jdhmnovel Chapter 382 A Serious Invitation
Chapter 382 A Serious Invitation
Yingyang and Qin Chuyun met again half an hour later in the corridor in front of the General's Mansion.
Before an incense stick had burned, Wu Yulan exchanged a few pleasantries with Yingyang in the living room, then excused herself to go to the kitchen to check on the lunch preparations and left temporarily, telling Yingyang to make himself at home.
In reality, Wu Yulan had already strictly instructed the chef to prepare fresh ingredients according to the menu a day in advance, so there was no need for her to rush to check at the last minute. Saying that was just an excuse.
Wu Yulan's real purpose was to urge Qin Chuyun to dress and groom herself according to the standards of a well-bred lady.
Yingyang was bored sitting in the living room, so he got up and went to the corridor to get some fresh air.
Soon, he saw a young woman walking gracefully towards him from not far away, followed by two obsequious maids.
Who else could it be but Qin Chuyun?
Yingyang was instantly dumbfounded.
He wasn't surprised by Qin Chuyun's beauty, but rather shocked by how effortlessly and seamlessly she could transform herself.
If Ying Yang calls himself the King of Transformation, then Qin Chuyun truly deserves the title of Queen of Transformation.
The first time I saw Qin Chuyun was on the street. At that time, Qin Chuyun was carrying a food box and wearing a simple and common cotton dress. She was strolling around the street like a girl next door, charming and lovely.
I just saw Qin Chuyun again outside the General's Mansion. Qin Chuyun was covered in jewelry and silver, and her bloated figure topped with a small head. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was a street performer.
But this was the third time he had seen Qin Chuyun.
Her jet-black hair was adorned with dazzling jewels, and she wore a dress of fine silk and satin. As she walked, the clinking of her jade pendants could be heard. Around her neck was a white fox fur scarf, which made her delicate face appear even more radiant.
She floated gracefully like a fairy descending to earth, making people only dare to admire her from afar and not daring to touch her.
Qin Chuyun moved gracefully to Ying Yang, gave a slight curtsy, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice, displaying great politeness.
"This humble girl greets Young Master Yang!"
But Ying Yang still saw a hint of cunning and humor in Qin Chuyun's bright, darting eyes.
"I, Yang, greet Miss Qin!"
Ying Yang returned the greeting, but secretly raised an eyebrow and winked at Qin Chuyun.
Qin Chuyun immediately glared at Ying Yang and said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
"You better be smarter later, and you must find a way to reject my stepmother's marriage proposal!"
Ying Yang chuckled twice, neither confirming nor denying, as a response.
Wu Yulan had already returned by then, and the two could not say much more. Wu Yulan invited them to a restaurant for a banquet.
After taking a few symbolic bites, Wu Yulan put down her chopsticks, looked at her dignified daughter sitting beside her, and then at the imposing young master Ying across from her. She then began to speak according to the prepared speech in her mind.
"Young Master Yang, don't let my delicate appearance fool you, my daughter is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs! She knows everything a well-bred young lady should know!"
Delicate and frail?!
Yingyang felt that this word had absolutely nothing to do with Qin Chuyun.
“Madam, I think Miss Qin is not delicate at all. On the contrary, she has extraordinary bone structure and a healthy figure. If she had learned martial arts from a young age, she would have achieved great things!”
Qin Chuyun secretly cast an admiring glance at Ying Yang.
Wu Yulan was speechless for a moment.
"Ah... this... is not too delicate. She has a great appetite and eats very well. When our family moved to Fengcheng a few years ago, I was sick for a long time because of the change in environment, but Yun'er didn't even have a headache or fever."
"I dislike girls who are so delicate they could be blown away by a gust of wind. It's good that Miss Qin is healthy and strong."
Ying Yang nodded at Wu Yulan with satisfaction.
"Young Master Yang, my daughter is seventeen this year, and you are twenty-two. You are exactly five years older than her, so you are a perfect match in terms of age!"
Wu Yulan subtly promoted Qin Chuyun once again.
"In the Xia Kingdom, most women are engaged after reaching marriageable age. Miss Qin is already seventeen and has not yet been engaged. I wonder what the reason is?"
