Chapter 75: She Got Married

Chapter 75 She Married

Explanation?

A Yuan tasted bitterness in her mouth.

She knew what Wei Xun wanted to ask, but how could she tell him?

Should she tell him she couldn’t endure the mistress’s abuse and fled to protect the child in her womb?

Yet Shen Qiuyu was the master, and she was the servant—she was bound to obey her mistress.

She didn’t believe Wei Xun could—or would—protect her or the child in her womb.

As for running away, A Yuan had no regrets. She just hadn’t expected Wei Xun to find her so quickly.

The sky darkened, and there were no customers left in the embroidery shop.

Though young, A Man could already sense the adults’ moods.

Clutching her mother’s neck tightly, she called out timidly, “Mother...”

The child was frightened, and A Yuan’s heart clenched. She pulled her daughter closer, gently patting her back.

“A Man, don’t be afraid.”

But the moment A Man called out “Mother,” Wei Xun’s face darkened with icy fury.

“Who is the father?”

He closed in step by step, forcing A Yuan to retreat until her back pressed against the counter with nowhere left to go. Only then did she steel herself to meet his gaze.

“M-My lord, back then, A Yuan nearly drowned... but was saved by a kind stranger. That’s how I’m still alive today.”

She avoided the question of A Man’s parentage, fabricating an excuse.

Wei Xun gazed at her, her hair still as elegant as ever after two years. His little concubine had lost none of her allure.

“If you were alive, why didn’t you return to the estate?”

Did she know he’d spent two years searching, two years heartbroken?

A Yuan lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions.

“My lord is married now. From now on, you’ll have your wife by your side. You have no need for A Yuan...”

“You have no need for me?”

Wei Xun had never imagined this answer. Had he not treated her well?

When he sent her to the manor, he had specifically promised to bring her back after his marriage, to shower her with devotion—even the mistress wouldn’t surpass her.

For her, he had borne the shame of putting his concubine above his wife, only for her to say, “You don’t need me.”

“Xie Yuan, you’re truly cruel!”

Wei Xun’s eyes reddened, his tone filled with self-mocking bitterness.

A Yuan’s heart trembled. She had followed Wei Xun for six years but had never seen him like this—as if he loved her beyond reason.

But how could that be? She was merely the lowest-ranking concubine by Wei Xun's side, while Shen Qiuyu was the woman who rightfully belonged by his side.

This was just his anger at her escaping his control.

"A Yuan wouldn’t dare... Now that the young master is married, A Yuan has her own life. Young master... please, let A Yuan go."

She didn’t want to go back.

"Let you go?"

Wei Xun choked out the words. If he let A Yuan go, who would free him...

Ever since he believed A Yuan had drowned, he hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep in two years.

Regret ate at him—why had he left A Yuan behind at the estate? If he hadn’t rushed into marriage, would she still be here?

He had been torturing himself for two years, angering his mother for her sake, defying all demands to remarry.

Yet he never knew she hadn’t died at all, but was living well in Jiangnan.

Wei Xun felt like a complete fool.

He stared into A Yuan’s eyes, his voice bone-chilling.

"You want me to let you go... Not a chance!"

"Papa!"

The doorway of Jinxiu Workshop darkened as Zhou Yan stepped inside.

Facing the door, A Man saw him right away.

The little girl held out her arms from her mother’s embrace, reaching for Zhou Yan.

"Papa, A Man is scared."

The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, her sobs heartbreaking.

Wei Xun stood close to her. The moment A Man called out "Papa," his heart clenched painfully, something in his chest about to burst.

His fingers twitched, but before he could reach out, a pair of arms lifted the little girl.

"Don’t cry, A Man. Papa’s here."

"Papa, the pretty uncle was being mean to Mama!"

Nestled in Zhou Yan’s arms, the girl pointed accusingly at Wei Xun.

"Papa? Mama?"

Wei Xun’s mind went blank. Though it was the height of summer, he felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss, his whole body going cold.

A Yuan avoided his gaze, pushed his hand away, and stood beside Zhou Yan.

Her expression was gentle, but her words ripped a hole straight through Wei Xun’s chest, leaving him gasping in pain.

"Young master, A Yuan is married."

Standing together with Zhou Yan and A Man, they made a perfect picture of a family of three.

"Married?" Wei Xun suppressed the blood rising in his throat, staring straight ahead.

"Crown Prince Wei, you belong to me!"

He couldn’t fathom it—how could A Yuan marry someone else? What was he supposed to do now...

The man’s expression twisted into something almost obsessive. Zhou Yan stepped forward, shielding the mother and daughter behind him, blocking Wei Xun’s gaze.

"Crown Prince Wei, I once told you—if you couldn’t protect A Yuan, then I would. Now, we are happily married, our daughter is sweet and lovely, and A Yuan has let go of the past. I ask you to leave us be."

Zhou Yan, in his humble garb, stood before Wei Xun, his bearing no less imposing.

Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun stood frozen, quickly closing the shop door to prevent anyone from entering.

"Disturb? Hah!"

Wei Xun’s gaze sharpened like arrows as they fixed on Zhou Yan. "Xie Yuan is a runaway slave from my household. If I report this to the authorities, what do you think your fate will be?"

The laws of the Zhou dynasty were harsh—runaway slaves were punished severely, from execution to crippling beatings, while those who harbored them would have their property confiscated and be exiled to Lingnan.

Zhou Yan knew full well that A Yuan was his concubine, yet he tricked her into marrying him. By law... he deserved death!

A Yuan, having spent years in the House of the Peaceful Marquis, wasn’t some clueless girl. And from Wei Xun’s tone, she knew their fate would be dire.

She stepped out from behind Zhou Yan, mustering her courage to face Wei Xun.

"You gave me my contract of indenture..."

So she was not a runaway slave.

Her words only added fuel to the fire.

The man’s face turned icy. "So you’ve been scheming against me since that day. Or was kneeling in the snow all just an act—"

"Wei Xun!"

A Yuan snapped, cutting him off, even daring to address him by name.

That kneeling in the snow had nearly cost her life—how could she risk her life—and A Man’s—like that?

Trembling with anger, she clenched her fists. "You know how badly I was injured back then. I may be lowborn, but I would never degrade myself like that."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. Wei Xun’s fingers twitched, an instinctive urge to wipe them away.

Even after her deceit, her betrayal, he still softened.

"Come back with me. I can overlook your marriage—just return with me."

"I won’t go back!"

A Yuan shook her head vehemently. She had never once considered returning after leaving the House of the Peaceful Marquis.

If she went back, what would become of her A Man?

She’d never let her daughter suffer.

Wei Xun had expected her refusal, but hearing it still made his chest tighten unbearably.

"You won’t return? Then what of Zhou Yan? He sheltered a runaway slave and wed you—aren’t you afraid I’ll see him exiled to Lingnan?"