The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 71

At that moment, Xie Ruyi was more than just surprised; her emotions were a tangled mess, even tinged with a hint of bitterness.

Zong Si did not like her. If he had shown her even a fraction of such sincerity, Xie Ruyi thought, she likely wouldn’t have been so cold-hearted herself. But the moment she thought of the Qing State Duke’s Manor, those thoughts vanished. Nothing could compare to the glory of her family.

She, Xie Ruyi, did not need a husband who could not bring benefits to her clan—no matter how much she liked him.

Calming her nerves, she asked him, “Who is the Heir Apparent calculating a marriage fortune for?”

Zong Si did not answer.

Xie Ruyi immediately knew the person’s identity must be someone “troublesome,” and she had her suspicions. She remarked, “The Fourth Miss came here once before to calculate her fortune; it was also a top-tier sign.”

Zong Si’s tone remained indifferent, but upon closer inspection, he clearly harbored some interest in the topic. “She certainly planned her marriage quite early,” he noted.

Since he was not one to casually comment on others, Xie Ruyi was now certain the fortune he was seeking was for Ning Fu. Yet, seeing Ning Fu’s reaction now, it didn’t seem to be her.

“However, life must be difficult when married to a husband who can’t even offer a sympathetic ear,” Xie Ruyi joked, offering comfort to Ning Fu that served as a consolation to herself as well.

Ning Fu replied, “Sister Xie, you are so exceptional that the last thing you need to worry about is marriage. Whoever marries you will be a lucky man.”

Xie Ruyi gave her a faint smile.

Zong Ning watched them from a distance, originally intending to strike up a conversation with Ning Fu, only to hear Rong Min say unhappily, “She’s only polished on the outside; her character is actually quite poor. She’s always flirty—who knows if she had some secret affair back in Liangzhou.”

“Sister Rong, you should watch your words. Sister Ning is not the kind of person you describe,” Zong Ning frowned, her mind flashing to the secret between her brother and Ning Fu.

Rong Min felt a twinge of guilt seeing Zong Ning’s reaction, but she added jealously, “She was just chatting with Master Lu. What decent young lady would act like that?”

Zong Ning countered, “What does it matter in broad daylight? I often speak with Brother Xie of the Qing Duke’s Manor. Does that make me an indecent lady as well?”

Rong Min didn’t dare slight a daughter of the Prince Xuan Manor. She quickly pulled Zong Ning aside. “My dear sister, I wasn’t talking about you. I’ll stop talking nonsense.”

Zong Ning was troubled, wondering exactly what her third brother had done to Sister Ning.

“Sister Ning, do you think Master Lu likes her?” Rong Min asked uneasily. She had noticed Lu Xingzhi’s gaze lingering on Ning Fu several times today.

Zong Ning finally took notice of Lu Xingzhi. Among the young gentlemen, he appeared composed and indifferent to his surroundings, yet Sister Ning was always within his line of sight. He didn’t miss a single one of her smiles.

…

Lu Xingzhi wasn’t the only one watching Ning Fu.

There was also Ye Sheng, the son of Old General Ye.

It was hard for Ye Sheng not to be drawn to Ning Fu. She was beautiful on a normal day, but today she looked like a fairy descended to earth. His heart fluttered.

However, when Lu Xingzhi shifted his seating position, he perfectly blocked Ye Sheng’s view.

Ye Sheng couldn’t help but look at him. The man was looking back, nodding in a distant but polite greeting. For some reason, Ye Sheng felt something was off—it felt as though Lu Xingzhi was sizing him up, but he couldn’t quite put it into words.

“Last year, when Ah Fu fell into the water, it was thanks to Master Lu’s rescue,” Ning Zheng said sincerely. In this matter, he was grateful to Zong Si as well, but given the current poor relationship between their manors, there was no need to thank him personally again. If Zong Si encountered trouble in the future that didn’t conflict with the Ning Manor, Ning Zheng was willing to help to repay the debt.

“It was a simple task. There is no need for thanks, Qiuyi,” Lu Xingzhi replied (Qiuyi being Ning Zheng’s courtesy name).

