Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 158 Secret Rendezvous (Added more)

Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Secret Rendezvous (Added more)

"Zhuifeng." Xie Jue said indifferently. He recognized Zhuifeng, not Xie Xun, and seeing a woman riding Zhuifeng left him surprised. He turned his horse around and came closer.

Fengyu thought to herself, So this is the Second Young Master of the Xie Family. Indeed, he’s quite handsome.

Upon seeing Xie Jue and the Black Riders, Zhuifeng became visibly excited, eagerly bounding forward. The two sweat-blood horses seemed like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl finally reunited, rubbing against each other enthusiastically. Xie Xun tugged hard but failed to restrain Zhuifeng, who carried Fengyu straight toward Xie Jue.

Fengyu suddenly understood—her parents had just passed by near her. Instantly, her face turned crimson, leaving her no time to admire the supposedly infallible and cunning Second Young Master.

She angrily turned to chastise the little Marquis, "Xie Xun, if my parents catch me here, you’re doomed!"

A single man and woman alone in the wilderness—this was too precarious. What parents could accept their unmarried daughter wandering dozens of miles away from home with a man?

"How is this my fault?" Xie Xun protested his innocence.

"If not you, then who should I blame?"

"Fine, blame me." Xie Xun waved dismissively, gesturing for his brother to leave. "Second Brother, could you please go! Just pretend you didn’t see me, alright?"

Xie Jue’s gaze faintly landed on Fengyu’s face. She resembled Feng Shu; it wasn’t hard to guess her identity. He said nothing, his expression calm and composed, leaving Fengyu with the odd feeling that the Second Young Master had already conjured up a scandalous tale of a clandestine rendezvous in his mind.

Xie Jue didn’t utter another word and was about to turn away when a man on horseback galloped near. Fengyu’s body stiffened as her hairs stood on end. Nervously, she jumped down from the horse with nowhere to hide, fearing it might be her father coming to check on her. Panicking, she ducked behind Xie Xun.

Xie Jue’s brow slightly arched as he turned his eyes slowly to Xie Xun. Xie Xun forced a rigid smile but inwardly groaned in agony as the Third Miss buried herself behind his back like an ostrich.

The rider was none other than Fang Chuning.

Dressed in blackened iron armor and possessing an alluring face that radiated youthful vigor, he carried the sharpness of a young General. His smile was oddly fox-like, as if it could ensnare anyone he wished. Despite Fengyu’s desperate attempt to conceal herself, Fang Chuning immediately spotted her and assumed Xie Xun was sneaking off with a young lady for a countryside rendezvous. He let out a rich whistle, his tone playful. "Even your Second Brother managed to catch you during your rendezvous, huh? Bad luck for you..."

"It’s not a rendezvous!" Xie Xun recalled how he had just kissed the Third Miss under the peach blossom tree, and it did indeed seem a bit like an illicit affair. Flustered, he shouted in frustration, "Can you both hurry up and get lost?"

If the General Wude and his wife showed up, his father would surely drag him to the Feng Mansion and demand he personally apologize with self-flagellation.

"Why are you blushing? It’s just a rendezvous, nothing to be embarrassed about. We brothers wouldn’t laugh at you for it." Fang Chuning grinned like a sly fox, curious about the identity of the young girl hiding behind Xie Xun. From afar, he could see her frantically trying to avoid him.

"Since we bumped into each other, let’s head back to the Capital City together."

"We’re still sightseeing. Can’t you two take a hint?" Xie Xun worried that the Third Miss might yank out her golden hairpin and stab him full of holes.

Fang Chuning wasn’t annoyed in the slightest by Xie Xun’s tone. Instead, he pivoted to complain to Xie Jue, "Ting Feng, your younger brother is bullying me!"

Fengyu, "..."

Junjun, your brother is even better at tattling than I am.

"Let’s go." Xie Jue’s voice was cool. As he turned his horse to leave, Fang Chuning couldn’t help feeling a tinge of disappointment. Waving mockingly, he teased Xie Xun before departing, "Your Second Brother is probably cursing you for being so improper right now."

Xie Xun, "..."

The two mounted Black Riders disappeared into the distance, and even from afar, one could still see Fang Chuning asking Xie Jue something, followed by a burst of hearty laughter.

Fengyu, red-eyed with fury, pushed Xie Xun away. "It’s all your fault!" she exclaimed angrily.

