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"This..." Yun Kexin was stunned, lightly blinking her long eyelashes. "But, after the military, I..."
"What? Yun Kexin, are you unwilling?" Feng Yinxiao's disappointment was evident on his face.
Even though he had expressed his intention to marry Seventh Sister at the age of eighteen while Mother was still alive, the three years of separation had made him suffer from longing. He really didn't want to wait any longer.
"That's not it," for some reason, seeing his disappointed expression made Yun Kexin feel uneasy. She said, "It's just that I have my concerns."
"Is it because of Second Master?" Feng Yinxiao asked persistently, staring at Yun Kexin.
"Not entirely," Yun Kexin took a deep breath and after a long pause finally managed to say, "I'm sorry, Young Lord, I... I don't want to get married."
Feng Yinxiao's thick eyebrows suddenly furrowed as he exclaimed softly, "Don't want to get married?! Why?"
Images of Fu Yihang and Tong Zhichen flashed through his mind. His gaze dimmed; was she refusing him because of one of them? But hadn't they already been intimate?
"I don't know how to tell you," she said timidly, unable to meet his captivating gaze. She turned her face away, which was as calm as water. "But Second Uncle's last wishes are also an important reason."
Seeing Yun Kexin seemingly struggling to suppress some kind of pain and hearing her mention Second Master made Feng Yinxiao feel heartbroken and unwilling to press her further.
"Yun Kexin, I just need you to answer me one question," Feng Yinxiao calmed down and spoke gently. "Do you not want to marry me, or do you not want to get married?"
Yun Kexin's firm answer was the latter: "I'm sorry, Young Lord, I just don't want to get married, not—" She wanted to say "not that I don't want to marry you," but ultimately couldn't bring herself to say it. However, Feng Yinxiao understood; the rigid lines of his face gradually softened.
"I understand," Feng Yinxiao's dark eyes regained their previous brilliance. "Yun Kexin, you may still not fully understand the meaning of 'starting a family.' I'll wait for you and give you time..."
Yun Kexin smiled bitterly: did he really understand? He might only know part of her reluctance regarding marriage but had no idea about everything that happened on the wedding night in her past life, which still haunted her like a nightmare in this life. Just hearing "marriage" or "wedding wine" would make her tremble—at Fourth Sister Yun Yan's wedding banquet, she had also used tea instead of wine and hadn't touched a drop...
Feng Yinxiao keenly sensed the fluctuations in Yun Kexin's emotions as if she were trapped in painful memories and unable to extricate herself, looking dejected.
"Yun Kexin, what's wrong?" Feng Yinxiao held her shoulders firmly and looked at her with concern. "Are you thinking of something? Or are you troubled by my proposal?"
"No, no, it's not that. Young Lord, don't be anxious," Yun Kexin tried her best to dispel the shadows from her past life. "It has nothing to do with you; it's just me being 'emotional.'"
"As long as it's not because of me," Feng Yinxiao said gently. "Yun Kexin, all I want is to bring you happiness, not create troubles. So if it truly is because of me, you must tell me."
After receiving her affirmative response, he finally smiled brightly.
Feng Yinxiao tentatively reached out to hold Yun Kexin's hand. She hesitated for a moment but did not pull away. He was satisfied as he held her hand and began to stroll through the garden, walking and stopping, his heart calm.
Yun Kexin was secretly astonished: as long as he did not mention Marriage, she would generously let him take the lead. Perhaps she subconsciously knew that she could not give him any promises; the world is ever-changing, and she feared that rejecting him would hurt his deep feelings. But what did this current situation mean? She would never be so indecisive with Fu Yihang and Tong Zhichen, nor did she hesitate or show mercy towards Fu Yihang. Yet, with Feng Yinxiao, she could not bring herself to be harsh. What was wrong with her?
Feng Yinxiao and Yun Kexin were enjoying the sweetness of their long-awaited reunion at Tian Zhuang, while Fu Lianyin was complaining to her brother and Sister-in-law at Han Wangfu.
"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Lianyin feels sorry for you both; I couldn't persuade the Second House—"
"So, the Three Elders went to the Second House but achieved nothing?!" Wang Ling sneered coldly, "I have to doubt whether he even went to the Second House."
"Sister-in-law, I understand Yun Yang's character," Fu Lianyin quickly defended when she heard Sister-in-law deny her husband. "He is always straightforward; if he promised something, he would never be perfunctory. This is what he told me himself."
"People's hearts are hard to read; how do you know he really went?" Wang Ling, dressed in a simple elegant gown that highlighted her pale face, said sharply. "Even if you saw with your own eyes that the Three Elders went to the Second House, can you guarantee that he mentioned this matter to Second Madam?"
"I... I don't think that would happen—" Fu Lianyin panicked—she had seen Yun Yang enter the Southern Courtyard but had not heard what he discussed with the Yue Clan. Feeling guilty, she said, "Master wouldn't lie to me. Big Brother, Sister-in-law, at least one thing is certain: the Yue Clan is indeed stubbornly adhering to Second Master's last wishes; it's hard to change their minds."
