Chapter 129: Please Conduct Yourself with More Propriety

"If you do not marry me soon, my father will truly send me to the palace for the imperial selection. Brother Rui, you know that I have always loved you."

Fu Yan finally revealed the reason for her visit, a matter that had been troubling her deeply of late. Her father was insistent that she participate in the selection in hopes of becoming an imperial consort, but the only person she truly cared for was Li Rui.

With the selection process imminent, she believed that marrying Li Rui beforehand would resolve all her troubles. It was the most "perfect" solution she could conceive—though, in all likelihood, it was a sentiment shared by her alone.

Bearing her heart, Fu Yan had come today to confess her feelings to Li Rui. Though she felt embarrassed and shy, she was willing to risk everything for the sake of her lifelong happiness.

"I am sorry, but I have no such intentions toward you. The imperial selection would be a great honor for both you and your family." Although Li Rui found the situation absurd, he remained composed, refusing her outright and even encouraging her to participate in the selection.

He found her words preposterous. He had not expected a young lady like Fu Yan to be so bold, appearing out of nowhere to demand that he marry her. Furthermore, as he had no interest in her, her participation in the selection would be mutually beneficial. However, her reaction to his refusal left her utterly devastated; the reality stood in stark contrast to her hopes.

She had secretly nurtured the belief that Li Rui might still hold some affection for her, but his insistence that she go to the palace left her heartbroken. After a long, stunned silence, she choked out a question:

"Is it because of her that you will not choose me? Is it?"

Li Rui remained silent, unwilling to answer. To him, the matter had nothing to do with her, and he saw no reason to explain himself.

Seeing his silence, Fu Yan felt an even sharper pain. The man she had chased for years was blind to her devotion, and now he favored some lowly maid who had appeared from nowhere. She asked herself what Zhang Xiaolan could possibly have that she lacked, and why Li Rui would be so enamored with her. Filled with anger, she sharply interrogated him.

"Brother Rui, why would you rather choose a lowly maid than me?"

At that moment, Fu Yan was convinced that her rejection was entirely due to the arrival of Zhang Xiaolan, which had extinguished any hope or opportunity she might have had.

"Miss Fu, please conduct yourself with some decorum."

Seeing that Fu Yan continued to speak in such hurtful terms, labeling Zhang Xiaolan a lowly maid, Li Rui grew angry and reprimanded her sternly. Her words were deeply displeasing to him.

"You ask me to conduct myself with decorum? She is nothing but a lowly maid, yet you defend her so fiercely, Brother Rui!"

Seeing Li Rui repeatedly protect Zhang Xiaolan only fueled Fu Yan’s shame, anger, and jealousy. She could not believe that he would defend her like this and even shout at her; it left her feeling aggrieved and wounded. How could she, the daughter of the Minister of Rites and the granddaughter of the current Left Chancellor, be inferior to a mere maid in Li Rui’s heart?

"I have said it before: she is not a lowly maid."

Li Rui looked at her with icy eyes, repeating his declaration with solemn, gritted teeth. He had already shown her considerable restraint and patience, but her repeated slander of Zhang Xiaolan had exhausted his tolerance. If not for the sake of her family’s status, he would have already cast her out of his estate rather than allow her to continue her unreasonable pestering.