A Marriage of Convenience with a Love-Struck Regent: From Arrangement to Love [GL] - Chapter 4

It wasn’t just her gaze—Ning Huanyi shifted her entire body away from Liu Jingming, as if she wanted to avoid him at all costs.

Liu Jingming was surrounded by a few of his shady friends, apparently here to pick out jewelry at Ruyi Workshop to win over another woman. Ning Huanyi’s obvious disdain earlier had provoked snickers from his companions.

Just moments ago, Liu Jingming had been boasting to them about how Ning Huanyi, the Capital City’s premier ailing beauty, had been secretly pining for him, her unrequited love making her sick. Yesterday’s annulment, he claimed, had only worsened her condition.

But now, she seemed to be doing everything she could to avoid him.

Liu Jingming’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to retort and save face, a strikingly beautiful woman appeared at the stairwell corner.

Liu Jingming’s face lit up with a smile. He was about to approach her when she unexpectedly sidestepped him and walked straight toward Ning Huanyi.

Ning Huanyi also noticed her. She recalled how, just yesterday, she had stumbled into this woman’s arms in the same spot, and her expression shifted noticeably.

Today, the woman had traded her military attire for a dark crimson gown. With early summer approaching, her outer robe was thin and sheer, allowing faint glimpses of the dress beneath. The red silk sash cinching her waist, barely a span wide, accentuated her slender figure, stirring restless yearning in those who beheld her. Yet this woman remained oblivious to her allure, her icy expression, which kept others at arm’s length, only adding to her mysterious aura.

Feeling a little self-conscious, Ning Huanyi secretly averted her gaze, her face dipping slightly. Little did she know how vulnerable and endearing this gesture made her appear.
Xiao Ning’an noticed the earlier exchange between the two, sensing a teasing undercurrent. She instinctively stepped in front of Ning Huanyi, reaching out to smooth the furrowed brow between her eyes.

Ning Huanyi was momentarily startled by the sudden gesture, though she didn’t resist. Sensing her own misstep, Xiao Ning’an quickly apologized, “Sorry… I…”

Before she could finish speaking, Liu Jingming, stung by humiliation, let out a series of scornful laughs. “Oh my, you two seem awfully close. I’ve never even met this person—could she be some sort of ‘bosom friend’ of yours? Now that same-sex marriage is legal…”

Though Liu Jingming’s mouth was as sharp and chatty as any woman’s, his words struck true, hitting Ning Huanyi right where she was vulnerable. Her cheeks flushed crimson.

Ning Huanyi wasn’t the type to form attachments quickly, but even a tiny flicker of interest, exposed in public like this, would make anyone feel flustered.

“See that? This young master has every right to break off the engagement!” Though the law allowing same-sex marriage had been enacted, many still vehemently opposed such relationships. Liu Jingming, consumed by these prejudices, was determined to smear Ning Huanyi’s reputation in front of his friends, just to vent his anger.

Xiao Ning’an’s expression grew impatient with Liu Jingming, her irritation deepening as she watched Ning Huanyi’s mortified reaction. Could it be… that Ning Huanyi also disapproves of women marrying each other?

A flicker of disappointment crossed Xiao Ning’an’s eyes. She turned to explain, but before she could speak, Ning Huanyi grabbed her sleeve and, in full view of Liu Jingming, leaned in and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

Afterward, Ning Huanyi didn’t dare meet Xiao Ning’an’s gaze. Instead, she faced Liu Jingming, forcing herself to appear calm. “You’re right, this is indeed my fiancée. But I never expected a mere son of the Marquis of Xianyang Residence to speak so insolently to me. Or perhaps you have some objection to the current laws of our dynasty?”
The accusation left Liu Jingming’s face ashen. Ning Huanyi rarely invoked the Marquis of Yongchang Residence’s status to intimidate others, but today’s provocation had genuinely infuriated her.

Xiao Ning’an lowered her gaze, watching Ning Huanyi, a full head shorter than herself, stand with her hands on her hips. The azure skirt of her dress fluttered gently in the summer breeze drifting through the private room’s window, shimmering like the ripples on a serene lake where sky and water met.

A wave of astonishment washed over Xiao Ning’an. She remained silent, standing there and letting Ning Huanyi claim her as her fiancée, savoring the lingering warmth on her lips.

Just now… Ning Huanyi kissed me?

She really… kissed me?

Something exploded in Xiao Ning’an’s mind. She couldn’t process what Ning Huanyi meant, especially as the woman kept emphasizing the word “fiancée.”

Liu Jingming’s face flushed crimson and then pale. The Marquis of Xianyang Residence couldn’t afford the scandal Ning Huanyi had just unleashed, so he could only flick his sleeve and leave.

With Liu Jingming and his friends gone and the waiter too afraid to come upstairs, the second floor of Ruyi Workshop finally quietened down. Only Ning Huanyi and Xiao Ning’an remained, standing there. Ning Huanyi lowered her gaze, aware that she had just used someone else’s name to do something that might damage this woman’s reputation.

“I’m sorry… I… wasn’t thinking clearly. Liu Jingming has such a petty mind. I’m afraid your reputation is ruined now…”

Xiao Ning’an couldn’t process a single word Ning Huanyi said. She followed the woman into the private room in a daze, her eyes drawn to the exquisite food box on the table. A faint, sweet fragrance of locust flower pastries wafted from it.
The scent was rich yet refreshing. Xiao Ning’an usually wasn’t fond of sweets, but now she found herself craving them.

Ning Huanyi watched the woman’s eyes fixed on the box of sweet osmanthus cakes. Suddenly, she remembered why they had agreed to meet in this private room today. Her pale fingers flicked open the lid, releasing the rich, sweet aroma that filled the room with a delightful fragrance, neither cloying nor overpowering.

Xiao Ning’an picked up a cake and popped it into her mouth. The cake melted in her mouth, light and refreshing, utterly delicious.

Ning Huanyi watched her eat with a smile, the awkward tension between them easing. She reached out and gently pushed the box forward, her charming smile still radiant despite the lingering pallor of illness on her face.

Xiao Ning’an, unsure how to broach the topic, stiffly closed the box and picked it up. “There are matters to attend to at the manor. No need to thank me for what happened yesterday.”

She stood abruptly, her mind already racing through the preparations for the marriage proposal. She would follow the highest protocol, present the proposal this afternoon, issue the imperial decree, and then make a grand procession to bring Ning Huanyi back to the manor in style.

Ning Huanyi, of course, knew none of this. She watched Xiao Ning’an’s hasty departure, a profound sense of loneliness settling over her.

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