After Su Mei caused such a commotion, the tense atmosphere inside the octagonal pavilion instantly dissipated.
Lin Yi’an listened to her shouting at the top of her lungs. Anyone with eyes could tell she was pretending. He could not help feeling secondhand embarrassment for her, yet the corner of his lips still lifted uncontrollably.
She had actually chased all the way here. Was she afraid he would suffer at his legal mother’s hands.
His heart began to race in his chest. The displeasure stirred up by his legal mother was washed away by the warmth she brought him, and deep within his heart, a trace of hope quietly emerged.
It was an unruly emotion, carrying a dangerous edge.
Just as that feeling took root, Lin Yi’an jolted back to his senses. He took a deep breath and forcibly shifted his gaze away from the bamboo curtain through which he had been searching for her figure.
The cool wind filled his lungs, as if turning into a calming medicine. His emotions gradually settled.
Su Mei was still outside calling for her husband. Hearing her voice grow hoarse, he said to Princess Jiaxi, “Princess, if Third Miss keeps shouting like this, rumors will surely arise again. I will take my leave first.”
He called for the bearers. As soon as he exited the octagonal pavilion, he saw her sitting on the ground.
The guards beside her were drenched in sweat and looked as though they were about to beg her for mercy.
Before he could speak, she sprang up from the ground and shouted with full energy, “Husband.”
Behind her, Wu Zisen covered his face and coughed in reminder. Only then did Su Mei remember what role she was playing. Her straightened body immediately swayed, and she staggered toward him with crooked steps.
She muttered as she walked, “Husband, my head hurts, I have no strength at all.”
In the end, she leaned against him and blinked at him.
She was clearly playing the fool. Lin Yi’an was truly unable to hold back his laughter. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward the pavilion and saw Princess Jiaxi still standing there upright. He had no choice but to cover for Su Mei, steadying her and shifting to make room for her to sit.
“Sit properly. I will take you back to see the physician.”
Su Mei immediately sat upright and urged, “Hurry and carry me back. I feel awful.”
The sedan chair was lifted and moved off quickly. Wu Zisen hurried to follow, one hand pressed to his forehead. He was nearly dying of embarrassment over his cousin’s shamelessness. She was no longer the gentle and mild cousin she used to be.
Under a willow tree not far from the octagonal pavilion, a figure stood there for a long time, watching everything Su Mei did.
Princess Jiaxi came out of the pavilion, seething with anger and preparing to return inside. As soon as she turned around, she saw her grandson standing behind her. She exclaimed in surprise, “Henglǐ, why are you here?”
Lin Henglǐ said nothing. With a cold expression, he turned and left.
Princess Jiaxi’s expression changed. Hui Momo sighed and said, “The young heir must have seen everything. He is probably feeling awful.”
These words made Princess Jiaxi’s face turn ashen. She gripped Hui Momo’s hand tightly, her nails digging into flesh.
“I am doing this for him and for the Wei Duke’s Household.”
Hui Momo bit back the pain and did not dare say anything further.
The distance back to the guest courtyard was short. The little girl beside Lin Yi’an kept laughing, her eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.
She had saved her husband.
Lin Yi’an sat close to the armrest. Seeing her as happy as a child who had just eaten sweets, his gentle eyes were also tinged with a smile. Then he raised his hand and lightly knocked her on the head.
“You are not allowed to act recklessly again. She is a princess. If she truly investigates and punishes you for pretending, you will really end up crying.”
“Husband will protect me.”
She reached out to tug at the sleeve that had fallen over her head and smiled brightly at him, her tone utterly certain.
Lin Yi’an was dazzled by her smile. He felt that all the spring scenery in the courtyard could not compare to even a fraction of her radiance.
She held his sleeve and brought it to her nose, sniffing lightly before letting out a small sound of surprise. “What incense does the husband use? It smells so nice.” It was faint, with a hint of bamboo leaves.
As she spoke, she even leaned over, deliberately crossing the boundary he had set aside, sniffing along his collar and neck.
Her soft stray hairs brushed against his jaw. The girl’s fragrance enveloped him richly, blending with the tingling itch of her touch. It was like the finest wine, intoxicating to the very heart.
Yet he could not allow himself to drown in it. He leaned back repeatedly, grabbed the collar she was tugging at, and dodged aside.
“Stop fooling around. Sit properly. If the chair tips over, you will get another big bump.”
Her boldness far exceeded his expectations. She was even reaching to pull at his clothes.
At that moment, the sedan chair swayed. Su Mei was startled and quickly grabbed the armrest, finally sitting obediently again. Her eyes, however, were still fixed on him, her mind clearly plotting something unknown. Her gaze grew brighter and brighter, more dazzling than any morning star Lin Yi’an had ever seen.
A bad feeling rose in his heart.
What was she scheming now?
That short journey felt unbearably long to Lin Yi’an.
When they returned to their residence, he did not allow her to cling to him any longer. He excused himself by saying he needed to change clothes and replace his medicine, blocked her outside the door, and even had Stone bolt it shut.
Su Mei scrunched her nose and huffed unhappily as she walked toward the inner courtyard.
As she passed by his window, she heard Lin Yi’an’s voice.
“Have a maid cook pear sweet soup for you. You shouted until your throat nearly split.”
She stopped in her tracks, stared at the lattice window through which nothing could be seen, and broke into a smile. All her earlier displeasure vanished.
Separated by a window, Lin Yi’an imagined her smiling sweetly with dimples showing. He shook his head with a smile.
The little girl was far too easy to coax. That was not good. If she ever encountered a man with bad intentions in the future, would she not be easily deceived?
