At her ear came Chen Xingwei’s voice, gritted through his teeth.
Zhao Mingyan, startled, lifted her head and met the fiery gleam of interest in his eyes. Her brows furrowed, her gaze turned cold, and she mocked, “Could it be that Heir Chen still wishes to marry a government courtesan who has already lost her purity as his principal wife?”
Chen Xingwei, hearing this, was choked with anger, and in his eyes rose a flicker of jealousy.
A courtesan without chastity—just the thought that Zhao Mingyan had served an old man for seven days nearly drove him mad with rage. Yet now, he refused to let go. Grinding his teeth, he said, “Zhao Mingyan, you are bold indeed. But today I will not argue this further. You will come back with me. Once we return, you will behave yourself. If you dare again to betray your duty as a wife, to stray beyond the walls, I will not forgive you!”
As he spoke, he pulled Zhao Mingyan forcefully, even letting go of Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingzhu’s eyes widened in shock. How—how could this be! She panicked.
But Zhao Mingyan panicked even more. Her new life was finally within reach; she could not possibly return to that cursed Marquis Xuanping household.
Dragged along by Chen Xingwei’s iron grip, she was nearly pulled out. Looking at the hand that clamped her like a steel vise, her heart hardened. She opened her mouth and bit down savagely.
One bite—blood flowed.
“Ah!” Chen Xingwei cried out in pain, instantly loosening his hold. Zhao Mingyan turned and ran in the opposite direction.
But before she could escape, his palm rose, and he swung it toward her face with full force.
That slap carried all his strength. Even before it landed, she felt the rush of wind. She remembered the slap she had once received from the household matron when she was young—her face had first gone numb, then burned like firecrackers exploding in her skin, hot and searing. She could already imagine how much this slap would hurt.
Closing her eyes, she kept running. But suddenly—thud—she collided with a solid chest. A familiar fragrance filled her nose. The slap she had braced for never fell.
Hesitant, Zhao Mingyan’s long lashes trembled. She opened her eyes. Someone was holding her, a hand firmly blocking Chen Xingwei’s strike.
The first thing she saw was a plain blue cotton robe, embroidered with a line of cloud patterns at the collar. Above it, a sharply defined jawline.
The newcomer’s brows and eyes were handsome, his nose straight, his complexion fair as jade. The only distinguishing feature was the two mustache lines above his lips, the kind only grown by a mature man. Yet those whiskers did not make him look untidy; instead, they lent him a rugged masculinity. At a glance, he was brimming with manly vigor.
“Sir!” Zhao Mingyan exclaimed with delight at the sight of the older man before her.
He had come—the very man she had carefully served and flattered these past days. Her eyes shone, filled with excitement, as she looked at Nan Yan, who had appeared suddenly and saved her once again.
Nan Yan lowered his gaze slightly, meeting the brilliance in her eyes. In that instant, a pleasant warmth filled his heart. He tightened his hold on Zhao Mingyan, shielding her behind him. Turning his eyes toward the furious Chen Xingwei, he exerted strength and pushed away the raised palm. Though he looked like a refined scholar, his force was greater than that of Chen Xingwei, who was born of a noble military family.
Chen Xingwei was easily pushed aside.
Seeing the man, Chen Xingwei froze for a moment. He stared at Nan Yan’s face and uttered three words: “Grand Secretary Nan?”
“Heir Chen.” Nan Yan nodded politely to him.
Chen Xingwei’s expression grew complicated. If it had been anyone else, he would have dragged Zhao Mingyan back without hesitation. But the man who had intervened was Nan Yan!
Five years ago, Nan Yan had been the top scholar in the imperial examinations, personally appointed by the emperor. After a brief stint as a junior compiler in the Hanlin Academy, he was swiftly promoted. In just five years, he had risen to become one of the emperor’s most favored courtiers. Now, not yet thirty, he had already entered the Grand Secretariat, the youngest grand secretary in the cabinet.
