Chapter 23 — The Person Least Willing to Marry Her
Su Qing shot Nanny Hao a vicious glare from the corner of her eye. At the same time, the Old Madam’s sharp, aged gaze swept over as well.
Nanny Hao’s legs instantly went weak. Trembling, she dropped to her knees in the center of the hall.
She had originally planned to brush it off with a few vague words and casually throw the blame onto Xue Ning.
“Th-this old servant—”
But before she could speak, Xue Ning calmly interrupted, her expression unchanged.
“Nanny Hao was personally standing guard outside my room at the time. There’s no way she could have failed to see clearly.”
If she claimed she had not seen clearly, then it meant she had neglected her duties and failed in her work.
The Marquis Xuanyi Manor managed its servants with an iron hand. A servant who harmed their master could be sold off and driven out of the capital forever.
Nanny Hao stiffened. She immediately understood the threat hidden beneath Xue Ning’s mild tone and hurriedly said, “Old Madam, everything Miss Xue said is true.”
Su Qing’s expression darkened. Biting her lip resentfully, she snapped, “Xue Ning, we already heard what happened. The heir of the Cao family pushed you into the water, and then some strange man pulled you out. You… your body was probably seen by him already. You’ve ruined the reputation of the girls of our marquis household! How are the rest of us supposed to marry well in the future?”
Xue Ning had long known that whoever wanted to ruin her would seize on this matter.
She gave a faint laugh and looked directly at Su Qing.
“Fourth Sister speaks as though she were there in person. But since you weren’t, how do you know my body was seen?”
Su Qing choked on her words, her face flushing red. But convinced Xue Ning could not explain herself, she lifted her chin and curled her lips smugly.
“Your hair is still wet even now. Don’t tell me you didn’t fall into the water. Don’t tell me a man didn’t carry you out.”
Xue Ning pressed her lips together and fell silent for a moment.
Her hair was indeed damp, yet her bun remained perfectly neat, without the slightest trace of disarray.
Combined with the breathtaking beauty she had been born with—a delicate face so lovely it seemed impossible to find another like it even with a lantern in hand—her red lips and white teeth only made her appear softer, more fragile. The more vulnerable she looked, the colder and more untouchably beautiful she became.
Su Qing narrowed her eyes, filled with jealousy and disgust, and gave a cold snort, growing more pleased with herself.
“Grandmother, I said long ago she wasn’t some obedient, proper girl, didn’t I? She may carry the surname Xue, so losing face for herself is one thing. But she’s living in our marquis household now. If she disgraces the manor, that’s another matter entirely. Eldest Sister is discussing marriage this year—if word gets out, who would still dare marry the daughters of our family? If you ask me, why even hold a kinship banquet for her? We should throw her out as soon as possible!”
Su Xi sat nearby with an icy little smile, openly enjoying the spectacle.
Jiang Shi and Su Man looked worried. Madam Liu quietly glanced toward Madam Dong. Su Mai and Su Yu both wore unreadable expressions.
Princess Xiuning, meanwhile, sat steady as a mountain, watching the drama unfold with amusement, her gaze drifting toward Su Zhan every so often.
Marquis Su was still outside entertaining guests, and the uncles from the second and third branches were absent from the inner residence.
The moment news spread about what had happened at Zhenguo Temple today, the Old Madam had immediately suppressed it.
Yet now, even as Su Qing demanded that Xue Ning be driven from the manor, Su Zhan had not said a single word.
Jiang Shi wanted to speak up for Xue Ning, but the moment she opened her mouth, Old Madam Xie interrupted her.
After a thoughtful pause, the Old Madam turned to Xue Ning.
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
The Old Madam could not claim to particularly like Xue Ning, but the girl had lived in the manor for years and had more or less grown up under her watch. Aside from being somewhat withdrawn and poor at socializing, she had never caused any serious trouble. Normally, other than visiting her parents’ graves, she rarely even left the house.
“As long as what you say makes sense,” the Old Madam said, “I’m willing to hear it.”
