Chapter 1013: then the translated title, then ===GLOSSARY=== then list of named entities appearing in these lines, using exact English

Qiu Yuanchang stopped before the study in the southeast of the garden, respectfully saying: "Fifth Miss! Young Master Hu has arrived!"

A gentle, water-like voice came from inside, saying: "Uncle Chang, you've worked hard; please come in, Young Master Hu."

Hearing this voice, Hu Xiaotian felt as if a summer spring's clear water were trickling into his heart; the voice was extremely pleasant, and judging solely by the sound, Li Wuyou should not be the hideously ugly legend.

Seeing Hu Xiaotian still standing motionless, Qiu Yuanchang softly urged: "Young Master, please come in."

Hu Xiaotian then came to his senses, smiled embarrassedly, stepped into the study, only to see a petite figure with her back to him sitting by the window; the morning light outside outlined her slender silhouette.

Li Wuyou wore a white long dress, sat quietly in her wheelchair, her luxuriant black hair flowing like a waterfall down her back, bound only by a blue ribbon; her attire was simple and unadorned, yet it gave an impression of transcendent elegance.

Li Wuyou turned her wheelchair slowly to face him; her features were delicate, though not stunningly beautiful, she was still pleasing to the eye, but her complexion was overly pallid, likely from long indoor life lacking sunlight, her lips also slightly pale; her eyes were large and the most lively part of her face, Li Wuyou blinked her eyes and silently observed Hu Xiaotian opposite.

Hu Xiaotian also gazed at Li Wuyou, putting on a friendly smile: "Miss Li, I am Hu Xiaotian."

Li Wuyou's lips curved into an elegant arc, her pretty face instantly brightened; her large eyes seemed to speak, she blinked and gently nodded, saying: "I've long heard of your name, but today is the first time I've seen you." She was poised and unconstrained, lacking the usual shyness and reserve of a young lady.

Hu Xiaotian instinctively sensed that this girl before him was unlike others, yet he did not know her true purpose in seeking him—whether merely to satisfy curiosity or to demand redress for his unilateral tearing of the marriage pact, to scold him a few sentences and vent his anger—but however he looked at Li Wuyou, she did not seem that sort of person.

Li Wuyou said: "Our families have always been close friends; may I call you Elder Brother Hu?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and smiled: "Of course."

Li Wuyou said: "I previously examined your birth characters; you are one month older than I."

Hu Xiaotian felt secretly ashamed; Li Wuyou's knowledge of his birth characters must stem from their earlier engagement when they exchanged birth characters. Yet he had never paid attention to this former fiancée. Actually Hu Xiaotian had originally felt blameless, but seeing Li Wuyou so frail and disabled, he could not help but feel pity, and he whispered: "Miss Li, what business do you have with me?"

Li Wuyou said: "I'll call you Elder Brother Hu, and you may call me by my name; I asked you to come over for no great matter—I simply wanted to see what you are really like." She blinked her eyes and added: "Elder Brother Hu, you won't mind, will you?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "What's there to mind? Actually I also very much wanted to see you."

Li Wuyou said: "Your words are quite insincere; if you truly felt that way, why didn't you come to pay a visit when you were serving as an official in Qingyun?"

Hu Xiaotian, exposed face-to-face, felt somewhat embarrassed; he coughed once to cover up, inwardly sighing that Li Wuyou was not simple, and his lies could not fool her.

Li Wuyou said: "Elder Brother Hu need not mind; I have seen little of the world, usually only interacting with family, and rarely with outsiders, so I do not understand worldly affairs, and I speak without beating around the bush."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "That's best."

Li Wuyou said: "Actually I have never thought of marrying!"

Hu Xiaotian's scalp tightened; he finally brought up the matter of their marriage pact. Since the young lady had raised it, he ought to listen quietly; Hu Xiaotian had already steeled himself mentally, and even if Li Wuyou uttered a few complaints, he would listen—after all, he could not treat a paralyzed weak woman as an equal.

Li Wuyou said: "When I first heard of this marriage arrangement, I heard you were an idiot."

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but smile; this young lady was indeed frank, speaking her mind directly. He nodded and said: "Indeed I was foolish for many years, but then one day I suddenly became enlightened."

Li Wuyou smiled gently: "That's probably just outside gossip; you are sharper than many people."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I cannot compare to Miss Li's ice‑snow cleverness and graceful, orchid‑like heart."

Li Wuyou smiled lightly: "You praise me to such perfection; why then did you tear up the marriage pact initially?"

Hu Xiaotian was left speechless by her remark; sometimes being blunt makes it harder to answer.

Li Wuyou shook her head: "Elder Brother Hu, you are not at all candid."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "After long years in the court, I've become accustomed to saying what people want to hear and what ghosts want to hear, so I speak the truth less often; Miss Li, please don't take offense."

