Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 59 - 57:

Xie Wanqing continued, "He saw you and me alone in the flower field, thinking I was determined to break off the engagement with him because of you, and in his anger, he refused to let me go."

Pei Yuqing’s gaze remained on her lips, and after a while, he spoke with a hoarse voice, "He is no longer in the Capital City..."

"Yes, he is indeed not in the Capital City now, but he will return,"

Xie Wanqing almost laughed in exasperation at his nonchalant attitude and interrupted, "He’s such a proud person, how could he accept that his fiancée, who has always been infatuated with him, doesn’t want him anymore? As long as he returns to the Capital, he will inevitably come to entangle with me again. If I don’t find someone to marry, I’ll be entangled with him indefinitely."

Just the thought of being unable to sever ties with Lu Ziyuan for the rest of her life made her uncomfortable.

Under no circumstances would she allow herself to marry into the Wuyuan Marquis Mansion and repeat the mistakes of her dream.

Xie Wanqing said, "In the Duke Mansion with many guests, near the rockery where people pass by at any time, under broad daylight, Lu Ziyuan dared to abduct me and act indecently. Do you think he will give up if I don’t marry?"

Her voice was calm but carried a hard-to-conceal anger.

Unsure whether it was towards Lu Ziyuan or him.

Pei Yuqing looked at her and spoke with difficulty, "It’s my fault..."

He was late and didn’t protect her.

He let her suffer such humiliation under his watchful eyes.

He paused for a moment, then gently said, "Shall I arrange some hidden guards for you? So no one can bully you again."

"..." Xie Wanqing remained silent.

She glanced at him and forced a smile, "Forget it. It’s my immaturity that has troubled you."

He had been refusing from the beginning to the end, yet she, knowing his feelings, confidently pressed forward.

But after speaking to him so many times to the fullest extent, he still had no plans to relent.

...It’s actually quite meaningless.

Where is there someone forcing another to marry them like this?

She’s not really incapable of getting married; within three months, she could choose someone to marry.

It’s just that she wanted to be able to make her own choice even when Lu Ziyuan forced her into such a situation.

Perhaps her smile was too ugly, and at the moment her voice fell, her wrist was grasped by the person in front of her.

"It’s not troubling you..." As if he had made a decision, Pei Yuqing no longer avoided her question, tightened his grip on her hand, and smiled bitterly.

Even in his dreams, he had dreamed more than once of the scene where he marries her.

How could it be troubling?

No one could understand his bewilderment and struggle; since he met this girl, he had been struggling.

When greed arose, he would think that life’s pleasures should be fully enjoyed. No matter who he handed her over to, he wouldn’t be at ease, worried she would be wronged, worried she wouldn’t be treated well, and the girl closest to his heart should be protected carefully by himself.

But when calm, he would tell himself that his weak health was unworthy to demand lifelong happiness with her; indulging his own desires would only delay her life.

Being so much older than her, he should think more for her, not drag such a vibrant young girl into his endless abyss.

Yet ironically, she kept bringing up things that he restrained himself from thinking about, things he didn’t dare imagine.

Xie Wanqing wouldn’t understand the twists and turns in his mind; she moved her wrist and said, "Let go."

Pei Yuqing released his hand and sighed lightly, "I will marry you."

Xie Wanqing looked up at him, "With such reluctance?"

Pei Yuqing: "..."

He lowered his eyes to meet her gaze, his lips moved slightly, "I never force myself."

"...Then what just happened?" Xie Wanqing blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the unbidden tears, but her voice still betrayed her grievance, "Does it feel good to see a girl repeatedly request you to marry her?"

The young girl was so aggrieved, making the usually composed man suddenly flustered. He touched her eyelid with his thumb lightly, seeing the tears still falling in a string, he hurriedly said, "Don’t cry, I’m wrong."

Xie Wanqing turned her head to avoid his hand and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Pei Yuqing’s hand paused in mid-air, holding her shoulder only after a long time, "I didn’t intentionally refuse you, you know, I have a heart condition."

Xie Wanqing’s hand, which was wiping her tears, paused slightly, but she didn’t speak.

Pei Yuqing continued to explain to himself, "Several Imperial Physicians in the palace have checked my pulse, this condition is incurable, poses a constant life risk, and I can’t have excessive emotional fluctuations. Maybe one moment I’m talking and laughing with you, and the next moment I’m unconscious."

As he spoke, he withdrew the hand holding her shoulder, lowered his eyes to look at her, and said hoarsely, "If you regret it, it’s still not too late."

"As for Lu Ziyuan, you don’t need to worry too much. As long as I’m around, I won’t watch you being forced by him."

Under the night, his eyes were gentle like water, just like him, appearing to have a very good temper.

Xie Wanqing looked up at him for a while and asked back, "Why should I regret it?"

Whether or not he was healthy enough to accompany her till old age, what did it have to do with her decision to marry him?

Upon hearing her words, Pei Yuqing’s lashes trembled, stiff for a long time before suddenly realizing.

It seemed he finally understood her meaning, the light in his eyes slowly dimmed.

He was silent for a long time, slowly nodded, "Okay, I promise you, whenever you want a divorce, I will let you go."

It turned out this was what she wanted him to promise.

It turned out she didn’t just want him to marry her.

But wanted him to, after marrying her, let her go freely at any time.

...This is good too.

Pei Yuqing thought to himself, feeling his previous struggle was overly melodramatic.

This girl, at most, had a mere excitement upon seeing prey; even if she had a hasty thought of marrying to avoid Lu Ziyuan, there were plenty of noble young men to choose from, it was never to the point of necessarily marrying him.

But with a sudden thought, Pei Yuqing understood the reason why this girl chose him.

He lightly tugged the corner of his lips, forcing a smile, and said, "Tomorrow I will inform my parents to choose an auspicious day and propose marriage to your family."

"No need to specially choose a day, let’s keep everything simple with our marriage," Xie Wanqing said, "Preferably within three months, before Lu Ziyuan returns, complete the wedding ceremony."

Pei Yuqing’s facial smile finally couldn’t hold, speechless for a long while.

Sanctified rites and etiquette, any family with some rules would take at least a year to complete the procedure. Previously, her engagement with Lu Ziyuan started from a discussion at age ten, and it took a total of five years until last year’s request for the period.

Now it’s his turn, but all is to be completed in a mere three months.

Xie Wanqing tugged at his sleeve slightly, "I don’t mean to disregard the importance of this engagement with you, it’s just..."

"I’ll go by your wishes," Pei Yuqing interrupted flatly, "Just three months, everything will be kept simple."

Xie Wanqing: "..."

Even if slow to understand, she could see that he seemed to be angry.

Why he was angry, she could understand a little.