The man wore a dark green official robe, a leather belt cinching his slender waist, accentuating his imposing and upright figure that commanded attention.
His demeanor was cool and aloof, carrying an indescribable air of severity. His brows and eyes held a faint chill, and as soon as he entered the room, the atmosphere grew noticeably quieter.
"Shizi brother, why are you off duty so early today?"
Xie Ningtang smiled cheerfully, standing up first and walking over to take the official hat the man handed her.
"There wasn’t much to handle at the office today."
"The snow outside is so heavy, Shizi brother. Come over here and warm yourself by the fire."
Xue Ning quickly lowered her head, silently tucking the bracelet into her sleeve.
Su Zhan greeted the elders, his gaze sweeping over the osmanthus cakes on the table and Xue Ning, who kept her head bowed. An inexplicable irritation stirred within him.
For several days, she had behaved herself, avoiding him and not appearing before him.
He had thought that after catching a cold that day, she had learned her lesson.
Unexpectedly, it was merely her strategy of retreating to advance.
How many days had it been?
She had started diligently visiting Qiushui Garden again, either delivering pastries or stewed soups, occasionally even staying for dinner before leaving.
If not to deliberately see him, what else could it be for?
However, with so many elders present, he couldn’t openly reprimand her.
He simply sat on the luohan bed with a cold expression, picked up a cup of hot tea, and took a slow sip.
The warm tea soothed his throat, dispelling the chill in his body.
Xie Ningtang then moved closer to him, asking if anything interesting had happened recently at the Ministry of Justice.
Su Zhan had always been indifferent to worldly desires and showed little interest in women. However, Xie Ningtang was the fiancée chosen for him by Madam Jiang, and on top of that, she bore the surname Xie—her father was Prince Yi, who held military power. Thus, he treated her with slightly more warmth than other women.
"Recently, Dongjing has been relatively peaceful, with no major incidents worth mentioning."
Women enjoyed gossiping about trivial matters, but men weren’t particularly fond of such topics.
Xie Ningtang tactfully changed the subject, "Shizi brother, did you manage to buy what I asked you for yesterday?"
Su Zhan took a small brocade box from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Yes."
Xie Ningtang eagerly opened it, revealing a magnolia flower hairpin inside.
The women sitting in the room reacted with varied expressions.
Su Qing glanced at Xue Ning and praised, "Sister Tang, this hairpin is so beautiful. It truly reflects Shizi brother’s taste. It’s a shame he never buys anything for me—only for you."
Her words were deliberately aimed at Xue Ning.
Xie Ningtang’s cheeks flushed slightly as she delicately inserted the hairpin into her bun.
Madam Jiang and the others saw this and praised her beauty one after another.
Xie Ningtang was extremely pleased, her eyes glistening as she looked at Su Zhan, filled with the affection of a young maiden.
Madam Dong teased, "After Ningning’s Acknowledgment Banquet, our family is likely to welcome its first great celebration."
The Su family’s status in Dongjing carried some prestige.
Xie Laofuren hailed from the prestigious Wang and Xie clans, and her eldest brother was Dayong’s first non-imperial prince, Prince Yi.
Marquis Su was the leader of the scholarly officials, and under his influence, the Su family had long become a household of wealth and refinement.
Especially after Su Zhan achieved the top honors in the imperial examinations, the entire Su clan flourished like a blazing fire and blooming flowers, surpassing even those noble families who had wealth but no real power in terms of prestige.
Nowadays, among the noble families in Dongjing, any with unmarried daughters of suitable age were eagerly trying to forge connections with the Su family.
However, Xie Laofuren had met many young women, yet none had satisfied her.
That was why Xie Ningtang had been brought from the Linzhou Prince's Mansion to Dongjing and allowed to reside in the Marquis's residence, to foster feelings with Su Zhan.
How could Madam Jiang not understand the old lady's intentions?
She had privately asked Su Zhan, and he did not object.
Thus, the matter was essentially settled. After some time, the two families would exchange Geng Tie and make it official.
Liu Shi glanced at Xue Ning and smiled, "Zhan'er is the eldest brother, so his marriage is naturally the most important among the younger generation."
Madam Dong chimed in, "After October, there are many auspicious days. We can carefully select one to first finalize the Shizi's marriage. Once the new year arrives, we can welcome the bride into the mansion."
Great families placed the utmost importance on lineage and succession. Su Zhan was now of age but had yet to marry, and there wasn't even a maid attending to him in his courtyard.
Xie Laofuren was most concerned about his marriage and descendants.
Xie Ningtang's delicate face flushed crimson as she timidly glanced toward Su Zhan.
But she dared not look too long, shyly lowering her eyes.
Su Zhan, however, remained expressionless. To him, marrying and having children were merely tasks to fulfill his grandmother and parents' wishes.
"Then I shall trouble Mother and my two aunts."
Madam Dong politely replied with an ingratiating smile, "What trouble is there? It's all what we should do."
Su Zhan turned his gaze, somewhat surprised that Xue Ning had remained silent all day.
The young girl kept her head bowed, making it impossible to see her expression.
He wondered if those lowered almond-shaped eyes were shedding tears.
However, he wasn't particularly concerned about a young girl's thoughts.
After sitting in his mother's courtyard for a while, he stood up and left for the study.
Only after everyone had left did Xue Ning let out a soft sigh of relief and slowly raise her head.
The date for her Acknowledgment Banquet was almost settled, and Madam Dong and Liu Shi also rose to take their leave.
…
When they emerged from Qiushui Garden, Su Zhan had already gone to the study.
Xie Ningtang chased after him a few steps in the wind and snow but couldn't catch up. She gathered her fox-fur cloak around her and stood still.
Su Qing linked arms with her, and the two sisters walked at the very back. "Sister Tang, you didn't see Xue Ning's expression just now."
Xie Ningtang showed little emotion. "What expression did she have?"
Su Qing laughed. "Her face was almost as dark as charcoal. Didn't you notice she didn't utter a word or say anything today? She's probably crying her eyes out back at Qiyun Pavilion."
Xie Ningtang curled her lips slightly. "You all say she likes the Shizi. Is it true or false?"
Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "Of course it's true. Ever since she was little and came to the Marquis's residence, she clung the most to Aunt and Shizi brother. As she grew older, she sent him food every day, along with handkerchiefs, sachets, clothes, and shoes. I've never seen a girl so shameless. How could I not understand her intentions? She's an orphan girl who just wants to latch onto Shizi brother so she can take charge in our Xuanyi Marquis Mansion in the future. Fortunately, she has her sights set on Eldest Brother. If she had set her eyes on my brother, I'd be in big trouble, stuck with a sister-in-law like that."
Su Qing's own brother, named Su Mai, was third in the household's birth order.
He had returned to the old residence in Yongzhou to handle some matters during this period.
For some reason, Xie Ningtang recalled that day in Su Zhan's study when she saw a mended corner on his cloak.
It was clearly a woman's handiwork, and one with rather poor embroidery skills at that.
"Then does Shizi brother like her?"
Without hesitation, Su Qing replied, "No, and he finds her quite repulsive."