Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 19.2

Chapter 19.2
When the two men went away, Mrs. Chen clutched the handkerchief and turned around to go to the west room.
“Mom, don’t say anything,” an irate Shen Qingqing uttered while sitting on the chair. “You can talk to me about the marriage, but I’m not going to see him.”
Before Mrs. Chen could speak, Mrs. Song said with a smile, “What do you call this? Are you getting married?” It was not what you said before.?”
Shen Qingqing remained silent.
“That’s right, Qingqing, listen to your grandmother,” Mrs. Chen urgently responded. “Furthermore, you ought to give him an opportunity to clarify, don’t you?”
Biting her lower lip, Shen Qingqing looked at them with a loss. ‘What could Li Zhi explain? Will he explain why he didn’t return my embroidered shoe? Or explain why he is so hypocritical?’
“Anyway, let’s listen to what he has to say first.” Mrs. Song gently nudged.
Shen Qingqing grudgingly gave her consent.
After a while, Mrs. Song left, and Mrs. Chen immediately ordered someone to invite Li Zhi back.
Li Zhi and Shen Su came back after getting the message.
On the way, Shen Su asked Li Zhi, “Master Zhi, do you really like my sister?”
Even though Shen Su was only sixteen years old and hence still considered a child in Li Zhi’s heart, Li Zhi said seriously, “Yes.”
“Master Zhi, what do you like about my sister?” enquired Shen Su once more.
After giving it some thought, Li Zhi grinned and remarked, “Remain composed during difficult times and rule both the nation and the city.”
Shen Su clenched his right hand upon hearing Li Zhi’s words. ‘My sister is indeed worthy of being in charge of the country and the city. But where does this courage come from? When she was held hostage, my sister cried miserably.’
He couldn’t understand Li Zhi’s words, but seeing his mother and sister in the hall, Shen Su whispered to Li Zhi, “Master Zhi has the power to conquer the West. I respect you, but if Lord Marquis bullies my sister in the future, as an elder brother, I will definitely seek justice for her.”
After giving him a startled expression, Li Zhi chuckled, saying, “Young Master Shen is kidding. I treat the Seventh Girl well. And how can I deceive her?”
Despite the man’s exquisite and sophisticated smile, Shen Su had an uneasy sensation that he could not be trusted.
“The Marquis is back.” Mrs. Chen smiled as she said hello.
Li Zhi and Shen Su exchanged a look as they subtly talked about the subject.
Li Zhi entered the hall, gave Mrs. Chen a small nod, and then turned to face the young girl in Mrs. Chen’s shadow.
Feeling the man’s eyes on her face, Shen Qingqing cast her gaze down.
Li Zhi grinned sardonically.
Mrs. Chen winked at her oldest son, and mother and son went to stand in the yard.
The only people still in the hall were Shen Qingqing and Li Zhi.
Shen Qingqing moved sideways, not wanting to be seen by Li Zhi.
Today the little girl wore a simple dress: a blue dress and only a simple-looking hari clip on her head. But still, she was tall, thin, elegant, and beautiful. She was silent, like a work of art. Her face in the slightly dimmer hall had the smoothest contour of any jade, radiating a pearl-like radiance.
‘Wouldn’t she look stunning if she dressed elegantly?’ Li Zhi believed at once that he had not made a mistake in marrying Shen Qingqing and that her exceptional beauty was sufficient reason to become his wife.
“Looking at your father’s attitude towards me, you didn’t tell them the truth, right?” Li Zhi said in a low voice, keeping five steps away from Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing’s lips were pursed. She didn’t tell the truth because she didn’t want her parents to take the fall for betraying their daughter to a jackal. “What exactly do you want to say?” With a chilly tone, Shen Qingqing asked him.
“I want to say that Miss Seven and I are really destined,” Li Zhi stated with a smile. “I was unable to create a chance to return your shoe earlier. The Emperor has now given the chance, and your embroidered shoe will be given back to their rightful owner after the marriage.”
The man spoke seriously, but Shen Qingqing could hear the strong sense of pride in his words. “You go!” Shen Qingqing glared at him angrily and pointed at the door.
Li Zhi looked into her eyes and asked curiously, “If I leave like this, how are you going to explain it to your mother?”
‘He is very shameless.’ Taking a deep breath, Shen Qingqing looked at Li Zhi and stated, “You really think I dare not expose it? Your disgusting face?”
Li Zhi: ‘Alright.’ He was aware of the little girl’s hatred for him, but he won’t label him “disgusting” no matter how much it bothers him. But Li Zhi had long since outgrown his impatience. Conversely, Li Zhi also gently reminded his fiance. “You are a filial daughter, and the marriage has been decided. You won’t bother the two seasoned disciples.”
