The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 33

The person who wrote the letter was not Xie Ruyi. It is true that Zong Si did keep Ning Fu’s letter, but his early return to the capital was unrelated to that letter; however, Zong Si did not speak up to explain.

Zong Duo had heard some bits and pieces. Now, he, too, looked forward to having a woman who would think of him constantly. In contrast, his Eldest Brother already had a wife and children, so he spent years in the Northern Territory and didn’t feel lonely!

“My Third Brother is truly blessed,” Zong Duo couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

Zong Si remained silent.

“I hope I can be like that too,” Zong Duo expressed great envy. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but glance towards Ning Fu, who was currently chatting merrily with a young lady beside her. With just one look, Zong Duo felt a touch of shyness. He never understood why men would act as shy as women when facing a woman they admired. Now, he understood!

Zong Si finally spared him a glance, his expression indifferent.

Later that day, the two of them entered the palace together.

“A’Ning said that my appearance is the type Fourth Miss would like. If she approves of my looks, then the other aspects shouldn’t be an issue,” Zong Duo said, a bit of embarrassment coloring his words. Moreover, everyone said his family background and conduct far surpassed his appearance, meaning the other aspects were certainly not problems! Zong Duo was considered handsome, but with Zong Si, his own younger brother, and Meng Ze, his cousin, flanking him—stuck between these two rare gems—fewer people praised his looks. Thus, Zong Duo never considered himself handsome. He also hadn’t expected that Fourth Miss Ning would tell his sister that he was brave and mighty! Receiving such praise made Zong Duo very excited.

“Fourth Miss’s personality is quite good. In the future, she and Second Miss Xie will surely get along well,” Zong Duo couldn’t help but imagine the daily life of the two sisters-in-law getting along. However, even if they didn’t get along, Zong Duo would still protect his own wife.

Zong Si said lightly, “Nothing has been set in stone yet. What nonsense is Second Brother speaking?”

“Is there any chance of an accident regarding your marriage to Second Miss Xie?” Zong Duo didn’t think so.

Zong Si did not answer him, only thinking that Zong Duo was emotionally quite dense, overly naive. He wasn’t talking about his marriage. He meant that Zong Duo and Ning Fu might not end up together. If the previous life was real, Ning Fu certainly would not have married his Eldest Brother (the First Prince/Heir Apparent).

Zong Duo was studious and said, “I am not good at pleasing young ladies; I will have to ask for your guidance in the future.” The skill of making one’s wife happy was definitely something one needed to master. In truth, Zong Si had no ladies around him; he had always been self-disciplined, yet most women were captivated by him. Even the Hujis (foreign singing girls) in Meng Ze’s residence, whom money couldn’t sway, willingly followed Zong Si to Meng Ze’s home.

“I also have no young ladies around me, so I cannot teach you anything,” Zong Si said with a placid expression. The dissatisfaction in his tone was already quite evident. In the past, Zong Si would never have reacted this way, but this time, having confirmed a few things—that Fourth Miss Ning might have been his woman in the previous life—was the reason for his reaction.

Zong Duo naturally sensed the coldness in his words and couldn’t help but frown, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure: “Why are you reacting so strongly? I know you have prejudices against her, but you don’t need to be so hostile toward a young lady. If you interact with her more, you will know how wonderful she is.” In Zong Duo’s view, this was no different from bullying!

“In my eyes, Fourth Miss Ning is kinder and gentler than every young lady I have ever met. She is an excellent young lady, no worse than Second Miss Xie!” Zong Duo was very protective of Ning Fu. If Zong Si dared to speak ill of Ning Fu again, Zong Duo would not let it go! The two brothers had certainly fought since they were young—what was the big deal about fighting again? He might not lose either.

“She might not have a sweetheart in her heart,” Zong Si thought of Lu Xingzhi again and turned away, unwilling to say more to him.

Zong Duo frowned. Hearing Zong Si say that, he naturally kept it in mind and investigated. He discovered that Lu Xingzhi’s regard for Ning Fu was also extremely unusual. Lu Xingzhi was an advisor to the Prince of Xuan’s residence, so Zong Duo found it difficult to steal another man’s prize. However, being a straightforward person, he still sent Lu Xingzhi a letter.

