Chapter 780: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 780: Caught Red-Handed (1)
Mo Qingze valued Shen Ji, so there were some things he needed to clarify. If the family had already made arrangements, and he spoke up recklessly, it would be embarrassing for him.
Hearing Shen Ji’s question, Mo Qingze smiled and said, “Of course, I mean Yunjin’s lifelong matter! I heard before that you are still unmarried, and now that you’ve passed the imperial examination, it’s about time for marriage, so I asked.”
“About that…” Shen Ji, who had focused on studying sacred texts since he could remember, had never concerned himself with matters of love. Being brought up by Mo Qingze now, he felt somewhat awkward. Yet, inevitably, a young woman’s figure and her tinkling laughter appeared in his mind.
Seeing Shen Ji lost in thought, Mo Qingze's heart sank. Could it be that his family already had plans? Or perhaps he had already taken a liking to someone? The thought made Mo Qingze feel unsettled. When he first entered Changshan Academy, he had noticed the young men who seemed upright and courteous. It was not easy to find someone like Shen Ji, who was admirable in every way, but now it seemed that things might not go as planned. The thought made him feel truly miserable.
While Mo Qingze mulled over these possibilities, Shen Ji had already snapped back to reality and, with some embarrassment, replied, “Yunjin intends to talk about marriage only after his name appears on the imperial list, so my family has no plans at present.”
“Really?” Mo Qingze’s heart lifted in joy, and the subtle lines at the corners of his eyes deepened, the contrast between heaven and earth making his emotions swing wildly.
Shen Ji spoke seriously, “This matter, Yunjin has no reason to conceal it from Ziyu.”
Mo Qingze nodded, holding back his impulse to bring up the matter directly. He continued probing, “At Yunjin’s age, nearing adulthood, isn’t there someone you have in mind?”
Someone in mind? Shen Ji froze for a moment. That figure appeared in his mind again, so clear and so captivating that it made his breath quicken.
Mo Qingze, having been through such matters himself, immediately understood Shen Ji's reaction. His heart sank once again. “Yunjin... do you already have someone in mind?”
Realizing his words could be misinterpreted, Mo Qingze quickly corrected himself, trying to lighten the mood with a teasing tone, “I wonder which young lady has won Yunjin’s favor—she must be a lucky one!”
“No, I haven’t…” Shen Ji intended to deny it, but for some reason, he blurted out, “That young lady is very familiar to Ziyu, but she doesn’t know Yunjin’s feelings.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Shen Ji regretted them. A look of frustration flashed across his face, and the lingering redness on his cheeks only deepened.
Though they had only met twice, he felt as though he had known her for a long time. His mind was constantly filled with thoughts of her—her happy face, her unhappy face—each image growing clearer and clearer with time.
Mo Qingze’s heart sank, and a bad premonition flashed in his mind. “I’m familiar with her? Could it be the daughter of Brother Jiannan?”
It was meant to be a casual question, but Shen Ji fell silent, neither confirming nor denying it.
At that moment, Mo Qingze found it hard to describe how he felt. He had worked so hard to find a suitable son-in-law, yet the one he had chosen might already have feelings for his best friend’s daughter.
If it had been anyone else, he might have been able to compete, but now, with his friend’s daughter involved, he had no chance to argue, nor could he blame anyone. The feeling in his heart was incredibly frustrating.
After a moment of processing, Mo Qingze reluctantly accepted the situation. However, Brother Jiannan had already arranged a marriage for his daughter, and the wedding was set for next year. How could he respond to Yunjin’s feelings now? If not for that, the two children were indeed a perfect match.
But since Liu’s daughter was already promised, it might be better to address this matter now, before Yunjin became more deeply attached. Otherwise, the hurt would only be greater in the future.
(End of Chapter)
TRANSLATION COMPLETED To Read advance Chapters, Please read it on Patreon or Ko-fi. Your support helps us continue bringing you great content!
►►CLICK HERE FOR LISTS OF CHAPTERS◄◄
No comments: