TRBDM -Chapter 177 The Divination Slip

Clearly, Nangong Hai was also stunned when he ran into them.

“Why is it you two? What bad luck.”

His face was full of displeasure, as if he had just seen something filthy.

Xie Yu was immediately irritated at the sight of him. “Nangong Hai, if anything, we’re the ones who are unlucky to run into you. And you’re the one complaining?”

Every time they met him, nothing good ever happened. Xie Yu’s mood for the outing was completely ruined.

Nangong Hai hadn’t expected Xie Yu to dare talk back to him.

One was a concubine-born son of the marquis’s household, the other an adopted son. Meanwhile, he was the legitimate eldest son of the Nangong family. What right did the two of them have to act arrogantly in front of him?

Pointing at Xie Yu’s nose, Nangong Hai ground his teeth. “Xie Yu, watch your mouth, or I’ll slap you.”

Xie Lan shoved Nangong Hai aside. “Who are you slapping?”

Caught off guard, Nangong Hai was pushed several meters away.

He was older than the Xie brothers. Being pushed like that by Xie Lan instantly made him lose face.

“I’ll slap both of you!”

Just as Nangong Hai was about to charge forward, someone called out from behind him, “Young Master Nangong, what are you doing?”

The voice was extremely familiar. Xie Lan looked past him—and saw Xie Wanyi.

Ever since she had moved out of the marquis’s residence, they hadn’t seen her for months.

Today, Xie Wanyi was dressed in a pink long gown, a fresh, dewy flower tucked into her hair. The outfit didn’t resemble the dignified bearing of a proper young lady from a noble household. Instead, it seemed deliberately showy—like she was trying to attract attention.

“Second Sister?” Xie Lan was somewhat surprised.

The unexpected encounter left him momentarily at a loss.

Yet Xie Wanyi didn’t even look at him. She went straight to Nangong Hai’s side and asked, “Young Master Nangong, did they offend you?”

“Yes. They offended me.”

Only then did Xie Wanyi turn to Xie Yu. Her eyes were cold, as though she were looking at a stranger. “Apologize to Young Master Nangong.”

Of course Xie Yu refused.

“Why should I apologize to him? We didn’t do anything wrong.”

Xie Wanyi narrowed her eyes. She hadn’t expected a mere servant from the marquis’s residence to dare speak to her like that.

In her eyes, what adopted son? A servant was still a servant—lowborn, raised but not properly taught. Did he think wearing fine clothes could change his nature?

Impossible.

A servant would always be a servant, forever unable to lift his head.

“Shi Yi, are you deaf? I said apologize to Young Master Nangong!”

She deliberately called him “Shi Yi,” wanting to remind him that he would always be a servant.

But her scheme was destined to fail.

If this had happened a day earlier, her words might have struck Xie Yu’s heart. But now, with the Eldest Princess as his mother and protector, he was immune—invulnerable to poison and steel alike.

Her words could not hurt him in the slightest.

When Xie Lan heard what Xie Wanyi said, anger surged to his head. Just as he habitually moved to shield Xie Yu behind him, Xie Yu suddenly stopped him and stepped forward instead.

Third Brother, you’ve always protected me before. Now I’ve changed. I’m no longer the useless younger brother who drags you down.

“Miss Xie, perhaps it’s your ears that have a problem. I already said—we did nothing wrong. We won’t apologize.”

Xie Yu’s unyielding tone shocked even Xie Lan, let alone Xie Wanyi.

She frowned in disbelief. “How dare you speak to me like that? I’m the master, and you’re the servant. Do you understand the rules?”

“The one who doesn’t understand the rules is you. Since you’ve already moved out of the marquis’s residence, stop talking about masters and servants. You’re no longer part of that household.”

Xie Yu’s words struck mercilessly at the most painful place in Xie Wanyi’s heart.

Only after being driven out of the Marquis’ residence did she realize how difficult life outside truly was.

The servants who refused to listen to her, the residence several times smaller than the Marquis’ manor—everything seemed to go against her.

Her food, clothing, and daily expenses were incomparable to what she once had. Even when she fell ill, she couldn’t receive timely treatment. Calling a physician to her door cost both time and money—how could it compare to the household doctor at the manor, who was quick and free?

Xie Wanyi’s resentment grew heavier by the day, and her temper worsened accordingly.

Her personal maid, Xiao Luo, was beaten by her several times and eventually fled the side residence altogether.

Xie Wanyi searched for many days but never found her.

As for the maids now serving her, none pleased her. In her eyes, they were ugly, lazy, and incapable of understanding human speech.

But there were few maids in the side residence. She couldn’t possibly go without attendants, so she had no choice but to endure them, pinching her nose in reluctant acceptance.

After brooding in frustration for quite some time, one day she went to a tavern to drink.

By coincidence, she ran into Nangong Hai—the man she had been longing for day and night.

That tavern was the only business owned by Nangong Hai’s family. Because of poor management, it usually had little trade.

Xie Wanyi ordered the most expensive wine in the establishment. After taking a single sip, she saw Nangong Hai standing beside the shopkeeper.

Her heart began to race wildly. It pounded so loudly that she couldn’t even hear what the two men were saying.

Nangong Hai had always been sensitive to gazes. With his handsome face, many young women took the initiative to show him favor.

But he looked down on every one of them.

Girls from ordinary families—their admiration was worthless.

If, however, a noble young lady could be of use to him, he would naturally be willing to draw close.

And at that very moment, Xie Wanyi appeared.

Unfamiliar with the situation of the Mingde Marquis’ residence, Nangong Hai only heard her say that she was the legitimate second young lady of the Mingde Marquis’ household. He immediately took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

After chatting for a while, Nangong Hai saw through the longing in her eyes. He felt secretly pleased with himself, though on the surface he maintained the image of a modest gentleman.

Xie Wanyi’s girlish affections became the rope he used to climb upward.

The two met several times afterward, and their conversations were always pleasant.

During this period, Nangong Hai had someone investigate the Mingde Marquis’ household. If he hadn’t looked into it, he wouldn’t have known—but once he did, he discovered that Xie Wanyi was living alone in a side residence and no longer enjoyed any of the privileges of the main household.

He had always been calculating her dowry in his heart. But now that she had been driven out of the manor, he feared there would be little worth taking.

After that, his attitude toward her grew somewhat colder.

She had mentioned climbing Xiang Mountain several times, but Nangong Hai always refused, claiming he could not take leave from the Imperial Academy.

This time, however, Xie Wanyi said that she had a great surprise for him at Xiang Mountain.

Nangong Hai’s heart stirred slightly. A great surprise? Could it be that her relationship with the Marquis’ household had improved?

With that thought in mind, he went to the appointment on time.

Upon arriving at Xiang Mountain, Xie Wanyi dragged him to worship at several halls. Nangong Hai’s legs went numb from kneeling.

He had never believed in gods or Buddhas. Every step he took and every benefit he gained were the results of his own careful scheming.

If gods and Buddhas were truly useful, everyone in this world would have lived to a hundred years old long ago.

Suppressing his impatience, Nangong Hai accompanied her in kneeling and praying—just to wait for this so-called great surprise.

At last, Xie Wanyi spoke.

“Young Master Nangong, I have a great surprise for you.”

Nangong Hai pretended to be indifferent and asked with a smile, “What surprise?”

Xie Wanyi twisted shyly, then bashfully handed him a fortune slip.

“Yesterday I came to draw a lot. I used our birth dates and received the highest-ranking fortune. The slip says that we are destined to be husband and wife.”

“…”

A great surprise?

This was it?