Chapter 561 Taking the Initiative
When Madam Ji heard that the Meng family wanted to marry Meng Wei to her nephew, she became anxious. She had been thinking of finding an excuse to invite the Meng family to the Marquis's residence for a casual meal before bringing up the marriage of her children.
But now it seems that the meal won't be served, and the wedding will likely fall through.
“Mother, since the other party hasn’t officially settled the marriage, we can’t just give up like this.”
"So what do we do next?"
Of all the young ladies Ji has seen, Meng Wei stands out as one of the best. Most importantly, Gu Renjie is willing to spend time with her; such a daughter-in-law is hard to find these days.
“We need to take the initiative,” Gu Shuyan said, then whispered a few words in Ji’s ear, and Ji immediately nodded in agreement.
After having dinner at Ruyi Restaurant, Gu Shuyan helped Madam Ji out of the private room when they bumped into Madam Meng, who was also coming out.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, madam, are you alright?" Madam Ji apologized repeatedly and inquired about Madam Meng's well-being.
"It's alright!" Madam Meng said, looking up. Just as she was about to say that she was fine, she saw that the person standing in front of her was none other than the Lady of Marquis Yi'an.
Upon seeing this, Madam Meng quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Madam Hou."
Even though she was recognized, Madam Ji did not show any arrogance. Instead, she kindly helped Madam Meng up and said gently, "Madam, you are too kind. I accidentally bumped into you just now. Would you like to go to the nearby clinic?"
Lady Ji was a humble and polite person. Lady Meng had only heard about her from others before, but after meeting her today, she felt much more favorably disposed towards Lady Ji.
"Madam, please don't worry about it. I was careless just now, so it's not your fault." Madam Meng was about to take her leave when Ji turned around and saw Meng Wei behind Madam Meng.
"Miss Meng, what are you doing here?" As soon as Madam Ji saw Meng Wei, her face was filled with surprise and joy, and she took a step forward and grabbed Meng Wei's hand.
Meng Wei was quick-witted and immediately knew that the person was invited by Gu Shuyan when she saw Ji Shi. But why would Gu Shuyan devise such a scheme?
Yes, that's the design! Gu Shuyan had someone keep an eye on the private room at the Meng family's place, and timed it perfectly before letting Ji Shi go out, so that the two of them could just bump into each other.
"Greetings, Lady Hou."
Meng Wei thought to herself, but on the surface she remained respectful. However, because her hand was being held by Madam Ji, she only performed a simple curtsy.
When Madam Meng saw that Madam Ji actually remembered Meng Wei and even treated her so warmly, a look of surprise flashed across her face.
Madam Ji glanced at Madam Meng and Madam Fu and asked, "May I ask who you two are to Miss Meng?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Wei quickly introduced them, saying, "This is my mother, and these two are Meng Wei's aunt and cousin."
Upon hearing Meng Wei's introduction, Ji's smile widened even more, and she then took Meng Wei's mother's hand, looking as if she had known her for a long time.
"I wondered who could raise such a fine girl as Miss Mengwei. Now that I've met you, Madam, you are indeed extraordinary."
Madam Ji was warm towards Madam Meng, but only gave Meng Wei's aunt a polite smile. After all, that was someone who was coming to compete with her for her daughter-in-law, and Madam Ji was already being quite lenient by not giving her a cold shoulder.
"It is indeed the Lady Hou who is admirable to raise such an outstanding daughter as Miss Gu."
"Not at all, not at all. My girl is just a wild child. How can she compare to Miss Meng?"
Madam Meng was only trying to be polite, but Madam Ji took the opportunity to follow the topic and pulled Madam Ji's hand to walk downstairs together.
Their intimate manner made it seem as if the two had been friends for many years, completely ignoring Madam Meng's sister-in-law.
Upon arriving at the gate, seeing that both families' carriages had arrived, Madam Ji reluctantly said, "It's unfortunate that Madam Meng is accompanying her sister-in-law today. How about this, I'll invite Madam Meng to my residence for tea another day when I have time."
Ji's enthusiasm made Madam Meng a little dizzy. When she heard Ji suggest making an appointment another day, Madam Meng actually nodded as if possessed.
Even after getting into the carriage, Lady Ji still waved to Lady Meng and her daughter.
As the carriage from the Marquis's residence drove away, Madam Fu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"When did my sister become so close to the Lady of the Marquis's mansion? Judging from her appearance, she seems to like Meng Wei quite a bit too." Madam Fu said, calling her son to get into the carriage.
"No, sister-in-law, let me explain." Madam Meng then realized that her sister-in-law was angry and hurriedly tried to follow, but Madam Fu simply told the coachman to drive away.
Once inside the Meng family's carriage, Madam Meng immediately looked at Meng Wei and asked, "What exactly happened today?"
Madam Meng was not stupid. She was a little dizzy from Ji's enthusiasm, but she immediately understood after regaining her senses.
When has the wife of the Marquis of Yi'an ever needed to be so polite to the wife of a mere official? It's probably all because of her daughter. And why would they give her daughter so much face? If they didn't have their eye on her daughter, she would never believe it.
Meng Wei, her own mother, naturally knew better than anyone else. Seeing that she could no longer hide the truth, Meng Wei simply confessed: "Actually, when I said I was going out to visit friends, it was actually the Marquis's wife who invited me to the Marquis of Yi'an's residence. And before that, when I went to see the young master of the Zhang family, it was the eldest young master of the Gu family who accompanied me."
When Meng Wei confessed, Madam Meng was completely stunned. Looking at Meng Wei, who had her head down, Madam Meng poked her head hard for the first time.
"You, you kept such a big thing from me and your father, you're really infuriating us."
Madam Meng remained silent throughout the journey until they arrived at the Earl's residence, where she directly escorted Meng Wei to Master Meng's study.
After recounting today's events and Meng Wei's words to Master Meng, Master Meng immediately showed a conflicted and troubled expression.
"Veer, what are you really thinking?"
Master Meng looked at Meng Wei and saw her head down in thought. He didn't urge her but waited quietly for her answer.
After a long while, Meng Wei finally reacted. With a determined look in her eyes, she looked up at Mr. and Mrs. Meng and said, "Father, Mother, I know you want me to marry into the Fu family, but I don't like my cousin and I don't want to marry him."
If it were before today, Meng Wei might have followed her parents' wishes, married her cousin, and lived a simple and ordinary life together.
But today, when Gu Shuyan appeared and urged her to stop the marriage and invited the Ji family to come, she suddenly changed her mind.
Although she wasn't sure if Gu Renjie had feelings for her, or if she could eventually be with him, she felt that if she didn't follow her heart and give it a shot, her life would truly be meaningless.
"Nonsense! Your cousin may not be outstanding, but he is a very good person. Your father and I carefully selected this marriage for you, and you are telling me you don't want to get married."
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