Chapter 127: Peacock Display

Chapter 127: The Peacock Preens

"Ahem! A Yuan, does this robe look familiar?"

The young lady kept her eyes on her embroidery, and despite Wei Xun sitting there for a while, she hadn’t looked his way once.

Though merely seeing her was enough to satisfy him, winning her back required more than silent staring.

In a wheedling tone, he repeated the question three times. A Yuan knew that if she continued pretending not to hear, he would persist.

"Bought from Su Embroidery Workshop."

She glanced up briefly and knew it came from her workshop.

"Yes, I went there myself to buy it. It’s just not as fine as your embroidery."

To get closer to A Yuan, Wei Xun had purchased all the fashionable robes from her workshop, just waiting to show her.

However, these robes were made by other embroiderers in the workshop—he missed A Yuan’s craftsmanship.

"Mmm."

A Yuan gave a brief look before lowering her head again.

Wei Xun’s tricks were ones she'd tried before. She, too, had once dressed in beautiful outfits, hoping to catch his attention.

But the Wei Xun of the past had despised her for wearing makeup and dressing elaborately. Her delicate beauty, enhanced by even the slightest adornment, had made her the belle of the capital. The fitted dresses accentuated her waist, and her graceful movements turned heads wherever she went.

Yet, in his eyes, such allure had seemed wanton.

Every time she dressed like that, Wei Xun’s brows would knit tightly. Though he never voiced his displeasure, A Yuan still carried that resentment.

A stickler for propriety like him would never want a concubine who schemed and tried to seduce her master.

So after a few attempts, A Yuan learned to play the meek little mouse. She swapped her beautiful, elegant dresses for loose, plain garments, removed all makeup, and obediently stayed within the confines of her courtyard.

The memory made her hand holding the needle tremble slightly.

He continued talking about the clothes she had made for him. "That robe you made for me before got ripped on a case. No one else has your skill, and I was afraid they wouldn’t mend it well. So now it’s gathering dust in the wardrobe at Yuqing Courtyard. A Yuan, if only you could repair it for me..."

In the five years she had been with him, A Yuan had made clothes for him only a handful of times. He treasured that robe dearly, rarely wearing it, never expecting a criminal to ruin it.

He looked at her hopefully, longing for her agreement. But A Yuan suddenly clenched her fingers and gave a bitter laugh.

"My lord, why go to such lengths? The marquis’s estate has so many embroiderers—any one of them could make clothes for you. Nothing lasts forever. Since that robe is ruined, just throw it away."

She spoke of the robe, but her meaning was about people.

Wei Xun clung to the past, clinging to her. But you can't put broken glass back together. She was determined to move forward, and Wei Xun couldn’t hold her back.

"There may be many embroiderers, but the only one I want is you, A Yuan. Clothes can be mended or replaced. The mistakes of the past cannot be erased, but I can make up for them in the future," Wei Xun said softly.

From his sleeve, he produced a white jade piece carved like an iris, its surface smooth and translucent.

"I carved this jade myself the year you entered the household. It was meant to be your birthday gift, but I waited in vain to celebrate your birthday."

When A Yuan first arrived, she had lied about not remembering her birthday. Back then, Wei Xun had people inquire at Chunyan Tower.

The concubine was sweet and dutiful, and he was not truly cold-hearted. Over time, he found himself wanting to be good to her.

But after inquiring, he still couldn’t discover A Yuan’s birthday. Later, he accidentally learned that her birthday was a forbidden topic, so he gave up the search.

Yet, this white jade gift went undelivered.

A Yuan stared at the white jade in the man’s hand, a distant look in her eyes.

The year she entered the manor—did that mean Wei Xun had felt something for her after all?

Yet he had still allowed the people in the manor to bully her, and even he himself had showered her with nothing but coldness.

A Yuan came to her senses in an instant, and now the white jade seemed like a cruel joke.

“The Crown Prince ought to keep it.”

Since it hadn’t been given back then, there was no need to give it now.

After all, she wasn't short on finery these days, let alone some man's too-little-too-late tenderness.

After that, A Yuan kept her eyes lowered and focused on her embroidery, stonewalling Wei Xun's every attempt at conversation.

Their agreement only specified meeting, not what they had to do or say. If she didn’t want to speak, could Wei Xun force her?

By noon, their stomachs were growling.

Especially A Yuan—ever since she nearly drowned, she couldn’t endure hunger or cold. Though the hall had a charcoal brazier, chilly drafts found their way in from all sides.

Now, cold and hungry, her lips were going pale.

The kitchen had been instructed not to send them any food. Wei Xun knew this was A Yuan’s way of trying to drive him away.

He might punish himself, but he couldn’t bear to see A Yuan suffer.

“Let’s end it here for today. I’ll escort you back to the manor.”

The man stood up, relenting at last.

A Yuan had achieved her goal, but it brought her no joy.

She'd gotten through today, but what about five days later? Would they have to endure these painfully stiff meetings every time?

Anxious, A Yuan knew she had to see Marquis Wei as soon as possible.

Wei Xun escorted her to the general’s manor, and of course, A Yuan wouldn’t allow him inside.

The man hovered at the threshold, unwilling to leave.

“Does the Crown Prince have something else to say?”

Wei Xun’s gaze faltered slightly before he spoke again, his voice steady again.

“What about A Man? I haven’t seen her in a long time—I've missed her.”

“She’s gone to the palace. You can take her to the marquis’ manor when she returns.”

A Man was Wei Xun’s own daughter, so A Yuan would never interfere with their reunion.

But at the mention of going to the marquis’ manor, A Yuan's pulse quickened.

She'd figured out how to get help from Marquis Wei!

A Man—A Man could definitely get to him!

She kept her excitement in check, not letting it show. Wei Xun was dying to keep talking to her and didn’t notice anything unusual.

"Alright, I’ll come to pick her up when she returns."

That way, he'd get to see A Yuan again.

With their agreement settled, Wei Xun didn't stick around.

It was already past noon, and any longer and A Yuan would get stomach pains.

He had calculated everything, but he never saw it coming—A Yuan starving herself just to shake him off. She didn’t even care about her own well-being.

Wei Xun smirked bitterly, feeling utterly helpless.

Chang Yuan followed him onto the horse, scratching his head like the simpleton he was upon seeing his master like this.

"My lord, Mistress Xie wants nothing to do with you. Continuing to pester her will only make her resent you more."

Even Chun Tao was giving him the side-eye now.

Chang Yuan was at his wit's end. The dynamic between his master and Mistress Xie had completely reversed. Before, it was Mistress Xie who tried to please him, and the master found it annoying. Now, it was the master trying to win Mistress Xie over, and she resisted.

Sure, what goes around comes around, and the master had brought it upon himself, but this was no way to live. He still wanted to live happily with his wife, but if the two masters didn’t reconcile, he'd never get to be with his wife.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Wei Xun's face fell.

"Perhaps you could try playing the victim card?"

Chang Yuan cautiously proposed.

"Women are soft-hearted. If Mistress Xie still has feelings for you, she’ll surely pity you."

If not, then the master would be shit out of luck.