Ning Zheng already admired him, and seeing him so friendly, he was happy to build a friendship. “Master Lu has just returned to the capital and was then sent to Liangzhou; you must be unfamiliar with the city. If you have any difficulties, feel free to come to me.”

Lu Xingzhi accepted readily.

Ning Zheng looked at him and suddenly realized something. Currently, Lu Xingzhi was the Emperor’s favorite. Logically, Ning Zheng should be the one currying favor, yet Lu Xingzhi was the one being proactive. This was unusual.

Realization dawned on him, and he smiled. He didn’t mind having Lu Xingzhi as a brother-in-law. If his sister married him, it would be a good match.

Ye Sheng saw Ning Zheng’s expression and felt uneasy. What about me?

Nearby, Ning Fu was talking with Madam Ning, Old Madam Ning, Madam Lu, and the Wei family. After the ceremony ended, Ning Fu personally escorted Madam Lu to the door. Lu Xingzhi walked beside them, listening to them chat without interrupting.

“I get along so well with the Fourth Miss. I’m going to buy flower seeds in a few days; would you like to come with me? I’m usually alone, which is quite boring,” Madam Lu said, holding Ning Fu’s hand and smiling warmly.

Ning Fu checked her schedule and saw she was free. “I would be delighted to accompany you, Madam.”

Once they finished, Lu Xingzhi said, “The Fourth Miss has had a long day. You should rest early.”

“Master Lu, you have a wound on your hand. Be careful not to let it touch water,” Ning Fu reminded him.

“Mm.” His eyes were filled with a smile. Though he remained formal, he seemed very “obedient.”

Ning Fu’s face flushed slightly. After a few more words, she turned and went back inside.

From her carriage nearby, Zong Ning couldn’t help but worry for her brother. If Sister Ning and Master Lu became a couple, where would that leave her brother?

When Zong Ning returned to the Prince’s Manor, she went straight to Zong Si’s Jinghua Residence.

Her brother wasn’t there, so she went to the front of the house. There, she found the Princess Consort Xuan having tea and admiring flowers with the Sixth Miss Mu. Miss Mu had also just had her coming-of-age ceremony; she was well-tempered and very much to the Princess Consort’s liking.

“I heard the Second Master’s marriage is about to be settled?” Miss Mu inquired.

“Once the second son’s marriage is set, it will be the third son’s turn,” the Princess Consort laughed directly.

“Princess, the Third Master is only polite to me. We are currently just ‘getting to know’ each other,” Miss Mu said. She felt Zong Si was very distant. Though the Heir Apparent was exceptional, he felt like a palace in the clouds—visible but unreachable.

The Princess Consort laughed, “He is like that with everyone.”

Zong Ning thought to herself: He was different when he gave the jade hairpin to Sister Ning.

Her brother and Sister Xie had parted ways because he refused to use the Prince’s Manor to pave the way for her brother. If he now directly rejected Miss Mu—whom the Princess Consort favored—and the Princess Consort didn’t know his preference, she would surely pressure him to choose someone quickly.

Perhaps her brother didn’t intend to marry yet and was letting Zong Ning know so she could help mediate with their mother. She just didn’t know if his lack of intention to marry was because he was waiting for Sister Ning.

It wasn’t until nightfall that Zong Si returned. He had clearly just finished some business; he was no longer dressed as a servant but wore fine silk and a jade crown, looking incredibly handsome.

“It’s so late. Why are you still here?” Zong Si asked.

“Brother, you actually have no intention of agreeing to Miss Mu,” Zong Ning said.

Zong Si glanced at her. He didn’t deny it, saying coolly, “Miss Mu may be willing to meet me, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a childhood sweetheart of her own.”

Zong Ning understood. If both parties rejected each other, their mother would have nothing to say and couldn’t blame Zong Si. Furthermore, since the Princess Consort always thought her son was the best of the best, being rejected by Miss Mu would humble her pride, causing her to self-reflect and stop nagging him for a while.

The key was getting her to stop the pressure.

“That man will be in the capital. Over the next few days, take her around the city more often.” This was one of the ways Zong Si needed Zong Ning’s help.

Zong Ning sighed inwardly. When a man doesn’t like a woman, his heart is ice-cold; he doesn’t even care about being the one who gets rejected.

