Lu Wanning propped her chin on her hand and burst out laughing at Zhen Yan's shy look.
"I remember when Uncle Jiang threw out He Wenbo's betrothal letter yesterday, he made it very clear that no Jiang girl would ever marry a He boy. So even if there's mutual affection, it won't work out."
Zhen Yan, always one to stir up trouble, quickly asked, "Then what should we do? We can't just let Sister Jiang give up the one she loves and marry someone else, right?"
Lu Wanning shook her head. "The other day, my mother was talking about my cousin. She said my cousin has had a hard life. He lost his parents when he was young and was raised by my grandfather. After my grandfather passed away, he's all alone. You've met my uncle and aunt. They're not the kind of people who would take pity on their nephew. Just thinking about it makes me feel sorry for my cousin."
Jiang Shishi picked up the handkerchief again and covered half of her face, stammering, "Why are you bringing this up to me?"
"My mother said she wants to find a match for my cousin..." Lu Wanning rolled her eyes. "Since Sister Jiang doesn't want to hear it, forget it. Sister Zhen, we'll talk about it secretly later."
"You..." Jiang Shishi put down the handkerchief, gave Lu Wanning a fierce look, and got up to go inside.
Zhen Yan quickly grabbed her. "Sister Jiang, are you really willing to give up such a wonderful young man?"
There was a touch of sadness in Jiang Shishi's eyes. For a long time, she just wanted to escape. "You all know my health. It's so weak... He's such a great young man. He'll have to find someone who can help him in the future. I can't do anything for him. If we were really together... I'd just be a burden to him."
Lu Wanning asked, "You have both parents, a good family background and family traditions. Your parents are kind and your siblings are loving. He has no parents. His uncle and aunt aren't extremely bad, but they're definitely not good either. And there are siblings in the mansion who don't like him. Think about it carefully. No wonder he's reluctant to get married. A person like him would only be a burden to others."
Jiang Shishi got anxious and quickly shook her head. "He's not a burden. He..."
Lu Wanning asked again, "You don't mind him?"
Jiang Shishi's face turned bright red. She looked angry and sad at the same time. She turned around, sat on the piano bench, and covered her face with her hands, crying.
Lu Wanning sighed deeply. "It's so hard to find true love in this world. Look at the people I used to like, and look at Sister Zhen. She hasn't even found someone she likes yet. Thinking about it carefully, among our three sisters, you're the luckiest one. You have someone you've known since childhood and who you like. Sister Jiang, are you really going to give up like this?"
Jiang Shishi hesitated and looked up. "But am I worthy of him?"
Zhen Yan clapped her hands. "Why aren't you worthy? You're a young lady who just broke off an engagement and is in poor health, so it's hard for you to get married. He's a young man with no parents, no official position, and no clear future. I think you two are a perfect match. Neither of you can find a suitable partner, right?"
Lu Wanning held Jiang Shishi's hand. "Sister Jiang, as long as you give the nod, I'll find a way to solve all this for you."
Jiang Shishi simply closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "I... I'm willing. But I'm afraid he... he won't be willing."
Lu Wanning patted her hand and took off the jade-inlaid gold hairpin that Jiang Shishi usually wore on her head and put it away. "Don't worry. My cousin isn't as hesitant as you. Now that your engagement is broken, he has nothing to worry about. The only thing we need to consider now is how to get your father's approval."
The next day, Lu Wanning invited He Nanfeng to meet at the Linglong Pavilion.
He Nanfeng came with Sheng Songyan. He looked in poor spirits. He had lost a lot of weight in just three days. He hadn't changed his clothes, and his whole being exuded a sense of decadence.
Zhen Yan frowned when she saw him. "The elegant Third Young Master He, how did you end up like this all of a sudden?"
Sheng Songyan waved his hand. "Don't even mention it. Nanfeng was clearly the one wronged this time, but those people in the He family actually blamed all the mistakes on him. They insisted that he deliberately planned this. He knelt in the ancestral hall for two days to reflect. If I hadn't gone there, I'm afraid Duke He wouldn't have let him off."
Lu Wanning sized He Nanfeng up and down. "You didn't defend yourself?"
He Nanfeng forced a bitter smile. "What's the use of defending myself? Anyway, I'll be leaving soon. It's better to leave this place full of troubles."
Lu Wanning asked, "You're not going to care about Sister Jiang anymore?"
He Nanfeng paused and looked away awkwardly. "I... I have no relation to her. Why should I care about her?"
Zhen Yan pointed at him. "That's not what you said that day!"
He Nanfeng shook his head. "I wasn't fully sober that day. I offended Miss Zhen. Please forgive me."
Zhen Yan was furious. "Is that what I'm talking about? I'm talking about your relationship with Sister Jiang. Sister Jiang is almost nineteen. It's not easy for her to get married. Are you really not going to care about her?"
"Miss Zhen, please watch your words. I have nothing to do with Miss Jiang..."
"Ah, you're so thick-headed! Ning'er, don't you say something to your cousin?" Zhen Yan was so angry that she flung her sleeves and sat down.
Lu Wanning just smiled faintly. "Cousin, do you believe in past lives?"
He Nanfeng was stunned. "Past lives?"
Lu Wanning nodded. "In the past life, none of these things happened. Although Sister Jiang suffered some grievances after marrying into the He family, with your help, she managed to save face. After she became your sister-in-law, both of you abided by the rules of propriety and never overstepped the line. But the He family didn't value Sister Jiang. Sister Jiang is a very intelligent person. With her mother-in-law's abuse, her younger sister-in-law's arrogance, and her husband's heart on another woman, what would happen to her? Would she just barely survive with the medicinal materials you managed to give her? But what about the pain in her heart?"
He Nanfeng sat there stupidly. Thinking about those things that almost happened, he felt as if his whole body was covered in wounds.
Lu Wanning continued, "Then, of course, she still couldn't hold on. Maybe she was forced to have a child, or maybe she didn't. Then she passed away. And her mother-in-law and husband were just overjoyed, thinking that they finally got rid of that half-dead woman and could marry a new wife. What were you doing? What could you do? You couldn't even protect the woman you loved. Besides regret and sadness, did you have any other thoughts?"
There was full of horror in He Nanfeng's eyes. If that was the case, he wouldn't be able to protect her at all.
Lu Wanning took out Jiang Shishi's hairpin and played with it in her hand. She sighed again. "Now, none of these things have happened. The engagement between He Wenbo and Sister Jiang has been broken. But there are many heartless men in the world. With Sister Jiang's health, how can she marry into a noble family? Maybe she can find a suitable match in a poor family. But if that poor young man never becomes successful, it's okay. But if he becomes successful with the help of his in-laws, Sister Jiang will probably pass away again."
After saying that, the hairpin in Lu Wanning's hand was on the verge of being broken.
He Nanfeng couldn't hold back anymore. He got up and snatched the hairpin away.