0p0 Chapter 12 How could I be worthy of the 4th Prince?
Chapter 12 How could I be worthy of the 4th Prince?
Despite Qin Huai's objections, Han Shu insisted on going.
Qin Huai watched Han Shu's retreating figure and sighed, "A doting mother often spoils her son!"
After leaving Shumei Courtyard, they hadn't walked far when they saw Su Yan'er walking towards them.
"Auntie, Yan'er was just about to go and pay her respects to you, but I didn't expect to run into you here!"
Su Yan'er bowed in greeting, and seeing Han Shu's hurried appearance, asked, "Where are you going, Auntie?"
Han Shu helped Su Yan'er up from her bowing position, and thought to herself, if Wan'er were half as sensible as Yan'er, she wouldn't have to worry so much.
"I'm going to Wanyue Courtyard to see Wan'er. I haven't seen her for the past few days, and I wonder how her injuries are?" As she spoke, Han Shu had already started to move.
Su Yan'er followed Han Shu and said, "Auntie, are you going to see Fourth Sister? I haven't seen Fourth Sister for a long time either. I'll go with you!"
Han Shuxin was gratified. Looking at the gentle Su Yan'er, she thought: How wonderful it would be if she were really her daughter.
"Excellent! Let's go!"
The two walked side by side, talking a lot along the way.
The evening glow followed behind. Miss Yan'er and Madam really got along well; she seemed even better than Miss and Madam.
But Miss Yan'er is, after all, a woman, and she will get married in the future. How wonderful it would be if she could stay in this Marquis's mansion forever.
Only a few days after Wanxia left, her heart was completely captured by Su Yan'er.
Upon arriving at Wanyue Courtyard, Qin Wan noticed that it was the first sunny day after the heavy snowfall. Seeing the fine weather, she decided to stroll around the courtyard.
The rest she's had these past few days has made her much better. She no longer walks with a limp like before, and if she walks slowly, she looks no different from a normal person.
"Madam, Miss Yan'er!"
Wan Shuang was the first to spot the person approaching and bowed loudly in greeting, also to remind Qin Wan, who hadn't noticed the newcomer.
Upon hearing the sound, Qin Wan turned her head and saw Han Shu and Su Yan'er coming side by side. Upon closer inspection, the two were holding hands, looking quite intimate.
"Mother, Sister Yan'er!" Qin Wan's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.
Han Shu let go of Su Yan'er's hand and stepped forward. She thought that Qin Wan would hug her as before when she saw her, but Qin Wan did not make any move, which made her feel a little heartbroken.
Looking at her gaunt face, Han Shu couldn't hold back her tears.
"Wan'er, why haven't you come to pay your respects to your mother these past few days?"
Qin Wan felt a slight pang of emotion as she watched Han Shu shed tears, but she herself had cried like that before, yet they had ignored it.
She used to go to Shumei Courtyard every day and pester her mother to go shopping, but her mother would always find various reasons to refuse.
Even when she tried to take her mother's arm in the street, Han Shu refused, saying: "With so many people watching, how can you be so rude and improper!"
But now, she and Su Yan'er are walking in hand in hand. How is that considered proper?
Perhaps the question of whether or not there is a unified theory of indecent behavior varies from person to person!
Qin Wan's heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and replied, "Didn't Mother say before that this greeting could be skipped?"
Han Shu was stunned for a moment; she had indeed said such a thing.
However, Qin Wan went to Shumei Courtyard every day at that time, which was so noisy that it gave her a headache. She wanted some peace and quiet, so she just blurted it out.
But she remembered that even after she said those words, she still went anyway. Why is she being so obedient now?
"Wan'er, are you feeling better? Does your injury still hurt?" Han Shu wiped away her tears and looked at Qin Wan's injured area with concern.
However, before Qin Wan could respond, Su Yan'er saw Han Shu crying and hurriedly stepped forward to support her, then continued.
