"Is there really no chance between us?" Xie Yanchuan bit his lip.
He suppressed the emotions in his heart so that his voice wouldn't tremble.
Ruan Jiu nodded firmly. "Absolutely no chance."
Xie Yanchuan hung his head. It felt as if a huge rock was weighing on his heart, making him feel suffocated.
After a long while, he finally spoke slowly. "I'm sorry."
Ruan Jiu just gave a faint smile.
In this world, the three words "I'm sorry" were the most useless thing.
It couldn't turn back time, nor could it erase the harm.
"I'll ask grandfather to call off the engagement after you recover." Xie Yanchuan's eyes darkened, and his voice was low.
This was probably the only thing he could do for Ruan Jiu.
Even though he was reluctant in his heart, there was nothing he could do to change it.
"Thank you," Ruan Jiu replied indifferently.
Xie Yanchuan pretended to be nonchalant and forced a smile. "It's a small thing. Just calling off an engagement. After all, when has Young Master Xie ever been short of women by his side?"
Even though he said so, Xie Yanchuan was actually very sad.
The hand holding the teacup tightened so much that his fingertips turned white.
After all, she was the one he had truly loved.
After Xie Yanchuan left, Ruan Jiu feasted on all the dishes on the table.
Actually, there were still some things she hadn't told Xie Yanchuan.
All those years, the clothes of Xie Yanchuan and Xie Qinghuan that had been damaged by mice, the books that had gone missing, and the occasional upset stomachs.
All these were done by her.
Who asked her to be a person who never forgot a grudge?
As soon as Ruan Jiu stepped out of the private room, she saw Shen Yu leaning against the door.
She paused and stopped in her tracks.
She looked at Shen Yu suspiciously.
"I didn't expect someone like Miss Ruan to have suffered so many grievances when she was a child," Shen Yu joked.
"I didn't expect Young Master Shen to have the hobby of eavesdropping either," Ruan Jiu said crossly.
Actually, Shen Yu didn't eavesdrop on purpose.
It was just that the incident of Ruan Jiu and the other two at the Drunken Immortal Tower had been making a lot of noise recently. And today, he happened to hear that Ruan Jiu and Xie Yanchuan were coming.
So he thought he'd come and ask what had happened that day.
He didn't expect to hear all this.
"Miss Ruan is really different. She doesn't want such a good marriage just like that."
If it were other women, they would probably be eager to marry into the Xie Mansion.
Hearing this, Ruan Jiu couldn't help rolling her eyes at Shen Yu. With a cold face, she said, "Such a good marriage. Do you want it?"
Shen Yu didn't expect Ruan Jiu to say this. His smile immediately froze on his face.
But what Ruan Jiu said next really took him by surprise.
He saw Ruan Jiu bowing to him gracefully. "I'll go back and tell grandfather that Young Master Shen is very satisfied with Xie Yanchuan."
After saying that, she flicked her sleeves and left.
She left Shen Yu standing there, helplessly supporting his forehead and shaking his head with a bitter smile.
Looking at Ruan Jiu's departing back, he thought to himself that she was really an interesting woman.
The days that followed were quite peaceful. Since Su Wan's father had been transferred to the capital to be the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, Su Wan had been living in the Xie Mansion.
She claimed that she was there to learn from Ruan Jiu, but in fact, she was always lingering around Jiang Jibai.
However, this gave Ruan Jiu some peace.
One night, when Ruan Jiu was passing by the courtyard, she suddenly heard a creepy crying sound.
It scared her so much that her scalp went numb, and she quickened her steps unconsciously.
But people always have moments when their curiosity gets the better of them.
Even though she was extremely scared in her heart, she couldn't help but want to find out what was going on.
After struggling in her heart for a while, she walked in the direction of the sound.
"Xie Qinghuan?"
Seeing a familiar figure, Ruan Jiu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she stepped forward and stood in front of Xie Qinghuan, looking like she was waiting to watch a good show.
It was really rare to see Xie Qinghuan crying like this.
Hearing Ruan Jiu's voice, Xie Qinghuan looked up. Her eyes were already red and swollen.
"What are you doing here?" Xie Qinghuan frowned, looking ugly.
"What could make Second Miss Xie cry so sadly? Tell me so I can have a good laugh."
Xie Qinghuan was already in a bad mood. Hearing Ruan Jiu's mockery, she was even more unhappy.
She sniffled and said crossly, "It's none of your business."
Ruan Jiu smiled. "You're right. I don't have the ability to make you cry so sadly."
Hearing this, Xie Qinghuan thought of what Xu Qing had just said to her.
The nameless anger in her heart finally found an outlet.
She snorted coldly and roared at Ruan Jiu, "It's all your fault!"
"Me?" Ruan Jiu was puzzled.
Was this what they called getting in trouble for no reason?
"If it weren't for you, mother wouldn't have forced me to marry Master Wang!"
Master Wang?
Was it Wang Shoucheng, the young master who had become an official at a young age thanks to his ancestors' blessings?
Although Wang Shoucheng was good-looking, he was even more promiscuous than Xie Yanchuan.
He spent all day in brothels and had already taken in more than a dozen concubines.
How could Xu Qing be willing to marry her precious daughter to such a man?
However, Ruan Jiu was puzzled. What did this have to do with her?
"Me? I don't have the ability to be your matchmaker," Ruan Jiu said, pouting.
"If it weren't for you delaying the engagement with my brother again and again, mother wouldn't have had the idea of marrying me to Master Wang!" Xie Qinghuan roared, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
Hearing this, Ruan Jiu finally understood.
Presumably, Xu Qing had taken a fancy to the Wang family's background.
Although Wang Shoucheng was not a good person, his family was wealthy, and it was said that there were people in the family who were high-ranking officials in the capital.
Thinking about it this way, it was also a good marriage for the eldest branch.
It was just a pity for Xie Qinghuan. With her brain, if she married into that family, she probably wouldn't be able to compete with those concubines.
However, in a noble family, how many people could decide their own marriages?
"Although Wang Shoucheng is even more promiscuous than Xie Yanchuan, at least you can be the wife of an official after you marry. Maybe your children will be able to become officials in the capital in the future," Ruan Jiu comforted.
But in Xie Qinghuan's ears, all these words sounded like sarcasm.
Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at Ruan Jiu angrily. "You're just standing there and talking without feeling any pain! Why don't you marry such a promiscuous man?"
Ruan Jiu sneered. It was as if Xie Yanchuan wasn't promiscuous.
They also wanted her to marry Xie Yanchuan.
Xie Qinghuan looked resentful and continued, "I don't want to be the wife of an official at all. I just want to marry the man I love!"
Everyone had such expectations, but how many people could actually achieve them?
"Do you know what love is?" Ruan Jiu asked.
"How don't I know?!" Xie Qinghuan immediately retorted.
These words?
This reaction?
Could it be that Xie Qinghuan's heart had already been touched by love?
No wonder she was crying like a tearful mess here alone in the middle of the night.
Ruan Jiu suddenly realized, as if she had discovered a new continent.
However, she didn't want to know too much about this kind of secret.
So she immediately said, "You can continue crying. I'm going back to sleep."
"You!"
Ruan Jiu didn't give Xie Qinghuan a chance to continue speaking. She waved her hand and turned around to leave.
Xie Qinghuan watched Ruan Jiu's departing back. The hatred in her eyes deepened a bit.
She thought to herself, if it weren't for you, mother wouldn't have been willing to marry me to Wang Shoucheng!
Yes, as long as you marry my brother, I won't have to marry Wang Shoucheng!