Su Rong coughed and started venting to Zhou Gu about an incident from three years ago. She was minding her own business when some lecherous man took an interest in her. This caused a considerable amount of trouble for her, causing her to feel utterly disgusted. Furthermore, the Inspector’s wife, being a woman of power and prestige, took advantage of her status to bully Su Rong and her family.
When she finished, she looked at Zhou Gu innocently. "I’ve held this grudge for three years. You told me to flaunt the tiger’s skin and wave the big flag."
Zhou Gu gave a nod, "Indeed, what’s said can’t be unsaid. Water that has been spilled can’t be retrieved. Therefore, are you hoping to have the Inspector and his wife apologize to your parents?"
"They would be apologizing to you."
"Isn’t it the same thing?" Zhou Gu raised an eyebrow.
Su Rong laughed joyfully, "Indeed, it’s somewhat the same. Once they learn that you are my future husband, they will also have offended you. Even if they come over and apologize to you, they will still have to soothe my parents by using flattering words. Isn’t that so?"
She didn’t try to hide her excitement, "That feels so satisfying!"
Zhou Gu gave her a sidelong glance, noting with amusement and without any politeness, "A villain succeeds."
Su Rong: "..."
She nodded in agreement, "Yes, you’re right. Who could blame me for being born with such a low status yet such immense beauty. It’s not my fault. The universe simply did a poor job for me."
She then turned to Yuewan and said, "Go and find a boat. If we delay any longer, it will be dark."
Yuewan jolted awake and hurried off.
Although Su Rong didn’t frequently take Yuewan out for fun, she had done so a couple of times over the past month. Yuewan was familiar with the surroundings, and before long, had secured a boat. A boat that was neither big nor small. It had an open canopy, which was not only a shelter from the sun but also comforting.
The group of four boarded the boat, and the boatman steered it away from the shore.
The boatman was an old man who knew Su Rong. He asked her with a grin, "Miss Su, I have never seen you out playing with a young master before. This young master is...?"
"He is my fiancé."
The boatman praised, "Oh, the young master is indeed a handsome young man among men. You are very lucky, Miss Su."
Su Rong smiled, "Indeed."
The boatman asked, "Which family does this young master belong to? I’ve never heard about Miss Su having a fiancé."
"Capital City."
The boatman exclaimed again, "Capital City, that’s under the Emperor’s feet! Are you planning to leave Jiangning after getting married, Miss Su?"
"Well, maybe if I can marry him successfully." Su Rong then glanced at Zhou Gu, her eyes twinkling with amusement, "Old sir, could you catch a bucket of fish later? I want to make a whole fish feast for him."
"Sure!"
Zhou Gu’s face mirrored various expressions. After a while, he whispered, "You don’t feel any shame, do you? You seem so at ease when you talk."
Every time she mentioned the term fiancé, he felt as if she was somehow showing off. But if he scolded her, she did not say anything wrong. After all, they have a marriage arrangement, and he is her fiance. There is no reason to say she’s wrong.
Sensing his dissatisfaction, Su Rong replies in a low voice, "My face, it attracts too much attention. Over the years, unwanted suitors keep flocking towards me, and lecherous men are everywhere. As I’m a low-born girl, every time I go out, it’s easy for me to attract flies. But now that you’re here and you’re my fiancé, shouldn’t I be open and aboveboard about our arrangement?"
She confessed helplessly, "I’ve been repressing myself for too long. Please understand?"
Zhou Gu: "..."
His gaze fell on Su Rong’s face - pinkish with peach blossoms, beautiful and stunning. Indeed, she was attractive. He looked away, his discomfort eased, thinking that she was not entirely wrong. Fortunately, although she is a low-born girl, she is still the daughter of Governor Su residence. In Jiangning County, Governor Su is quite influential. Otherwise, who knows what might have been her fate.
Seeing him silent, Su Rong leaned in curiously, whispering, "Do you know how our marriage arrangement came about?"
Zhou Gu shook his head, "Do you?"
Getting an unexpected negative response from Zhou Gu, Su Rong asked with surprise, "Didn’t your grandfather tell you?"
"He only told me that your family did us a great favor. He didn’t provide any other details." Zhou Gu noticed the surprised expression on Su Rong’s face, "What’s with that expression?"
"I thought you knew." Su Rong expressed her helplessness, "I asked my father and mother, but they didn’t know either. They told me that my mother arranged it. My mother passed away when I was seven. Right before she died, she told me about it. I didn’t get a chance to ask her about the details before she passed away."
Zhou Gu was taken aback, "Your mother?"
"Yes, that’s what my father said. As for the other details, he doesn’t know." Su Rong sighed, she had hoped that Zhou Gu could shed some light on the situation. Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Zhou Gu hadn’t expected this. He was initially opposed to and unreceptive of this arrangement, and he hadn’t bothered to ask his grandfather for more details. Now, there didn’t seem to be a solution.
"To be honest, I don’t think it matters whether there was a favor or not. My mother is no longer around, so it’s not necessary to fuss over it." Su Rong didn’t care much about it. She looked at Zhou Gu seriously, "Are you thinking about breaking off this engagement?"
Zhou Gu was startled, "What do you mean?"
"Exactly as I have said."
Zhou Gu naturally considered breaking off the engagement, both before and after meeting Su Rong. However, seeing her charming face, he found himself unable to utter the word ’yes.’ Instead, he chose to stay silent.
Understanding his silence, Su Rong asked, "Are you not satisfied with my social status?"
Zhou Gu: "..." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Why is she so direct?
Su Rong asked again, "Besides my social status, is there anything else that dissatisfies you?"
Zhou Gu wanted to describe her as frail and delicate, but he swallowed his words. He recalled her aggressive style of playing chess. She was clever and sharp, not the least bit frail. When dealing with Jiang Yunying, the legitimate daughter of the Jiangzhou Inspector Residence, Su Rong was fierce and assertive. Not only was she verbally direct, but she also knocked his sword hilt away. He couldn’t detect any signs of frailty in her.
He felt that Su Rong was a mass of contradictions. She looked soft and delicate, but her inner self was quite the opposite.
"So, are you dissatisfied with everything about me?" Su Rong was taken aback. Had she unnecessarily dressed up today?
Her mother advised that a woman should be gentle like water, soft and tender, to win affection from men, especially when she had such a beautiful face, which was simply undeniable. However, she was not genuinely weak and couldn’t keep up the act continually. Therefore, from her chess play to dealing with Jiang Yunying, she didn’t intend to keep acting. After all, she couldn’t fool him by feigning to be someone she’s not.
But she didn’t expect Zhou Gu to be not satisfied with her at all.
Zhou Gu coughed and looked away, "We’ve only spent a day together. Don’t you think you’re overthinking?"
Su Rong realized it. Indeed, it had only been a day. She touched her nose, "Alright then, I hope that we can reach a conclusion before you leave Jiangning County. We are both in the prime of our lives. Let’s not waste each other’s time."
Zhou Gu’s face darkened.
Su Rong felt that his temper wasn’t very good. Of course, hers wasn’t either. So, she decided to stop talking to avoid offending her future husband on their first day together. Thus, she shut up.
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