Chapter 57: The Fiancé's Care

Yang Luo looked at Zhu Yunxiao.

Although they had met before, the last time she had sat in a nearby teahouse looking down from above, Zhu Yunxiao had had no idea she even existed.

This was, in this lifetime, the first time the two of them had met as a couple.

Unlike the times he had prayed sorrowfully for his wife before a Buddha statue, or the gentle moments when he came to fetch his bride, Zhu Yunxiao looked at her now with a cold, stern expression and eyes filled with frost.

He took a step forward, shielding Jiang Rui.

"This young lady may question my character," Zhu Yunxiao said coldly, "but please do not harm my fiancée."

Jiang Rui reached out to grab Zhu Yunxiao's sleeve, saying urgently, "Yunxiao, this has nothing to do with you. Hurry, you must attend the banquet."

Disputes between women could be easily settled, but if a man became involved, he would be criticized for lacking the grace of a gentleman.

Seeing Zhu Yunxiao speak, Qin Ying could no longer remain dazed.

"Heir Zhu, you misunderstand. We were just joking; we weren't fighting," she said hurriedly, then gestured to Yang Luo. "Miss Liu, please apologize to Miss Jiang quickly."

But Yang Hui, standing nearby, would not let this opportunity pass. She shouted, "She wasn't joking! Miss Liu looks down on all of us. In her eyes, only the Princess matters."

The other young ladies also reacted. Although they were annoyed by Liu Chan's coarse way of speaking, causing a scene in front of Zhu Yunxiao would bring shame to everyone. Some pulled at Yang Hui, saying, "Stop talking, don't make things worse," while others, like Qin Ying, tried to persuade and explain to Zhu Yunxiao, "Heir Zhu, it's a misunderstanding. Please don't be angry; it's just a misunderstanding."

Jiang Rui also tugged forcefully on Zhu Yunxiao's sleeve, urging him, "Go, quickly."

Amidst the clamor, Yang Luo remained silent and calm, meeting Zhu Yunxiao's gaze without evasion.

Frowning slightly, Zhu Yunxiao withdrew his gaze, took Jiang Rui's hand, and turned to walk out. "I will escort you back."

Jiang Rui didn't have time to react before she was being pulled away.

Qin Ying called out a few times in pursuit, but Zhu Yunxiao was tall and strong; he quickly led Jiang Rui downstairs and out of the building.

The Dengyun Tower was crowded with people passing by, so Qin Ying did not dare to shout loudly. Making a bigger scene would only be more embarrassing, so she could only watch them walk away.

It wasn't until they reached the bottom of the tower and he ordered a servant to bring the carriage that Zhu Yunxiao released Jiang Rui's hand.

"Yunxiao, this was a minor matter," Jiang Rui said helplessly. "Why must you lose your temper with a woman?"

Zhu Yunxiao looked at her. "This is not a minor matter. She was insulting you."

Seeing his tense face and knowing he was defending her out of concern, Jiang Rui—no matter how cold she appeared to outsiders—was still just a girl of seventeen or eighteen. Her heart felt soft and sweet, yet tinged with bitterness. "My family's status is modest; it is inevitable that people will look down on us. It is my fault for bringing this upon you."

"Don't talk nonsense. Who says your family status is modest? His Majesty would be the first to not forgive her," Zhu Yunxiao interrupted her coldly, then added with a solemn expression, "A-Rui, you must not devalue yourself, otherwise, you are insulting Uncle Jiang."

At this, his face turned cold again as he gripped her hand and looked up toward the tower.

"I will never allow anyone to insult Uncle Jiang."

Jiang Rui smiled and gently shook his arm. "Alright, it's not that serious. That Miss Liu is young and has just arrived in the capital; it was just a bit of friction between us."

She also glanced up at the tower.

"Actually, she still respects my father."

As for why her attitude toward her was so poor, even she was somewhat puzzled.

"Do not associate with her in the future," Zhu Yunxiao said. "After the scene just now, that woman didn't even offer a polite word, and there was no apology in her eyes."

Who was this woman? Such hostility could not have come from nowhere.

As the thought flashed through his mind, he let out a sharp hiss of pain.

"Yunxiao, don't be angry," Jiang Rui said hurriedly. Seeing his pained expression, her own heart ached.

It was all because of her that he was being dragged into this.

Zhu Yunxiao wasn't in pain because of a woman's words; it was the wound on his leg that was acting up again.

It was strange. He had been struck by that beggar many days ago, yet instead of healing, the pain had only intensified.

It was even affecting his ability to ride a horse.

Could the bone be fractured?

He should see a physician.

Of course, he would not tell Jiang Rui about this, nor would he explain that it had nothing to do with her.

"I don't care what she says about me," he said simply. "But if she speaks insolently to you again, tell your instructor immediately. People with such poor character cannot remain in the Imperial Academy."

