Chapter Sixty: Meeting the Fiancé

Someone from the Xue household came to say that Qin Jianyu wished to pay his respects to Madame Xue, and he had already sent someone to escort him over.

Although Madame Xue knew her second brother was unaware of Qin Jianyu’s betrayal, she was still angry that this rascal had been treated so well. Nevertheless, she didn’t show her displeasure, merely instructing someone to summon the boy.

While Madame Xue was an elder, it was unusual for an outsider man to call upon a woman of the inner quarters unless there was something important to discuss. In the case of Qin Jianyu and the Xue family, it was clear his true purpose was to see Xue Fanzhi.

When Qin Jianyu entered, he bowed to Madame Xue but glanced around the room, only to be disappointed that the plump girl was nowhere in sight!

As Qin Jianyu surveyed the surroundings, Madame Xue was also sizing him up, thinking to herself that this rascal was quite presentable in appearance. Since he wasn’t fit for her granddaughter, she almost wished she could ruin his face with a cup of hot tea.

“Grandmother, how has your health been lately?” Qin Jianyu asked with polite concern.

Madame Xue, determined not to let him suspect anything, cursed him thoroughly in her heart while replying warmly, “Of course, I’m well! My health is even sturdier than your parents’!”

Qin Jianyu paused. Though his parents weren’t in the best of health, they were still in their forties, while Madame Xue was nearly seventy. Was she answering or cursing him? Was she implying his parents were weak and wouldn’t live long?

He glanced up at Madame Xue again. She was still waiting for him to speak, her face full of kindly affection. Perhaps he had misunderstood.

This old lady was, after all, from the Shen family—how could she be so lacking in propriety? If Madame Xue was like this, what could one expect of that fat girl? He knew the Xue family well enough: Xue Yang doted only on his seventh daughter, while Madam Jin was a devoted follower of her husband, considering her daughters as insignificant before him.

Despite his growing dissatisfaction with Xue Fanzhi, Qin Jianyu still wanted to probe whether anyone in the Xue family had seen him the previous night.

After some polite conversation, he awkwardly inquired, “How is my eighth cousin today?”

Madame Xue’s expression turned stern. “Your cousin wasn’t well last night. On the way back from the Xie family’s, their carriage broke down and was caught in traffic. She spent a long time waiting inside, fell asleep, and caught a chill. Today her voice is hoarse and not quite right.”

Qin Jianyu’s attention sharpened. Last night, a traffic jam, stuck in the carriage… That suggested the Xue family hadn’t seen him. But what if Madame Xue was testing him?

Thick-skinned, he ventured, “Would it be possible for me to see my cousin? There are a few things I’d like to say to her.”

Madame Xue’s eyes lit up. “Is there a gift you wish to present to her? I know it’s become fashionable lately—your fourth cousin’s fiancé just visited, bringing all sorts of trinkets from his trip south. What did you bring? Show your grandmother.”

Qin Jianyu was speechless.

Though he didn’t care for this engagement and hadn’t planned to make much effort, being so bluntly exposed for his lack of thoughtfulness made him feel truly embarrassed. His face flushed; he hadn’t brought anything except a couple of pastries.

“I don’t know what my cousin likes. I’ll ask her and bring something next time,” he replied stiffly.

Madame Xue glanced at him with open disdain, but soon she exhaled, her face reverting to benign kindness. “Never mind. Your cousin isn’t one to fuss over such things.”

Not one to fuss? Your disappointment is a little too obvious. What would you do if she did care?

Qin Jianyu wished he could disappear into the floor, silently blaming his mother for her stinginess and the shame she’d caused him.

After enduring a lengthy conversation, Madame Xue finally instructed Nanny Jiang, “Go and invite Eighth Miss over.”

Qin Jianyu breathed a sigh of relief. At last, he would be able to sound out that plump girl’s intentions.

That was his plan, but to his surprise, the servants soon guided him to Madame Xue’s small east-side warm pavilion.

Inside stood a four-panel Shu embroidery screen, surrounded by waiting maids and attendants. From behind the screen came a clear, gentle voice: “Cousin Qin, what is it you wish to discuss?”

A private meeting? How was he supposed to probe for information with so many people present?

Qin Jianyu was displeased and wanted to dismiss the servants, but he was still aware of his place.

One thing did surprise him: the fat girl’s voice was unexpectedly pleasant, better even than Lady Kong’s. What a pity such a beautiful voice belonged to that chubby girl—anyone who didn’t know would think she was quite lovely.

Qin Jianyu had last seen Xue Fanzhi five years ago, when she was eight and still growing—a simple child with no worries except food, plump and rosy-cheeked, her face nearly distorted by baby fat.

But as most girls do, she would have slimmed down naturally during adolescence. Qin Jianyu, having only known the chubby version of Xue Fanzhi, had no fondness for her, and thus had no idea how she had changed.

Annoyed and regretful, Qin Jianyu didn’t answer Xue Fanzhi directly. “Why are you still hiding behind the screen, cousin? It’s been years; I wanted to catch up with you.”

In these times, though Confucian orthodoxy prevailed, etiquette had loosened. There were still boundaries between men and women, but not as strict as before, except for the absolute prohibition of marriage across classes.

Xue Fanzhi, keeping the screen between them, had no intention of meeting Qin Jianyu. The engagement had been broken off—they were now nothing more than distant relatives. Why get entangled with him again?

“It’s more convenient to talk this way. Is there something you wanted, cousin?” she replied.

Qin Jianyu couldn’t detect either warmth or displeasure in her tone.

He reasoned that the Xue family must not have seen him last night; her indifference was likely just her nature—a simpleton would hardly be passionate toward her fiancé.

Though he understood, he’d always considered himself extremely handsome. The fact that his unattractive fiancée wasn’t eager to please him was infuriating.

His tone cooled as he said, “We’re about to be married and have only met a handful of times. What harm is there in seeing me?”

Xue Fanzhi: ?

In her past life, he had never been so rude to her.

Did he think he was so attractive that others must see him?

She couldn’t understand Qin Jianyu’s sudden displeasure, but she certainly had no intention of humoring him.

Her voice remained calm. “If you have something to say, cousin, go ahead. I can see you from here.”

Her words pleased Qin Jianyu. Yes, even if he couldn’t see her, she could see him—as long as he could display his charm, that was enough. He was exceedingly proud of his looks, but then it struck him: why was she so indifferent, even when she could see him?

Ha! Clearly a fool.

In truth, Qin Jianyu had no real reason to seek out Xue Fanzhi. He merely wanted to confirm whether the Xue family had discovered him. As for Xue Fanzhi herself, he disliked her and had nothing to say. Their conversation, between two mutually disinterested people, soon came to a lifeless end.