Chapter 51 Marriage (1) [VIP]
After a brief silence, he softened his sternness and ordered the maid to play a piece so he could see where the problem lay. "It's all because you weren't concentrating on the sound of the zither. When playing, you should be fully immersed in it. I'll watch you play it again and help you identify any areas of difficulty."
Then, the sound of Meng Yatou's piano filled the hall.
Qu Hanjin leaned forward slightly, observing his techniques and the key points of his comprehension, and he could also feel the pretty girl behind him playing around vaguely.
The slender jade fingers had already touched the jade belt around his waist, and the fingertips were circling leisurely, and every move showed its recklessness. He turned his eyes back without noticing, but could not even scold her.
"Stop making trouble..."
He gave silent advice, his brows slightly furrowed, and he was really in a dilemma.
However, fearing that she would be angry, Qu Hanjin hesitated to speak, and his expression softened.
After that, seeing that she no longer acted funny, he felt inexplicably empty inside, so he simply stood beside her desk, hiding behind her and holding her hand without anyone knowing.
Chu Qingluo was secretly very happy, not for any other reason, but simply because this gentleman's heart belonged to her, and she was proud and happy.
Pulling her thoughts back, she walked along the courtyard corridor and immediately caught sight of the elegant figure in the stone pavilion. The young man in purple still refused to enter the main hall and was still sulking there.
Recalling the last time she was hurriedly taken away by her husband, she lowered her eyes, smiled, and walked leisurely up the steps of the pavilion.
"The master will not make things difficult for you anymore. Master Sheng can go to the Qin Hall without any worries."
Sitting leisurely beside Sheng Youzhang, she smiled lightly, indicating that the misunderstanding had been resolved and her husband would no longer do anything against her.
But Sheng Youzhang retreated with disdain, pretending to distance himself from her. After a long moment, he replied in a cold voice, "Miss Chu asked for this on my behalf. It's better not to accept it."
Chu Qingluo didn't understand why the young master was avoiding her. After thinking about it for a few moments, she suddenly understood: "I'm trying to help you out of kindness. How can you be so rude?"
When the gentleman took her away by hand and they embraced each other intimately in the corridor, Master Sheng saw it all clearly, and perhaps he was still feeling resentful.
"Such a kind gesture, please take it back, young lady."
There seemed to be a resentment hidden in his heart, and Sheng Youzhang stood distantly in the pavilion, as if he didn't want to look at her anymore.
He had come to the mansion to learn the qin, so how could this young man be so awkward? Chu Qingluo looked at him lightly, her tone turning cold, "Young Master Sheng came to the academy to learn the art, to learn from Mr. Qu's superb qin skills. He got upset over a few words, and with this mentality, he won't be able to achieve anything in the future when he becomes an official."
Sheng Youzhang knew she was trying to persuade him to study out of kindness. He was silent for a moment, then hesitantly asked, "I'd like to ask... is the young lady having an affair with the gentleman?"
The question you asked is indeed...
But how could she tell irrelevant people, which would cause a big uproar and cause her a lot of trouble?
"I only went to learn qin music from the master. Why do you have to say such unpleasant things?" She glanced at Meng Yatou, who was waving at her. She pretended to be solemn, hoping to silence Sheng Youzhang. "If you think I'm using qin lessons as an excuse to seduce the master, I have nothing to say."
"But that day..." Sheng Youzhang didn't dare to continue. He glanced at her for several moments, hiding what he saw in his thoughts.
After a long moment of respectful bowing, Mr. Sheng looked apologetic, realizing how rude he had been. "I didn't mean to slander the young lady. I just noticed that you seemed to be too protective of her, as if... as if you had some desire for her."
"I will keep an eye on this matter. Thank you, Master Sheng, for telling me." Chu Qingluo's expression remained unchanged, still looking slightly annoyed. She returned the greeting and quickly left the pavilion. "Ying'er called me, I'll take my leave now."
She had previously done something inappropriate in order to seduce the gentleman, but now that the gentleman was in her trap, she wanted to win the heart of the number one scholar again.
Let him feel guilty for a few days first, and when Mr. Sheng has thought it through, she will listen carefully to his apology, and the past friendship of appreciating flowers and discussing knowledge can continue.
She walked leisurely towards the girl, a barely perceptible smile on the corner of her lips.
"Ying'er is looking for me?" Chu Qingluo walked to the side of the pretty figure with a graceful step and smiled. He glanced at the courtyard in the direction she was looking and immediately became confused.
Hurriedly looking around, Meng Ying'er raised her hand to cover her lips and whispered in his ear, "Guess who I saw just now in front of the side courtyard?"
"The master and Fu Guang seem to have gone out, and Miss Xu is squatting alone beside the courtyard." The maid looked surprised and worried, wondering why the eldest daughter of the Xu family who survived the disaster went to look for the master.
She walked closer and saw Miss Xu squatting by the courtyard wall, her hands on her knees, tears faintly visible in her eyes.
The girl had cried for nearly a whole day in the teacher's hall, missing the class of the Music Department. Now she came to bother Chu Qingluo again. Chu Qingluo didn't like this girl in the first place, and now he disliked her even more.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and replied softly to the girl, "It seems that after being imprisoned this time, Xu Anyao will find it difficult to get over the panic."
