Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 54 Regret

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Regret

The two rarely engaged in such an enjoyable conversation. After Xie Xun left, Fengyu’s face darkened. The Eastern Palace Prince... Back when the Feng Family was exiled to Ningzhou, Emperor Jianming was still the Ningzhou Prince. The Crown Prince Yuwen Jing had considerable ties to the Feng Family, but who would have thought he’d have no hesitation when it came to killing her?

Xie Xun was right—she and the Crown Prince were worlds apart in status. She had already exhausted all her efforts when she orchestrated the setup against Lin Yu Yan, turning the tables on her. To retaliate against the Crown Prince was mere fantasy, an impossible dream. All she could do was swallow this grievance.

She could only hope that he truly wouldn’t make another move.

The winter semester at the Imperial College had started, but Fengyu used the excuse of nursing her injuries to stay home and laze about for half a month before Fang Lingjun dragged her to attend class together. Princess Xue Lan also joined the classes. With Lin Yu Yan out of the picture, Zhang Jing Miao and Wu Changhuan didn’t dare act too brazenly anymore, allowing Fengyu to flourish at the college like a fish in water.

The greatest amusement for Princess Xue Lan and Fengyu was watching Fang Lingjun bully Zhang Jing Miao and Wu Changhuan. Fortune truly turns like a wheel—Zhang Jing Miao and Wu Changhuan were tormented to the point where they stopped attending class after just three days.

The tutor at the Imperial College, Mr. Zhou, was a renowned scholar of Confucianism, teaching ritual, music, and poetry. Today’s lecture was on the Classics of Poetry. Fengyu sat in the last row, dressed in winter garments of lake-blue, adorned with pearl-studded hairpieces, resembling a resplendent blue rose in full bloom. Holding her book upright to shield herself from Mr. Zhou’s gaze, she boldly lay against her desk and napped in plain view. The autumn sunlight filtered through the gauzy curtains, caressing her face with gentle warmth.

Mr. Zhou had heard rumors of Fengyu’s impressive display at the horseback archery banquet, where she had managed to hit every target, even Copper Coins, with precision. Yet during the official horseback archery assessment, she had ranked at the bottom, despite her evident mastery. She frequently pretended to be inept, spent class time sleeping, practiced rituals with outward perfection, played musical instruments lackadaisically, and actively avoided listening to poetry lessons. Whenever the books were read aloud, she would fall asleep, heedless of countless reprimands.

Fengyu couldn’t help it—she was genuinely exhausted. Her spirit was weak, her health frail, and nights plagued by nightmares that left her restless. Paradoxically, the college provided her a rare chance for sound sleep.

By now, Mr. Zhou had given up on teaching Fengyu entirely. At first, he tried punishing her, but no matter how severe the penalties, she remained unfazed, clinging to her ways. As long as she didn’t disrupt the lessons, Mr. Zhou had finally resigned himself to her behavior.

Observing her remarkable performance at the horseback archery banquet, Mr. Zhou concluded that she was likely well-read and merely disinterested in striving to stand out. After class, Fang Lingjun woke her up with a shake. "Ayu, rested well? Snow Lan and I are heading to the archery training field."

Fengyu opened her eyes drowsily. The classroom was now empty, save for her, Princess Xue Lan, and Fang Lingjun. Stifling a yawn after yawn, she noted that the archery class was scheduled for the afternoon—a mixed-gender session. She had no interest in attending, particularly since her recent display of skill at the banquet had drawn far too much attention. Yet, Fang Lingjun and Princess Xue Lan insisted on going.

"Ayu, are you really not coming along?" Princess Xue Lan asked.

Fengyu shook her head. "I need to visit Linlang Pavilion."

Qiuxiang and Chunlu began tidying up Fengyu’s book bag. Qiuxiang fed Fengyu a small pastry. "Miss, you must be hungry. Let me give you a bite to tide you over. Wangjiang Restaurant’s special today is Eight Treasures Duck. Shall we go eat there?"

"Sure! You and Chunlu must be craving it too, aren’t you?"

The two maids exchanged amused smiles before Chunlu added, "Miss, I’ll ask Zhang Da to send someone to inform the shopkeeper in advance."

"Go ahead," Fengyu replied.

After tidying up, Qiuxiang draped a cloak over Fengyu’s shoulders to shield her from the wind before accompanying her outside. Yet, they hadn’t walked far when Jiang Yang suddenly appeared, blocking her path. "Sister Fengyu..."

As Fengyu wandered in her thoughts, his sudden appearance startled her. Qiuxiang immediately darted in front of Fengyu with an outstretched arm, glaring at Jiang Yang. "Who are you, you scoundrel? Stay away from my mistress!"

