Xie Ming

The conversation didn't go well, and the feelings were dashed.

Mu Xin, a dullard, is not romantic.

The concubine threw herself into his arms, but the man turned away in a cold shoulder.

All my emotions are like flowing water, wasting my energy in vain.

Chen Wanying's carefully laid plans were repeatedly thwarted, leaving her resentful and angry.

She's just a girl with a temper, but if someone else were doing it to her, she would have gotten impatient long ago.

But she was forced to accept her parents' orders and her grandfather entrusted her with a task. She had to suppress her temper as a young lady, but then she remembered her grandfather's secret words before he left.

Left with no other choice, he tried to calm himself down, biting his lip slightly as he looked back. He had no choice but to read from the script and properly bring up the matter of rewarding the troops.

After all, this is the real purpose of this trip.

Meanwhile, in contrast to this place, at this moment, looking back, Xiao Lang is about to leave.

He, on the other hand, doesn't have so many complicated schemes.

Hearing that it was a reward for military affairs, he was only temporarily relieved, and finally got to hear some sound advice. Now he was taking advantage of the situation and acting all high and mighty.

"Hey, quick, get up!"

"If you say that, it makes me feel embarrassed."

Seeing that the conversation had ended, the second young lady bowed gently, intending to perform a proper bow.

Xiao Jingchuan, following suit, hurriedly bent down to support the frame.

"hehe."

"I have long heard that your grandfather, Chen Xuanli, was a renowned figure in the region, highly respected for his virtue and character, and admired by his fellow villagers."

"It's a pity that I was often away on military posts, so I never had the chance to visit you."

"Now that the country is in peril, the Chen family is willing to offer their help, which truly shows their great righteousness."

"I, Xiao Jingchuan, am here on behalf of the 100,000 soldiers at the front, to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude."

Having said that, for the sake of the five million taels of silver, Xiao did not lack courtesy.

Half-heartedly, Chen Wanying, seeing through the situation, wrote a worldly-wise article.

"Hey, stop!"

"My daughter's family is too wealthy to accept such a sum."

"I only wish that this trip can alleviate the Duke's worries. That would be enough for me, Wanying."

She retreated as a means of advancing; her heart was filled with tenderness and affection, but little did she know she had a backup plan.

At this point, it's clear that trying to catch up is pointless.

You can't force a relationship to be happy.
Since things have come to this, let's just be daughters and do our own thing. Let's be humble, not argue, and take things slowly to find a way out.

Sure enough, such measures immediately yielded excellent results.

Xiao Jingchuan and his group of men, though not experts in matters of love and sex, were not stupid.

He had just descended the hill when this woman threw herself into his arms, and before he knew it, he had acted inappropriately.

Right now, he's getting her family's wealth for free, and deep down, he's already ecstatic.

Seeing how pitiful the woman was, he felt both emotionally and logically ashamed and hastily apologized.

"Uh, this."

"I was rude and my words were somewhat impolite just now; please don't take it to heart, Miss."

Xiao bowed deeply, his appearance that of a theatrical scholar, which looked rather comical.

Seeing his antics, Wanying was amused by his playful behavior and couldn't help but laugh. She gently returned the greeting and quickly stopped pulling him away.

"Ah, no, it's nothing, Your Excellency is overthinking it."

"It's Wanying's own fault for being boring and talking too much."

"I hope Your Excellency will not take offense."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuxu wrote.

"Ah, hehe, not at all, not at all."

"The second young lady is intelligent and insightful, this..."

One is bright, intelligent, and quick-witted; the other pretends to be naive and serious.

The autumn colors of the waterside pavilions and covered bridges are so vibrant that words cannot fully describe them, nor can they be clearly explained.

Just then, a young couple were getting along well when suddenly, someone came from a distant corner gate to spoil the mood and call out to them.

"General?"

"General—"

Xiao and Chen turned their heads and looked up. They saw Han Changting rushing towards them in a hurry.

As the person drew closer, Chen Wanying subtly took a half-inch step back.

