A few days later, Chu Qingying sent an invitation to the Duan Wang’s residence.
Mingxi accepted it and invited her in for tea.
The moment Chu Qingying saw Mingxi, her eyes reddened. Before Mingxi could speak, she said first, “You’ve suffered so much, and I couldn’t help you at all. Instead, you’re still worrying about my matters.”
Mingxi pulled her to sit. “What, you cry the moment you see me—are you afraid I’ll hit you or something?”
Tears hovered in Chu Qingying’s eyes. Crying seemed both inappropriate and inevitable, and she froze awkwardly.
Mingxi picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears. She said softly, “Second Sister-in-law isn’t the impulsive sort. She only brought it up because she saw I was well. What are you feeling guilty about? If you hadn’t told me and I found out later, I would’ve blamed you.”
Chu Qingying was coaxed into a smile and looked at Mingxi. “I was worried about you, so I came in person to tell you.”
Mingxi saw how much calmer and more mature she looked than before. She could tell life in the marquis household hadn’t been easy. She held her hand and asked, “Tell me. I’m listening.”
Chu Qingying was silent for a moment, as if thinking how to begin.
Mingxi had tea brought in and handed it to her.
Chu Qingying accepted it, then looked up at Mingxi. “I’ve already agreed to this marriage.”
Mingxi froze. “You agreed?”
Chu Qingying saw her odd expression and thought she was angry. She quickly said, “Please let me explain. The other day, Xie Jingyang asked to meet me. It was because Duan Wangye had spoken to him.”
Mingxi hadn’t heard Xiao Muchen mention this. He must’ve kept it from her to avoid making her worry—so he had sent word to Xie Jingyang himself, at least to let him know the truth.
She said to Chu Qingying, “Wangye didn’t tell me. But that doesn’t matter. I just want to know—what did Xie Jingyang say that made you agree to the marriage?”
Chu Qingying turned her gaze out the window and said quietly, “Mingxi, when you first came back to the capital and saw me, did you think I was a noble daughter of a marquis, born into luxury, carefree and happy?”
Mingxi thought seriously. When had she first met Chu Qingying in her previous life?
It wasn’t this one. In the first life, their relationship was ordinary, not this close. She didn’t really remember what she had been like then.
But in this life…
She nodded. “Yes. I thought a cheerful, bold girl like you must have been raised in a pampered home.”
Chu Qingying laughed bitterly. “That’s not it at all. If I hadn’t been loud and headstrong, I couldn’t have survived at home. Back then, I forced myself to keep my chin up—everyone knew my family’s troubles, and the more I didn’t want to be looked down on.”
Wasn’t Mingxi the same?
In her first life, she had also pushed herself to do her best, hoping to satisfy everyone.
And in the end?
It wasn’t worth it.
“Mingxi, back then, I worried my sister would struggle in Wangye’s household. I worried my brother’s position as shizi would be taken. So I pretended to be fierce and hard to bully—just so Madam He would be wary of me and not go too far.”
Mingxi stayed silent. She understood. She had once lived through such torment herself, believing that donning armor would make her invincible.
“Later, with your help, my brother got the shizi position. Now my sister is pregnant. If she can give birth safely, her position as Wangfei will be secure.
“These days, I do feel life is a bit easier. But in our family’s situation, finding a good marriage isn’t easy. First, that stepmother of mine is hard to deal with—no respectable lady wants to interact with her. Second, though I’m a marquis’s daughter, my father is biased and gives me no support. Who would want to marry someone like that—just for show?”
“I know these difficulties clearly. Madam He picked Xie Jingyang, a widower with a young child, and even said he was ill-fated to his late wife. She arranged this marriage not just to spite me—but probably hoping he’d curse me to death too.”
Mingxi heard Chu Qingying speak of these things in such a calm tone and knew she had truly come to terms with it. She let out a quiet sigh.
Chu Qingying smiled faintly. “That day when Xie Jingyang met with me, he first apologized, saying he hadn’t known about the situation in my family, and regretted that I had been wronged because of it. Hearing him say that, I was quite surprised.”
“That is indeed a bit unexpected,” Mingxi nodded in agreement.
“Then he explained to me that his wife didn’t die from childbirth complications as the rumors in the capital claimed, but rather fell ill and passed away after giving birth. His wife’s family knew this as well. It was just a case of one false tale spreading into another until it became completely distorted.”
Mingxi had never really believed in things like “star-crossed fates” or “ill-fated marriages” anyway. Whether life was good or not depended on one’s own efforts—what did those vague superstitions have to do with anything?
“He also said that his parents were preparing to come from their hometown, and if I didn’t want to take care of the child myself, he could have them look after the child. He’d even buy a house next door so he could still see the child, and I wouldn’t need to worry.”
Mingxi: …
“I don’t know if he was telling the truth, but if I were to agree to this marriage, how could I let him hand his child over to his elders? Mingxi, I watched the way he spoke and carried himself—steady and composed. He didn’t seem like someone who lies. He gives off a sense of reassurance.”
“If he can say such things, it shows he’s truly considered it from your perspective. That’s rare.”
In her past life, Xie Jingyang had treated her decently as well. Knowing her relationship with her stepmother was strained, he had protected her.
Chu Qingying looked at Mingxi. “I lost my mother when I was young, and my stepmother was unkind. I grew up with a ‘home’ in name only. Mingxi, I want to find a husband who’s responsible. I want a home of my own, a place where I can live peacefully. After meeting with Xie Jingyang, I felt that at the very least, he is responsible. That matters a lot to me.”
Mingxi understood Chu Qingying’s meaning. She lacked a sense of security and wanted someone she could rely on.
Xie Jingyang, as a military general and a man who had fought on the battlefield, did indeed seem reliable.
Looking at Mingxi, Chu Qingying softly added, “I also hope he’s capable, with real abilities. Only then will I be able to stand tall. I have expectations of him, and naturally, I’ll treat him and his child sincerely.”
“That child is so young. My sister said that raising him by my side wouldn’t be any different from raising my own. I’ll have my own children in the future—I’m not relying on a stepson to live out my days.”
Mingxi looked at Chu Qingying. “As long as you’ve thought it through and are determined, I’ll support you. Besides, if one day Xie Jingyang truly fails you, it’s not like you have no one to back you up.”
Chu Qingying hadn’t meant to cry, but Mingxi’s words brought her tears down again. She clutched Mingxi’s hand tightly. “I cried here at your place today. I won’t cry again in the future. With what you just said, Mingxi, I really believe I’ll be able to live a good life.”
“Of course. Xie Jingyang has good judgment, and you’re kindhearted. Your days will surely be good.”
“Yes, I will definitely live well,” Chu Qingying said solemnly, though whether she was speaking to Mingxi or to herself, even she wasn’t sure.
