Reborn Lady

Chapter 136

“It’s unusual for them to meet; perhaps we shouldn’t disturb them,” Yin Hui suggested.

Wei Ying appeared to hesitate briefly but ultimately insisted, “They’ve already noticed us.”

With no other option, Yin Hui followed Wei Ying as they approached the siblings.

Madam Cui and Cui Yu stood up.

“I’ve seen the princess and the third madam,” Cui Yu lowered her eyes and saluted upon dismounting. He was dressed in green robes, resembling bamboo.

Wei Ying, with a smile, inquired, “Excuse me, aren’t you supposed to accompany my father today?”

Cui Yu shamelessly responded, “The prince has gone hunting,” implying that he was more of a scholar and not adept at riding and shooting.

“Very well. Please retrieve the horses and make sure they don’t stray too far,” Madam Cui softly ordered.

Cui Yu bowed and retreated, never casting a glance at Yin Hui or Wei Ying.

“Are you also here for a horse race?” Mrs. Cui asked with a smile. “We came out early in the morning and are heading back now.”

Her clear intent to avoid any suspicion was apparent. Though there was no need for her to be cautious, she wanted to prevent her younger brother from acting impolitely in front of palace family members.

Yin Hui responded politely, “The sun is quite high now, so you and the young master should return first, and we’ll continue to enjoy ourselves for a while.”

Madam Cui nodded and smiled as they watched the two remount their horses.

After they turned around, the smile on Wei Ying’s face faded. After riding a little farther, she glanced back with a sense of nostalgia, but all she could see were the Cui siblings riding away.

As the breeze gently blew, the girl’s hair on her forehead swayed with the wind, and her clear, beautiful eyes betrayed envy and disappointment.

Yin Hui found herself torn. She wasn’t sure whether she should attempt to persuade Wei Ying or not. If she didn’t, Wei Ying might become more deeply entangled in her feelings. But if she did, she risked embarrassing the dignified daughter of King Yan.

Suddenly, Wei Ying turned towards her with a wry smile and said, “Sister-in-law, I have feelings for him. You must have noticed, haven’t you?”

Yin Hui couldn’t hide her surprise. The young girl had openly confessed!

Wei Ying lowered her head, gripping the reins nervously. “I’ve liked him since I was ten years old, but I couldn’t confide in anyone. When my father arranged a marriage for him, I couldn’t do anything about it. There were rumors that he brought misfortune to his future wife, and no one wanted to marry their daughter to him. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I can’t help but hold onto a glimmer of hope.”

“Sister-in-law, I’ve kept this secret hidden for far too long. I thought I could carry it to my grave, but I can’t bear it any longer. My second sister is engaged, and it may be my turn next year.”

She didn’t want to marry someone else, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her father. She felt lost and didn’t know what to do. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t escape these tormenting thoughts, yet she still had to feign a carefree demeanor in front of everyone.

Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, and Wei Ying looked at Yin Hui with a helpless expression. “Sister-in-law, you are more understanding than my elder sister-in-law and gentler than my second sister-in-law. You won’t mock me, will you?”

Yin Hui urged her horse closer, offering a handkerchief, and spoke softly, “I will never mock you. But you must understand that there’s no possibility for you and him, so why torment yourself like this?”

Wei Ying didn’t take the handkerchief but instead wiped her face with her sleeves and gazed stubbornly at the sky. “If I could forget him, I would have done it long ago, but I can’t.”

Yin Hui asked, “Do you know what he thinks? Does he have any awareness of your feelings for him?”

Wei Ying shook her head. While Cui Yu was still living in the palace and studying with her elder brothers, she would secretly attend and watch him. Sometimes, she’d ask him questions, and Cui Yu would respond kindly. However, he moved out of the palace, leaving her with only the chance to observe him from afar. Cui Yu never intentionally directed his gaze toward her.

“I don’t dare to ask, and I don’t even want to ask. I just like him,” Wei Ying confessed.

“I’ll just go along with one of the candidates chosen for me.”

