Chapter 319 - Linfeng's Plan
"Don't interfere, young man. It's not yet your turn," Old Xiong said coldly to Linfeng. Then, he took a deep breath.
The old man uneasily began walking back and forth, stomping his cane as he walked. After a long time, he turned back to Xiong Zhi. He still wanted to talk some sense into her hard skull. He opened his mouth and tried to explain as patiently he could.
"Granddaughter, you have not yet entered the society so you are not very aware of the matters of reality just yet. Reputation is important in any kind of field you are in, especially for people like us who tower above everyone else. You and your relationship with this vulgar man is something that must never happen in our society. It shall never happen, unless you are a member of the matriarchal Tang family. Think about it clearly. You are a smart girl."
Xiong Zhi gripped Linfeng's hand tighter.
She closed her eyes. How else could she show to her grandfather her resolve? She could only try to answer him with all honesty, hoping that her sincerity would reach the elder. She opened her eyes and tried to convey her determination through her eyes.
"Grandfather, I have thought about it for a very long time." Since the past lifetime, she inwardly added. "Have you forgotten? Since that day I made the deal with you, I have already began preparing myself. Grandfather, the reason why I made that agreement regarding my marriage matters is so that I can marry the man I love. You have given your word. I kept my end of deal. You could not take it away from me."
Old Xiong felt a headache was coming. He regretted agreeing to that deal!
"You are still young. There are so many fishes in the ocean, so many specks of sand in the desert. Why choose a butler!"
"Because he is Linfeng. He is the person whom my heart accepted. Even if he is not a butler, or become of a lower rank than a butler, I will still like him."
This confession of Xiong Zhi made the two men stunned into speechlessness.
Old Xiong was stunned at the innocent-sounding yet heartfelt reply. An image of a young woman overlapped with the figure of his granddaughter. It brought him a torrent of memories, those which he strove to forget.
Linfeng's heart throbbed with warmth and sweetness. He gently squeezed her hand in return. He wanted to hug her and kiss her, but under Old Xiong's eyes, he could only hold himself back.
After a while, Old Xiong recovered from the unwanted memories. He sighed and massaged his aching forehead. No, he still believed that he was not wrong. Yet for some reason, his chest felt tight.
"Zhi'er... You will regret this," he spoke in a tired manner. His granddaughter still could not understand.
She was just driven by infatuation for the opposite gender. Once she tasted the difficulties and hurdles in the path she chose, she would give up soon.
Old Xiong did not want her to waste her time and effort in such a lesson which could have been avoided.
He did not want her to invest more feelings and end up hurt and hopeless. It would become a scar of the past. He doesn't want her to commit the same mistake he had made before.
"Grandfather, I assure you. I have already deeply reflected for this. I will never regret." Xiong Zhi faintly smiled, her eyes shimmering. "If I have something to regret for, it will only be when I give up on my feelings for him and realize it too late. I don't want to live with regrets."
Old Xiong stiffened.
[I realized it too late!]
He remembered that he once cried that line before after the only woman he ever loved died. He had said those words in utmost sorrow that he dared not show to anyone, he resolved his heart to become even harder than a stone. He refused to give in to the sea of affection and regret again, that he did not even given much love to his own daughter, nor anyone after that.
Old Xiong felt more tired. He turned his back to them wearily and stayed still. He seemed to have aged for several years. He just wanted to stop this conversation and retire for today.
But the two was not yet ready to end this.
Linfeng noticed that Old Xiong no longer spoke. He started to speak carefully.
"Master Xiong, please hear me out."
Old Xiong did not answer. Linfeng took it as a chance to explain himself.
"I have sent automatic emails to the Zhou elders and my father around this time. They must have received it a minute ago. And… it is in your email, too."
Old Xiong stirred.
A knock came soon after he said this.
"Master Xiong, I am sorry to interrupt, but… you need to see this."
Old Xiong glanced gloomily at Linfeng. He spoke.
"Come in."
The door opened and Butler Zhou Min carefully stepped in. He glanced at the three people within the hall who all wore solemn expressions that mirrored his.
He went to Old Xiong and handed out a tablet.
After Old Xiong accepted the tablet, Linfeng began to speak.
"I originally wanted to send it to all of the Xiong masters of every branch, as well as to the Zhou family. But… if I do that, then the relationship between the two families will be impossible to fix. The mess will be bigger. Some of the Zhou family members might be compelled by the situation into retaliating against the Xiong family, once they come to know of the whole truth about the matter of the treaty."
Old Xiong froze a bit, and then tapped on the email.
A doc.u.ment file was attached. Old Xiong furrowed his brow. How did this young man manage to send him an email to his private email? He looked suspiciously at Butler Zhou Min.
Seeing the question in his eyes, Zhou Min defended himself. "I never helped him regarding this matter, master."
"My father, or even the elders, did not know anything about this plan. Amongst the Zhou family, it was only I who know of this matter. But I believe they are reading the email now and will come here later." Linfeng gestured his free hand politely. "I suggest that Master Xiong read this email carefully. You, too, father."
Old Xiong shot another cold look at Linfeng before reading the contents.
Butler Zhou Min swallowed. He did not read the whole doc.u.ment after receiving the notification. It was a notification which signified that an email was sent to his master's private email. Following his duties, he scanned it and saw the file. He already knew about his son's plan, thus he recognized what this email and file was for. With his heart filled with urgency, he immediately went to inform Master Xiong.
Butler Zhou Min's heart felt complicated. He was loyal to Master Xiong, yet his heart wanted to root for his son, hoping that he could do what Zhou Min could not when he was younger.
After a long internal struggle, he decided to leave everything to fate.
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