TRWSB – Chapter 102  The Person Escorting The Bride

Zhuang Qian glanced at Yi Fan and thought to himself: I really misjudged this guy. Who would have thought Yi Fan could be so secretly flamboyant?

Zhuang Hao gave Qi Shaorong a look, then began to read the clauses one by one, thoroughly and attentively.

Watching Zhuang Hao’s focused demeanor, Zhuang Qian scratched his head, baffled.

“This clause states that if you fall for someone else, you have the right to terminate the engagement,” Zhuang Hao said darkly.

Zhuang Qian leaned in to take a look, thinking to himself: Qi Shaorong is really cunning! Hiding such an important clause in an inconspicuous place. If big brother agrees carelessly, he’s done for.

“I’m all about fairness. The clause below states that if I fall for someone else, I can also terminate the engagement,” Qi Shaorong countered.

Zhuang Hao stared at Qi Shaorong and said, “This clause won’t do.”

“Why not? As we discussed, if you like someone else, that person must pass my test,” Qi Shaorong replied.

“What kind of test? Do you want them to fight you?” Qi Shaorong asked irritably.

Taking a deep breath, Zhuang Hao replied, “Exactly. If you find someone who can defeat me, you might as well stick with me. I’m also fair—add a clause stating that if I fall for someone else, you can test them too.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Rubbing his forehead, Qi Shaorong sighed. “Fine, add it.”

Yi Fan turned to Qi Shaorong and said, “Young master, in this country, the only ones who can beat Zhuang Hao are old men.”

“Shut up! Stop boosting others’ morale while dampening ours,” Qi Shaorong snapped impatiently.

Zhuang Hao continued reading through the clauses with remarkable patience. Watching this, Qi Shaorong couldn’t help but admire him a little.

“I’ve finished reading. There’s nothing major, just a few revisions needed. Let’s sign it,” Zhuang Hao concluded.

Qi Shaorong nodded and replied with a single word: “Fine.”

Yi Family Residence

A few maids gathered together, whispering.

“Did you hear? Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao are officially getting engaged. Invitations have already been sent out.”

“Who would’ve thought? Back then, Miss Yi Chuxue went through so much trouble, but after all that effort, Zhuang Hao is still marrying Qi Shaorong.”

“Qi Shaorong is so impressive! The fourth young master of the Qi family is indeed a perfect match for Young Master Zhuang.”

“Actually, Young Master Yi Fan isn’t bad either! I heard he’s the second-in-command at Qingcheng Cosmetics, but he doesn’t acknowledge the Yi family at all.”

“Well, you can’t blame him. The family didn’t treat him well when he was younger.”

“Yi Fan is really full of surprises.”

“I heard the Li family tried to approach him and got snubbed. If even they couldn’t convince him, the Yi family doesn’t stand a chance.”

Yang Man overheard the maids’ gossip, her fists clenched tightly, her face as dark as a stormy sky.

She had never expected that her failure to eliminate a potential threat back then would leave such a massive problem now, rendering her two sons crippled and her daughter insane.

Recently, Yang Man’s life had felt like a descent from heaven to hell. Those she once dismissed now greeted her with scorn, and the family servants, ever opportunistic, had abandoned her to follow new masters.

Yi Xun no longer cared about Yi Bing or Yi Huo. His gaze toward Yi Chuxue was filled with suspicion. What’s more, he had taken in several concubines, relegating Yang Man to a forgotten “cold palace.”

Yang Man closed her eyes. Zhuang Hao was really going to marry Qi Shaorong? After all this time, were the two finally going to have their happy ending?

“Stop talking! The madam can hear us.”

“So what if she does? She’s no longer the madam. The master doesn’t even acknowledge her anymore. Everyone knows she cheated, and Miss Chuxue isn’t even his daughter.”

Yang Man closed her eyes, suppressing her fury for a long moment. The Yi Fan of today was no longer someone she could move against.

The Qi Residence

Qi Shaoru paced back and forth in the room, while Qi Shaofu lazily cracked sunflower seeds, watching her with mild amusement.

