Chapter 248 - Engagement (IV)
The atmosphere in the room was quite suffocating. Yet none of them tried to break it as they each have their own thoughts running in their minds. The only one who had the mind to talk was the elderly in the center of it all.
"As I was saying, your fathers and I have agreed to make both of you a pair. You are still both young and have a lot time before the marriage can be settled, but with the two of you knowing that you are promised to each other, it should help both of you to not be led astray from your path. Once I am done checking with the fengshui masters for an auspicious date, I will let you know."
Old Xiong's words gave no room for discussion. It had been decided.
These two, Zhou Linfeng and Xiong Gaiyu, would be partners for life. As they were still young and there were no auspicious date yet, they would be promised to each other for now.
"What do you say, Gaiyu? Does my arrangement fit well with you?" Old Xiong looked at Xiong Gaiyu.
Xiong Gaiyu forced herself to look at Old Xiong. She controlled her trembling lips.
She remembered her answer to Linfeng in the garden a while ago. What were daughters of the Xiong's born for?
"Yes, grandfather. I am grateful."
Lies. She was not a bit happy. Like Linfeng had said, it was not because of her partner, but it was because you were forced to do something you are unwilling to do so. It was her life, but she did not have the ability to lead it by her own.
This bitter taste in her tongue made her want to throw up. She spent much effort to keep herself from crumbling down in front of these men.
Old Xiong nodded, satisfied that this granddaughter of his was obedient and sensible.
He then glanced at the unruffled butler.
"You are so lucky, Linfeng. You've got to marry a wise woman. Furthermore, she is a Xiong," Old Xiong said to Linfeng.
Linfeng bowed. His calm voice graced their ears.
"Thank you, Master Xiong, for thinking further for us. I might offend you, but I won't accept the arrangement."
Butler Zhou Min, Xiong Cai, and Xiong Gaiyu looked flabbergasted at Linfeng. Their heads turned so fast that their necks ached in protest.
They did not expect the butler, of all, to go against Master Xiong's decision.
Old Xiong's smile froze. His eyes then glinted with coldness.
"I'm not offering it to you. This decision has already been made." Old Xiong's mighty aura was unleashed. His intimidating presence suffocated the people inside the room.
Xiong Cai and Xiong Gaiyu looked down. They wanted to support Linfeng, but as the old man said, this was the decision made by the old man himself.
However, Linfeng was not affected by his intimidating presence, nor by his cold tone, nor by his frightening eyes. He faced it all with firmness.
He looked at those predatory eyes. He had made his stand clear. And it would not change.
"Master Xiong, the Zhou family is forever grateful to the Xiong family. I will do in the best of my ability, to help the Xiong family prosper until the day I die," he said, letting out the promise he had long made to himself.
Even if he planned to drift away from the Xiong family, he would forever be indebted to them. Especially, his Young Miss was part of this family, so he would do the best he can do to help the Xiong family if needed.
"But this matter of marriage is the only thing that I cannot accept. This humble one has his own feelings and free will. I hope Master Xiong would understand."
Linfeng stood up and bowed deeply.
"Preposterous!" Butler Zhou Min stood up and shouted angrily at Linfeng.
The father and daughter pair was frozen in shock with the turn of events. After a few seconds, the pair just closed their mouths quietly, as they were more afraid of the old man who had a dim expression on his aged face.
"Stand down, Zhou Min. Please escort my nephew and my granddaughter outside. Let me talk to your son privately." Old Xiong's voice was cold.
Butler Zhou Min did not dare look at his Master's face. He was really ashamed of his son. What kind of butler would talk back to their masters? His son had disobeyed an order. Their Zhou family lost face in front of their masters!
"Yes, Master. I will be at the door. Please call me if you need anything."
Butler Zhou Min did not even glance at his son before he respectfully escorted the shocked pair out of the study room.
As the door closed, the atmosphere in the room became more stifled.
Old Xiong's dark eyes lingered at the young butler who still had his head bowed.
"Why are you bowing to me, using a symbol of respect, when you were clearly disrespecting me with your words?"
Linfeng remained in his deep bow as he answered.
"That's because I went against the words of my masters. I do not qualify to even look at my master's eyes."
"If you knew that you will be clearly at fault for not following my decision, why bother to go against me?"
Linfeng opened his eyes and looked at the floor. Under the shade of his black hair, his eyes contained unyielding will.
"Because I am serious of what I said earlier. I am not willing to marry Xiong Gaiyu."
The moment Linfeng said that, the room sank in a freezing atmosphere. Linfeng knew that Old Xiong was truly mad at him as this point. The anger was almost tangible that it weighed heavily upon him.
"Then who do you want? Her sister, Hio'er? Or Wuyue'er? Or Qin'er?" Old Xiong mentioned his granddaughters in the second and the third branches.
"You should be thankful that you are given this opportunity to raise your status with the honor of marrying a lady of Xiong."
For the butlers, it was a great honor when they marry a person from their master's family. Of course, it has be upon the arrangements of their masters. It was a symbol of their good fortune and it showed the appreciation of the masters to their butlers.
In the long history of the Xiong family, it was the first time that a Zhou butler could marry a Xiong family member.
Zhou Linfeng who was given such opportunity should be thankful for that.
However, this daring young man was not even slightly thankful. For him, the Xiong family was putting additional shackles on him.
Silence reigned inside the room.
Finally.
Linfeng slowly raised his head. As he finally stood tall and straight like a pine tree reaching to the heavens, his unwavering dark orbs stared ahead at Old Xiong.
"Excuse me for this action, as I might not be worthy enough to stare at my Master's eyes after what I had said. But, I want to make myself clear, I will not marry any one of the people whom the Master Xiong mentioned. My marriage is not something that even my father could put his finger on."
Linfeng's voice was steady and firm.
In front of this Tiger Xiong, he was like a newborn kitten who was staring at him eye to eye.
However, his eyes were not scared even one bit.
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