Chapter 93 Mutual Attraction
Madam Xiao leaned against the couch, her face deathly pale, her lips bluish-purple, and her heart pounding in her chest. She was finding it hard to even breathe.
Since she couldn't speak, Li's mother gently patted her back again and again.
Xiao Su glanced at Madam Xiao, then looked at Xiao Jue, who was sticking his neck out, and felt a chill and disgust in his heart.
This is Lin Huisheng's good son! He actually fell in love with his own younger sister!
Even if he has other plans for his daughter with Yan Niang, meaning they are truly not related by blood, doesn't he realize that he is currently engaged to the Dai family? How could he do something so treacherous and humiliating?
"This is not a reason for you to break off the engagement with the Dai family. I will naturally find a good marriage for Yuyao."
Xiao Jue's lips tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and his gaze was unusually firm:
"No, Father, I truly love Yuyao. There is only Yuyao in my heart. Even if I marry Miss Dai in the future, we will probably become a resentful couple. It's better to cut my losses now!"
Hearing this, Madam Xiao felt her head ache even more.
The eldest son was about to get married, but this incident happened right before the wedding. She originally thought it was some girl from another family, but she never expected that the girl her eldest son loved was actually Yu Yao, whom they had raised as their own daughter for fourteen years!
Xiao Su was so angry that he stood up and, without saying a word, slapped Xiao Jue across the face.
Xiao Jue dared not dodge, nor could he dodge. He took the blow squarely, feeling dizzy and seeing stars. He turned his face to the side, his cheek burning with pain, half from shame and half from being hit.
He had been of legal age for over a year and was an official in the court. Although his official rank was not high, he was still respectfully addressed as "Young Master Xiao" when he went out. Apart from being punished by his father for being naughty when he was a child, he had not been beaten like this for a long time.
"Father, even if you beat me to death today, I will still say the same thing: I will marry no one but Yuyao in this life!"
Xiao Su was furious, but he couldn't tell the truth. He could only glare at his opponent and raise his hand to strike again.
"master!"
Madam Xiao couldn't bear to watch any longer and hurriedly called out.
"Does Master really want to beat Jue-ge to death?! Cough cough..."
After she finished shouting, she coughed violently. Li's mother was startled and quickly took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth. After she finished coughing, a bright red stain was left on the snow-white handkerchief.
Madam Xiao clutched it tightly in her hand, not letting Xiao Su and Xiao Jue see it. But at this moment, overwhelming exhaustion almost drowned her.
She breathed weakly, her voice trembling, as if finally accepting her fate, and slowly said:
“Master, let him be, let him break off the engagement. But you said you like Yuyao and want to marry her, so we should ask her opinion first.”
"Mother Li, go and bring Yuyao here."
Madam Xiao had two sons before finally having twins, a boy and a girl, and then a daughter.
In the past, she poured all her love and affection into Xiao Yuyao, cherishing her as if she were her own precious child.
Even though it was later proven to be a false alarm and Yuyao was not her biological daughter, she still couldn't ignore the daughter she had devoted so many years to. In her heart, Yuyao was still the one she cared about the most.
Even if her eldest son says he likes Yuyao, her first reaction is whether Yuyao feels the same way. If so, she wouldn't necessarily reject Yuyao as her daughter-in-law.
Secondly, doing this would be too unfair to the Dai family, and Jue-ge and Yu-yao would be gossiped about behind their backs.
Madam Li accepted the order, but dared not leave Madam Xiao's side for even a moment. She beckoned Xinrui, who had brought the letter, to go to Baozhen Courtyard again to invite the Fourth Miss over.
Xinrui responded deftly, but her heart was filled with complex emotions.
That's the advantage of serving in the main courtyard; you get to hear any news immediately.
The eldest son and the fourth daughter have actually pledged their lives to each other!
This was something they wouldn't have dared to even imagine before, or even just two months ago.
Although the two are not related by blood, the Fourth Miss has not yet come of age!
The eldest son is about to get married, how could he do such a thing?
In this dynasty, the age for proper marriage for men is mostly nineteen or twenty, and for women sixteen or seventeen.
It's not uncommon for girls to marry as young as thirteen or fourteen, but those were usually from extremely poor families or were exceptional cases like those involving emperors and empresses.
Logically speaking, the fourth daughter should have waited until she reached marriageable age before slowly looking for a husband.
Once a marriage is arranged, the process of betrothal, engagement, and betrothal gifts continues for at least half a year until the wedding. Therefore, most women marry at the age of sixteen or seventeen.
If the fourth young lady really marries the eldest young master...
Xinrui's thoughts wandered aimlessly. That would be perfect, since her family and husband's family were all the same. Fourth Miss wouldn't even have to leave the Xiao residence. She would probably be very happy about that.
Lost in thought, she arrived at Baozhen Courtyard.
It had been a long time since I'd been to Baozhen Courtyard; the two maids guarding the entrance were unfamiliar faces.
Xinrui thought about it for a moment and then understood.
First, the madam dismissed half of the maids in Baozhen Courtyard, then Mujin was sent away, and then Caihe... In just one month, Baozhen Courtyard has become so unfamiliar.
Xinrui sighed inwardly. When she reached the bedroom and said that the main courtyard invited the Fourth Miss over, the maid guarding the door glanced inside and hesitated.
"Sister Xinrui, Fourth Miss is having severe chest pains and can't even walk. She just took her medicine and has just fallen asleep. What do you think..."
Xinrui came to find someone on Madam Xiao's orders, but was unexpectedly turned away at the door.
These people probably thought they were trying to fool her because they realized it wasn't Li's mother who came.
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the people inside to hear:
"The eldest young master is kneeling in the main courtyard being punished because of the fourth young lady! If the fourth young lady doesn't go over, the eldest young master will be beaten to death by the master!"
"Move aside a bit. I don't believe Fourth Miss would have the heart to ignore this if she found out."
Xinrui's voice was loud, and the little maid was just following orders and didn't have much loyalty to Xiao Yuyao. When she saw that she couldn't stop her, she stopped and watched as the person squeezed in.
Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yuyao, who was pretending to be asleep under the covers, pursed her lips and frowned slightly.
Useless things are never as useful as the people of the past!
She moved her eyelids, as if she had just been woken up, and slowly opened her eyes.
"Xinrui? Did Mother give you some instructions? Cough cough..."
Xiao Yuyao coughed lightly twice, looking like a sickly Xi Shi.
Xinrui saw it all, but her heart remained unmoved. It wasn't that she had any issues with the Fourth Miss; it was simply that she had grown accustomed to seeing the Madam cough so often these days.
"Fourth Miss, I knew you wouldn't stand idly by. The eldest young master has already confessed to the master and madam. You'd better hurry up and pack your things and come with me to the main courtyard!"
"What?!"
Xiao Yuyao's vision went black, and she almost fainted.
"What do you think my brother confessed?!"
"The eldest young master said that he and you are in love and have already pledged their lives to each other, which is why he wants to break off his engagement with the Dai family..."
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