Chapter 24 Throwing Herself at Him

Everyone was terrified by Jiang You'an’s sudden move, and a chorus of gasps erupted. Fortunately, Nanny Wang was quick-witted and grabbed her, preventing her from bleeding out on the spot.

"Good heavens, what are you doing!"

Madame Zhao hurriedly pulled Jiang You'an into her arms, squeezing out a few tears. "You silly child, if something were to happen to you, how could I face your late mother? The Princess is here—do you really think she would let you be wronged to death?"

The Princess of Xian was truly startled; she clutched her chest and frowned at Jiang You'an.

Jiang You'an’s forehead had indeed struck something, leaving a small, swollen lump. Her face was covered in tears as she sobbed, "It is all my fault for being a burden to my aunt and cousin. But no matter how lowly I may be, I cannot let anyone trample upon my reputation like this!"

The two women, who usually clashed like blades, were now huddled together in tears. Jiang You'an looked at Lu Yunzhu with tear-filled eyes. "I just don't understand how I have offended Sister Yunzhu. Back at the banquet at the Marquis of Yong'an’s mansion, Sister Yunzhu set a trap to ruin my honor, and now she has fabricated such an outrageous story out of thin air!"

Lu Yunzhu was stunned, and hearing her twist the truth like this made her absolutely furious.

Jiang You'an said with a tragic expression, "If you truly hate me, I shall go to my death. But why must you drag Cousin Lu into the mud? Is it because you fear that once Cousin Lu marries the Princess, the Lu family’s senior branch will become too powerful?"

Unable to contain her rage, Lu Yunzhu lunged at Jiang You'an. "What nonsense are you spouting! It was clearly you who seduced a man..."

"Quiet!"

Madame Zhao raised her hand and slapped Lu Yunzhu across the face. Lu Yunzhu’s head buzzed, and she covered her face, looking at Madame Zhao in shock.

"Are you trying to drive You'an to her death?" Madame Zhao scolded angrily. "You are usually so arrogant and domineering; I couldn't bear to punish you, and my indulgence has only made you more lawless!"

Stunned by the blow, Lu Yunzhu dared not say another word, pressing her lips together and sobbing quietly.

"How has your eldest brother ever wronged you that you would concoct such lies to ruin his good marriage? You yourself are about to be married; to act so scandalously will only bring shame upon our Lu family when you are wed into your husband’s household!"

Standing with her back to the Princess of Xian and facing Lu Yunzhu, Madame Zhao gave her a fierce, threatening look. Lu Yunzhu shuddered, catching the hidden threat in Madame Zhao’s words. If she ruined Lu Xuanheng’s marriage today, she could kiss her own marriage prospects goodbye!

She quickly climbed down from the high horse, changing her tune. "Perhaps... perhaps I misunderstood."

Madame Zhao glared at her and then said to the Princess of Xian, "Princess, it was truly a misunderstanding."

The Princess of Xian, whether she believed it or not, only felt a headache coming on and remained silent.

Madame Zhao told Lu Yunzhu, "Get out of here at once!" She then instructed Nanny Wang to help Jiang You'an to the inner room to rest.

"What a scene. It almost cost a life," Madame Zhao sighed repeatedly. "My cousin’s daughter is pitiful; she has no one else to turn to, which is why I took her in. She is usually well-behaved and proper; she would never do such a thing. A woman’s purity is so important—if ruined, it could destroy her whole life. I have already arranged a good match for her."

The Princess of Xian raised an eyebrow.

"It is a merchant family from Lingnan. Everything has been settled, and they will come to propose marriage in a few days. It might even happen sooner than the wedding between Xuanheng and the Princess."

The Princess of Xian’s expression softened slightly. She couldn't tell if the earlier scene had been a performance or not, but in the end, the marriage had to go through because Li Lianzhu’s stance was clear: she would marry none but Lu Xuanheng. As for the others, they could simply be disposed of.

Whether Jiang You'an and Lu Xuanheng had any real connection didn't matter, as long as they cut ties from now on. Hearing Madame Zhao’s words, she was somewhat satisfied.

However, Jiang You'an, sitting in the inner room, heard everything, and her heart sank.

With Madame Zhao’s stance established, the Princess of Xian’s anger subsided, and she left the Lu estate. Madame Zhao saw her off politely before returning to see Jiang You'an.