At court, there were factions of noble families and veteran officials, but everyone knew the true power of the era lay with the rising stars. Nan Yan was one of them. Though his career was short, he was now the emperor’s favorite. During the recent rebellion led by Prince Duan, Nan Yan distinguished himself by quelling the uprising and saving the emperor at a critical moment. His prestige at court was unmatched. Even Chen Xingwei’s father, Marquis Xuanping, had spoken of Nan Yan at home. He had said: the best person to befriend these days was Nan Yan.
Seeing Nan Yan appear, Chen Xingwei’s arrogance immediately diminished. Yet as he looked at Zhao Mingyan behind him, he felt unwilling. He said to Nan Yan: “Grand Secretary Nan, perhaps you are unaware. The woman behind you is my fiancée, Zhao Mingyan, daughter of a disgraced minister. Out of regard for old ties, our household sent me to bring her back. I will not disturb your leisure—allow me to take her away.”
As he spoke, Chen Xingwei reached out to drag Zhao Mingyan toward him. But in the next instant, a hand blocked his way.
The man in plain blue robes looked at him and gave a faint smile. “Heir Chen, as it happens, I too have come to take Miss Mingyan away. The paperwork is already completed.”
A slip of paper, stamped with an official seal, appeared before Chen Xingwei.
Seeing it, Chen Xingwei’s expression changed. He immediately understood.
The older man Zhao Mingyan had been serving these past days was Nan Yan!
“You—you two…”
“Since we are both here to rescue Miss Mingyan from this place, whether I take her or you take her makes no difference. I’ll just take her with me first.” Nan Yan smiled at Chen Xingwei with the slyness of an old fox.
Chen Xingwei nearly exploded with rage. What nonsense! How could it be the same if *he* rescued her versus Nan Yan?
“Wait!” he called out again to stop Nan Yan.
“Does Heir Chen have more to say?” Nan Yan’s eyes darkened, his tone already tinged with displeasure.
Chen Xingwei dared not openly fight Nan Yan for her. Instead, he turned to Zhao Mingyan, gritting his teeth. “Why not let Zhao Mingyan choose for herself!”
Nan Yan raised his brows, then lowered his gaze to the young woman behind him.
“Zhao Mingyan,” Chen Xingwei extended his hand toward her, suppressing his fury and forcing himself to speak gently, “I am your rightful fiancé. Whatever you have done before, I will not hold it against you. I will explain everything to my father and mother. If you come with me today, I promise to protect you for the rest of your life.”
Standing behind Nan Yan, Zhao Mingyan listened to Chen Xingwei’s words—and suddenly found them almost laughable.
She didn’t know why, but in her previous life, the things she had longed for so desperately were denied her—yet in this life, when she no longer wanted them, Chen Xingwei held them out before her.
But she would never go with him.
It wasn’t that she distrusted him. Chen Xingwei was a frivolous, willful man, but he always kept his promises. Whatever he pledged, he would fulfill. Today, he promised her a lifetime of peace; in the Marquis Xuanping’s household, at the very least, no one would dare bully her again.
But—
“I choose Lord Nan,” Zhao Mingyan declared, her voice clear and resolute.
Without hesitation, she chose Nan Yan.
At her words, Nan Yan’s brows lifted slightly, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile. He lowered his gaze to her, then turned and strode away with her at his side.
Only Chen Xingwei and the Zhao family’s women remained behind.
Chen Xingwei watched their retreating figures, his molars grinding tight. He shouted after Zhao Mingyan’s back, “Zhao Mingyan, you will regret this! You will regret it for the rest of your life!”
Whether Zhao Mingyan would regret it, he did not know. But later, he regretted it bitterly. Every time he recalled the moment he had been closest to Zhao Mingyan, he was consumed with remorse, cursing himself for not seizing her by force when he had the chance.
“Heir Chen, since Zhao Mingyan refuses to go with you, I will! Take me away instead!”
Just as Chen Xingwei’s teeth ached with fury, a voice rang out—eager and ingratiating.