17
A gentle spring breeze brushed past, and the sunlight was warm.
Wen Huai’an’s strikingly handsome face was taut. His fists clenched at his sides as he stood in silence for a long moment before finally forcing out a strained sentence.
“The annulment wasn’t my decision!”
“I know.”
Tang Cheng, completely unfazed, picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite.
Wen Huai’an’s back stiffened instantly. His lips pressed into a thin line, his chest rising and falling subtly. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again.
“If you knew, then why did you agree to it?”
With the engagement broken, his future child’s status would become neither legitimate nor illegitimate, leaving them in an awkward predicament.
They could have had a noble birth…
Just one step too late.
Just. One. Step.
Everything had settled.
Tang Cheng gave Wen Huai’an a puzzled look, unable to follow his logic.
“Forcing something that isn’t meant to be never ends well. There’s no love between us, and your mother doesn’t like me. She was adamant about calling off the engagement. I respect my elders, so I agreed.”
Respecting elders?
The four maids twitched at the corners of their mouths. Remembering how their mistress had strutted around, completely unfazed in front of the Duchess, but they wisely chose to remain silent.
“Oh, and I took a thousand taels of gold. Honestly, your mother was being a bit stingy—she didn’t even want to part with a single coin at first. Thought she could call off the engagement with just a few words. Your noble household is wealthy beyond measure, surely this small sum isn’t an issue? Or does she think the strengthening elixir isn’t worth the price?”
“Perhaps the Duchess feared delays would complicate things. She didn’t think too hard before agreeing, which just goes to show how determined she was to end the engagement.”
The four maids lowered their heads.
Are you sure Miss isn’t just adding fuel to the fire with that remark?
Poor Young Lord Wen.
That said, Miss’s decision made perfect sense. There was no love between them, and basing a marriage on a child that hadn’t even been born yet was unreliable at best. The Duchess had come in with overwhelming force, determined to break the engagement. Miss, who had always been cherished and protected by the Marquis, would never lower herself just for the sake of a child and cling desperately to the duke’s household.
If she compromised once, she would have to do it again and again.
What a miserable way to live.
And Miss was not someone who could endure grievances.
Wen Huai’an’s handsome face darkened completely. His fists clenched tight, frustration lodging in his chest. A flicker of helplessness flashed deep in his eyes.
Back when their unexpected encounter was exposed, Tang Cheng who was already burdened with a tarnished reputation as a concubine-born daughter was left with no choice but to become his concubine. His father, the duke, had reluctantly agreed, while his mother had remained indifferent. But a few days ago, when Tang Cheng was discovered to be pregnant, the Marquis of Nanyang had insisted she be made his fiancée and that was when his mother’s attitude shifted.
He knew his father had privately reprimanded her multiple times, just as he knew that she had always wanted to match him with his cousin, Xie Xuening.
After his aunt’s passing, his mother had showered Xie Xuening with unwavering affection, treating her like a daughter. Every year, without fail, she would send someone to bring her from Jinling to stay at the duke’s residence for a time.
His cousin had been fine as a child, but as she grew older, emboldened by his mother’s indulgence, she began to see herself as the future Lady of the Duke’s household. Worse still, she grew close to certain relatives who harbored ulterior motives and ambitions of their own.
It was only natural for people to have their own preferences and loyalties, but his mother had gone too far.
His uncles had been eyeing his father’s title for years, and from childhood to adulthood, he had endured countless schemes and attacks.
Yet his mother maintained close ties with those very families, frequently inviting his cousins to the estate as if they were nothing more than friendly visitors.
No matter how many times his father reprimanded her, it was useless. In the end, he had no choice but to assign more guards to protect him.
Had his uncles been his father’s full-blooded brothers, the situation might have been different. But his father was the legitimate heir, while the others were all born of concubines. Their relationship had been strained from the start, and his mother’s actions had only deepened his disappointment. Over time, the rift between his parents had widened, their marriage reduced to little more than cold, distant civility.
A few days ago, when his mother suddenly showed great concern for Tang Cheng’s unborn child, going so far as to personally send two experienced nursemaids to care for her—he and his father had both thought she had finally come to her senses.
But now, it was clear she hadn’t.
He had already explained himself multiple times yesterday, even going so far as to summon imperial physicians to confirm that his difficulties in producing heirs had not been resolved.
Yet his mother refused to believe him, convinced he had conspired with the physicians to deceive her.
Did she truly not believe him?
Or was there another reason?
Wen Huai’an’s gaze darkened.
Noticing his expression, Tang Cheng stood up and patted his shoulder in a rare show of comfort.
“Even if the engagement is broken, you’re still the father of this child. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to give birth safely.”
With that, she poured him a cup of tea herself.
“Sit down, have some tea, and relax.”
Wen Huai’an collected his thoughts, took the teacup, and sat across from her. His face remained stiff and unreadable—he had no desire to talk.
Tang Cheng propped her chin on her hand, lazily studying his face before asking with curiosity, “What were you thinking just now? Your expression was awful.”
“You’re not upset about the broken engagement, are you? Look at me—I’m the one who got dumped, and I’m perfectly calm. Not a care in the world. Meanwhile, you, a grown man, are sitting here sulking. If anything, I’m the one who should be upset. Do you know how many people outside are laughing at me right now?”
She took another bite of her pastry, savoring it as if none of this concerned her in the slightest.
Wen Huai’an glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Calm? No, she was just utterly shameless.
He took a deep breath.
“Tang Cheng, let’s get engaged again.”
Their previous engagement had been forced upon them by their families, solely for the sake of the child. Back then, Tang Cheng had kicked up a storm, refusing it no matter what.
Wen Huai’an hadn’t cared much before.
