Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Ji Hanyi understood that Old Madam Xie had made these arrangements for her sake.
Old Madam Xie had truly stood up for her.
Ji Hanyi was grateful to Old Madam Xie. Looking up with tears glimmering in her eyes, she said hoarsely, “With Old Madam here in the residence, Hanyi feels safe.”
Such simple, guileless words could only sound so utterly sincere coming from someone like Ji Hanyi.
Old Madam Xie had never been wrong about a person’s character. Ji Hanyi would never pretend to obey while secretly doing otherwise.
When Ji Hanyi was good to someone, her kindness was genuine, untainted by self-interest.
Ji Hanyi even had a pure, unspoiled beauty. She had once been the Ji Family’s only daughter and the apple of their eye. Back then, Minister Ji had taken his daughter everywhere he went, and his doting affection for her had been famous throughout the capital.
Minister Ji had never taken another woman besides Ji Hanyi’s mother, so their household had been free of intrigue. How could Ji Hanyi ever have witnessed anything sordid?
Li Mingrou, on the other hand, was too driven by self-interest. She was tactful and polished, handling everything flawlessly — but someone like that was not necessarily sincere. Old Madam Xie had never genuinely liked Li Mingrou. At most, she had pitied her.
Old Madam Xie patted Ji Hanyi’s hand. “Don’t think too much. Once this matter is over, live a good life with Heng’er.”
“Everything will go smoothly for you from now on.”
Ji Hanyi froze for a moment, then nodded obediently.
After Old Madam Xie left, Ji Hanyi lay facedown on the soft pillows again. Her hair spilled over her fair cheeks, while the brocade quilt slid down to her slender waist, outlining her graceful, well-proportioned figure.
Seeing this, Rongchun hurried over and pulled Ji Hanyi’s quilt back up. Crouching beside the bed, she asked softly, “What’s wrong, Young Madam?”
Ji Hanyi shook her head and said nothing.
She simply felt that the kinder Old Madam was to her, the guiltier she became. The thought filled her with sorrow.
In this entire household, Old Madam Xie was the only person she felt she had wronged.
She ran her fingers over the jade bracelet on her wrist, remembering how, on her second day at the Xie Residence, Old Madam Xie had summoned her and given her this heirloom bracelet. In front of everyone, Old Madam Xie had declared that Ji Hanyi was her favorite granddaughter-in-law.
The bracelet had not been given to any of Old Madam Xie’s three daughters-in-law, yet it had ended up in Ji Hanyi’s hands.
Even then, Ji Hanyi had understood that Old Madam Xie had done it publicly to support her.
Old Madam Xie had feared that with no family left to protect her, Ji Hanyi would be looked down upon and bullied in the Xie Residence.
Now, as Ji Hanyi touched the bracelet on her wrist, she thought of how dearly Old Madam wished for her and Xie Yuheng to live happily together. Yet Ji Hanyi remained determined to leave and could not help feeling that she had failed Old Madam.
Xie Yuheng returned that afternoon.
As soon as Xie Yuheng arrived, he was summoned to Madam Lin’s room. After hearing the entire story, his expression changed drastically.
Madam Lin sat in her chair, dabbing at her tears as she looked at Xie Yuheng. “How could Mingrou do something so foolish? Now Old Madam refuses to forgive her, and I don’t dare plead for mercy rashly.”
Xie Yuheng paused. Pressing his lips together, he asked, “Is Hanyi all right?”
Madam Lin was taken aback to hear Xie Yuheng ask about Ji Hanyi. She had not expected it at all.
Her son had always cared about Mingrou most. Wasn’t Mingrou’s situation more urgent than Ji Hanyi’s? Why was he asking about Ji Hanyi first?
Still, Madam Lin nodded. “I sent one of my older maids to check on her this afternoon. She said Hanyi had taken her medicine and was already much better.”
Only then did Xie Yuheng’s tense body relax slightly.
Madam Lin continued, “Tell me, what are we supposed to do about this? Your father isn’t here, and there’s no one else in the household I can discuss it with, so I had no choice but to ask you to decide.”
“You watched Mingrou grow up, after all. Are we really going to drive her away?”
“She’s already at the age when marriage arrangements should be made. Where can an unmarried young woman like her go all by herself?”
“Every one of those relatives in her father’s hometown has their eyes on her dowry. If she goes back, I’m afraid she won’t be able to keep any of it.”
“Your grandmother is only thinking of Hanyi, but can she truly abandon Mingrou altogether?”
Sitting opposite Madam Lin, Xie Yuheng frowned irritably as he listened.
Xie Yuheng had truly been at the end of his patience lately. One upsetting incident after another kept piling up.
He found himself longing for the old days, when everything had gone smoothly and life had been calm and steady.
Seeing his mother wiping away tears across from him, Xie Yuheng abruptly rose to his feet and said in a low voice, “I’ll go plead with Grandmother.”
Madam Lin hurriedly looked at Xie Yuheng. “Don’t go to your grandmother now. She’s still angry. Wait until she’s calmed down.”
Xie Yuheng paced around the room, then stopped. “I’ll go see Hanyi. As long as she’s willing to forgive Mingrou and plead with Grandmother on Mingrou’s behalf, Grandmother should show her some leniency.”
Xie Yuheng’s brow furrowed as he continued quietly, “Once the New Year is over, I’ll arrange a marriage for Mingrou outside the capital. That will settle her future.”
Xie Yuheng thought that once Ji Hanyi heard he intended to send Li Mingrou away, she would certainly agree.
After all, she cared so much about him…
She had made such a fuss these past few days only because he had taken Mingrou away first that day…
Madam Lin nodded upon hearing this. “That would be a good arrangement.”
“Mingrou should have married long ago. She’s already waited so many years, so the sooner she marries, the better.”
The words “should have married long ago” struck Xie Yuheng heavily. He understood that he, too, had been selfish.
Before this, Xie Yuheng had never been able to tell whether what he felt for Li Mingrou was merely the concern of an older brother for a younger sister, or whether he harbored some obscure, unspoken affection for her.
But that no longer mattered. Xie Yuheng would send Li Mingrou away, then settle down and live a good life with Ji Hanyi.
Xie Yuheng looked at his mother. “I’ll go back and see Hanyi first.”
Madam Lin nodded quickly. “It would be good if you could persuade Hanyi to plead for Mingrou. Old Madam likes her, after all.”
Xie Yuheng pressed his lips together in silence. Just as he was about to take his leave, a maid from Ningxiang Residence rushed in and reported that Li Mingrou had fainted in the courtyard.
The maid said that Li Mingrou’s usual medicinal tonic had been cut off, so she had not been able to take it that evening. Confined to her courtyard and forbidden from leaving, Li Mingrou had become so distressed that she fainted.
Madam Lin immediately said, “Then hurry and prepare the tonic for her.”
Tears filled the maid’s eyes. “One of the older maids serving Old Madam is guarding the courtyard gate. She said no more medicine is to be delivered from now on. Miss said she could pay for it herself and send someone out to buy it, but that maid wouldn’t allow anyone to leave.”
Madam Lin stared in shock. “Old Madam has always been generous and forgiving. Why is she being so heartless this time?”
“Mingrou has never been in good health. Won’t this torment her into a serious illness?”
The maid turned tearfully to Xie Yuheng. “Please go see her, Eldest Master. Even after fainting, Miss kept calling for Eldest Master.”
“She longs to see Eldest Master just once.”
Xie Yuheng lowered his brows and fell silent. After a long moment, he finally said, “Let’s go.”