Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 355 Vinegar

Xie Yuyan strolled through half the market, buying a lot of pastries for Yang Qin, rouge, cloth, and hair ornaments for Zhang Shi, and personally selecting a silver hairpin to give to Mama Yu.

She took a carriage to the market, intending to just stroll around, but perhaps because she was in a good mood today, she ended up wanting to buy more things. The two of them walked happily ahead, momentarily forgetting the time.

Until I saw the complicated expression on Tang Xing's face.

Tang Xing's eyes were filled with unspoken words... Xie Yuyan suddenly remembered that her original intention in coming to the market was to wait for Wang Yan.

She used to hear women talking about which young lady met which young man behind the temple, or who accidentally bumped into which young master while watching the lanterns... Without thinking, she knew that many of these things were intentional.

She never imagined that one day she would deliberately stop her carriage in the market, just to give people a chance to come and gather.

Reaching the carriage, Xie Yuyan saw Tang Xing standing there frozen. She slightly raised her lips and gave a relaxed smile, indicating that she knew everything, so that Tang Xing wouldn't struggle in pain, unsure whether to remind her or remain silent.

Xie Yuyan lifted the curtain and bent down to go inside. Tang Xing also stood in front of the curtain to prevent anyone from peeping into the scene inside the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the person sitting there finally saw the figure he had been longing for day and night. Before the curtain could even be lowered, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

Despite being concealed by their sleeves, their clasped hands were still visible, and were seen by Mother Yu, who came to press down the carriage curtain.

Madam Yu quickly lowered her eyes. Look, she's still so young. Her mistress hadn't even stood up properly yet, and she was already reaching out to help her. What if she fell? Madam Yu couldn't voice her resentment because she knew that Lord Wang would have preferred to do the same, so he could step forward and "support" her.

Sure enough, a voice came from inside the carriage.

"Take your time, there's no rush."

His voice was clear yet warm and gentle.

But... that's not quite right. Why is her mistress in such a hurry? It's clearly Lord Wang who's in a hurry.

Unable to bear it any longer, Madam Yu stepped back a few paces and followed the carriage slowly forward.

Xie Yuyan looked at Wang Yan. He seemed to have lost some weight since she last saw him, but he was still full of energy.

He seemed somewhat unfamiliar, because people always change over time. He wore a light blue robe, making him appear even more refined. Perhaps because he was busy with various affairs and needed to pay attention to his appearance, he sat there more upright than usual, looking as if he could enter the duty room to discuss matters at any time.

However, there was more familiarity than anything else. His gaze and eyes revealed a sense of closeness, openly expressing his joy and longing for her.

Just as he wrote in the letter he sent.

Wang Yan's fingers slowly caressed Xie Yuyan's hand, gently rubbing it, gradually erasing the distance and awkwardness that had arisen from not seeing each other for several days.

The warmth of his hand followed, enveloping her completely, finally dispelling any trace of the unfamiliarity she felt.

Xie Yuyan sat next to Wang Yan.

His eyes were fixed on her; there was no one else in sight.

“You’ve lost weight,” Wang Yan said, “and your hands are a little cold.”

Xie Yuyan said, "I've been out for a while." She had been so engrossed in playing that she had forgotten the time.

"Have you bought everything?"

Xie Yuyan nodded: "However... I forgot to buy it for you, but it was paid for with the money you sent."

Wang Yan's lips, which were about to fall, immediately curled up again. Whether or not he was bought something was unimportant, as long as it was his money that was spent.

“That’s not all,” Xie Yuyan continued, “I also used your money to buy a piece of land, which I will use to renovate a house in the future.”

Wang Yan hadn't considered how much money he wanted to earn in secret. What would someone who had never thought about getting married do with so much money? Besides, a large portion of it had been used for military equipment, so not much had ended up in Xie Yuyan's hands.

I knew so...

“I don’t plan to keep separate accounts for these funds,” Xie Yuyan said, “so that no one will come to inquire about it in the future.”

When Wang Yan needed it, she would find another way to get it for him.

If one keeps accurate records, it will become evidence of Wang Yan's collusion with merchants, and this should be guarded against in advance.

Wang Yan said in a low voice, "You don't need to bother thinking about how to give it to me. We'll separate now, but we'll still have to come back together in the future. Why make things so complicated?"

The two were so close that Xie Yuyan could clearly feel Wang Yan's breath. Her ears felt as if they had been burned, and she couldn't help but feel a little hot.

Xie Yuyan discovered that since that letter, Wang Yan had become increasingly bold, saying anything that was hard for her to handle, even after experiencing her past life.

It turns out that the words spoken by the person you admire are so different.

She thought of Wang Huai. If she had harbored even the slightest such feelings for him back then, she might have been able to find a way to avoid the arranged marriage. No wonder Wang Huai came to the Xie family to find her after hearing the news, and after speaking with her, he looked completely lost and distraught.

At that time, she hadn't realized that she had acted incorrectly. Now she finally understood. At that moment, all she could think about was interests and gains and losses. It was because Wang Huai saw this that he said, "Ayan, I understand. You are different from me."

As for Wang Huai after becoming the false emperor, although he still loved her, it was different from when he was young. His marriage to her and his decision to return Bianjing to the Great Liang Dynasty according to her wishes were not just expedient measures.

He surrendered to the Qi army with his men, which led to the fall of the capital of Daliang. He was destined to be infamous. Staging a play with her to take back the city can be considered a way to make amends after the fact.

Later, he gladly faced death, but not entirely for her sake.

Having lost his military power and troops, Wang Huai has lost the right to make decisions and can only be slaughtered at will. Whether the Qi people or the Liang people win this battle, a good outcome awaits him.

Wang Huai knew this better than anyone else.

It would be better for him to die at her hands. If word got out that he died for a woman rather than for power, it would be more romantic. Besides, if she killed him, she would surely owe him a debt of gratitude and would also help protect the Wang family.

Both she and Wang Huai had thought these things through very clearly.

Sometimes, it's just that I cherish the friendship I had when I was young and am unwilling to acknowledge it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Hearing Wang Yan's voice, Xie Yuyan was pulled back to reality.

“An old friend,” Xie Yuyan said, “and some old stories.”

When she was distracted just now, Wang Yan saw some complicated emotions in her expression. Although he didn't know who the "old friend" she was talking about was, he was sure that they were deeply connected to her.

Wang Yan tightened his grip slightly: "Since they are old friends, there's no need to dwell on it anymore. 'Old' means in the past. Since they're gone, thinking about them is pointless."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Yuyan seemed to smell a sour scent.