Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 114 - 96

He doesn’t understand tolerance, doesn’t understand compromise, and doesn’t understand what respect means.

He considers himself superior, and only knows how to seize and coerce.

Xie Wanqing leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder, looking disheartened.

"Let’s not talk about him, even mentioning him affects my mood."

"Alright," Mrs. Zheng smoothed her daughter’s stray hair aside, speaking with concern, "Then tell me, is the Eldest Princess treating you well?"

This was Mrs. Zheng’s biggest worry these days.

A bride married into the family, and on the wedding night, her fiancé barged into the bridal chamber. If Mrs. Zheng were in her shoes, she definitely wouldn’t be warm toward this daughter-in-law.

Thinking from her own perspective, she couldn’t help but worry.

Xie Wanqing replied, "The Princess treats me very well."

Almost too well, with a strong sense of compensation.

Thinking about the conversation she overheard that day, Xie Wanqing’s smile stiffened, and her previously good mood turned gloomy.

Some things she could do without, but he couldn’t, right?

Mrs. Zheng expressed surprise, then joy, "The Princess truly is reasonable and sensible."

Indeed, if you analyze the situation closely, it’s Lu Ziyuan who’s arrogant and tyrannical, not her daughter’s fault.

Xie Wanqing opened her mouth, hesitating to speak.

Mrs. Zheng noticed her daughter’s unusual behavior and quickly grabbed her hand to inquire, "What’s wrong? The Pei family is straightforward, as long as the Princess doesn’t make things difficult for you, there shouldn’t be any trouble."

..."

Xie Wanqing was silent for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed and only shook her head slowly, "Everyone in the Pei family treats me very well, there’s no trouble."

Mrs. Zheng frowned slightly, and seeing her daughter unwilling to speak, she could only suppress her worries and stop asking.

Soon it was time for lunch, and Pei Yuqing hadn’t returned; he was kept in the front hall by several men of the Xie family to drink.

The women’s luncheon was set in the Brocade Hall. After having lunch with her mother and aunt, Xie Wanqing was pulled to her courtyard by Xie Ruyu.

The sisters hadn’t seen each other for several days and had much to talk about.

After her daughter left, Mrs. Zheng rubbed her temples, leaning against the armrest of the chair, looking weary.

Liu Family saw this and showed concern, "Sister-in-law, are you tired? Perhaps you should rest."

A maid approached to serve, but Mrs. Zheng waved her away with a slight raise of her hand.

She sighed lightly, "Wanwan seems to have something troubling her, hidden deep inside, and won’t even tell me."

It’s not that she feels her daughter is distant, but she is truly worried, fearing her child might be suffering in her husband’s family.

Upon hearing this, Liu Family hesitated.

After a few moments of hesitation, she stammered, "I think I might have noticed something, but... I’m not sure if I should say."

"Go ahead," Mrs. Zheng urged, lifting herself up, "You are her full aunt, what can’t be said."

...

As the sun gradually set in the west, Xie Wanqing bade farewell to her reluctant cousin and returned to her mother’s courtyard.

As soon as she entered, Mrs. Zheng’s gaze fell on her, scrutinizing her daughter as if she didn’t recognize her.

This look made Xie Wanqing stop in her tracks; she looked down at herself, puzzled, "Why is Mother looking at me like that?"

Mrs. Zheng smiled slightly, beckoning her over, "Come here and talk."

Meanwhile, Pei Yuqing, after being repeatedly made to drink, started to feel tipsy, yet he still handled the questions from several men of the Xie family quite adeptly.

Xie Shu grew increasingly satisfied with his scholarly and elegant, handsome son-in-law, finally giving a big wave of his hand, letting him go.

Pei Yuqing left the front hall, accompanied by Xie YanYu, his brother-in-law, heading to his mother-in-law’s place to take his wife home.

Both had keen hearing, and before reaching the outside, they heard the conversation between mother and daughter inside.

When Mrs. Zheng’s daughter approached, she looked carefully at her delicate little face with loving eyes, "Wanwan, there are no outsiders here. I want to ask you something, and you must answer honestly."

"What is it?" Xie Wanqing didn’t think much of it; she sat with her mother, holding the warm tea on the small table and slowly took a sip, then said, "Mother, go ahead and ask."

Their mother-daughter relationship has always been close, so Mrs. Zheng spoke without reservation, "Have you consummated your marriage with Changqing yet?"

Indeed, this question was quite direct. Xie Wanqing, sipping her hot tea, choked and coughed twice upon hearing it.

"Mother!" She hurriedly put down the teacup, her face flushed red.

"You are a married woman now, there’s nothing embarrassing to talk about with me." Mrs. Zheng gently patted her daughter’s back, probing further, "Is it true or not?"

..."

Xie Wanqing paused for a moment, pressed her lips, and nodded.

Mrs. Zheng inhaled sharply; when her sister-in-law said her daughter’s eyes still had the look of an unmarried girl, she didn’t believe it, but now...

Her expression became serious, "Is it because Changqing has a grievance over the wedding night incident?"

"No, no," Xie Wanqing grabbed her mother’s hand, quickly explaining, "He’s aware I was engaged to Lu Ziyuan; why would he mind that?"

"Then what’s the reason?" Mrs. Zheng’s mind raced, but she couldn’t figure it out.

"Please, Mother, stop asking," Xie Wanqing awkwardly said, "Anyway, it’s not something terribly important."

Mrs. Zheng: "..."

She smiled in exasperation, "How can it not be important? Changqing is not young anymore; if you don’t have a child soon, are you really waiting for the title to fall back into the hands of the first branch of the Pei family?"

As she spoke, realizing something, Mrs. Zheng’s expression suddenly changed, "Is there something wrong with his health?"

Xie Wanqing hesitated for a few moments, then softly said, "His heart condition can’t handle worry, can’t handle stress..."

Mrs. Zheng understood instantly; she was dumbfounded for a moment, almost gritting her teeth.

"No wonder he hasn’t married for so long; there was such a hidden reason," In her indignation, Mrs. Zheng slammed the table, furious, "But with him like this, why would he dare to delay my daughter!"

"Mother, please don’t spread this," Xie Wanqing quickly said, "I don’t care about this, they say it hurts a lot, so I get to avoid the suffering."

Mrs. Zheng: "..."

Looking at her innocent and lovable daughter, she was both amused and upset, "Silly girl, that’s not how you should see things; life is long. Do you know how much gossip a woman must endure without children?"

"The pressure for offspring falls on women, and if you don’t conceive soon, the first to be unsatisfied will be your mother-in-law, then..."

"My mother-in-law knows the situation," Xie Wanqing said, "She definitely won’t blame me."

"The Princess knows too?" Mrs. Zheng was both shocked and angry, determined that the Pei family had intention to deceive.

Xie Wanqing quickly explained, "The Princess only found out after the wedding."

Outside, Xie YanYu was utterly stunned; he slowly turned his head to look at his brother-in-law, eyes filled with complex emotions.

And Pei Changqing’s lips twitched, for once, the usually composed and calm expression showed a rare hint of embarrassment and anger.

He moved his lips, stiffly explaining, "She misunderstood."

Despite his genius, confident that everything was under control, he never imagined that the girl would see him this way.