Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play

Chapter 757 - 736: Jealousy

Fengyu had no interest in knowing why Lin Yunong wasn’t getting betrothed; she was merely reminding Xie Xun. But Xie Xun’s mind wasn’t occupied by romantic matters—ever since his succession, his days had been exceedingly busy. Lin Yunong had scarcely seen him a few times even when she entered the palace, let alone had any chance for private moments with him. Although Lin Yunong was beautiful and shared a familial connection as his cousin, Fengyu hardly cared. If Xie Xun had genuinely liked her, he would have done so long ago; what room would there be for anyone else?

Xie Xun was a man of his word. From their first meeting, he had been careful not to make promises lightly, and once he did give his word, he rarely broke it. Fengyu trusted him deeply—no one could enter the palace without her approval. She had initially agreed to let the Beiman Princess into the palace for the sake of larger concerns, unwilling to let border citizens be displaced or suffer misery from war.

As for Lin Yunong wanting to enter the palace? Impossible!

Fengyu teased, "Zhixu, have you ever looked in a mirror?"

"Rarely. Why do you ask?" Xie Xun felt baffled by the sudden question, and as he recalled Fengyu’s love for beauty, a pang of unease struck him. "Am I haggard now? Do I no longer look good?"

He immediately rose, intending to summon a mirror to check. Frustrated with the relentless pressures of governance, he lamented the fact that these past seven days had seen him working from dawn till dusk, sleeping no more than two hours nightly. Surely he had become haggard, perhaps detested by Ayu. He resolved then and there to start taking care of his health—a nourishing diet could restore vitality, enabling him to look radiant once more. Otherwise, Ayu, accustomed to seeing beautiful people, might find his worn-out appearance disheartening.

"You know you’re good-looking, don’t you?" Fengyu couldn’t help but laugh through her tears, gazing at her husband’s face—a face that had charmed countless hearts. She found herself stirring with emotion. "When I first arrived in the Capital City, young and naïve, I loved hearing Junjun talk about Capital gossip. In the eyes of the noble girls there, Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s illustrious military exploits were far less captivating than the unparalleled beauty of the three young masters of the mansion. The most discussed topic was how dashing and charismatic they were."

Xie Xun had always been aware of his beauty; his good looks were innate. Even if he didn’t fully realize how attractive he was, spending his days with Xie Jue made it impossible to avoid acknowledging it.

"And so?"

Fengyu truly felt like prying open his head to see what was inside. Her hints had been blatant, but he still didn’t catch on. Though these were whispered conversations between husband and wife, Xie Xun would never allow them to spread—but if she inadvertently said something wrong, it might tarnish someone’s reputation. Feeling stifled, Fengyu bottled up her thoughts again.

But no matter how much she bottled up her feelings, she couldn’t suppress them for long. Why should she?

"Lin Yunong and I were acquainted back at the Imperial College. She was recognized for her noble bearing but never gave me trouble. Many times, Lin Yu Yan sought to intimidate me, but Lin Yunong even stood up for me. She found conflict with me beneath her. However, ever since Emperor Jianming bestowed marriage upon us, Lin Yunong has harbored hostility toward me—we’ve crossed paths several times, yet she has never showed a friendly demeanour. Even now, as Empress, when she visits the palace with Second Mrs. Lin to pay respects, she remains aloof and prideful. The other day, she created trouble for Princess Beiman at the archery field, openly provoking me with disrespectful words. Why is that?" Fengyu laid her grievances bare. "I remember when you first ascended to the throne, to balance the clans and the royal family, courtiers had petitioned for you to establish a harem, marrying daughters of various prominent clans to stabilize the political landscape. Lin Yunong was an ideal candidate—young and in the flush of her first sentiments. Her demeanor toward you and others has always been different. Could it be that she harbors romantic feelings for you, delaying her betrothal in hopes of entering the palace as a consort?"

