The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 72

Ning Fu looked toward the Princess Consort Xuan, curtseying deeply. She adopted an air of feigned shyness to distance herself from the implications, saying, “Your Highness, Madam Lu, please do not tease me so.”

She was not yet ready to disclose the events of Yongzhou to others. If a marriage were truly to be settled, it would require a candid discussion; thus, for the moment, she had no intention of marrying.

The Princess Consort Xuan assumed the young lady was simply thin-skinned. She replied with a half-smile, “It seems I have misread the situation, then.”

Even when she smiled, the Princess Consort’s cold elegance gave off an air of aloofness, making her difficult to approach.

Madam Lu was well aware that the Princess Consort’s favor toward her was largely due to Lu Xingzhi’s standing. Her son’s future was inextricably linked to the Prince Xuan Manor, so she took great care to flatter the Princess Consort.

“The Fourth Miss looks bright and pleasant in such simple attire today,” the Princess Consort remarked. Internally, she had to admit the girl was stunning, though it was a pity she was Kangyang’s granddaughter.

Ning Fu lowered her gaze and curtseyed again. “I thank Your Highness for the compliment.”

Since the Princess Consort disliked her, there was little for them to discuss, so she turned back to her conversation with Madam Lu. Ning Fu sat quietly, minding her own business.

“Did the Heir Apparent not come with the Second Master today?” Madam Lu inquired.

“San-lang is out boating with the Sixth Miss Mu,” the Princess Consort replied.

Madam Lu smiled understandingly. While reminiscing with the Princess Consort, she also made sure to include Ning Fu so as not to neglect her.

When Zong Duo emerged from Lu Xingzhi’s study and saw Ning Fu, he was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected to run into her at the Lu Manor. However, remembering Lu Xingzhi, his surprise vanished; he felt their union was only a matter of time. He greeted her politely: “Fourth Miss.”

“Second Master,” Ning Fu replied courteously.

Zong Duo noticed Lu Xingzhi watching him from a distance. Reflecting on his behavior just now, he felt he had been perfectly appropriate—Xingzhi surely wouldn’t be jealous! He nodded to Ning Fu and departed with the Princess Consort.

As Ning Fu helped Madam Lu plant flower seeds, Lu Xingzhi approached and naturally took over the work from her hands. “Fourth Miss, why don’t you sit and enjoy yourself?”

Madam Lu smiled and withdrew, giving them a moment of privacy.

Watching him work while he told her to play felt, upon reflection, a bit like indulgence. Ning Fu said tentatively, “Master Lu, you really needn’t look after me like this.”

Lu Xingzhi straightened up and looked at her, his voice steady. “The Fourth Miss need not worry. I know you have no plans to marry at the moment. More than marrying you, I simply wish for you to be safe and well.”

Ning Fu felt a sudden, inexplicable ache in her chest. No one is ever kind for no reason. She couldn’t help but ask, “What is it that you want from me?”

“I once loved a woman,” Lu Xingzhi began, pausing for a moment as if lost in memory. “Let us say she was somewhat like the Fourth Miss. The first time I saw you, I was reminded of her.”

So, it’s a case of transferred affection, Ning Fu thought. Recalling the woman Madam Lu had mentioned during their first meeting, she asked, “Was she your childhood sweetheart?”

Lu Xingzhi’s eyes flickered, but he did not deny it.

“Where is she now?” Ning Fu asked.

Lu Xingzhi remained silent at first, his eyes churning with intense emotion. After a long while, he said hoarsely, “She is dead.”

Had Ning Fu not been so unfamiliar with him in her previous life, she might have suspected he was a fellow reincarnator speaking of her past self. But since they hadn’t been close, he couldn’t possibly harbor such strong feelings for her. For a moment, she only felt a deep pity for the girl who had perished so young.

Lu Xingzhi continued, “Seeing the Fourth Miss well every day makes me feel as though she is still alive. For me, that is enough.”

Ning Fu’s feelings toward him were complicated. While she wanted to maintain her distance, she did have a measure of goodwill toward him. Learning the reason behind his kindness left her admiring his loyalty on one hand, but feeling a faint sense of loss on the other.

After leaving the Lu Manor, Ning Fu remained somber. She wondered if, after her own death in the previous life, anyone besides her mother and father had remembered her like this. In the Prince Xuan Manor, perhaps the Princess Consort had been sad for a time, but once Zong Si took a new wife, she would surely be forgotten. To spare the new wife’s feelings, the manor would likely erase all traces of her.

However, these thoughts were pushed aside when she saw her brothers. Ning Yu and Ning Zheng were sitting across from each other.

“Big Brother, Third Brother,” Ning Fu approached. She saw Ning Yu’s face was clouded with worry and dejection.

“Big Brother and Sister-in-law had a falling out. Go and help persuade her,” Ning Zheng said, sounding like he had a headache. He didn’t understand these matters; his brother wanted to vent, but he couldn’t offer a solution.

“What exactly happened?” Ning Fu had an inkling. It likely involved her Eldest Aunt.

