Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 148: Beautiful

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Beautiful

The Zhang family is a distinguished noble family, and they cannot tolerate such scandals. Grandmaster Zhang did not permit Mr. Zhang to sue his son, and Xie Xun also supported Zhang Boxin.

Mr. Zhang could only swallow his anger and let it go.

Xie Xun felt guilty, "Zhang Boxin, it was my thoughtlessness that implicated you."

He hadn’t anticipated that the wedding incident would escalate so much, unsettling Zhang Boxin’s family, and this was his mistake.

"Young Marquis, I wanted to hit Zhang Bolan," Zhang Boxin said, feeling disheartened and angry, "I’ve wanted to hit him for a long time, this was just a pretext for trouble, if not at the wedding, it would have been another time."

While Mr. Zhang was willing to let bygones be bygones, Zhang Boxin was not. He encouraged Mrs. Zhang to separate, and urging one’s parents to separate is the most rebellious act in the Yanyang Family.

This angered both Mr. Zhang and Grandmaster Zhang greatly. Xie Xun was also taken aback; Zhang Boxin was their legitimate son, and persuading his parents to separate was tantamount to abandoning everything of the Zhang Family.

Mr. Zhang favored his concubine but dared not divorce his wife or separate. He had the common male flaws; the concubine, gentle and soft, was his solace with her delicate beauty. His wife managed the household well and came from a noble family; a peaceful coexistence of wife and concubine was what Mr. Zhang wanted most.

Mrs. Zhang, being a cousin of Princess Ning Ru, the daughter of the Liling Zhu Family, knew that separating would lead to mockery if he elevated the concubine to wife, or if he remarried. His reputation of favoring concubines and neglecting the wife would not attract a good family.

However, Mrs. Zhang was more rational than Zhang Boxin. Ostensibly, she was goaded by Zhang Boxin to separate, but she absolutely did not want to separate. She had battled the concubine for half her life, and her son had been under Zhang Bolan’s shadow for years. Separating would only benefit that mother and son pair.

Just as she predicted, Mr. Zhang soon apologized and promised not to meddle in household affairs anymore. Mrs. Zhang took the opportunity to reclaim power from the concubine, and transferred half of Mr. Zhang’s property to Zhang Boxin. No matter how much Zhang Bolan and the concubine fussed, Mrs. Zhang remained unmoved, and Mr. Zhang, fearing she would truly insist on separation, tearfully agreed.

Through this incident, the affection between husband and wife, and father and son, was almost completely eroded. Zhang Boxin knew his parents couldn’t truly separate, feeling downcast, he also became more withdrawn lately.

Xie Xun specially gave them time off and took them to dine at Wangjiang Restaurant. Lin Xiao also had many critiques about the disturbances at his elder brother’s wedding, yet knowing their side had never spared Marquis Zhenbei Mansion in their dealings, he had to reluctantly act as a mediator.

"Young Marquis, why not go to Mudan Building for drinks and enjoyment, what’s the point of going to the restaurant?" Zhou Liyu wanted to hear Miss Lan Hua sing.

The Young Marquis also wanted to take his subordinates to Mudan Building, but since the dragon boat performance in front of the Emperor, the girls there raised their prices fivefold. The gold he swindled from Third Miss had all been used to make spring outfits for the Kyoto Capital Guard, with a chest reserved for contingencies, making him feel spending a fortune at Mudan Building unnecessary.

"The Young Marquis is poor!" Lin Xiao said, "A single visit to Mudan Building could translate into twenty trips to the restaurant."

Xie Xun maintained his dignity, "It’s not necessary to be wasteful. Are you going or not?"

"Going!" Zhang Boxin was feeling restless and unsettled. He and Lin Xiao had long settled their differences through laughter; drinking with brothers after work was naturally better than going home.

Li Pengfei enviously watched their backs as they left, gritting his teeth. Despite having the same family background and starting point, and the Young Marquis treating everyone equally in official affairs, why was he not willing to take him along for fun after work?

