Wang Qingchen glanced at the commotion outside the door, then at the person knocking, recognizing the visitor as the Second Miss he had seen yesterday at the Xia residence—Xia Wentao’s full sister. Connecting this with what Xia Wentao had mentioned earlier that day, Wang Qingchen quickly grasped the likely intent behind the Second Miss’s visit.

Seeing the crowd craning their necks outside, eager for a spectacle, Wang Qingchen decided this wasn't the place for a proper discussion. He didn't press for details, simply stating, "If you have something to say, please come in."

Wang Qingchen’s words immediately cut off what Xia Wanting had intended to say. She had been prepared to strike first, perhaps by shouting something like, "Where is Wang Qingchen? Tell him to come out!" to establish dominance. Instead, this preemptive move completely deflated her initial momentum. She could only sulkily follow Wang Qingchen inside.

As Xia Wanting entered, her personal maid naturally followed. The other servants accompanying her remained outside the door.

Xia Wanting followed Wang Qingchen sullenly until he invited her to take a seat and personally poured her tea. Only then did she recall the purpose of her visit. Refusing the tea Wang Qingchen offered, she asked stiffly, "Is there a person named Wang Qingchen living here?"

Since Xia Wanting had been direct, Wang Qingchen didn't conceal anything. "I am. You are looking for me because..."

Xia Wanting’s face registered shock. "So, you are Wang Qingchen?"

When Wang Qingchen had first opened the door, Xia Wanting had been too preoccupied with her anger to properly examine his appearance. Now that she knew this was the man, she stared, scrutinizing him critically. He’s nothing special, she thought, and yet he dares to look down on me? It’s infuriating! But wait, didn't his face look a bit familiar? Xia Wanting didn't dwell on the resemblance for long; after all, plenty of people looked alike. It was probably just that Wang Qingchen resembled someone she knew. Regardless, she had important questions to put to him now.

Xia Wanting paused, then declared, "Hmph. I’ve already heard what you said from my brother. Let me tell you, don't think I'm desperate to marry you. Even if you agreed, I wouldn't consent to marrying you. Someone like you is beneath my notice!"

Xia Wanting had initially intended to charge forward and demand to know exactly what he found fault with in her. But on second thought, doing so would make it seem like she desperately wanted the marriage. That would mean losing the upper hand in spirit. So, she made a last-minute decision: declare first that she had no desire to marry him. That way, regardless of today’s outcome, she wouldn't lose face when discussing the matter later—after all, she never wanted to marry him anyway!

Meanwhile, Wang Qingchen’s attention was no longer on Xia Wanting’s words, but on her mannerisms. Why does the way this Xia family Second Miss speaks seem so familiar? Because he was preoccupied with this question, he didn't answer her immediately, merely staring at her blankly.

Xia Wanting finished her tirade, feeling that she had regained some ground in the confrontation. She was expecting Wang Qingchen to apologize or perhaps show some deference. Instead, she found him completely ignoring her words, looking absentminded. This made Xia Wanting even angrier.

Xia Wanting pointed at him, exasperated. "Are you even listening to me?"

Looking at the indignant Xia Wanting, Wang Qingchen finally remembered where he had seen her before. It was that young woman he encountered in the county town! He had seen her once at the foot of the Lingjue Temple mountain, and again in a shop in the town. He recalled she had glared at him angrily then, too. No wonder she looked familiar! But now wasn't the time for reminiscing; the young lady was clearly furious!

"My apologies, my apologies. Something just suddenly occurred to me," Wang Qingchen said quickly.

"Hmph!" Xia Wanting shot him a glare upon hearing that.

Wang Qingchen sheepishly ran a hand over his head, then chose his words carefully. "I think you might have misunderstood. Things are not as you imagine them to be."

Wang Qingchen said this because he suspected Xia Wanting had jumped to the wrong conclusion, leading to her furious confrontation.

"Not as I imagine? Then how are they? You don't need to argue; you must think that since my reputation is tarnished now, anyone can look down on me, right? Let me tell you, even if my reputation is ruined, I am not someone you people can slander. No matter what you think of me, I can stand tall and declare, with a clear conscience, that I have done nothing wrong!" Xia Wanting stated firmly.

