Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 155 Genuine Heart

Chapter 155: Chapter 155 Genuine Heart

The Northern Iron Cavalry triumphed, the palace held a banquet for three days, and the city’s wealthy merchants collaborated to set up three days of flowing feasts. The entire nation celebrated, and for three days there was no curfew. The streets were livelier than during the Lantern Festival. Everyone was filled with joy, ministers and subjects alike. Feng Shu left home early and returned late, rarely seen at home, leaving Fengyu bored and leaning idly against the windowsill.

Ever since Xie Zhang’s older brother came back, my sister’s really been invisible.

With an exaggerated air of maturity, she sighed, "Girls grow up and stop being easy to hold onto."

These past few days in the capital have felt festive and exuberant, as lively as the New Year. Fengyu absorbed some of the celebratory spirit herself as her family busily prepared for Feng Wan’s wedding. With nothing better to do, she invited Fang Lingjun to go out and explore the streets.

While patrolling the capital guard, Xie Xun happened to encounter Fengyu and Fang Lingjun. As soon as Fengyu saw him, she turned and tried to run, prompting Xie Xun to let out a cold huff. He urged his horse forward to block her way, towering over her with an imposing gaze. "Third Miss, what are you running for?"

"Who’s running?" Fengyu’s guilt flickered for a moment, but she forced a smile and held her ground. "Congratulations, Young Marquis, on your family’s joyous reunion. We’ll be leaving now."

She tugged Fang Lingjun along, preparing to flee again. Fang Lingjun thought to herself, Ayu must’ve offended the Young Marquis once more. But before she could make sense of it, Xie Xun had already spurred his horse forward again, cutting them off. Swiftly, he grabbed Fengyu’s arm and hoisted her onto his horse. Fengyu gasped in alarm, now pressed against the Young Marquis’s chest as the horse galloped toward the city gates.

"Junjun, save me!" Fengyu twisted around, crying out to Fang Lingjun.

Xie Xun chuckled deeply, his chest vibrating with laughter, his tone betraying his amusement. "Even the gods can’t save you now. Sit tight and don’t fall off the horse."

Fengyu dared not struggle further, while Fang Lingjun’s face turned pale with shock. She completely forgot to attempt rescuing Fengyu, staring in disbelief as the Young Marquis abducted Fengyu in broad daylight. "Has Xie Xun gone mad? What does he want with Ayu? Ah... hey..."

She chased after them for several steps but quickly lost sight of Xie Xun’s fading silhouette.

Xie Xun, with Fengyu in tow, charged through the city gates. The guards stationed there exchanged confused glances, uncertain how to react to the spectacle before them. He continued beyond the gates, letting his horse Zhuifeng run wild across the plains.

The spring scenery unfolded: orioles flying, grass growing lush, a season full of vitality.

Seated atop the horse with Xie Xun’s fiery chest pressed against her back, Fengyu’s nostrils were filled with the fresh scent of spring. Raising her eyes, she was met with the radiant sun. She could sense Xie Xun’s boundless energy, carried away by the spring breeze, washing over her.

The Marquis Zhenbei had returned triumphant, and the Young Marquis was brimming with confidence and pride. It was as though he were a wild animal in a courtship ritual, eager to share his unrestrained joy with Fengyu, sweeping her into the passion of the moment.

Over the past few days, celebrations had spread everywhere, from the palace to the Marquis Mansion. Two years of gloom had finally lifted. He had long awaited true peace, and now prosperity had arrived as hoped. What could be more joyous than this?

He had been unable to wait to share his elation with her. But after that day behind Wangjiang Restaurant, she had been avoiding him, keeping herself home and away from sight—until now, when he’d finally seized the opportunity.

Xie Xun wanted nothing else but to ride freely with Fengyu, unleashing his happiness.

The Young Marquis took Fengyu galloping for over an hour, across the grasslands, through rainforests, and over shallow streams, as if determined to ride with her to the ends of the earth.

Fengyu couldn’t help but be infected by his jubilant spirit, though she was jostled so much that she felt an urge to slap him. For all her time spent learning military strategy, battlefield coordination, and archery for the Young Marquis’s sake, the Third Miss herself found no enjoyment in horseback riding.

If a soft carriage filled with silk cushions was an option, why would anyone prefer riding—exposed to sun and rain?

