Chu Lian, pressured by his parents to marry Wang Xiangxiang, actually suffered from a rare bout of insomnia, tossing and turning all night as he pondered how to avoid marrying that crude and vulgar woman. He only dozed off when dawn was almost breaking, and by the time he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
After washing up, he lazily made his way to the dining room and saw that everyone was already eating lunch.
He called out, "Dad, Mom."
"Hmph." Master Chu snorted. This son of his had actually slept in so late; he was becoming more and more unreasonable.
"Lian, come sit down and eat." Madam Chu, all smiles, beckoned her son over, her smile widening at the thought that her son would soon be getting married.
Chu Lian forced a smile. His father’s attitude still hadn’t softened? He had already compromised and agreed.
He went to his place and sat down to eat.
He hadn’t taken more than a few bites when he heard his sister’s teasing, "Brother, you’re just getting up? Is it because you were up all night thinking about your sister-in-law?"
Chu Lian glared at her and reprimanded, "Young ladies should not say just anything that comes to mind."
He appeared calm and composed on the outside, but inside, he was grinding his teeth with hatred. Indeed, he had spent the whole night unable to sleep because of that annoying woman; however, not in the way she implied. He had been thinking about how to quickly get rid of her.
Chu Huan was unfazed by her brother’s scolding. She pursed her lips and continued, "You’ll be able to marry your sister-in-law very soon. They went to offer the betrothal gifts this morning."
"What?" Chu Lian was so shocked upon hearing this that he couldn’t hold onto his chopsticks, and they dropped to the floor.
He was overwhelmingly surprised; his parents were moving so quickly this time, not giving him a chance to discuss strategies. He had planned to go see that headstrong girl after lunch and tell her that this was something forced by their parents, that she should just refuse.
But now, that headstrong girl would surely misunderstand again, thinking he was playing some sort of trick.
"The two of you, don’t talk while eating. It is unseemly," Master Chu said expressionlessly upon seeing his son’s reaction.
Chu Lian was resigned to his own overreaction. Why get excited? The headstrong girl would definitely refuse anyway.
A servant brought him a new pair of chopsticks, and he continued eating in silence as the dining room quieted down again.
Before long, a servant came to report, "Master, Madam, the envoy who went to offer the betrothal has returned."
Upon hearing this, Chu Lian abruptly looked up, and his heart skipped a beat. Why was he suddenly feeling nervous?
"To, to report back to Master," the servant stammered, glancing at Chu Lian, unsure of how to begin.
"Speak up, don’t mind him."
"Yes, Master. The Wang Family’s young lady has replied, ’She would rather marry a pig or a dog than the young master.’"
With a wave of his hand, Master Chu had the servant, who bowed his head in fright, quickly retreat.
"Hahaha." Once the servant left, Chu Huan could no longer hold back. She burst into laughter, "Haha, brother, that lady has rejected you."
"Hmph, it seems the Eldest Young Master Chu is no exception after all!" Master Chu continued eating with an expressionless face, unaffected by the incident.
With a face as if she were at a funeral, Madam Chu lamented, "Lian, your mother thought that with your conditions you could pick anyone. It seems I’ve overestimated you. You couldn’t even win over a girl from Cloth Shop."
As she spoke, Madam Chu sighed and shook her head.
Looking at his family who mocked him, Chu Lian’s rage was about to boil over. He needed to find somewhere to vent, "I’m full. You all continue."
With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.