Chapter 139: Engagement (1/2)
Fei Huang Palace.
Ye Wuchen quietly pushed the door open and noiselessly walked inside to reach the bedroom of Long Huang-er. He saw a small figure facing away from him sitting on the front side of the bed, the head hung low and shoulders slightly moved. Not knowing what was going on, Ye Wuchen quietly approached until he was behind her. His gaze explored, seeing what was in her hands, he softly called out, “Huang-er.”
“Ah!” Long Huang-er startled, as if being electrocuted, she sat up, then in a great rush, she hid the things in her hands behind her back, “You-you scared me.”
“Huang-er, what is behind your back? Can I take a look at it?” Ye Wuchen said smiling.
“No… You can’t.” Long Huang-er pulled herself back and kept hiding the object away very tightly, then in a miserable voice she said, “I’ll show it to you when I am done with it… Ah!” Long Huang-er shouted painfully. Her mouth flattened and her eye sockets almost overflowed with tears.
Ye Wuchen quickly went to her and carefully took her hands. Her left hand was holding a piece of white brocade and a needle with thread on her right. A drop of blood slowly flowed out of her small finger. Because she had panicked, she accidentally pricked on her own small finger.
“Look at you, already grown up but still being careless. Anyway, you are…” Ye Wuchen lightly gripped her finger, rebuking her.
A feeling of warmth had spread to her wounded finger and the stinging feeling had completely disappeared in an instant. She lowered her head and said, “During my free time, I also want to learn to embroider something for amusement.”
That piece of white brocade handkerchief already had some crooked lines on it. Evidently, she had just started, so the pattern was just too botched and was a horrible sight. Ye Wuchen was too reluctant to break her spirit as he said, “Okay… When Huang-er is finished, she will definitely show me, right?”
“En, originally I was…” When she had spoken half of her though, she suddenly paused. Her expression twisted a bit, then she asked, “Can we go out to play today?”
Ye Wuchen regretfully shook his head, then in a soft voice he said, “Huang-er, for a couple of days I will be heading to a very distant place. I will return after a certain period of time, so I won’t be able to accompany you anymore. You must patiently wait for me to come back, okay?”
Long Huang-er’s eyes trembled, as she urgently said, “Where are you going? Can you just not go?”
“It’s something very important. I can’t avoid going, but you shouldn’t worry, I will be back soon. At that time, I will take you out to play everyday, okay?”
“Then, when will you leave?” Long Huang-er asked in a sad and reluctant voice.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow morning… Then you will come back earlier. If you are late, I, I will be mad!” Long Huang-er said as she pulled her hands from his grasp and grabbed him. By this time, she had already forgotten that her hand had just being pricked by the needle.
“All right, all right, I will be back soon.” Ye Wuchen stroked her cheeks. Long Huang-er was his current minor concern.
Ye Wuchen had so many more things to prepare, so he did not stay longer at Long Huang-er’s palace. Looking at him as he left, Long Huang-er’s heart felt deep sorrow, longing, and reluctance. She never thought that everything in this world was constantly changing, and that unknown situations always arrived when they were least expected. When they parted this time, the next time they will meet would be three years later.
………………Good day, everyone! I am the separator line…………………
Returning to the Ye residence, the first person he saw was Hua Zhentian who had been waiting for him for a very long time. Ye Wuchen straightened his face and went over, “Father-in-law, what…”
“What father-in-law!? Who is your father-in-law?” Hua Zhentian with a serious face, snorted rudely.
Ye Wuchen remained silent for a short while, thinking of what might have affected Hua Zhentian’s nerves. Originally, he was the one who requested Ye Wuchen to call him father-in-law.
“This… What did Ye Wuchen do to cause you such anger?” Ye Wuchen carefully asked, at the same time he unobtrusively observed Hua Zhentian’s facial expression.
“Humph!” Hua Zhentian snorted coldly, and said, “You didn’t do anything wrong, but you can’t call me father-in-law anymore! Since you have affections towards my daughter, not only was there not marriage, even a formal engagement was nonexistent. What is the basis for you to call me father-in-law?”
Ye Wuchen had suddenly realized that this Hua Zhentian was clearly more excited than him. He promptly replied, “You are right, father-in-law. If you don’t mind, how about Shuirou and I get formally engaged today?”
Hua Zhentian’s bull-like eyes stared, his huge face moved too close to him and said, “Is this for real?”
“Of course, how can I play jokes with my father-in-law?” Ye Wuchen said seriously.
“Hahahaha! Great, great! Then I will be comfortable enough to hear you call me father-in-law! Daughter… My dear daughter hurry and come out. This young fellow has begged me to urgently arrange the engagement with you, quickly come out.” Hua Zhentian excitedly rushed to the main hall and yelled out, as if he had luckily found a precious piece of gold.
Hua Shuirou and Wang Wenshu who were privately talking came out together. Hua Zhentian, with jolting buttocks, welcomed them, “Madame Ye, this young fellow has begged me a while ago to arrange the engagement. I have reluctantly accepted. It depends on you and brother Ye’s decision now. Look at them, they are already old enough, and my daughter’s good reputation spreads far and wide in the entire Tian Long City. Even if you are confident enough, as a father I am not confident enough, so it will be better if we settle it down right away. You see…”
Her son begged him? Wang Wenshu rolled her eyes. Judging by his attitude, he must have been the one who begged. His daughter may have a famous reputation, but her son surely had higher reputation. Who among the other families did not have daughters crying and insisting to marry into the Ye Family?
Ye Wei happened to approach them, and heard the words, so he replied, “Hahahaha, alright. Since Chen-er is about to start his long journey, it will be better to have a happy occasion to cheer up the mood. Though His Majesty had a prior command, let us set things up verbally, how about that?”