"This isn't something you caused," Wang Ling shot her a sidelong glance in annoyance. "Why did you have to stir up trouble with 'Adopted'? Revenge isn't something you should pursue recklessly." Wang Ling's self-righteousness completely forgot her own past actions and pushed all responsibility onto Fu Lianyin. "'A Fruitless Effort' didn't succeed in revenge and only left room for others to exploit."
Fu Lianyin was not someone who would easily accept such unfounded accusations and blame from Sister-in-law. The reason she remained silent and endured it was that she did not want to lose the solid support of her family.
"Sister-in-law is right; I also regret it deeply," Fu Lianyin said while secretly cursing under her breath. "But discussing past matters now is meaningless; I only want to think about how to salvage the situation."
"Let's stop this..." Han Wang, who had been sitting quietly like a statue beside Fu Yueze, slowly interjected. "Second Madam must adhere to Second Master's last wishes; we cannot force it." He paused slightly, a shadow passing over his brow as his tone turned cold. "Even if she wants to form a marriage alliance with Han Wangfu now, we may not agree."
Wang Ling and Fu Lianyin were both taken aback, not understanding Fu Yueze's meaning.
"News just came from the palace that Yun Ke has become Palace Front Commander," Han Wang said. "But do you know how he got this position?"
"Isn't it because Yun Ke achieved great military merit on the battlefield that he was rewarded by Sovereign?" Fu Lianyin asked in surprise. "Could there be some hidden circumstances?"
"Perhaps," Han Wang replied nonchalantly. "But do you know how bold Yun Ke is? He even dared to execute your Second Brother's favored general Fan Kun."
"Fan Kun?" Wang Ling asked. "Isn't he the martial artist who lost to Yun Ke in the Martial Examination and ended up second?"
"Yes, Fan Kun is the most favored student of my second brother; he planned to report this after returning to court so that Sovereign could promote him and strengthen the Fu Family's influence in court. Who would have thought that Yun Ke would—"
Fu Yueheng's eyes flashed with cold light as his tone turned grim. "That's why my second brother is unwilling to form an alliance with the Second House; even the entire Duke of E State Mansion cannot tolerate him."
"Why did Yun Ke execute Fan Kun? It can't be a power struggle, can it?" Fu Lianyin felt increasingly uneasy as her brother's tone shifted, and her expression darkened with worry.
"Execute him privately? He wouldn't dare!" Fu Yueze tightened his grip on the table edge, then suddenly relaxed his tone and gritted his teeth, "The news from the front is that Fan Kun was incompetent. Faced with the overwhelming Tatar Army, he retreated step by step and ultimately fled in battle, which led to his execution by Yun Ke. Moreover, Yun Ke is the legitimate eldest son of the Duke of E State Mansion's Second House..."
"Enough, enough. The Second House is filled with ruthless characters; we can't afford to provoke them," Wang Lingfeng said with narrowed eyes, looking intimidating. "In our Han Wangfu, there are plenty of high-born daughters who aspire to rise in status, not just Seventh Sister." She recalled the last time she had to humble herself to seek a marriage proposal from the Third House and felt a surge of anger. "If it weren't for that foolish Hang Er, whether the Prince and I would even consider her is another matter."
Although Fu Lianyin found her sister-in-law's words harsh and her temper quick to flare, she felt somewhat relieved because it concerned Yun Kexin. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and a sly smile appeared on her face.
"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I heard that Seventh Sister has a close relationship with Qingyuan Marquis and even has 'private feelings' for him. If the Yue Clan insists on fulfilling Second Master's dying wish to betroth Yun Kexin to the engagement set in the Brocade Box, there will definitely be conflict and estrangement between them. If they follow Seventh Young Lady's wishes and marry her off to Feng Yinxiao, then I want to see how the Yue Clan will face Second Master's so-called 'dying wish' and whether she will still have the face to confront us..."
"No wonder they looked down on Hang Er; it turns out there were already 'private feelings,'" Wang Ling sneered, her words sharp as a snake's fangs, growing bolder. "At such a young age, she's already learned to flirt with men. A woman like that would bring nothing but trouble if married home. I should quickly advise Hang Er to back off," she said, turning to Fu Lianyin with a half-truthful intimate glance. "Sister, thank you for telling my brother and sister-in-law this; after all, we are family."
Fu Lianyin smiled lightly, feeling a sigh of relief in her heart—she had finally achieved her goal without making her brother and sister-in-law resentful or blaming her incompetence. She had cleverly shifted the blame onto the Second House and now had the Fu Family as allies against them. How could she worry about not being able to bring down the Second House in the future?
"Sister-in-law's words are true," Fu Lianyin said with a smile. "Though I follow my husband’s family, my heart still belongs to my own family. If anything happens, only you will stand up for me; unlike the Duke of E State Mansion—a den of white-eyed wolves..."
While the Fu Family was busy slandering the Second House and fabricating stories about Yun Kexin's 'private feelings' with Feng Yinxiao, Yun Yang took advantage of her absence from the residence to visit the Second House—she could no longer ignore the worries that had been troubling her for three years. She needed to discuss matters with Second Sister-in-law and get her opinion; otherwise, it could lead to an irreparable situation.
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