Chapter 334 Song Jinxiu: Tang Ning, do you really want to break up with me so clearly?
Lanterns were hanging high in front of the Tang Mansion. After Fu Laiqing finished speaking, his face turned much redder than the lanterns.
Qi Cheng saw his embarrassed and angry look and said, "What? Can't hold it in anymore?"
Fu Laiqing glared at him.
Qi Cheng was not too annoyed about his friend's admiration for the girl from the Qian family. He mostly admired Qian Qiyue, and more importantly, he just felt that their family backgrounds and personalities were suitable. It was not necessary for her to be the only one. Besides, he would only be happy for Fu Laiqing if he could find someone he liked.
After a few jokes, Qi Cheng said to Fu Laiqing seriously, "Since you like her, why don't you ask your family to go to the Qian family to propose marriage?"
"Don't blame me for not reminding you. The Qian family's daughter has already reached marriage age. If the Qian family didn't love her, she would have been married long ago. Besides, Madam Qian isn't the only one looking for a man for her. I can give in for the sake of our long-standing friendship, but others might not."
Qian Baokun holds the reins of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Qian family is a prominent family in Lingnan. There are many families in Beijing who want to marry into their family.
He doesn't marry, but there are many people who want to marry him.
Mrs. Qian could always find someone suitable for her daughter to marry among those people.
Qi Cheng patted his friend's shoulder and said earnestly, "If you really like her, you should have taken action earlier and asked the old lady to go to the Qian family to propose marriage. Don't wait for others to get there first before trying to steal her away. If you do that, not only will it be immoral, but Lord Cao will also break your legs if he finds out."
Fu Laiqing slapped the claw off his shoulder and gave him a cold look: "Who is trying to steal my girlfriend?"
He just hadn't realized his feelings before.
He had never liked anyone before, and fell headfirst in love with the Princess of Yi Yang. He was pinched before the iron tree could bloom. He thought he always paid attention to Qian Qiyue just because she was the Princess of Yi Yang's friend, but today when they both fell into the water, he only had eyes for Qian Qiyue. Only then did Fu Laiqing realize that he had long been attracted to the proud and beautiful little peacock of the Qian family.
Qi Cheng bumped into him: "How about it, do you want me to help you? You are her savior today..."
"Don't mess around!" Fu Laiqing warned quickly, "I know how to handle the Qian family's affairs. Don't get involved and ruin her reputation!"
He paused, then said to Qi Cheng, "When you go back, remember to tell your aunt not to discuss marriage with the Qian family, so as to avoid misunderstandings in the future. Also..."
"besides?"
"Ask your aunt to help me find out which families Madam Qian has been dating..."
“Puff!”
Qi Cheng couldn't help but burst out laughing. Seeing Fu Laiqing's face flushed and his eyes full of shame and anger, he laughed louder and louder, and finally he almost couldn't stand up because of his laughter.
Seeing the servant from the Tang Mansion looking over here, Fu Laiqing covered his mouth in anger and dragged him into the carriage.
…
After everyone else left, Song Jinxiu stayed in the Tang Mansion for a while. He whispered to the painter Yue Jian, who he had found from somewhere, about the face of the man who had bumped into Tang Ning and the others at night. He watched as the "painter" quickly drew several portraits on paper.
"Master Song, take a look, but who among them is this?"
Song Jinxiu stepped forward and looked at the drawing paper. His expression gradually changed. After a moment, he pointed at one of the people and said, "This one is about 60% similar to that person, except that his eyes are longer and his jaw is slightly wider."
The painter changed the expression of the person in the portrait with just a few strokes.
Song Jinxiu suppressed his shock and lowered his head: "It's him. He's not tall, a bit fat, wearing a coarse cloth short shirt, and he has a hunched back when he runs."
After Yue Jian wrote it down, he gave an instruction to the side. Soon someone came forward and delivered the finished portrait to Cang Lang who was still searching outside. The painter also saluted Tang Ning and retreated.
Song Jinxiu was still immersed in shock and couldn't help but look at Tang Ning: "When did you get such a good painter?"
Tang Ning said calmly, "They are not my people, they are from the Privy Council. It is common for my brother and his people to investigate cases and investigate people, so they naturally have experts who can draw portraits."
Song Jinxiu's face froze, having been surprised.
Tang Ning glanced at Yue Jian, who was standing by. Yue Jian came forward with a box in her hand and said, "Thank you, Lord Song, for helping my daughter tonight. This is the Jinhua Chengni inkstone that my daughter got some time ago. I'll give it to you as a thank you gift today. I hope you'll accept it."
Song Jinxiu looked at Tang Ning in disbelief: "I didn't help you for these things, and meeting you tonight was not a deliberate plan. I just happened to see you in danger and was worried that you might get into trouble, so I chased after you. I didn't think of anything else..."
"I know, but etiquette cannot be abolished. I have no connection with Lord Song anymore. Since you helped me, I naturally have to thank you." Tang Ning was calm.
Song Jinxiu's face suddenly turned pale: "Tang Ning, you really want to be so clear with me? I'm your brother, and you won't believe me at all?"
Tang Ning turned her head to look at his unacceptable expression, feeling both puzzled and amused.
She and the Song family had fallen into such a mess because of the hatred in the previous life, and the Song family was destroyed because of her. Everyone outside knew that they could never go back to the way they were before, but why could Song Jinxiu still pretend that nothing had happened, and say the word "brother" to her?
Tang Ning looked at Song Jinxiu's face and suddenly chuckled: "Sir Song, does it matter whether I believe you or not?" Seeing Song Jinxiu open his mouth to speak, she raised her lips and said: "I heard that your family had a wedding some time ago, and Sir Song was recommended to the emperor."
"Sir Song is now free from the burden of the Song family and should be on the rise with a bright future. Why dwell on the past?"
Song Jinxiu's lips trembled, and all the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. His fingers were clenched in his sleeves until the knuckles turned white. Looking at the girl in front of him with cold eyes, he felt a chill all over his body.
She knew about Song Shulan's affairs.
She knew that he was using Song Shulan to exchange for his future in the court...
"Tang Ning, please listen to my explanation. Song Shulan..."
"Master Song, you don't have to explain to me. Song Shulan is your sister. It's your own business to decide how to arrange her future. I'm not interested in what's going on between you two."
"I don't like you bringing up the past, and I hate owing you a favor. Or does Lord Song feel that this inkstone is not enough to repay you for what you did tonight?"
Tang Ning said to the side, "Yue Jian, go get some more things from the storehouse."
Yue Jian pretended to turn around.
Song Jinxiu pursed his lips and said in a broken voice, "That's enough. You don't have to humiliate me. I'll take this inkstone!"
Yue Jian came forward holding the brocade box.
After Song Jinxiu reached out to take it, his hand holding the box turned white.
Even though he already knew that the girl in front of him was no longer the same Song Tangning, and that she would no longer speak to him softly and call him "brother" as before, Song Jinxiu still felt a dull pain in his heart.
Those sudden memories made him feel guilty and ashamed. He wanted to make amends and tell her that he would never treat her the same way as before, but she would never believe him again.
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