Chapter 65 Refusing a kiss means she's the only one in my life.
It was for the Li family again.
Lord Cui's face was gloomy and ugly, but he was still polite on the surface and earnestly advised, "Changjun, your uncle knows that you are very smart and capable, but even so, you are always revolving around young ladies. You will hardly get anything out of this."
"You are the eldest grandson favored by both the Cui and Yan families. You must not jeopardize your future for the sake of a young woman."
Cui was about to offer some advice when Yan Ning spoke up first, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. The eldest prince knows what he's doing."
After speaking, the man bowed to the two men and then left.
Watching the figure disappear, Lord Cui sighed and said, "Changjun is so infatuated with Li Shi, this won't do. I think we should settle things between him and Wan'er as soon as possible. It would be better to have a dignified wife by his side to urge him on than to leave things as they are now."
This was also Cui's idea.
"Hmm," said Madam Cui, "After the family banquet tonight, we'll discuss the marriage with him and finalize it."
The existence of the Li family has seriously threatened Yan Ning's future and the relationship between the two families.
This matter should not be delayed any longer!
...
Yan Ning went straight back to the courtyard. As soon as she entered, she saw a mess on the ground. Li Yunru was still throwing things around. Shu Yun tried to help her up and persuade her, but she couldn't stop her. It seemed that she was really angry.
She raised her hand and threw a cup, which was heading straight towards him.
"My lord."
This frightened Shu Yun so much that she hurriedly knelt down. Yan Ning calmly turned to the side, and the cup fell to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces, only sticking to a corner of his clothes.
He glanced at Li Yunru, then at Shu Yun, and said in a low voice, "I'll take care of things here. You can go and rest."
Shu Yun hesitated and did not move.
"Um?"
Yan Ning's face was expressionless, but she looked cold. Her soft voice was enough to easily intimidate all of them.
People aren't like princesses, making a big fuss and causing all sorts of trouble. In reality, it's just a little dirt on the hem of their clothes, and they can't really cause any big problems.
A seemingly gentle and polite young man, when angered, may sit there motionless, but he can truly take a life.
Therefore, she dared not leave the princess alone to face the situation, as this was, after all, her maternal grandparents' home, and such a commotion would damage their reputation.
For these aristocratic families, this is the most important thing. Although the young man is good, she dares not gamble on it.
The two were locked in a stalemate, and Yan Ning's expression grew even more unpleasant as she couldn't get a maid to do anything.
Li Yunru was still angry, but the coldness in the room for a while helped her calm down a bit. She said, "Let's go out. I want to talk to my husband alone."
"Can……"
"It's alright, it doesn't matter."
"yes."
The princess had spoken, so she had no choice but to go out, but she didn't go far and waited at the door.
She thought that if her husband got angry and implicated others, she would go in and take all the blame upon herself.
The princess saved her life.
He belongs to a princess; it would be worth dying for her!
However, she waited for a long time, but there was no sound from inside the house, as if everything had stopped.
Inside the house.
Li Yunru stared at the person sitting there silently and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Yan Ning said, "I think the princess needs some space of her own to calm herself down after what just happened."
"If that's the case, why did you come here?"
Yan Ning said, "I want to stay with the princess."
“I will stay here quietly and without making a sound. The princess can go about her own business. She can speak to me when she has calmed down.”
He spoke without uttering a sound, his breathing so light that it was clear there were only two people in the room. It was extremely quiet, and indeed, apart from her own heartbeat, it seemed as if nothing else was there.
However, the subtle fragrance emanating from him betrayed him.
That aura was impossible to ignore; it was more direct than sound and more likely to penetrate one's heart...
She couldn't ignore this person's existence!
I hate you so much!
She pounced on him, pinning him to the couch, her hands pounding his chest. As she pounded, tears streamed down her face, landing on his clothes with a soft patter.
Yan Ning took the opportunity to hug her, pulled her into his arms, wiped away her tears, gently stroked her head, and said softly, "Princess, you have been wronged."
She was truly wronged.
