Chapter 32.2

As evening fell, Xu Zhu and Xie Yanzhao walked through the family compound.

Xu Zhu, usually good-natured, had a serious expression, and for the first time, he was giving Xie Yanzhao a hard time.

“Old Xie, why are you being so timid?” Xu Zhu said with frustration, “You weren’t like this before. Where’s my decisive, brilliant old Xie? Bring him back!”

Xie Yanzhao grabbed Xu Zhu’s wandering hand with a dark look: “…I’m grateful that you still know how to praise me.”

Since finding out about the events of the past few days, Xu Zhu has not been kind to him.

Every time he talked to him, it was either sarcastic or dripping with irony.

This left Xie Yanzhao utterly speechless.

Xu Zhu wrenched his hand free and shot him a disdainful look. “Just don’t say things that will piss people off.”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

The conversation came to a halt.

Xie Yanzhao trudged forward, and Xu Zhu hurried to catch up.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” Xu Zhu called out, his face scrunched in frustration. “I really worry about you. What exactly are you planning now?”

“And besides, what’s wrong with Comrade Ruan? She’s beautiful and cultured…”

Xu Zhu started listing Ruan Mingfu’s virtues on his fingers.

But each point Xu Zhu made only made Xie Yanzhao feel more deflated.

“Even if her initial approach might not have been entirely pure,” Xu Zhu continued, “she had her reasons. You can’t blame everything on her.”

“I know, and I’m not blaming her.”

Xie Yanzhao’s fingers twitched.

Seeing his sullen demeanor, Xu Zhu grew even angrier. “So what are you hesitating about now? Don’t forget, your initial intention to marry her wasn’t entirely pure either.”

The two of them were truly a case of ‘like attracts like.’

It seemed they were a perfect match in their stubbornness.

“I just want her to think it over for a few more days…” Xie Yanzhao started to speak but struggled to find the right words.

Ruan Mingfu was much younger than him.

He worried that if she agreed in a moment of emotion, she might find that married life wasn’t as idyllic as she had imagined… and he was also grappling with his own less noble thoughts…

Xie Yanzhao wanted to give her a chance and himself a chance.

“A few more days?” Xu Zhu sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “What if Comrade Ruan finds out you’re not a good match and rejects you? And then ends up with someone else? Not only will you have lost her, you also planned to give her a share of the dowry?”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

“Old Xie, I never realized you were so stubborn,” Xu Zhu said, stabbing him with another painful remark.

“Could it be that with age, you’ve lost your youthful drive?”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Xu Zhu’s words were like knives, each one cutting deeper.

“Don’t worry about whether she’ll regret it. Just hold on to her first,” Xu Zhu said, his frustration evident. “Where’s your confidence? You used to be so arrogant, saying you weren’t interested in Comrade Ruan?”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Xu Zhu’s words were quite reasonable.

Xu Zhu shook his head and sighed inwardly.

Love, oh how it can cause trouble~

His brother was decisive in everything he did, even scaring off enemies with his stern face. Yet he faltered when it came to a woman.

Xu Zhu shook his head.

Seeing that Xie Yanzhao seemed to waver, he decided to give him a push.

“Comrade Ruan leaves the day after tomorrow. If you don’t act fast, you’ll miss your chance,” Xu Zhu said. “You need to consider this. Comrade Ruan is so attractive, and the guy surnamed Gu on the train clearly has an interest in her.”

“Also, if Comrade Ruan becomes someone else’s partner, wife, and mother of their children, who will remember who you are…”

“Damn it! You’re running…”

Watching Xie Yanzhao sprint away, Xu Zhu felt a mix of frustration and amusement.

He knew he had a way to deal with him.

Xu Zhu walked home with his hands behind his back, humming a tune, taking his time.

Tsk tsk, what would Old Xie do without him as his advisor?

*

Hu Wanning was cooking, and Ruan Mingfu went to help.

Seeing her, Hu Wanning pointed to some freshly picked amaranth and said, “Comrade Ruan, can you help me pick the leaves from this vegetable?”

She handed over a basin.

“Got it,” Ruan Mingfu replied, taking the vegetables.

“Comrade Ruan, do you need any instruction?”

Hu Wanning asked while stirring the food.

After spending the whole morning with Ruan Mingfu, Hu Wanning realized she was a delicate lady unaccustomed to manual work. She started to feel curious about Ruan Mingfu’s parents, wondering how they could pamper their daughter so much.

Hu Wanning was a bit concerned.

