Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 156 - 123_2

The passing of one’s mother requires deep mourning, necessitating a three-year period of bereavement.

Perhaps this is why, despite becoming a scholar at fifteen, he only passed the imperial examination at nineteen.

But...

Xie Wanqing felt discontent in her heart, as he almost had a fiancée. She was unsure if it was his mother who chose her, or if Duan Cheng himself was interested.

If it were the latter, and he missed the opportunity because of such turmoil, he would probably feel incomplete.

She understood human nature. Often, the more unattainable something is, the more it becomes an obsession.

She was like that herself. In her previous life, the more indifferent Lu Ziyuan was to her, the more she was obsessed with marrying him.

If she hadn’t gotten her wish and instead heeded her parents’ wishes to break the engagement and marry another man, no matter how good he was, she would have harbored resentment for the rest of her life.

Now she could let go, simply because she had already tried once and was no longer unwilling.

Indeed, many things are hard to let go of without personally attempting them.

Therefore, she would never want her cousin to marry a man who had another woman in his heart.

Xie Wanqing’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

Ji Chengfeng noticed her expression and finally couldn’t help but ask, "Cousin, you’ve never met Duan Cheng. Why are you so concerned about his affairs?"

"..." Xie Wanqing paused briefly, then casually thought of a reason, "I’ve read a few of his poems, and I’m curious about the life experiences of their author."

"Is that so?" Ji Chengfeng asked curiously, "I’ve read a lot of Brother Duan’s poetry collections too. Which one is your favorite, cousin?"

...

Xie Wanqing was momentarily tongue-tied. She raised her eyes to check if he was deliberately making things difficult for her, but saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes. It seemed he truly wished to discuss poetry with her.

She replied with annoyance, "I can’t recall any at the moment."

Compared to Duan Cheng, it was his poems she remembered studying more.

After all, in her previous life, after this person’s death, the Holy Emperor, in his eager admiration of talent, had unexpectedly wept uncontrollably in the grand hall. The entire Capital City was shaken, and his posthumous works had been widely circulated. She, following the trend, had also bought a few volumes to read.

Reflecting on this, Xie Wanqing felt a genuine fondness for talent, and truly couldn’t bear the thought of this person dying.

Perhaps in a moment of desperation, a flash of inspiration crossed her mind. She lifted her head and said, "Since you’ve told me so much, it’s only polite to reciprocate. Let me help you as well."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chengfeng paused briefly and asked, "Help me with what?"

"I can read palms!" Xie Wanqing said earnestly, spouting nonsense, "I’ve read several books on palm reading and have read for several people, with astonishing accuracy. Would you like me to take a look?"

Her gaze was fixed on his left hand.

This ’help’ greatly puzzled Ji Chengfeng, and after a few hesitant moments, he truly extended his hand from his long sleeve.

His hand was very white, with long fingers, distinct joints, and nails neatly trimmed. There was a small protrusion at the wrist bone hidden by the sleeve.

...These were the hands that wrote those exquisite articles.

While Xie Wanqing thought about this, she said aloud, "Turn your hand over; palm reading requires looking at your palm lines."

Ji Chengfeng shot her a glance and obediently flipped his hand.

Xie Wanqing, who knew nothing about palm reading, still pretended to study it for a while, displaying a contemplative expression on her face.

Quickly, it transformed into a look of difficulty.

She actually looked as if she knew what she was doing.

Ji Chengfeng’s lips moved slightly, "Did you see anything?"

"Ahem..." Xie Wanqing coughed lightly, lifted her chin with a sense of dignity, "Of course, I saw something. You can retract your hand now."

Ji Chengfeng withdrew his hand and quietly chuckled, "I’m all ears."

"..." Xie Wanqing felt a bit guilty as he smiled, suspecting he regarded her like some charlatan performing tricks.

Given his young age yet already navigating the officialdom, he likely had countless schemes up his sleeve and would never believe she understood palmistry.

However, she hadn’t intended to deceive him; what she was saying was true!

Thinking this, Xie Wanqing instantly regained her composure.

"I see that your official career is promising, with a great future ahead of you. Before long..." She paused before continuing, "probably by next spring, the Holy Emperor will assign you an important task to leave the Capital and head to the Southern regions. Given your abilities, handling the mission won’t be difficult, and promotion is very likely."

Ji Chengfeng listened quietly, a faint smile brewing in his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, the young lady before him changed her tone and said, "However, your journey won’t be smooth. There’s a sign of impending disaster, one where your very life might be at risk."

"Oh?" Ji Chengfeng’s brow furrowed slightly, evidently surprised by her words. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Cousin, is there a way to avert it?"

Xie Wanqing was momentarily speechless. He was actually going along with her words, seemingly believing them completely.

Yet, with the conversation having reached this point, she didn’t bother speculating whether he was teasing her for fun. She simply stated, "You must be cautious of your followers betraying you, especially those closest to you."