Chapter 091
Chapter 91: Arriving Uninvited
Xia Meng Yan paused with her chopsticks, her eyes lifting to the night outside.
Meeting her gaze, Duan Yi Chen’s head dipped at once. Clutching his robe hem, he said in a humble, flustered voice: “You, you are leaving, when?”
Speechless, Xia Meng Yan set down her chopsticks, wiped her hands, and rose to the sitting room. Duan Yi Chen followed quickly, stumbling over his words in his nervousness, saying: “I am not trying to stop you, I am only worried about your health. Man Lin City is a hundred li from the Capital, on the road…”
She stopped suddenly and called in a level tone: “Heir Apparent Duan,” and because he did not expect her to halt, he bumped into her. Before she could speak, he raised his hands, saying: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I was wrong, I’m really wrong…”
A string of clear laughter rang out like spring water in a mountain stream. The sound put people at ease. Heir Apparent Duan stared, stunned. Under the moonlight, she looked like a maiden from the clouds. Her face was bright as jade, her beauty as fresh as spring hills, her eyes deep as autumn waves. Standing there, she was quiet and noble. They looked at each other. Xia Meng Yan smiled, bright with a shy hint, like a snow lotus just in bloom that planted itself in the heart at a glance.
She teased softly: “What is it, are you stunned?”
Snapping back to himself, Duan Yi Chen rubbed the back of his head like a simple youth, saying: “You look really pretty.”
The maids and old servants inside could not help laughing at his bluntness. Duan Yi Chen flushed harder and lowered his head even more.
Xia Meng Yan sat on the soft couch and said evenly: “When the Lu Family matter is settled, I will go to Man Lin City. Mother has already written to my maternal grandfather. It cannot be changed.” Chun Yue tucked a support pillow behind her. Her belly grew by the day, and her back ached more and more.
Duan Yi Chen sat opposite, but his eyes stayed on her. He said: “The Capital is not safe. It is good if you go to Man Lin City, but can you let some of my people go with you? If anyone in the Lin Family bullies you, I can rush over to help.”
Resting her chin on her hand, Xia Meng Yan kept her face unreadable. Duan Yi Chen felt a chill of fear under her gaze and dug his fingers against his palm as if to bore a hole, then hurried to add: “The Lin Family is your maternal grandfather’s house. It is small?minded of me. I am only afraid that someone with bad thoughts in the Lin Family might hurt you.”
She answered simply: “Fine.”
He blinked, as if he had misheard. She added, her eyes glinting with a crafty light: “I want three. All three must be truly loyal to you.” [There are things I need to test for myself.]
Duan Yi Chen did not hear the hidden meaning. He grinned like a happy fool. If Yan’er allowed his men to follow her, then she trusted him. Trust was enough.
He said eagerly: “Rest easy, Yan’er. I will go choose them now. You will be pleased.”
As he stood, Xia Meng Yan voiced the doubt in her heart, asking: “Why do you always slip out at night?”
Duan Yi Chen looked wronged, saying: “I don’t want to either. Only at night do the Shadow Guards at the ancestral hall relax.” [Do ancestors not need guarding at night?] Xia Meng Yan almost laughed.
Thinking of something, Duan Yi Chen grinned: “I also prepared something for you. I’ll have it sent over tomorrow,” and with that, he vanished into the night.
Staying at the villa, Xia Meng Yan ate well and rested to build up her strength. She planned to leave in two days. She did not expect an uninvited guest to arrive.
Chun Yue planted her feet at the gate with hands on hips and glared: “Miss Lu, you are not welcome here.”
The Lu Family maid holding a bundle started to explain, but Miss Lu lifted a hand to stop her and said peacefully: “I came to visit your miss. Please announce me. If your miss truly does not want to see me, we will leave.”
Chun Yue had never seen such a thick?skinned person. They had harmed her Big Miss and still dared to come calling. She had followed Big Miss for many years and knew all the twists and turns of noble houses. If she refused to report the visit, the other side would claim the Xia Family was arrogant and that even the servants dared to insult guests. Snorting, she said: “Wait here.”
Miss Lu inclined her head. Her maid, angry, muttered: “Big Miss, look at her attitude. Even if Second Young Master was wrong, what does that have to do with you? You should not have come.”
