Xu Lu Cha hesitated for a long time before saying softly: “Then come earlier tomorrow.”

A man should be more reserved and sensible to win a woman’s favor. He wanted to erase all the bad impressions Zhang Meng had of him before.

Xu Lu Cha opened the small box beside the bed and took out an exquisite sachet, handing it to Zhang Meng: “I embroidered this myself. Please keep it safe.”

Zhang Meng took the sachet and smiled: “It’s very beautiful.”

Xu Lu Cha’s heart softened, and sweetness overflowed from the bottom of his heart. He reached out and hugged Zhang Meng’s waist, burying his head in her embrace and nuzzling her.

At this moment, he truly wanted to give himself to Zhang Meng.

If Zhang Meng showed any inclination, he would undress without a second thought and lie on the bed voluntarily.

For Zhang Meng, what did a man’s sense of reserve matter?

After Zhang Meng left, Zi Yi walked in from outside to find Xu Lu Cha lying on his side on the bed. Except for the slight trembling of his long, thick eyelashes and the faint rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, he was completely silent, as if his soul had left with Zhang Meng.

Zi Yi coughed dryly: “Young Master, as per your instructions, I’ve had the wedding clothes custom-made, and the invitations are almost ready.”

The wedding was set for ten days later. Even with Xu Lu Cha’s meticulous planning and Zi Yi’s capabilities, they felt the time was too rushed. Many things needed for the wedding couldn’t be prepared in time, and Zi Yi was already feeling overwhelmed.

Moreover, Xu Lu Cha’s reputation had plummeted to rock bottom recently. Xu Hong felt he had completely disgraced the Xu family and wanted to sever their mother-son relationship. She now ignored him completely. Last night, when Zi Yi discussed Xu Lu Cha and Zhang Meng’s marriage with her, she flew into a rage, declaring that she would absolutely not allow them to marry.

Zi Yi said with difficulty: “Although I’m doing my best to prepare for the wedding, I still can’t persuade Madam and Master… And without their approval, young master, you might not be able to marry Zhang constable.”

Xu Lu Cha slowly opened his eyes. The beautiful eyes that had been so gentle when facing Zhang Meng were now as cold as ice. He said coldly: “My marriage to Zhang Meng is not for them to disapprove.”

He propped himself up, half-lying, and asked Zi Yi to bring him paper and pen.

Quickly writing a few words on the paper, Xu Lu Cha blew on the ink to dry it, folded the paper, and handed it to Zi Yi: “Zi Yi, deliver this letter to Qin Rong. Don’t let that old fossil see it.”

Zi Yi took the letter, nodded in agreement, and quickly turned to leave.

Xu Lu Cha slowly lay back down, hugging the silk quilt in his arms. The soft feeling was like holding Zhang Meng. He nuzzled the quilt affectionately, thinking to himself: Zhang Meng, I will clear away all obstacles preventing us from being together. You don’t need to worry about anything, I’ll take care of everything.

……

When Zhang Meng returned to the magistrate’s office, she saw a haggard-looking Zhong Huo sitting by the stone table in the courtyard.

There were no books or official documents on the stone table in front of her, yet she stared at it blankly, as if she had lost her soul.

These past few days, Zhong Huo had refused to see Zhang Meng. Although Zhang Meng felt confused and hurt, she didn’t blame Zhong Huo. Because she knew Zhong Huo had always been eccentric.

Zhong Huo raised her eyes and saw Zhang Meng. She was slightly taken aback, emotions flashing through her eyes before finally settling.

“Zhang Meng,” she said hoarsely, “Come here, I have something to ask you.”

Zhong Huo’s expression was so gloomy that Zhang Meng felt nervous as she approached: “My lady, is something the matter?”

Zhong Huo looked at Zhang Meng with a deep gaze: “You’ve decided to be with him?”

Thinking of Xu Lu Cha’s critically ill, dying appearance, Zhang Meng’s heart was pricked by something. She nodded to Zhong Huo: “We plan to marry in ten days.”