Yingyang asked bluntly.
What else could it be? She doesn't want to get married!
But Wu Yulan couldn't say it directly, so she had to take the blame upon herself.
"I've been in poor health and look tired all the time, which has delayed my marriage proposal for Yun'er. But marriage is predestined and depends on fate. Perhaps Yun'er was waiting for you, Young Master Yang, during these two years?"
Qin Chuyun couldn't sit still any longer after hearing Wu Yulan's outrageous words. He twisted and turned, wanting to escape this huge social disaster scene.
How did it come out of her mother's mouth that she didn't want to get married, and immediately become that she was delaying her marriage because she was waiting for this young master Yang?
Yingyang found it quite amusing to hear Wu Yulan trying to link the two together and to see Qin Chuyun's uneasy expression.
On the surface, however, he pretended to be serious and asked Qin Chuyun directly.
"Since Madam has put it this way, I would like to ask Miss Qin what her opinion of me is?"
Wu Yulan was secretly delighted. It seemed that Young Master Yang had feelings for Yun'er. She quickly turned to look at Qin Chuyun, not forgetting to give him a warning look, so that Qin Chuyun would answer Young Master Yang's question properly.
"ask me?"
Qin Chuyun pointed to the tip of her nose, looking nothing like a proper young lady.
“I don’t feel anything!”
Qin Chuyun said directly.
Upon hearing this, Wu Yulan rolled her eyes in anger.
"Speak well if you have something to say!"
"I'm speaking clearly; if I don't feel anything, I simply don't feel anything!"
Qin Chuyun shook his head confidently.
"Perfect, I don't have any feelings for Miss Qin either."
When Wu Yulan heard Ying Yang say that, her heart sank. But then, when she heard the next sentence, her face lit up again.
Yingyang raised his hand and stroked his already shaved beard, silently mourning for his beloved beard for a minute.
"Since Miss Qin and I are facing such difficulties in our marriage, why don't we go to the Reclining Buddha Temple together tomorrow? It's said that praying for a good marriage there is especially effective. Why don't we go and pray for blessings together?"
Before Qin Chuyun could even respond, Wu Yulan slammed her hand on the table.
"Excellent! I'll agree to Young Master Yang's request on Yun'er's behalf!"
"However, it's cold in winter, and the steps to the top of the mountain are said to be ninety-nine. I wonder if Miss Qin is of good health..."
"It's alright! My Yun'er is in excellent health! She can climb ninety-nine steps, or even nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, without any problem!"
Yingyang thought that Wu Yulan's decision-making would offend Qin Chuyun, so he refused. Unexpectedly, Qin Chuyun just lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought, and tacitly agreed to their plans for the next day.
The luncheon ended pleasantly amidst Wu Yulan and Yingyang's casual conversation. Wu Yulan went to the gate of the mansion to see Yingyang off, while Qin Chuyun, being a lady of a prominent family, naturally went back to her own room.
After closing the door and sitting down at the table, Qin Chuyun took out the small sachet from his bosom and looked at the teapot pattern embroidered on it, falling into deep thought.
Of course she remembered that incident from more than ten years ago, and it was etched in her memory.
She was just over four years old at the time. The atmosphere at home was always very somber. Her father and mother would argue from time to time, all of which were related to a woman named Zhao Xiaoman.
Her parents thought she was too young to understand, so they didn't deliberately avoid her.
But Qin Chuyun understood that his father liked the woman named Zhao Xiaoman more than his mother, and had proposed to his mother more than once that he wanted to marry Zhao Xiaoman as a concubine.
The mother finally agreed.
But that night, Qin Chuyun secretly heard his mother's restrained and sorrowful sobs.
A few days later, her mother took her to a jewelry shop on the street to choose some jewelry. After that, she did not go straight back home, but said that she was thirsty and wanted to go to a teahouse for tea.
Her mother brought her to the teahouse, where she saw Wu Yulan, who was already waiting there. Wu Yulan and her mother held hands and exchanged warm greetings, as if they were good sisters who had known each other for many years.
That was the first time Qin Chuyun met Wu Yulan.