Chapter 124: Light Eight
Xie Zeyi had witnessed Mrs. Ge's power since he was a child, and before he knew what was happening, he would often use his quick eyes and long legs to escape Mrs. Ge's attack range. Miya also often laughed, "The devil is even more powerful than you, that's what Brother Zoe is talking about."
But this time he didn't try to hide, instead he smiled respectfully and said, "Aunt, we can talk."
Mrs. Ge, holding the broom in her hand, laughed out loud before she could strike him hard: "Who are you calling aunt? Who gave you verbal permission to do so?"
Xie Zeyi pretended not to understand and asked with a smile, "Still calling her Mrs. Ge is too rude for outsiders to hear."
His words were full of traps for Mrs. Ge, and Mrs. Ge could hear it. She sneered, "Why don't you treat yourself as an outsider for now?"
Having said this, the beating was temporarily avoided.
The silk scarf had already covered most of her neck. Mrs. Ge looked back at her and said, "Pack your things and come back with me to Parker to stay."
She was a little confused about what was going on. She looked at Mrs. Ge, then her eyes fell on Xie Zeyi and asked, "Where is Mr. Xie?"
Xie Zeyi looked at her and smiled.
Mrs. Ge was furious.
Miya said, "Mrs. Ge, the betrothal gifts must have arrived at Queen's Pier by now."
Mrs. Ge turned to look at her. "Everyone in the world knows that when my daughter was promised to your family, Xie Zeyi didn't even know where he was. He didn't even have the chance to be present when the marriage certificate was signed. To save your brother, my daughter 'married first and then the gifts,' which caused countless scandals outside. It's not like I sold my daughter to the Xie family as a daughter-in-law, but I married her to Xie Zeyi!" She turned to look at Xie Zeyi. "Now you're back. Your family has sent the betrothal gifts, but where is your sincerity? How can I be sure you won't let her down? Xie Zeyi, there's no such good thing in the world."
"Mrs. Ge's teaching is correct," he nodded. With Mrs. Ge between them, he suddenly looked at Chu Wang seriously, then turned to Mrs. Ge and said, "Mrs. Ge. Xie Zeyi loves this girl."
"Every young talent who comes here to beg to see her says so." Mrs. Ge sneered and slowly turned her head to look at Xie Zeyi.
The two maids in the room were both holding their breath.
Chu Wang stared at Xie Zeyi without blinking.
He went on to say, "I know I'm not a big shot. But I will always put her first, respect her wishes, support her, and love her for the rest of my life."
This man had already offered his utmost loyalty. Unfortunately, he thought he was about to die and would never have the chance to kiss the back of her hand again; nor would anyone here have the chance to witness that scene.
Even Zhenzhen, an outsider, was moved to tears by these two people.
Miya said hurriedly, "Mrs. Ge, you are the most knowledgeable and reasonable person. Please stop forcing us to break up this couple."
"Who arranged your two marriages? And I'm the one who ends up being the worst offender," Mrs. Ge glared at her. "She'll be sixteen in the first month of the year. Ah... that day is a good one. Long, long, long life together." After saying this, she couldn't help but sigh with relief. Then, glaring at Xie Zeyi, she gritted her teeth and said, "Before this, I'll take her to live with me. No matter how urgent it is, you'll have to wait until then."
Chu Wang's face flushed, and he felt a surge of panic. The Republic of China still had its own rules. In social circles where prestige was paramount, especially among the middle and upper bourgeoisie, a wedding was more persuasive than a marriage certificate. Living together before marriage was considered appalling, a massive barrier that no one dared to cross.
Mrs. Ge walked out, and Xie Zeyi hurried to press the elevator button.
Chu Wang chased after her and held her arm.
Miya knew that she wanted to talk to her about family matters, so she and Zhenzhen linked arms and talked about the Royal Navy in the back.
As a gentleman, Xie Zeyi went downstairs first to drive the car for the ladies.
There were only the aunt and niece in the elevator. Chu Wang suddenly asked, "Aunt, if I had not listened to you and gone to Europe, would you have been sad?"
Mrs. Ge said, "I know everything about your life at the Qiao Mansion. At first, I was worried about you, but then I realized that you have such high standards. Those sordid things are completely in your eyes, and trivial matters won't bother you in the slightest. Even if you do go to Europe, the two Lins will be restrained in your presence, and your life will probably be no worse than it was at the Qiao Mansion. I'm only worried about one thing: you never take trivial matters to heart, but you're extremely sensitive and irritated by everything that happens with that young man from the Si family. When we got to the outlying island, I discovered that you had an almost blind admiration for that naive young master. He treated you well, but without a clear understanding of your feelings, you were hastily betrothed to each other with a verbal engagement. Love is such a beautiful thing. If he had learned this lesson before you did, far away from the mainland, without any relatives or friends, where would you go? I wanted to tell you that you still have your aunt as a safe haven. Would you be willing to return to me then?"