Xue Ning lowered her head respectfully before lifting her eyes again, calm and composed.
“If, as Fourth Sister says, a woman who falls into the water and is rescued by someone loses her purity, ruins her reputation, and forfeits her good name… then I should not be driven out of the marquis manor.”
The Old Madam frowned slightly. “Then what should be done?”
Xue Ning answered evenly, “I should marry Brother.”
The hall fell deathly still.
Everyone’s expressions changed at once.
The Old Madam froze in shock, her brows knitting tightly together.
Su Qing nearly exploded. “Xue Ning, what nonsense are you saying? Dream on! How could an orphan girl like you ever be worthy of Elder Brother—”
Her words were too blunt. The phrase orphan girl immediately made Jiang Shi’s face darken with displeasure.
Madam Dong also frowned and quickly pressed down on Su Qing’s hand, stopping her from continuing.
Xue Ning remained utterly serious.
“Some time ago, Brother carried me back to Qiyun Pavilion. Many people saw it. Second Brother even mocked me over it afterward. If that alone counts as losing my purity to Brother… then shouldn’t I marry him?”
Jiang Shi burst into laughter, and Su Man immediately chimed in, grinning.
“Exactly! Grandmother, I agree with Sister Ning! If falling into the water really ruins a girl’s reputation, then Brother should be the first one responsible!”
Su Qing’s face turned even uglier, dark with fury.
Jiang Shi hurriedly added, “Mother, Manman may speak bluntly, but she’s not wrong. Besides, if Ningning had truly been alone with some strange man, that would be one thing. But I heard there were so many people present at the time—even Master Miaolin from Zhenguo Temple was there. She merely got wet. How does that mean her body was seen? Zhan’er, you were at the temple yourself. Tell us, isn’t that the truth?”
Xue Ning held her breath softly, eyes lowered as she knelt obediently in the hall.
She never once looked toward Su Zhan.
Because she knew he would speak for her.
After all, in all of Bianjing, he was the person least willing to marry her.
Sure enough, Su Zhan spoke a moment later, his tone slow and unhurried.
“I saw it with my own eyes. She was not involved in any improper conduct with anyone. Falling into the water was merely an accident. I was there at the time, and very few people saw her. Baochan quickly escorted her back to the meditation quarters to change, and afterward she returned to the manor with me.”
Though bitterness quietly spread through her chest, Xue Ning still let out a breath of relief. A nearly invisible smile curved her lips.
With Su Zhan’s words, those waiting to make trouble could no longer say anything.
She raised her head again and spoke earnestly to the Old Madam.
“As long as Xue Ning remains in the marquis household for even one day, then I am part of the household and will always place its interests first. If Old Madam agrees with Fourth Sister and wishes to marry me to the heir of the Cao family—or even to the man who saved my life today—then I will obey willingly and without a word of complaint.”
Su Zhan lifted a brow, his gaze brushing across her pale little face, but he said nothing.
The Old Madam nodded in satisfaction. She ordered someone to help Xue Ning to her feet, then said gently, “Your hair is still wet. Go back early, bathe, and warm yourself properly. Don’t damage your health.”
Relief flooded through Xue Ning completely. She smiled faintly.
“Thank you, Old Madam.”
With that, the drama finally came to an end. No matter how furious Su Qing was, there was nothing more she could do.
Xue Ning left Wanshou Hall with Baochan at her side. The moment the curtain fell behind her, shutting away all those scheming faces inside, her entire body felt lighter.
Snow drifted down outside the corridor, soft as feathers, while the wind cut bitterly cold.
The young ladies all wore thick fox-fur cloaks, fluffy rings of gray fur wrapped around their necks.
Only Xue Ning wore pure white rabbit fur at her collar. It framed her narrow chin, making her already snow-pale face appear as delicate as dew itself. Her eyes looked impossibly dark—large, moist, and luminous.
Seeing Su Zhan rise to leave, Princess Xiuning hurried to her feet as well, cheeks reddening.
“Heir Brother, wait for me!”
