Cheng Xu blocked Zhou Shaojin’s path and hurriedly said, “Wait, don’t be like this!”

Zhou Shaojin’s face turned cold as she said, “Cousin Xu is a man of scholarly achievement. Though not yet of age for capping, he already has a courtesy name. He’s prudent and proper, valued by the elders in his family. I also respect Cousin Xu as an upright gentleman, and given our relationship as cousins, I would greet him when we meet. Yet Cousin Xu treats me as a frivolous woman, casually blocking my way on the road. I don’t know what I’ve done to cause Cousin Xu’s misunderstanding, nor do I wish to defend myself. I only hope that in the future, Cousin Xu will not block my path again. Whatever matters there are can be discussed before the family elders. I’m the younger one, and I will do my best to fulfill my duties.”

She spoke with righteous dignity, making Cheng Xu’s face flush crimson. The words on the tip of his tongue became difficult to voice.

This was exactly what Zhou Shaojin wanted.

She curtsied and signaled to Chun Wan. The two left this troublesome place one after the other.

Cheng Xu panicked!

Although they lived under the same roof, it was difficult for Cheng Xu to encounter Zhou Shaojin. Now that Fourth Uncle knew of his admiration for Zhou Shaojin, he would certainly not allow him to freely enter and exit Hanbi Mountain House anymore.

“Wait, wait!” He chased after her, recklessly declaring, “Shaojin, I like you very much. I want to marry you as my wife!”

Zhou Shaojin never dreamed that Cheng Xu would say such words to her, especially in front of Chun Wan, Huanxi, and others.

She immediately felt so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

After Cheng Xu loudly voiced these words he had rehearsed countless times in his heart, it was as if a huge stone on his back had finally fallen to the ground. His whole person relaxed, and his speech gradually became more fluent and coherent: “Shaojin, I’m not speaking wildly. I made an agreement with my mother that if I achieved the rank of jieyuan, she would agree to help me seek your hand in marriage… I’ve never studied as diligently as I have for this examination, and my father even managed to obtain published collections of essays written by several chief examiners… Please don’t get engaged yet. Just wait for me a few days. If I’m incompetent, I naturally won’t dare to disturb you again, cousin. But if I’m fortunate enough to pass with high marks… I hope you can give me this chance…”

Zhou Shaojin trembled with anger, silently thinking to herself: You haven’t even become jieyuan yet, and you dare say such things to me. If you do become jieyuan and Yuan Shi doesn’t agree to this match—the Cheng and Min families have already begun marriage negotiations—will you also insist regardless of her life or death?

She whirled around, originally intending to respond with “Children’s marriages are decided by their parents.” But seeing him stare at her with burning eyes, she immediately changed her mind.

Cheng Xu’s expression was too certain, as if just because he had spoken, she would definitely marry him.

In her previous life, did he think the same way? Was that why he kept calling her name while humiliating her, saying he would marry her?

Like a flame meeting wind, it ignited with a bang in her heart.

She spoke bluntly: “Xu Jiashan, do you think that any woman who hears you want to marry her would happily and wholeheartedly want to marry you? Since you have no shame, I have nothing to be embarrassed about either. Let’s use this opportunity to make things clear. I don’t like you! I have no plans to marry you! Please never say such things to me again. In others’ eyes, though I may not be as noble as Cousin Zheng and the others, I also have parents and a sister who love me dearly. I’m also the treasured jewel in my parents’ and sister’s palms. My parents will also carefully select a husband for me, letting me see clearly before I marry. There’s absolutely no reason to marry me off casually…” Speaking to this point, she thought of the suffering and grievances she endured in her previous life. Her eyes couldn’t help but redden, and she felt it was pointless—in that cave, no matter how desperately she begged him, he didn’t spare her. Why should she say anything more to him?

Zhou Shaojin said in a low voice: “Cheng Jiashan, I don’t like you, and I don’t want to see you again. From now on, I’ll take a detour when I see you, and I hope you’ll act as if you don’t know me when you see me.”

Let all grievances be set down here.

In this life, she would live a completely different life from the previous one.

He could marry his beautiful bride and live happily ever after.

She would keep that person at the bottom of her heart, following propriety and gazing at him for her entire life.

Zhou Shaojin lifted her skirts and ran toward Jiashu Hall.

Only then did Chun Wan recover from her shock. She hastily curtsied to Cheng Xu and hurried after her.

Cheng Xu stood there dumbfounded, his face deathly pale, as if his soul had left his body, letting the willow branches by the tree brush against him.

Both Huanxi and Da Su turned their heads away, unable to bear watching.

※※※

Chun Wan caught Zhou Shaojin just before she stepped into Jiashu Hall.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s tear-stained face, she quickly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

Having run all this way, the depression in Zhou Shaojin’s heart had dissipated somewhat.

She thanked her, wiped her face with the handkerchief, and asked Chun Wan with a stuffy nose, “Can you tell I’ve been crying?”

Chun Wan said in a low voice: “Your eyes are quite red. Why don’t I accompany you to sit by the Taihu rocks for a while before we go to Hanqiu Lodge?”

By the Taihu rock garden, water was drawn from the lake where she could wash her face.

Zhou Shaojin nodded.

The two sat down on the bluestone under the large locust tree by the Taihu rocks.

Zhou Shaojin said with embarrassment: “I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you!”

“No, no.” Chun Wan blushed, hesitated for a long while, then quietly asked Zhou Shaojin, “Do you… do you really not… not care for First Young Master Xu? He’s the legitimate eldest grandson of the main branch, and a xiucai…”

In others’ eyes, this would seem ungrateful, wouldn’t it?

Zhou Shaojin felt disheartened.