She was stunned.
Mrs. Ge added, "I'm not worried that you, as a woman, won't be able to stand up for yourself. I'm just worried that when you can't hold on any longer, you'll be left alone with no one to turn to."
In a world full of wolves and tigers, two women had no choice but to rely on each other. Suddenly one day, one of them left for love, no longer needing her, which hurt her more than leaving her alone.
Unless you have experienced it yourself, it is impossible to be so deeply moved by these words.
Chu Wang leaned his face against Mrs. Ge's shoulder, feeling a mixture of emotions.
This is the only relative who is connected to her by blood and treats her very well.
Since she came into this world, she has never done anything wrong to anyone, except Mrs. Ge who treated her too well, which reminded her that she had never done anything for Lin Chuwang and her mother.
Compared to the original Chu Wang, all she could do was to have absolute trust in Mrs. Ge, and be better and better.
She pulled Mrs. Ge closer and said, "Mr. Xie and I will always need your guidance and instruction on many matters."
"Every sentence he speaks of is about Mr. Xie," Mrs. Ge said angrily. Then she asked in surprise, "Now that there are no outsiders around, why are you still calling him so polite?"
The elevator door opened, and the aunt and nephew walked out in two steps. Xie Zeyi came with the driver and said respectfully, "Mrs. Ge, please." Then he smiled gently, knowingly, "Mrs. Xie, please."
Mrs. Ge had just gotten into the car and sat down when she saw the young couple smiling and chatting with each other. She finally couldn't help but feel so angry at these two young people that she cried out for a headache.
Miya had something to interrogate the British, so she and Zhenzhen got in the next car.
Before reaching the back garden gate of Park Lane, we saw a group of people.
The man in the lead, with gray hair, a brown-black suit and a flowered bow tie, stole the show the most.
When the car stopped, Mrs. Ge got out and asked, "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
Sir Xie held his cane with one hand behind his back and smoothed his hair with the other. He smiled and said gracefully, "Of course you are here to pick up my son and his wife."
Miya was the only one who didn't mind her father's outlandish Chinese. As soon as they got out of the car, she rushed over and took his arm. "Daddy, you haven't seen your brother in ages."
Mrs. Ge sneered, "Then why didn't you pick up your son earlier? Last night?"
Sir Xie is obviously a romantic man. These few Chinese sentences are probably the best ones in his vocabulary, "A short separation is better than a long life. Of course, we need kisses, touches of hands, and hugs!"
Although the father and son had not seen each other for a long time, as soon as he saw Sir Xie, Xie Zeyi's disgust for his father was beyond words. His face looked extremely bad and he almost turned around and left.
Chu Wang felt embarrassed and amused by what he said in front of so many people. He almost didn't know what expression to make when facing this father-in-law with a unique style of painting.
At this time, Suixi came out from the back door and called Mrs. Ge: "A Mrs. Lin called early this morning and wanted to come visit."
"Which Mrs. Lin?" Mrs. Ge was puzzled. Then she thought, which Mrs. Lin would come to visit on the second day after Xie Zeyi arrived home instead of early? She chuckled and said, "Everyone is here. If you are interested, please come in and take a look at my daughter's father's mistress."
After saying this, he instructed Suixi, "Tell her I'm only free this morning. But ask her if she gave me the wrong address. I guess my memory is a little bad. After the previous Mrs. Lin passed away, I don't recognize any other Mrs. Lin anymore."
As they entered, Mrs. Ge turned back to Sir Xie and asked, "Did you send me the walnut armchairs and carved chairs that you commissioned from a Spanish designer last time?"
Sir Xie slowly turned his head and saw several helpers unloading two huge brown-red chairs with peach heart carvings from a barge.
When Daddy wasn't talking, Miya acted as his translator. "Zoe and Linzy also have a pair of armchairs. We've made them together with this couple and sent them to the island along with the betrothal gifts. They'll look really nice in the new house."
Chu Wang stared at the two chairs—their human-shaped design, their curved spines, their armrests patterned with curly grass… Their form and wood choice didn't offer any striking features, and their designs weren't particularly beautiful in this era. But all of their design elements reminded her of a prominent 21st-century name.
Mrs. Ge has made room for these two chairs in the main living room on the first floor.
After the helper placed the chairs, Zhenzhen stared at them for a long time, "What's so good about them?"
