Chapter 490: Chapter 360: Fiancée at the Door
Xue Pianran has always been aloof, and even in the Beiqing Imperial Palace, only a few can converse with her.
But this gaze forced Xue Pianran to take notice, for the beholder was a woman of unparalleled beauty.
Xue Pianran is an exceptional beauty, as is Hong Mingyue, and at this moment, both their hearts harbored a thorn—a woman who had no right to attend the palace banquet.
Hong Mingyue approached Xue Pianran, smiling as she said,
"Heavenly Maiden, it’s our first meeting, I am Daxia’s Hong Mingyue. I think you might be very interested to hear some things about that woman from the Feng Residence."
The night market of Emperor City is even bustling with more activity than during the day.
Under Ye Lingyue’s encouragement, Feng Xun indulged in many street foods he’d longed for but had never tasted before in his youth.
They played until the late night, both of them full-bellied, before finally returning to the Feng Residence.
Joy brimmed in Feng Xun’s brows.
He had never enjoyed himself as much as he did tonight, simply because it was Ye Lingyue accompanying him.
His laughter quickly subsided, however, the moment he saw the carriage outside the residence.
A carriage from the Dan Palace stood outside the Feng Residence that late night.
"Feng Xun, is she the reason you didn’t attend the palace banquet?"
The woman’s voice had a sharp edge to it, shattering the harmony of Feng Xun and Ye Lingyue in an instant.
It was then Ye Lingyue noticed a carriage was waiting outside the Feng Residence.
A woman alighted from the carriage, draped in a layer of golden sheer fabric. Yet beneath the thin veil, her clear skin, elegant contours, and those beautiful, affectionate eyes declared her a stunning beauty capable of bringing a kingdom to its knees.
Her eyes, filled with profound affection tinged with pain, were fixed on Feng Xun.
As her gaze shifted to Ye Lingyue, and especially when she saw Ye Lingyue’s poorly disguised face, there was unmistakable disdain in the woman’s eyes.
Daxia Ye Lingyue, an idiot girl abandoned by the Marquis Mansion since youth, had climbed a path that many could not achieve in a lifetime—from an ordinary citizen to a Princess of Daxia.
All this had been relayed to Xue Pianran by Hong Mingyue.
On her way to the Feng Residence, Xue Pianran had imagined countless times what her rival in love—the first rival—might look like, to no avail.
She was certain of one thing though: having seen Feng Xun, a peerless beauty under the heavens, there was no other beauty worth mentioning.
Xue Pianran’s gaze paused briefly, falling on the hands Ye Lingyue and Feng Xun held together, her beautiful eyes deepened, turning the disdain into pain.
Feng Xun had never held her hand.
Instinctively, Ye Lingyue was about to let go of Feng Xun’s hand, but he grasped it tighter in his own.
Feng Xun looked down, a pleasing smile blossoming on his lips, as he softly said,
"I’ll handle this."
With those words, Feng Xun pulled Ye Lingyue behind him, shielding her from Xue Pianran’s malevolent gaze, while also erasing the smile from his face, turning instantly indifferent.
Seeing that smile of Feng Xun’s, Xue Pianran couldn’t help but be entranced.
But the moment he turned around, adopting such an indifferent demeanor, it stabbed pain right into Xue Pianran’s heart.
Indeed, from the moment she gave away the Nirvana Heart Lotus, she had already realized that Feng Xun’s heart had changed.
But she never thought that Feng Xun would change because of such an ordinary woman.
"Xun, you’ve changed. You used to not be so indifferent to me."
Xue Pianran said in a choked voice. Her voice was soft and melodious, like the singing of an oriole, stirring the heart of even a woman like Ye Lingyue.
"Pian Ran, it’s not me who has changed, but you. The Xue Pianran I know is kind-hearted and generous, not someone who would be so sinister as to use the Nirvana Heart Lotus to harm others."
Feng Xun’s heart was scorched with jealousy and resentment when he recalled the day he witnessed from the depths of his soul the intense emotional entanglement between Ye Lingyue and Wu Zhong, as if a gaping hole was about to form in his heart.
And it was Xue Pianran who nearly caused Ye Lingyue to lose her virtue.
She deliberately concealed the true use of the Nirvana Heart Lotus.
Xue Pianran was speechless. She admitted that, in a moment of jealousy, she changed her mind and did not tell Feng Xun the correct usage of the Nirvana Heart Lotus.
Was she wrong? No, she simply loved Feng Xun too much.
"Prince Feng, the Heavenly Maiden did this because you changed your heart first. You are the Heavenly Maiden’s fiancé, yet you are so affectionate to a woman with an unclear background and unattractive appearance. Anyone in her place would feel jealous and angry," Xue Pianran’s maid said with visible discontent, pointing at Ye Lingyue in accusation.
Fiancé?
Ye Lingyue, who was standing behind Feng Xun, stiffened, lifting her face in disbelief.
Feng Xun has a fiancée?
Then, his previous behavior towards her... A bitter taste emerged in Ye Lingyue’s heart as she suddenly withdrew her hand.
Ye Lingyue’s experience with her mother, Ye Huangyu, had always led her to keep her distance from married men with respect.
She admitted to having been moved by Feng Xun, especially tonight, with his gentle whispers and thoughtfulness, all of which had entered deep into her heart.
Wu Zhong’s hand suddenly felt empty.
The sense of emptiness made his heart tremble, and as he was about to explain, he only received Ye Lingyue’s disappointed gaze.
"Prince Feng, you better go and console your fiancée. I’ll go into the residence to pack my things, and I will move out tonight." Ye Lingyue tossed the items she had bought at the night market into Feng Xun’s arms and ran into Feng Residence, leaving Feng Xun standing there alone.
"Xue Pianran, you seem to be mistaken about something. I never had feelings for you, so how can there be any change of heart? As for the engagement, it was but a wishful thought by Master Hong Ru and Emperor Beiqing, which Feng Xun has never agreed to. Please, leave Feng Residence immediately." Feng Xun didn’t even want to glance at Xue Pianran and quickly walked into Feng Residence.
Watching the doors of Feng Residence close, Xue Pianran’s body shook.
Her maid hurriedly supported her, only to be pushed away by Xue Pianran in the next moment.
"Who asked you to speak out of turn just now? You know full well that Feng Xun dislikes women who talk too much and are prone to jealousy. You are clearly harming me," Xue Pianran said angrily.
"The Heavenly Maiden, please forgive me," the maid hurriedly knelt down in fear.
"Next time, do not speak out of turn. Feng Xun and I have been like childhood sweethearts, and tonight he must have been temporarily upset. Send someone to investigate this woman’s background, and tomorrow we shall visit Feng Residence again." After all, Xue Pianran was the Heavenly Maiden of Dan Palace, and her good upbringing and clever mind made her realize that strong-arm tactics would not work in winning Feng Xun back.
This was Beiqing, where the power of Dan Palace overshadowed everything. How much could an Ordinary Daxia woman, regardless of her Tongtian skills, really do?
A chilling glint passed through Xue Pianran’s beautiful eyes as she ordered her carriage driver to return to Dan Palace.
Ye Lingyue, our days ahead are long, aren’t they?
As long as you need something from Dan Palace, we will inevitably cross paths again. I refuse to believe that I, who have known Feng Xun for over a decade, can’t outweigh the little over a year that you’ve spent with him.