Becoming the Protagonist's Short-Lived Fiancé (GL) - Chapter 7

It was near the height of summer, and the weather grew hotter by the day. Just looking at the scorching sun outside discouraged any thought of going out.

This afternoon, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, the entire manor fell into quiet repose. Chu Xi habitually took a short nap, but unfortunately, she didn’t sleep long before waking up from her light slumber.

Her maid, Yu Dong, was sitting by the couch, fanning Chu Xi while her head nodded as she dozed off. However, servants were always extremely alert. As soon as there was a slight movement on the couch, Yu Dong instantly woke up. Seeing Chu Xi sit up, she asked, “Miss, why are you up so early today? Won’t you rest a little longer?”

Chu Xi sat up from the couch and gently shook her head. The thin blanket draped over her immediately slid down.

Seeing this, Yu Dong quickly gathered the fallen blanket. When she looked up again, she noticed faint beads of sweat on Chu Xi’s forehead—clearly, even with a maid fanning her, the heat of the summer afternoon made it difficult to sleep.

Once Yu Dong had tidied the blanket, Chu Xi rose and walked a few steps to the open window.

The afternoon sun in summer was uniquely brilliant, casting a golden light on the flowers and trees in the courtyard, making them dazzling. The relentless chirping of cicadas on the branches proclaimed the sun’s intensity. The “zhi—la, zhi—la” calls were rapid and noisy, making listeners feel all the more irritable.

A young maid was using a long pole to shoo the cicadas off the branches, working up a sweat, yet unable to bring much calm to the courtyard. The entire small yard was filled with cicada song.

Yu Dong brought over a cup of warm tea. Seeing Chu Xi watching the maid chasing the cicadas, she also glanced outside and then asked, “Miss only rested for a moment today. Were you bothered by the cicada noise outside?”

If Chu Xi found it bothersome, more people would naturally be assigned to chase the cicadas tomorrow.

Chu Xi, however, withdrew her gaze from the maid. She took the tea Yu Dong offered and took a small sip. She wasn’t sure what reminded her, but she asked an extra question: “It has been quiet recently. It seems we haven’t received any visiting cards for quite a while. Usually, around this time, we receive invitations for outings and summer retreats.”

Yu Dong was stunned at first, then realized it was true—to put it bluntly, Chu Xi was quite popular in Chang’an City. The power of the Chu family was one aspect, and Chu Xi’s reputation for talent also made her highly sought after. No madam or young lady held a banquet without inviting her. Even if Chu Xi couldn’t attend every invitation, such a long period of being completely ignored was definitely a first.

Thinking this, Yu Dong felt that her young mistress couldn’t possibly be neglected for no reason, so she said: “Perhaps the gatekeeper made a mistake. I’ll go and ask right away.”

Chu Xi’s tolerant nature had fostered Yu Dong’s brisk temperament. She finished speaking and immediately darted off, and Chu Xi didn’t stop her.

After about a quarter of an hour, Yu Dong returned, empty-handed: “Miss, I’ve asked. All the visiting cards the manor received these days were taken by Seventh Master. Among them were several invitations for you, but Seventh Master didn’t have anyone send them over.”

Yu Dong sounded a bit resentful as she spoke. After all, how invitations were handled depended on the person. Which families to keep close and which to ignore was something the mistress had to decide for herself. Now, not only did Seventh Master take all the cards, but he didn’t even inform the mistress. What if she missed something important?

Sensing the complaint in Yu Dong’s words, Chu Xi gave her a light glance, which immediately silenced the tactless maid.

Chu Xi did not pursue the matter, but smart as she was, after a brief moment of thought, she mostly figured out what was happening—Seventh Brother had always been close to her, but he never interfered with her friendships and social life. His sudden collection of all her visiting cards, unless it concerned Wen Fei, was the only explanation Chu Xi could think of.

Most importantly, by taking all the invitations, Chu Xi had to suspect that her Seventh Brother didn’t want her to leave the house… In other words, if she did go out, she might run into Wen Fei!

So, had the person already started guarding her doorstep?!

Wen Fei had been waiting outside the Chu Manor gate for three days. She was determined and made no secret of it, brazenly standing outside the Chu family’s main entrance for three days, a piece of news that had spread across half of Chang’an City.

After waiting for these few days, Wen Fei had certainly calmed down a lot and realized that her actions were somewhat childish. However, since she was already there, and as a young person who valued her pride, she needed a result. So, she patiently continued to wait.

Fortunately, Wen Fei’s wait was not in vain. This day, she finally saw the Chu Manor gate open, and the carriage that emerged was unfamiliar, unlike the usual carriage of the Chu brothers. The strange carriage made her look twice, but she refrained from rudely rushing forward to stop it. However, though she didn’t stop the carriage, it stopped on its own when it reached her. A maid leaned out of the carriage window and said to her: “Are you young General Wen? My Mistress requests an audience with you.”

