Chapter 122: Wanting to Return to Suzhou

Chapter 122: Thoughts of Returning to Suzhou

A Yuan only learned what had happened at the embroidery workshop that evening.

When she heard that Prince Jing had barged into the backyard of the workshop and assaulted a male courtesan, she was both furious and terrified.

Prince Jing wouldn’t have entered the workshop without reason, and given that the male courtesan was built like her, she knew exactly what his true intentions had been.

His attempt to seize the male courtesan was just an excuse—mistaking him for her was the real goal.

“So that male courtesan... was my brother’s arrangement?” A Yuan asked Chun Tao, trying not to gag.

Chun Tao hesitated before nodding. “Probably. Otherwise, why would the General have stopped you from going out?”

Clearly, he had set this up in advance.

A Yuan nodded, her eyes reddening. “I see.”

Her feelings were all mixed up—her brother was babying her, afraid she’d be frightened.

Yet she had caused him trouble again and again.

When dinner came, A Yuan brought the meal she had prepared to Xie Zheng’s courtyard.

Xie Zheng saw his sister’s swollen eyes and knew she had been crying.

“The manor has cooks—why tire yourself out?”

Xie Zheng couldn’t bear to see his sister cry, and the sight of her puffy eyes reminded him of another young woman.

A Yuan managed a small smile. “With everything you’ve done for me, what’s cooking a couple of meals in return?”

“You know?”

Xie Zheng paused, then got it.

His sister was too clever—how could he have hidden it from her for long?

“Mm.” A Yuan nodded, lifting her gaze to ask, “Have I caused you trouble again?”

Xie Zheng mussed her hair. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Prince Jing had asked for this—what did it have to do with his sister?

Besides, as a third-rank General of the Valiant Cavalry, he wasn’t a pushover.

A Yuan’s eyes burned at his doting tone. “I just don’t want to be a burden. Maybe A Man and I should return to Suzhou...”

Though the capital was nice enough, it was also full of constant trouble and drama. She didn’t mind for herself, but she couldn’t drag her brother and daughter into it.

For the first time, she started thinking about returning to Jiangnan, she thought.

Xie Zheng said quickly, alarmed. “Don’t be ridiculous—return to Suzhou? I can protect you!”

He had just got back his sister—how could he send her away again?

“Don’t worry. After today, Prince Jing won’t dare mess with you again!”

Between his and Wei Xun’s impeachment petitions, Prince Jing will be lucky if he gets away with just getting skinned alive.

A Yuan's eyes welled up, but she was still half-skeptical in her mind. "I believe you, brother."

Xie Zheng knew his sister was worried about him, but the court intrigues were not something he could explain to her in detail.

"Well... If you really feel guilty, how about helping me with something?"

"What is it?" A Yuan asked.

Xie Zheng scratched his head awkwardly. "Help me arrange to meet with Lin Qingshuang."

The words of the courtesan today must have caused Lin Qingshuang to misunderstand.

Xie Zheng was anxious, but he wasn't Lin Qingshuang’s guard anymore and couldn’t freely enter the inner courtyard of the Lin household. He had no choice but to ask his sister for help.

A Yuan agreed without hesitation. "Of course!"

......

The Lin household.

After returning from the embroidery workshop, Lin Qingshuang shut herself in her room. Mrs. Lin and her brothers' wives came to ask what had happened, but no one knew the reason. When dinnertime came, she still hadn’t come out to eat.

"What in heaven's name happened? Did someone wrong her outside?"

Mrs. Lin paced anxiously outside the door. She had given birth to six children, but her youngest daughter was the most beloved. Now nineteen years old, she was still cherished like a precious jewel, held carefully for fear she might come to harm.

"Mother, don’t worry. I’ll go ask again."

The second elder brother's wife had the closest relationship with her younger sister-in-law. If anyone could get Lin Qingshuang to talk, it would be her.

Mrs. Lin nodded hurriedly. "Go quickly!"

The second elder brother's wife pushed open the door. The young lady lay on the bed, not responding at all.

The room was dark, so she carried a candleholder and walked over softly.

The candlelight illuminated her sister-in-law’s face—her eyes were swollen like peaches, clearly from crying.

The second elder brother's wife’s heart ached. She was over a decade older than her sister-in-law. When she first married into the family, the girl had been a three-year-old child. She might as well have raised the girl herself. Seeing her like this now pained her deeply.

"Shuang’er, did someone bully you? Tell me who it was, and I'll make them pay!"

She placed the candleholder on the table and sat on the bed, gently stroking her sister-in-law’s back.

Lin Qingshuang lay curled on her side, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

The mere thought of Xie Zheng's deception made her unable to control her tears.

"Second elder brother's wife, I want to be married."

Lin Qingshuang clutched the blanket, her voice thick with tears.

She wouldn’t wait for Xie Zheng anymore. If he didn’t like her, then she would marry someone else.

"What? Why this sudden change?"

The second elder brother's wife was stunned. Just two days ago, her sister-in-law had resisted talk of marriage—she'd refused to even look at the gifts Qin Erlang sent before returning them. What brought this on?

"Have you... taken a liking to someone?" she asked carefully.

Someone she fancied...

Lin Qingshuang clenched her fingers tightly, her tears falling harder.

She buried her face in the quilt and said thickly, "There's no one I like... Qin Erlang would do."

At least if Qin Erlang deceived her, she wouldn’t feel so heartbroken.

Mrs. Lin, the second sister-in-law, understood immediately—her sister-in-law had suffered a heartbreak. She wondered which bastard had hurt her.

"There's no hurry to marry. Father, Mother, and your brothers all want to keep you at home for a few more years."

Lin Qingshuang was the youngest child, born late in her parents' lives, with even her eldest brother being five years older than her. The entire family spoiled her rotten.

Had she mentioned marriage yesterday, Mrs. Lin would have been overjoyed. But today, it was clearly said in a fit of pique, and Mrs. Lin couldn’t possibly agree.

"Let’s not worry about other matters for now. Shouldn’t you eat something? Mother is worried sick hearing you skipped dinner. Just take a few bites to ease her mind, alright?"

"...Alright." Lin Qingshuang gave a sullen nod.

"Second sister-in-law, I’d like to eat in my room."

Her eyes were still swollen and red, and she didn’t want her mother to see her like this and worry.

"Of course! I’ll bring it to you!"

Mrs. Lin breathed a sigh of relief and bustled out. As long as her sister-in-law was willing to eat, she’d serve her anywhere!

Seeing her daughter-in-law come out smiling, Mrs. Lin quickly approached. "Well? Did you find out anything?"

Mrs. Lin shook her head. "You know how Xiao Liu is. If she doesn’t want to talk, no one can force her. But I managed to persuade her to eat. She’ll probably work through it once she sorts her feelings."

She didn’t mention that Lin Qingshuang had cried over a man—that was her sister-in-law’s private matter.

Mrs. Lin’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. "As long as she’s willing to eat, that’s what matters. I was afraid she’d ruin her health."

"I’ll go to the kitchen and prepare her a bowl of blood-red bird's nests. She loves those from the Western Frontier. We just received a few pieces yesterday—perfect for her."

With that, Mrs. Lin hurried to the kitchen, and Mrs. Lin, the second sister-in-law, went along to get the meal.

In the room, a maidservant quietly pushed the door open and handed an invitation to the young lady on the bed.

"Miss, Lady Xie from the General’s residence has sent you an invitation. Will you accept it?"