Marriage fraud
Why would you think that?
"What else can I think?"
After a moment's thought, she explained, "Even if I haven't studied, Wenruo has heard the story of repaying kindness with a ring, so naturally it's to repay you."
Qi Guanlan gripped the imperial edict tightly, interrupting her, "I don't want to hear any more sweet talk. What are the conditions?"
"In the world of relationships, three people are too crowded, don't you think?"
Qi Guanlan's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he lowered his eyes. Emotion?
Their eyes met, and Wen Ruo slightly curved her lips into a smile, her long eyelashes fluttering, an unknown emotion rippling in her eyes.
With just one glance, Qi Guanlan's mind went blank, her heart began to pound like a deer, and even her breathing slowed down. She stirred up a pool of spring water into a frenzy.
He swallowed the answer, then turned around, his lips curving into an uncontrollable smile. The broken string seemed to be throbbing faintly, showing signs of healing.
He paused for a moment, then immediately pressed his hand to his chest, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
"Wen Ruo!"
An unfamiliar voice rang out, and Qi Guanlan frowned. Another one. Why were there so many flies around her? She couldn't get rid of them all.
His view was suddenly blocked, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. Wen Ruo hurriedly pushed him away, secretly relieved, avoiding that blatant gaze. Did he not understand the meaning of subtlety?
Chi Xu: "I've found the person you asked me to investigate."
"So fast! Instructor Chi is really amazing."
Wen Yongji, a native of the capital, was a petty thief in his youth. After marriage, he became an alcoholic and prone to violence. His wife, Ye Ru, died three years ago by jumping into a well. They left behind a daughter, Wen Ruo, who is eighteen years old and supports the family by doing embroidery.
After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but curse aloud, "You dog who sells his daughter for personal gain!"
Wen Ruo squinted and thought for a while, then turned around with a stern face. "Wen Ruo, I've paid back what I owe you. Let's go home."
Chi Xu stared at her curiously, knowing full well that her father was no good, why was he still pushing her into the fire?
Wen Ruo's face turned pale instantly. She turned around stiffly, and before she could even smile, a look of sympathy appeared on the faces of the people next to her. She tried to pull her cheeks, but her feet just wouldn't move.
The moonlight quietly streamed behind them, and the layers of dark shadows, like ferocious ghosts, rushed towards her wielding kitchen knives, their curses sounding so familiar.
She knelt down with a thud, crying out, "This humble woman wants to accuse my father of murdering his wife!"
Wen Ruo grunted and gave Qi Guanlan a meaningful look. The others looked at each other, their expressions not very pleasant. Lü Shaoming looked around and still advised, "A son accusing his father is a serious crime. You just did that."
"I'd rather die together with them."
"Please, Your Excellency, do justice for my mother!"
Wenruo knelt on the ground, her dry, yellow hair hanging down her back, her thin shoulders trembling uncontrollably, tears falling one by one to the ground, as if she was about to drain away all the little blood she had left.
"Chi Xu, please help me out."
Wen Ruo walked over with a smile, and the two men forcibly pulled her up, but their words were unusually cruel: "We're off duty, we're not working anymore, come back another day."
Wenruo touched her aching wrist, staring blankly at Wenruo's smile, speechless. Yesterday, a masked man told her that finding Wenruo would save her from this calamity.
The expert didn't lie to her!
"What are you standing there for? Let's go."
She had seen that impatient expression many times before. But was it just wishful thinking for her to seek justice for her mother and escape this quagmire?
Wen Ruo urged her briefly and then ignored her. She put her hands behind her back and pulled Chi Xu along, seemingly not intending to interfere.
As the group prepared to disperse, Wenruo was forcibly pulled up. Her last bit of life was devoured by the group's polite refusals, leaving her with unfocused eyes and nothing but a withered shell.
Qi Guanlan had already returned to his car, but did not tell anyone to leave. Wen Ruo suddenly stopped by the car and knocked on the window, "Young Master, shouldn't the imperial decree be given to me?"