"She was silent in the music hall, and after class she would go to the side courtyard..." After thinking deeply for a while, Meng Ying'er understood something and suddenly spoke with concern, "The master is her savior..."
"She wouldn't want to... marry me, would she?"
She followed Meng Yatou's steps and walked steadily, whispering: "I am not her, and I don't know what she is thinking."
"The master is back!"
As she approached, she suddenly heard a maid shouting beside her. Then she looked up and saw Fu Guang coming over, following behind her.
She smiled faintly and stepped aside, then hurriedly tugged at Meng's sleeve to prevent her pretty face from obstructing the gentleman's view.
The way ahead was blocked by Miss Xu. After a few steps, Qu Hanjin arrived in front of the villa and saw this scene.
With a delicate look in his eyes, he turned to look at the woman in front of him and asked in a stern voice, "Why are you waiting here to be my teacher?"
When Xu Anyao stood up, she also noticed the presence of two other people. She clutched the hem of her skirt with her drooping hands and whispered softly, "I...I want to talk to you alone."
"They are all familiar people, so just speak frankly."
When he heard the word "alone", he unconsciously glanced at Mingyan again and spoke more solemnly.
The master had said so, and it seemed impossible to avoid it any longer. Miss Xu thought for a moment, then hesitated for words: "My father wants to arrange a marriage with you... and will come to visit on a certain day. Let me have a brief discussion with you first."
"Marriage?"
Qingmei couldn't help but frown, and Qu Hanjin was even more puzzled. He then responded seriously: "Master has no such plan at the moment. Please inform your father."
"Sir... don't you like my daughter?"
Xu Anyao looked slightly bewildered upon hearing this. He asked hurriedly, then murmured, "Sir, you are of marriageable age. It's time for you to arrange a marriage."
"I don't have to be the principal wife. Being a concubine will do..." Suddenly remembering something, the eldest daughter of the Xu family added hurriedly, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. "My life is guaranteed by you, sir. I will be yours for the rest of my life."
“That’s ridiculous…”
Saving Miss Xu's life had even brought up the matter of marriage. He coldly rebuked her, admonishing her in the same stern tone he used when teaching: "Your life is your own. What I did was just a small favor. Why bring it up with marriage?"
Xu Anyao saw that Jing was still unwilling to give up, so she insisted on being alone with the master. "Whether the master is willing or not, could you please listen to my daughter's words?"
Normally, I always say things that are irrelevant to the topic, but this time, Meng Yatou really hit the nail on the head...
After this great disaster, Miss Xu, thinking of her husband's kindness, really wanted to repay him with a marriage.
Seeing Miss Xu's pitiful appearance, Chu Qingluo sighed inwardly and asked the master to quickly bring the girl into the hall. "Ying'er and I just happened to be passing by and had no intention of hearing this... We will absolutely keep this a secret."
"Yes! Don't worry, sir. Qingluo and I will never let anyone else know." Meng girl agreed repeatedly, pursed her red lips and said nothing more.
"Come back here in a quarter of an hour." The voice was still majestic and inviolable. The young master gave an order, his eyes lightly sweeping over the girl, and finally returning to her.
"Only you."
As he finished speaking, the gentleman calmly led Miss Xu into the elegant courtyard. Chu Qingluo followed the maid and walked around the garden again and again.
Although they were strolling around the mansion, the two of them were intentionally staring at the gate of the villa, hoping that the master and Miss Xu were all safe and sound.
Meng Ying'er couldn't hold back her words. She sighed deeply and whispered, "Do you think my guess was correct? Miss Xu really wants to repay her kindness with her own body..."
"Sir won't agree, Ying'er can rest assured." She replied calmly, her mood was a little calmer than the maid.
After talking for a quarter of an hour, he was confident that he could handle the matter quickly so that she didn't have to worry too much.
Besides, sir, you have just entered the palace, and you might have some news about the prince.
"Of course I know that Master doesn't care about women," Meng said, her worries still lingering in her almond-shaped eyes. "But Xu Anyao has always been arrogant and conceited. She will definitely not accept Master's direct rejection. If she gets impatient, she might resort to trickery to force Master..."
Chu Qingluo paused for a moment after hearing this, and suddenly realized that this was something that Miss Xu could do: "What you said is not impossible..."
The daughter of the Xu family was good at climbing up the social ladder. She had once tried to climb up to General Sun at a palace banquet, but she ended up like this.
Although she returned safely, the woman's reputation outside was ruined. The best way out for her was to marry a gentleman.
"Sir, aren't you a sheep in a tiger's mouth?" Meng Ying'er's worries grew. After much deliberation, she said with great concern, "How about... we wait outside the side hall. If we hear any noise, we can rush in and stop them."
She was silent for a moment, then whispered to the maid, "Sir, you're a man, why do you need us to stop you..."
"But the gentleman is elegant and weak, how can he resist the young lady's scheming..." Meng's girl was worried and thought about it. She looked at the side yard and saw no one coming in or out. She sighed softly, "It's really worrying. Why hasn't Xu Anyao come out yet?"
After nearly a quarter of an hour, two people came out of the courtyard. The gentleman exuded a quiet demeanor and his face was as solemn as ever. The girl finally felt relieved and said goodbye to him.
Looking at Miss Xu's receding figure, his face became even darker. Perhaps her trick had failed, and she had to return empty-handed...
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