TLDP: C46. Forced Marriage?
Miss Chen Jia looked like she was 16 or 17-years-old, dressed in an azure long gown that matched with her stunning face. She was like a beautiful white lotus, of which quickly garnered the attention of numerous guests.
But was she the one who became the main focus of audience?
Wrong!
It was Jiannan who became the focus of the audience! He strode forward in big steps with such unfathomable self-confidence. That gray well-fitting western suit, coupled with a pair of neat bright green pants, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with vitality! Coupled with his faintly exposed Rolex watch while he was walking, emulating the successful and VIP demeanor! His right hand even took out a bottle of ‘Liushen perfume’ while spraying the perfume on his body from time to time, clearly showing off what he said as his ‘rare and unique’ personality…
Even I, was speechless and frowned. From where did this idiot get that Liushen perfume? Did this idiot take a job as a product advertiser?
Miss Chen took us into the garden after which we separated. The garden was very big and very beautifully decorated with rockeries and fountains. Various foods, delicacies, beverages, and wines had been neatly served. Jiannan, seeing those delicacies was like an infant seeing his own father as he hurriedly held a food dish and began to eat like a hungry demon’s reincarnation.
I calmly walked toward the food court near Jiannan’s position and picked up some cakes and pastries to eat. I hadn’t had eaten all day and was starving.
But at this time, a decent looking youth came over near Jiannan and took a gla.s.s of wine on the table. Jiannan with his mouth stuffed with foods, suddenly spoke, “Don’t move! It’s mine!”
“What the… friends, there are six gla.s.ses of wine here, are they all yours?”
“Yes, it’s all mine! What? Do you think because you look so handsome, you can easily take other people’s things?”
The youth gawked for a moment, surprised, asking, “You can see my handsomeness? Friend, your clothes are also amazing!”
Jiannan swallowed the stuff in his mouth before pointing at his suit, proudly saying, “Of course! This Gothic model suit’s original price was 38,000 RMB but after some haggling, I bought it for 15 RMB!
Hearing Jiannan dialogue, I almost spurted out the food in my mouth. I hurriedly distanced myself from this place; this idiot was too d.a.m.n ridiculous! Just say directly that you buy it for 15 RMB. Why the h.e.l.l did you pull that 38,000 RMB?
In the surrounding, I suddenly saw a familiar figure nearby, it looked like Su Jing. So I approached her by several steps and found that it was really her when she turned around. How could she be here?
She was talking to several other women at the moment. I went over there and greeted her, “Miss Su, it really is a coincidence. You are also here!”
She was so surprised to see me here, asking, “Mr. Zhang, how are you here?”
“I… just casually came to see. If I knew that you came here to attend the banquet, I would have taken your offer to go together yesterday. I was held up for a whole day, and I just came here.”
Su Jing nodded, replying, “Mr. Zhang, let me introduce you, these sisters are… “She introduced me to the women around her. They all had a quite prominent background, and most of them were from a rich family’s second generation.”
When they asked about my occupation, Su Jing was somewhat quite hesitant. She didn’t know how to tell them, so I took the initiative to explain it myself, “I opened a photocopy shop in the Qiling city and barely able to support myself.”
Their interest in me quickly vanished. I only wore sportswear, so they probably guessed that I had no prominent background.
The reason I wore sportswear was of course, to cover the lead bars on my body. This thing was not only good for my practice but it could also be used for self-defense. Jiannan also brought lead bars, but because he was just starting, he only put a lead bar on each arm, weighing 10 pounds each.
I chatted with Su Jing for a short while before I strolled into the garden. A burst of a strange smell suddenly penetrated my nose. It turned out that the smell came from Jiannan who brought a large durian as he then spoke happily, “Big brother, I found this good stuff, let’s quickly taste it.”
I pinched my nose. This thing was too smelly. I never liked durian since childhood, so I quickly said, “I don’t like this fruit, you eat it yourself!”
Jiannan stared at me, saying, “Big brother, you really don’t understand how to enjoy life.”
The moment Jiannan opened his mouth, a strong durian flavor bursted out. My body was instantly stuffed dead, almost fainting. Jiannan quickly grabbed me, asking, “Big brother, are you sick? Brother, are you OK?”
I held my nose, waving again and again, hinting him to leave quickly.
Jiannan finally left. I also felt relieved while secretly musing, how many durians did this idiot eat? His mouth reeked with that strong smell…
There were perhaps over a thousand people in the garden. I had slid over in a circle and still could not find Xu Xiaoling. I became more puzzled. Was this not her home? Chen Haotian couldn’t be mistaken, right?
I silently sat next to the rockery. There were only a few people here. I opened my black backpack and took out a small white box. There were several words written diagonally on the box: Wishing Big Sis Xu Xiaoling a Happy Birthday.
I wasted more than 20 boxes and wrote it more than 20 times. I felt quite satisfied with this line. The box was very cheap and I bought it from a wholesale, buying 5 get 1 promo to write that line. But, Big sis Xiaoling, where are you?
I took out my cell phone and looked at the time, it was already 9:00 PM. When I secretly sighed, the surrounding loudspeakers resounded a middle-aged man’s voice, “Welcome to all guests who are here to attend my daughter’s birthday party!”
Applause buzzed out from the crowd. I followed the crowd’s eyes toward the villa. There were three people standing there, a middle-aged man, a young man, and a young woman. That woman was wearing a purple evening dress… and it was Xu Xiaoling without a doubt! I was sitting under the rockery and it’s a little dark here, plus it was quite far from her position, so Xu Xiaoling hadn’t discovered my presence. I was just about to walk forward to greet her when the following announcement made me dumbfounded!