Qi Guanlan's breath hitched, and his voice stammered, "Which one... do you want? A... a... marriage?"
"all!"
Qi Guanlan hesitated for a moment, then handed the two items out the window. Wen Ruo took them, didn't even look at them, then suddenly put her hand to her ear and shouted, "Report a crime?"
The commotion she made caused everyone to turn around.
"What? You're here to report a crime? Someone is suspected of changing their surname to commit fraud and demanding a huge dowry under the guise of marriage."
"Really?"
Almost simultaneously, Wenruo tore open a crack, and her swollen eyes suddenly brightened. She looked at Wenruo, never expecting that a mere silhouette could bring her such comfort.
From the moment we met, his slender and upright figure seemed never to have relaxed, and even when facing Gu Ying, he stood as straight as if measured by a ruler.
Wen Ruo coughed lightly, held her breath, and waited quietly.
A sigh came from inside the car. Qi Guanlan said helplessly, "Yes!"
Wen Ruo was delighted, but Qi Guanlan remained stubborn and soft-hearted, asking, "What evidence do you have?"
Qi Guanlan: "My marriage certificate with Wen Ruo".
Wen Ruo turned her head and said with a serious expression, "My three colleagues, someone has defrauded Prince Anping. This is no small matter. According to the law, the marriage contract is void and the property must be returned in full. Prince Anping's betrothal gifts are not a small amount. The mastermind should at least be exiled, and if he refuses to return them, he will be punished with caning."
"However, the imposter was instrumental in exposing the fraud, and should theoretically be exempt from punishment. What do you think?"
Lu Shaoming stood frozen in place. What kind of bewitching potion had Wen Ruo given the Prince of Anping that made him so easily manipulated? He rolled his eyes and cupped his hands, saying, "Colleague Wen, rest assured, I will report to Lord Zhu immediately and have the suspect arrested."
Wen Ruo turned to look at the two people beside her, her brows suddenly furrowing. "I've seen too many corpses today, and I feel a little uncomfortable. What do you think?"
That's so open and aboveboard, so frank and outspoken.
He An and Cen Bo Xi nodded blankly, letting themselves be manipulated.
He An spoke first: "Wenruo, you're the person involved, come in with me to give a statement."
Cen Boxi had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I'll go find the matchmaker to ask about the situation."
In the blink of an eye, the doorway was cleared away.
"The engagement is off."
The calm, unwavering voice came again, "Should I thank you for not sending me in?"
She sensed a hint of resentment in her voice. Wen Ruo's lips curled up, but she deliberately put on a stern face. "What nonsense are you talking about? You're just too soft-hearted and got tricked."
"Even a hero can be brought down by a penny. You haven't started your own business yet, so you naturally don't understand the difficulties of daily necessities. You've certainly learned something new this time!"
The two were so open with their conversation that it was impossible not to hear what they were saying. Chi Xu looked at Wen Ruo's lively and cheerful expression and immediately laughed along with her.
Qi Guanlan could only sigh as he tried to speak.
After a moment, he composed himself and asked with a hint of expectation in his voice, "Shall I take you home?"
Wen Ruo looked at the lonely stone road, long and dark, and a soreness crept up from the soles of her feet to her calves. She was truly exhausted today. "Chapter, get in the car."
"good."
Qi Guanlan kept a stern face and remained silent.
Chi Xu looked a little reserved, and once in the car, he tightly hugged Wen Ruo's arm.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Wen Ruo sat between the two of them, looking left and right, and took on the responsibility of easing the tension.
Qi Guanlan spent her days doing nothing, so naturally she could only wait. She smiled and asked, "How are your colleagues at the Ministry of Revenue?"
"I answered their questions, but they didn't look too happy. Did I say something wrong?" Chi Xu looked puzzled. She had answered everything.