The Wangjiang Restaurant was bustling with business, and without prior reservations, it was nearly impossible to get a private room or a parlor. Xie Xun had booked a room on the third floor two days in advance. He ordered three jars of wine, aiming for them not to return sober.

After three rounds of drinks, Zhang Boxin was slightly tipsy, with a rosy flush on his face and moist eyes from the alcohol. They played drinking games and were thoroughly entertained. Xie Xun, having grown up in the Capital City, could easily achieve a cultured demeanor whenever he wished.

Cai Wensen gossiped, "Young Marquis, it is said you are a favored guest of Miss Lan Hua, and even spent a passionate night with her, is it true?"

The Young Marquis almost choked on his drink, shocked that he would dare inquire into his private affairs. Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and Zhou Liyu all looked at him with curiosity.

The playboys indulged in frivolity, speaking without restraint in private. They always deemed Xie Xun a young general, unreachable, and who would dare gossip about his private matters? Now familiar, they had no reservations.

"Take a guess." Xie Xun twirled his wine cup, smiling roguishly, those peach blossom eyes made even a pig seem captivating.

Zhou Liyu cheered, "Wow, it seems to be true."

With such an ambiguous smile, it most definitely seemed the case. Zhou Liyu said, "I prefer Miss Linghua, her figure and her hands... indescribable."

Zhang Boxin burst out laughing, "You’ve also praised Third Mistress from Furong Inn for being voluptuous and soft. Is there any girl you don’t like?"

"You’ve got it wrong, it’s Lin Xiao who likes Third Mistress from Furong Inn." Zhou Liyu defended himself, and Lin Xiao laughed along, as they all had once indulged in such pleasures and commented on several girls.

All young men, their conversation gradually turned suggestive.

"Young Marquis, what kind of girl do you like?" Lin Xiao asked. They all had shared lewd topics more or less, but never heard the Young Marquis comment on any girl.

Even during their shared indulgence, the Young Marquis drank the most voraciously, yet it was the second-generation heirs who appeared frivolous.

Xie Xun involuntarily recalled Fengyu’s face, her hair adorned with pearl hairpins, and he couldn’t help but smile, leaving the boys entranced.

The smile reached his eyes, with a charm that captivated hearts, like a young lad experiencing his first love encounter with the girl of his dreams.

This kind of smile clearly indicated he had someone in mind.

"I like... pretty ones."

"Turns out the Young Marquis is as plain as we are." Cai Wensen laughed loudly and clinked his glass with him, drinking it down in one gulp.

Lin Xiao said, "That’s too vague."

Everyone likes pretty girls.

Xie Xun propped his chin, slightly raised an eyebrow, "Pretty and obedient ones."

Everyone, "..."

"Turns out the Young Marquis likes the clinging type of girl, I thought he’d prefer those who could mount a horse and fight, so gallant and heroic." Cai Wensen mused, "I prefer the gallant and heroic women, not the obedient and docile, too dull."

Xie Xun just smiled without speaking, Lin Xiao secretly pondered, according to the Young Marquis’s description, it certainly wasn’t about Fengyu.

The banquet involving the Four Sisters of the Feng Family and the Crown Prince, Princess Huazhen, and others were full of lively enjoyment. Since Feng Wan’s engagement with Prince Duan, they practically became in-laws with the ties of childhood companionship, sharing a period of carefree times. The relations were very harmonious. Fengyu watched the benevolent and wise Crown Prince; he was not much of a talker during the banquet, yet adeptly responded to her sister’s words, and subtly inquired about her sister’s adventures across the land.

Feng Shu was indeed gracious, having several stories to tell. Feng Shu was once abducted by mountain bandits to be a bride for two days, which led to her subduing the entire mountain of bandits and arranging to send them to the Su Family Escort Agency. That time, Xie Zhang happened to come looking for her, creating many amusing tales. Feng Shu, while recounting, didn’t mention Xie Zhang at all, but everyone else listened with great interest.