A bitter smile touched Miss Lu’s lips. She knew very well she would be scolded the moment she stepped through the door. But in the Lu Family’s eyes, a woman’s face did not matter at all.
After one cup of tea, Chun Yue came out, still displeased, and said: “My Big Miss is kind. Come in.”
Miss Lu let out a small breath. Glancing around, she noticed heads peeking out from the next courtyard, so she raised her voice and said: “Miss Xia is reasonable. I’m glad there is no misunderstanding. Let us clear things up today so we can meet easily in the future.”
Her maid took the hint and called out as well: “Exactly. Once the misunderstanding is gone, we will still be like sisters when we meet.”
Hearing that Miss Lu had come, Xia Meng Yan was a little surprised. She did not rise, though. She reclined on the soft couch and ate fruit.
Seeing her relaxed posture, Miss Lu felt a pang of envy. Both were daughters of noble houses. After her divorce, Xia Meng Yan had returned to her parents’ home and lived again like an unmarried girl. Miss Lu, however, had to clean up her brother’s mess.
She greeted politely, saying: “Meng Yan sister,” but Xia Meng Yan cut in without mercy: “You are wrong, Miss Lu. I only married earlier than you. In fact, I am younger.” A single “sister” could not pay for what Lu Rong Fang had done.
Miss Lu did not get angry. She sat as if they were familiar and said: “It was my rudeness. Please don’t mind it, sister.”
Xia Meng Yan’s tone cooled: “I have other matters shortly. Speak plainly, Miss Lu.”
Hearing the impatience, Miss Lu kept her smile proper and said: “Your health comes first, so I will be brief. I came today to apologize for my second brother. I beg Miss Xia to be lenient.”
Xia Meng Yan did not want to make things harder for Miss Lu. In noble houses, men made the decisions. Women were often just stepping stones. She said evenly: “If there is an apology to make, it should be Lu Rong Fang who comes, not you.”
Miss Lu bowed her head and answered honestly: “Second Brother wanted to come, but Father gave him twenty strokes. He cannot get out of bed. He heard you might leave the Capital tomorrow, so he asked me to apologize in his place.”
Cooling the ice in her heart, Xia Meng Yan asked slowly: “So the Lu Family sent you here planning to give gifts and settle it with a handshake?”
Miss Lu had not expected such directness. Color flashed across her face, but she still had to nod. She said: “Second Brother heard you were going to leave the Capital and made a foolish mistake. He wronged Miss Xia. The Lu Family is willing to make it up to you.”
Xia Meng Yan laughed softly as if hearing an enormous joke, then said in a mild voice that hit like a slap: “Let me guess. His Majesty heard of this and cooled toward Consort Ping, so the Lu Family had no choice but to cane Lu Rong Fang. But the Lu Family does not want to apologize openly, because that would nail down their fault. So they sent you instead.”
Miss Lu’s face turned uglier. After a long twitch of silence, she gritted herself and said: “Father is willing to give you two shops as compensation. Please, for the sake of Second Brother’s feelings for you, forgive him this once.”
Xia Meng Yan looked at her as if she could not believe Miss Lu had dared to speak. She said: “Do you know that Lu Rong Fang sent people to kidnap me, planned to ruin my name, and tried to seize my dowry? If Heir Apparent Duan had not arrived in time, the scandal filling the city today would not be the Lu Family’s, it would be mine.”
Miss Lu bit her lip and kept silent. She knew this. If she were the one hurt, she would not forgive easily either. But…
Xia Meng Yan turned her eyes toward the window and ended it: “Please go back, Miss Lu. Tell Lu Rong Fang that he is only receiving what he deserves.”
Miss Lu had not expected such a hard refusal. She had thought that with her sincere apology, Xia Meng Yan would look at Consort Ping’s face and let the matter fade. Driven out first by the servants and then by their mistress, her heart filled with grievance. She stood and said sharply: “Miss of the Xia Family, it is better to untie a knot than to pull it tighter. The Lu Family was wrong this time, yes, but can the Xia Family guarantee it will never be wrong? Show mercy where mercy is due. We all live in the Capital and will still see each other in the future.”