“Shaoru, stop pacing. What’s there to fret about?”

Qi Shaoru glared at Qi Shaofu and said, “What do you know? Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao are getting engaged.”

“Isn’t their engagement perfectly normal? They already had a marriage agreement. Zhuang Hao likes the Evil Doctor, and the Evil Doctor is our fourth brother. Their connection runs deep,” Qi Shaofu said nonchalantly.

“Shut up!” Qi Shaoru snapped angrily.

Shrugging, Qi Shaofu said, “Fine, I’ll shut up. I understand you’re upset, so I’ll cut you some slack.”

“Third Brother, it seems you’re quite supportive of Fourth Brother. Too bad he’s biased toward outsiders. That heartless Yi Fan is exactly his type,” Qi Shaoru said, fuming.

Casting a glance at her, Qi Shaofu replied, “Come on, Shaoru. It’s just Zhuang Hao. Is it worth all this? Even if Zhuang Hao didn’t like Qi Shaorong, your chances wouldn’t improve much.”

Qi Shaoru shot him a furious glare. Qi Shaofu lounged in a rocking chair and said lazily, “Father seems to be in a bad mood lately.”

Qi Shaoru thought to herself: Father got rebuffed by Qi Shaorong, no wonder his mood is sour.

Irritated, Qi Shaoru twisted the handkerchief in her hand. Father had vented all his frustrations on her after being humiliated by Qi Shaorong.

“Father seems to favor you now,” Qi Shaoru said with a tinge of jealousy.

Shaking his head, Qi Shaofu replied, “Don’t even bring that up.” Father valued him only because he could somewhat mediate with Qi Shaorong, who occasionally showed him some face. However, whenever the topic turned to Qi family matters, Qi Shaorong would immediately grow hostile. Qi Shaorong’s grudge against the family ran deep—far beyond what he could resolve.

Gnashing her teeth, Qi Shaoru muttered, “What’s the Zhuang family even thinking? Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong are getting married, yet they’re inviting our Qi family as mere ordinary guests. What’s the meaning of this?”

Qi Shaofu: There’s no helping it. Zhuang Hao is simply… henpecked.

Nightfall

Qi Shaorong leaned against the railing, gazing up at the moon in the sky.

Qi Heng approached and asked, “Young Master, what’s on your mind?”

Shaking his head, Qi Shaorong replied, “Nothing.”

“You don’t look like it’s nothing,” Qi Heng remarked.

“Then tell me, what’s on my mind?” Qi Shaorong folded his arms and asked.

“Young Master, perhaps you’re feeling nervous?”

“Nervous? What’s there to be nervous about?” Qi Shaorong said dismissively.

Qi Heng chuckled. “Young Master, feeling nervous about an engagement is perfectly normal. There’s no need to be embarrassed.”

“It’s just an engagement.”

Qi Heng nodded. “That’s true. But once you’re engaged, anyone thinking of disrupting it will have to think twice.”

“If, in the future, I fancy someone else but they don’t even have the courage to challenge Zhuang Hao, it would only mean I have poor judgment.”

Qi Heng: “…”

“Have you decided who will deliver the betrothal gifts, Young Master?” Qi Heng asked.

“Yi Fan will do.”

Qi Heng: “… Usually, it’s a senior family member who delivers the gifts.”

“Exactly! Yi Fan is older than me,” Qi Shaorong replied matter-of-factly.

Qi Heng twitched his lips. “Young Master, Yi Fan isn’t much older than you.”

“I know! But that guy always keeps a straight face, pretending to be some old man. He looks far older than me—perfect to pass as my elder,” Qi Shaorong said.

Qi Heng: “…”

Yi Fan entered and said calmly, “If the Young Master thinks so highly of me, then I’ll take care of the gift delivery.”

Watching Qi Shaorong and Yi Fan, Qi Heng couldn’t help but feel exasperated. A disfavored child of the Qi family having their betrothal gifts delivered by a disfavored child of the Yi family—this alone would be enough for the capital’s gossipmongers to feast on for months once the engagement was over.