"You were clever today. Stay in your room. In a few days, someone will come to propose. The suitor is a wealthy merchant in Lingnan. Given your current status, being able to marry him as a second wife is already your good fortune."

Jiang You'an’s face tightened. "I will not marry him."

Madame Zhao’s gaze sharpened. "That is not for you to decide!"

Just then, a servant ran in to report, "Madame, the Eldest Young Master has returned!"

Jiang You'an’s eyes brightened slightly.

"He knows how to pick his moments. Tell him to come to my room immediately." Madame Zhao then ordered Nanny Wang, "Take her back and keep a close watch on her."

Jiang You'an was locked back in her small courtyard.

Having heard about the evening's events, Lu Xuanheng hurried into Madame Zhao’s room. As soon as she saw him, she scolded him relentlessly. "Look at the mess you’ve caused! You’re grown now, and I can no longer control you. To think you hid your affair with Jiang You'an from me, and even lied when I asked you! Are you trying to kill me with anger?"

Lu Xuanheng asked with a cold face, "Where is Jiang You'an? I heard she was injured?"

"Forget about Jiang You'an! She nearly ruined you! I have already arranged a marriage for her to be sent to Lingnan. From now on, you are not to have any contact with her."

Lu Xuanheng frowned slightly, his expression grim. "Since Mother already knows, I will be clear: Jiang You'an is not going anywhere except to stay by my side."

Madame Zhao was stunned. "You... have you lost your mind?"

"I’m going to see her." Without another word, Lu Xuanheng turned and left.

Madame Zhao was so furious she felt dizzy. Supported by Nanny Wang, she sat down and muttered bitterly, "That rebellious son!"

...

Lu Xuanheng arrived at the courtyard where Jiang You'an lived. Two maids were guarding the door, and seeing him, they timidly said he could not enter.

Lu Xuanheng ignored them and pushed the gate open. Inside the room, he saw Jiang You'an sitting by the bed in her undergarments, tilting her head as Qiulan applied medicine to her forehead. She winced in pain, and upon hearing his arrival, her watery eyes turned toward him.

He dismissed Qiulan and walked toward Jiang You'an, who immediately threw herself into his arms.

"You’re finally back." Jiang You'an buried her face in his chest and began to sob softly.

She had never thrown herself at him like this before; she must have been truly terrified today. Lu Xuanheng felt a surge of tenderness and patted her thin shoulders gently.

"It’s alright, I’m here."

He carried Jiang You'an to the bed and lay down face-to-face with her, reaching out to touch the small lump on her forehead. "Does it hurt?"

Jiang You'an’s eyes were red and she looked incredibly aggrieved. She let out a soft, "Mm."

"How could you be so reckless? What if you had really died?"

"I was only trying to scare the Princess of Xian. I knew what I was doing."

Lu Xuanheng felt a pang of heartache. This was a matter between the two of them, yet he hadn't been there, and Jiang You'an had to face it all alone—how helpless she must have felt.

"I will go and appease the Princess’s residence. You don't need to worry."

Jiang You'an nodded, clutching his finger. "But Madame said she wants me to marry a wealthy merchant in Lingnan as his second wife. I don't want to..."

"I won't let you marry him. Just stay by my side and be at peace."

"Really? But Madame feels that keeping me here will ruin your marriage to the Princess. If she insists..."

Lu Xuanheng pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Don't be afraid. I won't let her make that decision."

Hearing this, Jiang You'an finally felt relieved. Fortunately, Lu Xuanheng still had some affection for her. As long as she could win him over and stop Madame Zhao from meddling in her marriage, she could slowly wait for word from the Su family.

Steeling herself, Jiang You'an decided to play the part to the end, pressing her soft body against Lu Xuanheng.

Lu Xuanheng had been thinking of her anyway, and with her主动 (proactive) advances, he couldn't hold back. He gripped her chin and kissed her.

He spent the night in Jiang You'an’s room. The next morning, he had to go to the Princess’s residence, so he rose early and left. Halfway there, he realized he had left his matching jade pendant at Jiang You'an’s place and turned back.

As he walked under the corridor, he saw from a distance that Qiulan was bringing another bowl of herbal medicine into the room.

The last time, they said it was medicine for nourishing her body—is she still taking it?

He felt suspicious. He quietly went to the small kitchen and took a bit of the dregs from the medicine pot. Returning to Lanyue Pavilion, he tossed the dregs to Xiuzhu. "Go and find out what kind of medicine this is."