Miya said, "I heard that when each chair was designed, nude models were repeatedly tested sitting on it, and they are very comfortable no matter how long they sit on it."
Although Zhenzhen and Miya were used to making noises in front of Mrs. Ge, there were still rules. The newly delivered chairs hadn't been given any orders yet, so the two girls could only stare at them in front of the elders, not daring to sit on them immediately.
As soon as Chu Wang entered the room, Mi Qiu took him upstairs to change his clothes.
The weather had taken a sharp turn for the cooler, and the temperature inside the Shikumen house was significantly lower than outside. She wore a white turtleneck sweater to cover her neck, a dark red shawl draped over it, and a long black skirt that reached her calves, with black stockings draped around her ankles to protect her from the cold.
Her hair was long enough to reach her neck, so Zhenzhen took her to the time-honored "Changshengtang" barbershop to get it twisted once. Her hair was neatly twisted at the roots, especially when she tied it into a high ponytail. The short section of ponytail was gathered neatly at the back of her head, and every time she took a step, it bounced with her.
As she descended the escalator, she overheard Miya and Zhenzhen discussing the chairs' origins. A thought struck her, and even the architect's name came to mind. As she looked over, the two minimalist, unremarkable chairs seemed to radiate divine light.
——This is a genuine cultural relic, a treasure!
After she came to her senses, she stared at the two chairs as she went downstairs, not even having time to look at anyone else.
Xie Zeyi hadn't looked away since she came downstairs. Seeing that he was being completely ignored by his wife, he didn't rush to get angry. He took two steps forward, picked her up, and gently placed her on a tall walnut chair.
Then, while Mrs. Ge was answering the phone and not paying attention in the room, he kissed his wife on the forehead in full view of everyone.
Miya and Zhenzhen both covered their eyes and shouted, "Don't look at anything inappropriate!"
Sir Xie smiled, with a look of "You are worthy of being my son, Xie Hong".
Mi Qiu scolded Xie Zeyi twice, then covered her mouth and laughed, "It's also a blessing that Mr. Xie and my daughter are so young and beautiful. No matter what they do, we think it looks good."
The chair was probably designed for a tall Spanish male model. Chu Wang sat on it with his feet on the ground. He wanted to ask him not to get so close to him at this moment, as it would be embarrassing for others to see him. However, he knew he couldn't get down immediately, so he had to leave his legs hanging empty. He looked up at Xie Zeyi, smiled helplessly and shook his head at him, his little head and ponytail swaying from side to side.
Xie Zeyi's heart melted at the sight. He sighed and decided that since she was like this, he had to give her whatever she wanted.
At this time Suixi came in and said, "Guests have arrived."
Xie Zeyi stopped being rude, took two steps back, and sat facing her on the walnut chair opposite.
When Chu Wang sat on this chair, she looked particularly small, and the chair was empty and tall; the other chair was just the right size for Xie Zeyi to sit on with his long arms and legs stretched out, and he even felt that the design was not high enough, leaving him with nowhere to put his legs comfortably.
Chu Wang saw him smiling at her and thought he was mocking her for being too short. Not daring to act rashly in front of strangers and elders, she could only sit dignified and proper in her chair, angrily.
When Zhou and Yunyan walked in, they happened to see this scene——
A mixed-race girl with fair skin and excellent temperament and an oriental girl with extremely superior appearance and special temperament, as if they had discussed it beforehand, wore two cheongsams of the same color and chatted hand in hand on the escalator on the second floor; the appearance and temperament of the two, in today's terms, in addition to being "beautiful", also had a sense of sophistication that anyone with a little taste could perceive.
A middle-aged man with medium-length gray hair was leaning against two open glass doors facing the sun. He was wearing a solemn suit with a tie of a unique color. He lowered his head and played with an exquisite snuff bottle that was obviously priceless at first glance, oblivious to the people around him.
In this Shikumen house, with its simple and elegant binding and vibrant atmosphere filled with rare plants, everyone seemed to have stepped out of a movie. Even the maid who ushered her in was mistaken for a movie star when she walked down the street.
Especially the two beautiful people sitting face to face in two brand new heart-shaped chairs.
The two men faced each other and looked at each other from a distance, one of them smiled lovingly and teasingly, while the other was grimacing in anger.
This was the most beautiful scene in the room. They were both incredibly good-looking, and their words and actions matched perfectly. They couldn't be more perfectly matched.
