Bai Qingyan looked at Dong Shi’s joyful expression and didn’t want to speak of never marrying to upset her, only saying: “I just noticed Second Aunt’s eyes were red and swollen – she must have cried before coming. Second Aunt cares for me because I’m her niece, but I don’t see that Second Aunt would like a daughter-in-law who has difficulties bearing children. My maternal grandmother and uncle mean well for me, but you can’t force a horse to drink water. After all, in the inner quarters, one still has to make a living under the mother-in-law’s authority. Mother, isn’t this the logic?”

Dong Shi remained silent, thinking carefully.

“Mother, maternal grandmother, and uncle treat you and me so well. Do you have the heart to cause discord between the maternal grandmother and her daughter-in-law in her old age over my marriage? Living in this world, marrying isn’t the only path – these were your own words when you comforted me before.”

Those words were all comforting phrases Dong Shi had spoken when her daughter was injured. Unwilling to give up this marriage prospect, she pursed her lips and murmured: “Why don’t we… still meet Yuan’er first? What if… Yuan’er is willing?”

Bai Qingyan didn’t refute Dong Shi.

Mother said that her maternal grandmother had begun planning her marriage to Dong Changyuan when she was injured, but she hadn’t heard of this in her previous life.

Bai Qingyan closed her eyes and thought for a moment, quickly understanding the circumstances.

In her previous life, when maternal grandmother, second uncle, and second aunt came to the capital for the New Year, they had indeed brought legitimate second son Dong Changyuan from Dengzhou. But at that time, it hadn’t been long since Bai Jinxiu’s unexpected death on her wedding day, so presumably maternal grandmother had been too embarrassed to mention her marriage prospects. Later, on New Year’s Eve, news came back that all the Bai family men had perished in Nanjiang…

She knew maternal grandmother loved her dearly, which made her even less willing to let maternal grandmother and second aunt develop grudges over her.

Before the carriage even arrived, gray-haired Old Matriarch Dong was already waiting at the Dong mansion gates with her eldest daughter-in-law Song Shi, four grandsons, and two granddaughters to welcome her daughter and granddaughter.

Old Matriarch Dong wore a chestnut-colored gold-embroidered gray squirrel fur jacket, prayer beads wound around her hands, constantly gazing toward the right side of the main street.

Dong Changyuan stood beside Old Matriarch Dong with hands clasped behind his back, wearing slate blue straight robes with a black jade pendant hanging at his waist. The young gentleman in his prime was quite handsome, though his refined face showed no emotion.

“They’re coming, they’re coming!” a servant woman called out. “I can see Second Master’s carriage!”

Old Matriarch Dong lifted the hem of her jacket with her prayer-bead-wrapped hand and walked forward several steps with daughter-in-law Song Shi’s support.

“Mother, don’t rush – sister Wanjun and A’Bao can’t fly here!” Eldest Madam Song joked with Old Matriarch Dong.

Eldest Madam’s second daughter, Dong Tingzhen, also laughingly supported Old Matriarch Dong: “Grandmother, don’t worry. If you stumble or fall, your aunt and eldest cousin will be concerned!”

Soon, the carriage stopped before the Dong mansion gates. Dong Shi was the first to step down from the carriage. Seeing her gray-haired mother, tears immediately welled up: “Mother!”

“Wanjun!” Old Matriarch Dong’s eyes moistened, and she couldn’t care about anything else, hurrying down the steps.

Chun Tao and Chun Yan, who had been following alongside the carriage, helped Bai Qingyan down. She curtsied in greeting: “Maternal grandmother, eldest aunt!”

“My Wanjun, my A’Bao!” Old Matriarch Dong embraced her daughter with one arm and her granddaughter with the other, tears flowing unstoppably, making Bai Qingyan’s eyes redden as well.

Several male and female cousins all came forward to pay respects, but only Dong Changyuan remained standing on the high steps, gripping the jade pendant at his waist tightly with downcast eyes, unwilling to look at anyone.

Seeing Dong Qingyue by the carriage with a stern expression glaring at Dong Changyuan who stood there motionless, Cui Shi hurriedly called Dong Changyuan’s name. Only then did he reluctantly walk down the high steps with a face full of unwillingness, bowing deeply: “Changyuan pays respects to aunt and elder cousin.”

