Chapter Seventy-One: Pingyin Cried

As soon as Lu Yun pushed open the door to their home, he saw his sister sitting alone in the courtyard, lips pressed together, staring blankly into the distance with an expressionless face.

“Sister?” Lu Yun approached her cautiously, anxiety in his voice. “Sister, did something happen?”

“You’re back, Ah Yun?” Lu Ying turned her head to look at her younger brother. In a low voice, she said, “In a while, we may have to leave Hanyang.”

“Leave Hanyang? Why?” Lu Yun’s eyes widened. He was studying at the academy now, his teacher valued him, and he’d made friends among his classmates. Even the trouble with the Ping family hadn’t made his sister flinch—why suddenly talk of leaving?

Besides, leaving wasn’t a simple matter; without a recommendation, he couldn’t just enroll in another school. Even finding a place to live would be a major problem.

Faced with her brother’s bewildered gaze, Lu Ying pondered for a moment before speaking. “Today in the marketplace, did you notice I disappeared?”

“Sister, didn’t you go home first?”

“No.” Lu Ying replied, “Do you remember that distinguished gentleman from Yiyuan? He summoned me.”

“What?” Such news would be shocking for any family in Hanyang. Lu Yun stared at his sister in disbelief for a long moment before croaking, “Sister, will he give you a proper place in his household?”

As he spoke, anger suddenly welled up in him. “Sister, you’re so good—he’ll give you a proper place, won’t he? Bah! If he doesn’t, I’ll risk my life against him!”

“What nonsense is that?” Lu Ying couldn’t help but laugh. She shook her head. “He hasn’t done anything to me.”

After a pause, Lu Ying recounted the events at Yiyuan, then frowned. “But I do sense he’s interested in me. I’m afraid he might eventually want to keep me by his side.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll dress as a man. Once we reach Chengdu, where no one knows us, I’ll simply tell everyone that you and I are brothers—you have no sister.”

Lu Ying took a sip of tea, her voice low and cold. “I must arrange my life myself. So don’t worry, Ah Yun—I will never become his servant or his concubine.”

With that, Lu Ying lifted her head to look at her brother.

Meeting his sister’s resolute, dark eyes, Lu Yun believed her completely. He grinned with delight. “That’s good! Heehee, when you find someone you like, you can always switch back to women’s clothes.”

Lu Ying was speechless, but Lu Yun wasn’t laughing; he looked at her earnestly and said with simple conviction, “I just know you’ll always find a way, Sister. No one can force you to do anything you don’t want.”

Since when had this boy trusted her so much? Lu Ying almost laughed out loud.

Still, after Lu Yun’s words, Lu Ying’s heart felt lighter. For now, she only vaguely sensed that if the nobleman left Hanyang, he might take the siblings with him, but that was a matter for the future. When the time came, she’d find a way. In any case, if she were ever forced to become that man’s concubine, she’d rather spend her whole life in men’s clothes, living as a man.

Nothing in life is more sorrowful than to have one’s fate controlled by another. Truth be told, deep down she felt a certain dread about a future of marriage and childbearing. She had no desire for her life to be dictated by some man, or his family, or his mother.

After having this talk with her brother, Lu Ying’s mood improved greatly. She changed into a fresh set of clothes and went out, basket in hand.

She had just arrived at the marketplace when a familiar voice sounded behind her, “Ah Ying!”

Lu Ying turned.

Standing before her was Ping Yin, looking utterly haggard. Though she was still dressed in finery and her makeup was flawless, no amount of powder could conceal the pallor of her face.

Lu Ying glanced behind her. Ping Yin hadn’t arrived by donkey cart. The Ping family couldn’t have fallen so far, could they? Where was her carriage?

In Lu Ying’s silence, Ping Yin walked up to her.

She stopped, pouting, glaring at Lu Ying with a mixture of grievance and resentment.

So much had happened; everyone around her was upset, yet this Ah Ying seemed as spirited as ever, even more beautiful than the last time they met.

Lu Ying, in the midst of adolescence, was rapidly blossoming—becoming ever more lovely with each passing day.

After glaring at Lu Ying for a while, Ping Yin was suddenly overcome by a nameless discomfort. Holding back tears, she turned her head and said, “You must be pleased with yourself now, aren’t you?”

Pleased? What had happened for her to feel pleased?

Lu Ying eyed Ping Yin suspiciously, her gaze lingering on that pointed chin, the baby fat gone from her cheeks. A thought struck Lu Ying, and she suddenly spoke: “Ah Yin, does the Zeng family want to break off the engagement again?”

At these words, Ping Yin’s face changed dramatically. She whipped around to stare at Lu Ying, shrieking, “You knew! You wretched jinx! You wicked woman!”

