Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“Yes, she arrived only yesterday, which is why I called you back to the manor first thing this morning.”
Seeing the strange expression on his son’s face, Ren Xuan assumed he was reluctant. His tone suddenly sank. “Do you feel there is something improper about this?”
Ren Fengjue did not answer for a long time. His brow furrowed deeply, his thoughts unreadable.
The Old Marquis was beginning to feel a flicker of displeasure.
“In recent years, you have been obsessed with investigating cases, and I have not interfered.”
“But you have already reached twenty years of age. After the New Year, you will be twenty-one. Do you still have no intention of marrying?”
“Even if you can afford to delay, Ximo cannot!”
Finally, Ren Fengjue spoke. “I will go meet her first.”
“…”
Ren Xuan knew his son’s temperament well and had feared he would stubbornly refuse to see her. Hearing him agree so readily was actually quite unexpected.
“That would be for the best…”
He had intended to say more, but Ren Fengjue was already walking out with a sense of urgency, appearing even more impatient than himself.
“Wait a moment!”
Though the Old Marquis was filled with a mix of surprise and joy, he maintained a stern facade. “Look at yourself. At least go back to your room and change your clothes. After all, it is a first meeting…”
“No need.”
Ren Fengjue only heard half of the sentence. Leaving those words behind, he departed as if his feet were caught in a gale.
Under normal circumstances, Ren Xuan would have scolded him.
But at this moment, the Old Marquis felt immensely gratified. He even hummed a tune as he turned back to tease the bird in its cage, muttering to himself, “Stupid boy. It seems he’s finally seen the light.”
The Marquise always had her morning meal served in the East Warm Pavilion. When Ren Fengjue arrived, the people inside were still eating.
The maid standing guard at the door saw his figure from a distance and immediately announced to those inside, “The Young Marquis has arrived.”
Upon hearing this, the laughter of the Marquise, Lady Rong, drifted out from the inner room. She intentionally asked in a loud voice, “Has Feng’er had breakfast yet?”
Hearing his mother’s voice, Ren Fengjue deliberately slowed his pace. He unfastened his cloak and handed it to a maid before responding, “Not yet, Mother. I heard a distinguished guest had arrived at the manor, so I rushed back first.”
As he spoke, he slowly stepped into the room. At a glance, he saw a petite, unfamiliar woman sitting beside Lady Rong.
“Come, sit down.”
Lady Rong immediately beckoned him over with a smile, introducing the person beside her. “This is General Xia’s daughter, Ximo.”
The woman rose gracefully, lowering her head bashfully as she performed a slight curtsy. “Ximo greets the Young Marquis.”
“Xia Ximo” wore a moon-white silk top with cloud patterns over a matching silk skirt. Her hair was styled in a trendy cloud bun, and she wore the “Lotus Blossom Makeup.”
Her movements were elegant and her voice soft. Like most noble ladies in the capital, she was well-mannered, poised, and virtuous; it was difficult to find a single fault in her conduct.
Ren Fengjue’s step faltered slightly, and an imperceptible flicker of abnormality crossed his face. He then made a polite gesture to raise her up, saying courteously, “Miss Xia, there is no need for such formality.”
Hearing his clear, melodious voice, “Xia Ximo” lifted her head slightly. Her gaze met his for only a brief moment before she quickly looked away.
Lady Rong was clearly more than satisfied with this future daughter-in-law. She affectionately took “Xia Ximo” by the hand and said, “Indeed, there is no need to be so formal with him. We are all one family.”
A maid had already brought over a chair and, following the Marquise’s meaningful glance, placed it right next to “Miss Xia.”
Ren Fengjue glanced at it, but then, without leaving a trace of awkwardness, he moved the chair next to the Marquise and sat down naturally.
“I am truly famished. I’ll eat something first.”
Seeing this action, “Xia Ximo” visibly paused for a moment.
Seeing the situation, Lady Rong had no choice but to move her chair closer to her own side as a gesture of intimacy.
Ren Fengjue took the bowl of porridge from a maid and ate a few mouthfuls for himself. Seeing the “Xia Ximo” across from him sit down, he finally spoke up in a leisurely tone. “I heard from Father that Vice Minister Mu’s household recently suffered some sudden changes. I wonder what difficulties have arisen?”
Lady Rong hated that he brought up exactly what shouldn’t be mentioned. She immediately gave a light cough, prompting him, “You and Ximo have only just met. Do you have nothing else to say to her?”
Ren Fengjue ignored his mother’s hint entirely, offering a gentle smile instead. “I am asking precisely because I care about ‘Miss Xia.'”
“Xia Ximo” lifted her eyelids slightly before lowering them again to hide the complexity in her gaze. Weighing her words, she replied, “Ximo thanks the Young Marquis for his concern. My maternal uncle’s family…”
She seemed to find it difficult to speak, pressing her thin lips together. “Actually, everything is related to my older cousin…”
“Oh?”
Ren Fengjue’s eyebrows shot up, his interest clearly piqued. “I don’t believe I’ve heard that Vice Minister Mu has a daughter.”
“Xia Ximo” curled her slender fingers slightly and gave a small nod.
“My cousin is the same age as me, only three months older. However, she has suffered from hysteria since childhood, so she rarely receives guests…”
Ren Fengjue set down his spoon and looked at her, appearing to listen intently as he waited for her to continue.
“Xia Ximo” did not dare meet his eyes, but she could clearly feel a burning gaze fixed upon her.
She vaguely realized that this man before her, who seemed so gentle and spoke with such a pleasant voice, actually possessed an invisible, pressuring aura.
Under his scrutiny, her heart was filled with unease, yet she could not let it show on her face.
In this situation, she could only force out a few tears and shift her mood, saying with a sob, “For all these years, my aunt and uncle have been searching for famous doctors to treat her hysteria, but unfortunately, it was all in vain…”
“Actually, my cousin is fine when she isn’t having an episode. But once she does, no one can control her, and there’s no telling what terrible things she might do…”
Upon hearing this, Ren Fengjue’s expression remained indifferent. He merely tapped the tabletop with his right index finger, his thoughts unreadable.
“Xia Ximo” had no choice but to push through. “Eight days ago, my cousin had another episode. This time, she actually burst into my room, wanting to kill me…”
As she spoke, she pulled up her left sleeve, revealing a wound that was neither deep nor shallow.
Lady Rong looked on with a pained expression and hurriedly said to a nearby maid, “I have a bottle of imperial Broken Bone Ointment in my storehouse. Go and fetch it for Miss Xia.”
The maid complied and left. Ren Fengjue suddenly stood up and asked, “Miss Xia, may I see the wound?”
“Xia Ximo” seemed somewhat surprised by this. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly extended her hand.
Lady Rong watched, thinking her son was also feeling sorry for his “fiancée.” To her surprise, she heard him say in a serious tone, “Looking at the wound, it was indeed caused by someone with a dagger. However, this person wasn’t decisive enough; they clearly held back…”
“…”
“Xia Ximo’s” face stiffened slightly. She quickly pulled her hand back and defended herself in a hurry. “When someone with hysteria goes mad, how could they possibly hold back?”
Ren Fengjue did not address her remark, only asking, “And then? How did you escape?”
“My aunt arrived with people just in time to stop her. Only then did I realize that my cousin actually hates me deeply. She… she has always wanted to kill me.”
As “Xia Ximo” spoke, a look of terror surfaced in her eyes, and her voice trembled slightly. “Furthermore, she even said that she has actually killed someone before.”