Seeing Zhou Yuanyuan blush, General Zhou couldn't help but secretly feel proud of his decision. He extended a finger, pointed in the direction of the backyard, and said to Zhou Yuanyuan mysteriously, "The Wen family kid is quite good. He's been busy for most of the day since he arrived. He's been training those little brats in the back hills with Ouyang! Those little brats really lost face last night. None of them are a match for Wen." General Zhou couldn't help but beam with joy as he said this.
General Zhou had spent half his life in the military, and he knew the capabilities of his subordinate, Ouyang Xin, intimately. Ouyang Xin rarely praised someone, and yesterday he even told General Zhou that Wen Ziqing's military prowess was superior to his own. Wen Ziqing lived up to General Zhou's expectations, demonstrating his skills in his study. General Zhou, a man who valued talent, was naturally pleased with Wen Ziqing.
Zhao Yunxiang's lips twitched as she listened. Didn't we agree not to tell Yuanyuan about Wen Ziqing's visit? General, do you have such double standards? Does Yuanyuan know?
Wen Ziqing came to see her last night? And he even helped Uncle Ouyang train those guards of his great-grandfather?
Zhou Yuanyuan was both surprised and delighted. She was surprised that Wen Ziqing, even if he was avoiding her, was still moving closer to General Zhou. Did he think General Zhou wasn't fierce enough? When General Zhou got angry, he'd hit people with his cane. Thinking of Wen Ziqing's awkward appearance, dodging around under General Zhou's cane, Zhou Yuanyuan wanted to laugh.
No, why is Wen Ziqing here? Wasn't he avoiding me a few days ago? Did he finally figure it out? Or was He Jingjing dumping him?
Remembering that Wen Ziqing had come to the Zhou family after being dumped by He Jingjing, Zhou Yuanyuan felt a pang of frustration. She wanted to tell General Zhou to kick him out, but the words stopped at the tip of her tongue. Perhaps...he and He Jingjing weren't involved? Was it all just her imagination? That night, Wen Ziqing hadn't said a word, only He Jingjing had said a few intimate words, and she had exploded...
Zhou Yuanyuan was conflicted. She thought about ignoring Wen Ziqing altogether. He hadn't even come out to say hello when he saw her that day. Otherwise, she wouldn't have misunderstood that He Jingjing and him were having an affair. Then she thought, "So what if Wen Ziqing came? If she ignored him, he'd be pissed off!"
Wasn't her engagement with Wen Ziqing off the table? Why was it brought up again? Did that mean he and He Jingjing were no longer in a relationship?
For a moment, Zhou Yuanyuan's heart was full of confusion.
Zhou Yuanyuan's mind was swirling with thoughts, so she didn't really hear what General Zhou said next. She only heard General Zhou's voice floating in her ear: "How is it? Great-grandfather, am I really that capable? The young man from the Wen family has agreed to marry into our family. In a few years, after you and the young man get married, you can live at home, and you won't have to deal with the unruly people in the Wen family..."
Marrying into the wife's family? Wen Ziqing? Zhou Yuanyuan finally came to her senses. She stood up with a swish and said firmly, "Grandpa Zeng, I don't agree."
In China, from ancient times to the present, marrying a son-in-law is looked down upon. Only young men whose families are really struggling to make ends meet or those over fifty who cannot afford to marry a wife would marry into the woman's family.
How could Wen Ziqing marry into the Zhou family? While the Zhou family might seem a bit more prestigious than the Wen family, Wen Ziqing was, after all, Wen Yiran's eldest son and grandson. The aristocratic families of Kyoto generally favored their eldest son or grandson with their connections and resources. Zhou Yuanyuan didn't care about the Wen family's meager wealth, but that was Wen Ziqing's due, wasn't it?
"You don't agree to this marriage?" General Zhou was a little stunned. His good-looking great-granddaughter had just been so shy, so why did she disagree with this marriage? Could it be that this old man had misjudged him? Did Yuanyuan have no filial affection for Wen Ziqing? That shouldn't be the case!
"I..." Zhou Yuanyuan opened her mouth, but before she could express her opinion, General Zhou saw the tall figure at the door and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Wen family boy, come in quickly. You two children, explain yourselves to this old man first, and then tell him about it. Oh my! This old man is completely confused."
That's right! Zhou Yuanyuan's expression changed in the next second, and General Zhou couldn't figure out the reason. After all, Zhou Yuanyuan was a sixteen-year-old girl, and General Zhou thought she couldn't figure out the difference between getting married and marrying into the family.
Zhao Yunxiang couldn't help but smile when she saw General Zhou winking openly at Wen Ziqing at the door. She knew General Zhou wasn't truly confused, but rather wanted Wen Ziqing to come in and comfort Yuanyuan. When young people have a quarrel, it's up to them to resolve it themselves.
Wen Ziqing pursed his lips, his heart filled with regret. Like General Zhou, Wen Ziqing thought Zhou Yuanyuan no longer wanted him.
When Wen Ziqing entered, General Zhou was talking to Zhou Yuanyuan about his business. Wen Ziqing was a cultivator, and even without using his spiritual sense, his hearing was dozens of times more sensitive than that of an ordinary person. Although General Zhou's voice was soft, Wen Ziqing heard it all. When he heard General Zhou teasing Zhou Yuanyuan about being her "young son-in-law", Wen Ziqing's face turned red. As a middle-aged uncle who had lived two lifetimes, he should be Yuanyuan's "old son-in-law". The only flaw was that Wen Ziqing didn't hear Zhou Yuanyuan's voice of recognition. At that moment, Wen Ziqing's heart was lifted up.
Wen Ziqing knew that he had fallen in love with Zhou Yuanyuan, and since Zhou Yuanyuan was so much younger than him, she probably didn't understand the intimacy between men and women. Over the years, Zhou Yuanyuan had never said she loved him. And because Zhou Yuanyuan was so young, Wen Ziqing kept his feelings to himself.
Wen Ziqing, having just reached the door, froze when he heard Zhou Yuanyuan's refusal. The little girl didn't agree to their marriage. Did she hate him? Of course! He deserved the little girl's dislike. It was his fault for not making all the necessary preparations before returning to the former Kyoto City! Even if the Sect Master pressed him hard, he should have finished refining the Baopu Taoist in the secret realm before returning.
Zhou Yuanyuan's "no" made Wen Ziqing's heart feel like it was soaked in ice water. Recalling the scene in the "Love Bar" where Cao Yizhi and Zhou Yuanyuan had a good chat, Wen Ziqing couldn't help but wonder, Zhou Yuanyuan didn't agree to the marriage, was she in love with Cao Yizhi?
That night, Cao Zhizhi's gaze on Zhou Yuanyuan was strange, a mixture of admiration and ambition. Wen Ziqing instinctively knew that Cao Zhizhi wasn't right for her. Wen Ziqing didn't know how to express love, but the ambition in Cao Zhizhi's eyes was too obvious, and Wen Ziqing didn't like it. His little girl should be cherished and pampered. She was too beautiful and good to be used as a springboard for Cao Zhizhi's ambitions.
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