In the letter, Lu Xingzhi wrote: Firstly, I serve the Heir Apparent for the sake of Fourth Miss. Second Brother should not approach her. Secondly, Fourth Miss Ning will not agree to you. Even without speaking face-to-face, Zong Duo could read the confident tone in Lu Xingzhi’s words when he said Ning Fu would not agree to him. They must be very close. The possessiveness in his tone was also extremely obvious. When was Lu Xingzhi ever so talkative? This letter showed his eagerness, clearly fearing his corner being undercut.

When Ning Fu next encountered Zong Duo at Hanxiang Temple, she could clearly sense that Zong Duo’s mood was a bit complicated; he looked like a young gentleman suffering from heartbreak. He no longer actively approached her. This is for the best, she thought, saving me the effort of having to refuse him.

“Sister Ning, we truly have fate; we meet again,” Zong Ning had come with Second Madam Zong and Zong Duo that day to see Master Mengyuan.

“My Fifth Sister and I are here to retrieve a protective amulet for our grandmother,” Ning Fu replied with a smile.

“Second Brother, don’t you think this is quite a coincidence?” Zong Ning still wanted to create an opportunity for the two of them to speak a few words.

Zong Duo did not look at Ning Fu, saying stiffly, “Countless people visit Hanxiang Temple daily; running into each other is completely normal.” This clearly negated the idea of “fate.”

Zong Ning was greatly puzzled. She looked up at Zong Duo and saw that he was not as enthusiastic as before. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out what scheme he was hatching.

Ning Fu bowed slightly: “Second Young Master, Sister Ning, my Fifth Sister and I are in a hurry to return to the residence, so we will not delay you further.” With that, Ning Fu led Ning He into the temple.

“Second Brother, if you act like this, Sister Ning definitely won’t think well of you. No young lady likes a cold, hard rock,” Zong Ning complained.

“Fourth Miss and I do not have that destiny. Do not mention her again in the future,” Zong Duo said with a rigid expression. Since Lu Xingzhi was already there, he would not take advantage of Lu Xingzhi being away on duty in Liangzhou; otherwise, what difference would he be from a scoundrel?

Zong Ning did not understand his change and became displeased for a while, lowering her evaluation of her Second Brother. Upon returning to the residence, she complained to the Princess Consort of Xuan: “Mother Consort, how can you say that? If Sister Ning truly marries into the Prince of Xuan’s residence one day, how will you get along with her if you dislike her so much? Even if you begged her to be your daughter-in-law, she might not even spare you a glance then.”

“She will not become my daughter-in-law,” the Princess Consort of Xuan scoffed. “Third Son’s marriage is settled. How old is the Fourth Son? Is she supposed to marry the Fourth Son?”

Zong Si glanced at the Princess Consort of Xuan but remained silent.

Zong Ning let out a soft hmpf: “That’s not certain. Maybe she will actually marry Fourth Brother! Sister Ning really likes children; maybe she likes the younger ones. Earlier, when flying kites with Sister Ning, she couldn’t bear to leave when she saw those little ones.”

Zong Si, however, slightly furrowed his brow. If a woman liked children, one possibility was that she had been a mother before. If Fourth Miss Ning had a child in the previous life, that child must have been his. However, he had no memory of the previous life and could not fully empathize. In this life, there was no need to follow the path of the previous one, nor would he disrupt his own plans because of such vague matters. Even having guessed at the events of the past life, he would not marry Fourth Miss Ning, which is why he had not mentioned his knowledge of the past life to Ning Fu.

Meanwhile, on the night before Ning Fu was scheduled to meet Divine Doctor Mu, she intended to discuss the details with Zong Si. However, upon arriving at Qingtian Pavilion, she was informed that Zong Si had no intention of meeting with her.

“The Heir Apparent went to the Duke of Qing’s residence today and is tied up,” Fu Jiahui stated tactfully.

Ning Fu froze for a moment, then understood: the Prince of Xuan’s residence must have formally visited the Xie Ruyi’s household to finalize the engagement details. As the central figure, he naturally couldn’t get away today.