Xiang Zhile still remembered the old man’s loathing gaze when he looked at her.
Yet it was this very person who despised her so deeply that once shielded her from a hidden arrow when the army was defeated. Before dying, the hatred in his eyes transformed into a plea—begging her to live on and avenge the Wangye.
How ironic. The “family” she had desperately tried to win over turned out to be the ones who raised the butcher’s knife against her. Meanwhile, the Regent Manor she had constantly yearned to escape from had its people repeatedly sacrifice themselves for her.
At this thought, Xiang Zhile’s nose tingled even more sorely.
In her previous life, after she had attempted to flee once, Steward Li never addressed her as Wangfei again. When reporting matters, he would only coldly refer to her as Miss Xiang. Now, there was still time to change things. She would not give Steward Li another chance to call her Miss Xiang.
Seeing that Yan Junnuo seemed unwilling to speak, Xiang Zhile politely smiled at Steward Li. “Uncle Li, is something the matter?”
Steward Li, who had always been met with cold indifference from Xiang Zhile, was momentarily taken aback by her courteous smile. Uncle Li? Was she referring to him?
“The Wangfei is asking you,” Chu Shan whispered beside him as a reminder.
Steward Li quickly composed himself and turned to Yan Junnuo with a troubled expression. “Wangye, how should we deal with the empty chests that entered with the Wangfei on the wedding day?”
Mention of the empty chests jogged Xiang Zhile’s memory. Before the wedding, her stepmother Su Shi had tearfully lamented the family’s financial struggles, claiming they could not provide much of a dowry and might not even allow her to bring all of the Regent Prince’s betrothal gifts back. In her past life, she had foolishly believed Su Shi’s words.
Naively, she thought that no matter how much the Xiang family disliked her, they would not humiliate her on such an important occasion and would at least provide some items for her to bring into the Regent Manor. So when her accompanying matron told her that the family had prepared one hundred and twenty-eight chests of dowry for her, she broke the taboo against brides weeping on their wedding day and cried bitterly in the bridal sedan.
Her resentment toward Yan Junnuo deepened even further.
Later, when Steward Li informed her the day before her return to her family home that all the chests from Xiang Fu were empty, she flew into a rage and wanted to publicly whip him in front of all the servants. If Yan Junnuo hadn’t intervened… If not for Yan Junnuo…
Recalling the shame of her past life, she glanced guiltily at Yan Junnuo and then at Steward Li. Forcing an awkward smile uglier than tears, she stammered, “You… you all talk…” and fled in panic.
In this life, everything before the wedding had unfolded exactly as before. She had entered the manor empty-handed. Even the wedding dress and headpiece on her wedding day were provided by the Regent Manor—Xiang Fu had not only failed to prepare a dowry for her but had also withheld the betrothal gifts Yan Junnuo had given her.
Those betrothal gifts were treasures Yan Junnuo had spent years gathering, investing immense effort and resources. In the end, these originally intended dowry and betrothal gifts became Xiang Tiange’s dowry and were carried into Qing Wang Manor.
Halfway through her escape, Xiang Zhile slowed her steps. Wait—she had returned to seek revenge and atone for her sins. Why was she running away? These were the betrothal gifts her Junnuo had prepared for her. Shouldn’t she be taking the empty chests back and throwing them in Su Shi’s face?
With that thought, she immediately stopped.
“No.”
She clenched her fists tightly, wiping away the tears about to fall with her arm, murmuring softly to herself.
“Those are treasures Junnuo gathered for me. For those ungrateful wolves at Xiang Fu to even touch them would be a desecration to Junnuo.”
“Hah, one hundred and twenty-eight empty chests.”
“Playing both sides while pretending to be righteous—do they really think I have no temper?”
“…If I don’t turn Xiang Fu upside down tomorrow, I’ll write my name Xiang Zhile backwards.”
“…How can I be so vulgar? I am the Regent Princess. No matter how angry I am, I must maintain my dignity…”
“…My eyes can’t be red. If Junnuo notices, he’ll start overthinking again…”
“…If he asks, I’ll say it’s not because I’m sad, but the wind is too harsh on my eyes…”
“I need to find a way to win Chu Shan over…”
Her voice gradually faded away along the corridor.
At the corner of the corridor, Yan Junuo stepped out slowly, watching her figure disappear at the end of the hallway, his eyes unreadable.
“Wangye…”
Chu Shan’s trembling voice sounded beside him.
He cast a faint glance at Chu Shan.
Chu Shan shrank his neck, his sturdy frame trembling slightly as he hurriedly raised three fingers of his right hand toward the sky to pledge his loyalty.
“This subordinate would never betray Wangye.”
Yan Junuo narrowed his phoenix eyes, habitually clasping his hands behind his back.
“What is it?”
“Steward Li asked…”
“Aside from making the carriage more comfortable, nothing else needs to be prepared.”
Nothing needs to be prepared?
Really?
Chu Shan spoke with some concern, “In that case, would Wangfei…” use this as another excuse to make a big fuss?
“This time… perhaps not.”
After saying this, Yan Junuo glanced at Chu Shan once more before turning and leaving the corridor in the opposite direction.