Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 166 The Beauty

Chapter 166: Chapter 166 The Beauty

Xie Zhang lowered his head with a light laugh. Xie Jue gave him a cold glance, just about to speak, but the young Marquis flirted with fire and then ran away, disappearing in a moment. Xie Zhang smiled and shook his head, "Dugu Jing is in the Capital City, be careful."

"Alright!" Xie Jue responded. As he just returned to his own courtyard, a gentle breeze came at him. Xie Jue slightly tilted his head and caught the attacking green apricot with two fingers.

Xie Jue looked up to see Fang Chuning lazily lying on his rooftop, holding a wine jug in one hand, slightly tilting his head back, allowing some of the strong wine to spill on his slender neck. A longsword lay across the eaves with a full moon in the background.

Suave yet uninhibited, everyone said he was more suited than the young Marquis to be a carefree wanderer. Xie Jue mused, Fang Chuning’s dandy persona was merely superficial; he was the eldest young master of a first-class noble family.

The hall was filled with flowers and drunk guests, one sword chilling the frost in fourteen states.

He whistled, "Ting Feng, come enjoy the moon."

On the rooftop, Xie Jue and he shared a jug of wine together, the Second Young Master’s face pale as frost; after drinking, a faint blush appeared on his brows. Fang Chuning lay bonelessly, his hands resting behind his head.

The moon was bright, stars sparse; the night was like water.

"Why are you so busy we can’t see you every day?" Fang Chuning’s tone was a bit complaining, "Didn’t we agree to stay at the manor for a few days together?"

"Negotiating peace." Xie Jue said lightly, turning his head to glance at him, "What’s troubling you?"

"My mother is hosting flower-viewing banquets every day, wanting to arrange a marriage for me." Fang Chuning drew a mocking smile, "I’ve already lost three fiancées; I’m doomed to bring misfortune to my wives."

Xie Jue impassively said, "Ghost and superstition talk, sheer nonsense."

"I haven’t even met them, yet they’re all gone. If I find true love one day, she might be shot a thousand times over." Fang Chuning sneered, just by coincidence, none of his engaged fiancées survived.

"Get up!" Xie Jue said coldly, "Take a walk with me."

Fang Chuning’s eyes lit up, grabbing his longsword casually, and joined Xie Jue in a night stroll.

Xie Jue didn’t love night outings yet was willing to accompany Fang Chuning on nightly wanderings. He didn’t love drinking yet would share a jug with Fang Chuning. Fang Chuning bought two jugs of wine from a shop, carrying one in one hand and hanging the other at the Second Young Master’s waist. Xie Jue, dressed in a white satin long robe, adorned with a jade pendant, and with a black jug hanging, looked mismatched but didn’t stop Fang Chuning.

Xie Jue and Fang Chuning were born in the same year and month, with just a three-day difference. As children, they often celebrated birthdays together. They studied together at the Imperial College, under the same mentor, studying and practicing riding and archery together, one still, the other active. Xie Jue didn’t like associating with others; Fang Chuning almost revolved around Xie Jue.

He took Xie Jue to make friends, play; Xie Jue’s childhood, youth, were all accompanied by Fang Chuning. Xie Jue was cold from a young age, reticent; the few times he got furious were all incited by Fang Chuning.

More than ten years ago, when the war in Ningzhou wasn’t so tense, Marquis Zhenbei loved bringing Fang Chuning to stay briefly at the mansion, then watching his second son get red-faced and furious because of Fang Chuning.

Fang Chuning’s marriages were arranged thrice, all dictated by parents and matchmakers, mainly because Emperor Jianming had once hinted at wanting Fang Chuning to marry Princess Huazhen.

Marshal Fang didn’t want to get involved in imperial power struggles. Some people with intentions provoked both Fang and Xie families early on to arrange marriages for their sons, yet who knew all three fiancées were short-lived.

"Do the Marquis and Madam urge you to get engaged?"

"Never."

"Why not?"

"I don’t dare!"

