The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 64

“A-Fu.” Seeing his sister rushing toward him, Ning Zheng’s gaze softened instinctively.

When he had left the capital, she was but a young girl, tearfully begging him to return soon. Now, she stood nearly as tall as his chin, having blossomed into a young woman. Despite the two-year separation, the bond between the siblings had not diminished in the slightest; it felt as if they had only been apart for a few days.

As Ning Fu threw herself into his arms, Ning Zheng held her tight, just as he had when they were children. “Good girl, A-Fu. Your brother is back.”

Wrapped in a familiar scent and feeling the warmth of his embrace, Ning Fu finally felt the reality of seeing her brother again. She looked up at him. Before leaving the capital, Ning Zheng had been a gentle, refined young master. Now, he was tanned and taller; though he lacked the hardened gravity he would possess in the future, he already carried the aura of a commander.

Seeing him standing vibrantly before her—his eyes full of doting laughter—rather than as the cold corpse beneath a shroud she remembered from her past life, Ning Fu could not contain her tears. They fell thick and fast. In this life, I will protect my brother at all costs.

Her weeping stirred a deep sense of pity in Ning Zheng. He had never been able to bear his sister’s tears. He reached out and gently brushed them away, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “You weren’t such a crybaby when you were little. Back then, you’d only chase me for toys. It seems you’ve grown backwards since you reached adulthood.”

It is different, for I once lost you, Ning Fu thought, hugging him even tighter. “I missed you so much, Brother.”

Ning Zheng’s face flushed. He raised a fist to his lips and cleared his throat awkwardly. “The Sixth Prince is still here… You are a grown woman now; you must be mindful of the propriety between men and women.”

Ning Fu finally pulled away and gave Meng Ze a slight, graceful smile. “Sixth Cousin.”

“While you were away from the capital this past half-year, Jingwen hasn’t won a single game of Cuju. She has been constantly mentioning you; you should find time to visit her,” Meng Ze said, using the Princess as a convenient excuse.

“Please convey my thanks to Princess Jingwen for her kind thoughts,” Ning Fu replied.

“I have raised this parrot so well for you—do you not have a word of thanks for your Sixth Cousin?” Meng Ze teased with a smile.

Ning Fu grew wary. Meng Ze was a dangerous man. Casual social interactions were fine, but to be targeted by his affections was a curse. He was the type to order a woman’s death if she displeased him, or trade his concubines for profit.

“I am, of course, grateful to Sixth Cousin,” she said smoothly. It cost her nothing to be polite.

Meng Ze handed over the cage containing the white parrot. “It is healthy now and won’t die easily. Since A-Zheng is back, let him tend to it for you.” He added thoughtfully, “If there is anything you do not understand, you may come to me at any time.”

To be granted an open invitation by a Prince was a great honor, but Ning Fu declined it with measured grace. “Sixth Cousin has always been kind to all his sisters. I see that remains true.”

Meng Ze smiled, though his mind was already set on her beauty. It would be a pity not to take such a woman for myself. “Since you have just returned, I shall not interrupt your family reunion further.”

Once Meng Ze left, Ning Zheng warned her, “In the future, stay away from men who try to get close to you.” He could see exactly what they were after. To him, no man was good enough for his sister.

Home at Last

Ning Fu had arrived half a day earlier than her letter suggested. When Madam Ning suddenly saw her daughter—tall, slender, with brows like the crescent moon and eyes like autumn ripples—she froze in shock.

“Mother!” Ning Fu cried, embracing her arm.

Madam Ning’s eyes grew red with joy. She looked her daughter up and down, filled with both pride and a touch of regret for missing her growth. “You were ill for so long at your grandmother’s. Are you fully recovered?”

“I waited until I was completely well before returning,” Ning Fu assured her.

The Duke’s Manor was lively that evening. Old Madam Ning and Wei Ziyi were delighted by her return. Only the secondary wife, Lady Wei, felt a bit stifled because Ning Zheng now outshone her son, Ning Yu. However, she took pride in her daughter, Ning Ran.

“Your sister Ran intended to visit today, but her child is still small and she couldn’t leave,” Lady Wei said with a hint of triumph.

Old Madam Ning explained, “Your sister Ran gave birth to a young master for the Wei Manor.” As the eldest grandson of the legitimate line, the child’s status was paramount.