The middle-aged man continued saying, “Today, it’s not only my daughter’s birthday. I would also like to announce another happy event! I will betroth my daughter to the Nangong family’s eldest son Nangong Jinhao!” He pointed at the young man, saying, “Jinhao is a responsible young man, so I also felt relieved to give him my daughter. Therefore on this day, there’s double happiness that has come to our house!”
The audience immediately cheered and shouted.
“Congratulations.”
“It’s really double happiness that descends to this family.”
“A perfect match, a heaven-made match…”
Several women nearby whispered, “Nangong family and Xu Family are both from the Eight Prominent Families. I really envy Xu Ningrou. If only I were born in the eight families, how great would it be?”
Big Sis Xu Xiaoling… was a direct descendant of one of the Eight Prominent Families? Her real name was Xu Ningrou? So, that’s why her cell phone had been shut down. Originally she had been engaged and she didn’t want… to see me… anymore…
Miss Daiyu… hadn’t she said that after I did many good deeds, my bad luck would then be lessened? I had done many good deeds, but still… the person I love was taken away from me…
The middle-aged man raised his hand, and everybody gradually calmed down. When he was about to continue speaking, Jiannan’s voice suddenly sounded, “Hey, does big sister Xiaoling want to come to taste this durian?”
Everyone was shocked! What the h.e.l.l? This idiot dared to defy the heaven’s will? He dared to interrupt Xu Family’s head, was he got bored with his life and want to hang himself?
Xu Xiaoling eyes stared wide and asked in astonishment, “How do you know that my family lives here? Did he also come?”
“Who? Ah…” Jiannan replied while putting a durian into his mouth.
The Xu family head’s eyebrows twitched, and frowned, “Somebody get over here, escort this guest out.”
I quickly stood up and shouted, “No, we will go on our own.”
Although Jiannan was usually annoying and his brain was missing some root and nerves, but he, after all, was my brother. How could I ever let anyone wrong him?
Everyone’s eyes shifted to me instantly while musing, what was really happened today? There were actually two people who dared to contradict the Xu Family’s head. It was like a cow had ringed the slaughterhouse’s doorbell and said that he had come home.
I stared at Xu Xiaoling and squeezed a smile, “Big sis Xiaoling, happy birthday. But I can’t stay too long here because I have things to do at home, so I’ll leave… Oh! Right, this is your birthday gift.” After saying, I walked toward Xu Xiaoling.
But two men quickly rushed to stop me and forbid me to come close.
Xu Xiaoling lowered her head, saying, “I don’t need any gifts, if you are busy, then quickly go.”
“Ah well, alright, Jiannan, let’s go.”
“Wait, Big brother. Let me finish this durian first before we go. This thing has a rich nutrient you know; it can rejuvenate the kidney and strengthened our Yang energy. I can satisfy my little girl entirely because of it! Hey, big sis Xiaoling, can I take two more for food on the road?”
“Stop eating, let’s go, I’ll buy it for you when we get back.”
“After I finish it…”
I didn’t know why, but Jiannan was not as obedient as usual. Did he really like eating durian so much? But sticking here for too long was not good, so I came over him and prepared to drag him out.
Jiannan filled his mouth with durian while saying, “Everyone! Actually, Uncle Xu was just joking with all of you. His real son-in-law is my big brother! Uncle Xu, quickly announce it, ah… are you thirsty? Do you want some durian?” It turned out that Jiannan was intentionally act like this. Although there was a little problem with his brain, he was not that stupid. He really was my real brother. He obviously knew that the other party was very strong. But he dared to provoke them for me!
“Everyone come, drag him out!”
One bodyguard rushed over to Jiannan and was about to drag him, but I also had arrived at Jiannan’s side, as I swiftly palm-knifed the bodyguard’s wrist. The bodyguard’s reaction was very fast, and quickly kicked me. This bodyguard surely had some special training. I grabbed his foot, took a step back and pounded his head with the lead bar on my arm. He instantly fainted lied down on the floor, losing conscious=.
Seven or eight bodyguards rushed over, and quickly surrounded us. I instantly made a fighting posture. In melee fight like this, let’s see who will fear who? There were too many people here. I didn’t believe that these guys dared to use their guns!
At this time, I saw Xu Xiaoling pleaded to his father, “Dad, let him go, I have promised you and accepted you condition, don’t do anything to him, okay?
Hearing this, series of events suddenly flashed and lighted my mind up. A series of clues connected with each other and solved the puzzles occupying my mind. Xu Xiaoling’s mysterious status, the discord and fight with her father, I got framed for murder, and Xu Xiaoling must go home, forced marriage…
So I made a bold guess.
The Xu Family’s head wanting his daughter to marry the other prominent family’s member — Xu Ningrou then ran from home, changing her name to Xu Xiaoling, and lived an ordinary person’s life in the Qiling City — I and Xu Xiaoling gradually developing our relationship every day. After this Xu Family Head knew, he used some methods, and looked for several ghosts to frame me for murder and made me s.h.i.t in jail — Xu Xiaoling was very worried about my safety and could only desperately seek for her father’s help — The Xu Family’s Head then, for this reason, wanted Xu Xiaoling to go home and marry the other prominent family’s son!!!
I looked at the Xu Family’s Head, murmured, “Originally, it was you…”
~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 46~~~~~~~~~~