"Fourth sister, since you were injured, your aunt has been crying every day, and she is very concerned about your injury. Even if you don't come to pay your respects, your aunt will come to see you in person!"
Qin Wan snorted upon hearing this. She had heard from Wan Shuang that Su Yan'er had been going to pay her respects to Shu Mei Courtyard recently, which seemed to be an attempt to please her mother and thus marry her second brother more quickly.
In her previous life, when Wan Shuang came to visit her at Leishan Temple, she mentioned that Su Yan'er and her second brother had gotten married. Presumably, she had been thinking about her second brother for a long time.
However, none of this concerns me anymore. I will not and do not want to concern myself with the affairs of their Marquis's mansion.
After all, in her previous life, she had never been informed of such a major event as her marriage. If it weren't for Wan Shuang's words, she probably would never have known until her death. Perhaps they never even thought of informing her!
"My injuries are all healed, Mother, don't worry. I deserve this!"
"Wan'er, Mother knows you still blame us in your heart, but..."
"Mother, this matter is over and there's no need to mention it again. It was all my fault. I've never blamed anyone. Now I've realized my mistake, and I must admit it!"
Han Shu paused, feeling greatly relieved. It seemed that the Marquis's method had worked, and Wan'er had already admitted her mistake.
However, the way she apologized was different from what I expected, and I felt quite distant from her.
Perhaps Wan'er has grown up!
Han Shu smiled, pulled her arm out of Su Yan'er's grasp, and stepped forward to hold Qin Wan's hand.
"Wan'er has grown up. Wan'er is right. Since this matter is over, let it be over!"
As she spoke, Han Shu pulled Qin Wan into the room.
Su Yan'er stood there, stunned, looking at her empty hands. She subconsciously clenched them tightly. No matter how well she behaved, she was never the Marquis's biological daughter.
It seems I need to speed things up if I want to gain a foothold in this Marquis's mansion.
Upon entering the room, Qin Wan's injuries had almost healed, but she still couldn't sit on a hard seat. So Wan Shuang placed several soft cushions under Qin Wan's bottom, and only then did Qin Wan feel at ease enough to sit down.
Han Shu hadn't expected her injuries to be so severe. It had been more than ten days, and she still couldn't sit on hard surfaces. It seemed that she, as her mother, hadn't been caring enough.
"Wan'er, actually, I have something else to say to you today."
Mother knows that although you and the Fourth Prince weren't childhood sweethearts, you are quite compatible. You've always wanted to get engaged to the Fourth Prince, but this engagement...
Han Shu had been observing Qin Wan's expression, and she knew that Qin Wan would definitely be heartbroken.
What she didn't know was that Qin Wan might have been heartbroken because of this in her previous life, but now she would never be heartbroken for this man again.
The name of the Fourth Prince, Xiao Jingyu, was once etched in her heart. She thought that if she had feelings for him, he would have feelings for her too.
However, when she fell into misfortune and was sent to Leishan Temple, she witnessed him and the daughter of the Shen family coming to pray for blessings not long after she was sent there.
The way the two of them showed their affection was something they had never done before!
Not long after, news of her engagement spread, and it was then that she realized how ridiculous her love had been.
They could have gotten engaged after she came of age, but every time she brought it up, he would keep putting it off with various excuses.
It dragged on until she was sent to Leishan Temple, until he got engaged to someone else, until he got married, and then she died tragically!
Thinking of this, Qin Wan's heart sank to the bottom. She didn't want to hear this person's name again, so she interrupted Han Shu and said...
"Mother, the Fourth Prince is revered by thousands, how could he possibly be in love with me? Please don't say such things again."
At the birthday banquet, the Empress herself ordered the caning. Although I wasn't convicted, to the outside world I was already a criminal. How could someone of my status be worthy of the Fourth Prince!
As soon as he finished speaking, the person who was approaching from outside the door suddenly stopped in his tracks.