Chapter 558: Why Miss Each Other When We Could Have Walked Together?
Chapter 558: Chapter 558: Why Miss Each Other When We Could Have Walked Together?
Qi Xiuwei quietly glanced at Shen Ningning, who quickly waved her hands.
"I didn’t invite him."
Lu Shaoyuan smiled. "I did."
Shen Ningning’s beautiful eyes widened as she looked at him. "Why did you invite Lord Pei?"
"This house is his. I heard he was interested in selling it, so I came to inquire."
Both Shen Ningning and Qi Xiuwei were a little surprised.
Pei Yin stepped forward. After greeting Shen Ningning, he said, "This estate was a special reward from the Emperor five years ago for my meritorious service in protecting him."
Shen Ningning understood and couldn’t help but ask, "Since it was a gift from the Emperor, why is Lord Pei selling it?"
Pei Yin’s expression was calm. "The estate is too large, and I am not used to living alone. I usually reside in the palace anyway, so I have already petitioned the court and received permission to sell it."
As he spoke, he made an inviting gesture. The estate agent beside Pei Yin immediately spoke up.
"Second Young Master Lu, you have excellent taste in choosing this residence."
Lu Shaoyuan had clearly scouted the place in advance, and his bright eyes were now sparkling with delight.
He took Shen Ningning’s wrist. "Come on, I’ll take you inside. I have my reasons for choosing this house. I’m sure you’ll love it once you see it."
Shen Ningning was forced to quicken her pace, leaving Qi Xiuwei and Pei Yin to walk behind them.
Both of their expressions were calm and composed, showing no sign of awkwardness, but neither took the initiative to speak to the other.
However, as they passed through a floral-pendant gate, Pei Yin took the initiative to remind her, "Commandery Princess, please watch your step."
Only after Qi Xiuwei lifted her skirt and slowly stepped over did she reply with a gentle yet distant tone, "Thank you for the warning."
Up ahead, Lu Shaoyuan was already brimming with excitement, pulling Shen Ningning along as he introduced every nook and cranny of the estate.
"Look over there. To the south of the estate, there’s a small lake. I was thinking of building a flowing-wind pavilion over the water where you can entertain your friends."
"And over there, don’t you love to read? I plan to convert an entire courtyard into a study for you. I’ll furnish it with a daybed and a reclining chair, so you’ll be comfortable whether you’re reading lying down or sitting up."
Lu Shaoyuan then pointed to the main house not far away, where the master and mistress of the estate lived.
He lowered his voice. "That main house is in a perfect location, south-facing and sunny. It’ll be for you. If you don’t mind, I’ll live in the courtyard behind yours."
"We can build a small gate between the courtyards. You can call for me whenever you need help, and when you don’t, I promise I won’t come over and bother you."
Shen Ningning was touched and stared at him, a little stunned.
Lu Shaoyuan went on to introduce the uses for the other courtyards one by one.
He had thought of everyone. Grandma Qin would live in a sunny courtyard, and he would find a group of master carpenters to build a small, convenient yard specially for the elderly woman.
"If Grandma still wants to raise chickens and ducks, we can fence off an area in the yard for her," Lu Shaoyuan said with a smile.
A wave of emotion welled up in Shen Ningning’s heart.
Most prominent families would never be willing to raise chickens and ducks in their own residential courtyards, considering it unclean.
But Lu Shaoyuan was different. As long as it made Shen Ningning happy, he would thoughtfully arrange it.
"Thank you..." Shen Ningning whispered the two words.
But Lu Shaoyuan just gave a handsome smile. "There’s no need for thanks between us. I’ve told you before, what’s mine is yours."
After saying that, he also took Shen Ningning to the estate’s training ground.
After all, Pei Yin was something of a military general, so the training ground was vast. Lu Shaoyuan planned to build a few rows of shelters around it after buying the place and leave it for the Black Wolf King and his pack.