If she hadn’t been involved with Uncle Chi, if there hadn’t been the events of her previous life, could she have so firmly rejected Cheng Xu?

Perhaps this was fate!

Even living two lives, she could never marry Cheng Xu!

Zhou Shaojin sighed deeply and said despondently: “I only seek three meals a day. No matter how good he is, it has nothing to do with me!”

Chun Wan still felt it was somewhat regrettable.

But she also felt that Cheng Xu didn’t respect Zhou Shaojin enough.

If he truly liked Zhou Shaojin, why not persuade the elders? Finding Second Young Miss privately like this—if the marriage didn’t work out and Second Young Miss had listened to Huanxi and set her heart on marrying him, what would they do then?

It was still better to follow the elders’ arrangements.

Chun Wan stopped thinking about this matter and used her handkerchief to dampen it with the lake water trickling down the Taihu rocks, helping Zhou Shaojin soothe her eyes.

※※※

Cheng Xu stood dazed for quite a while before recovering.

Both Huanxi and Da Su breathed a sigh of relief. Huanxi even cautiously approached and said: “Young Master, we still need to go see Madam!”

Going to see Mother was also to get Zhou Shaojin to marry him!

He paced back and forth several times on the covered walkway before stopping. Looking somewhat bewildered, he said to Huanxi and Da Su: “Tell me, why doesn’t Second Cousin dislike me? When I was at Grandfather’s house, whenever the cousins saw me coming, they would shyly scatter while secretly watching me… When visiting the Guo and Gu families, the cousins there were also very kind to me… Could it be that I haven’t yet achieved the rank of jieyuan? Did I speak too soon? Should I have waited until after becoming jieyuan to say this? But I was very worried she would suddenly get engaged… Previously Cheng Yi was in the way, now that Cheng Yi is about to marry, only she remains in the fourth branch…”

Huanxi and Da Su looked at each other.

Where had their usually clever and astute young master gone?

Second Young Miss Zhou had spoken very clearly—she wouldn’t marry their young master. Why wasn’t he thinking about why Second Young Miss didn’t like him, but instead obsessing over whether he had achieved jieyuan or not?

But since Cheng Xu had spoken, one of them had to respond!

Da Su took a step back, and Huanxi abruptly stood at the front.

Cheng Xu’s gaze fell on Huanxi.

Dogs that bite don’t bark indeed!

Huanxi cursed Da Su in his heart while his face showed an ingratiating smile: “In matters of marriage, who doesn’t listen to their parents? Young Master spoke so openly in front of us—no wonder Second Young Miss was angry in her heart!”

“Right, right… She must be annoyed with me because of this!” Cheng Xu seemed to have found the crux of the matter and said with sudden clarity, “Let’s go. We’re going to Madam’s place.”

Da Su glared fiercely at Huanxi and quickly followed.

Huanxi felt wronged as he touched his head.

He had only made a casual remark—who knew their young master would take it to heart!

Huanxi said nothing more and hurried to catch up.

※※※

In the main room of Yunzhen Hall, maids and servants stood with hands lowered in respectful silence, not making a sound.

Cheng Xu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he asked the servant woman on duty at the door: “Are there guests at home?”

The servant woman on duty said ingratiatingly: “Young Master, the Master sent someone back to deliver things to Madam. When leaving the city, they encountered a servant woman from Minister of State Min’s household who was also returning to her hometown with gifts. They traveled together all the way to Zhenjiang. The servant woman from Minister of State Min’s household was very courteous and specially came with our household’s people to pay respects to Madam and Old Madam and inquire after their health!”

When did their family become so close with the Min family!

Cheng Xu frowned.

The door curtain lifted, and Yuan Shi’s wet nurse came out accompanying two servant women dressed in dignified, capable attire.

Seeing Cheng Xu, Yuan Shi’s wet nurse’s eyes lit up as she loudly called out “Young Master.”

That voice carried a hint of excitement.

The two servant women both looked over, and after their initial surprise, both showed gratified expressions.

As if he were some object they had examined and found satisfactory.

The thought flashed through Cheng Xu’s mind, and anger surged up uncontrollably.

What servant women from Minister of State Min’s household, stopping by to pay respects to Old Madam and Madam—they had clearly come to Jinling specifically to inspect him.

His face darkened as he turned and left.

Both servant women were stunned.

Yuan Shi’s wet nurse had already said with a laugh: “The autumn examinations haven’t posted results yet, so our Young Master isn’t in the best mood!”

“Of course, of course!” The two servant women smiled. “Our household also has people taking the imperial examinations every year. Before the results are posted, the young masters are all in poor moods. We all keep quiet and don’t dare say an extra word!”

But inwardly they disapproved.

The eldest young master was a zhuangyuan scholar, wasn’t he? Before the results were posted, he never acted like Young Master Cheng, looking as if someone owed him three hundred taels of silver.

It seemed this Young Master Cheng wasn’t a person of steady character after all.

What a pity for their household’s eldest young miss, with such looks and talent, yet having to marry this Young Master Cheng.

If only the Grand Madam had insisted a bit longer and waited for the autumn examination results before proceeding. But the master believed the eldest young master’s words and agreed to the Cheng family’s marriage proposal right after the autumn examinations. If the Grand Madam hadn’t still felt uncertain in her heart, they probably would have married off the eldest young miss without even making proper inquiries, in such a muddled fashion.

But the eight characters had already been matched, and they had returned to their hometown to see Old Madam and Grand Madam. Could they possibly say this marriage wouldn’t work?

The two servant women suppressed these thoughts, took their leave from Yuan Shi’s wet nurse, boarded a boat at Wenchuan Lake in Jinling City, and traveled south all the way back to Fujian.