Exchange Fate! She Saved the whole family and the Short-Lived Marquis!-Chapter 130: I Know You Don’t Miss Her at All
On usual days, he would return after court to pay respects to the old madam.
But today, with a day off, he had already gone to greet the old madam in the morning.
Going now, the purpose could be said to be very pure.
Xiao Chengyu glanced at Jing Lai, and Jing Lai quickly signaled to Shaoyao.
Shaoyao had no choice but to say, "My Lord, the cook recently made some new pastries. I’m not sure if the second young lady would like them. It’s about time for the old madam to send some pastries over; perhaps My Lord could simply go to the old madam to taste them?"
"Alright." Xiao Chengyu straightforwardly stood up and walked out without a moment’s hesitation.
Jing Lai and Shaoyao then followed behind him.
Yet, unexpectedly, Xiao Chengyu was quick in his steps, and within a few strides, the distance between them had widened.
Jing Lai whispered to Shaoyao, "You looked at me earlier, didn’t you? My suggestion wasn’t wrong, was it?"
"I thought your excuse was rather poor, how could My Lord possibly listen?" Shaoyao said, "I expected you to come up with a better reason."
"The excuse doesn’t need to be perfect; the key is whether My Lord wishes to take the opportunity." Jing Lai whispered, "Do you see how fast My Lord is walking?"
As they whispered, they suddenly saw Xiao Chengyu stop ahead.
Jing Lai and Shaoyao hurried over.
Xiao Chengyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you two whispering about back there?"
"Nothing." Jing Lai feigned a silly smile and brushed off the question.
But at this moment, Xiao Chengyu didn’t bother with the trivial question, quickly reaching the old madam’s courtyard before slowing his pace, glanced at his attire, tidied himself slightly, cleared his throat, and resumed his usual demeanor, entering the courtyard at a normal pace.
Upon entering the hall, he found only the old madam and Nanny Wang with a few servants, with no trace of Fu Shinian.
"Stop looking, she’s gone." The old madam sneered, saying one can’t marry someone while eagerly coming over after Fu Shinian arrives.
"Ahem." Xiao Chengyu said, "I’ve come to pay my respects to mother."
"It’s already afternoon, what respect?" the old madam said irritably.
"Just swung by to have some pastries so that you wouldn’t have to send them over," Xiao Chengyu said again.
"Fine." The old madam nodded slowly, speaking with an underlying meaning, "I know you’re not here simply because you heard Shinian was here."
"And I know you don’t miss her one bit, don’t want to see her at all." The old madam spoke with increasing sarcasm.
Xiao Chengyu: "..."
"Since you’re here, sit down and have some pastries. It indeed saves me from sending them over." The old madam said, "I’ve had each kind of pastry packed for Shinian to take back to the mansion and enjoy slowly."
"By eating here, it’s as if you’re eating with her." The old madam said.
Xiao Chengyu: "..."
"Ahem." Xiao Chengyu awkwardly cleared his throat, unable to maintain his facade before the old madam, and said, "When did the second young lady leave?"
"You two just missed each other." The old madam said, "She left not long before you came. If you hurry, you might still catch her."
Xiao Chengyu drank his tea, showing no intention of rushing over but instead asked, "Is Master Fengxing’s marriage proceeding smoothly?"
"Smooth, and there’s nothing much to prepare." The old madam said, "Since Shinian doesn’t want them to celebrate grandly, then nothing should be done. Conveniently, this suits my wishes too."
"It’s just that, in this way, it’s as if we’ve thoroughly fallen out with Qinglan Residence." The old madam leaned slightly, "I notice you’re looking more and more vibrant, your health’s improving. Chengyu, you must keep going well to protect me and your sister."
"Yes." Xiao Chengyu nodded, "I also feel my health seems to have improved lately."
"In that case, why not consider marriage?" The old madam seized the opportunity to say, "Your health is getting better; surely you don’t worry about having a short life?"
Xiao Chengyu remained silent.
"I know, you’re worried about relapsing like before." The old madam said, "Look at this."
The old madam handed a letter to Xiao Chengyu.
Fu Shinian hadn’t taken the letter with her.
"During the New Year, Lin Qingqing sent over two potted plants, which I had thrown far away. Shinian had asked Cheng Yuanshan to take samples to investigate whether there’s something unknown to us in them." The old madam explained, "Indeed, something was found." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
"This made me wonder if we’ve ever missed something crucial before." The old madam said, "Especially when your father was alive, our control over the Marquis’s residence was not as comprehensive, possibly allowing Qinglan Residence to exploit this."
"That Liu Old Concubine was originally a dancer from the Western Regions who came to the capital." The old madam said, "She might know some poisons unfamiliar to the Central Plains."
After reading the letter, Xiao Chengyu let out a long sigh, directly throwing it into the brazier.
"It’s truly embarrassing to say; Shinian’s considerations have been more thorough than ours." The old madam said, "I was only just reminded, what we thought was stringent all along had indeed left gaps."
"At that time, you were young, and I was useless, suppressed by Liu Old Concubine. When she sent things over, I couldn’t throw them away publicly in front of your father. Even brief contact with you might have affected you."
"Even when your father was absent, I secretly had the doctor check, found nothing but still uneasily disposed them. Perhaps, they contained something our Central Plains doctors couldn’t identify, just like the plants’ soil."
"If that’s truly the case." Xiao Chengyu breathed out a long sigh, feeling a glimmer of hope, "Perhaps my illness could truly be cured."
"Indeed." The old madam nodded, "In such a case, why do you insist on denying your feelings?"
Xiao Chengyu: "..."
So this is where she’s waiting for him.
"I know my own mind." Xiao Chengyu reluctantly said.
"Ha!" The old madam laughed coldly, you know your mind, what do you know!
Two days later, it was the day for Lin Qingqing and Xiao Fengxing’s wedding.
The old madam still sent people for the ceremony, but Xiao Fengxing couldn’t show up due to a facial injury.
Only a few people dispatched by the Marquis’s residence arrived at the Lin Mansion gate.
Lin Qingqing wore her wedding garment, carried by her brother onto the sedan chair.
Behind the sedan chair was the dowry Mrs. Lin had prepared for her.
Yet it wasn’t festive at all.
The people from the Marquis’s residence brought drums and gongs, making noise along the way.
But to Lin Qingqing, it would have been better without them.
The sporadic sounds seemed not festive but rather filled with irony.
