Zhou Zifang shook his head and placed his hands on Qiu Ling'er's shoulders:
"In Brother Zifang's eyes, Sister Ling'er's flaws are also her strengths!"
Zhou Zifang's eyes reddened, and he finally spoke the words he had been holding back for so long.
Unable to control his emotions, he unconsciously embraced her for the first time.
"When I'm with other girls, all I can think about is you. I don't want to settle for someone else."
"Ever since Ling'er was a child, Brother Zifang has loved her. And when Ling'er was a child, she loved her brother too."
"It's just that my younger sister has grown up and doesn't like her older brother anymore."
"...Brother Zifang." Faced with Zhou Zifang's sudden action, Qiu Ling'er silently pushed him away.
Being with Zhou Zifang always made her feel a little... In short, their relationship felt like that of a brother and sister, which made Qiu Ling'er's heart not in it.
Qiu Ling'er slowly shook her head, her mood becoming depressed.
"I do like Brother Zifang, but that's because Brother Zifang once said that he wanted to be the older brother."
She was naive, naively believing that Zhou Zifang's feelings for her were those of a brother and sister.
I never imagined that Brother Zifang had secretly liked me for so many years.
Zhou Zifang shook his head in agreement. He had indeed said he wanted to be Ling'er's older brother.
But wasn't that because Ling'er was still young at the time, and he wanted to find a reason to get closer to her?
"Ling'er, promise me you won't marry anyone else, okay? Your brother Zifang only wants to marry you."
Qiu Ling'er had been in Shanghai since she arrived, and she had heard many stories of favoring concubines over wives.
Therefore, she wholeheartedly wants to find a man who will treat her well.
Influenced by her older sister, she didn't want to share a man with other women.
But looking at those young masters,
It's hard to guarantee that they won't have a large number of wives and concubines in the future.
Aside from his brother-in-law, very few of the sons of prominent families remain single.
She nodded silently: "Give me some time."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zifang finally smiled.
"Silly little sister."
My younger sister has the softest heart.
Even though she didn't understand his feelings for her, she didn't want to hurt him anymore when she thought about the past.
"Brother Zifang, weren't you a businessman before? Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; you don't necessarily have to pursue a career in government." Qiu Ling'er suddenly changed the subject.
We can't go on like this, or she won't know how to respond.
"Sister Ling'er is interested in a career in government." Zhou Zifang's words sent a shiver down Qiu Ling'er's spine.
Perhaps, Brother Zifang is the best choice.
Perhaps she could try to accept him.
In the blink of an eye, she saw the young men who had been following her gradually disappear in the distance, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, she'll definitely tell the matchmaker to go back to her and never arrange another marriage for her again.
"Ling'er, your brother Zifang is leaving now," Zhou Zifang suddenly said.
He's going back to school.
"Hmm." Qiu Ling'er also had to rush to the Hall of Forgetfulness. With Master Susu sitting alone, it was inevitable that she would be flustered.
Zhou Zifang left, and Qiu Ling'er watched his retreating figure, unable to describe her feelings.
"Ling'er." Turning around, she saw it was her own brother, and gave an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, brother. What brought you here all of a sudden?"
"Your brother has been following you all the way." Qiu Xu gently stroked his sister's hair with one hand.
"That's wonderful! Our Ling'er is getting married soon."
Qiu Ling'er pulled her brother's hand away. "Ling'er is not in a hurry. Let's wait until brother gets married first before it's my turn."
Qiu Xu spun his palm in the air and attached it to Qiu Ling'er's hair bun once more.
“My brother isn’t in a hurry either.”
"Brother, do you have a sister-in-law you like?" Qiu Ling'er asked with a smile.
"..." Qiu Xu pursed his lips, a faint smile on his face.
"Is it that Miss Sun?" Qiu Ling'er asked again.
She saw clearly the scene of her brother and Sun Wan alone that day.
Qiu Xu remained silent, only smiling faintly.
Qiu Ling'er frowned: "Brother has poor judgment."
She had long heard about Sun Wan's infatuation with her brother-in-law, and she also remembered the day Sun Wan made sarcastic remarks to her sister.
All these incidents left her with a bad impression of Sun Wan. "How about Ling'er chooses a sister-in-law for her brother?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Xu's subordinates were not paying attention, and in an instant, Qiu Ling'er's hair became a mess.
"Brother!" Qiu Ling'er said angrily, straightening her hair again.
"Miss Sun is no good, brother, you mustn't like her..."
"Sister, you can't judge a book by its cover," Qiu Xu interrupted Qiu Ling'er.
This left Qiu Ling'er feeling resentful.
However, after hearing her brother's words, she said no more.
"Brother's sudden appearance, is it because you don't care about Xinling'er?"
Qiu Xu nodded, placed his palm on Qiu Ling'er's hair again, and said with a doting smile, "You're my only sister, so of course I'm worried about you."
Qiu Ling'er once again brushed her brother's hand away: "Don't you even trust Brother Zifang?"