When Shen Qingqing considered her own actions, her anger rendered her mute. Thinking about having to be tied to Li Zhi for the rest of her life, facing that hypocritical face day and night, and even having to succumb to the man’s lustful power, Shen Qingqing suddenly felt sad, and her eyes instantly filled with tears, which were about to fall to the ground. The eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Seeing the little beauty was in tears, he felt pity for her.
With a small sigh, Li Zhi stepped forward and spoke, “I’m here to tell you that you should learn to accept it since you can’t get rid of it. You need not be concerned; it is true that I made fun of you before. After we get married, I’ll take good care of you and love you.”
“Who wants your love? Babah? Just dream!” Shen Qingqing felt sick hearing the word “love.”
Li Zhi lifted his gaze to the tiny puddle of moisture on the hem of his garments, then looked into Shen Qingqing’s bitter almond eyes and remarked, “So this is how the ladies of the Shen family behave, and Li learnt the lesson today.”
Shen Qingqing refused to acknowledge it. “I’ve been told Marquis Pingxi is one of the world’s rare gentlemen. My eyes were opened today!”
Li Zhi still felt calm and said with a smile, “I am a hypocrite, and you are a fake lady. They are a match made in heaven.”
Shen Qingqing: ‘What? This man is really shameless!’ Shen Qingqing didn’t even want to waste her words on him, so she turned around and walked out.
Li Zhi approached abruptly and thrust a cloth purse into her hand. The purse was heavy, but not a very heavy one.
Unconsciously, Shen Qingqing intended to discard it.
“What happened before was all your husband’s fault,” Li Zhi said, leaning closer and holding her little hand in time. “I apologise for this. I’m hoping Madam will agree.”
The man’s warm breath fell on her ear, and Shen Qing Qing trembled uncontrollably. She backed away suddenly, raised her hand, and was about to throw the purse at Li Zhi. ‘Fart, who is his wife!’
However, Shen Qingqing noticed that Li Zhi had already left.
Shen Qingqing was forced to grip the purse firmly. Her brother and mother would undoubtedly notice if she threw it out now.
Li Zhi glanced at her little hands, smiled, and then walked towards Mrs. Chen and his son.
As Shen Qingqing listened to him converse with her family, she felt powerless and full of resentment. All she could do was tuck her purse down her sleeves.
Li Zhi bid farewell in the garden, and Mrs. Chen instructed her son to send the visitors out.
Following her daughter into the hall, she questioned excitedly, “Qingqing, what did he say to you just now?”
Shen Qingqing looked at her mother’s gentle eyebrows and thought. ‘Thinking of my father’s praise of Li Zhi, I couldn’t bear to tell the truth. Oh! My life is over. But it is better to let them believe that their daughter has married a good husband.’Thinking of this, Shen Qingqing lowered her head, bit her lip, and acted like a little kid. “Mom, don’t ask; I will marry him.”
After saying that, Shen Qingqing ran away shyly.
****
Shen Qingqing used the same tactic with her grandmother back in her yard.
Mrs. Song could only sigh and walk away because she was more knowledgeable than Ms. Chen and could sense that something was concealed in it. However, her granddaughter would not tell her.
After her grandmother had departed, Shen Qingqing rested on the bed, exhausted.
“Girl, are you okay?” With caution, Yuchan and Yudie approached, concerned for her.
With a smirk, Shen Qingqing pulled the purse out of her sleeve, gave it to Yuchan, and said, “It’s okay; I don’t need to open it. Throw it away.”
Yuchan: “Is that right?”
Shen Qingqing’s face darkened.
Yuchan hurriedly took the purse.
Shen Qingqing was very tired, so she put down the curtain and laid on the bed.
“Really thow it away?” Hiding in the main room, Yuchan pinched the purse in her hand and asked awkwardly.
Yudie glanced at the inner room and whispered, “How about we see what it is first?”
Yuchan shook her head instinctively. However, she also wanted to know what was inside, so she secretly opened it after hesitating for a while.
Inside the purse was an embroidered pair of shoes. The shoes were carved from red jade, with a peony flower carved on each shoe tip. Each embroidered shoe was only the size of a palm, but the carvings were exquisite and the texture was clear, especially the peony; even the stamens in the middle were clearly defined.
“This is a gift from the Marquis to the girl, right?”
“It’s so valuable; do you really want to throw it away?”
“Now the girl doesn’t like the Marquis, so she doesn’t care about the gift from the Marquis. In the future, when the girl and the Marquis have the same mind, will they? Will you regret it?”
“Then keep it safe?”
“Well, keep it safe!”
End of chapter 19
Have a nice day!