Chapter 130: No Affection Left Whatsoever

Listening to Weishao Qianyu's words, Qingxia's cheeks turned crimson, and she lowered her head in extreme embarrassment. Weishao Qianyu smiled faintly, still able to see Qingxia's glowing red earlobes...

Qingxia was a very simple girl, and her desires were equally simple and ordinary—just like the marriages arranged by parents and matchmakers for ordinary women. Those who were lucky could also encounter ordinary and simple happiness...

"Is Qingxia agreeing then?" Knowing that Qingxia was shy, Weishao Qianyu deliberately pretended to be completely oblivious as she asked for Qingxia's answer...

Xuechun and Dongnuan could not help but chuckle along as well, the mistress and maids teasing Qingxia together...

"Does Xiaxia want to get married now?"
"I think Xiaxia is eager to marry..."

Qingxia's face grew hotter and hotter, until she finally nodded, shyly pushed Xuechun away, and ran out of the room. She needed to go outside for some fresh air to cool the burning blush on her face...

Weishao Qianyu knew that deciding Qingxia's marriage was easy; the difficult one was Xuechun, and even more difficult was Dongnuan...

As Qingxia ran off, the laughter inside the room gradually subsided. Dongnuan looked at Weishao Qianyu, guessing a fraction of her thoughts...

Without finishing what she wanted to say next, Weishao Qianyu immediately stood up and walked toward the door. "This Princess will go find Elder Leng and the Prince right now to discuss the marriage between Qingxia and Leng Qi..."

Soon, the marriage between Qingxia and Leng Qi was finalized, set for the sixth day of the sixth month. With less than a month left, both Xuechun and Dongnuan busied themselves with preparations for Qingxia's wedding...

On the contrary, Qingxia continued to take care of Weishao Qianyu's daily life as usual...

When early June arrived and everything necessary for the wedding had been prepared, Dongnuan finally sought out Weishao Qianyu.

"Princess, might you tell this subordinate what your ultimate plan is?" Dongnuan did not beat around the bush.

Weishao Qianyu smiled lightly and no longer concealed it: "To find out what truly happened from Qudu to Modu!"

Dongnuan paused. So this day had arrived after all; her mistress had discovered that something was amiss, and a quiet sense of worry welled up in Dongnuan's heart.

Recalling what Weishao Qianyu had said in the past, Dongnuan ultimately chose not to stop her.

"Does the Princess still plan to play matchmaker for Xuechun and Shiyi?" Dongnuan asked.

Weishao Qianyu smiled faintly and nodded.

Regarding Weishao Qianyu's statement that she was going to uncover the truth about the events from Qudu to Modu, Dongnuan was also at a loss. After pondering for a moment, she finally shared another matter with Weishao Qianyu: "Madame Lu is neither the second wife of the Marquis nor the biological mother of Major General Lu!"

"Nor is she... the biological mother of the Princess," Dongnuan said, bracing herself.

Weishao Qianyu was stunned upon hearing this, though it could neither be considered bad news nor good news...

After a long silence, Weishao Qianyu finally spoke: "I want to see Lu Liyuan. Go invite him here..."

This was the first time Lu Liyuan had stepped into the Prince Yuan's Manor since the day he bade farewell to Weishao Qianyu. Though only a few days had passed, to Lu Liyuan it felt as though he had not visited for years.

The two of them sat down in a secluded pavilion within the Prince Yuan's Manor. At first, the atmosphere was awkward...

After a brief moment, Weishao Qianyu asked quietly, "Tell me about... your mother."

Hearing the words "your mother," Lu Liyuan could not help but frown.

In truth, Lu Liyuan's impression of his mother was not particularly deep. When the original Madame Lu passed away, Lu Liyuan was only seven years old, having just begun to form memories a few years prior...

Yet Weishao Qianyu still listened as Lu Liyuan recounted quite a bit, until he mentioned that the original Madame Lu had suffered from a hidden heart ailment and kept it from everyone, risking her very life to give birth to her. At that moment, Weishao Qianyu felt a stirring of emotion.