She had barely begun her tirade when her wrist was suddenly seized, and Lu Ying dragged her into a nearby alley.

Ping Yin was about to struggle when Lu Ying’s cold voice cut her off, “Do you enjoy being the center of gossip?”

That one sentence sobered Ping Yin. Glancing around, she saw several people watching, so she gritted her teeth and followed Lu Ying into a quiet corner.

Once inside, Lu Ying released her hand and frowned. “Is the Zeng family planning to move to Chengdu?”

“How do you know?” Ping Yin blurted out, startled.

Lu Ying let out a cold laugh. “Zeng Changzhi broke off his engagement with me, and now he’s breaking it off with you. If he stays in Hanyang, who would still marry him?”

It seemed the Zeng patriarch had already established himself in Chengdu, so their move was understandable. Besides, unless Zeng Changzhi was nominated as a filial or honest official, no one would go digging into his past. It seemed the Zeng patriarch intended to find a more advantageous marriage for his son in Chengdu.

Having figured this out, Lu Ying looked up.

She took in Ping Yin’s pallor, thin as a slip of paper, so different from the lovely, lively girl she’d once been—now utterly drained and despairing. Lu Ying suddenly chuckled, “Ah Yin, do you regret it now?”

The perfect husband she’d schemed so hard to steal, regardless of the means, turned out to be such a man…

At those words, Ping Yin jerked her head up to look at Lu Ying. First, she glared with hatred, but soon a wave of inexpressible grief swept over her.

Slowly, Ping Yin crouched down, clutching her head. Just as Lu Ying was about to question her, Ping Yin began to weep.

She hugged her head, crying without end. Even in her sorrow, she remembered people might pass by, so she forced herself to muffle her sobs.

Hearing such heartbreaking weeping, Lu Ying was momentarily stunned. When the sobs finally subsided a little, Lu Ying frowned, impatience in her voice. “Ah Yin, did you just come to cry in front of me?”

At this, Ping Yin’s sobs grew louder.

As Lu Ying’s patience wore thin, Ping Yin choked out, “I don’t know, I just wanted to see you. Ah Ying, I know I was wrong. You grew up with him, he obviously liked you, but he looked down on you for being poor. I should have realized then that he couldn’t be relied on. But I was blind, stubbornly thinking I was better than you, that he’d choose me over you.”

Sniffling, Ping Yin’s words were slurred but her thoughts were clear. Tears dripped onto the ground, her petite form curled up like an abandoned kitten—pitiful beyond words.

Lu Ying watched her with a blank face.

Ping Yin herself didn’t know why, but after learning of the Zeng family’s intent to break off the engagement, after a bout of bitter weeping, the first person she wanted to see was Lu Ying.

Perhaps, in the end, snatching what wasn’t hers had left her with a guilty conscience. Maybe this was her chance to confide in the cousin who once treated her as a sister, then became her enemy—things she couldn’t say to anyone else.

Ping Yin was still sobbing, still speaking. “Ah Ying, tell me what to do, will you? How did you manage to let him go, to treat him as a stranger, instead of being filled with such hatred… this hatred…”

Because of that man, her reputation was ruined, and now she couldn’t even marry him.

He didn’t want her. What was she to do? What was she to do?

All morning, Ping Yin had wandered like a ghost, thoughts of death filling her mind. She didn’t know what else she could do—she had nothing left, nothing at all!

It was at this point that she remembered Lu Ying. She remembered how Lu Ying had faced the same predicament, yet somehow had been so free and unaffected.

So she had come. She just wanted to ask Lu Ying what she should do.

Listening to Ping Yin’s incoherent words, Lu Ying gradually understood her meaning.

She almost felt like laughing.

Lu Ying curled her lips in a cold smile. “What’s there to be so upset about? Just as you said, if he could abandon me for being poor, he can just as easily abandon you when your family falls on hard times. Ah Yin, there’s no need for regret. I doubt there are many men in the world worse than Zeng Changzhi. I’m sure your future husband will be better.”

She paused, then shook her head with a look of pity. “Honestly, women are so foolish! They fixate on the tiniest things, on this one man before them. Even when together, it’s only ever like this; even knowing full well he’s no better than this, they just can’t let go. They stubbornly believe that losing him means losing everything. Ridiculous! To cling so blindly to a small patch of sky, refusing to even glance at the world beyond—what a depressing way to live! Truly pitiful!”

Lu Ying was not a gentle soul. Having said this, she had no more patience for Ping Yin and her tears. She tossed out, “Pitiful, truly pitiful,” then shook her sleeves and turned to leave. Whether Ping Yin continued to cry, whether anyone saw her, how she’d return home with a swollen face—none of this concerned her.

All she knew was that she would never, in this lifetime, sink to the point of needing anyone’s pity or sympathy.