Chapter 324

Chapter 324: Rejecting the Marriage Proposal A widow-maker? Seeing her cousin's utterly serious expression, Cui Lingrong was genuinely curious. Zhuang Huaiming said, "I'm not at liberty to discuss others' faults. He's a decent person, but absolutely unsuitable as a husband." Realizing he had already said too much, Zhuang Huaiming hurriedly took his leave. Cui Lingrong merely found it amusing and didn't give the matter much thought. But sure enough, a few days later, an official matchmaker actually came calling. Cui Lingrong was utterly bewildered until the woman said she had come on behalf of a tutor surnamed Yu to propose marriage. Only then did she realize who it was. "It's like this—Tutor Yu said he was smitten with you at first sight. He'd originally planned never to marry in this lifetime, but after thinking it over for several days, he simply couldn't get you out of his mind." The matchmaker beamed as she sang Yu's praises. "He has some family property, both parents have passed away, and he only has two adopted children. I can guarantee that once you marry into his household, you won't suffer any mistreatment—you'll be mistress of your own home." Cui Lingrong listened, stunned. She couldn't help but recall what her cousin had said about him being a widow-maker, and she tactfully declined. "Why not?" The matchmaker didn't understand—by all accounts, it seemed like a perfect match. "You're young now, but what about later? If you don't have someone to care for you through thick and thin, won't you feel terribly lonely?" "Thank you for your concern, but I have no intention of remarrying." After making her stance clear, Cui Lingrong left Nanny Qiu to see the guest out. The matchmaker had thought she'd earn this commission, but before she could even get a few more words in, she was shown the door. She went to the Yu residence in a huff. Upon learning he had been rejected, Tutor Yu wasn't discouraged. "It's fine—she doesn't know me well yet. I still have a chance." He had no intention of giving up. The next day, he went to the Cui residence himself, but couldn't even get a glimpse of her—he only saw Nanny Qiu. "Tutor Yu, my mistress has said she has no intention of remarrying. She thanks you for your admiration, but there's no need for you to come again." Nanny Qiu spoke politely. Tutor Yu looked heartbroken. "Is... is it because she heard about my past?" "Sir, whether my mistress marries you or not has nothing to do with your past. She also said that one should always look forward—you'll find your own destined match." Nanny Qiu made a gesture for him to leave. Devastated, Tutor Yu went to a tavern and drank himself into a stupor. As luck would have it, Song Shulan and Gao Jingzhi happened to see him there. When he learned that Tutor Yu had gone to the Cui residence to propose, Song Shulan's first thought was of Yu-jie. But when he found out the proposal was for Cui Lingrong, he flipped Tutor Yu's table over, and the two got into a brawl. The next day, word of this reached the Cui residence, and Cui Lingrong found it utterly baffling. "That Song Shulan—his head is truly muddled." Cui Lingrong huffed. Nanny Qiu thought so too. She was about to say something when Caiyue came in from outside. Caiyue looked thrilled. "Mistress, did you know? We're getting new neighbors next door!" Cui Lingrong said she knew. "Judging by your expression, is it someone we know?" "Know them? We're old acquaintances!" Caiyue said excitedly. "It's General Xie—he's moving in next door." A few days earlier, the neighboring house had begun renovations, but Nanny Qiu hadn't paid it any mind—a neighbor was just a neighbor, and they didn't necessarily have to interact. Now hearing it was Xie Yunting, Cui Lingrong was quite surprised. "Doesn't he have his own general's mansion?" Caiyue shook her head. "That I wouldn't know. I only asked because I saw General Xie's men moving things in." Just then, a servant came in to announce that General Xie had arrived. When Cui Lingrong met Xie Yunting, she asked him why he had moved. "It's not exactly moving. The original owner of the house next door was in urgent need of money, and since I happened to know him, I bought it." Xie Yunting quickly changed the subject, saying that the person who had posed as a ghost had woken up. "Guess who sent him?" Cui Lingrong: "Zhao Susu? Or someone from the Rong Prince Mansion?" Xie Yunting said neither. "Someone we'd never have expected." "Ah?" Cui Lingrong truly couldn't think of anyone else. After a moment, Xie Yunting revealed it was Madam Lou. "Surprising, isn't it? You and Madam Zeng have some degree of friendship—so why would her mother want to harm you?" Cui Lingrong indeed hadn't