But now, things were different.
This heartless little troublemaker kept saying she’d find a stepfather for his child. Worse, knowing her, she might actually go through with it—maybe even a whole string of them.
The mere thought made his stomach churn.
For the sake of the child, he decided it was best to keep Tang Cheng tied to his side. Better she cause trouble for him alone than wreak havoc elsewhere.
The four maids’ eyes widened in shock.
What was going on?
The Young Lord wanted to reinstate the engagement?
This… this didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Why should we get engaged again?” Tang Cheng asked with a bright smile. “I think things are perfect as they are. No engagement tying us down—you don’t have to restrain yourself from seeing other women, and I can happily let my father gather information on all the outstanding young men out there. A win-win situation!”
To hell with her so-called win-win situation!
She was the only one winning here!
Wen Huai’an’s handsome face darkened, a frigid aura rolling off him in waves. He could practically see a vast, green prairie stretching across his head—a vision so unsettling it made his stomach twist.
Suppressing the inexplicable discomfort gnawing at him, he forced himself to remain calm and laid out the pros and cons for Tang Cheng.
“Tang Cheng, you may not care about your reputation or the gossip outside, but have you considered how awkward and lowly our child’s status will be once they’re born without this engagement? Unless, of course, you’re planning to get rid of the baby.”
His grip on the teacup tightened at the mere thought.
Tang Cheng’s eyes widened in shock. “Why would I ever do that?”
In her past life, with a fertility score of zero, she had desperately wished for a child of her own. Now that she finally had one, the idea of aborting it was unthinkable.
Her anger flared.
“Do you really want our child to grow up under other people’s scorn and ridicule, being pointed at wherever they go?” Wen Huai’an’s brows furrowed deeply, his voice tense.
Tang Cheng’s almond-shaped eyes widened, a sharp glint flashing across her delicate face.
“Who dares to speak ill of my child?”
“Status crumbles in the face of absolute strength.”
With her enhanced physique and combat skills, her child was bound to be a powerhouse. A future general, at the very least—earning their place through sheer ability.
As she finished speaking, her slender, fair hand slammed down on the table.
Crack!
Several deep fissures split across the wooden surface.
Wen Huai’an: “…”
The four maids stood frozen, swallowing hard.
M-Miss… Miss had turned into a brute!
“My strength is still far from ideal, but I’ve already asked Father to collect martial arts manuals for me. Once I’ve given birth, I’ll start training.”
Tang Cheng frowned at the table, clearly dissatisfied that it had only cracked instead of shattering.
And her hand hurt.
She endured it.
Still too weak.
Wen Huai’an’s eyelid twitched.
“Why would a noble young lady from a marquis’ household train in martial arts?”
She already caused enough trouble without any combat skills, if she actually gained strength, wouldn’t she be unstoppable?
Just the thought gave him a headache.
Tang Cheng subtly rubbed her sore hand and replied with unwavering confidence, “Obviously, so I won’t be bullied.”
More importantly, she wasn’t used to feeling weak—it made her feel unsafe.
The four maids: “…”
Wen Huai’an choked on his words, then suddenly caught the small motion of her rubbing her hand. A memory surfaced—Tang Cheng had once been so terrified of pain that, even when she wanted to abort the child, she had chosen bitter, unbearable medicine rather than risk a fall. She was delicate and afraid of suffering.
A plan formed in his mind.
“Tang Cheng, martial arts training is exhausting, painful, and comes with a high risk of injury. Are you sure you can handle it?”
Tang Cheng froze for a moment, hesitation flickering across her delicate, beautiful face.
Training in physical combat was indeed grueling.
Tang Cheng, like the original host of this body, was actually quite delicate and afraid of pain.
In her past life, she had relied on potions to boost her physical abilities, making her strength rather hollow. Unfortunately, she had no knowledge of how to craft those high-level potions herself.
That shortcut was gone.
After some thought, Tang Cheng realized that noble ladies in this era were all pampered and frail. Given her current strength, she should be more than capable of handling most situations.
With that in mind, she let go of her hesitation.
“Forget it. I’ve already missed the prime age for martial arts training. Even if I try now, I won’t achieve much, so there’s no point in struggling. I’ll just have my child learn instead—at least that way, I can fulfill my dream through them.”
Hearing her come up with an excuse to abandon the idea, Wen Huai’an smirked silently and took a sip of tea, feeling rather pleased.
“Tang Cheng, my health has fully recovered now. Father is planning to arrange a position for me at the Ministry of War. I’ll make time to visit you and the child as often as I can.”
He had to keep a close eye on her, otherwise, who knew when she’d try to find his child a stepfather?
It would be best if they could get engaged again.
Wen Huai’an was certain there wouldn’t be any obstacles on his end. With his father’s support, his mother wouldn’t be able to oppose it.
But Tang Cheng was unwilling.
Feeling frustrated and helpless, Wen Huai’an had no choice but to take a more roundabout approach—interfering with her efforts to “harm” other promising young men.
“We’re no longer engaged. Even if you’re the child’s father, you should try to keep your distance. Otherwise, it’ll affect how these outstanding young men see me, and that wouldn’t be good.”
Tang Cheng looked at him with blatant distaste.
Wen Huai’an’s handsome face darkened instantly.
He never imagined there would come a day when he—the heir of the Duke of Zhen’s household would be openly despised.
And by her of all people—an arrogant troublemaker with a terrible reputation.
The four maidservants: “……”
Just then, a maid came in to report that Tang Xin had arrived.
Tang Cheng frowned, clearly displeased. “What is she doing here? I’m busy I don’t want to see her!”
But before she could refuse properly, Tang Xin barged in with her maid in tow.
**