Zhou Gu never thought that visiting the Su Residence would make him nervous. After all, he had witnessed many grand occasions from a young age. He could argue with scholars in the Imperial Study Room and spar with the martial arts instructors in the Eastern Palace, even damaging a cassia tree there. He had attended numerous palace banquets and had teased everyone, including the emperor, without fearing anyone.
But this Governor’s Residence made him uneasy, despite his three days of mental preparation. The welcoming ceremony was simply too unconventional. He had just sat in the Reception Room for a moment, and already many people had gathered at the door. Some even blatantly peeped through the window at him. With his keen hearing, he heard their whispered conversations, such as "Good heavens, is this our seventh uncle?", "Seventh uncle is really handsome!" and "Seventh uncle’s appearance matches well with our seventh Miss!". Zhou Gu felt utterly overwhelmed.
He regretted not turning around and leaving the moment he arrived at the door. This Governor’s Residence, how could it be so devoid of rules?
The Governor and his wife were also surprised when they arrived to find the Reception Room filled with servants. The wife instantly regretted focusing solely on Su Rong for the past few days and neglecting to instill discipline in the household. She immediately scolded, "Why are you all so idle? Get back to your tasks. If I see anyone idle again, your monthly salary will be deducted."
Her words were instantly effective, and all the servants scattered like birds.
The Governor coughed, "Madam, don’t be so strict. Don’t scare our nephew away."
The wife: "..."
Zhou Gu, listening from the inner room: "..."
The Governor was the first to cross the threshold, smiling warmly, "Ah, my good nephew Zhou, we’ve been waiting for you for days, not daring to leave just in case. If you hadn’t shown up soon, we would have had to invite you over ourselves."
Zhou Gu, rigid as a statue, stood up and greeted them with a formal bow. Being well-trained in manners since young, he managed to school his expression into a semblance of calm and greeted, "Hello, Uncle Su!". He also greeted the wife, "Hello, Aunt Su!". Then he said, "I’ve just arrived in Jiangning and I’m still not used to it, which is why I arrived to visit a few days late. Please, forgive my tardiness."
"No, no, you’re not tardy at all, my dear nephew. Please, have a sit." The wife gave her husband a stern glance.
Zhou Gu resumed his stiff seat.
The Governor seemed extremely fond of Zhou Gu, approving of his overall appearance and demeanor. He said, "Nephew, you really look good. Our little seven is also pretty. After meeting her, you’ll see that you two match each other."
Zhou Gu: "..."
The wife coughed and spoke in a loving tone: "You’ve never been to Jiangning before, have you? The scenery here is beautiful, the earth spiritually nurturing. The land of Jiangning is beneficial for one’s health, you see. My little seven has been raised here to be delicate and tender."
Zhou Gu: "..."
He was finding it difficult to hold himself together.
Could anyone tell him why the Governor and his wife behaved this way? And his little fiancée, was she also unusual? He had never been someone’s fiancé before, so he didn’t know what to say during a first visit. But he was sure that the way these two were behaving after first meeting him was not normal.
Seeing Zhou Gu’s stiffness and silence, the Governor laughed, "Nephew, are you a bit nervous? I remember being this nervous during my first visit to my in-laws’ house. No worries, familiarity comes with time. Once we know each other better, and you get accustomed to us, you won’t be nervous anymore."
The wife also nodded, "Dear nephew, relax a bit. You are the first prospective son-in-law to visit us. Everyone in the household is understandably excited. As my husband said, once you get used to us, everything will be fine."
Zhou Gu thought to himself, it would be difficult for him to get used to their overwhelming friendliness.
Remaining silent did not seem like a good option, so he forced himself to say, "Younger generation is not very used to the enthusiastic welcome of your esteemed residence."
"Oh, that’s easy to solve. You’ve come all the way from the Capital City to Jiangning. It would be ridiculous for you to stay in a rented place. From today on, you should live here at our residence. I guarantee you’ll be used to it within three days."
Zhou Gu was taken aback and started shaking his head immediately, "No need, I ..."
The Governor waved him off, "Your aunt has already prepared a courtyard for you. We’re family now, there’s no need to be so polite. If people found out, they might think we’re not happy about this marriage arrangement."
Without waiting for Zhou Gu’s reply, he turned to his wife, "Isn’t that right, madam? You’ve already prepared a courtyard."
The wife nodded, "Yes, it’s all ready."
She seemed to ignore the change in Zhou Gu’s expression and continued, "You haven’t met little seven. I’ll have someone call her over immediately. You young people have things to talk about. I don’t know about the customs of the Zhou family, but the Duke sent a letter saying that we should give you young people more time and opportunities to develop feelings for each other. If you don’t live here, we’ll have to send little seven to your place every day. I don’t mind her going on such a long trip every day, but it’s ultimately not convenient. It would be much easier if you moved in."
Zhou Gu: "..."
Never before in his sixteen years had he faced such a situation. Even in a fight with Xie Lin, he could beat him up. But what was he supposed to do in this particular situation?
Can he just walk away now?
If he left and returned to the Capital City, would his grandfather beat him to death for causing such trouble?
Observing his silence, the wife couldn’t help chuckling to herself. Just a young boy, she thought, there’s no way he can withstand our shameless onslaught.
After all, the position of the former Protector General was clear – the engagement would continue. Given this, they were determined to make this marriage happen. The young ones needed to have some interactions. How could they develop feelings if they never interacted? And without feelings, how could they make a life together?
Although the wife had long stopped caring much for romance, she knew it was useful, particularly for a woman to tether a man with. For a woman from a low-class family, nothing was more effective than love for retaining a man and ensuring his protection.
So, in the past few days, in addition to teaching Su Rong how to manage a household, she also gave her daughter lots of advice on making an impression. She believed that with her daughter’s beauty, it wouldn’t be too hard to impress a young boy. She wasn’t worried about Su Rong falling in love first and getting hurt. She knew that Su Rong was not a girl inclined to developing feelings easily, so this was not a concern.
Thus, after secretly meeting Zhou Gu with her husband and discussing in private, they executed their cunning plan today.
Zhou Gu realized that he had greatly underestimated the situation. He shouldn’t have brought only Ziye. He should have also brought Zhou Xi, the manager his grandfather had assigned to him. Zhou Xi would have known how to navigate this situation.
In short, he was struggling to cope.
Just when he was torn between maintaining a cold demeanor and appearing friendly, Su Rong was led into the room by a servant.
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