Currently working as the Imperial College’s archivist, Jiang Yang held the rank of a ninth-grade official, managing book collections, transcriptions, and record-keeping within the college. Fengyu often encountered him at school, anticipating occasional gossip. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yang had purposely stopped her, causing her to scrutinize him with intrigue.

To be frank, Fengyu resented Jiang Yang for breaking off their engagement during her coming-of-age ceremony, humiliating the Feng Family and bringing disgrace to her grandmother. Dealing him a beating had somewhat vented her frustrations, but she didn’t harbor deep hatred for him. At the end of the day, despite their childhood betrothal, there had never been true affection between them. The one time she saw Jiang Yang in Liling, his striking appearance and promising scholarly aptitude had impressed her. Despite his poor family background, Fengyu, wealthy as she was, didn’t mind a husband of modest means or aristocratic wealth.

Fengyu’s ideal vision of marriage was simple—a husband who looked good and was docile and obedient. Jiang Yang met all her criteria for selection, and even Qiuxiang and Chunlu had discreetly investigated him. Jiang Yang seemed focused on his studies, under the strict supervision of Mrs. Jiang, living in a home free of concubines or secondary wives. Fengyu had envisioned turning eighteen and marrying Jiang Yang, living a respectful and harmonious life together. Who would have expected him to reject the match?

If he wanted to break off the engagement, so be it. Fengyu had beauty, wealth, and a distinguished family status. She could easily marry someone as esteemed as a top scorer, let alone someone like Jiang Yang. But of all times, Jiang Yang chose her coming-of-age ceremony—a defining moment in a girl’s life, second only to her wedding day—to announce the breakup. Fengyu’s dreams of a perfect, joyous ceremony were utterly shattered by him.

Now, seeing Jiang Yang in such a wretched and disheveled state, Fengyu felt more than a little satisfied.

"Is Mr. Jiang here to repay his debt?" Fengyu’s smile, warmer than the autumn sunlight, spread across her face.

Jiang Yang’s face turned visibly awkward, his former confidence as the top scorer parading through the streets on horseback long gone. Gaunt and forlorn, Jiang Yang had fallen far from his former glory. Though Fengyu’s reputation suffered from his rejection, it was nothing compared to the turmoil he endured. Offending a young marquis had landed him in the Imperial College job, where he might remain trapped in obscurity for life.

For over a decade, he had devoted himself to scholarly pursuits, praised as a prodigy from a young age. After earning the title of top scorer, he once dreamed of prestigious appointments and lofty titles. His connection to Lin Yu Yan gave him illusions of upward mobility, as the Lin Family boasted a lineage of officials and prominence. Compared to the infamous Fengyu, Lin Yu Yan seemed like the perfect choice for a wife.

But Lin Yu Yan’s attempted murder at the horseback archery banquet tarnished her reputation beyond repair, and her maid delivered the message that they were fated not to be together, stating she could no longer face him. Initially, Jiang Yang considered his role as archivist at the Imperial College to be temporary; he believed that marriage to Lin Yu Yan would lead the Lin Family to support his rise. Who could have predicted that Lin Yu Yan’s disgrace would bring about her downfall, resulting in her exile to the manor and being cast aside by her family? With his path to the Lin Family’s aid now blocked, Jiang Yang felt bitterness and regret, and began to reminisce about the advantages Fengyu offered.

Although Feng Changqing held the fifth-ranking title of Martial Officer, he was not just a mere official—he wielded genuine power comparable to higher-ranking civil positions. Moreover, the Feng Family was wealthy. Jiang Yang had never suffered scarcity, largely thanks to Feng Changqing’s tenderness toward his daughter. Feng Changqing had generously supported his son-in-law, gifting him considerable sums of money annually. In the capital, Jiang Yang mingled with fellow scholars, showing off and reveling in his social superiority. Meals, gatherings, and outings were always covered by Jiang Yang’s tab, leading to praise of "Mr. Jiang’s magnanimity and affluence." Yet, he lost himself in the illusions of grandeur and pride fostered by this. The expenses, unsurprisingly, were enormous.

Once the Feng Family cut off his silver coins, the intellectual elite ceased inviting Jiang Yang to events. Firstly, his debt had become public knowledge, and secondly, his ungratefulness made him detestable in their eyes. At the Imperial College, a hub for virtuous scholars from humble origins, Jiang Yang suffered continuous humiliation, criticism, and isolation, never finding peace for a single day. To say he didn’t regret breaking off the engagement would be an outright lie.