Han Fushi’s brow twitched a few times, and he was about to pull on Meng Xiaozhi’s sleeve to explain the circumstances in more detail. Suddenly, he was given a sidelong glance by her and hurriedly stopped, standing sheepishly to the side.

“Madam Meng.” Wei Yunruo, after all, had lectured before the emperor and could remain calm. She waited until Meng Xiaozhi was seated in the main hall before cupping her hands respectfully and saying, “This matter was indeed not well-considered by me. However, there are many rumors in the streets now. Although there is an imperial edict, a young man’s reputation cannot withstand questioning.”

“Moreover, when Young Master Meng fell off the cliff before, it was entirely because I couldn’t save him in time, which led to the young master’s current situation. I have been uneasy about this, and now with rumors spreading, after much thought—”

“Wei Yunruo, mind your words!” Meng Xiaozhi raised an eyebrow slightly, interrupting her impatiently, “Jiulang is now one of the Eight Constellations of the Auspicious Phoenix, his purity goes without saying.”

“It’s true that our country’s common people are not well-educated and can be easily manipulated by those with ulterior motives. But since Wei Yunruo is in the Hanlin Academy, you should know the principle of ‘three men make a tiger’. How could you be frightened by such baseless talk?”

“Furthermore, the cliff incident has already happened. Fortunately, Jiulang is unharmed. Wei Yunruo need not keep it in mind all the time.”

Meng Xiaozhi glanced coldly at Han Fushi, who was standing to the side, tightly gripping his sleeves, “Since you did not come to propose out of true love for Jiulang, there is no need to continue discussing this marriage.”

“Madam Meng.” Wei Yunruo had heard that Meng Xiaozhi had a hard temper, but she didn’t expect her to speak so unforgivingly. However, now was not the time to act on impulse.

Wei Yunruo imperceptibly shook her head at Han Fushi and bowed respectfully, “May I be allowed to speak further?”

In the study.

Wei Yunruo had just sat down when she felt a chill down her spine from the piercing eyes behind the desk.

She pressed her lips together and organized her thoughts before speaking, “I understand Madam Meng’s love for her son. However, Young Master Meng was present earlier, and there were some things I couldn’t say openly.”

Meng Xiaozhi slightly raised her chin, gesturing for her to continue.

“When Young Master Meng and Li Ruantang fell into the ravine together, I investigated carefully. The mad bull that rushed out that day was not randomly charging at Young Master Meng. Everything was because of Li Ruantang.”

“Are you saying someone wanted to use this incident to eliminate Jiulang?” Meng Xiaozhi pondered, “Where’s the evidence?”

“To be honest, I haven’t obtained concrete evidence yet, but…” Wei Yunruo looked up, speaking very seriously, “I dare say that if Young Master Meng doesn’t get engaged soon, the same thing might happen a second time.”

“That’s why I boldly came to propose, disregarding the etiquette of marriage discussions.”

She spoke subtly, but Meng Xiaozhi, having been in the court for many years, could easily understand the implications in her words.

It all came down to one word: Qi.

Meng Xiaozhi rubbed her brow, “Wei Yunruo’s consideration for my son is indeed admirable. However, marriage cannot be forced.”

“Madam!” Wei Yunruo wanted to say more.

Meng Xiaozhi waved her hand, “On his deathbed, my late husband only entrusted me with one thing: not to interfere with Jiulang’s marriage for any reason.”

“Therefore, whether this marriage happens or not, we must first ask Jiulang’s opinion. If Wei Yunruo has no other matters, I am truly too tired from traveling to entertain you further.”

Meng Xiaozhi’s intention to see the guest off was clear in her words. Wei Yunruo, having hit a wall, could only smile faintly.

The sound of horse hooves clattered.

Wei Yunruo leaned against the carriage wall, her face looking quite unpleasant. After a moment, she called over the maid who was massaging her legs and said softly, “Si’er, go to Yunbing Lane later to report back.”

Meng Xiaozhi was indeed difficult to deal with, but she still had that poem Meng Jun had given her. Surely, with a little more thought, it wouldn’t be difficult to get that young man to speak up himself.

After all, they were the ones who didn’t know their place first. Wei Yunruo’s eyes showed a determined smile, “Just say, everything can proceed according to plan.”

