Shen Yuanzhu stroked her chin, muttering, “The marriage alliance between the Xie and Shen families cannot be broken, but that doesn’t mean the candidate cannot be changed.”
“You want to change your husband?”
Ling’er frantically waved her hands. “That won’t do, that won’t do.”
Luo Shi snorted. “Why won’t it do? Since Xie Xuchuan dares to do such a thing, why can’t our young lady change her choice?”
“Please don’t cause more trouble for the young lady.”
Ling’er shook her head like a rattle drum. “Young lady, how Master Xie has treated you all these years, we’ve all seen it with our own eyes.
“It must be that Jiang Wansu seduced Master Xie, leading him astray. In time, he will surely recognize your virtues and return to your side.
“The affection between you two over so many years cannot be false.
“Besides, as you yourself said, the marriage alliance between the Xie and Shen families cannot be broken. So, aside from Xie Xuchuan, who else in the Xie family is a suitable candidate?
“Currently, the only unmarried man of suitable age in the Xie family is Xie Xuchuan’s third uncle, Xie Jingyuan. But he is already twenty years old this year, a full five years older than you.
“Then there’s Xie Xuchuan’s elusive twin brother, Xie Qi.
“But you’ve been engaged to the Xie family for so long and have never once met Xie Qi. That man might be mad, foolish, sick, or disabled.
“As for the rest, they’re all just three- or five-year-old toddlers. Tell me, who else is there to choose from?”
Ling’er spoke earnestly. “Young lady, what Master Xie and Jiang Wansu did is absurd, but the Xie family’s matriarch and Madam Xie are reasonable people.
“Tomorrow, you must go to the Xie family tomorrow and ask the Xie matriarch to uphold justice for you.
“The matriarch is fond of you. If you plead with her, she will surely resolve the matter with Jiang Wansu.
“At that time…”
Ling’er gritted her teeth, revealing a hint of ruthlessness. “At worst, we can force a bowl of miscarriage medicine down her throat, and there will be no more obstacles between you and Master Xie.”
“Silly Ling’er.”
Shen Yuanzhu’s skin was delicate and fair; merely rubbing her chin had already left a faint blush. She carelessly poked Ling’er’s forehead. “When Nanny and I considered changing the candidate, it wasn’t because of Jiang Wansu at all. Rather, this incident reveals that Xie Xuchuan’s character is too flawed.”
If Xie Xuchuan were a smart man, he wouldn’t have done such a thing with Jiang Wansu so close to the wedding date.
Even if momentarily blinded by lust, if he were decisive, he shouldn’t have brought this matter before her.
Since he had spoken to her about it, it at least indicated that Xie Xuchuan, at this moment, was determined to register that child as the legitimate heir to inherit the Xie family’s estate.
A foolish, lustful, utterly lacking in resolve and determination, and delusional young master—no matter how much she liked him, he was absolutely not a good partner to walk through life with.
Such a person, even if he wanted to be a manager at the Xie Cui Workshop, she wouldn’t agree, let alone become her husband and spend a lifetime with her.
Thinking about how she had failed to see Xie Xuchuan’s true character all these years, Shen Yuanzhu irritably rubbed her round cheeks.
“I could indeed go to Madam Xie, but what good would it do even if I did?
“Fools don’t suddenly become wise. If I seek Madam Xie’s help for this absurdity, what about the next time, and the time after that?”
Shen Yuanzhu sighed mournfully. “Such messes are endless.”
She didn’t want to be like her mother, spending the latter half of her life entirely focused on protecting her children and guarding against her own husband.
Her husband could be ordinary and unremarkable, but he absolutely must not be a burden to her.
“That may be so…”
Ling’er looked at Shen Yuanzhu with heartache, tears falling: “But Miss, have you ever considered that no matter which member of the Xie family you marry, you cannot avoid Young Master Xie…
“You and Young Master Xie grew up together, and have been engaged for over a decade. Not to mention the Xie family, who in the entire Suzhou Prefecture does not know of this golden match between the Xie and Shen families?
“Who does not know of the deep affection between you and Young Master Xie?
“No man can accept his wife having been engaged to another, especially when you, Miss, have been promised to two families…
“I fear that if you choose another husband in the future, the new master might hear some idle gossip, feel displeased, and not treat you well.”