As for Lu Liyuan, even without others elaborating, Weishao Qianyu could tell that he had been at odds with the Lu family since his youth, and that he had strived relentlessly to rise above his circumstances...

The Lu family spanned three generations, from Duke Lu to Lu Liyuan, with the Heir Apparent Lu Qin standing in between. Yet Lu Liyuan's existence almost caused people to overlook Lu Qin as the heir of the Duke's estate...

By now, the entire Duke's estate was firmly under Lu Liyuan's control; all he lacked was the official title of nobility...

However, a ducal title without actual power amounted to nothing more than a paltry monthly stipend from the imperial court.

"Elder Brother," Weishao Qianyu called out softly to Lu Liyuan...

That single address, "Elder Brother," caused a lump to form in Lu Liyuan's throat. He knew Weishao Qianyu did not blame him.

Weishao Qianyu was rational; this matter was also unfair to Lu Liyuan. When he was only seven years old, having his younger sister snatched away must have been extremely cruel to him as well...

Over the years, he must have struggled greatly, and he had truly treated her with genuine care.

In fact, the same applied to the Lu family as a whole; things could not be entirely negated. The Lu family had treated Weishao Qianyu exceedingly well, and this was not something to be taken for granted, nor was it something she was entitled to, as her prejudiced moments had once led her to believe...

Setting aside the gains and losses, it was still a warmth, and Weishao Qianyu could not deny that it had once existed.

Yet, undeniably, the hurt had also existed.

"Does Elder Brother know what I was thinking the day Father told me he wanted to arrange a match between you and me?" Weishao Qianyu asked suddenly.

Lu Liyuan shook his head.

"If it had been an imperial decree forcing the marriage, I would have taken Father and fled from it!" Weishao Qianyu said softly.

Lu Liyuan looked at Weishao Qianyu in a daze. To some extent, he understood her; she would never let anyone dictate her marriage, let alone her life...

After a very long silence, Weishao Qianyu spoke calmly once more: "We can write off everything between us, but I no longer have any emotional ties to the Lu family."

Hearing this, Lu Liyuan's complexion turned somewhat pale. To neither make a fuss nor expose things—her gentleness was real, but so was her ruthlessness.

"Between you and me, the Lu family aside, you are still my elder brother. Would that be acceptable?" Weishao Qianyu shifted her tone and smiled faintly.

Lu Liyuan naturally nodded.

Weishao Qianyu smiled again, steering the conversation elsewhere: "In the future, please take good care of Dongnuan on my behalf..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Liyuan coughed awkwardly twice...

Since Lu Liyuan was, after all, a man from outside the inner chambers, he soon took his leave from Weishao Qianyu to see Feng Jinye, while Weishao Qianyu walked alongside him, heading instead to see Shi Yi...

Over the past few days, Weishao Qianyu had consciously or unconsciously avoided Feng Jinye...

Before Elder Leng set off for Guanlin City, he had liquidated all his properties and shops in Yedu, intending to settle down and establish a new home in Guanlin City from the start...

Having served in the imperial palace for decades, Elder Leng clearly understood the political climate. He was fundamentally a man of the Prince of Zhan, and since the Prince of Zhan had left Yedu, his family would have found it difficult to survive there any longer...

Without even resigning his official post in the Imperial Hospital, Elder Leng had rushed with his family all the way to Guanlin City.

With the marriage between Leng Qi and Qingxia finalized, Elder Leng beamed with joy. He even purchased a small courtyard near the Prince Yuan's Manor specifically for Leng Qi and Qingxia, allowing Qingxia to keep her duties by the Princess Consort's side without needing to resign...

Qingxia's wedding was held quite simply, yet it lacked nothing that was due. The three letters and six etiquettes, the presentation of betrothal gifts, and the seeking of auspicious dates were all meticulously fulfilled...

From this, it was evident how deeply the Leng family valued this match.

On the sixth day of the sixth month, Qingxia was married straight out of the Prince Yuan's Manor. Although the wedding was not extravagant, it was filled with jubilation and cheer...