*

In the study of the Meng residence.

The servant who came to deliver soup had already come three times, each time being stopped at the door by the housekeeper. This time, Han Fushi personally brought the food box.

Meng Xiaozhi paused, and only after sealing the letter in her hand did she allow him to enter.

“Wife-master.”

As soon as Han Fushi opened his mouth, he was full of tears, yet he didn’t dare let them fall, only quietly wiping them away. He knew Meng Xiaozhi’s temperament, that she was soft-hearted but not easily swayed.

Yet even though his knees were almost sore from kneeling, Meng Xiaozhi still didn’t speak.

The woman sitting behind the desk, with strands of white hair at her temples, quietly looked at the man who had been her companion for many years. After a long while, she sighed, “Yu Jin, when did you come to the Meng residence?”

Han Fushi secretly looked up, confused.

Over the years, he had caused trouble before. But every time a servant was sent with soup, Meng Xiaozhi would accept it. Although this person had a hard temper, she was gentle with her family. Not like now, only coldly glancing at him a few times, and asking him when he entered the residence.

Could it be… Relying on things to stay fixed at the end of the world

Han Fushi, who had just been pretending to cry, was stunned. Suddenly realizing, could it be… could it be that she wants to send him out of the residence?!

Han Fushi’s heart panicked, and he hurriedly fell to his knees with a thud, “Wife-master, wife-master, I know I was wrong.”

“I, I originally wanted to go look for Jiulang. You and the main husband have only this one legitimate son, I’ve watched him grow up, how could I not care for him? But you weren’t in the capital, and I was the only one in the residence, I was truly at a loss.”

“It was Wei Yunruo who said she could find Jiulang, that’s why I didn’t send people out.” Han Fushi explained anxiously, “After all, Jiulang is a man, and the cliff incident got tangled up with Li Ruantang.”

“I was just afraid that if this matter became too public, it would ruin Jiulang’s reputation. Moreover, Wei Yunruo also swore that she would definitely help me find him. Wife-master, I know I was wrong.”

He spoke incoherently, and Meng Xiaozhi scolded him in a low voice, “Nonsense! Since when does our Meng family’s business need an outsider to interfere?”

Han Fushi became even more flustered, kowtowing recklessly and crying heartbreakingly, looking like he was about to faint.

Meng Xiaozhi frowned. After all, he was the man she had been with for many years. Even though his beauty had faded, there was still some affection left. Moreover, he was weak and couldn’t travel far. This root of his illness was, after all, left behind for her sake.

“Enough, we won’t pursue this matter further.” She stood up and helped the tearful Han Fushi to his feet, softening her tone, “I know you have some distant kinship with her, but Wei Yunruo is not someone to be closely associated with.”

She sent a servant to escort the still sobbing Han Fushi back.

Meng Xiaozhi opened the food box he had left on the desk. The wafting scent of the nourishing soup made her eye twitch slightly.

Knock knock—

Another gentle knock sounded at the door. Before Meng Xiaozhi could speak, the person outside had already impatiently pushed the door open a crack.

Their eyes met, and the young man finally lowered his head properly, “Mother.”

“Mm.”

Meng Xiaozhi nodded slightly, not surprised by Meng Jun’s appearance. Earlier in the front hall, someone had only briefly shown their face, causing her young man to crane his neck, reluctant to look away.

Now, he was sitting seriously in front of her.

Meng Xiaozhi looked at the solemn-faced young man and deliberately sighed, “Jiulang, Mother knows you don’t want to marry so early. But the young men in the capital, those your age, have all already been engaged.”

“But Mother, I don’t want to marry Wei Yunruo!” Meng Jun hurriedly spoke up.

Meng Xiaozhi nodded steadily, “Since you don’t want to, then forget it. After all, marriage can’t be forced. Now Mother has also come to understand, as long as you’re safe and sound, that’s enough. As for the position of world gentleman that Mother mentioned to you earlier, let’s just pretend Mother never said it.”

Eh?

This won’t do!

The young man hurriedly shook his head, “Mother, this, this—”

He stammered, unable to speak. Seeing the weariness growing on Meng Xiaozhi’s face, Meng Jun steeled himself, his face turning red as he said, “I’m willing.”