With a sigh of relief, Wei Ying laughed once more and told Yin Hui, “Alright, I’m fine now. Sister-in-law, let’s pretend I never mentioned this. Come on, let’s have another competition!”

After saying this, she spurred her horse forward, and her red dress blazed like fire, making her stand out.

Yin Hui followed her absentmindedly, Wei Ying’s words echoing in her mind. It was clear that the young girl had been deeply infatuated with Cui Yu for many years.

However, Wei Ying had claimed that she wouldn’t marry because of Cui Yu. Yet, in her previous life, she had married someone in Shu at the age of eighteen, making her the farthest married among the three daughters of King Yan.

Yin Hui wondered if Wei Ying had been angry with her father at the time. Perhaps, because King Yan disagreed with her marriage to Cui Yu, Wei Ying had married someone else in a fit of anger. However, this raised questions about the rumors concerning Cui Yu’s homosexuality. If Cui Yu truly had a homosexual orientation, King Yan should have known. He could have simply explained that to Wei Ying, preventing her from marrying someone else out of frustration.

In the afternoon, Wei Luo returned earlier than in previous days. Xiao Heng was still asleep, so he entered the inner room after taking a bath.

Yin Hui sat at the desk near the window, engrossed in her reading.

Wei Luo stood behind her, reading the content on the page. He casually rested his hand on Yin Hui’s shoulder and gently brushed his fingers over her neck.

The message was crystal clear. 

Yin Hui narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

Wei Luo closed the book, picked her up, and carried her to the couch.

Yin Hui understood that he had been tired and disinterested in the past few nights, so she didn’t object. She only advised him not to take too long. Xiao Heng’s afternoon nap typically lasted about an hour and a half, and he would wake up soon.

The other courtyard was small, and it wasn’t the ideal time for more extended activities in broad daylight, so Wei Luo had to make a quick decision.

He planned to take a nap afterward.

Yin Hui tidied herself up, sat neatly on the side of the bed, and gazed at him in silence.

Seeing that she was about to speak, Wei Luo perked up and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Yin Hui nodded, saying, “Regarding our bet, you still owe me something.”

Wei Luo pursed his lips. He recalled how he had invited her to accompany him hunting, and she had brought the female relatives along. Although he wasn’t thrilled about it, he was willing to admit defeat and inquired, “What do you want?”

Yin Hui smiled mischievously and leaned in closer to his ear. “I heard a rumor that Mrs. Cui’s younger brother, Cui Yu, has no intention of getting married at all, and all the marriage rumors surrounding him are spread by himself.”

Wei Luo shifted closer to the bed to make her words less audible and then furrowed his brow. “I’ve told you about Feng Teng. Don’t believe in such unfounded gossip.”

Yin Hui countered, “But this is not baseless. Some people secretly observed Cui Yu when he was bathing outdoors and discovered that he’s… an eunuch!”

Wei Luo suddenly coughed, propped himself up on the bed and sat upright, coughing loudly. His face was red. 

Yin Hui poured tea thoughtfully, while Wei Luo, not in the mood for tea, glared at her and demanded, “Where did you hear such nonsense?”

Yin Hui averted her gaze and replied, “I heard it somewhere, that’s all.”

Wei Luo questioned, “What does this have to do with what you want from me?”

Yin Hui’s face turned crimson, and she lowered her head, clasping her hands as she spoke softly, “I want you to investigate and find out if it’s true… whether he is…”

Wei Luo lowered his face and asked, “Even if he is, what does it have to do with you?”

Yin Hui had prepared for this and cast an aggrieved glance at him. “Of course, it has nothing to do with me. I just heard some gossip and was curious about the truth, that’s all. After all, he’s considered a respectable figure beside your father. Don’t you wonder about it? Forget it, if you don’t want to help investigate, let’s just pretend I never made a bet with you.”

Wei Luo’s eyebrows twitched.

Yin Hui gave him one last look and then turned around, saying, “I’ll check if Xiao Heng is awake. You should get some rest.”

How could Wei Luo possibly rest after learning that his wife was concerned about another man?

But the question lingered: Was Cui Yu really…?