Chapter 63: Farewell

Su Mingxi was slightly startled and muttered to himself, "Unwilling to see me? ... She must be angry with me."

He lowered his head, his expression desolate, and asked again, "Did she say anything else?"

Xiuzhu actually had no idea what to make up next, but catching the look Lu Xuanheng cast his way, he had to bite the bullet and say, "The cousin also said that since the Su family has proposed breaking off the engagement, she has no wish to offer her warm face only to be met with a cold shoulder. If the engagement is to be broken off, it should be settled as soon as possible."

A dazed, desolate look filled Su Mingxi's eyes. "Does she no longer want to marry me?"

Lu Xuanheng said calmly, "In that case, Young Master Su should return home first."

"No, even if the engagement is to be broken off, I must hear it from her own lips." Su Mingxi refused to resign himself to this. "Pass along my words to her—breaking off the engagement is not my intention; I will marry no one else but her. Let her come out and see me."

Lu Xuanheng's expression tightened. "Young Master Su, I hardly think that is necessary. Madam Su's attitude is so resolute that this marriage is unlikely to succeed anyway. Instead of dragging this out, it would be better to make a clean break and each go our separate ways."

Su Mingxi replied with unwavering firmness, "No, I will definitely marry her. I will find a way to convince my parents."

Lu Xuanheng glanced past him. "Young Master Su, I'm afraid you are not the master of your own fate."

A carriage came rushing over at full speed, and Madam Su flung open the curtain, her face blazing with fury.

With a wave of her hand, several attendants rushed forward, seized Su Mingxi, and hauled him toward the carriage.

Before he was dragged away, Su Mingxi was still earnestly calling out to Lu Xuanheng, "Young Master Lu, please convey what I just said to Wan'an!"

Watching with his own eyes as Su Mingxi was taken away, Lu Xuanheng's gaze grew ice-cold.

...

Under the pretext of recovering from an illness, Jiang Wan'an was kept under virtual house arrest in the Lu residence. Every day, two maidservants stood guard outside her door, forbidding her from stepping outside, let alone going to see Su Mingxi.

Two days passed in succession, and Jiang Wan'an was growing too anxious to sit still.

"Hasn't Su Mingxi been here?"

Qiulan shook her head. "I haven't heard of anyone coming to report."

Jiang Wan'an frowned. "He musters have been confined to his home by his parents."

With a worried look, Qiulan said, "Mistress, if the elders of the Su family refuse to relent, I'm afraid even Young Master Su's persistence won't be of much use."

"Yet at the very least, I need to know his personal stance. If he chooses to give up, then I will never pester him; but if he is still willing, I can never let go."

Jiang Wan'an's eyes were steady and resolute. "I must find a way to see him."

Qiulan peered through the crack of the door, then whispered to Jiang Wan'an, "Those two are still standing guard outside, not leaving their posts for even a single step."

Jiang Wan'an lowered her gaze in thought, then looked at Qiulan. "Let's exchange clothes. I will disguise myself as you and go out."

A moment later, Jiang Wan'an walked out of the room wearing Qiulan's clothes. The two maidservants standing at the door looked over at her, but keeping her face covered and pretending to cough, she walked past while saying, "Our mistress has a craving for the pastries on South Street. I'm going out to buy some. You two keep watch here."

Mistaking her for Qiulan and glancing into the room to see Jiang Wan'an lying on the bed with her hair unpinned, resting, the two maids gave it no further thought.

Jiang Wan'an smoothly slipped out of the Lu residence and headed straight for the Marquis of Yong'an's residence.

She guessed that if she presented herself openly at the front gate, Madam Su would certainly not allow her to see Su Mingxi; her only option was to find a quiet way to cross paths with him.

She waited in hiding near the entrance for a while until she spotted a familiar-faced page boy walking into the courtyard.

That page boy, named Qingsong, served closely by Su Mingxi's side, and she had seen him several times before.

A look of joy crossed her face, and she hurriedly stepped forward to intercept Qingsong, pulling him off to the side.

