Chapter 1478: Chapter 4: Brother Xuxu Side Story (Part 1)
Yueyao nodded and said, "Miss Chang is indeed a good girl."
Brother Xuxu was happy to hear Yueyao say she liked Miss Chang. It was the joy of being recognized: "Mom, then you..."
Yueyao shook her head and said, "Miss Chang is a very good girl, but she’s not suitable for you." The affair with Tingzheng back then taught Yueyao a lesson, so this time she chose a more indirect approach rather than being straightforward.
Brother Xuxu hurriedly asked, "Why?"
Yueyao shook her head and said, "Brother Xuxu, her temperament and temperament are very similar to yours. Xuxu, you are very impatient, and your temper is the worst among the triplets. And this Miss Chang is also impatient and has a bad temper. If you two were to marry, you would surely quarrel. You might be fine with it, but I’m getting older and just want to live peacefully. If you really marry her, I won’t have a day of peace in the future." Yueyao was not wrongfully accusing Zhang Wuying; the girl really was impatient. Generally speaking, impatient people tend to have bad tempers.
Brother Xuxu was dumbfounded and only spoke after a while, "Mom, can’t temperament be changed? No one remains the same forever. Look, people used to say how bad Dad was, but doesn’t Dad treat you like a cherished treasure now?"
Yueyao shook her head and said, "A leopard can’t change its spots; it’s hard to change. Besides, if Miss Chang changes, will she still be the Miss Chang you like?" Based on her conversations with Zhang Wuying, Yueyao knew that Zhang Wuying had a decent impression of Brother Xuxu, but it was limited to that. For this reason, Yueyao felt that Zhang Wuying’s temperament may not be willing to change for Brother Xuxu. Of course, she couldn’t say this outright, as it would hurt Brother Xuxu’s feelings.
Brother Xuxu was a little disappointed. He thought his mother would like Miss Chang, but he didn’t expect this outcome.
Yueyao didn’t press Brother Xuxu and said, "Think about it carefully!"
An Zhichen was worried and immediately went to talk to Brother Xuxu in the study.
Brother Xuxu was already swayed by Yueyao’s words since what she said was true and not slander against Zhang Wuying. However, An Zhichen’s strong stance sparked Brother Xuxu’s stubbornness again: "Dad, when you married Mom, Grandpa didn’t agree either, but you insisted on marrying her. Why am I supposed to give up?"
The veins on An Zhichen’s forehead bulged, but fortunately, he remembered Yueyao saying that you have to be gentle with Brother Xuxu, not forceful; otherwise, it would backfire.
An Zhichen calmed down and said, "I insisted on marrying your mother back then because she would be a good wife, a good Lady of the house." In front of his son, he couldn’t talk about love and affection.
Brother Xuxu widened his eyes and said, "I’ve heard from the people in the residence that besides painting and practicing calligraphy, Mom used to do nothing else."
An Zhichen looked at Brother Xuxu with disdain: "What do you know? When your maternal aunt gave birth, your mom managed the rear courtyard and kept everything in order, and her needlework was excellent, as well as the pastries she made were delicious."
Brother Xuxu knew Yueyao was good at needlework because Kexin inherited Yueyao’s embroidery skills. But he didn’t know Yueyao could make pastries because he had never tasted any food she made since he was a child: "Dad, is what you say true?" After Nanny Hua came, Yueyao never entered the kitchen.
An Zhichen nodded and said, "Of course it’s true. Your mother’s greatest strength is that if she decides to do something, she will do it to the best of her ability." After a pause, he asked Brother Xuxu, "You said Miss Chang is good; tell me what’s good about her?"
Brother Xuxu believed that Zhang Wuying was straightforward and chivalrous, a rare good girl.
An Zhichen’s expression became odd after hearing that. If Miss Chang were a man, she’d be pretty decent, but it’s strange to hear a woman being described as chivalrous. An Zhichen asked, "Aside from these two traits, how are her needlework and household management skills?"
Upon hearing this, Brother Xuxu recalled Meng Cheng saying that Zhang Wuying didn’t want to learn needlework or household management and acted just like a boy all day.
Seeing Brother Xuxu like this, An Zhichen decided to hold back on more comments and just said, "Xuxu, marriage is not a game; it’s a lifelong matter. If you make the wrong step here, you’ll regret it for a lifetime. Think it over seriously!"
Brother Xuxu, who couldn’t withstand hard tactics, felt some guilt after hearing An Zhichen’s words and said, "Dad, I’m sorry for worrying you."
An Zhichen was gratified and said, "I’m not the most worried one—your mother is. You know she doesn’t like socializing, but for you, she’s hardly been home these past few months, all just to find you an ideal wife." If it were up to him, he would have already arranged the marriage with the Ping family. It’s not like Brother Xuxu could resist it. But Yueyao insisted on letting Brother Xuxu resolve this issue, so he went along with her decision. Now, An Zhichen thought Yueyao was right.
Brother Xuxu lowered his head and stopped talking.
Seeing this, An Zhichen didn’t want to say more, and instead, he left Brother Xuxu in the study and returned to the Main Courtyard to discuss the matter with Yueyao.
Yueyao smiled and said, "I told you Brother Xuxu only responds to gentleness, not force. Do you believe me now?"
An Zhichen, recalling his son’s behavior, grumbled, "I suspect his friends have ulterior motives. How can one’s sister casually meet with strange men? What kind of friends is he keeping?" Brother Xuxu’s judgment seemed poor, considering he befriended someone as scheming as Meng Cheng.
Yueyao also found Brother Xuxu’s judgment lacking and said, "The child is growing up, and his pride is strong. He needs to discover things for himself; you can’t just tell him directly." If you told Brother Xuxu that his friends were scheming against him, it would only show Brother Xuxu’s poor judgment, and no one likes to be embarrassed, including Brother Xuxu.
An Zhichen always took Yueyao’s advice to heart and agreed. However, he thought for a moment and added, "It seems we need to transfer him back to the Capital City. While Brother Feifei has yet to mature, I must refine him properly. Otherwise, once he enters officialdom, this disposition will make him susceptible to manipulation." An Zhichen regretted focusing all his efforts on Brother Shengsheng over the years and somewhat neglecting Brother Xuxu. Otherwise, Brother Xuxu wouldn’t be so easily manipulated.
Yueyao felt An Zhichen was overly concerned. Brother Xuxu wasn’t stupid, just that his vigilance decreased in the relatively simple environment of the Primus Battalion. Once he learned from this incident, he would surely be wiser in the future.
