bookrebus Chapter 65 Seeing Your Own Heart
Chapter 65 Seeing Your Own Heart
Qin Yaoyao pulled Cheng Ying to her bedroom, and after having Banxia brew Cheng Ying's favorite Jinzhenmei tea, she couldn't wait to say, "Tell me what happened quickly."
Cheng Ying looked at Qin Yaoyao's curious expression and thought she was extremely cute, but she was also a little embarrassed and said, "He told me this when we were at the villa last time."
Qin Yaoyao pretended not to know and said, "Oh, and what about you? What did you say?"
Cheng Ying smiled and continued, "I'll just tell you the truth! I don't know whether I feel grateful to him or like him, so that's what I told him."
Looking at Cheng Ying's serious expression, Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "This little girl is so innocent it's almost pitiful." Then she pressed on, "So what did he say?"
Cheng Ying leaned on the table, a shy smile on her face, and said softly, "He said he would wait until I figured out my own feelings, and that he didn't want me to feel burdened, and that it would be fine just like before." As she finished speaking, her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were enveloped in happiness.
Qin Yaoyao nodded vigorously in agreement: "Yes, so how do you plan to figure out your own feelings? You can't just do nothing and wait for an answer, can you? That would take forever! Do you want He Mingfeng to keep waiting until you're both too old to walk? You have to understand, He Mingfeng is already twenty years old this year. He could be arranged to marry at any time. By then, it will be too late for you to regret it. Missing out is a lifelong matter!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "No way! The Fourth Prince isn't even married yet, would Her Majesty the Empress let him get married first?"
Looking at her innocent face, Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but shake her head and sigh, "Oh dear, my good sister! Marriage can happen very quickly! The Fourth Prince is already twenty-two this year. If it weren't for his travels and lack of time spent in the capital these past few years, he might have already gotten married. Think about it, didn't the Crown Prince and the Second Prince both get married at the age of sixteen?"
Qin Yaoyao continued, "I heard that the Fourth Prince will stay in the capital for a while after returning this time. The reason for that is self-evident!" She chuckled softly and added, "With the Fourth Prince's marriage settled, will He Mingfeng's marriage be far behind?"
"And then there's yourself. You're already eighteen. Regardless of whether they like you as a person, just because you're backed by the General's Mansion, there will be no shortage of people coming to your mansion to propose marriage. In the past, Aunt Meng could use your young age as an excuse, but now! Can she still use that as an excuse?" Qin Yaoyao looked at Cheng Ying seriously, her eyes filled with worry and urgency.
Cheng Ying frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Don't worry about that. My mother won't arrange a marriage for me if I don't want to."
Qin Yaoyao shook her head and said firmly, "What if the Emperor bestows a marriage upon you? You know, the Emperor's decree is very swift. Once it's issued, it's a done deal and can't be changed. What will you do then? Disobey the decree? Can you abandon your family? You can't, so you can only accept it."
Qin Yaoyao added, "He Mingfeng is the same. He won't tell you anything without your consent, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems between you." She looked at Cheng Ying, her eyes filled with worry and helplessness.
"So here's the question: if the Empress wants to arrange a marriage for him, how long can he delay, even if he tries to refuse? What if the Empress takes a fancy to a girl from another family and asks the Emperor to bestow a marriage upon her? Given He Mingfeng's personality, would he hurt an innocent girl if he doesn't get your answer? I think he won't. He will only choose to compromise and fulfill everyone's wishes."
Qin Yaoyao sighed and continued, "I remember someone once told me that if you don't marry the person you love, then it doesn't matter who you marry. Sister Ying, what do you think?"
Cheng Ying nodded silently, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes. She said softly, "Yes, if it's not someone you like, then it doesn't matter who it is..."
They remained silent for a moment, a heavy atmosphere filling the room. They both knew that love was sometimes like that—irresistible, yet unavoidable.
Qin Yaoyao gently patted Cheng Ying's hand and comforted her, "Sister Ying, don't be too sad. Maybe things will turn around. Let's think of a way together!"
Cheng Ying glanced gratefully at Qin Yaoyao and nodded. Although she remained worried, she knew they had to face reality and find a solution. After all, love wasn't everything, and life was always full of challenges and possibilities.
Qin Yaoyao looked at Cheng Ying's worried face and sighed, "Sister Ying, have you ever thought that you might be engaged soon, or that news of He Mingfeng's engagement might come?" Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying's face turned pale and her body trembled.
Qin Yaoyao continued, "At that time, you may become someone else's wife, and he will become another woman's husband. Your relationship will become distant, and you will even feel awkward when you meet."
Cheng Ying's eyes began to well up with tears, blurring her vision. She recalled every moment she had spent with He Mingfeng, her heart filled with reluctance and pain.
Qin Yaoyao patted Cheng Ying on the shoulder and said softly, "Sister Ying, think it over carefully. Life is always full of helplessness and variables, and some things are beyond our control. But no matter what, I hope you can face the future with strength."
Cheng Ying nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew Qin Yaoyao was right, but she still couldn't accept the fact.
After leaving the Duke's mansion, Cheng Ying was in a daze, as if she had lost her soul. She didn't know how she got back to the General's mansion, only that she was in a daze the whole way.
When Cheng Ying came to her senses, she found herself sitting in her room. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, and Qin Yaoyao's words kept echoing in her mind.
When Cheng's mother saw her daughter return looking distraught, she was very worried. She went to Cheng Ying's room and asked Xiao Cui if something had happened.
Xiao Cui replied, "Madam, nothing happened! It's just that Miss drank some wine at the banquet and is still a little tipsy."
Mother Cheng frowned, clearly not believing Xiao Cui's explanation. She continued, "What's wrong with Ying'er? Why does she seem so absent-minded?"
Xiao Cui hesitated for a moment, then said, "After the banquet, Miss Qin invited Miss to her room to chat. We were waiting outside and didn't hear what they talked about. But when Miss came out of the room, this is what happened."
Upon hearing this, Madam Cheng felt a surge of unease. She decided to speak with Cheng Ying herself to see what had happened. Xiao Cui continued, "Miss Qin must have said something to Miss." Madam Cheng turned to Madam Cheng, frowning, and asked, "What could she possibly say that could have caused Ying'er to become like this?" Madam Cheng sighed, looking at his wife, and said, "Why don't you go and talk to our daughter, Madam, and see how she is doing?" Madam Cheng nodded, stood up, and walked towards her daughter's courtyard.
Soon, Cheng's mother arrived at her daughter's door and gently knocked. A moment later, the door slowly opened, revealing Cheng Ying's pale and haggard face. Cheng Ying was slightly startled to see her mother standing in the doorway, then stepped aside and softly invited her mother to sit down.
Cheng's mother sat by the bedside and gently inquired about her daughter's condition. Cheng Ying smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry, I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things, you don't need to worry too much." Hearing her daughter say this, Cheng's mother finally breathed a sigh of relief, but still couldn't help but remind her, "If there's anything you can't figure out, you can tell your mother, and she will help you." Cheng Ying smiled and replied, "Okay, I know. But there are some things I need to think about carefully. If I really can't figure them out, I will ask my mother for help."
After seeing her mother off, Cheng Ying lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She kept thinking about what Qin Yaoyao had said to her. If He Mingfeng got married, would the two of them really become the most familiar strangers?
Cheng Ying didn't know the answer, but she could feel the pain in her heart. This pain was like a heavy stone pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Before she knew it, Cheng Ying drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, both she and He Mingfeng were married. He Mingfeng and his wife were deeply in love, eating and sleeping together every day, doing the most intimate things. She also had her own husband, and the same was true for him.
Looking at everything before her, Cheng Ying felt a deep bitterness in her heart. She couldn't accept this fact, and she couldn't imagine how she would face it if He Mingfeng really married another woman.
Suddenly, Cheng Ying woke up with a start. She was breathing heavily, her forehead covered in sweat. She reached up and touched her face, finding it already streaked with tears. She hugged her pillow tightly and burst into tears.
"No...no!" she murmured, her voice filled with despair.
Her sobs grew louder and louder, as if she were trying to release all her grievances and pain. She knew that this dream was just a warning, a reminder. But she still couldn't control her emotions, because the scene was too real, so real that it frightened her.
Cheng Ying cried for a long time until her tears gradually dried and she slowly calmed down. She looked up at the ceiling and made a silent resolution: no matter what happens in the future, she will face it bravely and will not be as weak and powerless as she is now.
The next morning, Cheng Ying got up very early. She decided to go for a walk in the streets, breathe some fresh air, and clear her head. She hoped that in this way, she could temporarily forget the nightmare of the previous night and regain her confidence and courage in life.
Before she could even go out for a stroll, her mother sent someone to summon her over. When Cheng Ying arrived at her mother's courtyard, she found that guests had already arrived. After some pleasantries, the guests left. It was then that Cheng Ying learned from her mother that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had calculated three auspicious days, the most recent one being in three days. The Emperor had ordered He Mingwen and Liu Xiaoyu to get married on that day and had sent them invitations.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ying felt somewhat reluctant, but still obediently told her mother, "Mother, I don't want to go." Cheng's mother patted her daughter's head and comforted her, "Mother doesn't want to go either, but the other party is, after all, a prince. We have to give the Emperor face." After saying that, she added, "Don't worry about the congratulatory gift this time, Mother will handle it. You should go shopping with Yao'er now and dress yourself up beautifully."
Cheng Ying nodded in agreement. Actually, she had been planning to go out for a stroll and chat with Qin Yaoyao. Seeing her daughter agree, Cheng's mother relaxed and smiled, instructing someone to fetch her plenty of silver notes so she could shop to her heart's content. Cheng Ying left the mansion, intending to find Qin Yaoyao, but on the way, she witnessed a scene that infuriated her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and then hurried towards the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Upon arriving, she went straight to Qin Yaoyao's courtyard, and immediately picked up the tea on the table and gulped it down.
Looking at Cheng Ying, who was so angry, Qin Yaoyao asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so angry? Who upset you?" As she spoke, she pulled Cheng Ying to sit down in a chair and poured her a cup of tea.
Cheng Ying took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "He's a liar! He said he liked me before, but it was all a lie!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao asked curiously, "He Mingfeng? How did he lie to you?"
Cheng Ying replied angrily, "I saw him on the street today. I was going to go up and say hello, but..." Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yaoyao asked anxiously, "And what happened?"