“Ziyi is forcing me to take a concubine,” Ning Yu said in disappointment. “My mother used to raise a fuss over my father’s concubines, and Aunt once had a rift with Second Uncle for the same reason. I don’t understand why a wife would repeatedly urge me to take a concubine. Perhaps I am too useless, and she has no heart for me.”

“If Sister Wei had no heart for you, she wouldn’t have married you,” Ning Fu countered. “Her forcing you is likely the Eldest Aunt’s doing.”

“Even if Mother pressured her, couldn’t she just refuse?” Ning Yu asked, feeling chilled.

Ning Fu frowned. “Sister Wei is kind-hearted and easily swayed. Moreover, she married into our Duke’s Manor—you have no idea how difficult it is to be a daughter-in-law. If Eldest Aunt grinds her down, what can she do? If Eldest Aunt pressured you, Brother, could you guarantee you could refuse forever?”

Worried about his wife, Ning Yu said, “Ah Fu, go and see her for me.”

Ning Fu went to Wei Ziyi’s quarters and found her sitting motionless by the window, her eyes red from crying.

“Ah Fu.” Upon seeing her, Wei Ziyi’s tears began to fall again.

“Sister Wei, you’ve suffered,” Ning Fu said, empathizing deeply with her pain.

“How is your brother?” Wei Ziyi asked, wiping her tears.

“You’re the one who was wronged, yet you’re still worried about him,” Ning Fu noted.

Wei Ziyi shook her head. “Your brother didn’t say a single harsh word to me. He only said disappointedly that if I don’t like him, he won’t bother me again. But it’s not that I don’t like him—I’m afraid I won’t be able to conceive a child and will become a criminal of the Duke’s Manor.”

Who would ever want to push their husband away? Her own heart was being pierced by needles.

Wei Ziyi told her the whole story. Previously, Madam Wei (the Eldest Aunt) would only offer persuasive advice. This time, however, she had personally selected two beautiful women and told Ziyi to take them back to her courtyard, her tone much sharper than before.

“You’ve only been married a year, and Eldest Aunt has pressured you several times. She is being far too impatient,” Ning Fu argued. Even in the Prince Xuan Manor, they hadn’t openly mentioned concubines to her back then; the Princess Consort had only complained about her lack of pregnancy behind her back.

Wei Ziyi whispered, “A few days ago, my mother-in-law brought the most famous doctor from Langya. He said I would have difficulty conceiving and that even treatment might not work. That is why she is desperate.”

“Even if she is desperate, what’s the harm in waiting two years? It’s not as if Brother is incapable of fathering a child,” Ning Fu said. If it was only for the sake of heirs, why bring “love” into the argument?

Wei Ziyi lowered her head. “So what should I do? If I cannot bear children, your brother taking a concubine is only a matter of time. It’s better he takes one now so I don’t have to live in pain every day.”

Ning Fu thought of Mu Ruoheng. Perhaps taking Sister Wei to see him might yield a solution. She just didn’t know if he would be willing to help.

The next day, under the pretext of going out for a stroll, Ning Fu took Wei Ziyi out of the manor. She couldn’t send letters herself, so she once again asked Fu Jiahui to help deliver a letter to a man named Old Song at the Linglong Pavilion.

Fu Jiahui tucked the letter away. “How is the Ning Duke’s Manor lately?”

She was really asking about Ning Zheng. Ning Fu thought for a moment and said, “Everything is fine. My brother has been back in the capital for a while; besides his duties at the palace, he spends quite a bit of time in various restaurants.”

Fu Jiahui handed her two vouchers. “Since Master Ning enjoys good food, have him come try my new restaurant, the Silent Feast Tower. He can help me spread the word.”

In truth, she just wanted to see him. Fu Jiahui didn’t know how long Ning Zheng intended to keep running, but running would be useless—she would just have to use certain “means” to get him.

Ning Fu gave her a sweet smile. “My brother will definitely come.” Even if she had to trick him, she would get him there.

The two shared a silent understanding. Seeing that Ning Fu didn’t reject her, Fu Jiahui felt relieved. For a merchant’s daughter to marry into a high-ranking official family was no easy feat, especially since she managed the family business—a major taboo.

The three sat at the bow of a boat, sipping tea as a gentle breeze calmed their hearts.

“Heir Apparent, isn’t that Miss Fu?” Miss Mu asked. She had met Fu Jiahui a few days ago; her businesses were everywhere in the capital, and she had even arranged the boat for them yesterday.

Ning Fu looked up and saw Zong Si and Miss Mu standing on a bridge just a few paces away. The three women on the boat rose and bowed.

Zong Si’s gaze swept over the wooden hairpin in Ning Fu’s hair before shifting away. He acknowledged them coldly and then led Miss Mu elsewhere.

“The Princess Consort has excellent taste,” Wei Ziyi praised. “The Heir Apparent is usually so bound by etiquette; this is the first time I’ve seen him take a lady out for leisure.”