"Absolutely not!" Xie Xun rejected the notion outright. "I share no private feelings with Yunong. Though we’re cousins, we’ve scarcely interacted since childhood, and we can hardly be considered close."

"That’s simply because you were young then—you were distant with everyone aside from your two elder brothers." Fengyu couldn’t help but grumble internally. Xie Xun hadn’t been particularly close even with his elder sister, let alone a cousin. His bold personality, passion for martial arts, and penchant for getting into trouble made him uninterested in mingling with young ladies.

Fengyu remarked, "It’s just conjecture on my part. Given it concerns a young woman’s reputation, consider it nothing more than pillow talk between us. Whether you pay heed or not is up to you!"

With a self-satisfied air, Xie Xun looked at her and said, "Ayu, are you jealous?"

"Hardly!" Fengyu pursed her lips—it was true she wasn’t truly jealous. Yet she still put on a strangely sarcastic and insincere expression. After all, if she were jealous and Xie Xun took her concerns seriously, it would undoubtedly work in her favor.

"You’re definitely jealous!" Xie Xun couldn’t hide his smirk. Over the years, he had never experienced Fengyu’s jealousy firsthand, as the Third Miss of the Feng Family had always been supremely confident. Whether in beauty, wit, demeanor, or wealth, she believed herself unmatched. If a man didn’t fancy her, it was simply because he lacked discernment—like Jiang Yang did in the past.

During their time in West State, they had few moments together. While in Ningzhou, several generals had privately tried gifting him beautiful women, but Xie Xun refused each time under the guise of filial piety. He never mentioned these incidents to Fengyu, not wanting her to be troubled by them. Yet Fengyu never seemed bothered either, steadfastly believing he would never betray her, never fearing he would succumb to loneliness in Ningzhou and entangle himself with other women.

After all these years, Xie Xun finally recalled a fleeting moment of doubt he’d once had, so he went ahead and voiced it.

Fengyu hadn’t expected him to harbor such doubts. "You really thought about that?"

"Of course not!" Xie Xun felt wronged. His love for Fengyu was unwavering—a commitment bound for life. He knew well that Fengyu’s heart could not tolerate betrayal. This understanding had led him to exercise strict self-control, ensuring that not even a whisper of romantic indiscretion would ever emerge. "Whenever someone tried gifting a beautiful woman, and I couldn’t discern their intentions, Second Brother always stepped in to block them. He wouldn’t dare tarnish the ’treasure mountain’ that you are."

Fengyu chuckled softly. Xie Xun pulled her close with curiosity, grinning as he asked, "You trust me that much?"

"I do!" Fengyu replied with amusement. "Not only do I trust you, but you may not even realize—you were different after we left the Capital City. Even when I remained in West State, you were restless and unwilling. You feared losing me, worried I’d face danger, or that I’d fall out of love with you. Back then, you were rather... obsessive. That’s why you’d never do anything to betray me. Because losing me and me losing you? You’re more afraid of the latter."

Time had proven a healing salve. Xie Xun had traveled to Yangzhou, where he matured significantly overnight. The scars in his heart gradually gave way to responsibility. He became more magnanimous and mature, even developing enough trust in Fengyu to leave their well-being in each other’s hands.

After Yangzhou, Fengyu never worried that Xie Xun might betray her. If anything, what truly concerned her after Xie Xun ascended the throne was that he might prioritize the greater good over her happiness. Yet even this wouldn’t mean he was betraying her—it was merely his choice to protect many more lives.

"Could you not praise me for being loyal, virtuous, and worthy of your lifelong trust?" Xie Xun complained. Those dark days of obsession seemed so grotesque in hindsight—truly difficult to stomach. He was grateful that Ayu hadn’t despised his former self and had been willing to walk with him through it all.

"Fine, fine. You’re loyal and virtuous, worthy of lifelong trust. So please handle Lin Yunong’s matter properly. I don’t want even a shred of gossip arising—public opinion can ruin lives."

"You really are jealous!"

Fengyu: "..."