Zhen Wanwan stretched out her hands and unexpectedly touched a soft, large hand.
She looked up in disbelief; it wasn't a hallucination!
Zhu Yuan stood alive beside the carriage, gazing at her tenderly.
Zhen Wanwan was stunned for a moment before she reacted.
Why are you back?
Zhu Yuan raised an eyebrow, feigning a wronged expression, and said, "Does my wife not like seeing her husband?"
"That's not entirely true!"
Zhen Wanwan smiled awkwardly, then accepted his help to get out of the car without feeling guilty.
Wang Cuihua, who had watched the whole thing from the side, couldn't help but blush. She vaguely remembered the time when she and Zhen Fugui had just gotten married.
They were very much in love, but as time went on, they became a little complacent.
On the other side, Zhou Ersao, who was holding fresh vegetables and preparing them for Zhen's family, watched this scene from afar.
She murmured with a touch of melancholy, "Life is truly unpredictable! Back then, I thought Qu Tongsheng and Wanmei were a perfect match, but now they seem to be an even better couple!"
It's all because Qu Tongsheng acted too late; his perfectly good wife is gone just like that!
While Zhou Ersao was sighing with regret, Aunt Qu was lamenting every day, slapping her thigh in remorse.
Her eyesight was already poor, but now, because of Qu Huaiyuan's situation, she cries frequently and her eyes are almost completely blind.
As for Qu Huaiyuan, who was coveted by many, he looked helplessly at the food box in front of him.
You don't even need to guess to know that it contains delicate pastries.
This wasn't the first time such a situation had occurred; it started as early as the second month after he began teaching at the academy.
At that time, he regained his confidence and wholeheartedly wanted to shine in the field of education.
He unexpectedly met Miss Xu and inadvertently helped her with a small favor.
Since then, he has often run into the other person, and over time they have exchanged more words.
Knowing that Miss Xu was quite talented, the two would exchange a few words whenever they met.
I don’t know when it started, but Miss Xu always brought him snacks and books to his school.
Although he always refused and wouldn't eat these things, his colleagues at the academy were already gossiping about him behind his back.
It is said that he was able to enter the teaching profession as a mere student because of his seductive skills, having seduced Miss Xu.
Whenever he heard these words, Qu Huaiyuan was both angry and annoyed, but he didn't want to confront them directly.
As time went on, everyone in the academy, including the students, came to believe that he and Miss Xu were doomed to die.
And because she got along well with Xu Shan, this wave of rumors became even more outrageous.
They wanted to stop something, but it was too late.
Therefore, he decided to personally apologize to Headmaster Xu later.
He would accept whatever punishment was offered, without complaint, as long as it restored Miss Xu's reputation.
Looking at the upright figure kneeling on the ground, Headmaster Xu couldn't help but sigh.
"Huaiyuan, get up quickly!"
Headmaster Xu knew more about the academy than anyone else.
But he let these words fester, harboring feelings for Qu Huaiyuan deep down.
If it were a more stable period in the past, he might not have thought much of Qu Huaiyuan.
Now the Hua Dynasty is in disarray, neither a proper country nor a proper ruler.
If he doesn't find himself a powerful backer soon, he might not live to see the end of his life.
Furthermore, Qu Huaiyuan's literary talent exceeded his expectations, and his character was that of a rare gentleman.
His youngest daughter was also fond of him, and after much deliberation, Xu Shanzhang finally chose Qu Huaiyuan as his future son-in-law.
Firstly, Qu Huaiyuan was recommended by Zhu Yuan, so he naturally had Zhu Yuan's trust in him.
Secondly, the youngest daughter is not young anymore, and although there are quite a few married young people in Guangling County.
But those families are complicated, and the youngest daughter is simple and kind-hearted. Without anyone to protect her, she may not have a good life.
He had already sent people to investigate Qu Huaiyuan's background and found that he only had a blind old mother at home.
Once the daughter marries into the family, she can be in charge of the household. We can then provide her with a larger dowry and allow Qu Huaiyuan to stay and live in the county town.
A century later, after his mother passed away, Qu Huaiyuan's roots were also connected with the Xu family.
And this is the person my own daughter likes!
Xu Shanzhang was weighing the pros and cons, but Qu Huaiyuan was completely unaware of it. He only had respect for Miss Xu and had absolutely no romantic feelings for her.
He could never forgive himself for ruining the young lady's reputation because of his own actions.
"This matter concerning Headmaster Xu is my fault! I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate! It's just that Miss Xu was indeed harmed."
Headmaster Xu waved his hand, politely declining his explanation.
"I know you two are innocent! As for what others are saying, let them talk. As long as you have a clear conscience..."
Qu Huaiyuan frowned. That made sense, but a girl's good reputation was so important.
She will eventually have to get married, and if her future husband's family has a problem with her because of him, he might feel guilty for the rest of his life.
"But…"
"No buts! You go ahead and get busy, I still need to go to the county government office later!"
Just now, his eldest son-in-law, Chen Yong, sent someone to deliver a letter, asking him to come to the yamen when he had time.
My son-in-law has always respected him. If it weren't something important, he would have come to tell me in person. Why would I ask him to come and discuss it?
Therefore, after dealing with Qu Huaiyuan, Headmaster Xu rushed to the yamen without stopping.
As Zhen Wanwan ate the delicious food, she gave Zhu Yuan a thumbs-up and praised, "Your cooking is truly superb! It's even better than what you get at a five-star hotel!"
"Really? Then I'll cook for you more often when I have time!"
Although Zhu Yuan didn't understand what a five-star hotel was, he could tell from Zhen Wanwan's expression that she was very satisfied with her cooking.
Having gone to great lengths to improve his own favorability rating, Zhu Yuan certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to show his loyalty.
Upon hearing this, Zhen Wanwan ate even more heartily.
I never expected that Zhu Yuan, who seems so aloof and unapproachable, would also have a down-to-earth side.
Feeling the other person's doting affection, Zhen Wanwan's slight fear of him vanished instantly.
Having such a handsome man cook for me in the future would be such a wonderful thing.
With this hope in mind, Zhen Wanwan quickly finished her dinner.
After the candles were lit inside, the two gazed at each other with lingering reluctance.
"Does Your Excellency intend to go out again now that you're back?"
Zhen Wanwan felt a little reluctant, but she also knew that now was not the time for her to be willful.
"We're getting married in a month, how could I leave?"
Upon hearing his words, Zhen Wanwan couldn't help but smile.
"Really? What about your official duties?"
Zhu Yuan stepped forward, smoothed the stray hairs from her forehead, and calmly explained, "I've basically taken care of most of the things outside."
"My biggest duty right now is to stay here and wait for you to marry me and bring me home!"
Sensing this intimacy, Zhen Wanwan did not flinch at all.
But his statement that he was fine was not very believable.
"Don't be like those students who only report good news and not bad. I'm not a delicate woman. If something happens, I can support you!"
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