Kang Peiyun couldn’t help but ask, “What made you think of buying flowers today?”
Gu Jingcheng sat in his chair, his mind preoccupied with whether the arrangement would still look as beautiful once unwrapped. He didn’t catch what Kang Peiyun had said and asked again, “Mom, what did you say?”
Kang Peiyun walked over to him just as the housekeeper brought a vase. She casually took it.
“I asked why you thought of buying flowers today.”
Gu Jingcheng smiled, “I found them.”
Suddenly remembering that his mother Kang Peiyun was an expert with flowers and plants, he couldn’t resist adding, “Mom, don’t you usually love arranging flowers? Could you help me put these in the vase exactly as they are?”
He had taken a quick look earlier and noticed the roots were quite intricate.
Kang Peiyun, seeing the simple flowers elegantly wrapped into a tasteful bouquet, felt a spark of interest.
“Alright.”
The two happily arranged the flowers together.
At the entrance, Grandpa Gu Tao and Gu Qiwen returned one after the other.
Grandpa Gu Tao was saying something, and Gu Qiwen beside him nodded repeatedly.
Gu Jingcheng remained seated without moving until Kang Peiyun nudged him under the table.
Only then did Gu Jingcheng offer a bland, indifferent greeting, “Grandpa, Dad.”
Gu Qiwen nodded in acknowledgment.
Grandpa Gu looked him up and down, noticing the vase he was holding. His expression immediately darkened.
“Jing Cheng, you show no interest in family matters lately, yet you’re quite skilled at these trivial things.”
Kang Peiyun spoke up for her son, “Dad, this is something I like. I specifically asked Jing Cheng to bring them back.”
With his daughter-in-law speaking up, Grandpa Gu’s expression softened slightly.
Looking at his distracted grandson, Grandpa Gu continued, “The Meng family has sent word.”
At these words, everyone present instinctively turned their gaze to Gu Jingcheng.
Even the third son nearby couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
Grandpa Gu hesitated for a moment before adding, “Your engagement to their eldest daughter has been settled. Once the Meng girl finishes her college entrance exams next year, you two will marry. The exact date will depend on when the Meng family proposes it.”
Gu Jingcheng suppressed his anger, his face a mask of cold indifference.
“Forget about free love or childhood sweethearts. Feelings between men and women can be cultivated. Don’t talk to me about lacking an emotional foundation, and don’t use ‘not liking her’ as an excuse.”
Perhaps realizing his words were too harsh, Grandpa Gu’s voice softened slightly. “Jing Cheng, I’ve lived a long life. I wouldn’t harm you, and I certainly wouldn’t harm the Gu family. Can’t you understand that?”
Ignoring his mother’s shaking head and Gu Qiwen’s frantic eye signals, Gu Jingcheng abruptly stood up from his chair.
His tone was icy cold. “I’ll say it again, I won’t marry her! Even if I did marry her, I could never love her, and there would be no emotional connection between us.
If a loveless, forced marriage for a lifetime is the result you all want, then I have nothing more to say.”
With that, he shook his head and walked past everyone, paying no heed to Grandpa Gu’s expression.
Behind him, Grandpa Gu’s cane struck the floor with loud, angry thuds.
“If it weren’t for Grandpa Meng saving your father and the company, do you think you’d have the chance to stand here and say these things!”
Gu Jingcheng didn’t look back. “He saved my father, not me. Let my father marry her then!”
“You ungrateful brat!”
“Disgraceful descendant!”
Grandpa Gu cursed loudly, and Gu Jingcheng strode out of the courtyard gate.
“Brother, where are you going?” Gu Mingyue, who had just returned from school and reached the doorway, watched her brother storm out with a dark expression and couldn’t help but ask.
Gu Jingcheng ruffled his sister’s short hair. “Going to be an unfilial descendant.”
Gu Mingyue: “…”
Inside the courtyard, Kang Peiyun tried to soothe the furious Grandpa Gu. “Dad, don’t be angry. You know Jingcheng has never liked this arranged marriage.”
Gu Qiwen, standing nearby, chimed in, “Yes, Dad, don’t take it to heart with Jingcheng.”
Grandpa Gu shook his head in frustration.
Thinking of her son’s intense reaction just now, Kang Peiyun tentatively asked in a soft voice, “Dad, is this marriage with the Meng family absolutely necessary? I feel that since Jingcheng and that girl have never even met and have no common topics, if it’s about repaying a debt of gratitude, we don’t necessarily have to arrange a marriage. We can see what they need and do our best to fulfill it.”
Gu Qiwen added, “Yes, Dad, ever since you brought up the marriage with the Meng family, look at how much Jingcheng has been at odds with you. He used to respect you the most—can you bear to see this?”
With both his son and daughter-in-law speaking up for him, Grandpa Gu fell silent for a moment, his brows tightly furrowed. Did he not know that his grandson would resent this sudden marriage?
After a long while, Grandpa Gu sighed and spoke slowly, “I know you must think I’m old and muddle-headed, insisting on interfering with Jingcheng’s marriage. But I can’t just consider Jingcheng’s attitude—I have to think about the entire Gu family.”
“Back when Old Master Meng saved Qiwen, he absolutely refused to accept any money. I admit that hastily arranging a childhood engagement for the children was somewhat rash, but things have developed to this point, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Kang Peiyun and Gu Qiwen exchanged glances, somewhat confused.
“Dad, what do you mean by that?”
The old man explained, “You’ve seen the news in the papers. Although the business environment is much better than before, what if the authorities issue a policy to rectify us? Whether the factory can be saved is one thing, but our entire family could be in danger.”
“At a time like this, forming a marriage alliance with the Meng family is also a way to honor our promise. Besides, Jingcheng is of marriageable age now. It’s a win-win situation—why not do it?”
“And the Meng family girl is surely different from others. Her grandfather was a heroic martyr back then. The family has two granddaughters, and when one went missing, they spent everything they had to find her. That shows it’s not a family that favors sons over daughters. A girl from such a family—how could her character be poor?”
“When choosing a wife, virtue matters most. If Jingcheng had someone he liked, that would be one thing—I’m not an unreasonable person. But now he’s all alone; how can we let him have his way in everything?” The old man slapped the table, his tone stern. “It’s time for him to contribute something to the family.”
Grandpa Gu’s heartfelt words left Kang Peiyun and Gu Qiwen speechless.
The old man, with his age, foresight, and deep considerations, had thought of things they hadn’t.
“Dad, you really think further ahead,” Gu Qiwen said. “We’ll go talk to Jingcheng again.”
Grandpa Gu walked away, leaning on his cane.
The couple looked at each other in silence.
“Mom, Dad, I’m back from school. My brother said he’s going out to be an unfilial descendant—what happened?”
Mr. and Mrs. Gu: “…”
Meanwhile, in Meng Village.
Meng Yu, who had been starving all day, finally waited for Meng Yao to return home.
“Sis, where have you been? Why didn’t you leave me any food this morning? I’m starving to death. Did you bring me anything to eat?”
Meng Yu bombarded Meng Yao with questions as soon as she arrived home.
Usually, whenever Meng Yao went to the county town, she would always bring back some food for her.
Meng Yao expressionlessly set down her backpack and coldly uttered two words, “No, I didn’t.”