What if Ruan Mingfu and Old Xie ended up struggling after marriage?

“I can do it!” Ruan Mingfu assured that although she wasn’t skilled, the original owner of her body was. She had spent over half a year in the countryside and knew how to cook, though her dishes might not have tasted great initially.

Hearing this, Hu Wanning was relieved.

That’s good. There wouldn’t be a need to worry about them going hungry after marriage.

Ruan Mingfu was carrying the basin and preparing to leave when Xie Yanzhao suddenly appeared in front of her. Without waiting for her response, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away, causing the items she was holding to fall to the ground with a thud.

Hu Wanning, who was in the kitchen, heard the noise and came out.

She only saw their retreating figures and shook her head with a smile, picking up the fallen items.

Xie Yanzhao had been to Xu Zhu’s house countless times and was familiar with its layout. Without thinking, he accurately pulled Ruan Mingfu into the room where she was staying.

If it had been anyone else, she would have shouted by now.

Once inside the room, Xie Yanzhao let go of her hand and closed the door behind him.

He then looked at Ruan Mingfu with a serious expression, pursing his lips before speaking.

“I need to talk to you.”

Ruan Mingfu shot him a glare, rubbing her sore hand.

Hearing this, she responded with irritation, “What do you want to say?”

The dog man couldn’t hold out any longer, and she thought he might last a bit longer.

When she met Xu Mingfu’s sparkling eyes, Xie Yanzhao suddenly felt nervous. He pressed his lips together and looked at Xu Mingfu resolutely. “Let’s get married.”

Xu Mingfu: “…”

The dog man was so blunt that she didn’t even know how to respond.

But that didn’t stop her from holding him accountable.

“So, you’re not going to let me think about it anymore?” Even though she was inwardly pleased, Xu Mingfu put on a disgruntled face. “Not going to reject me anymore?”

Xie Yanzhao’s throat bobbed, quickly acknowledging his mistake.

“I was wrong.”

Xu Mingfu raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so what exactly did you do wrong?”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

He suddenly felt a chill running down his spine.

Xie Yanzhao had a premonition that if he didn’t answer properly, the outcome would be dire.

He swallowed hard, feeling more nervous than on the battlefield. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I was wrong, and I accept the punishment.”

Xu Mingfu rolled her eyes at him.

At least the dog man knew how to be sensible.

She didn’t want to make it too hard for him, as she had her own faults in this situation.

“Let’s leave the punishment for later. I’ll think about it and let you know,” Xu Mingfu said, leaning against the window, with the setting sun casting a warm glow on her.

She looked at him with a smile as delicate as a flower on her exquisite face.

Xie Yanzhao suddenly felt short of breath and instinctively undid the top button of his shirt, his gaze increasingly intense and alarming.

The other party seemed completely unfazed.

With her pretty chin slightly lifted, exposing her fair and slender neck, she resembled a beautiful, unaware little deer…

Xie Yanzhao spoke again. “Ruan Mingfu, let’s get married.”

He brought it up once more.

Xu Mingfu snorted coldly.

Why should she agree to marriage just because he said so? She was still angry and wanted to wait until she calmed down before considering marriage!

She pursed her lips, the anger rising up again.

“Tell me, do you think I can’t handle the hardships of being a military wife?”

How dare the dog man underestimate her without even giving her a chance to try?

Xie Yanzhao looked at her pouting and angry expression and found it somewhat amusing.

He stepped over, reaching out to pat her head.

“Why would you think that?”

If they got married, she would follow him wherever he went and stay under his watchful eye. However, since the place was remote and Ruan Mingfu was a delicate girl who liked excitement, he worried she wouldn’t adapt.

Moreover…

Xie Yanzhao frowned but continued, “I’m not exactly a good match for marriage either.”

Thinking of those two people, Xie Yanzhao’s eyes turned cold.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

So… was she just being overly sentimental?

Ruan Mingfu took his hand away from her head, somewhat disgruntled. “Well… if after thinking it over, I find we’re not suited for each other, what if I run away?”

Standing close, Ruan Mingfu had to look up at him while speaking, causing her neck to ache after a while. She couldn’t help but take a step back.

Xie Yanzhao chuckled and leaned in slightly.

“Then I’ll just drag you back,” he said with a malicious grin. “Break your legs so you can’t go anywhere.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…?”

My dear, your idea is very dangerous.

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Ayalee: Happy New Year, guys! 🎉✨ Thank you for your support and love this past year. Wishing you joy, health, and success! 🌟🎊