expected this. She lowered her gaze in thought, still unable to figure out the reason. "How could it be her?" "Sister Cui, do you truly have no grudge or grievance with Madam Lou?" Xie Yunting asked. Cui Lingrong shook her head, then thought of the meeting between Madam Bai and Zhao Susu. Could there be some hidden secret behind all this? After mulling it over, Cui Lingrong told Xie Yunting about Madam Bai's meeting with Zhao Susu. "I happened to run into them by chance. Logically speaking, Madam Bai doesn't get along with Princess Consort Rong, and the Rong Prince Mansion looks down on the Lou family—they wouldn't have dealings with each other. So why would they meet in private?" These past days, the people she had sent to keep watch had turned up nothing either. Xie Yunting also found it strange. "Whatever secret they share, regarding the ghost-posing incident, we can first go to Madam Lou and demand an explanation." Xie Yunting said he would handle this matter entirely. "What does the General plan to do?" Cui Lingrong asked. "She sent people to cause trouble, so naturally I'll go to her door and demand answers. I, Xie Yunting, always repay grievances—I will never swallow my pride and suffer in silence. Rest assured, Sister, I'll play the villain in this. You don't need to show your face." With that, Xie Yunting headed for the Lou residence. Leading the captured man, he stormed into the Lou household with an imposing air. The Lou family servant initially tried to block the visitors, but upon learning that the visitor was Xie Yunting, the living King of Hell in Bianjing, he dared not obstruct them any longer. It was only when Madam Xia hurried out—since the men of the household were absent, she had to face him—that she asked, "General Xie, what is the meaning of this?" Their Lou family had no connections to such a powerful figure as Xie Yunting, and they had no grievances or grudges with him. Why would he come to their door dragging a half-dead person along? What was this all about? "Heh, you ask me what I'm doing? I should be asking what your Old Madame is trying to do. Have I offended her in some way?" After speaking, Xie Yunting kicked a wooden chair flying, startling Madam Xia and the others into screaming and stepping back. "Old... Old Madame?" Madam Xia didn't understand. Her mother-in-law was indeed a bit eccentric, but she was in poor health and rarely left the house. How could she have provoked a killing god like Xie Yunting? Xie Yunting glanced to the side, and the person beside him immediately threw the man who had been pretending to be a ghost onto the ground. "Madam Lou, this is someone from your Old Madame's household, isn't it?" Xie Yunting swept his gaze over them, and Madam Xia and the other women trembled in fear. Madam Xia looked over cautiously. The man on the ground was battered and bruised, his face swollen beyond recognition. She couldn't identify him at all. It was the elderly matron behind Madam Xia who whispered, "Madam, this... this is the nephew of Mama Zhou, who serves the Old Madame." "Wh... what happened?" Madam Xia asked. How would the matron know? They were all terrified. Everyone knew that Xie Yunting had the worst temper—he had once broken a man's arm in the middle of the street. Now he had come to the Lou residence, and with the men of the house away, Madam Xia was on the verge of tears. "Oh, so you recognize him now?" Xie Yunting raised a thick eyebrow slightly. "Good, since you recognize him, this is simple. This man came to my estate pretending to be a ghost and buried animal bones there. I've brought all the confessions with me. Take a look, Lou family—how do you intend to handle this?" "I..." Madam Xia had no idea. She simply said, "Send someone to fetch the Old Madame. Whatever she did, surely I shouldn't have to bear the consequences for it?" Madam Xia then looked back at Xie Yunting and offered an awkward apology. "General Xie, vengeance has its target and debts have their debtor. This matter has nothing to do with me. If it truly was the Old Madame's doing, then you should seek an explanation from her." Madam Xia now hated her mother-in-law to the core. Why on earth would she go provoke Xie Yunting for no reason? What kind of man was Xie Yunting? If he was displeased, he would tear their entire family apart with his own hands! But Xie Yunting said, "Madam Lou, that's not right. You're all one family—surely you can't be separated and treated as separate parties?" "It truly has nothing to do with us! I know absolutely nothing!" Madam Xia even swore an oath. Xie Yunting still didn't care. He said he would wait. "If you don't give me an explanation today, I'll smash your entire Lou household to pieces!"