A carriage leaving the Chu family, where only one person could be referred to as ‘Mistress’, meant it was Chu Xi.

Wen Fei, who had waited for days, momentarily suspected this might be a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain. After all, she had waited for so long, and this result seemed too easy. But the suspicion was only fleeting. Wen Fei quickly dismissed all the chaotic conjectures. She glanced at the carriage and said: “It is inconvenient for me to board the carriage. Why don’t we find another place to talk?”

The person inside the carriage clearly heard her, and a gentle female voice immediately came from inside: “The Cuiwei Tower on East Street is very secluded. Perhaps that would be suitable.”

The woman’s voice was unhurried and pleasant to the ear. Wen Fei was somehow convinced of the identity of the person in the carriage. So, she agreed with a “Good,” turned back to lead the horse that was tied to the roadside, and headed first toward East Street.

The horses’ hooves clicked on the ground, and the carriage wheels rumbled over the cobblestone road, arriving one after the other at the Cuiwei Tower.

Wen Fei dismounted and looked back, just as the carriage came to a halt and the coachman opened the door… She instinctively wanted to see what the rumored Miss Chu looked like, so she stared. However, the first person to step out was the maid who had relayed the message. When Chu Xi finally descended, Wen Fei was disappointed because Chu Xi was wearing a veil over her head, completely concealing her face.

The disappointment vanished instantly, suppressed by Wen Fei before Chu Xi could notice. She stepped forward and greeted her, taking the opportunity to confirm the identity: “Miss Chu?”

Chu Xi glanced at her through the veil and nodded slightly: “Marquis Wuwei.”

After confirming their identities, there was no need for small talk. They simply went directly into the Cuiwei Tower and requested a private room for a proper discussion.

Wen Fei felt a little constrained seeing that Chu Xi did not remove her veil. She had never interacted with such a sheltered young lady and didn’t know how to start the conversation. Furthermore, influenced by the young general’s temperament, she finally decided to be direct: “I once sent three visiting cards to your manor, but received no response.”

Chu Xi’s lips tightened slightly beneath the veil upon hearing this: “I apologize, my family was discourteous in this matter.”

Since the topic was introduced, and Chu Xi didn’t seem to be angered by it, Wen Fei relaxed a bit. She had originally intended to choose her words carefully and delicately bring up their marriage, but since she had started with an impolite, direct approach, there seemed no need for subtlety now: “Miss Chu, to be frank, I sought this meeting by sending the visiting cards because I wanted to discuss the imperial marriage edict with you.”

Chu Xi’s delicate eyebrows arched beneath the veil, but the muslin fabric prevented Wen Fei from seeing her expression: “I’m listening.”

Hearing her gentle voice, Wen Fei somehow felt a sense of hesitation, worried that her bluntness might upset her. But some things had to be said, so she slightly shifted her gaze, avoiding direct eye contact with the person in front of her: “The Emperor’s marriage edict has been issued, and we should not object. However, you and I are complete strangers, and to rashly agree to a lifetime commitment is always somewhat inappropriate…”

Chu Xi nodded, her tone as gentle as before: “I understand.”

Hearing her tone, Wen Fei didn’t know whether she truly understood her meaning or misunderstood something. She wanted to say a few more words to explain, but then Chu Xi spoke again: “Since the Emperor’s marriage edict has been issued, if Marquis Wuwei is unwilling, I have no objection. Please find a way to ask His Majesty to retract the decree.”

Chu Xi spoke this so formally that Wen Fei was momentarily at a loss for words and could only nod—it might not be easy to get the Emperor to retract his decree, but given the Emperor’s past favoritism toward the young general, the matter was not entirely without recourse. At worst, she could go to the battlefield again; the joy of expanding the territory would surely make His Majesty forget his annoyance over her refusal of marriage.

After thinking a bit more, Wen Fei explained: “When I said ‘inappropriate,’ I did not mean that there is anything wrong with you, nor did I intend to be offensive.”

Chu Xi still nodded, completely calm beneath the veil. Wen Fei felt that any further explanation was redundant.

The room fell silent for a moment. Two people who barely knew each other were discussing an awkward topic, making the atmosphere even more strained. Finally, Chu Xi waited for a moment, and seeing that Wen Fei had nothing more to say, she took the initiative to excuse herself.

The other party’s directness made Wen Fei, who had waited three days outside the Chu Manor gate, feel a little complicated, but since the two parties had reached a consensus, Wen Fei felt much relieved. Seeing Chu Xi about to leave, she did not try to keep her, instead personally escorting her out of the Cuiwei Tower and helping her into the carriage.

Just as Chu Xi was boarding the carriage, a gust of wind blew, lifting the veil in front of her.

Wen Fei, standing by the roadside, glimpsed half of her profile beneath the veil—it was delicate and beautiful, and for some reason, it seemed familiar…