"Huh? It's Changting."

Xiao Xiang raised his voice to reply, but in reality, he was breathing heavily.

"General."

"Oh dear, General, I've been looking for you for ages."

Changting had never been one to back down in such matters. Anxious and flustered, he rushed to the corridor, clasped his hands, and blurted out his words.

Seeing that there was an urgent matter in the front hall, Xiao Ye took the opportunity to get away from it and, without paying any attention, asked the question quickly.

"Oh? Is there something urgent you need to see me about?" I asked hastily.

"Ah, yes."

“A message has come from the north.”

"Peizhong reports urgently, the official Zhenghou is ahead."

Changting's words completely shattered Xiao Xin's feelings of separation.

Upon hearing the name Pei Zhong, Xiao Jingchuan was momentarily stunned, his brows furrowed, and his heart tightened with tension.

Seeing this, Chen Wanying, who was standing nearby, knew better than to stay any longer.

So he stepped forward and offered his leave, showing thoughtfulness.

"Ah, Your Excellency, since there are important military matters to attend to, you should hurry up and go."

Fortunately, Wanying has already delivered the instructions she gave at home.

"Now that I have had the pleasure of meeting the Duke, I am ready to return to the manor and report back to my grandfather."

"Go quickly, if anything delays me here, it will be a huge sin for Wanying."

With such a sensible and understanding daughter, what more could a husband ask for?

Having seen and heard these things, Xiao Yi felt even more pleased.

"Uh, okay, fine."

"Please forgive me, Miss."

"I will call Hongyu later, but I have military duties to attend to, so I must excuse myself for now."

Xiao Cuo resigned but did not forget his host's kindness, and followed through on matters as suggested.

However, Wanying flatly refused any further arrangements.

"No need."

"I know the way well, and I will go to Madam's place to say goodbye."

"It's time to go back after being away for a day."

"Your Excellency, go ahead, and don't let Wanying get in the way of important matters."

That's all I have to say; there's no need for further elaboration.

Xiao Lang's heart was preoccupied with Pei Zhong's military report, and his mood had long since dissipated, so he did not linger any longer.

"Alright, then please make yourself at home, Miss."

"If you need anything in the future, you may come to my residence to find me."

After saying this, he turned his head and was about to leave.

Out of consideration for the polite and dignified manners of the second young lady of the Chen family, I felt ashamed and thus made this casual promise.

The original intention was merely to be polite and perfunctory, just bureaucratic formalities.

But to everyone's surprise, Wanying burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Is this really true?"

A clever and pretty woman, speaking in a teasing and murmured tone, exudes a unique charm and allure that captivates the soul.

"Really?" Xiao blinked, then answered firmly.

"Okay, Wanying has noted it down. I'll come back to bother you later."

Hesitation and rambling, even at the end of the conversation, led to digressions and unwanted gossip.

"go!"

"By the way, is Feiyu still in the front hall?"

No longer could they wait. Xiao left the back garden, pulled himself up onto the long courtyard, and hurried forward.

Only the sounds of debate and conversation lingered intermittently behind me.

Chen Wanying was left alone in the same spot, standing between the waterside pavilion and the covered bridge, gazing back and forth, listening to the two men's remaining conversation, and lingering there for a long time.

"Ugh"

"Is the Way understood, or not understood?"

We strolled together in the back garden, and as we prepared to part, dusk had already fallen.

Looking back at those white walls and black tiles, standing there quietly, I glanced at them lazily, and only their gentle outline remained.

The landscapes, pavilions, and laughter we just experienced felt like a beautiful dream.

Fragments of chaos and incompleteness, gathered and crumbled by the passing wind, are then nestled within those ordinary doors and walls.

When a person leaves, a small part of their heart goes with them.

Reluctant to part, I don't even know where in the garden I ended up.

A pool of green water?

Or perhaps maple leaves amidst the lush grass?

It's hard to explain, and it's too late to get it back. (End of Chapter)