Shen Qinghe stepped into the courtyard and saw the Meng family of three standing in the moonlight. He first glanced at Meng Zhao and saw her glaring at him with an unhappy expression. He felt a little guilty, but since things had come to this point, there was no point in hiding it any longer. He might as well go all in.
He took a deep breath, looked intently at Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong, clasped his hands together, let his sleeves fall, and bowed deeply: "Uncle Meng, Aunt Xu, Qinghe apologizes to you here."
Xu Yunrong's gaze swept between the two of them twice, and she sneered, "Apologize? Apologize for what?"
Meng Zhao didn't want him to continue, so she interrupted, "It's late at night, let's talk about it tomorrow."
Shen Qinghe remained motionless, still in the bowing posture. He raised his head, the cold moonlight casting a silvery glow on his angular profile, making his expression even more sincere: "Qinghe is guilty. Meng Zhao and I are in love, and it's not something that happened overnight. But these days I've kept it a secret from you two elders, and even did something as frivolous as climbing over the wall to enter the courtyard. It's really my fault. Today I've come to apologize to you two elders and accept any punishment."
Seeing his humble demeanor, earnest words, and lack of evasion regarding his absurd actions, Xu Yunrong's pent-up anger dissipated somewhat. She exchanged a glance with Meng Dashan and then said, "It's dark outside, let's go inside and talk."
The couple went inside first. Shen Qinghe deliberately lagged behind a few steps, quickly walked to Meng Zhao's side, and before she could speak, he hurriedly lowered his voice to explain, "Believe me, I didn't mean for them to find out. I've been extremely careful every time I come these days, but just now..." His voice was tinged with regret, "I found that the branches of the old locust tree had been cut, and then I suddenly heard the dog barking. That's when I realized that Uncle Meng and Aunt Xu had already noticed. I was afraid you couldn't handle it alone, so I rushed over. Please don't blame me, okay?"
Meng Zhao looked up at him and saw that his eyes were full of apprehension, as if he was afraid she would misunderstand. Her heart softened, and she sighed softly, "I know. Living under the same roof, it's inevitable that some clues will be left behind. It's only a matter of time before they're discovered." As she spoke, her gaze fell on the mud-stained hem of his clothes. "But you, you didn't fall just now, did you?"
Seeing that she still cared about him, Shen Qinghe's tense expression relaxed a little. He lowered his eyes and gently rubbed his right leg, his voice unconsciously softening: "I was in too much of a hurry when I went down the stairs and accidentally missed a step, twisting my ankle. I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention, but now it hurts a bit."
No wonder he was a little unsteady on his feet just now. Meng Zhao reached out and supported his arm. "Then don't stand there, let's go inside."
The candlelight in the main hall was already lit. Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong sat in the main seats. They originally wanted to interrogate the two people properly, but when they saw Shen Qinghe being helped in, his steps were a little unsteady. Thinking of the dog in the backyard, they suddenly understood.
"What happened?" Meng Dashan hurriedly got up and walked over in a few steps. "You hurt your foot? Should we call a doctor to take a look?"
Shen Qinghe quickly waved his hand, "Uncle Meng, don't worry, it's just a sprain, you'll be fine after resting for two or three days."
"That's good, that's good." Meng Dashan breathed a sigh of relief and unconsciously rubbed his hands together. Now that Shen Erlang was a sure thing, if he really fell and got seriously injured, wouldn't it be his own daughter who would be heartbroken in the end?
Meng Zhao helped Shen Qinghe to a chair, waiting for her parents to scold her. But after the two exchanged a glance, the first words they uttered almost made her bite her tongue:
"Now that things have come to this, when do you two plan to get married?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghe's eyes lit up with surprise. After all, given his relationship with Meng Zhao, even if he wasn't forced to separate today, he would still receive a scolding. Who knew that such a good thing would happen? He subconsciously turned to look at Meng Zhao, but the light in his eyes dimmed the moment he saw her expression.
Seeing her daughter's bewildered expression, Xu Yunrong couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at her: "You two kids, how dare you keep such a big thing from us? Do you think your parents are those old-fashioned, conservative people?"
Although her tone was reproachful, a smile appeared in her eyes. "Actually, as long as you two are in love, your parents will be overjoyed. But since you're both at this age, and you're so compatible, it would be better to get married as soon as possible."
Meng Zhao had expected this day to come, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. She sighed softly, "Mother, didn't I tell you that I didn't want to get married?"
Xu Yunrong frowned slightly, "But didn't you not have anyone in mind back then? Now that you're interested in Qinghe, why don't you get married?"
Meng Dashan chimed in, "That's right! How can you be of marriageable age and still not be married? Once you're married, our two families can build a big house together and live in one place. It'll be so lively! And it'll save Qinghe from having to climb over the wall every day, won't it?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghe's ears turned slightly red. He secretly glanced at Meng Zhao's expression and saw that she was still looking down. He knew her feelings and, not wanting to make things difficult for her, said, "Uncle, Aunt, we really have no plans to get married."
"What?!" Meng Dashan slammed his hand on the table, his thick eyebrows furrowed and his eyes wide with fury. "You, Shen Erlang! Are you trying to start something and then abandon us? Do you think our Meng family is easy to bully?"
Shen Qinghe quickly waved his hand, "Uncle Meng, you misunderstand. I didn't mean it that way at all. But as you know, our relationship is special. If we were to get married rashly, it might cause gossip."
"Who dares to gossip like that? I'm going to their door right now to confront them! My daughter can marry whoever she wants, it's none of their business!"
Shen Qinghe shook his head with a wry smile, his voice gradually lowering: "Uncle Meng, please calm down. It's just that now that I'm an official in the court, my reputation is of utmost importance. If someone with ulterior motives uses this to make a fuss and accuses me of moral failings, and if I accidentally incur the Emperor's wrath..."
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