“I originally thought you’d ask the principal to do it,” Yi Fan said.

“The principal charges a fee,” Qi Shaorong replied. After a pause, he added, “And while I’m rich, I prefer to save where I can.”

Yi Fan: “…”

Qi Residence

Yi Fan asked, “Young Master, is it because I’m free that you chose me?”

Qi Shaorong draped his arm around Yi Fan’s shoulder and said, “Of course, it’s not just that. The principal can’t compare to you in terms of presence.”

Yi Fan: “…”

Qi Shaorong tilted his head, a glimmer passing through his eyes. His relationship with Yi Fan was far from ordinary, much deeper than his connection with Hu Feng, which was more transactional. In contrast, he trusted Yi Fan much more.

Zhuang Family

“Fourth Prince, you’ve arrived! Long time no see!” Zhuang Hao greeted Tang Tianying.

“Another few days, and you and Qi Shaorong will be engaged. Congratulations!” Tang Tianying said.

Zhuang Hao smiled and replied, “Thank you.”

“I used to think you were quite aloof, but now, who would have thought? Zhuang Hao, you’re getting married,” Tang Tianying shook his head.

“Getting married?”

“Yes, the day you snatched him away,” Tang Tianying said with a half-smile.

Zhuang Hao didn’t show any guilt. “If I didn’t do this, I’d probably never get the chance.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve heard some news,” Tang Tianying said, fiddling with his folding fan.

“What news?” Zhuang Qian asked.

Tang Tianying smiled and said, “Qian, guess what it is.”

“Fourth Prince, stop keeping me in suspense. Just tell me.”

“It’s about who Qi Shaorong is choosing to deliver the betrothal gifts. Guess who he picked.”

“The people from the Qi family are out of the question. Qi Shaorong is very stubborn. Once he said he wouldn’t return to the Qi family, he won’t easily go back. Naturally, he wouldn’t choose anyone from the Qi family. If not from the Qi family, could it be Hu Feng, the principal?”

Tang Tianying smiled and said, “I also thought it would be Hu Feng, but from what I’ve heard from Tianlan Academy, it seems that Qi Shaorong has chosen Yi Fan. Apparently, it’s because Qi Shaorong wants to save money.”

Zhuang Qian spat out a mouthful of water. “Yi Fan? But he’s from the Yi family!”

The four prominent families were rivals, and the relationship between the Qi and Yi families wasn’t great. However, Qi Shaorong and Yi Fan, both cast-offs from their families, had a surprisingly good relationship.

By asking Yi Fan to deliver the betrothal gifts, Qi Shaorong was effectively trampling both the Qi and Yi families’ faces into the dirt! Qi Shaorong sure knew how to make enemies!

Tang Tianying glanced at the calm Zhuang Hao and said, “Zhuang Hao, you’re not surprised at all?”

Zhuang Hao calmly took a sip of tea and said, “As long as he doesn’t back out of the engagement, anything else is fine.”

Tang Tianying: “… I heard you signed a long list of disgraceful agreements to get engaged. What a pity. If it weren’t for Yi Chuxue and Shen Yuan back then, you wouldn’t have to go through all this.”

Zhuang Hao shook his head. “What’s done is done. There’s no point in talking about it now.”

“Ah!” Zhuang Qian exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Zhuang Hao glanced at Zhuang Qian and asked, “Qian, what’s wrong with you? Why the sudden outburst?”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking. Usually, the person delivering the betrothal gifts is one of Qi Shaorong’s elders. If Yi Fan does it, then he’ll become your elder, big brother. That means you’ll be younger than him, and people will definitely laugh at you,” Zhuang Qian said, avoiding eye contact.

Zhuang Hao chuckled and said, “Let them laugh. I’ve already become the laughing stock of the capital anyway.”

Zhuang Qian looked at Zhuang Hao and said, “Big brother, don’t say that.”