Li Yunru couldn't understand why the Cui and Yan families disliked her and couldn't tolerate her.
She was a bit spoiled and willful back then, but they weren't entirely without fault either. Now that she's trying to change, why are they so persistent and won't give her a chance to correct her mistakes?
Is being born into a commoner family really that important?
It's so important that everything else can be disregarded!
She hated these people, she absolutely loathed all this stuff about social status and class!
Yan Ning didn't know what had just happened or why his princess had suddenly changed like this, but everyone had noticed her changes over the past few days. She wouldn't cause trouble for other people's families for no reason.
However, this person was his maternal grandfather, and he was ill, so it was not advisable to cause too much trouble. Moreover, his mother was also holding him back, and they wanted to settle the matter peacefully, so he had no choice but to give up.
He has wronged people.
"Yan Changjun, how about we...we abandon this identity, find a remote mountain place, farm and weave cloth, and live a simple life?"
"OK."
Without a second thought, he agreed, "If the princess likes it, then we'll live like this."
Li Yunru knew this was impossible. He had his family and his responsibilities. Even if he were willing, neither the Cui family nor the Cui Yan family would allow it. Besides, she had suffered before and was not simply imagining a rural life.
Her ancestors came from a poor background, and she herself had almost lost her life several times when she was young. She didn't think that her childhood was any better than her present life; she was just saying that because she was provoked. However, hearing his unwavering agreement, she was still happy, and her anger subsided a little.
The man wrapped his arms around his waist, pressed his face against his chest, and listened quietly to his steady, strong heartbeat. He confessed, "I know this is impossible, but I'm still happy that you said it. Yan Changjun, I don't like the Yan family, I don't like the Cui family, I don't like all the rules and regulations, and I don't like those who use them to justify their righteousness and act superior. The reason I'm standing here today is because of you. I'm here to accommodate them for your sake, so you must stand with me, no matter what happens, otherwise..."
She paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Otherwise, I won't want you anymore, I really won't!"
"No, not at all." He stroked the girl's hair, his tone gentle yet firm: "The princess and I are husband and wife, we should be one body, share honor and disgrace, and I will stand with the princess in everything."
--
This Mid-Autumn Festival is destined to be an eventful one.
After the moon-worship ceremony and family banquet, Old Master Cui, in front of many relatives, bypassed the parties involved and announced the wedding date of Yan Ning and Cui Wan.
"The tenth day of the tenth month is an auspicious day, suitable for marriage. Let's get married on that day."
He said, "The time is a bit tight, but the Cui family has prepared everything needed for the wedding in advance, so we won't be too abrupt or impolite."
Cui nodded with a smile, agreeing with his words, and the others also congratulated Yan Ning.
They seemed not to acknowledge Li Yunru's existence.
However, they didn't take Yan Ning too seriously.
That's true.
He was nothing more than a tool in this marriage alliance between noble families. Who would care what a tool thinks?
If they think it's a good thing, then it's a good thing.
Even a tool is still a person; they will have their own thoughts and beliefs.
These congratulatory remarks ended with Yan Ning's gentle yet forceful denial.
He bowed to each of the people seated above him and explained, “My relationship with Cousin Cui is only that of brother and sister, not romantic. I made this clear to her before… It was my mistake, I should have explained it to the elders earlier, but I was too busy with affairs in the capital and could not find a good opportunity, which led to this misunderstanding. I am truly sorry and ask for your understanding. Please forgive me for not being able to accept this marriage proposal.”
Upon hearing this, the entire banquet hall fell silent instantly.
Cui's face was gloomy and ugly. She gripped the jade cup tightly, wishing she could crush it to pieces.
No one could have imagined that her most proud, sensible, and filial child would so openly defy their decision in public!
She tried to salvage the situation, standing up and scolding, "Changjun, you've had too much to drink and are talking nonsense. Hurry up and apologize to your maternal grandfather and uncle. They are willing to marry their daughter to you; that's your good fortune. Hurry up and thank your maternal grandfather!"
