Chapter 141 No Small Matter
Madam Du smiled at Meng Lingge and said, "Look, this silly boy must have known you were coming and couldn't wait to see you. He's so anxious that he can't even tell a lie. How can he come to pay his respects at almost noon? I, his grandmother, rarely see him more than a few times a month. It's just a coincidence that he was in the mansion when you arrived today."
Du Yuanhua now manages 90% of the Du family's business, and with so many affairs to attend to, he doesn't spend much time at home.
Madam Du continued, "Lingge, if you don't want to see him for the time being, go hide in the inner room and I'll get rid of this brat for you."
In the old lady's heart, her granddaughter was still that shy little girl. Now that she knew Du Yuanhua's feelings for her, she was worried that she would be embarrassed and have difficulty dealing with it.
"Grandmother, it's alright. Let my eldest cousin in."
Since her older cousin cares about her so much, he'll have to make things clear sooner or later.
She needed to stay at the Du residence for a while; she couldn't keep avoiding Du Yuanhua all the time. There was nothing between her and her cousin to begin with, and if she kept avoiding him, it would only make things more obvious.
Besides, with my maternal grandmother here, it won't be too awkward.
"Then let that boy in," Madam Du instructed.
She had barely finished speaking when a deep, steady voice came from outside the door: "I knew Grandmother would definitely see me. It's impossible that she would abandon me, her eldest grandson, just because she saw her granddaughter."
A young man in a finely patterned indigo robe strode in through the door. He was of average height and build, with a jade abacus hanging from his waist, which jingled as he walked. Perhaps due to years of travel, his complexion was slightly dark, but fortunately, he was handsome with red lips and white teeth, making him a refined young man.
He was joking, but his face showed obvious nervousness. When he saw Meng Lingge, he became even more flustered and didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
Madam Du laughed and scolded, "You brat! You barged in without even announcing yourself. What kind of behavior is this? If Lingge hadn't been here today, I would have punished you severely."
Meng Lingge stood up and greeted Du Yuanhua politely.
Her cousin's appearance hadn't changed much in the past four years, but since the two hadn't seen each other for several years, and now that she knew how much her cousin felt for her, Meng Lingge couldn't help but behave more naturally, no matter how much she wanted to.
Du Yuanhua's gaze was intense, and it took him a long time to look away from Meng Lingge's face.
He smiled at Madam Du and said, "I am truly grateful to my cousin for her help today. She must be tired after traveling so far. I will thank her properly tomorrow."
Madam Du said, "Whether you thank me or not is not important. Lingge is here to celebrate Grandmother's birthday. She should spend time with Grandmother as well. You should focus on your business and stop bothering your cousin."
"Grandmother..." Du Yuanhua drawled, squatting down at Old Madam Du's feet. "Grandmother, I've been looking forward to my cousin's visit for so many days. Could you spare a little of her time for me? It's a rare occasion for her to come, so I should at least show her the proper hospitality and take her on a good tour of Jiangnan, shouldn't I..."
Du Yuanhua didn't know if his grandmother had mentioned his inappropriate thoughts to his cousin.
Yes, Du Yuanhua always felt that his feelings for Meng Lingge were unrealistic.
He was about ten years older than his cousin, who was the daughter of a prime minister, while he was just the son of a merchant. His cousin was as beautiful as an angel, while his appearance was only considered average. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
He knew the gap between them, but the reality of his feelings was beyond his control. The person he longed for day and night was his cousin; he simply couldn't bring himself to marry anyone else.
My father said that my cousin's family was too prestigious to be approached, and unless he had extraordinary abilities, he should never even dream of marrying into it. He wholeheartedly agreed.
He could only try his best to get closer to his cousin, hoping that once he expanded his business to the capital and gained a foothold there, he might still have a chance.
In the end, it was all just a dream.
He was furious that the top scholar didn't cherish his cousin, and even more resentful that his mother had kept his cousin's marriage a secret. If he had been there that day, how could he have allowed his cousin to be taken away by a fool?
The thought of his cousin being abandoned and forced to marry a mentally challenged man broke his heart. He had even decided to do whatever it took to save her.
Unexpectedly, the foolish prince cherished his cousin very much, and the cousin also valued the foolish prince highly.
He secretly investigated the situation in the capital for several days, and after confirming that the two had a solid relationship, he left dejectedly.
He refocused his attention on his business, thinking that even if he and his cousin were not destined to be together in this life, making the business bigger and bigger and giving his cousin a wealthy and powerful cousin would be a way to make her proud.
But only a few months later, a major disaster struck the foolish prince's family. The whole family suffered a great calamity, and the Emperor even ordered his cousin to divorce the foolish prince. The capital and Jiangnan are too far apart. When he received the news and prepared to rush to the capital, his family had already received a letter from his cousin saying that she was coming to Jiangnan.
He had been eagerly anticipating his cousin's arrival these past few days, thinking that she would be here soon. So he simply went home to wait for her, and on the very first day he arrived home, his cousin came.
Since the talented scholar doesn't appreciate it, and the foolish prince who cherishes his cousin is in dire straits, neither of them can give his cousin happiness. Perhaps, he himself is the most suitable person for her.
If he hadn't been timid and insecure, and had gone to the Meng family to express his feelings earlier, perhaps his cousin wouldn't have had to go through so many twists and turns.
He had missed out on his cousin for too long, and this time he decided to be bold and try his best to win her over.
So regardless of whether his grandmother mentioned it to his cousin, he would still express his feelings to her.
Grandma Du never expected Du Yuanhua to pull this stunt. This eldest grandson was the most mischievous, and he had never really acted spoiled with her when he was little, let alone now that he was in charge of the Du family business, he had become even more shrewd and meticulous.
If it were anything else, Old Madam Du would let him have his way, but when it came to Lingge, there was no room for discussion.
"You brat, get up! You're arguing over your grandmother now? Lingge is right here. She can go wherever she wants. If she doesn't want to go, even your father and mother can't change her mind."
“Grandmother…” Du Yuanhua’s voice softened a bit, “As long as you agree first, I will personally go and invite my cousin.”
"You, you..." Grandma Du tapped his forehead, feeling somewhat helpless towards her eldest grandson.
Not wanting to put her grandmother in a difficult position, Meng Lingge smiled and said, "Big cousin, it's just that I want to spend more time with Grandmother. Even if I go out to travel, I still have my two aunts and cousins to keep me company. Big cousin, you're busy with your business, so there's no need to worry about such a small matter."
“This is no small matter.” Du Yuanhua stood up and looked at Meng Lingge with deep affection. “In my opinion, nothing concerning my cousin is trivial. Moreover, their companionship of my cousin is not the same as my companionship of her. Cousin, do you understand what I mean?”
Du Yuanhua slowly approached Meng Lingge and said earnestly, "Lingge, you were too young before, and I've been waiting for you to grow up. I don't care what you've been through before, or whether you have me in your heart. As long as you're willing to give me a chance, I promise I'll treat you wholeheartedly."
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