Back at Wutong Courtyard, Yunling was laughing uncontrollably. “The old master was trying to embarrass you, but when he heard you were planning to go for the lotus glass cup, he was completely dumbfounded.” Then she snorted, “He’s so blatantly biased it’s ridiculous.”
Mu Wan replied, “Bias is human nature. In Mu Rou’s eyes, grandmother and father are equally biased toward me.”
Yunling muttered, “Master had no choice but to side with you.”
“Whether willingly or not, as long as I get what I want, it’s fine,” Mu Wan said, taking the opportunity to teach Yunling. “There’s an old saying, ‘It’s rare to be truly ignorant.’ Don’t be too particular in life. A person’s heart has limited capacity; it’s better to fill it with things that make you happy.”
“True,” Yunling agreed, regaining her good mood. “Second Miss can’t compete with your dowry, so she’s always trying to make up for it by showing how much the Li family favors her. She even dreams of a grander wedding than yours. If you win the glass cup, Miss, her expression will surely be priceless. Just imagining it makes this servant happy.”
Mu Wan laughed helplessly. “Why would I want it? I already have an entire set. Besides, the odds of Li Yichen winning the glass cup are quite high.”
Yunling frowned. “Anyone else is okay, but this servant doesn’t want it going to those two shameless people.”
Mu Wan smiled and said, “Let’s see how they behave. If they are well-behaved, I won’t interfere. But if they insist on stirring out trouble, they won’t get it.”
Satisfied, Yunling asked again, looking slightly puzzled, “But Miss, if you’re not aiming for the glass cup, why announce that you’ll be going out for Qixi? The Madam is already jealous of your dowry to the point of hysteria. In the house, Master and Old Madam protect you, so she can’t do anything. But if you step outside, those noble ladies who have been waiting to trouble you won’t waste the opportunity. Madam and Second Miss will surely come up with a nasty plan.”
Mu Wan walked toward the shaded swing. “The dowry is almost organized. I need to get out and have some fun. Besides, rather than wondering when and where they’ll ambush me, I’d rather take the initiative to get acquainted with them first. Who knows? Perhaps we can have fun together.”
“Have fun together…” Yunling was speechless. “I thought you’d wait until after marrying into the Marquis Manor. With the title of marchioness, they’d at least be cautious.”
Reclining comfortably in the swing, Mu Wan said, “It’s still more than half a month before I marry. Why should I let them dictate when I can go out? I’ll go out whenever I want.”
Then she smiled mischievously. “Besides, do you think your Miss is someone who relies on titles to intimidate others? The key to making friends is sincerity.”
“…” Yunling stared at her. “Miss, your smile is making this servant nervous.” She lowered the mosquito net over the swing but couldn’t resist asking, “So, what’s your plan?”
Mu Wan closed her eyes, deliberately leaving her curious. Yunling ventured a guess. “Are you actually planning to invite the Marquis?” Then, as if realizing it, she said confidently, “That must be it! You never say things you don’t mean. The Old Master was clearly colluding with Second Miss to embarrass you, yet you went along with it!”
“If the Marquis doesn’t show up, they’ll laugh at you for being ignored by your fiance on such an important day! Miss, you surely wouldn’t give them that chance, would you? As long as the Marquis shows up, even those noble ladies wouldn’t dare act out.”
Mu Wan clicked her tongue and opened her eyes. “One more lesson for you: never rely entirely on others. You must control your own destiny. As for the Marquis, if he comes, it’ll be a nice bonus. If he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”
Yunling’s curiosity was piqued. “So, Miss, how do you plan to trick the Marquis to come?”
Mu Wan glared at her. “Trick? Do I look like someone who would do that?” They stared at each other for a moment before Mu Wan smirked slyly. “Mushuang is coming back soon!”
Yunling finally understood and joined in the sly laughter. “Hehehe… Miss, you’re so bad! The Marquis would have no choice but to come!”
Mu Wan closed her eyes again, relaxed. “It doesn’t matter whether he comes or not.” Anyway, they were going to be a couple soon. Any embarrassment must be shared together, no?
