Fiancé?!
Madam Zhou’s eyes widened as if she’d seen a ghost.
“Who came?” she asked again.
“One is the fourth young master of the Cheng family, and the other claims to be Madam Cheng’s fiancé…” the maid repeated.
Madam Zhou remained kneeling, momentarily dazed.
A real fiancé?
“Someone actually wants that kind of girl?” she muttered.
She used to be a fool, and now she’s a bringer of misfortune—what kind of man would want to marry her?
“Why marry someone like her?” Master Zhou gave a cold snort. “Of course, to enjoy wealth and status! Our Jiao Jiao—do you know what kind of person she is?”
What kind of person?
Anyone who stood in her way or displeased her would end up dead, disgraced, or have their entire household wiped out…
Look at her—born mentally challenged, she arrived in the capital all on her own, yet in just a short time, she already had three prosperous and renowned shops in one hand and seven or eight lives in the other.
She used ruthless, thunderous methods, yet presented herself to the world as a benevolent savior with the heart of a Bodhisattva.
The former, brutal part wasn’t so surprising—after all, the world is full of wicked people. What was shocking was that she committed such acts yet still earned a saintly reputation.
Terrifying…
Madam Zhou pressed a hand to her chest and murmured under her breath.
“What wealth in this world falls from the sky for free? Which one doesn’t look terrifying when you peel back the surface? How is it that the older you get, the more muddled your thinking becomes?” Master Zhou glared as he spoke, then turned to the maid. “Just the two of them?”
“Yes, just the two,” the maid replied.
Master Zhou frowned thoughtfully.
“My lord, is it really true?” Madam Zhou asked, noticing his expression.
“Actually, before I rushed back, the Cheng family did mention a marriage proposal. I was planning to investigate it thoroughly, but then I received your letter and came back in a hurry,” Master Zhou said.
Investigate thoroughly?
Madam Zhou looked at her husband and instantly grasped the real meaning behind his words—all the meanings except the literal one.
“I didn’t expect the Cheng family to make such a decision on their own!” Master Zhou said angrily. “Do they not regard me, their maternal uncle, at all?”
“Then just deny it. Send them away,” Madam Zhou said. “Better that than upsetting Jiao Jiao.”
If she got upset and blamed the Cheng family, that was one thing—but if she turned her anger on their family, it would be a real disaster.
“Father.”
Zhou Liu-lang stepped in from outside.
“Since they had the nerve to show up, they must feel confident. If we drive them away and they spread rumors, it won’t be good for her.”
“Then it’s the Cheng family who’s harming her, not us,” Madam Zhou replied.
“Mother,” Zhou Liu-lang knelt and said, “Even if the Cheng family treated her poorly, they are still her blood relatives. A child does not speak ill of their parents—what could she possibly do?”
Madam Zhou let out a laugh.
“What could she do? She’s more than capable—does she even need us to worry about her…”
Before she could finish, Master Zhou cut her off.
“Invite them in,” he said, sitting up straight.
“My lord!” Madam Zhou exclaimed, confused.
“She’s not alone—she still has elders. Things like this, a child can’t speak of, but we can step in,” Master Zhou said firmly.
“Even if we didn’t, she could handle it just fine,” Madam Zhou muttered under her breath.
“Exactly.” Master Zhou shot her a look.
If you could put on a show of taking the moral high ground, gain all the credit, and lose nothing—why not do it?
Women are foolish.
Of course, not all women.
There was his unassuming, quiet little niece—she certainly wasn’t foolish.
“Invite them in,” Master Zhou said, raising his hand.
“This place is pretty nicely set up,” Wang Shi’qi-lang said as he walked, glancing around.
“Doesn’t look like they’re short on money either, so why all the fuss over a few pieces of dowry?”
The servants leading the way shot him sidelong looks, their expressions darkening.
Cheng Si-lang’s face flushed red. He glared at Wang and said in a low voice,
“Mind your words.”
As he spoke, he sensed someone watching them, and shifted his gaze slightly to the side.
Off to the side path stood two young men—
one tall and elegant, gentle as jade;
the other with a commanding, heroic presence.
Cheng Si-lang couldn’t help but look twice. The two youths were watching them as well—they must be sons of the Zhou family, he thought.
The thought passed in a flash, and he continued walking inward, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that those watchful eyes lingered long behind him.
“Which one is it?” Qin Shi’san-lang asked as he withdrew his gaze.
Zhou Liu-lang shook his head.
