Chapter 624 And Then?

Chapter 624 And Then?

Wei Zihang grinned and whispered to Xingxing, "No surprise. Ju Geer’s been jumping around the academy lately, saying it’ll make him taller. Turns out he’s scared of losing to you."

Wei Zihang and Xingxing were chatting happily when Wei Shuangyan shot her brother a cold glare. "You’re being so loud."

Wei Zihang stuck out his tongue and mouthed to Xingxing, "My sister’s in a foul mood. Ignore her."

Xingxing nodded in understanding.

"Is that cousin of yours from the Sheng family still here?" Wei Shuangyan got straight to the point.

Qing An, however, wanted clarification first. "Second Sister Shuangyan, what’s wrong?"

Wei Shuangyan’s eyes reddened. "I need him to back me up! Was it that woman with the surname Wu who pushed me?"

Qing An tried to dissuade her gently. "...Second Sister Shuangyan, why put yourself through this?"

Wei Shuangyan slammed her hand down on the side table beside her, her eyes growing even redder. "Second Brother Yu is blind! He’s forgotten all the promises we made each other and now wants to marry that venomous woman. He—he’s going to drive me crazy!... I need your cousin Sheng to back me up. It was that Wu woman who pushed me! If I’d fallen down the stairs back then, who knows how badly I could’ve been hurt? How could he possibly marry such a cruel woman?"

Qing An sighed, at a loss for how to comfort Wei Shuangyan.

But Sheng Kairan was recovering at their estate and had already joked that he shouldn’t have gone to see the spectacle—clearly, he didn’t want to get involved in such matters.

After a moment’s thought, Qing An signaled to a maid, whispered a few instructions, and sent her to ask Sheng Kairan first, letting him decide whether to come.

Meanwhile, Qing An tried to buy time with Wei Shuangyan.

But before she could even get a few words in, Wei Shuangyan impatiently cut her off. "Qing An, you’ve landed yourself a perfect match and are on top of the world. How could you possibly understand my misery?"

Qing An opened her mouth but then closed it, choosing instead to sip her tea quietly.

Fine. If she couldn’t understand, then she wouldn’t say anything.

An awkward silence settled over the room.

Wei Shuangyan, still hung up, turned to Xingxing. "Lady of Blessed Peace, everyone praises your intelligence and insight. Tell me, who’s to blame here?"

Wei Zihang grew anxious.

His sister’s marriage prospects were shot, and her lover wasn’t willing to live a nameless, uncommitted life with her.

Lately, Wei Shuangyan had been throwing fits left and right in the commandery mansion, leaving their parents helpless and going gray from stress.

But they were family—this was their burden to bear.

What did any of this have to do with Qing An or Xingxing?

His second sister really was taking it out on everyone.

"Second Sister..." Wei Zihang frowned, trying to intervene. "The Township Lady’s just a kid. Why ask her such things?"

To his surprise, his attempt to shield Xingxing only made Wei Shuangyan’s eyes redden further as she glared at him. "You’re my own brother, yet you side with outsiders. Men! All the same—no good! After all these years of affection between me and Second Brother Yu, he still chose that Wu wench over me—"

Wei Zihang felt a splitting headache and didn’t dare say another word.

He feared that even breathing would set her off again: "I’m suffering so much, and you dare to breathe?! Men! All the same—no good!"

Xingxing glanced at Wei Zihang, who had been berated into silence, and sighed. "Second Miss Wei, you keep saying your brother sides with outsiders. But in his eyes—or your family’s—aren’t you also mistreating your own kin for the sake of an outsider like Yu Chongen?"

Wei Zihang was on the verge of tears after hearing this.

She really was the girl he liked—Xingxing was so wonderful!

Wei Shuangyan, however, snapped back reflexively: "—Second Brother Yu is not an outsider!"

Xingxing stared steadily at Wei Shuangyan and said point-blank: "Not an outsider? But right now, you and that Second Young Master Yu are neither married nor betrothed. How is he not an outsider?"

The words made Wei Shuangyan go pale, then she turned red with rage.

"Yu Xingxing, you—!"

Wei Shuangyan's eyes reddened as she stood there glaring at Xingxing for a long moment. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her face, her shoulders shaking as she burst into uncontrollable tears.

Qing An and Xingxing were both stunned.

In their eyes, Wei Shuangyan was the proud and flamboyant Second Miss of the commandery prince's manor—always haughty and somewhat domineering.

Seeing her cry like this in front of them left them both unsettled and unsure what to do.

Wei Zihang was even more dumbfounded, desperately patting himself down for a handkerchief to wipe his second sister's tears.

It had been so long since he'd seen his second sister cry like this in public!

But Wei Zihang had left in a hurry today and didn't have a handkerchief on him.

He checked all his pockets but found nothing.

Xingxing and Qing An were still too stunned to think of offering Wei Shuangyan a handkerchief—

Just then, someone offered a plain white linen handkerchief.

At first, Wei Shuangyan thought it was her brother who had given it to her, so she grabbed it without thinking and wiped her tears.

But as she wiped, she realized her foolish brother was still patting himself down uselessly, while standing before her was a man even more strikingly handsome than herself—

Wei Shuangyan immediately realized the handkerchief must have come from him.

She stiffened, her tears stopping short.

Sheng Kairan sighed. "Second Miss Wei, don't cry. Since Second Young Master Yu has chosen someone else, no matter how much you cry or grieve, he won't care. You're only hurting the people who actually care about you."

Wei Shuangyan stiffened again, then after a long pause, shot back, "None of your business!"

Sheng Kairan shrugged.

Earlier, Qing An had her maid fill Sheng Kairan in and let him decide whether to show up.

Now that he was here, Qing An naturally knew where her cousin stood.

Still, she couldn't help but sigh.

After a while, Wei Shuangyan finally calmed down and sank back into her chair.

She looked at Sheng Kairan. "...You'll back me up later, prove that Wu woman pushed me!"

Sheng Kairan nodded. "I'll gladly testify for Second Miss Wei. But what happens after that?"

Wei Shuangyan hesitated. "After that?"

Sheng Kairan said patiently, "Yes, I stood up for Second Miss Wei, making sure Second Young Master Yu knew it was the young lady surnamed Wu who pushed her. And then what?"

Wei Shuangyan's hands clenched subconsciously. “—Obviously, he wouldn’t marry that Wu girl.”

Sheng Kairan pressed, “And then what?”

This time, Wei Shuangyan had no reply.

Indeed, and then what?

Even if it wasn't that Wu girl, Yu Chongen—who had already followed the Duke of Xinguo’s arrangements and started looking at other marriage prospects—would surely turn to other girls—Zhaos, Qians, Suns, or Lis.

The real issue was, they wouldn’t be together anymore.