Lin Qingyuan’s heart suddenly jumped wildly. Bring Cheng Yujin home?
Cheng Yujin continued: “Actually, I have no remaining feeling towards Marquis Jingyong. Anyway, he doesn’t like me. Since my sister likes him, and he also likes my sister, it is best to bless the lover with the marriage. What am I to hinder them? I am feeling happy for them. However, the later situation is too difficult for me.”
Lin Qingyuan was made stunned by his sudden thought. His heart was still jumping wildly now, and his blood was boiling hot. He felt himself to be very rude—how could he have such thought towards eldest miss Cheng? However, feelings didn’t always follow rationality. Once the thought arose, Lin Qingyuan could no longer control it.
He kept thinking. His mother had urged him many times to get married. Although his father didn’t express explicitly, both parents clearly hoped that he would marry a wife soon and have children of his own. Both of his parents were from a family of scholars, and they were fond of a knowledgeable, gentle, and virtuous woman the most. Although Yichun Marquis Manor wasn’t a scholarly family, eldest miss Cheng was well-learned, well-read, and had a gentle temperament. If his mother met her, she would surely like eldest miss Cheng.
Lin Qingyuan realized that the more he thought, the wilder his imagination became. He desperately put a stop to his own imagination. Just then, Cheng Yujin spoke again, and Lin Qingyuan used this chance to ask: “Why is it difficult for you?”
“Lin Zhuangyuan doesn’t understand?” Cheng Yujin laughed. “After an engagement is broken, which good family will come to propose again? It actually doesn’t matter to me, anyway, I have been alone my whole life. However, I don’t want to drag my family down. If I stay in the house, how can my later nephews and nieces get a good marriage? Therefore, my grandmother found me a widower. The man has lost his wife a year ago and has not yet remarried. Grandmother said that his age is older and his son isn’t young anymore. But since I can be his legal wife, this is a good marriage. If my situation is dragging on, even becoming the second wife of a widower will be impossible. Moreover, because the other party already has a son and heir, my pressure is reduced a lot. Anyway, this marriage is no more than changing a place to live.’
The more Lin Qingyuan listened, the angrier he became. How wronged was eldest miss Cheng to become a second wife? The other party had been married once, and even his son was no longer young. How old was this man? Lin Qingyuan’s mind subconsciously portrayed the image of a forty or fifty years old man with a big belly, and his frown deepened even more.
Cheng Yujin obviously had no psychological burden when she smeared Zhai Yanlin’s image behind his back. After all, she didn’t tell a single lie. Zhai Yanlin was indeed older than her, and his son was six years old, not young.
Lin Qingyuan didn’t know that the ‘widower’ in Cheng Yujin’s mouth was the famous Duke Cai. He naturally didn’t know that although this marriage was to be a second wife, it was actually no worse than marrying Huo Changyuan.
His mind made up a scene of a wretched old man forcibly marrying a young and beautiful woman. Lin Qingyuan immediately became furious. He felt very wronged for Cheng Yujin: “Eldest miss Cheng, you are smart and considerate, knowledgeable and virtuous, what a blessing for any man to marry you! How can an old and incompetent man who knows only to bully others be worthy of you? There is no reason for you to be subjected to such an insult!”
If Cheng Yujin hadn’t forced herself into the play, she almost laughed out loud. Lin Qingyuan’s words were so excellent. Zhai Yanlin deserved to be scolded, and Cheng Yujin listened very cheerfully.
Cheng Yujin held back her laughter and continued to put on the image of a gentle and compassionate but ill-fated noble miss. She said mournfully: “But, what can I do? Grandmother fears this person’s power and didn’t dare to refuse. He becomes more and more aggressive, and even said that he would send people to propose marriage in a few days. Naturally, I don’t want to, but I cannot ignore my family. If I resist with all my power, the worst is just I choose my own death. But what will happen to my parents and family?”
Lin Qingyuan was fuming with anger. His fists clenched tightly as he asked: “Eldest miss Cheng, who is this person? Acting in such a tyrannical manner…There are law and justice, and we cannot let him be such a bully.”
Cheng Yujin shook her head and refused to say the person’s name: “Brother Lin, I know you are kind to me. But please don’t ask. I cannot cause you trouble too.”
Lin Qingyuan was taken aback for a while, and finally lost all his strength. He had been overly enthusiastic just now and spoke fervently, but now he quickly calmed down. Lin Qingyuan was not a naive youth who knew nothing about the world. In the past few years mingling in the officialdom, his initial naivety had been polished away. The capital was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. The water here was deep, and even the young masters of noble families didn’t dare to offend people rashly. Cheng Yujin’s grandmother was the old madam of a marquis manor, yet she was powerless against the other party. He was only a small sixth-rank official. What kind of power did he have to give Cheng Yujin justice?
Lin Qingyuan couldn’t say anything. After a while, he asked dejectedly: “Could it be that there is no other way?”
“There is actually one.” Cheng Yujin lowered her head. Her eyelashes trembled slightly. “Even if the man is powerful, he cannot forcibly rob a girl from a good family. If I have a marriage contract with another person, he won’t be able to do anything. However, my engagement has been broken once. Where can I find a fiance?”
Finished speaking, Cheng Yujin sighed with grief: “I’m delusional. This method is impossible to achieve. Please forget what I just said.”
Lin Qingyuan’s lips trembled a few times, hesitating. After a while, he said slowly: “Actually, it’s not completely impossible.”
Cheng Yujin raised her head and looked at him quietly. Her pair of beautiful, innocent eyes blinked in confusion. Lin Qingyuan was used of debating various topics with others for so many years, yet for the first time, he thought himself to be very clumsy with his words. His ears were totally red. He suddenly mustered up his courage and said: “Eldest miss Cheng, you see…”
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