Though he had been to the Cheng household before, he’d never spent time with the Cheng sons and naturally didn’t recognize them.
“Does it even matter which one it is?” he said.
What was the point of asking? Who cared whether it was her brother or her so-called fiancé—just because they claimed to be, did that make it true?
Besides, no matter which one it was, they were both ugly!
With that, he lifted his foot and started walking. Qin Shi’san-lang hurried to catch up.
“You should go home,” Zhou Liu-lang said as they reached the gate.
“Why?” Qin Shi’san-lang asked with a grin.
“Zhou Liu, I was the one who reminded you, wasn’t I? You finally found an excuse to see her, and now you’re ditching me?”
“Because this is a family matter,” Zhou Liu-lang said, giving him a look and putting deliberate emphasis on the word “family.”
Before Qin Shi’san-lang could reply, he spurred his horse and rode off at full speed.
Meanwhile, Cheng Si-lang and Wang Shi’qi-lang had already stepped into the main hall. After performing the proper courtesies and greetings, they finally took their seats.
“Uncle,” Cheng Si-lang began, introducing himself, “I’m the fourth son of the Cheng family. Second Master Cheng is my uncle.”
“Uncle-in-law, I’m Wang Shi’qi of the Wang family,” Wang Shi’qi-lang followed with a grin. “Second Master Cheng is my father-in-law.”
Pfft! Master Zhou spit out his tea.
“Don’t go calling people that! What nonsense!” he scolded, setting down his teacup and glaring at the young man in front of him. “Who told you to call me ‘uncle-in-law’?”
Wang Shi’qi-lang just smiled.
“Uncle-in-law, you know who I am,” he said. “Before you left Jiang-zhou, didn’t you already agree? I’m the nephew of the Cheng family’s First Madam—her maternal nephew.”
“Agree to what? I had urgent matters at home and said we’d discuss it later—how does that count as settled? Absolutely not. This engagement doesn’t stand,” Master Zhou said sternly.
Wang Shi’qi-lang chuckled.
“Uncle-in-law, my father-in-law said you’re worried our family is after Jiao-niang’s dowry. Don’t worry, we don’t care about that. We don’t want any dowry,” he said.
“She comes with me, the dowry stays with you. Happy now?”
“We don’t want her dowry either,” Madam Zhou quickly added, a hint of fear on her face. “Whoever wants it can take it.”
Wang Shi’qi was a little surprised.
Hadn’t his mother and aunt said that the Zhou family was greedy and fixated on that old dowry?
“But that dowry’s worth a lot, isn’t it?” he couldn’t help saying.
Worth a lot? Could it possibly be worth more than a life?
Foolish child!
Madam Zhou and Master Zhou looked at him and shook their heads.
Where on earth did the Cheng family find such a dim-witted boy?
At that moment, Zhou Liu-lang also stepped up to the Yudai Bridge. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock on the gate.
A servant peered out through the crack.
“You again!”
“What are you doing here?”
Voices came from inside the courtyard—both a servant and that noisy maid questioning him.
The young girl sitting beneath the veranda looked over with a blank expression.
Everything was just as it had been.
“Someone from the Cheng family is here,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
“Who?” the maid asked in surprise.
“One of your brothers,” Zhou Liu-lang replied, looking at Cheng Jiao-niang, “and… your fiancé.”
Ban Qin, who had just come in with a tray of tea, nearly dropped it on the floor.
“Fiancé?!” the maid exclaimed, turning to look at Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s expression remained unchanged.
“Is that so?” she said with a slight smile. “Invite them in. I’ll meet them.”
Zhou Liu-lang was taken aback.
The maid and Ban Qin were both stunned as well.
“You want to see him?” Zhou Liu-lang asked, stepping forward.
“My fiancé? Of course I want to see him,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, as if his question were the strange one.
Zhou Liu-lang looked at her.
Is it true?
You’re going to handle this on your own?
But you don’t have to—we can just send them away.
Why do you want to meet him?
What good could the Cheng family possibly bring?
If you want, there are plenty of good men you could choose instead…
At the very least, Qin Shi’san would be no problem.
If you want to marry him and he refuses, I won’t let him off easily.
Then again, he might not refuse. Maybe he’s more than willing…
You say nothing, you say nothing—if you don’t speak up, how will anyone know what you intend to do?
Zhou Liu-lang stared at her, his heart in turmoil, his expression shifting as he clenched his fist.
“Fine,” he finally said, turning sharply and striding away.
Whatever you decide, I’ll let it be.