Qiu Xu shook his head and looked at the distant market. "I'm worried about him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Bai appeared.
"Qiu Xu, what do you mean?" Strange, how did he discover me?
Mu Bai followed him all the way, and he didn't even notice Qiu Xu's presence until Qiu Xu showed up.
"Brother Mu Bai, as you just saw, my sister has someone she loves."
Qiu Ling'er: "..."
Mu Bai smiled wryly. Qiu Xu, do you have to be so blunt?
"A beautiful lady is sought after by a gentleman. Ling'er, are you sure you don't want to reconsider me, Young Master Mu Bai?"
"Young Master Mu Bai, another day, Ling'er will introduce my cousin to you." Qiu Ling'er politely declined.
She had only said it casually, but unexpectedly, Mu Bai pressed her for answers.
"Okay, which cousin?"
Qiu Ling'er: "..." It's as if she dug a hole and buried herself.
She wanted to say, "There are plenty of fish in the sea."
Qiu Xu chuckled to himself, "Alright, I'll introduce you to my cousin another day." Of all the cousins who came to Shangjin, only Ruolan was a ten-year-old girl.
He didn't think so; he thought of himself at ten years old.
When they were ten years old, their fates took a dramatic turn because of their older sister.
"You said it yourself," Mu Bai readily agreed.
Looking at Qiu Xu and his sister, he couldn't help but sigh,
"Sigh, what kind of parents could raise such outstanding siblings as you two?"
Moreover, both of them came from farming families.
"Not my parents, but my older sister. She raised me single-handedly," Qiu Ling'er corrected.
In her heart, her sister was more than just a sister.
Qiu Xu nodded in agreement: "We lost both our parents when we were young. Over the years, my sister has been both our father and mother, raising us siblings."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Mu Bai felt apologetic upon hearing this.
"It's nothing," Qiu Xu said with a calm smile.
Qiu Ling'er shook her head as well, said goodbye, and walked towards the Forget-Worry Hall.
If she doesn't go there soon, Master Susu will go crazy.
Speaking of the General's Mansion,
After Qiu Ling'er left, Sun Wan arrived.
Upon seeing Qiu Yan, who was seated in the main seat, she first bowed in greeting.
"Sun Wan greets the Princess."
Qiu Yan stood up: "Miss Sun, there's no need for such formalities."
Sun Wan's sudden politeness made her feel a little uncomfortable.
She wondered whether Miss Sun had come to find Gu Qian or Ah Xu.
She knew that Sun Wan had previously admired Gu Qian.
She also knew that her younger brother was in love with Sun Wan.
She didn't know what advantages this Miss Sun had that could make her younger brother take notice.
Love between men and women is like that; it's hard to explain or describe.
Qiu Yan looked at Sun Wan with a smile, waiting for her to continue.
"Your Highness, Sun Wan has come to apologize." After saying this, Sun Wan once again bowed deeply to Qiu Yan.
Qiu Yan stepped forward to help her up, but saw Sun Wan kneel down, kowtow, and continue:
“On the day of the coup, it was Sun Wan’s petty mind that made her slander the Princess in front of everyone. Sun Wan knows that the Princess is not that kind of person. Sun Wan is young and does not know the gravity of the situation. I hope the Princess will forgive me.”
"This," Qiu Yan stopped what she was doing and asked slowly:
"In that case, what kind of person is this Princess Consort in Miss Sun's eyes?"
“The Princess is a heroine.” Sun Wan raised her eyes and continued, “The Princess was not afraid of powerful enemies and went into danger alone to save countless people of Dongjin from danger. She is a role model for us women.”
This matter has been widely known among the people of Shangjin.
If there are no princes or princesses in the court, the day of Shangjin will be in grave danger.
"Thank you for your kind words." Qiu Yan shook her head and stepped forward to help Sun Wan, who was still kneeling on the ground, to her feet.
She still feels lingering fear when she thinks about what happened that day.
Fortunately, it was a close call.
"Your Highness, there is one more thing." Sun Wan's face showed further apology.
"What is it?" Qiu Yan asked.
“Sun Wan has no feelings for the Prince, and I hope that Your Highness will not take the previous matter to heart,” Sun Wan said sincerely.
"Does Miss Sun have someone she likes?" Qiu Yan countered, though in truth, she hadn't taken Sun Wan's actions that day to heart at all.
To be honest, she didn't fancy Sun Wan.
The reason she's making so many inquiries about her now is entirely because of her younger brother.
“…I…” Sun Wan stammered, her face flushing.
"No?"
“…” Sun Wan blushed, and in the blink of an eye, she saw Qiu Xu approaching.
She became increasingly shy, but when facing Qiu Xu, she stubbornly raised her head high.
"Sister, Miss Sun is blushing from your questions." Qiu Xu stood in front of Sun Wan as soon as he arrived.
Qiu Yan... you've forgotten your sister now that you have a wife!
Anyone who didn't know better would think she was bullying the girl.
