"At the time, I thought I was making the right choice for the long term, but when I saw Lin'er again, I realized that leaving Jiajing Pass was the most regrettable decision of my life." Yun Wenting gave a self-deprecating smile, "Unfortunately, there's no chance to choose again."
Yun Wenting could never forget the chill in his heart when he saw Xiao Jinglin looking at him as if he were a stranger upon their reunion. Before leaving Jiajing Pass, he had been the closest person to Xiao Jinglin. Back then, she was still cheerful, her bright eyes crinkling with laughter as she trustingly called him "Wenting Gege." But when they met again, everything had changed. Her gaze always seemed to carry the distance of a thousand mountains and rivers, and her address for him had become "Young Master Yun"—she hardly even called him "cousin" anymore.
Yun Wenting had tried to change this situation, striving to remind Xiao Jinglin of their intimate past, but it was useless. Xiao Jinglin hadn't forgotten anything; she had simply abandoned it completely.
He had also thought of explaining—that his departure from Jiajing Pass back then wasn't because he had given up on her, but because he wanted to circumvent the obstacles between them in a roundabout way. It was the solution he could think of at the time that would cause the least conflict for both his family and their future. But it was no use, because Xiao Jinglin wasn't ignorant; she was simply disappointed in him.
Yun Wenting finally understood that the purity in Xiao Jinglin, which had once been what most attracted him, was ultimately what hurt the most. She never gave anyone a second chance.
Min Wenqing, Yun Wenting, and Xiao Jinglin could barely be considered childhood friends, so Min Wenqing had seen this past between Yun Wenting and Xiao Jinglin clearly from the start. Yet, hearing Yun Wenting speak of it today, he couldn't help but feel momentarily stunned.
After staring at Yun Wenting with a complex gaze for a long while, Min Wenqing finally let out a scoff, his eyes gradually regaining their usual calm. "Then you should also know that once you get married, no matter what unavoidable reasons you have or what damned expediency you claim, you won't have even the slightest chance left."
Min Wenqing looked at Yun Wenting and spoke earnestly, word by word: "I will stay with her to guard Jiajing Pass. No matter what prejudices she once held against me, I believe hearts are made of flesh. After ten or eight years, she will eventually see whether my feelings are genuine or false."
Yun Wenting slowly clenched his fists, watching as Min Wenqing gave him a particularly malicious smile and said, "As for you, just be a good head of the Yun Family, with descendants for generations to come."
Yun Wenting used every ounce of his strength and self-control to barely restrain himself from throwing a punch.
After saying those words, Min Wenqing gave Yun Wenting a provocative smile, then brushed past his shoulder and left.
The force of Min Wenqing's passing even caused Yun Wenting to sway slightly, but he quickly steadied himself. After closing his eyes briefly, he opened them again, his emotions restored to calm composure. Yet, he remained standing in place for a long time without moving.The next day, news of the Yun Family's eldest young master's impending marriage indeed spread. Although the Yun Family kept the wedding preparations low-key, it was impossible to keep it completely under wraps. Many young ladies in Yunyang City were disappointed by the news.
While the Yun Family seemed to want to handle the wedding discreetly, the Empress Dowager and Zhao Yingqiu's maternal family clearly had other ideas. Before long, the Empress Dowager and the Zhao family sent over numerous gifts one after another, clearly intending to make Zhao Yingqiu's wedding a grand affair, no less extravagant than Yan Ningshuang's recent marriage. This was not difficult to understand—Zhao Yingqiu came from a prominent family and was even the aunt of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's young heir, so it was no surprise that her wedding would be a grand occasion.
During this time, Xiao Jinglin found herself with more leisure at the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. It seemed as though her return this time was truly just to accompany Ren Yaoqi. Apart from paying respects to the elders each day, she spent most of her time with Ren Yaoqi, who was naturally delighted by this arrangement.
Since Min Wenqing had last come to see Xiao Jinglin, Ren Yaoqi had tried to subtly inquire about him from Xiao Jinglin, wanting to understand her true feelings toward him.
However, whenever Xiao Jinglin mentioned Min Wenqing, she showed no particular reaction, though she always seemed to harbor some displeasure toward him. Ren Yaoqi found it difficult to gauge the situation.
Thus, one day after Xiao Jinglin had left, Ren Yaoqi asked Xiao Jingxi about it.
At first, Xiao Jingxi was surprised by Ren Yaoqi's sudden mention of Min Wenqing. However, when she subtly brought up the topic of Min Wenqing's marital prospects, Xiao Jingxi immediately understood. He looked at Ren Yaoqi with a smile and said, "My dear, are you asking about Jinglin?"
Ren Yaoqi was not flustered by Xiao Jingxi's directness and replied calmly, "Mother asked me to keep an eye out for suitable young talents of marriageable age, so I was just casually inquiring."