"Then, we can build a lotus pond here and plant loquat trees over there. Oh, speaking of which, I’ve also planned an orchard for you in the back garden. You can plant any fruit you want."
Lu Shaoyuan’s endless stream of descriptions made the estate broker feel completely useless. He couldn’t even get a word in edgewise!
But he had taken silver from the Lu family. He had to praise this house to the heavens and make the Princess’s heart flutter.
The broker finally found an opportunity. Pointing toward the main house, he smiled fawningly.
"Second Young Master Lu is so thoughtful! This estate is wonderful inside and out. Second Young Master Lu has excellent taste."
"But that’s not all. The feng shui of this estate is also top-notch. The main house faces south, an auspicious alignment for having two children in three years. And look at the existing trees and flowers in the courtyard—they’re all thriving. It shows the fortune of this house is strong."
"I’ve been helping sell estates for fifteen years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a perfect house that has everything. If Second Young Master Lu buys it as a marital home, it’s absolutely the best choice."
"In this beautiful environment, blessed by good feng shui, you two esteemed individuals will surely live in matrimonial harmony and bliss after your wedding."
Lu Shaoyuan was happy on the inside, but he was afraid the broker’s words were too blunt and would displease Shen Ningning.
He carefully glanced at Shen Ningning’s expression out of the corner of his eye.
Fortunately, the young woman showed no displeasure, only offering a faint smile. "I’ll look around some more."
She walked forward. Lu Shaoyuan shot a warning glance at the broker from behind and reminded him in a low voice, "Just introduce the house properly. Don’t say more than you should."
With that, he hurried after Shen Ningning.
The broker stood there scratching his head, looking troubled.
’Did I really say something I shouldn’t have? I was just saying auspicious and pleasant things! Why is Second Young Master Lu upset?’
Qi Xiuwei was getting tired, so Shen Ningning asked Lu Shaoyuan to take her to find a place to rest.
After all, having Pei Yin accompany them would make Qi Xiuwei feel awkward, and the broker needed to stay by Shen Ningning’s side to continue the tour. Lu Shaoyuan listened to Shen Ningning’s request and led Qi Xiuwei to a nearby hall without complaint.
Shen Ningning stood by the lake. She liked the waterscape here the most. Lu Shaoyuan seemed to understand her quite well; the things he had just said had truly spoken to her heart.
’But... I can’t accept such a kind gesture.’
She already felt she owed Lu Shaoyuan far too much. Theirs was a sham marriage, and no matter what, she was going to leave after three years.
Rather than let him go to all this trouble and expense to buy an estate, it was better to refuse him now.
While Shen Ningning was gazing at the lake in contemplation, Pei Yin walked up behind her. "Princess, I’ve asked the broker to prepare some floral tea. It will be served in the hall shortly, so you all can rest before you leave."
"I have official duties this afternoon, so I won’t be able to accompany you any longer. My apologies."
Shen Ningning looked back. She knew Pei Yin was leaving early because he didn’t want to make Qi Xiuwei feel awkward any longer.
"Lord Pei, there’s actually a question I’ve been very curious about. Do you regret not believing Xiao Wei back then?"
Pei Yin paused, then nodded sincerely.
"I do."
His tone was tinged with helplessness as he looked out at the shimmering surface of the water.
"I regret it, but it’s impossible to make amends. I only understood later that some mistakes cause two people to miss their chance with each other."
"It’s as if two people arrive at a fork in the road together. They could have chosen to walk the same path, but instead insisted on going left and right. Thus, they can never walk together again, and regret is futile."
After speaking, Pei Yin’s dark eyes turned to Shen Ningning.
The young woman raised her elegant eyebrows. "Why do I get the feeling there’s a hidden meaning in your words? It seems like you’re talking about yourself, but you’re actually talking about me."
Pei Yin cupped his hands. "I wouldn’t dare. It’s just... I feel that the Crown Prince is in great pain. Although I don’t know what happened between you and the Crown Prince, I can see that you, Princess, are not truly happy either."