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He Linsheng, eighteen years old this year, had not yet settled his marriage due to his less-than-stellar reputation and his family’s pickiness.
Recently, his parents took an interest in the Chen family’s legitimate daughter. They mentioned that although Chen Shiying had recently arrived in Dingzhou Prefecture, his outstanding achievements had caught the Emperor’s attention, potentially leading to a promotion and relocation to the capital. He glanced at the third Miss Chen, finding her figure appealing, with charming features and a unique charm, sparking a slight interest.
However, due to the Chen family’s hesitations and fears of Chu Lingxuan’s interference, they hesitated. So when he heard that it was the third Miss Chen who had fallen into the water, he didn’t hesitate to jump in to save her…
Chu Lingxuan helplessly remarked, “I had no choice. If I stood by and didn’t save your sister, people would criticize me for being cold-hearted as her brother-in-law, questioning our relationship. If I did save her, she would surely take advantage of the situation, a trap she set for me. I don’t care about others’ opinions, but I don’t want to involve you. Besides, General Jian happened to be there, and I wanted to make a good impression on him. So, I had to ask Second Young Master He to help me out.”
Chen Feng, both amused and annoyed, responded, “He helped you out, but now that Chen Yuhui is marrying into the He family, I wonder what trouble she’ll bring to my family.”
Chu Lingxuan explained, “Father-in-law is very clever and knows how to handle things.”
Chen Feng retorted, “By scheming against General He’s second son, won’t the He family hate you more? Mrs. He looked like she wanted to devour me when she saw me. Mr. He is your superior, so be careful not to give him any ammunition.”
Chu Lingxuan replied, “I didn’t scheme against He Linsheng, and the He family would hate me regardless.” Indifferently, he added, “Mr. He is always looking for ways to catch me out, I’m used to it. During the time I went to the outhouse with General Qin, I managed to get some information on Mr. He without him knowing. He allows his son to be violent, and He Linsheng, under the pretext of sparring, has injured several of his brothers…”
Chen Feng couldn’t help but laugh at his remarks.
Chu Lingxuan continued, “I’ll take you home, then I’ll visit your parents and speak with your father.”
Chen Feng suggested, “In that case, we’ll accompany you.” With Chen Yuhui settled in a “good family”, she wouldn’t be thinking about Chu Lingxuan anymore.
Chu Lingxuan nodded, instructing the coachman to change direction towards the Chen residence.
After her parents finished speaking, Chu Hanyan turned to Chen Feng and said in a tender voice, “Mother, I saw the bride. She’s pretty, but not as beautiful as you. It’s not just me, even sister Lan and Shan said the same.”
Chu Lingxuan and Chen Feng both chuckled. Chen Feng praised her daughter’s behavior and advised, “Keep those compliments for me in your heart. It’s polite to praise others’ mothers in front of them. That way, they’ll be pleased.”
The young girl nodded in understanding.
Back at the Chen residence, Chen Shiying returned with his wife and daughters. Fuming with anger, he couldn’t bear the looks of his colleagues, wishing to punish Chen Yuhui for bringing shame upon him.
Accompanying Chen Yuhui to her courtyard, he angrily slapped her and scolded, “How can I raise such a shameless daughter like you? You deliberately fell into the water near men, pretending it was an accident. Don’t tell me it wasn’t intentional!”
Chen Yuhui, rubbing her swollen face, defiantly declared, “Yes, I did it on purpose. So what? It’s fair. mother Jiang schemed to snatch away my good marriage for that Feng, but fate granted me good marriage. It’s karma. I’m also your own daughter, your eldest daughter who grew up by your side. How could you treat me like this? The family you found for me is a wealthy one, but I had no choice but to do this.”
Pointing at her in anger, Chen Shiying retorted, “You are stubborn. The Chu family explicitly wanted to marry your elder sister. How could we have schemed against your good marriage? Your mother found the Wei family for you. They may not have a formal title, but they are wealthy and kind-hearted. Your temper and moodiness led your mother to choose such a family for you. You think He Linsheng is a good marriage match? Mentioning you to him was your mother’s idea, not mine. Regardless of the He family’s status, you are now bound to marry into it.”
Chen Shiying looked at his tearful daughter, stubbornly meeting her gaze. This daughter, whom he had cherished since childhood, made him furious. Shaking his sleeve in frustration, he turned and walked away, instructing the maid to keep an eye on her.
Seeing the unfamiliar maids in the room, Chen Yuhui let out a cold snort and lay down on the bed in the chamber.
That afternoon, Chen Yuhui was determined to take a chance because she had heard that Madam Jiang had arranged for her to marry into a rural landlord’s family. She believed that marrying into such a family would be worse than death.
She arrived at the Fu residence as planned, shaking off the maids and the servant who had been following her. She spotted Chu Lingxuan and several young gentlemen across the lake. Seeing an opportunity, she went to the bridge to pick lotus leaves and then deliberately fell into the lake. She was confident that Chu Lingxuan would come to her rescue, whether out of concern for his reputation or his admiration for her.
However, upon regaining consciousness, she learned that it was not Chu Lingxuan who had saved her but He Linsheng, the second son of the He family. Although she felt some regret, marrying He Family’s Second Young Master was still better than marrying into a landlord’s family. She also knew that Madam Jiang wanted to present Chen Yuqing as a potential match to the He family, and it seemed that Chen Yuqing was willing. Snatching Chen Yuqing’s prospective husband, infuriating the mother-daughter duo, turned out to be an unexpected gain. Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but laugh.
Indeed, Madam Jiang and Chen Yuqing were greatly upset. While Chen Yuqing had been holding back at the Fu residence, once she returned to her courtyard, she burst into tears, with Madam Jiang beside her, trying to console her.
During her stay at the Fu residence, Chen Yuhui was taken by a maid to Mrs. Fu’s courtyard to change clothes. Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang, Mrs. Fu, and Mrs. He hurried to Mrs. Fu’s courtyard in a panic.
The maid who reported the incident mentioned that the girl who fell into the water was the third Miss Chen and that she was rescued by He Linsheng, the second son of the He family.
Mrs. He had reassuringly held Madam Jiang’s hand earlier, saying, “Mrs. Chen, don’t worry. We all like Miss Chen and will take responsibility. It’s a match made in heaven…”
Upon arriving at Mrs. Fu’s courtyard, they learned that it wasn’t the third Miss Chen who fell into the water, but the Chen family’s illegitimate daughter, the second Miss Chen.
Mrs. He’s expression turned grim, her hands trembling with anger. She had just assured Mrs. Fu and other ladies that they would take responsibility. Changing her mind now wasn’t an option. Despite her desire to backtrack, the situation had escalated too far. Additionally, with her husband eager to form an alliance with the Chen family, it seemed inevitable. However, for her legitimate son to marry an illegitimate daughter felt like a bitter pill to swallow.