The side courtyard where Qingxia and the others lived was bustling with activity. Pairs of glowing red celebratory lanterns and double-happiness red wedding candles bathed everyone in warmth.

Weishao Qianyu stood by, helping Qingxia arrange her hair...

Not knowing how to style intricate hairdoms, Weishao Qianyu gathered Qingxia's dark hair and coiled it up high. Xuechun then stepped in to secure the strands, continuing to shape them into a gentle and graceful bun...

This naturally reminded Weishao Qianyu of the day she was married out of the Duke's estate...

It was likewise these same maids who had accompanied her then. It was Dongnuan who had dressed her hair; being the eldest among them, Weishao Qianyu had remarked that day that Dongnuan was practically like an elder sister to her...

Dongnuan rarely tended to Weishao Qianyu's daily needs, so Weishao Qianyu had never expected her to be so dexterous, able to weave her cascade of dark hair into a magnificent and opulent high bun.

Xuechun fetched the ceremonial wedding robes and helped Qingxia put them on.

The wedding robes had been crafted jointly by Xuechun and Qingxia, with Dongnuan and Weishao Qianyu also adding a few stitches. According to the customs of the Liyue Kingdom, a bride's wedding attire ought to be prepared by the bride and her mother together...

Yet none of the four of them had mothers, so they instinctively regarded one another as family...

Today, Dongnuan was dressed in men's attire, preparing to carry Qingxia onto the bridal sedan on her back...

Leng Qi's courtyard was very close to the Prince Yuan's Manor, and the entire neighborhood was immersed in festivity and cheer...

Weishao Qianyu smiled as she sent Qingxia off to be married, yet tears welled up in her eyes despite herself. Even though she was merely marrying to a location just across the street, a natural reluctance still welled up in her heart...

Just as Weishao Qianyu turned to leave, her gaze inadvertently caught sight of Leng Qi mounted on a tall steed adorned with red silk flowers. As well-wishers offered their congratulations, Leng Qi cupped his fists in return...

Suddenly, the vivid scene of the wedding procession of the Lord of Qudu from that past day flooded into Weishao Qianyu's mind...

Weishao Qianyu remembered that the groom on that day had been Huangfu Chen, but the image gradually blurred. Weishao Qianyu shook her head, resisting the urge to dwell on it, yet the slender and sturdy figure upon that horse filled her with an intense sense of familiarity...

Weishao Qianyu clutched her chest and drew a sharp breath. Feng Jinye happened to be walking out from the Prince Yuan's Manor at that moment. Seeing her in this state, he stepped forward and gently patted her back...

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Feng Jinye asked in a tender voice.

Weishao Qianyu raised her eyes to look at Feng Jinye, suddenly realizing she had not seen him for several days. He seemed somewhat flustered and uneasy...

Weishao Qianyu shook her head.

Still ill at ease, Feng Jinye suggested, "Shall I have Leng Ling come and take a look?"

Weishao Qianyu immediately smiled: "Elder Leng's family is holding a joyous celebration right now. Can't you spare him just this once?"

Feng Jinye looked blankly at Weishao Qianyu's beaming smile. It had been a long time since she had smiled at him like that...

For reasons unknown, she had suddenly begun avoiding him. Feng Jinye could tell she had something on her mind, but given the revelation of her identity as the legitimate daughter of the Lu family, he had granted her the space to calm her thoughts.

Feng Jinye took Weishao Qianyu's hand in his. Weishao Qianyu smiled faintly once more, pulling Feng Jinye's hand as they walked toward the Leng residence to attend the wedding banquet of Qingxia and Leng Qi...

However, upon reaching the entrance of the Leng residence, Weishao Qianyu froze once again...

The vision of that city draped in red silk and bustling with grand wedding celebrations flashed across her mind once more. Overwhelmed with panic, Weishao Qianyu instinctively resisted looking at the festive colors all around her...

Abruptly turning around, she clutched tightly at Feng Jinye, burying her head deep into his embrace...