Seeing that he had been made a fool of, Yan Ning was unwilling to listen to her and said, "Mother, I have told you before that I have chosen my wife to share honor and disgrace."
He reached out and took Li Yunru's hand. The two stood side by side and declared to the crowd, "I promised Lady Liyang that she would be my only one in this life. A gentleman values his word and cannot break it!"
"puff!"
Old Master Cui had been respected his whole life, and he had never been so humiliated. Unable to bear the shock, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
...
Dozens of doctors and nearly a hundred servants were running around in Master Cui's room, busy with their work. Master Cui and the rest of the Cui family were pacing anxiously outside the door.
Lady Cui stood there with her children, caught in a dilemma. She tried to say something to comfort them, but the words were swallowed back by Lord Cui's glare.
Finally, it was Old Madam Cui who made the decision, telling them to go back and wait for news before leaving.
Kneel down!
Once inside her guesthouse, Cui loudly berated Yan Ning, demanding that he kneel down and admit his mistake.
The person did not object, but did as instructed, bending their knees and kneeling on the ground with a thud, causing the white jade slab to shatter with a clear, crisp sound.
Cui was filled with hatred, but seeing this, she couldn't bear it anymore. She lowered her raised hand and said angrily, "You should reflect on your mistakes here. You can only get up when you realize your mistakes!"
But Yan Ning was incredibly stubborn; she would kneel down but resolutely refuse to admit her mistake.
During those days, the entire Cui family seemed shrouded in dark clouds, and even breathing was a mistake.
Yan Ning was forced to kneel as punishment, and Li Yunru was kept under surveillance and forbidden from leaving the guesthouse. Even Yan Sheng and Cui Shi, who were barely able to move around freely, were caught in the middle of Cui Fu's residence. Whenever they went out, they felt as if countless eyes and mouths were chattering and gossiping about them.
This continued for three days until the doctor came out of Old Master Cui's room and announced that the man had been barely saved and was only slightly better, but the matter was not over yet.
Old Master Cui was not fully recovered; he was still sickly and not lucid, so the marriage between the Cui and Yan families could not be finalized, making the matter difficult to resolve.
There was much discussion in the household.
Some say that the Yan family is doing well now, having risen to the top of the aristocratic families, with all three sons serving in the court and the support of the Jiangzuo military power, and has already looked down on the Cui family. Others say that Yan Ning has become ambitious, relying on his reputation as the elegant young man of Jiangzuo and the power he currently holds, and has forgotten the old friendships.
The rumors came one after another, spreading like wildfire, and within a few days, they had reached every corner of Qinghe.
The fact that Cui Wan and Yan Ning had already gotten together in the capital was also spread.
This was something the Cui family knew about themselves and didn't intend to publicize. But this commotion has made Yan Ning appear disrespectful to his maternal grandfather and teacher, and irresponsible for robbing someone of their innocence. He has become a disloyal, unjust, and unfilial person.
Thinking about all the effort, time, and money she had spent raising this promising son over the years, only to see him turn out like this, Cui felt as if the sky had fallen.
Perhaps she should find Mrs. Li and have another proper talk...
There was once an agreement between them, but she broke it first.
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Author's Note: I'm almost done writing! There are probably a few more chapters left, maybe next week. There's no chance of extra chapters after it goes VIP. First, my writing speed is incredibly slow; even a 3,000-word chapter is exhausting. Right now, while maintaining regular updates, I'm also rewriting my next novel, "The Tenth Year After Transmigration." I really love it, but I'm stuck in a creative block and don't have the energy. Second, I want to be responsible to my readers. I can probably manage to finish it, but rushing it doesn't guarantee quality. If it were a free chapter, I could roughly outline the overall content first and then refine it; it's fine to replace it anytime. But now that it's a VIP chapter, there will be a charge for readers, so I prioritize quality. Aside from correcting typos, bugs, and grammatical errors, I'll try to avoid making changes as much as possible. But I can try my best. Just take a look; it's highly unlikely [facepalm][facepalm][facepalm]. Thank you for your support! [orange heart]
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