The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 328: The Inescapable Misfortune of Unwanted Suitors

Chapter 328: The Inescapable Misfortune of Unwanted Suitors

The vast Prince Yu Mansion felt even lonelier with only Ye Siheng and Nanli as its main residents. Now that Ye Siheng had left for his "inspection," the mansion was deserted except for Nanli. Madam Shen seized the opportunity to visit and offered to take her daughter back to the Marquis’s residence for a stay.

The Qingliang Courtyard at the Marquis’s residence had undergone a transformation. Upon hearing that his sixth sister was returning for a visit, Chu Shuo, along with Madam Qian, had immediately set about acquiring new furnishings and redecorating the entire courtyard.

Madam Shen sighed helplessly. "The previous items were perfectly fine. I had the bed curtains and everything washed every fortnight; they were all clean."

"Mother, yesterday’s items no longer befit today’s sixth sister," Chu Shuo declared.

Madam Shen frowned slightly. What kind of nonsense was that?

Madam Qian, however, gave her son a thumbs-up, saying, "Indeed, only new items can highlight the sixth miss’s dignity!"

Madam Shen glared lightly at Madam Qian. "As her stepmother, how can you also indulge in such extravagance? Li’er doesn’t like ostentatious displays."

Chu Shuo interjected, "If Sixth Sister is coming to stay, she should be comfortable. Don’t worry, Mother, I’ve shown some restraint this time. I didn’t put out too many gilded things."

Madam Qian nudged her son with her elbow, saying, "Yes, this is just a one-time thing. We won’t be this lavish next time."

Chu Shuo nodded vigorously. "Exactly, exactly."

Despite her composed demeanor, Madam Shen couldn’t help but roll her eyes. The pair had promised this countless times before: "We’ll do it just this once."

As they made their vows for the umpteenth time, a maid came to inform them that the Prince Yu Mansion’s carriage had arrived.

Madam Shen, filled with joy, hurried to the entrance to receive her daughter.

Chu Huan, who had rare leave, also accompanied his wife to the front yard.

Among the brothers, only Chu Huan, who was on duty, was absent.

Nanli, having been busy and not visiting the Marquis’s residence for over half a month, finally arrived. The family, seeing her healthy complexion, felt somewhat reassured.

Chu Shuo, as the eldest brother, couldn’t resist commenting, "You’ve gotten thinner. Your face is smaller than my palm. You shouldn’t follow Second Brother’s bad habit of working so hard to make money that you neglect your meals."

Chu Shuo immediately looked aggrieved. "Big Brother, the pharmacy’s orders for elixirs aren’t many. I wouldn’t dare overwork Sixth Sister."

Chu Yang said, "In my opinion, those noble scions should train for a few hours every day, so they wouldn’t need to be pampered like fat sheep."

Chu Yan now dared to joke as well: "Fourth Brother, aren’t you afraid of making Sixth Sister angry? After all, it’s her elixirs."

Chu Yang, straightforward and earnest, looked sheepishly at Nanli. "Sixth Sister, I didn’t mean it that way."

Nanli didn’t mind and shook her head lightly. "Fourth Brother is right. Noble scions often have frail bodies because they indulge themselves. Elixirs can only help maintain their health, but it’s essential for them to be active. Combining both efforts yields the best results."

As for the "fat sheep" remark, it was simply about willing customers. She spent two hours devising the formula; why shouldn’t she earn some hard-earned money?

Though it was early autumn, the weather outside was still quite hot. Madam Shen invited everyone indoors, insisting they not stand outside any longer.

She ordered the maids to bring in tea and snacks and went to make sure her daughter’s belongings were properly arranged.

Xiao Wanyi, on impulse, said, "Mother, why don’t I handle lunch today?"

Madam Shen frowned and replied sternly, "You’re pregnant and already work hard enough. How can you manage these additional tasks? If I can’t handle everything, there are others to help. Don’t worry yourself."

Xiao Wanyi felt warmth in her heart and nodded.

Chu Ye gently held her hand with a tender expression. "Are you tired? Should I take you back?"

Xiao Wanyi replied, "I’m not tired. I enjoy sitting and chatting with everyone."

Chu Ye pursed his lips, feeling a pang of guilt. He had spent most of his time in the military camp outside the capital, and his visits home in the past six months had been few and far between. While he was fulfilling his duty to the people, the state, and the nation, he felt he was neglecting his wife during a time when she needed him most.

His brothers could all see the change in Chu Ye’s mood.

Transferring back to the capital would be a simple matter, but given the recent prominence of the Marquis’s residence, they had to be extra cautious to avoid causing trouble for the family.

Nanli noticed Chu Ye’s unease.

Ye Chengyan, now overseeing state affairs, had mentioned transferring Chu Ye back to the capital. However, after Chu Ye rescued a few high-born ladies, the incident, though managed by Ye Siheng, remained unknown to many, with most believing the ladies had simply stayed at Tianfo Temple. This didn’t mean Chu Ye hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention.

Ye Siheng had delayed the transfer, fearing Chu Ye would become entangled in messy relationships.

Nanli glanced at Chu Ye’s palace of peach blossoms (an area on the face associated with romantic entanglements), her eyes deepening.

After lunch, when Chu Ye took Xiao Wanyi back for a nap, Nanli approached him to discuss the issue.

"What? Another entanglement?" Chu Ye, though surprised, seemed resigned. "Sixth Sister, don’t you have any talismans or formations to sever these unwanted ties?"

He was devoted to Xiao Wanyi and had no desire for further entanglements.

Nanli shook her head. "Your destiny is such that it’s hard to block these influences unless you were to ruin your looks, abandon your martial skills, and become utterly useless."

Romantic entanglements often arise from one’s appearance and abilities attracting others. For a man of her brother’s stature and character, even staying home wouldn’t stop the unwanted attention.

Chu Ye gritted his teeth. "That won’t do. If I ruin my looks, won’t I scare the child in the future? If I abandon my martial skills, how will I protect the nation? I acted impulsively back then, focusing only on saving people without considering the consequences. Had I known, I wouldn’t have intervened."

"So, big brother, you should accept reality," Nanli said. "As a soldier and a man, would you really let someone die? If Father knew you thought this way, he’d likely scold you."

Chu Ye sighed. "Father was the same way..."

Nanli was momentarily stunned. "What?"

Chu Ye paced a few steps and then spoke softly. "Father didn’t want to take concubines. But after years of campaigns and bandit suppression, he saved many people and attracted numerous admirers. Even with just two concubines in the residence, this is considered fortunate."

Nanli’s mouth twitched.

Chu Ye, feeling distraught, said in a shaky voice, "Do I have to follow Father’s path and take multiple concubines to stop attracting unwanted suitors?"

Nanli, serious, replied, "Give up on that idea, big brother. Madam Liang and Madam Qian married Father because they owed him a debt from a past life. Father is repaying his emotional debts in this life, not attracting unwanted suitors. But you keep running into these entanglements in this life. Taking multiple concubines won’t solve this."

Chu Ye groaned and rubbed his temples, thinking of the never-ending headache these entanglements caused.

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