Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken-Chapter 25

"What are you doing here?"

Avoiding being discovered by the two over there, Xie Wanqing pulled the person beside her to hide behind a nearby tree, keeping her voice extremely low.

Pei Yuqing stiffly followed her, moving closer to hear her words clearly, and softly said, "I like quiet places, don’t love crowded and bustling places, so this is just right."

... So he was just here by chance too.

Xie Wanqing nodded in response, but her hand clung to the tree, poking out half of her head, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward her brother.

She hadn’t noticed anything before, but now, why did she feel that her brother was being cornered by the Commandery Princess?

Look, just that small winding path, Pei Yuxuan was standing in front blocking it, her small mouth opening and closing, looking up and chattering away, while her brother, although his expression couldn’t be seen, appeared not to be speaking.

"Hey," she nudged the person next to her with her elbow, whispering, "Your sister is blocking an outside man like that, and you, as the brother, are just watching from afar?"

Pei Yuqing was already somewhat stiff being dragged to hide behind the tree and sneakily watching, he replied, "Then what should I do?"

—What to do?

Xie Wanqing thought of her own brother.

If it were her brother, wouldn’t he call her home and nag her for ten days or half a month?

Pei Yuqing said, "Xuan’er is grown, she can discern her likes and dislikes, I don’t wish to constrain her with etiquette and rules."

Xie Wanqing was slightly taken aback, subconsciously looking up at him, just as he lowered his gaze to look at her, she blinked, softly said, "Aren’t you afraid she might get hurt?"

Pei Yuqing smiled, "She has Hidden Guards by her side."

"..." Xie Wanqing felt like she was playing the lute to a cow.

She beckoned him with her finger.

Pei Yuqing was slightly puzzled, bending down slowly.

Xie Wanqing said each word clearly, softly, "What I mean is, aren’t you afraid she might get bullied, bullied in a way even Hidden Guards can’t help?"

Pei Yuqing’s gaze settled on her face, warmly saying, "Your brother is a true gentleman, he won’t overstep boundaries."

Xie Wanqing was momentarily speechless.

She opened her mouth, trying to argue, "That’s not what I meant."

She wasn’t worried about her brother not adhering to etiquette, quite the opposite...

But saying this in front of someone else’s brother felt so indiscreet, Xie Wanqing awkwardly turned her face away, peeking out again to look over there.

Only to find that the two were gone.

She craned her neck to look for a long time, puzzled, asking, "Where did they go?"

Pei Yuqing’s voice carried a hint of amusement, "...They left a while ago."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?"

Xie Wanqing immediately shifted from her sneaky peeping state to a dignified demeanor fit for a noble lady, patting the dust off her hands, ready to walk out openly, but her foot slipped.

"Be careful," Pei Yuqing supported her arm from behind, steadying her, reminding, "There aren’t any paved cobblestones here, the path is uneven, watch your step."

Xie Wanqing raised her head from the crook of his arm, about to thank him, but hesitated upon seeing him.

The spring light was bright, he stood with the light at his back, his tone gentle, his eyelashes slightly drooped as he looked over, his gaze warm like an otherworldly being, radiating brilliant light.

The words of thanks on her lips halted, after a long while, Xie Wanqing moved her lips, "These years, you should have rarely attended banquets, right?"

Pei Yuqing’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, gently responding, "Hmm, rarely."

Xie Wanqing silently thought to herself ’indeed’, otherwise she wouldn’t have only seen him for the first time at the teahouse not long ago.

Thinking of this, she curiously asked, "Then have you started enjoying lively events recently?"

First attending her family’s coming-of-age ceremony, then the Marquis Qu Mansion’s birthday banquet, the frequency wasn’t low.

Pei Yuqing paused slightly at the question, just about to speak when he heard a sudden creak, he turned his head to look, his pupils shrinking sharply.

Xie Wanqing sensed something was wrong, following his gaze to look.

Raising her eyes, she saw a broken tree branch flying through the air, piercing directly into the tree trunk beside them.

Pei Yuqing’s brows furrowed slightly, his palm tightening around the girl beside him, holding her more securely.

The next moment, two Hidden Guards appeared from the shadows.

Xie Wanqing finally saw who had made the move, her expression changing: "Lu Ziyuan! What are you doing?"

Lu Ziyuan, in a light blue narrow-sleeved long robe, stood still under a peach tree, the spring breeze blowing, pink petals slowly falling, a few even landing on his icy brow, casting his cold, stern eyes in an even more chilling light.

"Is this the reason you ’no longer like me’?"

His gaze fell on... her arm.

Xie Wanqing suddenly realized how close she and Pei Yuqing were, instinctively shaking off the hand on her arm, stepping back two paces.

After the series of reactions, she felt a bit regretful.

Who she wanted to be close to now was none of his business!

Why did she have to act like she was caught in the act?

But her reaction made Lu Ziyuan’s expression colder, anger spreading across his brow as he took a step closer.

His aura was intimidating, prompting the two Hidden Guards to draw their swords, only to be halted by Pei Yuqing’s raised hand, "Stand down."

As he drew nearer, Xie Wanqing nervously pressed her lips together, hearing the gentle voice beside her.

Pei Yuqing said, "Don’t be afraid, say what you want to say, I’ll protect you."

Xie Wanqing’s heart fluttered slightly.

Now in front of them, Lu Ziyuan sneered coldly, "Is Heir Pei going to fight me for her?"

"I’m not yours!" Xie Wanqing frowned, retorting, "Our engagement doesn’t count anymore, I won’t marry you."

The place was secluded, a desolate corner of the Marquis Qu Mansion, with no one around but the three of them, and even the two Hidden Guards from earlier had vanished.

The young girl’s voice was light yet firm.

Lu Ziyuan stiffened for a moment, his gaze slowly settling on her, carefully scrutinizing her features, finally realizing she meant it.

She had mentioned breaking off the engagement many times, but only this time, he believed it completely.

He recalled what his mother had said to him.

The sudden surge of anger in his heart harshly suppressed any slight trepidation, his eyes becoming sharply intense, gritting his teeth, he stared at her, "Have you really found someone new?"

He gestured to Pei Yuqing standing quietly beside him, half smirking, "Him? An old man eleven years your senior, who knows how many more years he has left, if you want to anger me, can’t you find someone else?"

It was Xie Wanqing’s first time witnessing such a venomous tongue beneath his usually reticent exterior.

"Speak!" Lu Ziyuan stepped forward, a vein throbbing on his forehead, his teeth grinding audibly, "What were you doing with him here?"

He was ferocious like a wild beast on the verge of losing control, nowhere near the indifference implied by his words toward the ’old man’.