As for reporting her... Jiang Rui hesitated.

"This concerns the Princess's reputation," Zhu Yunxiao said. "Such people cannot stay by the Princess's side. By doing this, you are protecting the Princess, just as your father does, serving bravely as a general."

Jiang Rui burst into laughter. "What kind of bravery is that? How can it be compared to my father?"

"It certainly is. If you don't believe me, ask His Majesty," Zhu Yunxiao said with a smile.

This small matter certainly could not be brought before His Majesty. By now, the carriage had arrived. Since Jiang Rui had already come out, she could not go back up, otherwise, it would be seen as disrespecting Zhu Yunxiao, given that her fiancé was defending her.

"Let's go," she said. "Let's go home for dinner."

Zhu Yunxiao nodded with a smile and helped her into the carriage, then mounted his horse, and the two of them rode away.

Up in Dengyun Tower, Yang Luo was also saying goodbye to Qin Ying.

"I'm sorry for ruining your banquet," she said. "If there is an opportunity in the future, I will repay you. If there is no opportunity..."

She looked at Qin Ying and gave a bitter smile.

"Then you've just had the bad luck of knowing me."

Hearing her say this, Qin Ying's strange intuition resurfaced, and she suddenly felt she didn't want to blame her.

She sighed helplessly. "Don't overthink it. Although it was my banquet, you were the one causing trouble. I'm fine."

"You're in big trouble now—" Yang Hui shouted from the side again. "You provoked the daughter of the General of Might! You're bullying a widow and her child!"

Two other young ladies also showed their displeasure. "Miss Liu, you've gone too far."

Yang Luo did not direct any more unkind words toward the others, but she offered no explanation either. She didn't care what others thought of her; she simply bowed to Qin Ying and walked straight out of the tower.

Qin Ying did not try to stop her; at this moment, Miss Liu was indeed not suited to stay any longer.

After this commotion, those remaining in the tower had no heart for tea and began to whisper.

"What is wrong with this Liu Chan? Why was she so rude to Jiang Rui?"

"What's so strange? She's rude to me too; she certainly wouldn't hold Jiang Rui in high regard!"

"Yang Hui, don't talk nonsense. She was rude to you because you attacked her first to snatch her position as a study companion," Qin Ying corrected irritably, then frowned. "Strange, Miss Liu seems quite respectful of Miss Jiang's father; she was asking about him as soon as they met."

Then why was her attitude toward Jiang Rui so bad?

"What else could it be!" Yang Hui clapped her hands again. "It's obviously love turning into hate!"

"Huh?" Everyone looked at her.

"Miss Liu must have her eyes on Zhu Yunxiao!" Yang Hui said with an air of certainty. "Since Zhu Yunxiao is so good to Jiang Rui, she naturally feels resentment and gives Jiang Rui a cold shoulder."

Having said that, she looked at everyone.

"Right? If you all liked Zhu Yunxiao, wouldn't you dislike Jiang Rui?"

*Ahem.* They wouldn't answer that. The young ladies glared at Yang Hui, but in their hearts, they felt a sense of realization...

The whims of young people could indeed be like that.

Qin Ying opened her mouth to say something but swallowed it back. She also remembered that when they first met, Liu Chan indeed knew of Zhu Yunxiao...

It seemed that perhaps, it really was possible for love to turn into hate.

...

...

As Yang Luo walked downstairs, her young guard had already driven the carriage over.

"They went that way," Mo Zheng whispered.

Yang Luo froze for a moment, not immediately realizing who "they" were.

"That man surnamed Zhu and his fiancée," Mo Zheng said. "I saw it all just now."

When Zhu Yunxiao appeared, his role as a lady's guard had prompted him to follow into Dengyun Tower immediately, so he had seen his lady acting like a firecracker against Miss Jiang.

He lowered his voice again, gesturing with his chin toward a direction on the street.

"Are we hitting two of them together this time?"

Yang Luo was stunned, then burst into laughter.

Facing Zhu Yunxiao, thinking of the hatred from her previous life, she had a surge of pent-up resentment that she could not voice, leading her to act in ways that seemed abnormal to others.

But no matter what she did, this young guard always followed her lead, helping her vent her frustrations.

Having lived a second life, the family she faced were the enemies who had harmed her.

She was all alone in this world.

Only this boy felt like a source of support.

And yet, she had many things she was hiding from him.

"No need to hit two," Yang Luo said softly. "That Miss Jiang is actually a victim as well. Zhu Yunxiao is no good man; he is hypocritical. In the future, to climb the ladder of wealth and power, he will kill her too."

*I see,* Mo Zheng thought pensively. Then the wealth and power Zhu Yunxiao would climb toward must be Miss Yang.

(End of Chapter)