Chapter 138 Dismissal
"Young Master Zheng, we have arrived in Jiangnan."
Guan Yi'an seemed to have known that she would come to say goodbye. He clasped his hands slightly and said with a gentle smile, "Thank you very much for leading the way, Miss Meng. If it weren't for Miss Meng's kind help, I'm afraid it would have taken me several more days to get here."
Meng Lingge said, "Young Master Zheng, you are too kind. In fact, you helped us first, so I should thank you as well. However, all good things must come to an end. Now that we have arrived in Jiangnan, it is really inappropriate for Young Master Zheng to continue to follow us. It would be better if we parted ways here and never met again."
"Never to meet again?" Guan Yi'an murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Miss Meng seems to dislike me. I don't know where I have offended you. I hope Miss Meng will speak frankly."
He has been incredibly patient these past few days.
But Meng Lingge still kept him at arm's length, like a stone that could never be warmed.
If it weren't for the fact that Meng Lingge's maids and guards were very enthusiastic towards him, he would have almost thought that he had revealed something and that Meng Lingge had guessed his identity.
"I wouldn't say I've offended you. But since Young Master Zheng is also from the capital, he should know some of the rules. I don't know what Young Master Zheng's intentions are, but you clearly have other options, yet you insisted on following behind my carriage, which is really impolite."
Meng Lingge had been holding back for several days, but now that she saw Guan Yi'an still acting like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water, she simply told the truth.
"Young Master Zheng, please don't say that you can't find the way to Jiangnan. I gave you a map and was willing to pay someone to show you the way, but you refused to accept it. Instead, you insist on going through all this trouble and following us around every step of the way. This is not the behavior of a gentleman."
That's a bit harsh.
Guan Yi'an blushed slightly and said earnestly, "I do have ulterior motives. I fell in love with you at first sight when I first met you. Later, I learned that you are now divorced, so I wanted to marry you. That's why I followed you all this way, so that I could protect you and see you more often."
He was well aware that his insistence on following Meng Lingge would provoke her resentment. However, Meng Lingge spent most of her time in the Prime Minister's residence when she was in the capital, and she would definitely stay at her maternal grandmother's house for a long time after arriving in Jiangnan.
Aside from this part of the journey, he had no chance to meet Meng Lingge at all. He couldn't even see her, so how could he make Meng Lingge fall in love with him?
Originally, he thought that spending these ten days together would eliminate Meng Lingge's aversion and leave a slight ripple in her heart, which would be a success.
Now it seems that all those small hopes have been dashed.
Since that's the case, it's better to just state your intentions directly than to let Meng Lingge make wild guesses.
He was always able to make lies sound true, and sweet words flowed effortlessly from his lips, making it impossible to tell the difference between truth and falsehood. Moreover, he already harbored some genuine feelings for Meng Lingge, so his words carried an even stronger sense of sincerity.
Meng Lingge recalled that this person was indeed somewhat excited when they first met, and his eyes shone even brighter after seeing her true face. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether his words were true or false.
However, none of that matters.
“But I have no feelings for Young Master Zheng. I came to Jiangnan to visit my relatives. If Young Master Zheng continues to follow me, it will cause trouble for me and my family. I tolerated him before because of the help he had given us, but if he insists on doing so now, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Guan Yi'an remained calm, and after a slight pause, smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Miss Meng, I won't follow you. But although Jiangnan is vast, those destined to meet will eventually meet. Miss Meng doesn't have me in her heart right now. As long as I wait sincerely, there will be a time when Miss Meng will fall in love with me."
He didn't seem embarrassed by the rejection, and even calmly greeted Dongqing and the others as he left.
Meng Lingge shook her head as she watched Guan Yi'an's retreating figure.
She has found someone she truly loves, and as long as Wen Zhiming does not betray her, there will never be another man in her heart.
After dismissing Guan Yi'an, Meng Lingge walked back to the carriage and looked at Qiu Lan and the others, saying, "Tell me, who told Young Master Zheng about my divorce?"
It was one thing to reveal that she came from the capital last time, but how could she casually tell others about her divorce?
Most couples in the capital city just get by, and very few actually end up getting divorced. The most famous of them all is her and Wen Zhiming.
What's the difference between this and directly telling Young Master Zheng her identity?
Furthermore, since she did not conceal her surname, this person probably already guessed her identity, which is why he said such nonsense as falling in love at first sight and wanting to marry her.
If it weren't for her illustrious family background, her status as a divorced woman alone would have been enough to scare away countless men.
Once Meng Lingge understood the problem, her tone became somewhat stern.
She didn't want to be too controlling of her subordinates, but they were far too insecure these days.
Qiu Lan and the others were still thinking that their young lady was too cold to Young Master Zheng, but they came to their senses when they heard Meng Lingge's question.
"It wasn't me."
"It wasn't me either."
"This servant never said that."
"I never said that."
All four shook their heads, their expressions very certain.
Miss went out this time using her maiden identity, how could they possibly reveal that Miss was getting a divorce?
Seeing that their expressions didn't seem fake, Meng Lingge held back her words of advice, which she had intended to say.
But neither of them said where Zheng Qingshan got the information about her divorce from.
Did they overhear their conversation?
Meng Lingge couldn't recall whether she had discussed this matter with the maids recently, but as long as it wasn't the four of them who told others, Meng Lingge felt much better.
She doesn't need to be particularly clever or shrewd, but she also can't be too dull or naive.
"It's good that you didn't tell anyone. When you get to my grandmother's house, be careful what you say. Don't confide in strangers too easily. You must be neither malicious nor wary of others."
It was rare to see Meng Lingge so serious, so the four of them perked up and bowed their heads in response.
Meng Lingge then looked at the two guards and said.
"Chen Luo, Chen Ling, if you find Young Master Zheng following us again, don't hold back. Drive him away immediately. Both of you are skilled in martial arts. If you can't even beat a weak young master, I should replace your guards."
"Understood."
Although Chen Luo and Chen Ling had some affection for Zheng Qingshan, they wouldn't forget their duties as guards. Hearing Meng Lingge give the order, they could only silently apologize to Young Master Zheng.
Holly stood silently to the side, her eyes lowered, feeling a deep sense of loss.
The group got back into the carriage and headed straight for the Du residence.
The Du family had been merchants for generations and were quite wealthy.
In particular, a business prodigy named Du Yuanhua has emerged among the younger generation. His business now extends to several surrounding towns, and Du Family Cloth Shop is a household name in Jiangnan.
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