Chapter 124: Meeting in the Carriage

Chapter 124: A Carriage Meeting

Men can be like this sometimes—when you obey them in every way, they find you dull and uninteresting, but when you leave and live happily, they just have to come bothering you again.

Wei Cong grew tired of the gentle, submissive women around him, and when he saw Qiu Wen, this free-spirited woman like a wildflower, he became intrigued. He pestered her repeatedly.

Of course, Qiu Wen had no intention of following him back to Marquis Wei’s estate. She just never expected Zhao Wan would come to cause a scene.

“Good thing you were here today, otherwise she wouldn’t have given up so easily.”

Qiu Wen looked at A Yuan with a grateful smile.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t congratulated you yet—you found your brother. From now on, you’ll have someone to protect you.”

She and A Yuan had practically grown up together. A Yuan was different from them—while they had all been sold into the brothel by their own parents or siblings, A Yuan’s parents might be gone, but she still had a brother who cherished her. She had hope.

Now that the siblings were reunited, A Yuan had risen from being a mere concubine to the dear younger sister of a third-rank general in the imperial court.

Qiu Wen couldn’t deny her envy, but everyone had their own fate. The fact that she had escaped the mire was already a huge blessing.

“I owe it all to you for saving me back then, Sister Qiu Wen. Otherwise, I’d never have lived to reunite with my brother.”

Now, looking back on those times, it all felt like a dream.

A Yuan shook her head and continued, “You haven’t met A Man yet, have you? She’s already a little girl of three. She knows she has a pretty aunt and is excited to meet you. Next time, I’ll bring her along.”

“Of course! I’ve been eager to meet her for a long time.”

Qiu Wen nodded eagerly. She had been the first to know about A Yuan’s pregnancy but had never met the child.

Thinking of A Man, Qiu Wen’s expression turned hesitant. “And you and Wei Crown Prince...”

Now that A Yuan’s standing matched Wei Xun’s, and with Young General Xie being a top general under Marquis Wei, there was no obstacle to her marrying into the marquis’s household.

Besides, Wei Xun had remained unmarried all these years, and they even had a child together. By all rights, they ought to reunite.

A Yuan lowered her gaze and shook her head slightly. “There’s nothing between us.”

Wei Xun was a good man, but some breaks, once they happen, will always leave a rift, even if they reunite.

Unless Wei Xun could erase all the suffering she had endured.

Qiu Wen thought with a sigh. Without all that pain, what a perfect match they’d have made.

What a shame.

The two chatted a while longer before A Yuan told Chun Tao to leave the gifts and prepared to depart.

“You shouldn’t have brought gifts!” Qiu Wen didn’t want to accept them.

“They’re not just for you—some are for Zhang Dalang. After all the help he gave me back then, it’s only right that I thank him.”

At the mention of Zhang Dalang, Qiu Wen’s cheeks turned pink, though she didn’t refuse again.

She only grumbled, “Even so, you shouldn’t have brought so much.”

A Yuan chuckled. “Next to all you’ve done for me, these things are nothing.”

After leaving Wutong Street, A Yuan still wanted to visit the plum grove, wondering how her brother was getting along with Lady Lin.

But before she could instruct the coachman, the carriage was stopped.

Chang Yuan lifted the curtain and sent Chun Tao away, while Wei Xun stepped onto the footboard and entered.

"Crown Prince Wei?"

A Yuan tensed, not expecting Wei Xun to approach.

She pressed herself against the carriage wall, her eyes filled with wariness.

The faint scent of pine ink from Wei Xun lingered in the air, and his deep voice sounded beside her ear, "Did it scare you that day?"

He had intended to keep Prince Jing's matter from A Yuan, but when Chun Tao went out to inquire, Wei Xun knew she had found out.

She was easily frightened, and Xie Zheng was too blunt—he feared the woman he loved would be scared, so he intercepted the general's carriage to check on her.

Only by seeing A Yuan's condition himself could he be at ease.

As the curtain fell, the carriage was plunged back into darkness. A Yuan could feel the man sitting beside her, the fabric of their robes touching. She resisted, shifting further inward.

"I appreciate your concern, Crown Prince Wei, but I am fine."

She lowered her gaze, wringing her hands. If Wei Xun hadn't saved her during the palace banquet, she would have already called him a rogue and demanded he leave.

Yet her resistance still made his heart ache.

"Prince Jing has been demoted to the imperial mausoleum and will not return to the capital for three years. Shen Qiuyu is leaving with him."

His voice was calm and deep, leaving A Yuan speechless.

Prince Jing, the emperor's favorite, had been expelled from the capital—undoubtedly due to the efforts of Xie Zheng and Wei Xun.

A Yuan's thoughts were in disarray, but she managed a composed nod. "I understand."

Silence returned to the carriage, their breathing synchronized, awkward yet charged with tension.

Pressed against the wall, A Yuan's arm began to tingle. Suddenly, she felt his shadow loom over her as the man's fingers laced through hers, clasping them gently.

"Crown Prince Wei!"

A Yuan jerked her head up. The man winced but held tight.

She could hate him, resent him—he could bear it all. But he couldn't bear A Yuan shutting him out completely.

Wei Xun's gaze let his eyes roam freely on her face. Only in the darkness could he allow himself such indulgence.

"I was arrogant before, failing to protect you... but it won't happen again."

This was his promise to her.

After a moment of shock, A Yuan gave a hollow laugh. "But I don't need you anymore, Your Highness."

When she had needed Wei Xun, he wasn't there. Now that her brother protected her, why must he come back to complicate things?

A Yuan lowered her eyes, a flicker of scorn in her eyes, and pursed her lips as she pulled her hand free.

She didn't need him anymore...

In the darkness, Wei Xun's face turned ghostly pale, the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth.

"And what about Qiu Wen?"

The man's voice carried a possessive edge, making A Yuan's blood run cold.

"What does the Crown Prince wish to say?"

Was he going to blackmail her into compliance again?

The woman hissed like a cornered cat, her fists clenched so tightly her nails were digging into her palms.

Wei Xun lowered his gaze, took her hand, and methodically unfolded her fingers one by one.

"Second Brother doesn’t even listen to Father. If he wants to take Qiu Wen as his concubine, no one can stop him—unless..."

Before he could finish, A Yuan already understood his implication.

"I can bring Qiu Wen to the General’s Manor."

She refused to believe Wei Cong would dare to raid the General’s estate to take her.

"But do you know she is secretly involved with Zhang Dalang? Would she be willing to stay in the General’s Manor forever?"

"Moreover, you may protect Qiu Wen, but can you shield the whole Zhang household?"

Wei Xun had been waiting for this opening, aiming for a decisive strike.

"Qiu Wen and Zhang Dalang..."

A Yuan murmured, suddenly realizing why Qiu Wen had blushed earlier when she mentioned Zhang Dalang.

Both were kind-hearted souls—without them, she wouldn’t be who she was today.

Her heart sank. Having spent six years in the Marquis' household, she knew Wei Cong’s nature better than anyone. Though he appeared frail, his malice knew no bounds.

She could ask her brother to protect Qiu Wen and the Zhang family, but Xie Zheng, after all, served under Marquis Wei. If a conflict arose between a subordinate and his own son, she wasn’t certain Marquis Wei would side with her brother.

And she couldn’t bear to drive a wedge between Xie Zheng and Marquis Wei because of her.

Wei Xun had anticipated her limitations perfectly, leaving her no option but to comply.

"What exactly does the Crown Prince want?"