"Please sit down, Miss Qingluan." As he spoke, He Shuang politely poured Xue Qingluan a cup of tea.
He Jiu, who had been standing next to the main seat, remained expressionless, his eyes unfocused and never on Xue Qingluan and Wei Jingran, completely like a transparent person.
Wei Jingran couldn't help but glance at the girl with a somewhat cold aura, secretly thinking to himself, "This girl is really different from the warm and hospitable He Shuang."
These are two completely opposite extremes.
With that cold face and that chilling aura, you could feel a refreshing coolness even in the sweltering heat.
Matching the aloof girl's aura was He Si, who hadn't uttered a word the entire time. The two were like mirror images of each other, both with cold faces and silent, their presence quite intimidating.
Just standing there with a cold expression and arms crossed, it inexplicably made people feel a little uneasy.
Wei Jingran wanted to leave; he didn't want to stay in this natural 'cold cellar'.
But the thought that he would see Young Master He again later, and that Young Master He would come back, made Wei Jingran's desire to leave change.
Looking up at He Shuang, he coughed lightly, subtly inquiring about Helsin and Xue Qingluan's situation.
"Ahem, Sister He Shuang, since Young Master He called you by your name just now, I'll call you Sister He Shuang as well."
After Wei Jingran finished speaking, before He Shuang could even open her mouth, she started asking about the two of them.
"I heard from Sister Qingluan that she doesn't know Young Master He. How does Young Master He know Sister Qingluan?"
Could it be that I saw it by chance at some point?
He Shuang smiled, his words perfectly tactful.
"Who in this tiny Red City doesn't know the name of Miss Qingluan? Those who know of Miss Qingluan must have long admired her."
Wei Jingran gave an awkward smile.
"Uh... really? Sister Qingluan is quite the celebrity in Hongcheng."
Licking his lips, Wei Jingran continued to press, "What does Young Master He think of Sister Qingluan? Why did he give her clothes? They don't even know each other."
“My master has always held Miss Qingluan in high esteem,” He Shuang paused, glancing meaningfully at Xue Qingluan with a smile, “otherwise he would not have presented her with this garment as a sign of his admiration.”
Hearing He Shuang's blatant words, Wei Jingran couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"Sister He Shuang, our Qing Luan is not the kind of fickle woman. Sister Qing Luan and my brother were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little—"
Upon hearing this, Xue Qingluan's expression stiffened. She put down her teacup, glanced at Wei Jingran, and then looked at He Shuang with a charming smile, interrupting Wei Jingran's words.
"I grew up with Brother Jingyue, Sister Jingran, and a few other playmates. We all grew up together like this. Our families were on good terms, so we naturally became friends. I have a pretty good relationship with all my playmates."
With just a few words, Xue Qingluan cleared up her ambiguous relationship with Wei Jingyue, subtly creating distance between the two.
Seeing Xue Qingluan speaking with a charming smile, Wei Jingran opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything more.
Sister Qingluan was here smiling and chatting, saying that everyone had a good relationship. What else could she say?
For these prominent families, interactions were commonplace. They exchanged gifts and favors, and the younger generation often played and hung out together during family gatherings.
After she said that, it's no longer possible to say that she had any romantic relationship with her brother.
Wei Jingran twisted his fingers, feeling somewhat unwilling, but unable to refute anything.
To be precise, Sister Qingluan and Brother did not have any private dealings. Although they usually got along well, all the gifts that Brother sent to her residence were returned unopened.
There really isn't much evidence to refute the claim that she has ties to Columbia University.
However, although there was nothing between Sister Qingluan and Brother, both families tacitly acknowledged their relationship.
They were both planning to become in-laws.
Even if Sister Qingluan is unwilling, the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers have always been paramount. So, even if Sister Qingluan is unwilling, can she still disagree?
Therefore, her marriage to her brother is definitely a done deal.
She's making things clear now to avoid any suspicion between her and this Mr. He, and to dispel any inappropriate thoughts he might have.
To avoid future complications and troubles.
If her reputation is ruined, how can she marry into the Wei family?
The more Wei Jingran thought about it, the more he felt that what he said made sense, and the more he felt that he should stop Young Master He's overstepping his bounds.
Yes, she'll have to keep a close eye on this Young Master He and Sister Qingluan from now on.
He Shuang's smile deepened slightly. Hearing Xue Qingluan's nonchalant yet deliberate defense, he roughly understood that Xue Qingluan and that young master of the Wei family had nothing going on.
They were immediately even more satisfied with the choice of this future matriarch.
A girl as famous as her in Hongcheng is indeed qualified to be the future matriarch of the He family.
Of course, this is just one of the candidates.
We'll have to look into the specifics further.
Xue Qingluan from Hongcheng wasn't the only one who could find a suitable girl who matched her master's status in every way.
Her wife had secretly prepared and selected several people early on.
Each of them was a lady from a distinguished family. Although they were not from a prestigious family, they were all outstanding individuals, no less than Xue Qingluan.
However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The He family is rooted in Hongcheng, so it is naturally more advantageous to marry someone closer to home, which would also facilitate the He family's business dealings in Hongcheng.
In Hongcheng, the Xue family is considered a local power. No matter how good the people are in other places, they have to submit when they come to Hongcheng. This is what is meant by "even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake."
This is why the master prefers Xue Qingluan, the eldest daughter of the Xue family.
Today's event also serves as a test.
Although we haven't gotten to know each other well yet, we've already gotten to know each other fairly well.
She is well-mannered, poised, and speaks with depth; she is a shrewd and intelligent young woman, not an ignorant and naive heiress.
The He family needs a wise matriarch; a naive young lady is not suitable to be the matriarch of the He family.
From this perspective, Xue Qingluan did a good job.
She is a girl who is tactful and diplomatic in her dealings with others.
Her master had seen the portrait of this Qingluan girl before, and there were quite a few portraits in which the girl was more beautiful than Qingluan.
However, her master was not the kind of person who valued women.
So after hearing about the backgrounds of the girls from various families, I decided to meet her.
But that doesn't mean it's decided that she's the one.
Next, we'll see if this young lady, Qingluan, can withstand the test of being chosen as a wife by the He family.
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