…
Time flew by quickly as everyone was busy with their own plans and schemes, and before they knew it, the seventh day of the seventh month was here.
At the Mingjing Bureau, the atmosphere grew restless after noon as people frequently glanced toward the second hall. The door of the hall was wide open, and Xie Heng, dressed in a crimson official robe, sat behind the desk, flipping through documents with focused intensity, showing no sign of leaving.
One of the young clerks who was engaged couldn’t wait any longer, so he ran to the side hall and called out to Li Yining, who also seemed distracted. “Qilang1, aren’t you going to pick up Third Miss Wu?”
Li Yining, the youngest di-born son of the Zhongyong Count family, had a childhood connection with Xie Heng in the frontier town. When no one dared to approach Xie Heng directly, they often turned to him.
The call jolted Li Yining from his distraction, and he checked the time. He realized they had nothing urgent left to do but were staying because Xie Heng was present.
The clerk offered a plausible excuse for him to use. “The Marquis is also engaged. Today’s not an ordinary day; surely he can’t leave Miss Mu alone on the Girls’ Day?”
Li Yining considered for a moment and then entered the second hall where Xie Heng was scanning through documents at lightning speed. Noticing someone entered, he looked up briefly. “What is it?”
Li Yining said, “Today is the Girls’ Day.”
Of course Xie Heng knew what Girls’ Day is. Back in the day, his elder sister and sisters-in-law used to celebrate it. He glanced at the eager young men waiting outside and quickly understood. Waving his hand, he said, “Alright, if you don’t have any pressing tasks, you’re dismissed for the day. Stop loitering around here.”
From outside came muffled cheers, and soon, some people began leaving.
“Anything else?” Xie Heng looked at Li Yining, who still hadn’t moved.
Li Yining hesitated for a moment but then asked, “Aren’t you accompanying Miss Mu today, my lord?”
Xie Heng paused, as though just remembering that person. However, his gaze quickly returned to the pile of documents in front of him. “Mind your own business.”
Now that he had mentioned the topic, Li Yining didn’t hold back. “I heard from Third Miss Wu a few days ago that Eldest Miss Mu will be going out today. She and a few of her friends are planning to ‘greet’ her.”
This time, he got Xie Heng’s attention. The Third Miss Wu that Li Yining referred to was none other than Wu Zhixuan, the Empress Dowager’s niece, who had once tried to entrap Xie Heng to marry her. Her plan didn’t succeed, however, and Li Yining ended up being the one caught in the trap.
Not long after, the two families finalized their engagement. As a woman, Wu Zhixuan could only accept the reality of it, but she disliked Li Yining. After Xie Heng’s engagement was decreed, her resentment shifted entirely to Mu Wan.
Li Yining had met Mu Wan before. When Lady Xu brought Mu Wan to stay at the frontier town for a time, it was likely intended for her to meet her fiance. However, Li Yichen was away studying, so he ended up spending a few days playing with her. He still remembered her vividly—a straightforward and amusing young girl.
Perhaps it was those childhood memories, or perhaps their shared frustration with arranged marriages that made Li Yining decide to remind Xie Heng today. Both Xie Heng and Mu Wan were innocent in this forced engagement. In fact, Mu Wan was subjected to even more hostility due to her climbing above her station, though she had done nothing wrong.
Xie Heng replied, “Understood. Thank you.”
Li Yining finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Then I’ll take my leave, sir.”
After Li Yining left, Xiao Liu, who was nearby, sighed. “If Qilang hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have almost forgotten you’re engaged, my lord. It’s been two months, right? And true to her words, Miss Mu hasn’t contacted you even once.”
On a separate desk, Xie Tian quietly closed the documents in front of him. Xie Heng noticed and asked, “Have you found the lead?”
Xie Tian, meticulous and reliable, was always quick at gathering intelligence.
But instead of responding directly, Xie Tian asked back, “Don’t you need to protect Miss Mu, my lord? After all, she’s your future marchioness.”
Xiao Liu exposed him mercilessly. “Brother Tian, you just want to watch the drama, don’t you?”
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Mu Wan is like, “glass cups, whatever, I have a full set! I just want to mess with people!”