Fang Chuning laughed heartily. In fact, the Second Young Master was cold outside but ruthless inside; apart from Xie Xun, the whole family feared him. Xie Xun wasn’t afraid simply because he was thick-skinned and not afraid of trouble.

Fang Chuning, wearing a red spring robe inner with black outer clothing, a jade belt at his waist, holding a sword in one hand and a jug in the other, with a spreading aroma of wine, suddenly got curious, "Ting Feng, what kind of girl do you want to marry?"

Xie Jue had never thought about which girl he would marry one day, as Fang Chuning wanted to know, after serious consideration, he said, "Quiet one."

Fang Chuning laughed aloud, "You don’t like talking, and marrying a mute, there would be no fun in life being silent together?"

They had both reached the age to marry, Fang Chuning was negotiating an engagement, and Xie Jue also needed to discuss engagement. After the peace talks with Beiman, if there were no war in Ningzhou, Fang Chuning would be dispatched to Jiangnan; he couldn’t help himself but make a wild request.

"Ting Feng, come guard Jiangnan with me."

"Alright!"

"Really?" Fang Chuning was overjoyed, suddenly grabbing his arm, whether from being pleasantly surprised or from a rush of spirits, moisture welled in his eyes, "You’re willing to go to Jiangnan?"

Generations of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion fought bloodily in the deserts to guard Ningzhou, holding Yanyang against Beiman; as long as one bore the surname Xie, there was an inseparable destiny with Ningzhou.

Fang Chuning had imagined that after the peace talks, he would go to Jiangnan, and Xie Jue would go to Ningzhou, one south and one north, fearing they wouldn’t see each other a few times a year.

"Eldest Brother will be stationed in Ningzhou after marriage." Xie Jue looked at his excited face and said calmly, "I’ll go to Jiangnan with you."

Xie Jue thought of the war report from Jiangnan, whether Sannan was connected with Beiman and how they were connected, it had to be clarified. The border defense of Ningzhou was breached by Dugu Jing, which had always been a shadow in his heart.

So sooner or later, there would be a fierce battle between Yanyang and Sannan. His father’s wish was to repel Beiman and recapture Sannan. If he went to guard Jiangnan earlier, it would not be a problem.

"It’s settled then, you can’t deceive me."

Xie Jue nodded, "Alright!"

"Someone has been following us." Fang Chuning squinted, drank half a jug of wine with his head up, and gave a cold smile.

Xie Jue asked, "Want to act?"

"Most likely targeting you, can I let them go?" Fang Chuning blinked, a playful gleam flashed in his fox-like eyes, "Let’s go, pick a good spot for them."

Beside the ruins north of the city, open and vast; the sound of footsteps startled the sparrows into flight, adding to the spooky chill.

Five figures appeared like ghosts by the ruins, blocking Fang Chuning and Xie Jue’s path; it was Dugu Jing leading four Beiman soldiers, all with curved blades at their waists.

"Oh, it’s Prince Nine, what a rare guest." Fang Chuning pressed a hand on the sword handle with one, spinning the wine jug with the other, the depths of his fox eyes brimming with laughter, "Following us all night, are you here to ask for a drink? Say so sooner, the Second Young Master has money and can treat you."

Xie Jue really deserved to be the number one figure to draw Beiman’s hatred. Upon seeing Xie Jue and Fang Chuning, Dugu Jing’s group burst with murderous intent, forgetting the audience they were to attend the next day. Completely intent on killing Xie Jue, they didn’t care what disaster killing him would bring on the eve of the negotiations.

"Xie Jue, hand over your life!" Dugu Jing pulled out his curved blade, a cold light flashed across the ruin as he swung his blade down; Fang Chuning hurled the wine jug and drew his sword to face him.

The clash of blades and swords sparkled with fire; Fang Chuning, along with his sword, blocked Dugu Jing’s aggressive curved blade, "Thinking of killing Xie Jue in front of me? Even King Yan couldn’t do it."

Xie Jue said lightly, "Don’t underestimate the enemy."

Fang Chuning deflected the curved blade, turned back, and smiled at Xie Jue. Like a proud alpha beast showing off its territory, "Second Young Master, don’t long for others’ strengths."