His gaze didn’t glance in Bai Qingyan’s direction even once.

“Yuan’er has grown so tall! Truly a graceful young gentleman!” Dong Shi wiped her tears with a handkerchief and praised him.

Eldest aunt Song Shi quickly said: “How can we stand here talking outside the mansion gates? A’Bao’s health is poor, and she fears the cold! Mother… let’s bring sister Wanjun and A’Bao inside to talk!”

“Yes, yes! Let’s go inside to talk!” Old Matriarch Dong pulled her daughter’s and granddaughter’s hands as they walked into the mansion, unwilling to let go, her eyes holding only her daughter and granddaughter.

Once inside, Old Matriarch Dong held Bai Qingyan in her arms, showering her with loving endearments, tears never ceasing. The clothes Bai Qingyan had changed into before leaving were soaked with Old Matriarch Dong’s tears.

Dong Changyuan sat on the rearmost stool drinking tea by himself, looking at no one and paying attention to nothing, his indifferent attitude so obvious that even Old Matriarch Dong noticed his resistance, let alone Dong Shi and Bai Qingyan.

While Dong Shi truly worried about her daughter’s lifelong happiness, she also wouldn’t want to marry her daughter to a husband who didn’t hold her in his heart. Looking again at Cui Shi’s dispirited expression – clearly having cried in the carriage – and then at her daughter’s reddened eyes, Dong Shi was unwilling to force matters and planned to discuss with mother later that the marriage should simply be forgotten.

“I haven’t seen Yuan’er for some years – he’s grown into an adult in the blink of an eye.” Dong Shi set down her teacup and smiled as she called Dong Changyuan’s name, then gestured for Tingzhu to bring out the meeting gift for Dong Changyuan.

Only then did Dong Changyuan rise and come forward to bow to Dong Shi.

Old Matriarch Dong held Bai Qingyan in her arms, looking at her talented legitimate second grandson and feeling they were a perfect match made in heaven.

“Last year your grandmother wrote saying you won first place in the provincial examinations and earned the title of jieyuan! Aunt is also happy for you!” Dong Shi signaled for Tingzhu to step forward and present the gift to Dong Changyuan. “These two pieces of Shoushan stone would be wasted keeping them with aunt – giving them to Yuan’er, you could carve two seals.”

Dong Changyuan hurriedly bowed and declined – the Shoushan stones were too valuable for him to dare accept.

“What elders bestow cannot be refused! Since your aunt is giving them to you, keep them well, and in the future, don’t disappoint your aunt’s kindness toward you!” Old Matriarch Dong’s words carried deeper meaning.

Dong Changyuan, bowing with lowered head, looked increasingly displeased and even less willing to accept this generous gift.

Eldest Madam Song Shi also covered her lips with a handkerchief and laughed softly: “Look, sister’s gift is so valuable it’s frightened Yuan’er!”

Bai Qingyan, held in Old Matriarch Dong’s embrace, saw second aunt Cui Shi’s eyes growing redder and didn’t want second aunt and Dong Changyuan to continue suffering anxiety over her marriage prospects. She said, “Mother hopes Changyuan cousin can win first place again and bring glory to the Dong family name, which would also bring honor to mother’s face.”

Hearing a clear, gentle voice, though Dong Changyuan wasn’t disgusted, he lowered his head even further.

Bai Qingyan stood beside Old Matriarch Dong and smiled: “Meeting Changyuan cousin for the first time today, I’ve also prepared a meeting gift for cousin.”

Hearing this, Chun Tao quickly and respectfully presented the finest Hui ink and finest She inkstone that Bai Qingyan had instructed her to prepare.

Dong Changyuan was amazed upon seeing the ink and inkstone. Being someone who loved literature and calligraphy, he immediately fell in love with the Hui ink and the She inkstone. But thinking that these were gifts from the person his grandmother was forcing him to marry under threat of death, his joy felt like having cold water poured over it, his heart as uncomfortable as if he’d swallowed a fly. Keeping his head lowered, he only said: “Elder cousin’s gift is also too valuable. Changyuan has done nothing to merit this… I dare not accept.”