On the other hand, every time they went out together, they brought back gifts for the Zhong family. All the money the Qiao family spent on the Zhong family was wasted.

Of course, she felt guilty, having taken advantage of the girl, and was naturally willing to spend money to make up for it.

But the fact that she and the Qiao family are now clinging to this is a different matter altogether.

Yang glanced at Zhong Ling's sister-in-law, her eyes filled with icy coldness.

“I said, it’s normal to meet and get to know each other when discussing marriage. It’s not like we’re doing anything sneaky behind someone’s back. How does this ruin Miss Zhong’s reputation? The way you put it, it’s like my son did something underhanded.”

"It's alright to say this, but if it truly tarnishes Miss Zhong's reputation, that would be bad for her."

Zhong Ling's sister-in-law wore a stern expression, looking somewhat displeased.

"So this means you can say whatever you want, do whatever you want, arrange meetings whenever you want, and cancel meetings whenever you want? It's like the Qiao family can decide everything in this world."

"In this world, the Qiao family's word is not enough, but when it comes to my son's marriage, it is up to me, as his mother, to make the decision."

Ms. Yang retorted sharply, showing that her good temper did not mean she was easy to mess with.

Zhong Ling's sister-in-law opened her mouth as if to say something more, but Old Man Zhong at the head of the table sighed, "Forget it, marriage is all about fate. My Ling'er doesn't have that blessing."

"That's settled then." Old Man Zhong made the final decision, and Zhong Ling's sister-in-law swallowed her words in resentment.

What could she say when her father-in-law had already spoken?

I thought I could snag a rich family and get some benefits, but now I haven't gotten anyone, it's all been a complete waste of my joy.

After Qiao Zhishu and Zhong Ling explained their thoughts to each other in the courtyard outside, Zhong Ling's face gradually turned pale.

"Why? Weren't we getting along really well? Why are you suddenly saying this to me? Just friends? But the purpose of our initial meeting was to discuss marriage."

Why are you suddenly telling me this? Is there something wrong with me, or is it because you look down on my background? Do you think I can't compare to those daughters of wealthy families?

Qiao Zhishu shook her head, "That's not it, it's not because of these things, Miss Zhong, you've misunderstood."

"Why is that?" Zhong Ling suddenly recalled Yan Qingxue's face, her beautiful figure and appearance.

"Is it because of that girl? The girl I met that day? You rejected me because of her, didn't you?" Before meeting that girl, they were chatting and talking about everything under the sun. Suddenly, she did this to him. It's because of that woman. Yes, it must be because of that woman!

Qiao Zhishu's face suddenly froze, and she moved her lips stiffly, "No, it's not because of her, I'm not familiar with her."

Thinking of Yan Qingxue, Qiao Zhishu felt inexplicably guilty.

"Not familiar?" Zhong Ling was stunned for a moment, staring at Qiao Zhishu for a few breaths with a mixture of belief and doubt. At that time, she did not see that girl pay attention to him. Wasn't it because of her?

"Then why did you reject me? Is it because I'm not good enough for you, because I'm so much older than you?"

Qiao Zhishu shook her head. "No, it's because I lacked a certain feeling. I can't quite explain it. Maybe we're just not meant to be. I'm truly sorry for bothering you these past few days, Miss."

Zhong Ling's pretty face was almost green with suppressed anger. If he didn't have any feelings for her from the beginning, then why had he been trying to meet with her and give her hope all these days?

Why didn't we just make things clear from the beginning?

She is not the type to cling.

She can't accept this sudden statement.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Zhong Ling covered her mouth and ran away. Proud as she was, this was the first time she had ever been rejected like this.

He was also the first man she ever fell for, and she couldn't bear this blow.

Qiao Zhishu watched the person run away, then stood still without chasing after them. He had already made things clear and didn't intend to have anything to do with them anymore.

**

Red City, a place to settle down.

People from the capital have arrived. Several tall, burly men appeared at the An family home. They were specially sent by An Mangu to pick up An Dalin and take him to the capital.

Anle happened to be home and was pulled into the living room to join in the fun.

Because of the shock An Ning had given her last time, An Yi had been unusually quiet and hadn't asked An Le for money again.

With the arrival of people from the capital, he had already begun to formulate a plan: he would go to the capital and make a name for himself.

He no longer relied on his younger sister, but achieved this through his own hard work and ability.

As soon as the idea was mentioned, it was met with opposition from the family, with An Mancang being the first to object.

"Your uncle is busy with serious matters in the capital. Why would you go and cause trouble?"

Qiao Qiuniang nodded in agreement. "Your uncle works in the Imperial Palace in the capital. You can't go with him. What if something happens to you? Is the Imperial Palace a place for people like us to go?"

An Yi pursed her lips and remained silent, determined to go; the expression on her face clearly showed her resolve.

Anle tilted her head and stared at An Yi, "Third Brother, do you really want to go?"

An Yi nodded silently. He was going; he was going to make a name for himself.

"Since Third Brother wants to go, then let him go."

As soon as An Le spoke, An Mancang and the others in the reception room all turned their gazes to An Le's face.

“Le Wa Zi, your uncle works for the royal family. If he takes your brother with him, he'll have to look after him over there. That would be a lot of trouble for your uncle—”

Before An Mancang could finish speaking, An Dalin, who was seated at the head of the table, waved his hand and said, "Alright, since our precious granddaughter has spoken, let's go. What's the trouble? We're all family. It's just a matter of feeding one more mouth to feed. What's the big deal?"

"Go ahead, I'll take Yi with me. We'll stay for a while and then bring him back. It'll be a relaxing trip, a chance for him to see the world and broaden his horizons."

An Yi, who had been keeping her lips tightly pressed together and remained silent, suddenly spoke up, "I'm not going there to play around; I'm going there to make a name for myself."

I'm going to make a name for myself.

An Dalin glared at him and said, "Ha, you've got quite the ambition, kid. I have high hopes for you. Go and try your luck."

An Ning looked at her third brother in surprise. He had suddenly turned over a new leaf. His roguish and irresponsible demeanor seemed to have disappeared, and the determination in his eyes was something she had never seen before.

Is her third brother finally turning over a new leaf and starting a new life?

Not going to be a spendthrift anymore?