Chapter 369 I'm Here to Pick You Up

Xu Wan stood there, looking at him from a distance.

She had never seen such a gaze before. He always looked at her so intently, as if she was the only colorful person in his world. He could not see anything around him but her.

She had never looked at anyone like this, nor had she ever been looked at like this. For a moment, she actually felt that Zong Zhao had liked her for a very long time, perhaps even longer than she had thought, love at first sight, otherwise he would not have been able to bear such a strong emotion.

Even though he had never really confessed his love to her, his love for her was so full that it was about to overflow, and she could feel it even if she was an idiot. That unique preference made it unnecessary for her to confirm with him over and over again: whether he liked her or not.

Yan Suxue curled her lips and said softly, "I'll wait for you in the carriage."

Xu Wan blinked, feeling a little bit at a loss for the first time.

Zong Zhao was already walking towards her, standing in front of her and saying, "I'm here to take you home."

"Oh...oh...ok." Xu Wan explained in a panic, "We were delayed with Madam Lu inside just now, so we came out late. Have you been waiting here all the time? Don't you have something to do with Master Lu?"

Zong Zhao replied: "I don't know him well. I'm here to pick you up."

Xu Wan: “…”

Actually...actually they were right?

Zong Zhao really came to pick her up...

Xu Wan was at a loss as to what to do: "But we called a carriage when we went out today, and Su Xue is still in the carriage. Isn't it inappropriate for you to get in?"

Zong Zhao said, "You guys sit down, I'll ride the horse."

Xu Wan added: "Oh, okay, then you don't have to wait for us, you can just go back home first."

Zong Zhao didn't reply, but only said: "Get on the carriage, let's go home."

"good."

Xu Wan got on the carriage and saw Yan Suxue smiling at her: "Are we right?"

Xu Wan suppressed her laughter and replied, "Yes, yes, you guessed it right. How could you be so smart, my sister Suxue?"

Yan Suxue chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, please stop teasing me. We are just outsiders who can see clearly. You are now in Lushan, so you can't recognize the true face."

"Lushan..." Xu Wan gently twisted the words in this poem and raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

When they arrived at the door of the house, Yan Suxue said to her as soon as she got out of the car: "Sister-in-law, I'm going back to the courtyard first."

"Ah? So urgent?" Xu Wan opened the car curtain and saw Zong Zhao was still waiting for her. She immediately realized that Yan Suxue didn't want to be a third wheel, so she changed her tone and said, "Okay, bye."

Yan Suxue covered her mouth and laughed secretly, then entered the mansion and walked towards another courtyard.

As Xu Wan entered the mansion, she said to Zong Zhao, "You really rode your horse all the way beside our carriage. Don't you think it's slow?"

Zong Zhao replied: "It's nothing urgent, no need to rush home."

Xu Wan was convinced: It makes sense.

The two walked side by side, still politely, but the old lady who was secretly peeping was furious. She whispered, "This bastard has not made any progress at all. Did I talk to him so much for nothing?"

The old marquis bared his teeth and said, "He hasn't made any progress, why are you pinching me..."

The old lady let go of her hand and said in a deep voice: "If a son is not taught well, it is the fault of his father."

Old Marquis: “…” What a huge black pot.

However, the two people were whispering in secret, and Zong Zhao heard the sound. He stopped and turned to look, and sure enough, he saw his mother gesturing at him and saying something unclear.

The old lady said anxiously, "Hold hands, hold hands, you are so stupid!" But she wanted to control her voice so that Xu Wan would not hear it, and quickly pulled up the old marquis to show her son, "Hold hands, hold hands."

The old couple held their breath and acted, hoping that their stupid son would understand. Fortunately, Zong Zhao really understood it, but he didn't move. His parents were still watching him, and he felt embarrassed.

To the old lady, this meant: It's over, this is too stupid.

And so on into their courtyard.

Zong Zhao quickly caught up with her, first walking side by side with her, then pretending to touch the back of her hand, and finally nervously holding her...fingers.

Xu Wan stopped and turned to meet Zong Zhao's gaze again.

The warmth coming from his fingers came from his thick, knotted hands. The moment she looked at him, Zong Zhao's hands shrank a little, but he mustered up the courage to grab them again.

Anyway, I'm determined to hold hands.

"What... is wrong with you?" Xu Wan didn't understand what he wanted to do.

In fact, Zong Zhao hadn't thought about what to say. He had been thinking about it all day, but when it came to his lips, he couldn't say a word. Every explanation he thought about for a long time became embarrassing in front of her.

But my mother said that we couldn’t go on like this.

He finally spoke: "What kind of person do you think my father is?"

Xu Wan was confused by his question. She thought, "He's pretty good. He has a good temper and is easy to get along with. He's a perfect family member."

After all, he is his biological father, so Xu Wan couldn't really analyze her father's character with him. However, the old marquis was indeed a rare perfection in this era, and he devoted himself to this small family.

Zong Zhao said, "He is not perfect. On the contrary, he has many shortcomings: he is not that smart, he can't speak, and he is inflexible. He can cut off all ties with people just by saying he doesn't want to associate with them. He has no friends, and my mother has the final say on all matters at home."

Xu Wan: “…”

He was indeed his own son, he pinched his father's throat and criticized him fiercely.

But who would have thought that Zong Zhao suddenly changed the subject and said, "But he is loyal, dedicated, loves his wife, cares for his children, and cares about his family. He also has many qualities that ordinary people don't have."

Xu Wan agreed with this very much: "That's why I said he is a perfect family member."

Zong Zhao looked at her and said, "I also have many shortcomings. I have a bad temper and I can't speak well. Maybe I will never change in this lifetime. But I also have many advantages. I can be like my father and not take concubines or maids. There will only be you, and you will belong to only one person, and no one can take you away."

Xu Wan was shocked.

This was more shocking than the letter of guarantee he had written to her. Not hanging out with prostitutes only showed that he was a self-disciplined person who would not go to those places of pleasure. Not taking concubines or having a maid was equivalent to standing against all the powerful men in the capital, and being the one who was most out of tune with them.

Every other household has it, but he doesn't. As time goes by, all kinds of unbearable rumors will spread everywhere. People will say that he is inhumane and that he has a withdrawn personality. It is very likely that he will become the same as the old marquis, and become someone that no one in the capital wants to have anything to do with.

But Zong Zhao didn't seem to care about that. He grabbed her finger and raised it, and asked sincerely and seriously: "Can you try to like me? The kind of love that makes you happy when you see me, miss me when you don't see me, and always cares about me in your heart, not just your husband in name only."