Su Jingxue's gaze flickered.
As a defenseless woman, she was undoubtedly fortunate.
She had been born into a scholarly family.
Her grandfather was the Grand Tutor, her father the chief minister, and her mother the legitimate daughter of a marquis.
Her uncle by marriage was the Prince of Zhennan.
Her younger brother was the vice minister of war, and her younger cousin was the esteemed Prince Yu.
Her family did not bind her with parents' commands or matchmakers' arrangements. Her marriage was entirely hers to decide.
She was free, with no need for restraint and no cares weighing on her.
In the blink of an eye, she was already twenty-three.
Women her age in Capital City already had two or three children.
She was beginning to feel anxious, but she still refused to compromise.
Because she had yet to meet the person she wanted to spend her life with.
She had always believed that such a person existed.
Someone who would share a lifetime with her alone, just like her parents and her aunt and uncle.
Until then, she feared no gossip.
As she watched Second Uncle Xiao storm off in a fury, slamming the door behind him, a trace of worry crossed her eyes.
She turned to Xiao Yu and said, "Qi'an, isn't it a little unwise to offend your second uncle like this...?"
After all, he was his second uncle, his... elder.
Xiao Yu calmly took a sip of tea and replied, "Sister Jingxue, you needn't worry. Second Uncle knows he's in the wrong, so his embarrassment turned to anger. I'm not being unreasonable, either. Why should I fear anything he says?"
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.
A hint of uncertainty entered his voice. "Sister Jingxue, you don't... have feelings for Xiao Wenjun, do you?"
*In my