Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 157: Brother 2

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Brother 2

Fengyu sneered. Of course, she knew Xie Xun was oblivious. But to like someone just based on that—wasn’t it too hasty? "What else do you like?"

What Xie Xun liked most about Fengyu... was that they shared a tacit connection, a bond of mutual understanding. She could understand all his ambitions and aspirations, and their expectations for the future aligned perfectly. Whenever they were together, sparks would inevitably fly between their souls.

Saying this out loud, the Third Miss would surely mock him.

Xie Xun said, "Beautiful as a flower, clever and courageous, wealthy enough to rival a kingdom—such qualities can cover all flaws. And I am, after all, a man."

Fengyu, "..."

Why was he so different from others? Wasn’t the standard answer supposed to be, "Everything about you is good, I like it all"? "So, how big are my flaws that it takes beauty and immense wealth to cover them?"

The young marquis felt that his confession had barely started, yet the conversation was already spiraling down unmanageable paths.

"You claim my admirers are as numerous as the fish crossing a river. What about you?" Xie Xun, holding his reins, walked backward to face Fengyu, his gaze burning with intensity as he looked at her.

For the first time in his life, his heart stirred, and he yearned to win her affection.

"I have a heart of stone, unaffected by mere mortals." Fengyu smirked mischievously, her meaning clear—she didn’t like him.

Although Xie Xun felt a hint of dejection, he wasn’t disheartened. Smiling, he replied, "Then I’ll redouble my efforts and strive to win your heart within three years."

The young marquis had been spurred on since childhood, entering the battlefield at thirteen. Ningzhou’s summers were scorchingly hot, its winters unbearably cold. He had ridden alone to save his master and led troops deep into enemy territory before. He was never one to back down in the face of adversity.

Fengyu lowered her gaze, looking into his eyes. A dense, aching pain filled her chest. Liking the young marquis was the simplest thing in the world—he was stunningly talented, unrestrained yet sophisticated, ambitious yet responsible. He commanded the Kyoto Capital Guard with authority and bore the weight of his obligations.

Who wouldn’t like such a fiery and dazzling youth?

Yet her feelings could not overcome the cold reality. This affection was insufficient to muster the courage to face the storms and separations of the future. She would rather bury this love deep within her heart.

The blooming and withering of flowers—such secrets were hers alone.

"You should stop trying," Fengyu said coldly, steeling her heart. "You don’t meet my requirements for a husband."

Xie Xun pressed his tongue against his teeth. Amidst his smile, a hint of menace flickered. "And who do you plan to marry?"

In his heart, a strange sense of possessiveness and control arose—so strong it caught him off guard, shamefully primal, like a beast’s instinct. Yet he resolved to restrain himself, unwilling to do anything that would hurt her.

"There’s no one yet, but I have my standards. Someone will meet them eventually."

"Then you’d better choose carefully. I am possessive and domineering. If you choose one man, I’ll kill him; if you choose two, I’ll kill both." Xie Xun turned away, leaving her with only his back. "Third Miss, do not implicate others and cause innocent lives to be lost."

Fengyu, "..."

She almost swore out loud—what a lunatic!

Suppressing the sourness surging within her, she said softly, "Xie Xun, the Su Family is as wealthy as a nation. Only my sister and I are heirs. I was betrothed from a young age while my sister entered the Marquis Mansion. If it weren’t for Lin Yu Yan seducing Jiang Yang and causing him to break off our engagement, Jiang Yang would have peacefully ascended as the top scorer, entered the Secretariat, and become a trusted aide to the Crown Prince."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Otherwise, why do you think, after my engagement was annulled, I was summoned to the palace during the imperial banquet? Why was I framed with Prince Kang? Whether it’s His Majesty or the Empress, they both wish for me to marry into the Eastern Palace as a concubine—or to become Prince Kang’s consort. They wield immense power and see me as nothing more than an ant. They didn’t even wait for the scandal to die down. Even though my sister publicly claimed all of the Su family’s wealth as her own to protect me, they still want me as Prince Kang’s consort to control her. When their schemes were exposed, they didn’t take my life. I was quite surprised by that. Perhaps they thought my frail health meant I wouldn’t live long anyway. So you and I—we have no possibility, unless I have no regard for my life."

Fengyu had always been sharp and perceptive, her heart as clear as a mirror. She saw the currents of the times more clearly than anyone else.

The Beiman negotiations—could the royal family really stop fearing the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion?

How could that be possible?

Xie Xun stopped in his tracks, his deep gaze falling on the calm face of the Third Miss. So she had known everything yet hadn’t uttered a word to him.

"Are you afraid?" Xie Xun asked.

"I am," Fengyu replied with a bitter smile. "I’ve done everything I can just to survive."

Thus, fleeting spring affections could never sway her heart.

"Fengyu, I want you!" In Xie Xun’s deeply passionate eyes was an all-or-nothing resolve. "As long as there’s breath in me, you will remain safe and sound."

In the spring breeze, Fengyu heard the sound of her own racing heartbeat.

The emotions she had desperately suppressed surged like vines breaking through the soil, yearning to grow into towering trees. Her blood surged, and for a moment, she nearly lost her sense, tempted to accept his vow for forever.

"Xie Xun..."

"Fengyu, trust me!" Xie Xun’s confidence was as vast as the shifting clouds. "Don’t worry about the palace affairs—I’ll handle everything."

Fengyu smiled softly but did not reply.

Xie Xun didn’t mind her hesitation. He relished in the warm spring breeze and wanted to take his time walking with Fengyu back to the city. Just as he prepared to banter with her, he suddenly paused, his face slightly stiffening. Fengyu noticed belatedly the rumble of galloping hooves, loud and thunderous, coming closer.

They were not on the main road but on a plain beside it. A large cavalry force charged down the official road toward the Capital City. The massive army stirred up clouds of dust, blocking out the sky and sun, its momentum terrifyingly grand.

Though far away, they couldn’t make out the soldiers’ faces, but they could see the tiger banner fluttering high in the air—a standard of the Northern Iron Cavalry. Riding at the front were several generals clad in black armor, exuding a commanding presence.

"It’s the Iron Cavalry," Fengyu said, raising her hand to block the swirling dust. The returning army was split into four groups—the cavalry returning with the Marquis Zhenbei, and the infantry following behind.

Looking at their formation, Xie Xun murmured uneasily, "You should be thankful. They didn’t see you."

"Why?"

These were likely the three thousand cavalry sent by General Wude and his wife to suppress bandits. Only one group of the cavalry had been left to escort the Beiman Envoy to the Capital City. Everyone else had returned.

Xie Xun felt relieved that they were far away from the official road. The cavalry seemed to be in a hurry, unlikely to notice him and Fengyu. General Wude probably wouldn’t even expect that his daughter would be meeting a man in the outskirts.

If they had been spotted, it would have ended with either Xie Xun having his legs broken by the Marquis Zhenbei, or Fengyu being beaten by General Wude.

Just as Xie Xun was thinking this, a lone black horse suddenly broke away from the group and galloped toward them. His eyelid twitched, and he wondered grimly to himself—am I really this unlucky?

As the rider approached, Xie Xun gradually made out the person’s features.

It was a young man who resembled Xie Xun a great deal. With glass-like eyes and an icy demeanor, he wore light armor. He didn’t look like a seasoned general but rather someone detached from worldly concerns, like a wandering hermit.

"Second Brother..." Xie Xun’s scalp tingled. Fearing the worst, he watched as Xie Jue approached and reined in his horse. "We were so far away. How did you even recognize me?"