The girl’s crisp voice was like jade beads falling to the ground, resounding in the ears.
Pei Yuqing was utterly stunned, without speaking for a long ti.
Xie Wanqing smiled faintly: "Is it that difficult to answer?"
"It’s not difficult," Pei Yuqing lowered his eyelashes and said softly, "You misunderstood. I am much older than you. In my eyes, you are no different from Xuan’er, and I have no other thoughts."
Xie Wanqing paused slightly, then softly said: "You an to say, you see as a sister?"
Pei Yuqing nodded: "I have a good relationship with your brother, since I t you today, it’s only right for to protect you."
"I don’t believe it." Xie Wanqing’s gaze dimd slightly, yet she refused to look away, saying word by word: "Pei Yuqing, is it that Lu Ziyuan said you are old and in poor health, so you’re too self-conscious to admit your feelings?"
Her sharp questioning made the person opposite her tremble slightly.
He sat gracefully, dressed in a moonlit wide-sleeved long robe, with jade crown on his hair. His trembling eyelashes slowly lifted, glanced over, and then drooped down again.
The atmosphere of cold nobility gradually dissipated, and his voice carried a bit of embarrassnt: "Is this important?"
Xie Wanqing watched as his fair earlobes slowly blushed, unexpectedly calming her heart, and the corner of her lips lifted once more.
"It is important, as your feelings determine whether I go to Yuxuan Tea House to ask for that nourishing spirit recipe." She smiled poisedly: "But you don’t need to answer now."
Faced with his embarrassnt at his age, she couldn’t bear to pressure him for a definite answer.
However, as she stopped the questioning, Pei Yuqing was sowhat dismayed, and after a long ti, he spoke huskily: "Will you co?"
Xie Wanqing said: "I will, will you always be there whenever I co?"
Her answer was exceptionally brisk, and Pei Yuqing’s initially tightened heart slowly relaxed due to her words, his expression softened with a smile: "I will."
His brows were relaxed, and the smile on his face gentle and pure, making his temperant more transcendent in the sunlight.
Xie Wanqing stared unblinkingly, and reaching for an idea, she touched his fingers lightly: "Don’t take Lu Ziyuan’s words to heart, you’re not old, and you seem healthy, make sure to live long and infuriate him."
Pei Yuqing was initially dazed, then smiled shaking his head, indicating he wouldn’t take it to heart.
His hand remained unmoved, allowing their fingertips to touch, yet his face carried that unhurried, gentle deanor.
Seeing this, Xie Wanqing felt a warmth in her heart, unable to describe what she was feeling.
Though she intended to position him as a brother or friend, she suddenly wanted to hold his hand, making him blush red.
In the end, she restrained herself, withdrawing her hand instead, taking out a sachet from her waist and handing it over.
"Here, this is your long-awaited return gift. I embroidered this sachet myself, filled with mosquito repellent grass, and I’ve worn it for several days, you don’t mind, right?"
Her needlework skills were not particularly good, she couldn’t embroider large items, only small sachets.
Over the years, every birthday of Lu Ziyuan, she gifted him with a sachet she made by hand.
At first, she embroidered various flowers, but he refused to wear them, saying they weren’t manly enough.
Later, she learned to embroider more complex animals, like wolves, leopards, and cranes.
This sachet she wore herself had an embroidered lotus, with pink and green lines that were vividly lifelike, quite pretty.
Pei Yuqing clutched the sachet tightly in his hand, feeling her fragrance pass over, he didn’t think the lotus pattern was feminine, and he took off the jade pendant from his waist, pairing it with the sachet.
Xie Wanqing watched his movents quietly, her heart stirring slightly.
The thought that surfaced couldn’t be suppressed.
"Hey," she supported her chin with a smile, lazily asking: "Would you marry ?"
"What?" Pei Yuqing stopped his actions, looking up: "What did you say?"
"I said," Xie Wanqing leaned closer, staring at his handso profile, saying word by word: "Pei Yuqing, would you marry ?"
The secluded pavilion fell silent for a long ti.
The sun was high in the sky, sowhat scorching, even the breeze carried a suffocating warmth, while beads of sweat slowly appeared on the cool man’s nose.
She waited playfully, only to hear him speak slowly, his voice hoarse: "Wanwan, even if you’re concerned that Lu Ziyuan won’t let go and continues to bother you, don’t make a joke of a matter as significant as your lifelong commitnt."
Xie Wanqing’s smile suddenly stiffened, with anger from being seen through, and so inexplicable embarrassnt.
Indeed, she had this thought, previously Lu Ziyuan acted in a way that clearly indicated he wouldn’t easily give up.
His family’s accomplishnts were significant, and if it ca to the golden hall, the current Holy Emperor would likely side with him.
Once the Holy Emperor issued his decree, she would have no choice but to ride the bridal sedan into the Lu family.
To cleanly sever this engagent, and make Lu Ziyuan give up on her, the only thod she currently considered was to marry soone else.
This person needed to be of high status, at least capable of suppressing Lu Ziyuan’s arrogance, so the Holy Emperor wouldn’t show partiality.
Moreover, the person had to be decent, with upright character she could trust.
Once the situation passed, if Lu Ziyuan gave up and married a noblewoman, she could propose a divorce, and the person would happily release her.
Since she was influenced by dreams, she hadn’t planned to marry anyone again, initially intending to stay unmarried her whole life. Since Lu Ziyuan insisted on entangling with her, using marriage to rid of him didn’t seem troubleso.
As for divorce, with the current flourishing trend in the Capital City, it would have no impact on her or the Xie family.
And Pei Yuqing was the best choice.
He was the Holy Emperor’s nephew, having been frail since childhood, now twenty-seven yet unmarried, Princess Duan Yang had worried herself grey about his marriage. Given the Eldest Princess’s bond with His Majesty, if Pei Yuqing wanted to marry, even an interested prince would likely yield to him.
What does Lu Ziyuan count for?
Her plan was perfectly crafted, even accounting for Pei Yuqing’s attraction to her.
Yet when he revealed everything, she felt utterly uncomfortable.
At heart, she was indeed taking advantage.
Exploiting his feelings for her.
She didn’t like him nor envisaged being with him long-term, yet wanted him to risk offending Lu Ziyuan by marrying her.
Then after two years, once Lu Ziyuan released her, she’d pack up and return to her own life, leaving him behind...
Xie Wanqing herself felt rather despicable.
Unable to maintain her composure, she abruptly stood up, forced a smile: "I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing, just pretend you didn’t hear it."
Saying this, she hurriedly tried to leave.
As she passed by him, he softly called out to stop her.
"Wanwan." Pei Yuqing didn’t lift his eyes, slightly drooping his eyelashes as if pondering sothing, after a while, he said: "You don’t need to do this, you’re my sister, as long as you’re unwilling, Lu Ziyuan cannot marry you."
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