Looking at Xia Wanting, Wang Qingchen suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her. Although Wang Qingchen hadn't thought her reputation was poor or her character flawed as she claimed, hearing her say those words herself suggested the immense anguish she endured daily—constantly worrying if someone was slandering her, if people misunderstood her, or how many people truly stood by her side. If she didn't think about these things constantly, she wouldn't have let such words slip out so easily.

With that realization, Wang Qingchen sighed, softening his tone. "You have truly misunderstood. Things are not as you think. I did not think that way. While I know a little about your situation, I never considered it your fault, nor do I think your character is lacking in any way. The reason I didn't agree with your brother is that marriage was not in my plans—or rather, I never envisioned marrying into a prominent family like yours, the Xia household. Do you understand?"

Xia Wanting heard little of the rest. Her mind was consumed by the fact that Wang Qingchen did not look down on her, nor did he think her character flawed. In truth, Wang Qingchen was the first outsider who had affirmed her this way, and that was surprise enough for her. She asked tentatively, "You... you really think that? You didn't look down on me because of my reputation?"

Seeing the hopeful look in Xia Wanting’s eyes, Wang Qingchen nodded firmly. "Yes. After all, those things weren't your fault; they were injustices imposed upon you by others."

The tension in Xia Wanting’s chest finally dissipated. She forgot all about maintaining her forceful demeanor. All that remained was a surge of feeling wronged, mixed with the joy of being understood. With these emotions washing over her, any hint of an aggressive posture vanished, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Wang Qingchen had hoped that his explanation would satisfy Xia Wanting, leading her to leave contentedly. Instead, his explanation had overshot the mark of satisfaction and propelled her straight into being deeply moved. Wang Qingchen was left dumbfounded. Surely my words couldn't have that much power? When did I discover I possessed such a formidable talent?

Perhaps it wasn't the sheer emotional force of Wang Qingchen's words, but rather that they had chipped away a small, vulnerable section in the strong fortress Xia Wanting had built around her heart. It was just that tiny fissure, but it provided an exit for the accumulated negative emotions that had been building up for so long. These emotions found release, and the direct manifestation of that release was tears.

Thus, Xia Wanting, who had arrived prepared to aggressively confront someone, was now weeping without a shred of former assertiveness. Standing beside her were a bewildered Wang Qingchen and a maidservant trying to offer awkward, disjointed words of comfort. Even Zhao Cheng, who came out after hearing the commotion, was utterly confused by the scene. Did I just read a book for a while? Why does it feel like an eternity of events has transpired since I last looked up?

The tableau—combined with the maid’s attempts to console her, saying things like, "Miss, please don't be angry. Why waste your health being upset over someone like him? With your standing, what sort of fine husband can't you find? We’ll go back and have the Eldest Young Master and Madam demand justice for you..."—sounded exactly like a description of a young mistress who had been abandoned after an affair!

As Zhao Cheng listened, his gaze toward Wang Qingchen became intensely strange. Wang Qingchen, meanwhile, had no idea how to explain the situation. If he told the truth, it would harm Xia Wanting’s reputation. But if he stayed silent, this bizarre scene would continue to unfold.

Wang Qingchen felt a headache throbbing. Fortunately, Xia Wanting recovered from her crying fit quickly. But just as she stopped weeping, she uttered words that gave Wang Qingchen an even worse headache: "Since you don't look down on me, why won't you marry me? You're not deceiving me, are you?"

As soon as Xia Wanting finished speaking, before Wang Qingchen could react, Zhao Cheng did. Zhao Cheng nearly tripped over his own feet. He must have been thoroughly engrossed in his reading, he thought, because how else could he have heard such a thing? When did Qingchen get to the point of being married? It seemed normal just before I started reading; how could everything have changed so much in this short while?

Zhao Cheng’s shock was understandable, but Wang Qingchen was no better off. He simply froze, wondering if he had misheard.

Just as Wang Qingchen was doubting his own hearing, he saw Xia Wanting gathering herself, looking on the verge of tears again. Shaking off his disbelief, he immediately started formulating a response, desperately searching for a way to answer Xia Wanting that was both dignified and spared her feelings.