"Don't worry about that little ingrate." Mrs. Zhen spat playfully and sat up to invite Mrs. Shi.
Mrs. Shi quickly stopped her: "Take it easy! No need to stand on ceremony."
Once seated, Mrs. Shi laid the groundwork with a few words, glanced at Du Yunru, and said, "A few days ago, Mrs. Xu sent some patterns from Yunluo to Yu, saying..."
Seeing Mrs. Shi's mischievous smile, Du Yunru's face flushed red.
"This child, almost ready to get married, is still so bashful." Mrs. Shi's smile grew wider.
Du Yunru, never one to be thick-skinned, couldn't sit still. She hurriedly apologized, not daring to rudely run out, and turned to hide in the green gauze cabinet.
As she stepped inside, she came face to face with Du Yunluo, and exclaimed "Ah!"
Du Yunluo quickly gestured for silence.
Du Yunru stepped forward to grasp her sister's hand, giving it a light smack in the palm, whispering: "Why are you hiding? Why didn't you go pay respects to Mrs. Shi?"
Du Yunluo blinked, "Sister, you'll find out soon."
Du Yunru was suspicious, but with Mrs. Shi outside, it wasn't proper to make a fuss over any noise, so she held her curiosity in check. If she couldn't figure it out later, once Mrs. Shi left, she wouldn't spare Du Yunluo.
The sisters perked up their ears to listen.
Outside, Mrs. Zhen acted as if she was unaware of the goings-on inside, only saying to Mrs. Shi, "Yunru has that kind of temperament, I hope it didn't amuse you too much."
Mrs. Shi smiled and shook her head: "Most girls are like that, not at all like Yu—shameless and cheeky, makes you want to spank her just watching."
Mrs. Zhen couldn't help but say a few nice things about Shi Qingyu.
"About the matter we discussed last time, what do you think?" Mrs. Shi glanced toward the green gauze cabinet. She wanted to avoid Du Yunru, but things had come to this, and she had to speak.
Mrs. Zhen asked, "Coming from Lianfu Garden, have our Old Master and Madam shown their stance?"
Mrs. Shi sighed: "They haven't decided either way. I understand their concerns. I also want to ask, has Miss Zhen inquired about Yunluo?"
Mrs. Zhen's eyes darkened.
Mrs. Shi observed this and couldn't help pondering.
The other day, when Mrs. Xu brought the patterns, Shi Qingyu, bold and thoughtful, didn't say much in front of Mrs. Xu. Once she left, she turned and discussed it with Mrs. Shi.
Shi Qingyu had praised Jin Rui's patterns but never asked for them nor mentioned embroidering them for Du Yunru.
Du Yunluo specifically had them sent over with the most auspicious patterns for weddings. It was intriguing.
Did Du Yunluo hear something and couldn't harden her stance with the family, asking someone to make tentative inquiries?
Mrs. Shi pondered and came to the same conclusion.
In her eyes, this wasn't considered rash. A young girl with her own thoughts merely showing an opinion during marriage discussions was all.
Besides, Du Yunluo's personality was spoiled but not domineering. Shi Qingyu liked the Du sisters, so naturally, Mrs. Shi held them in high regard, seeing them as good children.
Mrs. Shi said, "Why not ask Yunluo herself?"
Mrs. Zhen smiled bitterly, understanding her daughter's thoughts perfectly: "She's still so young. She doesn't see the whole picture."
Mrs. Zhen laid it out, and Mrs. Shi understood.
Du Yunluo was fond of Mu Lianxiao but hadn't considered contingencies for the future.
Mrs. Zhen, pondering, said, "Here we are guessing Yunluo's thoughts, yet who knows what's really behind this at the Marquis Mansion? Is it the Old Madam or the madams? What does the Princely Heir himself think?"
In the green gauze cabinet, Du Yunru's eyelids twitched three times, and she looked at her sister, startled.
Having discussed this in the past, she understood what the conversation outside was about.
Du Yunluo lowered her eyes, avoiding Du Yunru's gaze, secretly sighing.
She knew best herself.
Regarding this marriage, the Old Madam and Mu Lianxiao's mother, Mrs. Zhou, only knew it was with a prestigious literary family's daughter, unaware it was the not-so-reputable Du Yunluo.
It was all the idea of that scheming and malevolent second wife of the Mu family.
As for Mu Lianxiao, he was completely in the dark.
Mrs. Shi considered, and said: "The Princely Heir has reached the age for marriage. The Old Madam has always been in poor health, and Sister Zhou has been finding it hard to manage over the years. All matters large and small at the Marquis Mansion are handled by the second branch.
Marrying off the Princely Heir, firstly, you look at family background, for he will inherit the title in the future. The lady of the house cannot be ordinary. Your father was once the Crown Prince's Tutor; if Yunluo married into the family, she could hold her own;
Secondly, Yunluo isn't just any scholarly family's daughter, who's overly delicate and spends her days composing poetry and lamenting the seasons. The Princely Heir, with his straightforward personality, would find it hard to get along with such a woman. Having been daughters-in-law for over ten years, we know that while poetry can be charming occasionally, every day would be intolerable.
Yunluo's delicate nature is different. The Princely Heir, though unaware of this marriage, is someone I know well; he's honest and sincere—there's no reason he wouldn't protect his wife. Moreover, his focus is on martial arts, without those messy entanglements; life around him is spotless, and Yunluo won't suffer or be wronged."
Mrs. Zhen was silent for a long time after hearing this.
Women view marriage differently from men.
The greatest fear is a man surrounded by flirtations, susceptible to sweet talk, throwing the household into disarray.
Such a man, whether a noble or a commoner, is not a suitable match in a mother's eyes.
"Alas..." Mrs. Zhen sighed deeply, "Sister, to be honest, if it weren't the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, why would I be putting on airs here? Our Old Madam and Old Master would have agreed long ago, but truly, we fear it. Besides, the Marquis Mansion values chastity and integrity, leaving us 'no face' for any other thoughts."
In the green gauze cabinet, Du Yunru took a sharp breath.
The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, she knew exactly what that place meant.
Du Yunluo wasn't paying attention to her sister's mood; she just lowered her head, trapped in her own thoughts.
So, the second branch had prepared so many words to persuade Mrs. Shi to act as a matchmaker.
Indeed, given her reputation, without these words, anyone would be suspicious.
As for Mu Lianxiao, she knew very well he was honest and earnest. Once married, he would treat her with utmost devotion, whether she was wilful or capricious, always pampering her.
At that time, she even blamed Mu Lianxiao, feeling he could be sincere with any woman, not specifically Du Yunluo, thinking he would be the same with anyone, indulging in her whims.
In hindsight, she was wrong.
If it weren't for genuine affection, encountering someone as unreasonable as her, his warm heart would have cooled, turning icy and merely courteous, never like how Mu Lianxiao was, cherishing her to the utmost.
Unconsciously, Du Yunluo tightened her lips, her eyes misty.
She missed him.