Chapter 691: Rekindling the Past (Part 1)

Chapter 691: Rekindling the Past (Part 1)

"Miss Mei, Miss Mei!"

Mei Xue, clad in a flowing golden dress with a misty hue, leaned against the window, her face drawn with fatigue. She barely looked up at the old maid’s voice.

"Did they send someone again?"

Since her husband’s death, Mei Xue had become more reclusive, often staying home, barely seeing her sisters, let alone thinking about remarriage.

The Mei family grew increasingly worried. They didn’t mind supporting her, but Mei Xue’s apathy wasn’t helping. So, they often sent people to talk to her.

The old maid, who had raised Mei Xue, her lips trembled at the thought of who she’d just seen.

Her lady’s luck had finally turned!

"Miss Mei, this time is different. Your parents said..."

The old maid fought back tears, trying to stay calm. She knew better than anyone the pain Mei Xue had endured.

"If you go this time and still aren’t interested, they’ll stop setting you up!"

"Really?"

Mei Xue finally perked up a little. She stood but swayed, caught just in time by the old maid.

"Quick, get her medicine!"

The old maid’s heart broke. Though still young, Mei Xue’s spirit had faded like a wilting flower since her husband’s death, her health declining.

The old maid only gave him a chance to spare Mei Xue further pain.

He’d left without a word—had he ever cared for her?

"It’s fine."

Mei Xue shook her head, steadying herself. "I know my body. It’s just a chill; I don’t need medicine."

"Miss Mei!"

"Don’t persuade me anymore. Aren’t we supposed to meet someone? It would be impolite to keep them waiting."

The old maid choked back her words, fully aware of Mei Xue’s intentions—she was eager to reject the suitor and be done with it.

"Should Miss Mei change her clothes?"

The Mei family had instructed the old maid not to inform Mei Xue in advance of Xie Chuan’s return. Now, the old maid was more nervous than Mei Xue herself.

"No need."

Mei Xue pursed her lips, sensing something odd about the old maid but not dwelling on it, and headed to the main hall.

Xie Chuan knelt straight-backed in the Mei family’s main hall, seeking forgiveness.

A man’s knees are precious—he kneels to heaven and to his parents. But he had wronged his wife and burdened the Mei family; kneeling in apology was only right.

"Father-in-law, I..."

"Who is your father-in-law!"

Mei Songling was so furious that he hurled the teacup beside him at Xie Chuan. The porcelain shard flew past Xie Chuan, leaving a bloody gash under his right eye.

Seeing this, my lady anxiously tugged at Mei Songling’s sleeve and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Don’t you know how our daughter is? Once she sets her heart on someone, she won’t change her mind. And now you’ve gone and ruined his face! Besides, back then, our son-in-law really had no choice. If he hadn’t left, he would have died. Our Mei family couldn’t have saved him at the time..."

Mei Songling coughed under my lady’s scolding, but the sight of Xie Chuan still enraged him.

Honestly, if it weren’t for Xie Chuan’s good looks, how could he have so charmed his precious daughter?

Back then, Mei Songling had really liked Xie Chuan, and even when the Xie family fell into trouble, his opinion hadn’t wavered.

But considering how close the two families were, Xie Chuan’s fake death and sudden departure without informing his daughter had caused her such deep sorrow that it nearly destroyed her health, and Mei Songling couldn’t help but feel enraged.

"I heard you got married again in Dongrong. Do you expect Xue’er to stoop to being your concubine?"

"Xie Chuan wouldn’t dream of it!" Xie Chuan, rarely so helpless, hurriedly explained, "When I left for Dongrong, my future was uncertain, surrounded by enemies. I really had no chance to let Xue’er know..."

A grown man, seven feet tall, his voice trembled as he spoke of leaving Mei Xue.

"My remarriage in Dongrong was just a pretense, forced by circumstances. The wife in Dongrong was actually a man, one of my mother’s shadow guards. Xie Chuan would stake his life on it—I have never wronged Xue’er! Today, I come not to seek forgiveness but to admit my mistakes and apologize..."

This response eased Mei Songling’s anger somewhat.

Now that the Xie family had been exonerated, Xie Chuan was no longer a wanted man. Moreover, as the son of Princess Pingyang in Dongrong, if he truly wished, he could have his pick of noblewomen. Why would he travel all this way just to kneel here and suffer?

"You really..."

Before Mei Songling could finish, the bead curtain in the outer room swayed, and Mei Xue rushed in, disregarding all propriety.

"Xie Chuan, you..."

The wife he had longed for day and night finally appeared. Xie Chuan’s eyes softened, and he rose to meet her, but Mei Xue uncontrollably took a step back, her eyes trembling as tears instantly fell.

Seeing his wife so much thinner than when they had parted, Xie Chuan’s heart ached.

Mei Xue took two steps forward, wanting to touch him to see if he was real, but then she took two steps back.

"You’re alive. Why didn’t you ever send someone to tell me?"

"Xue’er, it’s my fault..." Xie Chuan, fearing that too much explanation would make the Mei family think he was making excuses, first offered the apology he had buried in his heart for so long.

He lowered his head, and Mei Xue finally saw the bloody gash under his eye. Her hanging hand trembled slightly.

"Xue’er."

"Don’t touch me!" Mei Xue, hearing him apologize without explanation, felt her eyes redden. Though she had seen him alive countless times in her dreams, now that he stood before her in the flesh, she felt only despair and sorrow.

"A broken mirror cannot be mended. Please leave, Xie Chuan. I will not marry you again!"

Though her heart ached, Mei Xue was more angry—angry that he had been alive all this time yet hadn’t sent her a single word in nearly two years. With that, she turned decisively to leave, but her chest felt heavy, and she swayed again.

"Xue’er!"

This time, even Mei Songling and my lady changed their expressions. Before they could stop her, Mei Xue’s body swayed, and she suddenly fell backward.

Xie Chuan rushed forward in alarm and finally caught her, only to realize how light she was, as if she were a sheet of paper.

"Quick, call the physician!"

Mei Songling and his wife exchanged a glance, their eyes speaking volumes without a word.

The more Mei Xue acted this way, the more it showed how difficult it was for her to let go. What a mess! What else could they do? Over the years, every man they introduced to her had been coldly rejected by her.

And Xie Chuan wasn’t the only one suffering.

With the brothers united, Mei Xue only learned of the Xie family's return today, while Wen Qingyu had already heard the news and firmly kept Xie Yu outside the courtyard.

"Qingyu, I know you’re mad at me. Do whatever you want, just let me see you once!"

Xie Yu had had enough of this long separation. If it weren’t for fear of angering his father-in-law further, he would have torn down the courtyard gate in front of him.

Hours went by, but Wen Qingyu didn’t budge. Xie Yu could only sigh and turn away.

"Leaving already?"

Hearing the commotion outside, Wen Qingyu finally couldn’t hold back. She bit her lip and chased out to look, only to find the doorway truly empty. Her eyes welled up with tears again.

She had cried almost the entire night before, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts when she woke up this morning. That’s why she refused to see Xie Yu, but she never expected him to have so little patience.

"Fine, go! I didn’t want to see you anyway!"

Wen Qingyu’s anger surged, venting her frustration on the empty space by the wall, unaware that another graceful figure was approaching.

"Sis, who’s got you so worked up? Here, have some plums to cool down."

"Who wants your plums?"

With just one glance, Wen Qingyu could see through the intentions of her stepsister Wen Qingyan. It was nothing more than hearing the news and also coming to try to win over Xie Yu.