Chapter 316 How Could I Be Willing?

Meng Ruoshui dared not respond.

She knew how much resentment was hidden in her brother's words.

The Duke of Zhenguo's family has no heir.

A vast family fortune, immense wealth, and a hereditary title.

All of this has vanished into thin air.

Almost all the Meng clan members in the capital reached a tacit consensus.

If adoption from a collateral branch were truly necessary, then the one who would inherit the title would inevitably be the eldest grandson of the eldest son, Meng Jinpeng.

My elder brother was hailed as a child prodigy from a young age. He could recite the Four Books and Five Classics fluently and passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen.

He fought harder than anyone else for that position.

Since the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion relied on martial arts for its reputation, he abandoned his studies of Confucian classics and began practicing martial arts every day at the crack of dawn.

Despite not being cut out for it, he still trained relentlessly through the coldest and hottest days of winter.

She had witnessed firsthand how, in the dead of winter, her brother practiced his marksmanship until his body was covered in bruises and his hands were bleeding profusely, yet he still gritted his teeth and refused to stop.

The scars, varying in depth, on his body are the marks of his ambition.

But after waiting for so many years, this is the result he got.

A brother and sister who appeared out of nowhere easily took everything away.

How could my elder brother accept this?

This time, when my father was transferred back to the capital, he had already sent several visiting cards to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

But those posts disappeared without a trace, receiving no response whatsoever.

They belong to the Duke's mansion, while they are only fourth-rank officials.

The difference is like heaven and earth.

Today's polo banquet at the Chai family was arranged by my elder brother after he learned that Meng Shilan would be attending. He specially asked a classmate and friend at the Imperial College to get an invitation.

The purpose was to meet him and find out the truth.

Meng Jinpeng continued pouring tea without stopping.

Those hands, which had once held a writing brush and a spear, now held a small purple clay teapot with unwavering steadiness.

He pushed a cup of amber-colored tea toward Meng Ruoshui.

"From a distance just now, that Miss Meng seems to have quite the skills."

He spoke slowly, his tone devoid of any discernible emotion.

"Although he was someone we met along the way, he managed to have the young master of the Duke of Ying's mansion completely under his control."

"Just look at him, he's no pushover."

Meng Ruoshui didn't know much about Zhou Congxian.

In her eyes, he was nothing more than a man with an empty shell.

She curled her lip, picked up her teacup, and looked at it with a hint of disdain.

"In my opinion, it's all show and no substance."

"He is handsome, but look at how he was just now. He was willing to listen to a woman and obey her every word."

"What kind of hero is this?"

In her view, a real man should be like her brother, with planning and ambition, and remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him.

Instead of being like Zhou Congxian, who was bewitched by a woman.

Upon hearing this, Meng Jinpeng glanced at his short-sighted younger sister.

He did not argue.

But a fleeting hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

Zhou Congxian rose from a fallen duke's heir to become a close advisor to His Majesty.

Would someone like that be a pushover who can be easily manipulated by a woman?

However, he didn't need to tell these things to his sister.

He picked up the teacup in front of him and drank the carefully prepared pre-Qingming Longjing tea in one gulp.

The tea has a refreshing aroma and a sweet aftertaste.

But the anger in his heart did not diminish in the slightest.

"After you go back today, watch your mouth."

He put down his teacup, his voice turning cold.

"Don't say a word until the matter is clear."

Meng Ruoshui's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly nodded obediently.

"My sister knows."

...

By the time the banquet ended, the sun had already set.

The golden afterglow spilled onto the field, casting a gentle halo over the grass trampled by horses' hooves.

Chai Sijiu was carried out by the servants of the mansion, one on each side.

He had been playing polo all day, and then won three games against that Qin family kid in the afternoon. By now, his legs and arms were completely numb.

He was completely limp, but he was still mumbling incoherently.

"Tomorrow...we'll fight again tomorrow! I'll beat him until he calls me grandpa!"

Zhou Congxian and Meng Shilan exchanged a smile and boarded the carriage to return to their residence.

The wheels rolled on, passing through the bustling streets.

Pull back the curtains and you'll see the city lights coming on at dusk, a dazzling and dreamlike spectacle.

After entering the city gate, the carriage gradually slowed down.

As they passed by the Fengshui River, Zhou Congxian suddenly spoke.

"parking."

The coachman reined in the carriage, and it came to a steady stop under the willow trees by the river.

Zhou Congxian took Meng Shilan's hand and got off the carriage first.

"Let's take a walk."

Meng Shilan was somewhat surprised, but she still got out of the car with him.

A gentle evening breeze, carrying the moist scent of the river, caressed my face.

Lanterns hang along both sides of the river, their lights reflected in the water, creating a shimmering galaxy.

Meng Shilan looked at the familiar scene before her and was momentarily dazed.

She remembers that she had just "died" and come back to life.

She stood on the banks of the Feng River, watching the fireworks illuminate the entire city.

Later, she and Fu'er were separated by the crowd.

They also needed to secretly inquire about a travel permit to leave the city.

Having been given a second chance at life, she no longer wanted to become a wronged soul under Song Jiyun's control.

At that time, she was disheveled, desperate, like a rootless duckweed.

The feeling of being at my wit's end still sends shivers down my spine when I think about it now.

Four years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Four years is enough time to change too many things.

But those unforgettable memories seem like they happened just yesterday.

Zhou Congxian noticed that she was lost in thought and didn't speak for a long time. Her small face looked somewhat lonely in the lamplight.

A thought struck him, and he took something out of his sleeve.

It was a jade bracelet that was entirely emerald green.

"Here you are."

He handed the bracelet to her.

"I won the prize in polo today."

Meng Shilan's gaze fell on the bracelet.

The bracelet is of excellent quality, with a clear and translucent appearance, and it gleams with a warm luster under the light.

As she looked at it, something else suddenly came to mind.

It was a red gold hair ornament with tassels inlaid with rubies.

It was Zhou Congxian who won the prize at the banquet held by the Princess in Zilin Garden, through archery.

He did the same, handing the hairpin to her.

But at that time, she was just a lowly concubine.

She dared not accept it.

We can't accept it either.

Such a precious and ostentatious thing, once placed on her head, is tantamount to roasting her over a fire.

She couldn't bear that kind of attention, and even less could she bear Song Jiyun's insidious methods.

So she refused.

She watched as the light in his eyes dimmed, little by little.

She still remembers that sense of loss clearly, even after so many years.

Seeing that she didn't reach out, Zhou Congxian's heart sank.

His hand holding the jade bracelet tightened unconsciously.

"how?"

His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.

"dislike?"