“What exactly happened between you and Sister Ning?” Zong Ning asked.

Zong Si didn’t want to hear Ning Fu’s name right now. He rubbed his brow and said tonelessly, “It’s late. Go back.”

“If it was something disrespectful, you should take responsibility for her,” Zong Ning argued on Ning Fu’s behalf.

“She doesn’t need me to take responsibility,” Zong Si said without emotion.

Zong Ning froze. Thinking of the upright Lu Xingzhi, she bit her lip. “Is it because Sister Ning likes Master Lu?”

“You think she likes him?” Zong Si went silent for a moment before looking at her.

“I heard someone say today that Sister Ning and Master Lu look like a perfect match, as if they were fated to be husband and wife,” Zong Ning said after much hesitation.

Usually, no one dared to make such jokes about noble young ladies. If people were talking, it meant there were rumors—and given the growing closeness between Madam Ning and Madam Lu, it wasn’t hard to guess.

Zong Si recalled the moment Lu Xingzhi had firmly said, “My wife.”

Having occupied the role of her husband in a previous life for so long, hearing those words had instantly made him feel “cuckolded.” He had wanted nothing more than to demand to know what happened in the last life.

But judging from her attitude, her husband likely wasn’t him. Otherwise, why would she be so cold to him and so warm to Xingzhi?

“Brother, do you like Sister Ning?” Zong Ning asked cautiously.

“I don’t,” Zong Si replied. He ordered the servants to take her back to her room; he never liked her staying up late and was very strict with her.

Zong Ning blurted out as she left, “If you’re unhappy because she likes Master Lu, then you must like her at least a little!”

Zong Si paused, remaining silent for a long time.

The next day at the Qingtian Pavilion, Fu Jiahui handed him a box Ning Fu had sent. After some hesitation, she said, “The Fourth Miss asked me to return this to the Heir Apparent.”

Inside the box lay the white magnolia hairpin. She had been so eager to return it the very next day, as if terrified of having any connection to him.

Zong Si didn’t even look at it. “Just leave it there,” he said flatly.

Madam Ning was naturally pleased that Ning Fu was going out with Madam Lu.

Madam Lu rose early, so Ning Fu woke up early as well. Ning He, who slept with her, tried to get up too, but Ning Fu smiled and said, “There’s no need to pay respects to Grandmother today. You keep sleeping.”

Ning He rolled over and went back to sleep.

The morning markets in the capital were bustling. The capital’s nobility never came here; this was Ning Fu’s first time.

“My grandfather was just a bailiff in a small county. I grew up in places like this. If you’re uncomfortable, you can wait for me to the side,” Madam Lu said.

Ning Fu smiled. “I’ll stay with you.”

“The seeds are covered in dirt; it might get messy,” Madam Lu warned.

“I wore old clothes today specifically for this. Don’t worry about me,” Ning Fu said. She hadn’t even styled her hair elaborately, using only the wooden pin Lu Xingzhi gave her. It was the most comfortable way to dress.

Madam Lu’s impression of her improved even more—she looked like a delicate beauty but wasn’t pretentious at all. After they finished, Madam Lu even bought her a candied hawthorn stick, treating her like a younger sister.

They then got into the carriage to return to the Lu Manor.

“We get along so well. It would be wonderful if we could become one family,” Madam Lu said as the carriage stopped.

The Princess Consort Xuan, who happened to be nearby and had a decent relationship with Madam Lu, overheard this. She looked toward the carriage and raised an eyebrow when she saw Ning Fu.

“Madam Lu, the Fourth Miss and Master Lu do seem like a good match,” the Princess Consort said. She didn’t like Ning Fu, but since Lu Xingzhi was working for the Prince’s Manor, she had to give Madam Lu some face.

As long as Ning Fu wasn’t pining for her own son, the Princess Consort felt she could marry whoever she wanted. Marrying her off quickly would eliminate a potential headache.

However, once she returned, she would have to mention this to Zong Si. If Ning Fu followed Lu Xingzhi, their attitude toward the Ning Duke’s Manor might need to shift again. After all, Lu Xingzhi also performed tasks for the Prince’s Manor.