She was probably furious, but it's okay. Wen Ru patted her knee, secretly glanced at Qi Guanlan, and whispered, "Men are just too sensitive. They take even the smallest things to heart. As long as he doesn't cause you any trouble at work, you don't need to worry about it."
Chi Xu nodded in relief, then suddenly asked, "Will we eat steamed buns again when we get back?"
Wen Ruo thought for a moment, "Eat it, I'm too lazy to cook."
Qi Guanlan's upturned eyelids twitched slightly, rising and falling several times before he finally couldn't resist looking at the two of them slowly and said softly, "Have I disturbed you?"
After these words were spoken, the car became even quieter.
Qi Guanlan glanced outside. While the two were talking, they were getting further and further away from Leng Hualou. In recent years, many new products have been launched, most of which are tea-based.
He guessed it was Cao Xi's taste.
Zhao Heng was also useless.
Qi Guanlan sometimes has a tendency to be temperamental.
Wen Ruo hesitated for a moment, then coaxed, "How about I treat you to dinner today to celebrate our reunion?"
Before Qi Guanlan could speak, Chi Xu clapped first, then snorted coldly, "When did you become so generous?"
Chi Xu frowned: "She's always been quite generous!"
Qi Guanlan looked her up and down, his expression genuine. His brows furrowed instantly, and a hint of sadness unconsciously appeared, making the atmosphere subtle once again.
Five years is too long.
Wen Ruo sensed the impending storm again; something was terribly wrong. She lightly nudged the neighbor with her toe. "I simply took the book to the library for people to read after I finished reading it, which is why there was this misunderstanding."
"Actually, I used to be poor and didn't have enough to eat or wear. I lived very frugally. It was all thanks to Young Master Qi that I was able to turn my life around and have what I have today."
After thinking for a moment, Chi Xu cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Thank you for taking care of Wen Ruo, Young Master Qi."
Qi Guanlan chuckled, crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Even if Chi Xu was slow to realize it, she knew he was unhappy. She glanced at Wen Ruo, whose usually calm face now showed a hint of unease. She looked around and suddenly understood.
This is exactly what the dean meant by "an eyesore"!
"Wen Ruo, you go eat with him, I'm a little tired today."
Wen Ruo sighed helplessly, "Don't listen to the dean's nonsense."
Qi Guanlan's eyelids began to tremble involuntarily. Did the dean know about him and Wen Ruo? The thought of this possibility made his chest rise and fall inexplicably, and his mood immediately improved.
He opened his eyes. "I've troubled you a lot today. I had someone send this as an apology!"
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the door. This time, Chi Xu wisely went in first, leaving the two of them alone.
Wen Ruo glanced at the front door. The courtyard was dimly lit and many things hadn't been tidied up yet, so it wasn't a good time to entertain guests. "It's getting late! I have things to do tomorrow, so I'll leave you here."
"knew."
Qi Guanlan walked around. The environment was quiet and secluded, but it was pitch black all around. None of the houses on either side had lights on, except for a lantern in front of the door. "Xiao Shun, light the lantern!"
Under the hazy moonlight, another ray of light appeared. Wen Ruo looked at the face in front of her and suddenly grasped his wrist. She remembered something.
Qi Guanlan froze instantly, unsure where to look, his composure crumbling and his breathing becoming unsteady.
Wen Ruochen said, "Don't move!"
"Is your arrow wound still healing? Why do you look a little pale?"
"fine."
So that's how it is. A moment of disappointment passed quickly. Qi Guanlan slowed his breathing, exhaling gently, trying to slow his heartbeat.
Wen Ruo withdrew her hand; she was indeed unharmed.
Before long, two exquisitely carved glass lamps were hung on the simple gate, unloaded from the carriage, which gradually disappeared into the alley.
Under the warm yellow light, a smile suddenly appeared on her originally calm face, revealing the cunning in her eyes. Wen Ruo gently twirled her two fingers and slowly went back into the house.
Before long, fresh and hot food was served on the table, including the famous dishes of Yun Jin Lou.
"This table looks familiar."
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