ying Zi.]
[The Marquis Manor needs her dowry, and even more, we need her to reach Divine Physician Luo.] Seeing she was pregnant with his child, he relaxed. If she behaved, he could let bygones be bygones.
He softened his tone and explained: “At Northern Fortress Pass, I already said it clearly. Huo Ying Zi and I are only friends. There is no improper relationship. Huo Ying Zi has been punished, and the Huo Family army has been audited by His Majesty. Your goal is reached. If you keep pushing, that will be going too far.”
Xia Meng Yan frowned, realizing her earlier wording had given him a chance to say such things.
Lin Ye Lan continued in a matter-of-fact voice: “The separation letter your mother wrote in your name does not count. The Marquis Manor is under repair these days, so stay at your parents’ home for now. But my mother’s facial paralysis needs Divine Physician Luo. Write a letter and ask Divine Physician Luo to come to the capital. After my mother recovers, I will explain to her, and you two must get along. Do not throw tantrums again.”
Xia Meng Yan let out a cold breath of laughter. [So after all that circling, you just want me to invite Divine Physician Luo to the capital.]
When Divine Physician Luo traveled years ago, he had received a favor from the Lin Family. Later, when he came to the capital, Meng Yan’s maternal grandfather asked her to look after Luo’s daily life. The two became close despite the age gap. In her last life, Meng Yan had fallen for Lin Ye Lan at first sight. Knowing Grand Madam Lin had a head illness, she invited Divine Physician Luo to the capital to treat her. That was when Lin Ye Lan learned of their connection.
She raised her eyes and asked in a flat voice: “I heard the marquis was injured. Was it to the head?”
[How shameless. He dresses it up as noble and generous, as if he is giving me a place to stay because I am pregnant.]
Lin Ye Lan’s face tightened as he shot back: “What do you mean?”
Xia Meng Yan did not want to tangle with rotten people. She met his eyes and spoke clearly: “Separation is separation. It is not something you can take back just because you want to. As for the child, Grand Madam Lin should have told you already. Pay back double what I spent in the Marquis Manor. Otherwise, do not even think about taking the child.”
Lin Ye Lan’s temper snapped. He shot to his feet and barked: “Xia Meng Yan, without a yamen stamp that separation letter is waste paper.”
Xia Meng Yan cut him off, having guessed he would bring up the imperial marriage: “His Majesty has already seen the separation letter.”
Lin Ye Lan’s face changed. He gritted: “I will enter the palace now and tell His Majesty you are making trouble.”
“It is useless,” said Xia Meng Yan as she nodded to Chun Yue. Chun Yue fetched the separation letter. Xia Meng Yan held it up and said evenly: “Look closely, marquis. This bears the imperial jade seal. No one can change the fact that we are separated.”
“What?” Lin Ye Lan’s eyes widened. When he saw the jade seal, his anger spiked to the limit. He bit off the words: “Xia Meng Yan, I have patiently explained. I and—”
“Whether you and Huo Ying Zi are friends, lovers, or fiancée has nothing to do with me,” said Xia Meng Yan, voice like ice. “Please have self-respect. If you have business, send a calling card. If you do not, do not invent excuses to show up in front of me.”
The words made it sound like he was the one chasing after her. Lin Ye Lan’s brow twisted into tight knots. He could not understand why she had changed so much.
“No matter what, the child in your belly is mine,” he said in a low, hard voice. “I have the right to see him.”
Xia Meng Yan’s heart gave a painful jump. [In my last life, the baby died before birth at Northern Fortress Pass.] The calm she had held for so long broke into restless waves. She spoke through tight lips: “So the marquis cares about the child. Then who ordered day-and-night marches, ignoring that I was pregnant? Even when I felt unwell on the road, you did not comfort me once.”
Lin Ye Lan’s gaze darkened. Only now did he notice that the face that should have been round and healthy had thinned by several degrees, as if she had just come through a serious sickness. He forced his tone to be strict: “There was an urgent summons from the frontier garrison. It could not wait. You insisted on coming along.”
He would never admit that he had been cold and heartless, never putting her in his eyes back then.
Xia Meng Yan set down her teacup, dabbed the corner of her mouth, and let her hand rest on her belly. This was her child alone. No one would take the baby from her. She said coolly: “The marquis is a pillar of the court. For the court you will risk the lives of wife and child without hesitation. If the marquis wants to play the hero, do not drag us in.”
“Stubborn,” Lin Ye Lan snapped. “You will regret this. I will give you one more chance: if you enter the palace and explain to His Majesty, I can let the past go. If you want to vent your anger, my mother’s treatment can wait a bit. But you must return to the Marquis Manor.”
He believed he had backed down far enough. [She likes me. She will agree.] As long as she returned to the Marquis Manor, he could bring up Divine Physician Luo again after a few days, and everything would go back to normal.
Xia Meng Yan’s eyes narrowed. [How did I ever like this kind of man in my past life? Selfish. Greedy. He would even sell out his own mother for benefit.] He was not fit to be a father.
She turned her head and spoke to her maid: “Chun Yue, see the guest out.”
[If I look at him one more moment, I will throw up.]
Knowing he could not get what he wanted today, Lin Ye Lan left in a huff. [Xia Meng Yan, just wait. You will regret it.]
He had barely stepped out of the Xia Manor when a gentle voice called from ahead: “Elder Brother Ye Lan.”