Chapter 35 - Wedding Continues
Inside the quiet study there sat a cup of tea on the table. Hot steam wafted up from the cup.
An Zi Ran sat there, his eyes tranquil. Opposite him, Fu Wu Tian sat tall and straight. After listening to his confession, he did not say a single word.
Despite the number of times An Zi Ran looked at that man"s face, he still could not tell what he was thinking. This was the case every time he had to face Fu Wu Tian. He could never master the initiative. If it weren"t for the sake of the An family, he really did not want to meet with Fu Wu Tian again.
"The wedding is near, but now you tell me your sister fled the marriage? Do you think I am fun to play with?"
Just as An Zi Ran was about to daze off, Fu Wu Tian suddenly spoke, and his words immediately made him alert.
An Zi Ran slightly raised an eyebrow. "Play with" was hardly the appropriate term here, but he did not ponder too much on that point, instead he said seriously, "w.a.n.g ye, I did not handle this matter well, so I will properly account for it. But for the sake of my grandfather and Fu lao w.a.n.g ye"s friendship, I ask that you let the An family off. At this time, I will offer you the greatest sincerity."
This so-called sincerity will bleed the An family"s funds and shrink their a.s.sets by a lot, but to escape even worse punishment, this kind of monetary lost was not worth belly aching over. If money was lost, it could be made again, but if the person was lost, then that was the end.
Fu Wu Tian suddenly stood up and walked to stand in front of him. Then he leaned towards his eyes. "What kind of reparation could you possibly give me? If outsiders found out that my fiancé fled from the marriage, do you know how badly this will affect the reputation of Fu palace? We will become everyone"s laughing stock. You think your small An family can compensate for that?"
An Zi Ran looked directly at him and did not flinch. It was undeniable that he was right, but he was still somewhat unhappy.
The current An family was indeed insignificant. Even if Da Ya loses one landlord, many more landlords will spring up to take its place. But he will turn the An family into the top business dealer. This was the goal he set after taking over the An family. It was also the real reason why he wanted to create relations with the Fu palace.
"w.a.n.g ye, please be a.s.sured. I will declare that An Yu Zhi has died of a serious illness. I will not let the Fu palace"s reputation suffer."
An Yu Zhi fled the marriage. She would only be thinking of running far away and not letting anyone find her. So it was impossible for her to return within a short period of time. And there were very few people who knew her. Even if she later realized she committed a grave mistake and came back, no one would believe her. This was the best plan An Zi Ran could think of.
Fu Wu Tian stared at him.
An Zi Ran did not hear him speak, so he couldn"t help but lift his head to look, only to suddenly realize that the distance between them seemed to be growing shorter.
Fu Wu Tian"s handsome face was getting really close. An Zi Ran did not know when the other man started getting close. Those black eyes seemed timeless. He could even see his own silhouette reflected in those eyes, as if he was being sucked in.
"You are very clever, but this method is only a temporary solution. Someone will know sooner or later. Fu palace will still be implicated." Fu Wu Tian looked down and said to him.
An Zi Ran did not say anything.
Fu Wu Tian said, "Moreover, the emperor has already decreed this marriage between the two families. When the wedding is over, the name of your sister will be left in the ancestral hall. If the wedding is suddenly canceled, the emperor will certainly investigate. Maybe you can fool other people, but you can"t fool him. If the emperor gets angry, just think about the consequences…"
An Zi Ran"s eyes widened. He did not expect this*.
[*T/N: 始料未及 shi liao wei ji: not expected at the outset (idiom) / unforeseen / to be surprised by the turn of events]
He had heard that the emperor was concerned about this matter, but he did not expect it to reach this level.
Although the emperor only decreed the marriage after the fact, fleeing the marriage was still a crime against the emperor. Even if he has the a.s.surance that Fu Wu Tian would let the An family off, there was no guarantee that the emperor"s anger could be stopped.
The anger of the emperor, blood flow into the river!
This was not just some saying. He was no fool.
An Zi Ran took a deep breath with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes he was calm. He stared straight into Fu Wu Tian"s eyes and said, "What does w.a.n.g ye want to do?"
Fu Wu Tian looked at him appreciatively. He placed his hands on the chair"s armrest, bringing him even closer. He practically enclosed An Zi Ran between him and the chair. It was rather dubious. "There is one method, depending on whether or not you cooperate."
An Zi Ran accidentally raised his eyebrows. "What"s the method?"
Fu Wu Tian said leisurely. "It is very simple. The wedding continues."
Hearing these words, An Zi Ran already knew what he meant, but his answer still surprised him because he did not think that the person who proposed it would be Fu Wu Tian, and shortly said, "I understand. I will do my best to coordinate with you."
Fu Wu Tian stared at him. "You are sure?"
An Zi Ran nodded.
Fu Wu Tian blinked and slowly said, "I am looking forward to it."
Shout out to my new patron herisson! Happy to have you with us.
(*⌒▽⌒*)θ～♪