Zhou paused, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Years earlier, while she was still in France, she'd heard Mrs. Qiao say: "This girl isn't nearly as pretty as Yunyan, and she's also overly cautious and guarded in her words and actions." She'd specialized in education while studying in Japan, and she knew that children who lacked love and care from a young age and were constantly trying to please their elders would inevitably grow up to be timid and petty. But she hadn't expected that over the past two years, not only had she become increasingly beautiful, but even the "timidity" Mrs. Qiao had described had completely vanished. The last time I saw her, she was not only graceful and elegant, but even at such a young age, she possessed an aura of commanding presence, her words and actions captivating. This time, her eyes were even more lively, and she was not only beautiful, but she also displayed the playfulness and endearing charm typical of a young girl her age. She must have known someone was loved, and she knew how to love.
No wonder the person opposite her stared at her without blinking.
Before I came here, rumors were rife that the two had suddenly gotten engaged, likely due to some unexpected event. The most likely possibility was that they were married because of pregnancy.
Sir Xie only had this one precious son in his life, and he was well-known for his love for his son. He even looked down on Qiao Maling. His only son, Xie Zeyi, must have very high standards. She thought, how could he possibly be interested in this third girl?
Looking at his eyes now, at least at this moment, he couldn't like her more.
She looked at her daughter beside her and couldn't help but sigh.
At least in terms of raising the two girls separately, she lost to Mrs. Ge.
Everyone in the room ignored her, but she looked them all over before she heard that familiar, smoke-soaked voice slowly drifting down the stairs: "Mi Qiu! Why haven't you made tea for the guests yet?"
Zhou hurriedly smiled and said, "No need to bother!" Then she scolded Yunyan, "Why don't you call me aunt?"
Mrs. Ge was wearing her breakfast gown, a silk handkerchief wrapped around her head, and holding a fruit plate. She picked up grapes one by one and then leaned back on the velvet sofa, sucked on the grape, and pointed to the opposite side with a toothpick: "Sit down."
Zhou helped Yunyan sit down, and Yunyan whispered, "Aunt."
Mrs. Ge stared at Yunyan for a while without blinking, her eyes drooping, not daring to meet her gaze. Mrs. Ge snorted and chuckled, then continued to eat the fresh fruit that Nan Guo had just sent, waiting for her to speak.
The room fell silent and everyone looked over.
Zhou had always been flexible and knew how to be humble when asking for help. She had lost the arrogance she had when she first returned to China, and her voice became soft and gentle: "Mrs. Ge, I'm bowing my head today to ask you, for the sake of these two girls growing up together, to be kind to your niece... No matter what happens to us, they still have a long life ahead of them!"
As the scheduled engagement date approaches, Mr. Zheng remains missing. His daughter's engagement is barely announced when her fiancé is detained on criminal charges. His son insists on marrying only to find his bride, who has a truly formidable face. Meanwhile, amidst the tense situation in Shanghai and the lack of entertainment options for the public, the prolonged hype surrounding these two marriages undoubtedly undermines the Lin family's reputation.
Zhou had been on pins and needles for the past few months. Now that she heard that even Xie Zeyi had returned, she thought that Mrs. Ge had a way to save him, and finally she could no longer sit still.
Mrs. Ge smiled at her and exclaimed, "I thought you had a change of heart and came to discuss the third girl's dowry with me. So you never come to me for anything without a reason. So you're still asking me for help on behalf of the second girl?"
Zhou suddenly looked towards Xie Zeyi, then averted her gaze and begged, "Mrs. Ge, please also think of a way to save Young Master Zheng!"
Mrs. Ge said, "Oh, you want me to find the missing groom, so that your daughter won't become a widow before she even gets married?"
When he heard the word "widow", Yun Yan clenched his fists and looked embarrassed for a while.
Zhou quickly apologized with a smile, "That's not true. Your brother and the Zheng family are old friends. Although we've had less contact in the past two years, we still cherish the old friendship. So, even though the Zheng family has apologized repeatedly, we can't betray them and make a fool of ourselves. But this matter involving Young Master Zheng is quite serious. If he's really found guilty of collaborating with the Communists, I'm afraid... I'm afraid the Lin family will be implicated as well. Your nephew holds an important position in the military. If this matter is taken seriously, your brother's loss of property is one thing, but if the reputation of these two girls is also affected..."
"You're quite good at finding excuses to get me to be charitable. But this wasn't my fault, it was the Third Girl herself. You, the Second Girl, didn't save your fiancé from death yourself; it's your own fault." Mrs. Ge was amused, staring at the mother and daughter with a playful smile. "Well, don't ask me for help on this matter. I advise you to ask the Third Girl instead, and see if she's willing to help her sister avoid becoming a widow, out of a little sisterly affection."
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