Chapter 1630: Chapter 1932: Lin Zi Yang (4)
Leaving the alley, Ling Chen quickly returned to Zhu Qing’s side. She complained, "What took you so long?"
"You can’t blame me for that. There wasn’t a restroom nearby, so I had to walk a bit further. So, how about it, keep walking around?" Originally Zhu Qing had come to keep him company, but it ended up with him accompanying her around the night market.
"No more. It’s all the same stuff from here on, nothing interesting. Besides, it’s getting late, we should head back. If we’re any later, Uncle will probably call and rush us home."
Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don’t be afraid. If someone scolds you when we get back, I’ll be your backup."
A little after nine in the evening, Ling Chen and Zhu Qing took a car back to the Zhu Family. As soon as they stepped into the Siheyuan, they saw Zhu Houchang standing in the courtyard, as if he had been waiting for them to return. "Mr. Zhu." Ling Chen walked up to greet him and asked, "It’s so late, why aren’t you asleep yet?"
Expressionless, Zhu Houchang said, "I’d like to rest, but you two are making too much trouble and no one can get any peace." With that, he turned his gaze to Zhu Qing beside him and said, "The Family Head is in the front hall, and the Lin Family people are here too. You come with me."
"What about me?" Ling Chen pointed at his own nose and asked.
"Mr. Ling, you are an honored guest of the Zhu Family. Please go back to your room and rest for now. We Zhu Family people will handle our own affairs."
Hearing this, Ling Chen was about to speak, but Zhu Qing at his side shot him a look, signaling him not to say anything more. Seeing this, Ling Chen shrugged and nodded. "Alright then. Since you’re dealing with family matters, I won’t intrude."
Leaving the Siheyuan, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Hu Fei, asking, "Fatty, any results on what I asked you to look into last time?... Okay, then send the file to my phone in a bit."
After hanging up, Ling Chen didn’t actually go back to his room. Instead, he circled around to the back of the Siheyuan and quietly climbed in over the courtyard wall.
At this moment, in the front hall of the Siheyuan, Zhu Qing followed behind Zhu Houchang and slowly walked in. As soon as she entered, Zhu Qing very consciously moved to the side, lowered her head, and said nothing, like a child who had done something wrong.
"Qing." Sir Zhu, sitting in the main seat, spoke up. "Tell me what you were doing outside just now. Let me hear it."
"Family Head, I just walked around the night market with Ling Chen. I didn’t do anything else."
"You’ve got some nerve, daring to lie in front of your Family Head." At this moment, an old man sitting beside Sir Zhu slammed the table and glared at Zhu Qing.
"Grandpa, don’t get mad yet. This really has nothing to do with Qing."
Hearing that familiar and annoying voice, Zhu Qing frowned slightly. She hadn’t expected Lin Ziyang to even call over the Lin Family Head. After listening to Lin Ziyang, the gray-haired old man sat back down and said, "Ziyang, you say this has nothing to do with her, then who does it have to do with?"
"Grandpa, it’s all because of some guy named Ling Chen. If he hadn’t been stirring things up and causing trouble between us, Qing and I wouldn’t have had so many misunderstandings."
"Nonsense." Zhu Qing said angrily, "This has nothing to do with Ling Chen. Stop wrongfully blaming people."
"Shut up!" Sir Zhu said in a low, sharp voice. "I didn’t give you permission to speak. Stand there and behave yourself." Then he turned his head to the old man beside him and said, "Lin Rong, it’s normal for the younger generation to squabble a bit. I’ll give them a good scolding later. You don’t need to take it too seriously."
The old man named Lin Rong nodded slightly. "Alright, since you’ve put it that way, if I keep pressing the issue, it’d be like I’m not giving the Zhu Family any face." He paused, then continued, "The main reason I personally came to the Zhu Family tonight is for my grandson’s matter. Zhu Qian, our two families aren’t strangers, so I’ll just speak frankly. Back then you promised me you’d marry Zhu Qing to my grandson. I’ve always kept that in mind. They’re not young anymore; it’s about time they settled down. I say we might as well pick a good day and get their wedding done, and our two families can use the chance to have a lively celebration."
Zhu Qian nodded and was about to respond when Zhu Qing suddenly cut in, "Family Head, I don’t want to marry him."
"Presumptuous!" Zhu Houchang snapped. "No manners at all. The two Family Heads are talking and you think it’s your place to interrupt? Besides, have you forgotten the Zhu Family rules? You don’t get to decide your own marriage. Everything follows the Family Head’s arrangements. Lin Ziyang is the most outstanding Disciple of the younger generation in the Lin Family. Marrying him is your blessing."
"But I don’t like him."
"You..." Zhu Houchang’s expression darkened and he said coldly, "Have you forgotten how the Zhu Family has raised and taught you? You even dare talk back to me now. You’re getting more and more unruly. Someone come and lock her in the confinement room so she can reflect properly."
"Hold on." Lin Rong spoke up. "It’s normal for young people to have a bit of temper. There’s no need to punish her. Besides, she’s my future granddaughter-in-law. What if she gets hurt?"
Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment flashed in Zhu Houchang’s eyes. Zhu Qing had been raised by him alone; in his heart, she was like his own daughter. Naturally, he didn’t want Zhu Qing to do something she didn’t want to do. When Lin Rong suddenly showed up at the Zhu Family with Lin Ziyang, he knew this matter would be hard to handle. That was why he had publicly scolded Zhu Qing, planning to use it as an excuse to punish her, in other words, to stall for time as much as he could. But since Lin Rong had voiced his "plea" for mercy, he couldn’t continue. Otherwise, if he made it too obvious, the Lin Family would definitely realize he was siding with Zhu Qing, and that would inevitably affect the relationship between the two families.
"Zhu Qian, I’ve said what I needed to say. What do you think?"
Zhu Qian pondered for a moment, then said, "The Zhu Family has always kept its promises. Since we agreed, we won’t go back on our word. Rest assured, Qing will become your Lin Family’s granddaughter-in-law sooner or later. It’s just that... she currently has a mission, and I’m afraid she won’t have time to prepare for the wedding. How about this—after all, the two of them are still young—we wait a few more years. How does that sound to you?"
"Ziyang already mentioned this to me, and I was just about to bring it up. Since Zhu Qing is the Lin Family’s future daughter-in-law, I won’t allow her to have contact with other men. I heard that this Ling Chen is a young man, so I hope you can terminate Zhu Qing’s mission or find someone else to replace her."
"That might not be very appropriate." Zhu Qian hesitated.
"There’s nothing inappropriate about it." Lin Ziyang said, "Sir Zhu, I really don’t like that Ling Chen. He’s too arrogant, doesn’t put me in his eyes at all, and even taught a lesson to our Lin Family people right in front of me. If it weren’t out of respect for the Zhu Family, I would never let him off so easily."
