Inside the carriage.
Liu Ruoyan held her daughter’s hand tightly and said with emotion, “Yun’er, we are going to the mosque today to pray for your marriage to be smooth and for you and your husband to be in harmony.”
“Mother……”
“It’s not good to keep delaying your marriage with the young master. Yesterday, your father discussed with me that he wants you to get married as soon as possible.”
Liu Ruoyan said to herself, “Mother does not seek to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy; she only wishes for your happiness and well-being.”
“Your older brother told me that the young master swore to be with you for life. I heard that there are no women in the young master’s courtyard, and even the personal servants are all done by the servants.”
“Yun’er, tell your mother the truth, do you have feelings for the young master?”
Because of her mother’s words, Cao Lingyun’s heart skipped a beat, and she stared absentmindedly ahead.
After a moment of contemplation, she pursed her lips and said, “Mother, the Zhou family… I am not worthy of their status.”
She had no intention of tainting Zhou Hongbai with the filth and depravity of the Cao family.
Whether in his past life or this one, he was as pure and dazzling as the sun, making her hesitate to approach.
“Yun’er, promise your mother that you will not push away those who love and care for you. If you feel indebted, you might as well make up for it with your sincerity.”
Liu Ruoyan looked at Cao Lingyun with apologetic eyes. For the sake of her children, perhaps she should become stronger.
She may suffer injustice, but her children should not be humble and cautious, completely lacking the noble pride of a legitimate daughter.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and a strange, fierce voice rang out.
“Brothers, tie up the young lady in the carriage and take her back to be the boss’s wife.”
“Madam, it’s bandits! We’re surrounded by bandits! What should we do?”
Mother He instinctively grabbed Liu Ruoyan’s arm to prevent them from getting separated during the escape, which would render all her efforts futile.
Cao Lingyun glanced at Madam He, her expression turning colder. “How does Madam He know that those outside are bandits and not something else?”
“This… in this desolate wilderness, only mountain bandits could be so arrogant. Recently, the whole capital has been talking about the rampant mountain bandits. It seems we’ve run into them.”
Because of her guilty conscience, Mrs. He’s explanations were more detailed than usual.
See through it but don’t say it.
Cao Lingyun, with a clear mind, led her mother off the carriage, where a chaotic scene of fighting greeted them.
She looked around, but apart from the bandits, she didn’t see her older brother. She was startled.
Could it be that something happened to the older brother?
It seems she miscalculated. Protecting her mother is the priority right now, and she cannot afford to lose her composure until her older brother arrives.
She leaned close to Liu Ruoyan’s ear and whispered, “Mother, play dead. I’ll handle the rest.”
Mrs. He deliberately reached out and grabbed Cao Lingyun’s arm, raising her voice, “Girl, don’t be impulsive.”
As expected, Mother He successfully attracted the bandits’ attention.
In a moment, they were surrounded.
“That man wasn’t lying to us, this little beauty is really gorgeous.” The bandit said lewdly, his lustful eyes darting back and forth over Cao Lingyun.
Terrified, Madam He immediately knelt on the ground, pleading incessantly, “My lords, our lady is a member of the Cao family, and our daughter is the betrothed of Young Master Zhou. You’d better release us immediately, or you’ll never have a good life.”
“Mother He.” Liu Ruoyan was taken aback and immediately scolded, “Stop talking nonsense.”
These words will not only fail to help them, but will actually kill Cao Lingyun.
She felt that something was wrong with He’s mother, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Young Master Zhou? Zhou Hongbai?” The bandit realized what he meant and his laughter grew even more arrogant. He dismounted and strolled toward Cao Lingyun.
Cao Lingyun has skin as smooth as jade, bright eyes and white teeth. With a touch of makeup, she is elegant yet noble.
Wearing a light purple dress, she exudes an ethereal and otherworldly charm.
“Zhou Hongbai is so lucky. It would be a waste not to take such a beautiful woman back with him.”
Just staring at Cao Lingyun made the bandit leader’s heart itch; he wished he could immediately pin her down and bully her.
Before he could even touch Cao Lingyun, he was kicked to the ground.
She fell into a familiar embrace, looked up at the person in front of her, and felt a strange flutter in her heart.
Zhou Hongbai pointed his sword at the bandit, looking down at him with a nonchalant air, “Canglang, you’ve lost again.”
The mocking smile made Canglang feel somewhat powerless.
Before he could react, Cao Lingtang led his elite troops to surround them.
Soon, they prepared to head home, as the Cao family still had a good show to put on.
“Yun’er, I have something to discuss with my mother. You should take the Zhou family’s carriage back.”
Cao Lingtang helped his mother walk toward the carriage, with Mother He following closely behind.
…
Inside the carriage, the two remained silent. To avoid embarrassment, Cao Lingyun simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
The thought of annuling the engagement sent chills down her spine, and she wished she could leave the carriage immediately.
Surprisingly, Zhou Hongbo didn’t say a word the whole way.
…
The carriage arrived at the Cao family’s residence.
Cao Lingyun couldn’t pretend to be asleep. She opened her eyes and looked at Zhou Hongbo, only to find that Zhou Hongbo was staring at her.
Their eyes met…
Cao Lingyun said respectfully, “Thank you very much for your help today, young master. I will definitely repay you in the future.”
The moment she stood up, her wrist was grabbed, and Zhou Hongbai pulled her into his arms with a little force.
He rested his head on her shoulder, greedily inhaling her scent.
“Young Master…”
Zhou Hongbo interrupted her before she could continue.
“Yun’er, please don’t leave me.”
The almost pleading voice and humble attitude startled Cao Lingyun, and a sharp pain shot through her. If she hadn’t been in his arms, she would have surely fallen to the ground in a disheveled state.
Having not heard the answer he wanted for a long time, Zhou Hongbai smiled bitterly, his deep eyes burning, and said softly.
“Don’t rush to answer me, and don’t rush to refuse. Give each other a chance.”
The deep love in his eyes instantly shattered all of Cao Lingyun’s indifference and pretense.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged him tightly, sobbing, “We won’t be apart, we’ll never be apart.”
Zhou Hongbo froze, unable to believe what he was hearing. He cupped Cao Lingyun’s face in his hands and asked, “Say it again?”
“I said, I don’t want to break off the engagement, we will never be apart.”
As soon as Cao Lingyun finished speaking, he leaned in and kissed her lips, gently tracing the tear tracks on her face, as if he were protecting a precious treasure.
…
When the two arrived at Ming’an Hall.
Cao Jianfeng sat solemnly in the main seat with a sullen face, while Old Madam Cao sat beside him.
Liu Ruoyan sat beside her father, while her mother stood behind her, looking uneasy and glancing at the door from time to time, as if waiting for someone to arrive.
The wolf was bound and kneeling in the middle.
Even though Cao Jianfeng was unhappy, he had no choice but to force a smile when facing Zhou Hongbai.
“These were just some trivial household matters, but I never expected them to trouble the young master. It’s all my fault for not keeping a close watch on things, and I’ve made a fool of myself in front of the young master.”
“Uncle Cao, you’re being too polite. Yun’er and I are getting married soon, so we’re family. Why are you making fun of us?”
Zhou Hongbai’s humble words relieved Cao Jianfeng’s frustration considerably.
“Since we’re all family, then please, young master, offer some advice.” It’s humiliating anyway, so why pretend to care?
Peng Xue and Cao Linglan arrived late, and when they saw Cang Lang kneeling to the side, their hearts skipped a beat.
Peng Xue was the first to react, and with a fawning smile, she approached Cao Jianfeng, “My lord, what a grand scene today! Has something important happened at home?”