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but chuckle at her response. However, Second Young Master Xiao was now completely devoted to his wife and never contradicted her, so he didn't press further. After a moment of thought, he said, "Speaking of which, Min Wenqing and Jinglin are fellow disciples under the same master. Jinglin grew up at Jiajing Pass, so they share some history."
Ren Yaoqi raised an eyebrow at this. Xiao Jinglin had never specifically mentioned that Min Wenqing was her senior brother. It didn't seem like she was deliberately avoiding the topic but rather that she didn't consider the relationship significant.
"Does Jinglin have any conflicts with General Min?"
Xiao Jingxi thought for a moment and instead asked with a smile, "What do you think about the past grievances between the Min Family and the Xianwang Residence? Has your uncle still not been able to let go of his resentment toward Min Wenqing?"
Ren Yaoqi didn't understand why Xiao Jingxi suddenly brought up the matter between the Min Family and the Xianwang Residence. She sighed softly and said, "Min Wenqing was still young when that incident happened. Even if he did something, it likely wasn't his true intention. My uncle probably understands this, so he doesn't harbor any deep hatred toward Min Wenqing. However, many things cannot be completely disentangled just because you weren't directly involved. Therefore, my uncle and Min Wenqing cannot simply bury the hatchet. Given their current statuses and positions, it's best for them to go their separate ways."Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi pondered thoughtfully and smiled, "That makes some sense. Min Wenqing's grandfather was a formidable man, with deep and complex thoughts. As you said, Min Wenqing himself may not have done anything wrong, but due to his identity and position, he cannot completely absolve himself from many matters. So perhaps Jinglin also feels that keeping their paths separate is the best way for them to interact."
Ren Yaoqi was somewhat surprised by this, but she quickly grasped the underlying reasoning and couldn't help but frown, letting out a soft sigh. "So that's how it is... What a pity."
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Jingxi gently stroked her hair in a comforting manner and said with a smile, "Don’t trouble yourself with these matters. Jinglin understands things very well and knows what she wants. Some things depend on fate, and no matter how anxious we are for her, we cannot intervene."
Although Ren Yaoqi understood the logic in Xiao Jingxi’s words, she still couldn’t set her mind at ease about Xiao Jinglin. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she asked, "What about the eldest son of the Yun Family?"
Xiao Jingxi fell silent for a moment before replying meaningfully, "Yun Wenting? The greatest pity for him is being born into the Yun Family. Otherwise..."
Xiao Jingxi left his sentence unfinished, but Ren Yaoqi understood. Recalling what Xiao Jinglin had once told her about their past, Ren Yaoqi could only sigh.
As the designated successor of the Yun Family, Yun Wenting undoubtedly carried a heavy burden. He was destined to take over the family’s responsibilities, while Xiao Jinglin was determined to guard Jiajing Pass. One was bound by duty, the other by ideals—two paths that were fundamentally incompatible. That was why they had missed their chance back then. As long as this conflict persisted, no matter how many times they tried, the outcome would remain the same.
With both men who had any connection to Xiao Jinglin being unsuitable, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but worry for her friend once again.
While she was preoccupied with Xiao Jinglin’s future, she was unaware that someone else was also scheming about her.
One day, Xiangqin came bouncing into the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion to keep Ren Yaoqi company. She was animatedly recounting the recent amusing happenings in Yunyang City when someone outside announced that the Third Young Madam had come to visit.
The Third Young Madam naturally referred to Yan Ningshuang, who had married into the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown.
Yan Ningshuang had been making fewer appearances lately, as the Princess Consort had ordered her to rest quietly. Unauthorized visitors were generally not allowed into Zhaoning Hall, and Yan Ningshuang happened to fall into that category. As a result, she had been much quieter recently.
Upon hearing that Yan Ningshuang had arrived, Ren Yaoqi truly had no desire to see her and sent someone out to reply that she was unavailable to receive guests.
Sitting on a small stool nearby, Xiangqin immediately went on high alert at the mention of Yan Ningshuang’s name. Her eyes sparkled, and she fell silent. Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s guarded demeanor.
"Xiangqin, it’s getting late. Perhaps you should head back first."
Xiangqin acknowledged this and stood up, but she was in no hurry to leave, her eyes still fixed warily on the curtained entrance.
Soon, the maid who had delivered the message returned, this time holding a folded piece of paper in her hand."Young Mistress, Third Young Mistress refuses to leave. She says you will be willing to see her after reading this."
The little maid respectfully presented the paper in her hands with both hands.
Ren Yaoqi looked at the ordinary piece of paper in the maid's hand but did not reach out to take it.
Xiangqin glared at the paper as if seeing an enemy, gritting her teeth. She stepped forward to shield Ren Yaoqi, her expression grave as she said, "Young Mistress, don't move! Be careful—it might be a trap!"
Ren Yaoqi had been pondering what Yan Ningshuang might want to say to her. Hearing Xiangqin's solemn warning, she couldn't help but be amused and let out a soft chuckle.
I wrote slowly today and posted late... please forgive me... 〒_〒.
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