Chapter 86: Only a Concubine

Chapter 86: Merely the Outsider

Wei Xun waited outside. When Xiao Ce emerged, he stepped forward.

"Uncle Xiao."—a term of respect for elders, though not necessarily kin.

Xiao Ce patted Wei Xun’s shoulder. "She’s a good girl—but my wife and I weren’t blessed [to keep her]."

"She... refused?"

Wei Xun’s voice was strained. He had arranged everything flawlessly—if A Yuan knew her family had come for her, she should have been overjoyed.

"Yes," Xiao Ce nodded.

"I see." Wei Xun smiled bitterly. His last bargaining chip had failed.

With A Yuan’s current status, marrying into a marquis’ household was too difficult.

Though Xiao Ce was old enough to be his father, he had once been a young man too. Seeing Wei Xun’s expression, he understood exactly what he was thinking.

"House rules matter, but some rules don’t need to bind you."

In his youth, he’d turned down concubines for the sake of Madam Xiao. Even after their daughter was lost and Madam Xiao lost her sanity, he never considered remarrying.

He loved Madam Xiao—whether she was mad or foolish, he would remain devoted to her, even willing to give up having heirs for her. The Emperor had once called him a love-struck fool.

But Xiao Ce was willing.

Wei Xun, born into the Anning Marquisate, had been taught duty and propriety since childhood. That stubborn streak ran too deep to change, especially since the gap between him and A Yuan wasn’t just about family background—there was also A Man.

If Grandmother Wei learned A Yuan had been married before, she would never tolerate her.

Bitterness flickered in Wei Xun’s eyes.

Another tale of doomed love. Xiao Ce shook his head, helping Madam Xiao into the carriage. Before leaving, he offered one last piece of advice.

"For families like ours, if we cannot protect them, we only bring them harm. Lady Xie is not the type of woman who schemes for favor—dragging her into the marquisate would only hurt her."

Xiao Ce didn’t know the full extent of Wei Xun and A Yuan’s entanglement, but from this brief encounter, he could see the problem between them.

With their parents against them, Wei Xun would be torn in the middle. Over time, even love would fray.

Someone as clever as Lady Xie might have realized this and backed away, piece by piece.

"Let’s go."

As the carriage departed, Wei Xun watched them leave before turning into Sweet Olive Alley.

A Yuan sat by the window, needle poised over embroidery, unmoving.

Chun Tao, having overheard everything, knew her mistress was unsettled and scooped up A Man, slipping out quietly to avoid disturbing her.

When Wei Xun entered, he saw her nearly stab her own finger with the embroidery needle.

He scowled, taking the embroidery from her hands and carefully inspecting her fingers. Only when he confirmed there was no wound did he relax.

"You’re a mother now—can’t you be more careful?"

"My lord..."

A Yuan snapped back to reality and abruptly withdrew her hand from his grasp.

The man's expression grew even colder.

"Why didn't you agree to them?"

Wei Xun sat down in front of her and asked.

A Yuan lowered her head, the handkerchief in her hands nearly twisted to shreds.

"I know what the Heir intends, but A Yuan does not wish it."

Even with an honorable status, she knew her origins.

An orphan, a trained courtesan of Yangzhou—neither identity was worthy of Wei Xun.

If she truly returned to the Marquisate, not only would the Dowager refuse to tolerate her, but even the noble ladies of the capital would scorn to associate with her.

A Yuan was accustomed to a quiet life and had no patience for petty squabbles. Moreover, Wei Xun was already married.

At the thought of Shen Qiuyu, A Yuan's knees ached dully.

The man leaned in close, his cold demeanor pressing against her.

Gathering her courage, A Yuan raised her head, forcing a stiff, placating smile. "If the Heir is unwilling to let go, then let A Yuan remain in Jiangnan as your unofficial companion."

"Unofficial companion?" Wei Xun's heart ached.

What he wanted was for A Yuan to stand proudly by his side—how could he bear to see her humiliated?

"Being an unofficial companion is fine. No household protocols to follow, no one to control me. When the Heir misses A Yuan, you can come to Jiangnan. I'll wait for you in Osmanthus Lane (a lane named after the fragrant osmanthus flower)."

A Yuan continued with a smile, "And there's A Man. Even if the Dowager could accept me, she would never allow A Man into the household. I've indulged her too much—if she returned to the Marquisate, she'd never fit in and would draw the masters' scorn."

A Man was her life. She would rather suffer herself than let A Man endure hardship.

Even if the Dowager knew A Man was her granddaughter, so what? Just a bastard daughter—who would care for her?

Wei Xun would have his own legitimate heirs. If she and A Man returned to the Marquisate, they would be confined to some cold courtyard, waiting for his occasional attention. Better to stay in Suzhou.

"...Fine. I agree."

Wei Xun spoke with difficulty, feeling useless for the first time.

What did it matter that he was the heir of the Marquis of Anning? He couldn't even protect the woman he loved, forced to let her live as an unofficial companion.

His heart ached, the metallic taste rising in his throat.

Gazing at A Yuan with tender affection, he said, "I won't let you live this way forever. One day, I will give you proper standing."

Or perhaps if A Yuan bore his child, his mother might relent...

The thought of securing status through motherhood crossed Wei Xun's mind, and his resolve hardened.

The position of the official wife would belong to A Yuan alone. He would find a way to persuade his mother to let her enter the Marquisate.

Unaware of his thoughts, A Yuan was just relieved to remain in Jiangnan.

With the pressing official duties of the capital, Wei Xun couldn't remain in Suzhou forever. Sooner or later, he would return to the capital.

The capital was a month's journey from Jiangnan, so seeing her wasn’t easy for Wei Xun. Over time, his fixation faded.

Since their conversation, Wei Xun had moved in.

While A Yuan embroidered, Wei Xun worked by her side. If one ignored their status, they looked just like any other devoted couple.

By now, Aunt Li had finally caught on to her master’s plan—he had bought this residence and had her deliver meals daily to the young lady next door because he had his eye on her.

Too bad Lady Xie was a widow with a daughter; otherwise, she might have become the young master’s concubine in the marquis’ household.

But servants didn’t dare question their master’s choices. Since Wei Xun doted on A Yuan, Aunt Li served her even more attentively, treating A Man as if she were a young mistress.

Wei Xun stayed for dinner that evening. One of the dishes contained rice wine, and A Yuan, who had a low tolerance, was already buzzed by dessert.

Chun Tao had been instructed earlier to take A Man to the neighboring courtyard, leaving only Wei Xun and A Yuan alone.

In the dim candlelight, the woman’s face glowed like a blossom, her eyes misty. Propping her chin with one hand, her sleeve slipped to reveal a slender, jade-like wrist.

The man’s throat moved as he stood, his tall frame casting a shadow over the candlelight.

A Yuan’s vision darkened. She looked up, her eyes flickering between sultry and dazed. "My lord?"

Her voice was soft, laced with drunkenness.

Wei Xun bent down and scooped her up. The sudden weightlessness startled A Yuan, and she clung to his neck.

Her shallow breaths carried the scent of wine mingled with her warmth, as if Wei Xun, too, had grown intoxicated.

The emerald drapes closed around them, and the woman’s garments were shed one by one. The man covered her, his voice thick with longing. "A Yuan, give me a child."