Miss and farmhand

However, it seems to confirm the old saying: some things are best left unsaid.

A few days after Luo Shutao finished speaking to her, Madam Zhu brought Zhu Xiaoxu to visit.

Previously, their family members had also visited. For women of their status, the number of people they could visit was limited, so such interactions were not unusual.

For some reason, when Madam Zhu arrived, she had already sent an invitation a few days earlier, even before she entered the house. Everyone in the Huang family felt a chill in their hearts and unanimously guessed why she had come.

Sure enough, after Madam Zhu sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, she took Huang Chu's hand and praised her, giving her two bracelets as a gift. After a few affectionate words, she waved her hand and said, "Young people should go and play by themselves! I always said that with their backgrounds, senior and junior brothers and sisters are the most proper and intimate relationship in the academy. Everyone would say they are childhood sweethearts."

Huang Chu was so embarrassed that she didn't dare to look at Madam Zhu's face, nor did she want to look at Zhu Xiaoxu. She dragged Han's mother along with her as an extra layer of insurance.

Zhu Xiaoxu was usually very talkative in front of her, but today, for some reason, he walked halfway through the garden without saying a word.

He remained silent, but kept smiling at Huang Chu. His appearance was that of a good young man most favored by elders, and his smile was like the warm sun—not at all unpleasant. Yet, Huang Chu felt incredibly uncomfortable.

She could no longer bear it, so she stopped in the middle of the path, not intending to hide from anyone, and said to Zhu Xiaoxu in front of him, "Senior brother, you should persuade your mother; this won't work."

Zhu Xiaoxu blinked, his smile softening further, his voice gentler, "What is it? Did my mother secretly say something to you that I didn't hear? Did she give you a hard time?"

He pretended to be stupid, which only made Huang Chu angrier.

"I don't believe you don't know. Your mother must have told you why you came today." She took out the two bracelets from her sleeve and tried to shove them back at him. "Don't pretend you don't know. Just wait until you get back and return these bracelets to your mother. You don't need to say anything; she'll know what I mean."

Zhu Xiaoxu, of course, refused to accept it. He turned back with his hands behind his back, as if playing a game of tag like a child. Huang Chu took two steps forward but then realized it was ridiculous and stopped chasing. He tossed the bracelet to Han Mama behind him and sternly instructed, "When Madam Zhu leaves later, give it back to her before she goes."

We can no longer pretend to be stupid.

Zhu Xiaoxu, however, was still smiling, so gentle that it seemed as if Huang Chu had been bullying him in a willful and capricious manner.

He leaned down and pleaded in a low voice, "Junior sister, don't be angry. I know you don't want to, it's because I'm not good enough for you."

Huang Chu felt that he was avoiding the important issues.

"This isn't a question of whether you're worthy or not. Have you forgotten Miss Luo San? I saw the two of you with my own eyes—this was only a few months ago! I heard the things you said to each other, her words, your words, and now—only a few months later!"

She found it absurd even when she said it, and couldn't understand why Zhu Xiaoxu could remain so composed.

He then echoed Huang Chu's words, saying, "I am ashamed myself. I haven't forgotten. But after all, Miss Luo is now—your uncle's aunt."

He stared at Huang Chu and said, "I'm not blaming her, of course not. I completely understand her choice; she had no choice in the matter—but I had no choice either. I didn't abandon her. I wasn't free until she was settled."

He said earnestly, "Junior sister, I won't lie to you. How could my mother not be anxious about me at my age? The fact that you foresaw this means you also know that we are a good match—there is no one more suitable than us. Think about it carefully, you can't blame my mother for her initial intentions, can you?"

"Of course not..."

"Then why are you so impatient to refuse?"

Huang Chu opened her mouth. This matter did not allow her to delay or beat around the bush. She could not be embarrassed to tell the truth just because of anyone's face. Precisely because it was a serious matter, she had to tell the truth.

She said to Zhu Xiaoxu, "Because I am unwilling."

Zhu Xiaoxu lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "...Is it because you already have someone else in mind?"

Looking back, the fact that Huang Chu didn't recall anyone at that moment was enough to foreshadow her future path.

She shook her head firmly: "There's no one else. How could I do such a thing, comparing people and choosing the better one? That's so rude, and how could I possibly compare them?"

Zhu Xiaoxu scrutinized her expression as if to confirm something, but then seemed to say something to her without caring at all.

It's as if he doesn't believe what she says, but only his own eyes.

It's unclear what conclusion he ultimately reached.

After a long pause, as if he had given in to himself, he said softly, "Then of course I won't force you. I will talk to my mother."

Huang Chu finally managed his first smile of the day, a small veil of shame.

They then returned to the hall.

Perhaps out of instinctive unease, Huang Chu hoped that Zhu Xiaoxu would convey her thoughts to Madam Zhu as soon as they met, so that the consensus could be reached as soon as possible.

However, perhaps due to the atmosphere, Zhu Xiaoxu simply stood beside his mother without saying a word.

Huang Chu was anxious, but he couldn't muster any strength.

She knew that while she and Zhu Xiaoxu were away, Madam Zhu must have also told her parents about their purpose.

Regardless of whether her parents agreed or not, if the man came to formally propose marriage, it was just to offer his opinion, and the woman would definitely refuse on the first occasion. She knew this custom, so she wasn't worried that her parents would disregard her wishes and arrange the marriage for her.

However, Madam Zhu must have known this unspoken rule, so she didn't take Huang Chu's rejection seriously. She continued to be affectionate with Huang Chu and treated her very well, so well that even the slightest rejection from Huang Chu seemed to hurt the noblewoman's heart. And this noblewoman's skill was able to completely and smoothly transform Huang Chu's initial rejection into a kind of coy refusal.

Huang Chu was exhausted after a whole day.

Finally, it was time to see Madam Zhu off. Han Mama, having fulfilled her mission, returned the two bracelets. Huang Chu, hiding behind, witnessed Madam Zhu's slight surprise before accepting them. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she saw Madam Zhu's gaze sweep over everyone and fixate on her, waving her hand with great generosity and affection, saying, "Our Madam is quite picky. It was my oversight. These two bracelets aren't enough; they're not heavy at all. Madam, are you looking for a bigger gift? We'll have one next time."

Seriously, their skill level is too high; it's impossible to defend against them.

After such a day, Huang Chu wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and rest, but her father still dragged her into the study.

She patted her face to cheer herself up, knowing that she was about to say something important.

Huang Xingtong frowned and said, "Madam Zhu has already made her intentions clear today, and your mother and I have also discussed it, but we still need to ask for your opinion on this matter. Zhu Xiaoxu is indeed a rare young man..."

Huang Chu couldn't help but smile bitterly, looking up and sighing, "Spare me, Father, don't say such things to me too."

Huang Xingtong paused for a moment, then actually smiled.

"It wasn't for nothing that your father raised you personally from a young age. To be honest, if we disagreed on this matter, I would be disappointed in you."

"Then Dad will refuse for me, right? Next time I won't have to go through all this trouble, right?"

Huang Xingtong did not answer immediately, but instead walked a short distance with his hands behind his back.

"father?"

"This isn't just a problem with the Zhu family. You should know that if you turn down one Zhu family member, there will be others. You can't run away from this forever. You'll have to make long-term plans for this sooner or later."