The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 309: Standing Up for His Wife

Chapter 309: Standing Up for His Wife

Xie Beihan’s figure was obscured by trees and flowers, making it hard for the noblewomen to notice him. Though often carefree, he understood the concept of avoiding suspicion. Just as he was about to take another path, a simpering voice caught his ear:

"It’s truly annoying. Lu Yanyan wants to get close to someone from the countryside, fine, but why drag us into it?"

"Indeed, I’m worried her shabby air might rub off on me."

"Shabby? She’s wearing Cloudy Voile, that’s quite expensive."

"Cloudy Voile? Oh my, I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me. Definitely a country bumpkin--dressing in such fine fabric yet still looking utterly out of place."

The ladies burst into laughter at this remark.

Another added, "If you ask me, that other one is smarter. She knows her worth and wears simple dresses made of ordinary material daily, with a plain hairstyle and barely any hairpins."

They all knew who "the other one" referred to and chose not to comment further. The simpering lady broke the silence, "It’s fine to talk about the County Princess Yu among us, but you shouldn’t say such things outside."

County Princess Yu snorted, "Indeed. Today, we’ve bullied that country bumpkin together; we’re all in the same boat now. I trust none of you will dare spread this outside."

The others quickly agreed, pledging their loyalty.

At that moment, a man suddenly emerged from the woods. He wore a round-collared robe with a dark bamboo pattern and a silver crown, exuding handsomeness but with a stormy expression.

Everyone recognized the recently ennobled Lord Xie, and their faces paled as they hastily stood up. County Princess Yu, however, remained calm, staring at Xie Beihan. "Lord Xie, it seems you have a penchant for eavesdropping. That’s not a good habit."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Xie Beihan stepped forward, his voice cold, "How have you been bullying my wife?"

County Princess Yu glanced at her companions before chuckling, "Lord Xie, what are you talking about? I have a clumsy maid from the countryside, and my sisters couldn’t stand it, so they helped teach her a lesson. We weren’t talking about your wife."

The others quickly nodded.

"Yes, we were talking about Yu’s maid."

"Lord Xie, you misunderstand. Your wife is the legitimate daughter of the Fan family from Ruyang; why would we call her a country bumpkin?"

"If you don’t believe us, ask your wife. We really didn’t bully her."

One by one, they deflected his accusations, leaving Xie Beihan at a loss for words. But as he saw County Princess Yu’s mocking smile, his anger only grew.

Clenching his fists, he declared, "I’ll get to the bottom of this!"

The commotion soon drew attention from others. As the hostess, Lu Yanyan arrived promptly, followed by the rest of the guests.

Fan Yunxi, among them, froze upon seeing Xie Beihan glaring furiously at the others.

"Marquis, why are you here?"

At her voice, Xie Beihan turned around and immediately pulled her aside. "Have they bullied you? Don’t be afraid; tell me everything."

Lu Yanyan, taken aback, exclaimed, "What? Have you been bullied? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

As the hostess, she felt responsible for her guests’ grievances.

Fan Yunxi furrowed her brows, shaking off Xie Beihan’s hand with a bewildered expression. "Marquis, you must be mistaken. County Princess Yu and the others haven’t bullied me."

County Princess Yu rose, covering her mouth as she laughed softly. "I told you, Lord Xie, you misheard. She’s your wife; we wouldn’t dare touch a hair on her head."

Xie Beihan spun around, glaring at County Princess Yu. "Shut up! I didn’t ask you to speak!"

His furious outburst left County Princess Yu in an awkward position. Her face turned livid. "Lord Xie, you were a good-for-nothing rogue before. Now that you’ve inherited your title, you’ve become even more arrogant. Those unaware might think you’re flaunting the power of the Royal Heir and the Empress."

Fan Yunxi’s expression changed slightly. She hurriedly tugged at Xie Beihan’s sleeve. "It’s just a misunderstanding. Don’t blow it out of proportion."

But Lu Yanyan had a different take. Xie Beihan was her future husband’s close friend, which, by extension, made him her brother and family. County Princess Yu’s father, a top-ranking general, had been guarding the southwest against Border Nation raids. Amidst the chaos in the Capital, Border Nation had seized the chance to invade the southwest border, but General Yu had successfully defended it, even capturing many elite Border Nation soldiers. Consequently, while the power dynamics of noble families were shifting, the Yu family’s influence had only grown stronger. Recently, County Princess Yu had become more arrogant, looking down on others.

Lu Yanyan was certain that Xie Beihan hadn’t misheard. She declared, "Let it escalate if it must. We’re not weak and don’t need to endure humiliation."

Xie Beihan cast her an approving glance. "Well said!"

Fan Yunxi started to feel a headache coming on. Truly, birds of a feather flock together.

She whispered, "Marquis, if you insist on making a scene today, it will only bring criticism to the Royal Heir and the Empress. Besides, I haven’t been bullied."

Xie Beihan lowered his gaze, examining her clothing for a long moment. He asked, "Miss Lu, is she wearing Cloudy Voile?"

He wasn’t in business and didn’t recognize various fabrics as well as Chu Shuo.

Lu Yanyan nodded. "Yes, she is."

Fan Yunxi was puzzled. "Marquis, what are you doing..."

Xie Beihan looked at her seriously. "Rest assured, you married me, and I won’t let you be bullied."

He couldn’t save his brother and father, but could he not even protect his own wife today?

Fan Yunxi found herself momentarily dazed by his gaze.

Xie Beihan turned his attention back to County Princess Yu. "You said earlier that the country girl was wearing Cloudy Voile, and today you collectively bullied her. Yet, Cloudy Voile is rare and expensive. I didn’t realize County Princess Yu was so generous as to dress her maid in such fabric. Could you call this maid out so I might see?"

County Princess Yu and her companions had turned pale. It was clear that Xie Beihan was determined to get to the bottom of this. However, Fan Yunxi was timid and without other evidence, she would definitely not say anything.

County Princess Yu made up her mind to stick to her story. "I misspoke. We taught the maid a lesson a few days ago, not today."

Lu Yanyan, fuming at County Princess Yu’s continued evasion, couldn’t hold back her frustration. "Yunxi, say something! Just one word from you, and we’ll make sure you get justice."

Fan Yunxi lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions. In the end, she shook her head. "They didn’t bully me. As County Princess Yu said, this was just a misunderstanding."

Xie Beihan closed his eyes, feeling like his chest might burst. He turned to leave, no longer wanting to deal with Fan Yunxi.

Seeing this, County Princess Yu smirked smugly. "Lord Xie, next time, make sure to listen carefully. Unjustly troubling people isn’t the behavior of a true gentleman."