Qingsong recognized her at a single glance, a complicated expression crossing his face. "Jiang... Lady Jiang."

"Qingsong, where is your young master?"

"The young master has been locked inside the house the entire time."

Jiang Wan'an thought to herself that her guess was correct, and quickly said, "I have urgent matters to discuss with him and wish to see him. Please pass along a message for me, telling him I am right outside the Marquis's gates, and ask him to find a way to come and meet me."

Qingsong gave her a look before heading inside the estate.

Jiang Wan'an waited anxiously outside. To her surprise, a short while later, the grand gates of the Marquis's residence swung open, and Madam Su walked out.

Jiang Wan'an froze in place as she watched Madam Su approach with a cold expression.

"Lady Jiang, I thought I had made myself quite clear the last time."

Jiang Wan'an pressed her lips together. "Madam, I know you have reservations about our match, but since the betrothal has already been settled, it cannot simply be broken off on a whim. At the very least, please let me see Mingxi."

"Your seeing him would merely be a matter of uttering more pleading words to make him stay. I hardly see the necessity."

Madam Su pulled a letter from within her robes and handed it to Jiang Wan'an.

"This is a letter Mingxi wrote for you. Read it for yourself."

Jiang Wan'an took it, unfolded it to read, and her complexion turned paler by the second.

There were only a few brief lines on the letter, roughly stating that their shared affection was deep yet their fate was shallow. It politely rejected her and clearly stated his intent to call off the engagement.

She recognized Su Mingxi's handwriting and was certain he had written it herself.

She stood frozen on the spot as a wave of chilliness surged upward from the soles of her feet, permeating her entire body.

Was it all merely her own wishful thinking? She had truly believed Su Mingxi would hold out a little longer for her sake.

"You have read the letter, and you should understand Mingxi's intentions now. Do not come here ever again."

With a cold look on her face, Madam Su turned to leave, but before departing, she looked back and said to her, "At first, I took a liking to you and wanted Mingxi to take you as his wife, hoping you would bring him good fortune rather than misfortune. Since the two of you lack affinity, parting ways now is for the best."

Jiang Wan'an continued to stare blankly at the letter as tears quietly slipped from her eyes, dampening the handwritten words.

All the effort she had expended, all the careful scheming she had invested, had ultimately been in vain.

Her initial intentions had indeed been purely utilitarian, but as time passed, she had inevitably grown to love Su Mingxi. He was gentle, kind, considerate, and reliable—anyone would naturally fall for him. Yet, despite discovering her dark and shameful secrets, he had still chosen to embrace her flaws and cherish her with all his heart.

She had genuinely experienced Su Mingxi's love, had even envisioned their days together in the future. Just as they were on the verge of becoming one, they were torn apart by such circumstances.

All her hopes vanished completely, leaving behind nothing more than a thin sheet of paper.

She did not blame Su Mingxi. He had already done more than enough for her—so much that she felt unworthy of it, and so much that she could not bear to see him shoulder a single additional ounce of pressure for her sake.

If Su Mingxi chose to break off the engagement out of fear of Li Zhengfu, she truly did not blame him. She only felt sorrow that from this moment onward, they would never again have any possibility.

...

Upon returning to the Marquis's residence, Madam Su headed straight for Su Mingxi's courtyard.

She walked beneath the eaves and glanced at Qingsong, who was standing guard by the door. "Has the young master eaten?"

Qingsong lowered his head. "He only took two bites."

Sighing, Madam Su pushed the door open and stepped inside.

After casting a glance around and finding no one in sight, she finally located him beside the writing desk.

Su Mingxi was sitting cross-legged, leaning against the leg of the desk, holding the painting Jiang Wan'an had once given him, staring at it in a daze.

Seeing him in such a state, Madam Su felt a deep ache in her heart. "Mingxi, how much longer are you going to stubbornly persist? You refuse to eat properly, and all day long you do nothing but stare at these things."

Su Mingxi remained silent.

Shaking her head, Madam Su sat down on a nearby chair. "Your father and I have discussed it. In a few days, we will send you to Jiangnan to recover your health."