The carriage stopped at the main gate of the Western Garden. Dou Wenyi lifted the curtain and stepped down, her eyes immediately catching sight of a carriage bearing the Lin family emblem.
Cuizhi exclaimed, "Miss, Miss Lin is here too."
The Miss Lin she referred to was Lin Zhiyi, her close confidante. Because Dou Wenyi had stubbornly pursued Xie Guidu, ignoring all her friend's admonitions, the two had nearly fallen out over it.
Later, Lin Zhiyi had accompanied her father, Lord Lin, to Jinghu and had only recently returned to the capital.
Just then, Dou Mingyan's maid, Baochuan, rushed over. Clutching her stomach in discomfort, she pleaded with a strained smile, "Fourth Miss, I think I've eaten something bad. I need to use the privy urgently. Could you please deliver this zither to our miss? She needs it right away… I beg you, please help!"
Dou Wenyi fixed her with a steady gaze, sending an inexplicable chill down Baochuan's spine before finally replying, "Very well."
Cuizhi snorted in displeasure but still took the zither case. Baochuan dashed away like a gust of wind.
Led by the steward matron, Dou Wenyi and her party proceeded inward. They passed winding streams and drinking games, advancing further until they reached the pavilions and waterside halls. The matron said respectfully, "Just ahead is Bishui Pavilion. Dou Third Miss and the others are all inside."
Dou Wenyi nodded with a faint smile and was about to step forward when she unexpectedly saw Lady Fu'an storming toward her across the wooden bridge.
Cuizhi tugged worriedly at her sleeve. "Miss, she means trouble. Should we avoid her?"
But was it really a matter of simply avoiding her if she wished?
Dou Wenyi's expression remained impassive. All of this was because of the troublesome admirers Xie Guidu attracted!
Lady Fu'an was arrogant and domineering, her intentions blatantly obvious.
Even after their marriage, she had constantly created obstacles for Dou Wenyi. In an attempt to force their separation, she had even gone so far as to drug Xie Guidu, intending to compromise him.
In her past life, to defend their relationship and protect his household, Dou Wenyi had expended immense effort to clear away such troublesome admirers. But how many enemies had she made in the process?
Eventually, she had hardly dared to step outside.
Now that she was determined to sever ties with him, why should she still suffer these unwarranted troubles?
Lady Fu'an lifted her chin haughtily, raising her eyebrows with a light laugh, her eyes filled with mockery. "So you are Dou Fourth Miss?"
Dou Wenyi beamed brightly. "Indeed, I am."
Seeing her calm composure, an uncontrollable rage surged within Lady Fu'an. "How dare a seductress like you covet Lord Xie? Let me tell you, even if he comes to propose, this marriage will never happen!"
Unfazed by her contempt, Dou Wenyi feigned surprise. "Is that true?"
Lady Fu'an was momentarily taken aback.
Dou Wenyi blinked and lowered her voice. "My Lady, I also wish to annul the engagement. I've been troubled about how to break it off. If you could help me resolve this issue, I would be immensely grateful."
Lord Xie, with his noble demeanor and transcendent grace, was like an immortal being banished to the mortal world—the cherished ideal of countless noble young ladies in Tianning City. How could he fail to capture her interest?
Lady Fu'an stared at her, her anger intensifying. "Dou Wenyi, how audacious you are!"
Dou Wenyi proactively linked arms with her. "Ah, My Lady, it's not what you think. To be frank, Lord Xie seems to have someone he admires. Do you really think that person could be me?"
Lady Fu'an cast her a disdainful glance. Even with such a captivating face, Lord Xie was not so shallow—he would never be enamored with a woman like her.
She shook her head decisively.
Dou Wenyi seized the opportunity to say, "So I truly want an engagement annulment… I've only told you about this matter, you must keep it secret for me!"
"You really don't want to marry him?" Princess Fu'an studied her, half-believing and half-doubting.