Zhong Huo’s face paled slightly, her chest rising and falling rapidly, as if suppressing something: “Do you love him?”

Zhang Meng fell silent. She knew she didn’t love Xu Lu Cha. There was only pity and fondness, but it was far from love. Even if she married him, she only didn’t dislike him, without any feeling of joy or anticipation.

She was marrying him only out of a sense of responsibility.

Seeing her silence, Zhong Huo naturally understood her thoughts. She knew Zhang Meng well – soft-hearted and kind, indecisive about feelings and unable to be cruel, too concerned about others’ feelings, habitually pushing blame onto herself. That’s why she was so thoroughly caught by Xu Lu Cha.

“Zhang Meng…” Her heart felt heavy and painful, a surge of bitterness welling up from the depths of her heart, spreading throughout her body, making her hands and feet cold. Zhong Huo turned her back to Zhang Meng and said in a suppressed voice: “I won’t attend your wedding ceremony.”

“Zhang Meng, I hate you.”

The bitterness in her heart turned into tears gathering in her eyes, but Zhong Huo forcefully held them back. Zhang Meng’s affair with Xu Lu Cha was already a fait accompli, with no turning back. Zhang Meng’s compromise with Xu Lu Cha was within her expectations. This Zhang Meng was the one she had always loved.

She should have known it was impossible between her and Zhang Meng. But her heart couldn’t help but hope. Now that the day of Zhang Meng marrying someone else had arrived, a year of self-deception had finally come to an end. She didn’t blame Zhang Meng, nor did she blame Xu Lu Cha. She only hated herself for not being born a man.

Zhong Huo took out dozens of banknotes from her sleeve and gently placed them on the stone table.

“Zhang Meng, this is your salary that I’ve been withholding for the past year. Now I’m returning it all to you. Use it to marry him.”

Withholding Zhang Meng’s salary was her unreasonable behavior. She just wanted to see Zhang Meng pay more attention to her, to show her more different expressions. She just wanted to occupy a larger place in Zhang Meng’s heart.

Now all these ridiculous things she had done no longer held any meaning.

After placing the banknotes, Zhong Huo quickly left. A single tear dropped from her eye with a soft patter on the ground.

Zhang Meng picked up the money on the stone table and roughly counted it. It was actually several hundred taels. Her salary was nowhere near this much.

“My lady…” Zhang Meng looked up in surprise, but Zhong Huo had already walked far away.

……

Because Zhong Huo had told the people at the magistrate’s office beforehand, almost everyone knew about Zhang Meng and Xu Lu Cha’s upcoming marriage. After Zhang Meng returned, they all came over to congratulate her and gave many gifts to Zhang Meng and Xu Lu Cha. Although the gifts weren’t expensive, they were heartfelt, and Zhang Meng was very grateful to them.

Zhang Meng didn’t know how to arrange a wedding in the matriarchal world, nor did she know how to prepare the betrothal gifts. So she asked her sisters at the magistrate’s office to help buy the betrothal gifts.

The next day, Zhang Meng hired a horse-drawn carriage and, with the help of the people from the magistrate’s office who had prepared the betrothal gifts overnight, went to the Xu residence to propose marriage.

Xu Hong hurriedly ran out to welcome them. Her expression wasn’t good, but she still bowed and nodded to Zhang Meng, saying that it was Xu Lu Cha’s fortune to find such a good wife-master as Zhang Meng, and kept saying that Zhang Meng and Xu Lu Cha were a match made in heaven.

Xu Hong’s attitude was too enthusiastic, making Zhang Meng feel uncomfortable and strange.

She had dealt with Xu Hong before. Although Xu Hong was fairly upright, as a businesswoman, it was normal for her to be mercenary and look down on the poor. Zhang Meng had prepared herself to be given a hard time. But Xu Hong’s enthusiasm in treating Zhang Meng made her feel both flattered and more uncomfortable.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xu Hong, Zhang Meng went to see Xu Lu Cha.

Xu Lu Cha had been waiting for her in the courtyard. As soon as she appeared, he stood up with great joy.