Fu Jiahui couldn’t help but glance at Ning Fu. She didn’t know what the Heir Apparent was planning, but seeing the wooden pin in Ning Fu’s hair, she asked, “Sister Ning, that wooden pin is quite unique. Where did you buy it?”

“Master Lu gave it to me,” Ning Fu said openly.

Fu Jiahui paused, remembering the returned white magnolia hairpin. She felt she was starting to grasp the thread of things, and her expression became complex. If she were Zong Si, she probably wouldn’t understand why a hairpin made of priceless mutton-fat jade had lost to a piece of wood.

Miss Mu noticed Zong Si seemed distracted. “What is the Heir Apparent thinking about?”

Zong Si said nothing.

“You will be my husband in the future. Shouldn’t you tell me what’s on your mind?” she asked.

Zong Si replied coldly, “I told you before, Miss Mu—taking you out today is merely fulfilling my duties as a host.”

“The Princess Consort likes me, and I am very satisfied with you. Our marriage will happen,” Miss Mu stated. She had been a bit afraid of him at first, but after a few meetings, she felt that since everyone had always liked her since childhood, Zong Si wouldn’t be an exception.

But Zong Si had no interest in discussing marriage. “I have matters to attend to. Ah Ning will come to accompany you shortly.” After her show of impropriety, he had to extract himself.

“But I want you to accompany me,” Miss Mu insisted.

Zong Si didn’t linger. Once Zong Ning arrived, he got up and left. As he mounted his horse, he happened to see Ning Fu and Wei Ziyi getting into their carriage. She clearly saw him, yet she continued to act as if he didn’t exist.

Zong Si paused, then returned to the Prince’s Manor.

The war in the North was drawing to a close, and Zong Duo had to head there. After discussing official business, Zong Duo suddenly said, “I ran into the Fourth Miss Ning at the Lu Manor a few days ago.”

A simple sentence, yet filled with a thousand thoughts. Only Zong Duo understood the sting. “I wonder if her matter with Xingzhi is about to be settled.” Had Lu Xingzhi not been a step ahead, Zong Duo wouldn’t have given up so easily on Ning Fu!

But that was in the past now; he was merely reflecting.

Zong Si acted as if he hadn’t heard. Zong Duo said no more.

Because supplies hadn’t reached the North, Zong Si hadn’t slept well for days. He finally found the time today to take a nap.

In his dream, Ning Fu was in his quarters reading a book. Seeing him wake up, she smiled and said, “My lord is awake. You’ve slept a long time today; you must be exhausted from the journey back from the North.”

He rose and pulled her into his embrace. As she leaned against his chest, Zong Si held her tightly and whispered, “I am your husband, right? Not Lu Xingzhi.”

“Lu Xingzhi is nothing of the sort. You are the only one. Do not mind him, my lord,” Ning Fu said with a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling.

“You don’t know—he told me to my face that he was your husband. And you are always so biased toward him,” Zong Si said, looking down at her.

“How could that be?” Ning Fu cupped his face. “If I am to be biased, it will always be toward you.”

When Zong Si woke up, he stared at the ceiling for a long time without moving.

In the front courtyard, the Princess Consort said, “It seems the Fourth Miss Ning is about to be betrothed to the Lu Manor. Since Xingzhi works for you, should we be more polite to the Ning Duke’s Manor in the future?”

Zong Si paused. “Is it confirmed?”

“Looking at the attitudes of both manors, it shouldn’t be wrong,” she replied. “It’s good that she’s with Lu Xingzhi; I won’t have to worry about her pining after you.”

Zong Si said tonelessly, “Mother, you need not harbor such hostility toward her.” Before she could respond, he stood and left, appearing to be in an exceptionally foul mood.

A few days later, Ning Fu received a reply from the Divine Physician Mu. Mu Ruoheng asked her to bring Wei Ziyi to the Linglong Pavilion.

“Sister Wei, you must keep this a secret. You cannot tell anyone where we are going,” Ning Fu warned in the carriage. Her excuse this time was taking Wei Ziyi to the Qingtian Pavilion; Sister Fu would cover for them.

“Don’t worry, I will keep the secret,” Wei Ziyi promised, grateful for Ning Fu’s help.

However, being in such a place for the first time, Wei Ziyi blushed at the sight of the half-clothed men. Ning Fu, dressed in men’s clothing, looked perfectly at ease.

“Young Master, you haven’t visited in a long time. Mu Rong has been waiting for you,” the woman leading the way said.

“Then bring him to see me,” Ning Fu said, casually fanning herself with a folding fan.

They followed the woman. Mu Rong was playing the zither; hearing footsteps, he gave a cool, aloof glance before returning to his music. His noble aura made one think he was a high-born gentleman who had fallen into hard times.

“It has been a long time,” Ning Fu said.

Mu Rong said nothing.

“I have been a bit busy lately.”

Mu Rong said tonelessly, “You were distracted by someone else.”

“I still remember you,” Ning Fu said with a rakish charm.

Mu Rong lowered his eyes. “You don’t. Your heart is remembering someone else.”

He spoke as if she were a heartless lover.