Meng Xiaozhi held back a laugh, deliberately shaking her head and sighing a few times, “Silly child, the opportunity has already passed. Even if you’re willing, I’m afraid Li Ruantang might not agree.”

“In the past, Mother thought you were childhood sweethearts, that she would always treat you differently. But today you’ve seen, she doesn’t care who comes to the Meng residence to propose marriage.”

“That’s not true!” The young man was stunned, subconsciously refuting, “Tangtang has already eaten my rice.”

“Rice?”

Hearing him call her so intimately, Meng Xiaozhi just smiled meaningfully, “Sometimes, being too close makes it hard to see one’s own feelings clearly. It might be better to calm your heart, perhaps you’ll have some different insights.”

Calm his heart?

Returning from the study, Meng Jun sat dejectedly in the corridor of his courtyard. He stared fixedly at the wall in front of him, somewhat absent-minded.

She doesn’t care, could it be that he didn’t serve enough rice?

*

The sky, which had been gloomy all day, began to pour rain as night fell. The droplets fell straight to the ground with a pitter-patter. The cool breeze blowing through the green gauze windows made the light in the gauze lamp flicker.

Having just finished the last account book, Li Ruantang rubbed her stiff shoulders and instinctively looked towards the window.

On the wall top, all was quiet and still.

Well, today Wei Yunruo had already come to propose marriage. If he wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t have stood so close to her.

As for that intimate gesture…

Li Ruantang’s ear tips burned, and she curled her lips in self-mockery. It was nothing more than him foolishly imitating a storybook again.

It doesn’t count…

Forcibly suppressing the faint melancholy in her heart, she slowly came back to her senses and said softly, “It doesn’t count as real.”

In the bedroom on the other side of the wall.

The young man who was being thought of was lying dejectedly on the bed. Many open storybooks had fallen by his side, but none matched his current mood.

“Zhidong.” Meng Jun closed the last storybook and softly called over the servant who was massaging his legs, “Suppose there’s a young man who never understood his own feelings. By the time he realized what it means to like someone, that lady had forgotten everything about him.”

“If you were this young man, what would you do?”

Unlike Zhiqiu, Zhidong wasn’t so cautious. After thinking briefly, he said confidently, “If I truly liked that lady, I would definitely try to win her back.”

“Mm.” The young man nodded in agreement, “But what if she keeps not giving any special response?”

Meng Jun pressed his lips together, somewhat nervous.

“Well…” Zhidong pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Young master, has that young man clearly expressed his feelings? Like writing a poem or telling her directly.”

The young man was startled. Weren’t the intimate gesture and that bowl of rice enough?

Seeing Meng Jun’s confused expression, Zhidong understood and let out an “Oh”. He lowered his voice mysteriously, “Young master, one can never truly know another’s heart. Not all ladies can understand those subtle hints.”

“For example—” He boldly pointed in the direction of the Suqing Wang’s residence, “The lady next door, she looks like someone who doesn’t understand romance at all.”

Hearing this, the young man pondered for a moment, then silently nodded in agreement.

However, this matter shouldn’t be spread around. Meng Jun was about to instruct the servant to keep his mouth shut when he heard Zhidong ask very seriously, “By the way, young master, which storybook was that story you just mentioned from?”

A lady who lost her memory and a young man persistently pursuing love, it sounded exciting no matter how he thought about it.

Zhidong looked at Meng Jun with great interest. The latter’s ears turned red, and he randomly pointed at the pile of storybooks, “I can’t remember clearly, but it’s definitely in there somewhere, you can look for it yourself.”

After dismissing the straightforward Zhidong, the young man put on his clothes and sat at the desk, seriously contemplating as he held his brush.

Although Li Ruantang was a military official, she was still a graduate of the inner school of Qingshan Academy. Meng Jun paused, thinking that the poem should be more subtle.

Outside the window, the pitter-patter of rain gradually lessened, gently tapping on the green gauze windows, like lovers whispering.

Li Ruantang turned over, unusually unable to sleep.

The scene she had witnessed during the day gradually became clear before her eyes. Wei Yunruo standing together with him did look quite compatible. However, he had specially brought uncooked rice to cook.

A inexplicable annoyance gradually appeared in those almond eyes. Li Ruantang suddenly sat up.

No, she had to go ask!