Dou Wenyi replied unhurriedly, "Not a single word is false. Young Master Xie is as noble as orchids and jade trees—I actually think he and you, Princess, are extremely well-matched. I just wonder if you'd dare to boldly pursue love…"
"Nonsense, what wouldn't I dare?" Princess Fu'an grew anxious.
"Princess, even pursuing requires proper methods. If you can cater to his preferences, you'll surely achieve twice the result with half the effort!"
"You know his preferences?" Princess Fu'an immediately caught on.
"His favorite colors are crescent white and sky blue; he dislikes bright red the most. When he's in a bad mood, he wears profound black. He also likes sweet and sour mandarin fish and tangerines, but dislikes spicy food. He particularly dislikes physical contact with others. His painting and zither skills are exceptional, and he treasures his zither immensely. No one else is allowed to touch his zither—except, of course, his beloved!"
Dou Wenyi spoke earnestly and reasonably, leaving Princess Fu'an unable to find any flaw. "Is there more? Dou Wenyi, are you really willing to give him up so easily?"
She didn't even want Xie Guidu himself anymore—what else would she be unwilling to part with?
"I can sell you a list of Young Master Xie's preferences, but…"
"How much silver?" Princess Fu'an's eyes sparkled with delight, her earlier anger completely vanished. "As long as it's genuine, any amount of silver will do! If you dare deceive me, you'll regret it."
Dou Wenyi smiled faintly. "Absolutely genuine. How much silver do you think such confidential information is worth, Princess?"
"You also said he has someone he admires—who is it exactly?" Princess Fu'an asked again, still uneasy.
"That… is truly hard to say. I only suspect… If you observe carefully, you'll surely discover it. Princess, let's discuss our matter in detail later. I still need to deliver the zither for my Third Sister."
Dou Wenyi looked troubled, deliberately keeping it mysterious. She had already given out enough free information.
Her questions came at an additional price!
"Fine." Princess Fu'an nodded reluctantly. She would naturally send someone to verify the intelligence she had just received—she wasn't so easily fooled.
Dou Wenyi and Cuizhi moved toward Bishui Pavilion.
A potential feud had dissipated without a trace. With Xie Guidu out of the way as a trouble, her life had indeed become much smoother.
Meanwhile, Xie Guidu sat indifferently beneath the pavilion by the water, painting. His deep gaze unconsciously fell upon that graceful, slender figure.
Hadn't she refused to come?
Dou Wenyi wore a soft smoke-gauze dress with double-embroidered pleats, a gilded carved buyao dangling hairpin in her hair, light makeup, and a plum blossom design adorning her forehead. It all accentuated her beauty, radiant as a lotus and brilliant as a cherry blossom, with a slender waist so delicate it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand. Her every movement exuded captivating charm.
Dressed so enchantingly again—who was she trying to seduce this time?
Just as Moyu stepped in, a deep voice reached his ears, "Did Fu'an give her trouble?"
Moyu had been near the rockery close to them earlier. He had intended to avoid them, but having trained in martial arts since childhood, even though Miss Dou Fourth had deliberately lowered her voice, his sharp hearing allowed him to catch every word clearly.
"No." Moyu glanced at him. "The Fourth Miss said she won't marry you."
Xie Guidu’s brow was shadowed with gloom as his brush stilled in his hand. He curled his lips mockingly, “What else?”
Moyu lowered his head, swallowing nervously. “She also intends to sell your preferences to Princess Fu’an.”
Xie Guidu’s expression shifted repeatedly before a cold snort escaped his nostrils. “Does she know all my preferences?”
“She only mentioned a few, but they were indeed your preferences.” Sweat beaded on Moyu’s forehead. In the past, the young master had always been indifferent to Dou Fourth Miss’s actions.
Xie Guidu’s lips curved upward. She had even investigated his preferences so thoroughly, yet claimed not to like him?
Deceiving herself and others!
She had even learned to play hard to get—she truly had grown bolder.
“She also said… the one you truly admire is someone else.”
With a sharp crack, Xie Guidu’s Wolf Hair Brush was slammed onto the painting paper, ruining a perfectly fine landscape with an indelible blot of thick ink…