Ning Fu was pleased that Ning Ran was safe. “I will visit her another day.”

Later, Ning Fu noticed Wei Ziyi looking despondent. Knowing her sister-in-law struggled with fertility, Ning Fu pulled her aside. “Sister-in-law, my brother loves you. Do not push him away over the matter of a child. You must trust him.”

Wei Ziyi was grateful for the comfort but turned the concern back to Ning Fu. “What of your own plans? Since Second Uncle was relegated to Liangzhou, the young lords of the capital… Grandmother has been worried sick about your marriage prospects.”

Ning Fu smiled. “Come what may, I shall deal with it.” She wasn’t particularly bothered by the fact that the capital’s bachelors were now avoiding her family.

Wei Ziyi then shared some gossip: “The Heir Apparent’s marriage is also unsettled. Princess Consort Xuan had her eye on the sixth daughter of the Marquis Mu’an, but Zong Si’s failure regarding your grandmother’s business delayed the match. The Princess Consort hates your grandmother now.”

Ning Fu remained silent. She knew that if Princess Consort Xuan ever discovered why Zong Si had failed to handle the Li Fang matter, her resentment would turn into a desire to tear Ning Fu apart.

The Heir Apparent’s Distraction

After leaving the Duke’s Manor, Meng Ze went to the Fragrance Pavilion. Zong Si arrived late. As soon as he appeared, the alluring dancers fixed their eyes on him, longing to draw close. Zong Si, however, maintained his usual aura of icy detachment.

“Do you like the Heir Apparent?” Meng Ze teased the dancers. “I’ll give a thousand taels of gold to any woman who can get him to take her.”

“Are you that bored?” Zong Si asked coldly.

Meng Ze’s mind was actually elsewhere—fixated on the blossoming, soulful beauty of Ning Fu. He turned to Zong Si. “Cousin, tell me… are you still a virgin?”

Zong Si did not deign to answer such a boorish question. He remained calm, but the query made him think of Ning Fu. His fingers idly stroked his cup. He wouldn’t say he loved her, but he often dreamed of that night. In his dreams, she was more passionate, and his own impulses were far more violent. If I could go back to that day, I would take her again and again, leaving marks upon her skin, so she could never look at me with such coldness. He still held a grudge for her mistaking him for Lu Xingzhi.

Later, as they left, Meng Ze remarked, “You have no idea how beautiful the Fourth Ning Girl has become. She rivals even Yue-niang now.”

Zong Si’s expression didn’t flicker. “No matter how beautiful a woman is, she is just a woman.”

“You’ll see I’m right soon enough,” Meng Ze replied.

The Letter and the Refusal

That night, Zong Si sent Fu Jiahui to the Duke’s Manor with a letter for Ning Fu.

Upon reading it, Ning Fu smiled. “Please tell the Heir Apparent that I am still recovering my health and cannot go to the Qingtian Pavilion.”

Before Jiahui left, Ning Fu sent for her brother. When Ning Zheng arrived at the bamboo courtyard and saw Jiahui, his face turned a brilliant red. He stood frozen, unsure whether to stay or go.

“Young Master Zheng,” Jiahui greeted him gracefully.

“Miss Fu,” Ning Zheng stammered. “I… I have business. I won’t interrupt you ladies.” He fled quickly.

Ning Fu noted the interaction and said to Jiahui, “My mother has proposed several matches for my brother, but he has refused them all.” Jiahui smiled but said nothing.

When Jiahui returned to report that Ning Fu would not be coming, Zong Si’s brush paused for a moment. He gave a nonchalant “Mhm,” but Jiahui could sense his displeasure.

“Once the Fourth Miss starts appearing in public again, she will surely attract many suitors,” Jiahui remarked. Zong Si said nothing and dismissed her.

For a month, Ning Fu did not leave the manor. Her excuse of “recovering” wasn’t entirely a lie; she was struggling to adjust to the capital’s climate. But more importantly, Zong Si’s letter had been far too direct—he wanted to discuss their marriage. And she had no intention of marrying him.

One afternoon, Madam Ning mentioned, “I hear Master Lu (Lu Xingzhi) is returning to the capital soon. His success in suppressing the bandits has impressed the Emperor. He will likely receive a significant promotion.”

The news was spreading fast, and many noble families were already beginning to curry favor with the Lu household.