By the time Xie Xun finally let her dismount, the Third Miss’s legs were trembling incessantly. She had to lean against the trunk of a peach tree for support, glaring at Xie Xun with reddened eyes. "I merely broke your string of pearls, damaging your reputation. So now you’re demanding my life in payment?"

Xie Xun’s gaze fell on Fengyu’s delicate, flushed face and the pale, tender hand resting against the tree trunk. He suddenly found his mouth dry, his throat bobbing slightly as he swallowed. His eyes locked onto her like a beast in springtime seeking a mate.

"How are you so fragile?" he asked, with a trace of teasing. "Just an hour of riding, and you’re completely spent."

Fengyu shot back a retort, "I’m weak and sickly, unlike the physically robust Young Marquis. Surely, this isn’t news to you?"

They had reached the outskirts of Gaoping County. Xie Xun loosened his grip on the reins, letting Zhuifeng graze freely by the edge of the woods. Clearing his throat, he shifted the conversation. "That day behind Wangjiang Restaurant—what was that madness all about?"

"The Young Marquis flirts and leaves a trail of peach blossom debts, yet you have the audacity to play the victim first." Fengyu’s voice drifted like a breeze, containing her displeasure but carrying an inexplicable ripple through Xie Xun’s heart.

Peach blossom debts, she says?

Why haven’t I ever managed to attract *this* particular blossom?

Peach blossoms adorn every branch; she’s even lovelier than the blossoms themselves. He only ever wanted to attract *her*, and her alone.

"Princess Huazhen?" Xie Xun humored her theatrics, suspecting there might be some truth buried within. "I swear I’ve never sought her out. Third Miss, are you slandering me?"

"The Princess insists on marrying you, yet you claim innocence!" Fengyu huffed coldly. "Perhaps the Young Marquis spreads his charms without even realizing it."

Xie Xun braced a hand on the tree trunk, his tall, commanding figure eclipsing the sunlight, trapping her within his shadow. Fengyu leaned back instinctively, but her retreat was stopped by the peach tree behind her. Spring winds danced around them, scattering peach blossoms into her styled hair.

Fengyu, both wary and nervous, fixed her eyes on Xie Xun. "What are you doing?"

"You’re upset!" Xie Xun’s gaze bore into her, noticing the visible flush creeping up her face. His eyes grew darker, hotter, as if flames burned within his chest. If only she’d allow it...

If she’d allow it, what would he do?

"I suffered the Princess’s petty humiliations without cause—am I not justified in being angry?" Fengyu retorted frantically, trying to dodge him, only to be trapped in the narrow space he had surged to dominate, his presence enveloping her in its entirety.

He held himself like a territorial beast, asserting an undeniable control.

"You think so?" Xie Xun leaned in, his expression shifting into one of amused intensity. His face was impossibly close, already strikingly handsome, now tinged with a sensual allure.

Fengyu’s heart pounded like a startled deer, her cheeks flushed and ears burning. She reached up and grabbed his wrist, stammering, "You... you..."

Xie Xun froze slightly at the sensation of her hand brushing his skin—a smooth, delicate touch that sent a streak of heat through his body. His eyes deepened as the fire inside him roared ever hotter, his gaze fixating on the object of his desire with an irrational need.

Fengyu’s scalp prickled with alarm. Even without experience, she could sense danger looming. She bent forward in an attempt to evade him, but his hand pressed against her waist, giving her a gentle nudge. She felt as vulnerable as a rabbit cornered by a predator, helpless against his strength. As her body collided with the peach tree, pink blossoms rained down from the branches. His hand, firm against her waist, felt the rise and fall of her breathing, betraying the tension coursing through her.

Fengyu writhed awkwardly, as though she were a fish tossed out of water. Her hands clutched Xie Xun’s firmly, her face burning deep crimson. "You... you... what are you doing?"

In broad daylight, just the two of them, isolated in the wild... Fengyu didn’t dare meet his overly focused stare. Yet Xie Xun didn’t release her, his voice raspy. "The words you spoke behind the restaurant that night—did you mean them?"

Fengyu was cornered, her composure shattered. She feigned ignorance. "What words? I said so many things that night..."

"I don’t like Xie Xun!" Without hesitation, the Young Marquis shattered the fragile layer of ambiguity, exposing the truth without restraint. "That sentence."

Trapped, Fengyu could retreat no further. She tilted her head up to glare at his striking profile. Spring breezes danced through the rustling tree shadows, while the youth’s eyes carried a flush of searing red, a gaze teetering between interrogation and confession.