"Didn't you go to the Ministry of War?"
"I've finished my business," Qiu Xu replied. He had returned long ago, having followed his sister all the way, and had just come back.
Having said that, he turned to look at Sun Wan.
"Miss Sun, what brings you here?" Qiu Xu said with a smile, then moved closer to Sun Wan and whispered.
"Are you here to ask for a sachet, or a purse?"
She remembered the purse, but this sachet? Sun Wan suddenly realized...
To cover her tracks during the jade bracelet incident, she put the returned gold ingots into a sachet.
Seeing that the two had met and she couldn't get a word in edgewise, Qiu Yan simply took her leave.
After Qiu Yan left, Sun Wan hurriedly said goodbye to Qiu Xu.
"Well, you're busy, I'll head back now."
As she spoke, she prepared to leave.
But listen to Qiu Xu's words,
"I send you."
Suddenly shook his head.
"No need, Qing'er is still waiting for me outside the courtyard."
“I’m going to visit Lord Sun. It just so happens that I have something to discuss with him.” Qiu Xu left no room for refusal.
“You’re from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites… what could possibly be going on?” Sun Wan asked, puzzled. But when she finally received no reply, her heart began to race.
On the road,
The maid Qing'er looked at the couple in front of her, her mind racing.
Sun Wan glanced at the man following behind her every now and then, nervously clenching her fingers.
"Qiu Xu, I thought you hated me."
“I didn’t like you before. You were arrogant and domineering, you verbally provoked my sister, and you even tried to steal my brother-in-law. Also, you were clearly short of money, but you were too proud to admit it. You were full of flaws.”
Qiu Xu spoke the truth, which displeased Sun Wan, who glared at him fiercely.
"Hmph, then why are you giving me a gift now? You're being so attentive out of the blue, you're actually trying to take advantage of me."
This man even knew about her financial difficulties, which made her extremely embarrassed.
"You're clearly terrified, yet you still act in a way you think is good, which is extremely stupid," Qiu Xu replied, seemingly ignoring the question.
"Who...who are you calling stupid?" Sun Wan turned around, lightly tiptoeing to quicken her pace, but inwardly she was filled with regret.
She almost lost her life at the hands of Huyan Xun that day.
"Since I have so many flaws, why did you even mention coming to propose marriage?"
"Because you're very interesting," Qiu Xu said to himself, a smile playing on his lips.
Even he himself felt that his words were contradictory.
"Interesting?" This was the first time Sun Wan had heard someone describe him that way.
"Yes, it's interesting." Qiu Xu quickened his pace to walk alongside Sun Wan.
"You are flamboyant yet unpretentious, extreme yet never stubborn, gentle yet not affected. You may have some shortcomings in your interpersonal skills, but you are not cunning. Your greatest strength is your authenticity."
What Qiu Xu valued was Sun Wan's authenticity.
He had met daughters of wealthy families before.
It should be noted that the matchmaker not only introduced marriages to Ling'er, but also quite a few other potential partners.
But those girls,
Or hypocritical, acting recklessly,
Or weak and spineless, devoid of personality,
Or arrogant, pointing fingers,
Of course, the former are all in the minority.
Most of the time,
Generous and unremarkable, yet monotonous.
Originally, his sister had chosen several girls for him who were of good character, manners, and reputation.
He had originally planned to choose one of them.
However, he met Sun Wan.
"You've only known me for a few days, yet you've already figured me out completely, both openly and secretly." Sun Wan suddenly felt that Qiu Xu was somewhat frightening, and couldn't help but distance herself from him.
Qiu Xu: "It's only been a few days, but who told you to live such a simple life?"
"What if I don't like you?" Sun Wan boasted that her father was the Minister of Rites.
Although Qiu Xu was skilled in both literature and martial arts, he was ultimately just a minor official in the Ministry of War.
The Sun family members are all high-ranking officials with generous salaries, all holding positions of the fourth rank or higher.
Sun Wan attracted attention from a young age.
In the past, she wouldn't even give a second glance to men like Qiu Xu, whom she considered promiscuous.
Qiu Xu: "At least you don't reject it."
“I’m not opposed to it.” Sun Wan didn’t hesitate; instead, she stepped forward.
"Young Master Qiu has said it, so you must do it."
Qiu Xu saved her from danger that day, a memory she will never forget.
"Of course." Qiu Xu's smile widened.
He certainly knew what Sun Wan was referring to.
But the thought of Minister Sun still put him under some pressure.
Qiu Xu and Sun Wan, along with their servant, went to the Sun residence.
Sun Mansion
Although it was nearing noon, Minister Sun was still at the Ministry of Rites, while only Madam Sun was leisurely sitting on a cool chair, taking a nap with her eyes closed.
Sun Wan returned home without disturbing her mother's rest.
Qiu Xu, on his first visit, brought some gifts, which naturally attracted the attention of the servants of the Sun family, who scrutinized him from head to toe.
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