mtl008 Chapter 127 Accepting the Marriage Agreement
Chapter 127 Accepting the Marriage Agreement
The third uncle stood to the side, his eyes subtly scrutinizing Shi Wanxia from head to toe. He was quite dissatisfied with this young woman who was about to become the young mistress. He felt that Shi Wanxia was too young and looked somewhat frail, not someone who could shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the young mistress.
However, Uncle San was a seasoned veteran, and he knew that he couldn't easily show his emotions in this situation. So, he didn't show the slightest dissatisfaction on his face and remained kind and amiable.
Li Changyu had been observing his third uncle's expression. He knew his uncle wasn't too happy with Shi Wanxia, but he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble at this time. So, he gently nudged his uncle's arm, signaling him to go back first. His third uncle understood, nodded slightly, and then turned and left the room.
Shi Wanxia didn't notice anything amiss with her third uncle; she continued chatting with Li Changyu while smiling. Li Changyu looked at Shi Wanxia, feeling a pang of sadness and helplessness.
“Miss Shi, you should think this through. Marriage is no child’s play. We have no marriage contract or marriage certificate. Besides, I, Li, was engaged before, but my fiancée married someone else. I am much older than you, and you are still young. We shouldn’t be so hasty. I think…” Before he could finish speaking, Miss Shi interrupted him.
"Oh, Brother Li, you're overthinking it. I just don't like Young Master Shen. His sudden confession made me want to ask you for a favor: to temporarily pretend to be my fiancé. After all, I can't find anyone else."
Shi Wanxia glanced at him discreetly, and seeing that he did not refute her, she was secretly pleased. She then continued to coax him, "You know that Young Master Shen and Young Master Cui must be extraordinary people, yet they are unwilling to tell us anything. I think they must have some unspeakable secrets. Maybe they are officials of the imperial court, or noble families."
"I don't know their identities or family backgrounds. Besides, it's normal for them to have multiple wives and concubines here. They are of noble status. If I were just a concubine, I would never want that."
"Even if they didn't have a family background and were engaged, I was the one who broke up their original marriage. There are many rules for women in this world, and I didn't want to do this, so I had no choice but to resort to this. The most important point is that I only consider them as friends and I don't have much romantic feeling for them."
"Brother Li, please help me! These days, you are the person I trust the most. I don't want an arranged marriage, nor do I want to get married in a muddled way."
Hearing Shi Wanxia's words, his heart stirred. This girl was truly strange. She didn't know the identities of Shen and Cui, but he had already found out: one was the son of a princess, His Highness the Prince of Xiang of Cangling Kingdom, and the other came from the most prestigious family in the world, the Cui Clan of Qinghe.
The young lady actually refused both men. So many women longed to marry into the royal family. This girl, however, refused. What a strange girl! But her unwillingness to become a concubine and her reluctance to ruin other people's marriages earned her much higher regard.
However, he had kept many things from this girl. If she found out later, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause? He didn't mind pretending to be her husband, even though it would affect her reputation. He could always marry her later if necessary.
Shi Wanxia couldn't help but step forward and gently pat Li Changyu's shoulder, saying, "Young Master Li, why are you so troubled? You are only engaged, not actually married, so why are you so distressed?"
Li Changyu raised his head, looking at Shi Wanxia with helplessness and bitterness in his eyes: "Miss Shi, you are an unmarried young lady, and I cannot agree to your marriage without your consent. After all, it concerns your reputation, and I cannot ruin your honor."
Shi Wanxia smiled slightly: "Young Master Li, you're exaggerating a bit. We only have a marriage agreement. When the time is right, we can simply call off the engagement on the grounds that our horoscopes are incompatible. What's there to worry about?"
Li Changyu sighed: "Miss Shi, you don't know, I already have someone I love, but..." Shi Wanxia's heart skipped a beat: "But what?"
Li Changyu hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head: "Never mind, it's better not to say anything."
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Shi Wanxia did not press him further, but comforted him, "Young Master Li, you just said that you were engaged, but your fiancée married someone else. Right? How about this: the engagement will last for one year. If Young Master Shen and the others get married, then it will be dissolved immediately."
Li Changyu sighed deeply and nodded with difficulty. This girl was stubborn; if he didn't agree, she would keep bothering him. If he was still alive then, marrying her wouldn't be out of the question, provided he avenged his great enemy.
Shi Wanxia happily said, "Then it's settled! By the way, do you think we should still go to Cangling Kingdom? I've never been there before, and I've offended quite a few people in Yan Yue Kingdom. Why don't we go to Cangling Kingdom first to avoid trouble?"
Lin Yu pondered for a moment and nodded: "Alright, Cangling Kingdom and Yanyue Kingdom are adjacent, we can go there first and then make further plans."
After the two had made their decision, Shi Wanxia got up. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered that she would have to trouble him to prepare the food, water, and carriage for the journey.
"Brother Li, then you'll have to prepare the food, utensils, rations, and carriage for the journey. We'll set off tomorrow, so let's rest well today. I'll go tell them. Oh, and here's the money."
Having said that, she took out the money pouch from her bosom and handed it to him. She still had some money; she had saved up quite a bit selling soap in Sangluo City, and she could continue selling it in Cangling Kingdom.
Li Changyu watched the girl leave the room, then called his third uncle and the others in, his tone becoming serious: "Remember, Miss Shi is the future young mistress, you must not be rude to her."
Third Uncle and the others looked at each other, wondering what was going on, but they dared not disobey Li Changyu's orders and nodded in agreement.
Li Changyu looked at them and sighed inwardly. He knew these were his trusted confidants who had followed him for many years and were utterly loyal. However, Miss Shi's identity was special, and he had to be cautious.
"Third Uncle, go and make arrangements to ensure that Miss Shi is well taken care of. By the way, you heard what Miss Shi said earlier, so prepare according to her instructions! I should still have a considerable amount of money in my private treasury. Make sure everything is done properly, and don't reveal my identity to Miss Shi," Li Changyu instructed.
"Yes, young master." Third Uncle replied, then turned and left with his men.
Li Changyu sat in his chair, lost in thought. He didn't know if his decision was right, but he knew he had to consider the great cause of revenge he bore.
Miss Shi was the most special girl he had met in his twenty-odd years. Although he had no feelings for her, he couldn't refuse her request.