Xie Xun felt genuinely unlucky; he hadn’t checked the calendar before leaving home. How could he have predicted General Wude would return to the capital today and end up running into them? Thankfully, he and Fengyu weren’t on the main road; otherwise, it would’ve truly turned into a chaotic scene.

The Second Brother wouldn’t say anything, and Fang Chuning hadn’t gotten a clear look at Fengyu. Xie Xun tried to lift Fengyu back onto the horse, but she slapped his hand away. Feeling awkward, Xie Xun rubbed his nose. The warhorses were less than dozens of miles away from the capital now—it’d be a direct ride back.

"Here’s some good news: Your father might be promoted to the rank of a Second-grade National General upon his return to the Capital." Xie Xun still ended up carrying Fengyu onto the horse, offering her some insider information.

"A triple promotion?" Fengyu’s attention was successfully diverted.

Xie Xun steered the horse toward the main road, his pace unhurried. "General Wude achieved a remarkable victory on the battlefield. My elder brother’s pivotal role in killing the Beiman King is a testament to his exceptional archery skills. But it was General Wude who distracted the Beiman King and led the left-wing army to break through his defenses, enabling my elder brother to finish him off. Your mother also played a crucial role in logistical stabilization, earning significant merit for your family. Coupled with the suppression of bandits, the accumulated military merits are sufficient to secure the title of National General for your father."

Feng Changqing was a genuine direct descendant of the Marquis Zhenbei, personally groomed by the marquis.

Fengyu was overjoyed and finally showed a kinder expression toward Xie Xun.

Xie Xun took Fengyu with him, joining the army procession as they returned to the capital. General Wude and his wife were scheduled to enter the palace to meet the emperor upon their arrival. When Fengyu came home, they weren’t back yet. Standing under the corridor was Feng Shu, waiting for her. Fengyu felt guilty—she’d been taken away by Xie Xun for several hours in plain view of others. Her older sister was likely furious. Should she strike first and accuse him instead? After all, the Little Marquis was physically strong, and she couldn’t resist him.

"Sister, Father and Mother have returned. I saw them at the city gates." The Third Miss, who had initially planned to lodge a complaint, instead delivered the happy news with a radiant smile.

Feng Shu looked at her younger sister’s flushed cheeks from running and gently wiped away the sweat. "I saw them too. Where did you and Xie Xun go?" she asked.

"He... just took me around the city." Fengyu hadn’t lied to her sister for a long time, and her tone remained normal. If Feng Shu hadn’t seen her and Xie Xun riding out of the city together, she might have been fooled.

Feng Shu gazed at her younger sister, whose expression betrayed nothing but calmness, with a complicated air. The truth was, Feng Shu and Xie Zhang had also gone out of the city. Coincidentally, they had seen Xie Xun galloping with Fengyu. Compared to the restrained interactions of the betrothed couples in the capital, her rapport with Xie Zhang was far more intimate. These past days, she had been out riding horses and meeting with him casually. The Eldest Young Master hadn’t caught sight of the girl in Xie Xun’s arms but had remarked that Zhixu was unexpectedly bold.

Feng Shu’s sour mood was palpable. Xie Zhang, who understood her emotions better than anyone, promptly inquired. Upon learning the matter concerned Fengyu, Xie Zhang’s expression grew nuanced.

It was because the Eldest Young Master had previously overheard the Little Marquis cursing Fengyu intensely, his words venomous as though their enmity was irreconcilable. Even Xie Jue had commented at the time, "For the sake of money, I’ll advise you to endure."

Xie Xun had rudely mocked his Second Brother for being obsessed with wealth, even though his own injured leg made it impossible for him to rise in rebellion. In retaliation, Xie Jue had starved him for three days. The Little Marquis, born unruly to the core, stubbornly refused to yield. It had been Xie Zhang who secretly defied Xie Jue’s instructions to bring food to Xie Xun, leaving a lasting impression.

That particular incident had transpired shortly after Xie Xun’s leg injury. Both Xie Zhang and Xie Jue had puzzled over why Xie Xun inexplicably cursed the Third Miss residing far away in the capital—a mystery that remained unresolved.

Seeing Xie Xun now openly accompany Fengyu out of town, completely unlike a revenge pursuit, Xie Zhang found the development nothing short of astonishing. Xie Xun’s feelings, whether love or hate, were always raw and brutally honest, rarely shifting. After two years, had his hatred for Fengyu dissipated?

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