For a few continuous days, the tension between the Zheng and Chu Empire had calmed down a lot. The war was almost forgotten by the people in the Capital and some other cities, but Henzhou city still remembers.
However, there were thankfully no major casualties, and everyone survived in the city except for hundreds of soldiers who were slain on the battlefield.
The day of the return of General Qu's army and the royal army had finally arrived.
When Lin Xiaofei was walking in the corridor as she headed out, she coincidentally met Wu Xuanyi. Wu Xuanyi was wearing a light pink hanfu with a plum blossom pattern on the skirt. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and secured with a jade hairpin.
Upon seeing Lin Xiaofei, Wu Xuanyi's face was green a tiny bit before returning to its original color.
"Fourth Lady Lin." Wu Xuanyi hastened her steps to go over to her side.
Lin Xiaofei's eyes narrowed as he smiled sweetly at the young lady.
Lin Xiaofei heard from Qi Yandi that Wu Xuanyi admired Qu Xing Xu, her husband, for a very long time. Now that she saw the young lady in the rumor, Lin Xiaofei could say that her admiration towards Qu Xing Xu might have gone past the boundary of affection, which turned into an obsession.
"It's a great day outside, Seventh Miss Wu," greeted Lin Xiaofei.
Wu Xuanyi nodded as she looked outside the window in the corridor before returning her gaze to the beautiful woman in front.
"Is Fourth Lady Lin planning to go outside? Why don't I come along with you? I heard that Henzhou city has some beautiful gardens that were still safe during this time... I don't know if Fourth Lady Lin will allow me to guide her there?" Wu Xuanyi lowered her head slightly and glanced her eyes up. She looked like a proper young lady in front of someone her senior and showed great respect towards the latter.
"Aren't Seventh Miss Wu going to prepare her things for the journey back to the Capital?" asked Lin Xiaofei, to which Wu Xuanyi smiled.
Shaking her head, Wu Xuanyi said, "There's no need to prepare any longer. My maids have already finished packing up our things. Besides, there's not much to bring..."
She was a military officer, and the only thing she carried with her was her weapons and change of armors. Of course, there were some dresses she brought with her so that she could seduce Qu Xing Xu, but that was all, so there was no need to take more time to pack.
Lin Xiaofei nodded her head as she said, "Since there is nothing to do before we start our journey, I'll have to rely on Seventh Miss Wu to show me the beautiful garden you're talking about."
Wu Xuanyi was stunned as she initially expected that Lin Xiaofei would ignore or reject her. Usually, when another woman was linked to a married man and appeared before the legal wife, the latter would show contempt and a fierce and cold attitude towards the former, feeling insecure, anxious, and trying to suppress the other woman.
But Lin Xiaofei's attitude was a surprise. Was she not affected by the rumors at all? How was that possible?
Wu Xuanyi was clear about what these rumors had said about her and Qu Xing Xu as some of the rumors were spread by her and her family, the Wu family. However, other people who were able to see her with Qu Xing Xu gradually created new rumors backed with their own illusions. These rumors said that Wu Xuanyi and the Duke of Xin would eventually marry each other as they were made for each other.
If it were any other young ladies or married ladies, they would surely try everything they could to shut the rumors down and pour their attention and hatred towards the woman rumored along with their husbands.
And if it were Wu Xuanyi, she would undoubtedly tear the other woman up inside and out just so she could secure her relationship with her husband.
Furtively glancing at Lin Xiaofei, Wu Xuanyi tried to size her up. Lin Xiaofei was wearing a hanfu of a darker color; black with a darker blue tone of her lapels and hemline of the skirt. Even her waistband was blue in color, and a jade bangle was hanging on it. Thinking about it, Wu Xuanyi never saw Lin Xiaofei wear lighter dresses these past few days.
Lin Xiaofei would always wear darker clothes, yet, she never appeared too boorish or shabby. Instead, her dresses made her skin appear more white and clear. However, this only made Wu Xuanyi hate Lin Xiaofei even more.
Wu Xuanyi reluctantly led Lin Xiaofei to the garden she was talking about. This was supposed to be the place where she would bring Qu Xing Xu when she successfully caught him in her palms.
But now, she had to bring Lin Xiaofei instead.
Lin Xiaofei raised her eyebrows in a rare surprise when they stepped into the garden. When she heard that Wu Xuanyi would take her to a garden, she expected it to be a lie and that the garden would be dull and flowers and leaves would be dried up.
"What a beautiful garden." Wu Xuanyi beamed and was about to say something, but Lin Xiaofei continued, "But it is rather too little. The garden in my courtyard is much wider and beautiful." Turning towards Wu Xuanyi, she had a lazy smile on her lips. "I remember that the day I moved to the Qu residence after the wedding ceremony, the Duke presented a garden filled with rare flowers and plants he planted himself. He told me I could keep it, but I didn't know how to cultivate plants. And so, he told me that he'd take care of it."
"Now, I don't have to worry about looking for a gardener since he would take care of it anyway."
Wu Xuanyi's expression darkened. Not only did Lin Xiaofei mock the garden she painstakingly prepared and beautified so Qu Xing Xu would see it, but Lin Xiaofei also compared it to the garden that Qu Xing Xu made for her.
But what made Wu Xuanyi's chest boil in anger was that Qu Xing Xu actually said to Lin Xiaofei that he'd take care of the garden!
This was not the Qu Xing Xu she admired!
She must be lying!
...
Author has something to say: Yay! I finished writing the outline for the following chapters and ending! But for now, let's enjoy some silence and light up some candles for Wu Xuanyi's soul.
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