Hearing his cousin’s laughter, Wu Zisen’s expression turned sour. After sending her back to her room and instructing Zikui and the guards to keep watch over the courtyard, he hugged his sword and went straight to see Princess Jiaxi.
Princess Jiaxi was uneasy and had sent people to look for Lin Henglǐ. Before he could be found, word came that Wu Zisen requested an audience.
“So the Wu family truly comes with ill intent,” she murmured, sitting upright on the couch and ordering him to be shown in.
Wu Zisen never wasted words. After meeting her, he offered a perfunctory salute and went straight to the point. “I came today to inform the princess that the marriage between Lin Henglǐ and my cousin is hereby annulled.”
“Wu Shizi,” Princess Jiaxi called out calmly. “You are young and unaware of some matters. I do not blame you. This marriage was arranged with the Zhongyi Marquisate. Even if you are Third Miss’s cousin, even if your father and grandfather came, this engagement is not something you can withdraw.”
“Truly not withdrawing it?” Wu Zisen raised his brows with a smile, one that carried the same arrogance he had shown when he first arrived at the Lin household.
Princess Jiaxi’s heart skipped a beat. Uncertain of his intentions, she remained firm. “Your Wu family has no authority to demand a withdrawal.”
“Then I will simply publicize the matter.”
“You dare. Are you not afraid of damaging Su Mei’s reputation.”
Princess Jiaxi was startled by his disregard for convention.
Wu Zisen let out a mocking laugh and looked at her with ridicule. “Princess, I have long admired my cousin, but the Lin family seized the initiative first. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, why should I not fight for it. I do not care how others see me. Whatever my cousin becomes, she is still the girl I like. Once it is publicized, there will be even fewer people competing with me.”
“And besides, the Wei Duke’s Household will be right there with me, being judged together. I will not be lonely.”
If Su Mei earlier had been acting shamelessly, then in Princess Jiaxi’s eyes, Wu Zisen at this moment was a complete scoundrel.
“You are threatening me.” Princess Jiaxi’s gaze turned cold.
“This is not a threat. It is a notice.” He shrugged, his smile growing more roguish. “I will give the princess half a day. Tomorrow morning, I will await your reply. If there is no reply, I will naturally act according to my own intentions.”
With that, he turned and left. There was no movement behind him. With each step he took, his expression darkened further.
The Wu family indeed had no right to interfere in the marriage between the Lin and Su families. What he said was, of course, a threat.
Although the Su family guards had already departed to send word to the frontier, even riding at full speed would take eight to ten days to arrive, not to mention the return journey.
One round trip would take at least half a month. He could not allow the Lin family to toy with Su Mei like this. He had to act swiftly and decisively.
As for publicizing the matter, it was merely a psychological tactic against Princess Jiaxi. If she gave in because of this, all the better. If she did not, Wu Zisen narrowed his eyes. Tying up Lin Henglǐ as a hostage was also an option.
Wu Zisen had his own plans. On Lin Yi’an’s side, he was also worrying for Su Mei.
He likewise thought that waiting for a reply from the Zhongyi Marquis would take too long. He was also concerned that the Zhongyi Marquis might truly agree to his legal mother’s proposal for the sake of Su Mei’s reputation. Regardless of whether Su Mei recovered or not, the engagement would stand.
After all, Lin Henglǐ was the future heir of the Wei Duke’s Household. As long as the Zhongyi Marquis did not fall, Su Mei would forever be Lin Henglǐ’s lawful wife.
Yet the current situation of the Wei Duke’s Household was far more dire than outsiders could see. To speak of collapse, it could happen in an instant.
Moreover, who could guarantee that the Zhongyi Marquisate would retain imperial favor forever.
When that time came, what kind of fate would Su Mei fall into. Would Lin Henglǐ truly let go of everything that had happened now.
The more Lin Yi’an thought about it, the more he felt that the Lin family was not Su Mei’s destination. In the end, he had Stone bring pen and paper and wrote a letter to Liu Si.
He had no standing to help Su Mei withdraw from the engagement. He could only borrow strength to counter strength. It just so happened that Prince Yu was involved in matters that could be used as leverage to negotiate with his legal mother.
Whether to protect Prince Yu’s maternal family or to protect a marriage would depend on Princess Jiaxi’s choice.
Because of Wu Zisen’s proposal to withdraw the engagement, undercurrents once again surged through the Wei Duke’s Household. Princess Jiaxi summoned her eldest son again for discussion. Meanwhile, at the Zhongyi Marquisate, trouble arose in a way she had not anticipated.
Su Qin was confined to her courtyard by two older maids and forced to learn rules every day. Any slight mistake earned her a strike to the palm with a ruler. Her days were miserable, and within two days she had already fallen ill.
Even so, the two maids remained constantly at her side.
Today, after taking her medicine, she felt persistent nausea and an urge to vomit. The two maids reacted as if facing a great enemy and even interrogated her about whether she was pregnant. No matter how she explained, they refused to believe her and personally pulled up her skirt to verify.
Overwhelmed by humiliation and rage, Su Qin was so furious that she fainted on the spot.
Only after checking did the two maids finally relax. They feared that at such a critical moment, something like the Su family’s eldest daughter being pregnant would occur. Even if their young heir had done nothing improper, they still feared being entangled by such a shameless girl and becoming the subject of ridicule.
When Su Qin fainted, they merely covered her with a quilt, did not dress her, and went outside to drink tea and chat.
As they talked, there was still no movement from Su Qin’s side. The two maids let down their guard and casually discussed the absurd matter of Su Mei recognizing Lin Yi’an as her husband. It was precisely these words that fell into the ears of Su Qin, who had already opened her eyes.