Chapter 87
Zhao Mingzhu had always been pampered by Old Madam Wei and had never heard a harsh word from her.
After hearing this, she pursed her lips and said nothing. Old Madam Wei asked her to sit next to her and sighed, "It's not that I blame you, but you're just too stubborn. Yining has been here for so long, and when have you ever gotten close to her? You know your uncle values her, so why don't you get along better with her?"
Zhao Mingzhu's eyes were red as she said, "I... I'm just like this. I can't pretend. I can't control who I like or dislike. If I like you, I just want to be close to you. I don't want to care about anything else."
Old Madam Wei held her hand and concentrated for a moment: "Yining's life was not easy away from home. She finally came back, so your uncle will naturally dote on her." Seeing Mingzhu crying so hard, she thought that this was also a child she had put in her hands and doted on. She would be extremely anxious if she had a headache or a fever. Her arrogant temper today was probably caused by her doting. Old Madam Wei hugged her in her arms and said, "You silly child, don't think clearly. I still have a few years to live. If I die, who will protect you?"
Zhao Mingzhu looked up at Old Lady Wei and murmured, "You don't like me anymore..."
She suddenly realized that she couldn't be like before. At least no matter how much she disliked Luo Yining, she shouldn't show it and let others talk about her.
"How could I not like you?" Old Mrs. Wei looked at her tear-stained face and thought back to the years when Wei Ling was away, when Mingzhu stayed by her side to entertain her, or when she was little and clung to her, refusing to move out. Even after she moved out, she was the first one to come to her place every day. She also thought back to how she had lived away from her parents, how she hadn't been close to anyone except herself...
She said this out of concern that Mingzhu wouldn't be able to put herself in her proper place. She naturally loved Mingzhu and wouldn't let anyone bully her. But for Wei Ling, the only daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion was Yining, and even she couldn't change that. Although she treated both children the same, Mingzhu was even more beloved.
Old Madam Wei said slowly, "I naturally want to leave the best things for you. Tomorrow your cousin Cheng Lang will come to give Ting'er lessons. He will then come to see me, and I will then propose your marriage to him."
Zhao Mingzhu was a little surprised when she heard what Mrs. Wei said. She didn't know that Mrs. Wei's plan was so fast.
Old Madam Wei continued, "Cheng Lang grew up with you and must have a deep affection for you. If he agrees, then the matter is settled."
Families who wanted to marry Cheng Lang lined up from the west to the east of the city. If she had not been raised by Old Madam Wei since she was a child, she would not even be qualified to be mentioned in the same breath with Cheng Lang.
After Zhao Mingzhu returned to Fangshan, her personal maid Su Xi brought her some soup. Seeing her still slumped over the table without saying a word, she said, "My dear lady, please don't be upset. I think what the old lady said makes sense. She's thinking about you..."
"How can I not be upset?" Zhao Mingzhu's slender fingers tugged at the Lu silk pillow. She was furious. "I was raised by her side, in the mansion! Even if she is my biological daughter, so what? She was raised by a poor family out there. Now she's become a phoenix and it's such a big deal! She was born into a poor family, too."
Su Xi's heart was also choked when she heard this. Miss Mingzhu was so confused that she could even say such a thing. Yining was a proper lady, something she could never compare to. It was pitiful that these girls shared the same fate. Not only could they not speak directly to her and make her angry, but they also had to help her with her plans.
"In my opinion, you'd better be nicer to Miss Mingzhu. Others will think you're sensible when they see you." Su Xi advised her, "As long as the old lady can help you get married to Master Cheng, you will be his wife in his house. Whether you are a proper lady or not is not a big deal. You just need to win Master Cheng's favor."
Zhao Mingzhu took a deep breath when she heard this: "From now on, the Duke of Ying's Mansion will be her territory. I want to come back to see my grandmother, but I'm afraid I have to rely on her mood... Besides, I'm not completely sure about Cheng Lang."
"That's easy." Su Xi, upon hearing this, understood what Zhao Mingzhu meant. She finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "As long as Miss Yining is engaged and married, why are you still bothering about this? From now on, you two should keep yourselves separate."
When Zhao Mingzhu heard this, she stood up and looked at Suxi.
She felt that Su Xi's words made some sense. If Yi Ning had said that she would be married, she would not have thought about Cheng Lang. But, did she really want to marry Cheng Lang...
Zhao Mingzhu looked at the lampshade on the table, and she recalled the scene when she first saw that person when she was very young.
She worshipped him as her adoptive father and offered him tea, which he took without saying anything and gave her a bracelet.
The bracelet looked unremarkable. But Zhao Mingzhu later learned that it was actually priceless, made of a very rare jade. As long as she wore it, no one dared to touch her when she walked around.
Every time she spoke to him in a flattering manner, he would just smile casually. Even though she had grown up, he still treated her as a child.
She had admired Lu Jiaxue's brilliance since she was a child, and her heart was filled with anticipation every time she saw him, but she didn't dare to tell anyone.
Zhao Mingzhu felt a little more at peace when she thought of him. At least she still had the all-powerful Governor Lu as her adoptive father, something Luo Yining didn't have. Even if she and Luo Yining ever came to blows, Lu Jiaxue, considering their past friendship, would naturally help her.
Zhao Mingzhu suddenly wanted to see Lu Jiaxue very urgently. She hadn't seen him for a long time.
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