Li Wuyou said: "Elder Brother Hu, I sought you out not to cause you trouble, but simply to see you."

Hu Xiaotian said: "The reason I tore up the marriage pact was not because I disliked Miss Li, but because circumstances forced me; I had no choice but to sever ties with the Li family, otherwise my Hu clan would face utter ruin."

Li Wuyou said: "I know; actually I never thought of marrying, and anyone I married would be burdened by my condition. Our two families' marriage was entirely our parents' idea, each with their own aims. I have always wanted to see you, to tell you face‑to‑face that I could never marry you, but I never expected you to beat me to it."

Hu Xiaotian laughed at Li Wuyou's words; Li Wuyou was indeed as Uncle Chang said—pure and kind, without ulterior motive, speaking her mind plainly—and Hu Xiaotian felt affection for this good girl, smiling: "If you are angry about that, you may as well scold me or hit me to vent."

Li Wuyou laughed: "I'm not angry; I just feel a bit strange, and I'm even more curious about what you're like—I've finally seen you today."

Hu Xiaotian said: "How do you feel?"

Li Wuyou said: "Very ordinary, very affable, like the elder brother next door."

Hu Xiaotian found her evaluation both laughable and vexing—was she praising me or insulting me? When did I become so ordinary? I am clearly a handsome, graceful young man! This little lady, never leaving her home, lacks experience; she doesn't know that handsome men are judged by comparison, and my charm must be measured against others to stand out; her self‑assessment has always been high.

Li Wuyou said: "Seeing you also fulfills a long‑held wish of mine these past years."

Hu Xiaotian saw that it was already late; his main purpose today was to congratulate Grand Marshal Li Tianheng on his birthday, so he bade Li Wuyou farewell: "Miss Li, I still have to go congratulate the Grand Marshal; I'll take my leave first."

Li Wuyou nodded: "Go ahead, just don't delay your proper business."

Hu Xiaotian left the study, and under Uncle Chang's guidance returned to the main banquet hall; by then most important guests had arrived, and Liang Yinghao, seeing Hu Xiaotian return, hurried over, concerned: "How was it?"

Hu Xiaotian glanced around, then whispered: "We'll talk later!"

In the distance rang a girlish giggle—it was Prince Yan Xue Shengjing of Da Yong and Princess Xue Lingjun arriving together. Hu Xiaotian did not rush over to chat, because he saw Li Honghan personally go out to greet them and escort them to their seats.

Xue Lingjun's beautiful eyes glanced over here unintentionally, landing on Hu Xiaotian's face; the corner of her mouth curled with a hint of alluring smile, suggesting she had fully recovered her composure. Although Hu Xiaotian was full of doubts about what happened yesterday, it was not convenient for him to go over and ask then.

From behind came a familiar voice: "Hu brother!"

Hu Xiaotian turned around, only to see the young prince of Nanyue, Hong Yingtai, also present; he laughed: "Ah, it's Your Highness the Prince!"

Hong Yingtai smiled shyly: "Hu brother, no need for formality—just call me by my name." Although he was the young prince of Nanyue, and Hu Xiaotian was the future consort of Dakang, Nanyue had been a vassal of Da Yong all along, paying tribute year after year; but these years Dakang has swiftly declined, and this former vassal Nanyue has begun to slight Dakang, even refusing Dakang's requests for grain loans—in fact, relations between the two states have sunk to freezing point.

Hu Xiaotian also saw no need for ceremony, recalling that at Zhong Xiang Lou they had learned Hong Yingtai was a year older than him; he smiled: "Elder Brother Yingtai, let's take our seats and talk later."

Their seats happened to be placed together, both receiving top‑guest treatment; opposite them sat a distinguished guest from Da Yong, so Hu Xiaotian and Xue Lingjun faced each other across the distance, their gazes meeting. Hu Xiaotian remained composed; he had thought Xue Lingjun's slighting of him yesterday might leave her somewhat guilty, but meeting her gaze he found her calm and unabashed, showing no trace of remorse.

Amid the crowd's cheers, the birthday celebrant Li Tianheng finally appeared, accompanied not by his wife but by Prince Long Yefang. The venue rang with loud applause, and congratulatory blessings echoed without cease.

Li Tianheng smiled and nodded to the crowd, occasionally returning the salute with clasped hands. Prince Long Yefang also wore a smile; what he truly felt inside, however, remains unknown.

Hu Xiaotian gazed at Long Yefang, and a sigh rose unbidden in his heart—Long Yefang's present plight could be described as worse than death; he had been placed under soft confinement and coerced by Li Tianheng, reduced to a mere pawn for Li Tianheng to leverage Xichuan against Dakang. From the earlier conversation with Li Tianheng, it is clear Li Tianheng could never lead Xichuan back to Dakang; one only wonders whether he will put on a show, perhaps even feigning compliance by nominally accepting Dakang's investiture, in which case Hu Xiaotian could return to report.