Chen Shuyi suppressed her dissatisfaction with Bai Zhao, nodded at him, and returned to her usual gentle and demure demeanor.
She spoke softly, saying, “Bai Heir, you need not praise me so. I am not worthy of such words. Please, come in. I will take you to see my father. He has just returned from the morning court.”
Having said that, she gave Bai Zhao a graceful bow and turned to lead the way into the Chen Estate.
Bai Zhao quickly grabbed Chen Shuyi’s wrist and said, “There’s no need to trouble yourself, Miss Chen. I just saw that you were about to go out, weren’t you? How about just having a servant notify someone and take me in? Miss Chen, you can go about your own affairs.”
Being grabbed by the wrist, Chen Shuyi’s delicate body stiffened sharply, her pupils dilated slightly, and she instinctively pulled away, scolding softly:
“Bai Heir! How can you be so frivolous? I considered your childhood behavior a matter of youth and ignorance and chose not to bring it up again, but now you should understand what propriety is!
Though we have a marriage contract, we are not yet married. How can you treat me like this? This pulling and tugging in the street is highly improper. Please, Bai Heir, have some self-respect!”
Bai Zhao was a bit stunned by this scolding. He had merely thought that since Chen Shuyi was about to leave, he wouldn’t have to face her and avoid awkwardness. So in his anxiety, he had subconsciously grabbed her.
To be honest, with his modern mindset, even between strangers of opposite sexes, grabbing a wrist was nothing, let alone between them, who were practically betrothed.
In his previous life, Bai Zhao hadn’t experienced much, but he did scroll through TikTok. Did agents not scroll through TikTok too?
In his past life, a relationship like theirs would have gone far beyond hand-holding and kissing; some would even have children already!
Of course, this was ancient times, not so open. But Bai Zhao hadn’t expected Chen Shuyi to be so traditional. He guessed that even if Jiang Wushuang or Jiang Mingzhu were his fiancée, they wouldn’t have reacted this way.
Though a bit puzzled, Bai Zhao was already embarrassed about having bullied her back then. Feeling guilty, he could only scratch his head and sincerely apologize:
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was a bit anxious just now and didn’t want to trouble Miss Chen. I subconsciously grabbed your wrist; I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.
As for that incident back then, I was young and ignorant. Miss Chen, you are a generous person. Please don’t hold it against me. If Miss Chen is unhappy with the marriage contract, we can discuss how to break it off!”
Chen Shuyi’s expression softened slightly at Bai Zhao’s sincere apology, thinking that he genuinely hadn’t wanted to trouble her and had just been in a hurry. It was understandable that he had subconsciously grabbed her.
But then she heard Bai Zhao mention breaking off the engagement, and a hint of anger rose on her face. “Bai Heir, this marriage contract is a major matter between two families… parents’ command, matchmaker’s word. How can you speak so lightly of breaking it off?
There aren’t that many instances of mutual affection in this world. I may be dissatisfied with Your Highness, the Heir, but I wouldn’t want to break off the engagement because of that. What would that do to both families?
Or does Bai Heir have some complaint against me? Do you intend to break off the engagement? If so, speak it out. Even if I have to lose face, I will persuade my father to break off the engagement!”
As she spoke, tears began to shimmer in Chen Shuyi’s gentle, water-like eyes. She was both angry and aggrieved!
She also wanted to break off the engagement, but her father had taught her that a daughter must obey her father, and a wife must obey her husband! She had to listen to her father, and since Bai Zhao was her future husband, she had to listen to him as well!
This Bai Zhao had been rude to her as a child, and she had endured it. Now that they had grown up, the first time they met, he immediately wanted to break off the engagement. What had she done wrong?! She didn’t understand why her fiancé had to be this kind of person!
Heaven was truly unfair. After the morning court incident, she had actually changed her opinion of him a little. But now, he seemed even worse. He could so easily speak of breaking off the engagement. What did he think of a woman’s reputation? Did he care about her feelings at all?
A person so rude and heartless… she would rather die than marry him!
Yes, to her, losing face by begging her father to break off the engagement, or losing her reputation by being jilted by Bai Zhao, was almost as bad as death!
Chuntao and Qiulan, seeing the two talking, had consciously moved a little farther away to give them space.
But now, from a distance, they saw that their Heir seemed to have angered the Chen family young lady. Yet they couldn’t rashly interrupt, so they could only worry secretly.
Bai Zhao was also flustered by Chen Shuyi’s tears and reproach. He really wasn’t good at comforting women, especially unfamiliar ones.
Knowing that talking about breaking off the engagement had probably upset her, he explained somewhat weakly, “No, Miss Chen, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to bring up breaking off the engagement, nor do I have any complaint against you!
I just feel that I’m not worthy of you and don’t want to hold you back. I meant no harm. Miss Chen, you are wonderful, truly. I like you very much. If I weren’t afraid you’d mind, I’d be overjoyed to marry you. Why would I willingly break off the engagement?
Miss Chen? Shuyi… Yier! Don’t cry. Really, I was wrong!”
Seeing that his weak explanation had no effect on Chen Shuyi, Bai Zhao, in desperation, casually told a white lie, saying that he had feelings for Chen Shuyi.
He even called her affectionately by her name, pulling out all the stops. It was really difficult for him!
After all, judging by the situation, directly proposing to break off the engagement wasn’t going to work well. He had to first improve his image in her heart and plan slowly. For now, he needed to appease her.
Sure enough, upon hearing Bai Zhao say he liked her and call her affectionately “Yier,” Chen Shuyi’s tear-streaked face instantly blushed to the roots of her ears, looking very attractive!
She stopped crying, turned her back abruptly, her body trembling, and her voice stammered, “You… you’re so shameless! Even if we are engaged, saying such love… love words and using such mushy terms is truly excessive! I won’t argue with you about today, but you must never do this again!”
Bai Zhao knew this girl had a thin skin. Seeing that she was no longer crying or angry, he knew when to stop. He coughed and said seriously, “Mm, I spoke recklessly in panic. I won’t do it again. Miss Chen, please don’t take offense.”
Of course, I’ll do it again. Once I’m familiar with you and we can talk calmly, then I, young master, will be rude to you!
Aren’t you the one who values propriety most? But I, young master, hate it the most. There’s no way around it… seems like I’m destined to be the man you can’t have! Then you’ll be thinking about breaking off the engagement, right?
Bai Zhao thought smugly. He completely failed to understand the underlying reason why Chen Shuyi had refused to break off the engagement. He only thought she had cried because he had brought it up and made her lose face.
So sometimes, he really was a straight guy.
And this decision he made would, in the near future, cause him deep regret, because he had no idea what Chen Shuyi was thinking at that moment.
When Chen Shuyi was called “Yier” by Bai Zhao and heard him say he liked her, she clearly hated such rude behavior, but for the first time in her life, she felt a hint of sweetness lingering in her heart!
In the past, there had been talented scholars who had secretly confessed to her, and she even knew that the Fourth Prince and the Eldest Prince both had some interest in her… after all, she had the reputation of being Chang’an’s foremost talented woman.
She had never cared about any of that. Watching these so-called high-quality men strut like peacocks in front of her, she only found it bland and tasteless.
But for some reason, when these words, which she considered rude and even flirtatious, came from Bai Zhao’s mouth, they stirred layers of ripples in her heart.
He had clearly teased her as a child, and she had hated it! What’s happening to me? Chen Shuyi’s heart was somewhat flustered.
Bai Zhao thought that being rude and flirting with Chen Shuyi would make her detest him. But he never guessed that Chen Shuyi, now grown up, would have a different feeling about his actions. And thus, a wonderful misunderstanding was born!