He couldn’t bring himself to feel close to this aunt he’d never met. Even exchanging a few words made him feel awkward.
Just as Ling Muzhu was unsure what to do, Ling Mohan and Feng Jin arrived with the children.
Upon seeing the two children, Old Master Ling’s face lit up with joy, his smile deepening. He beckoned the children over and affectionately held the little ones in his arms, creating a very warm scene.
“Quickly, sit down. You’ve taken so long, the food will get cold.”
Old Master Ling urged the latecomers, Ling Mohan and Feng Jin, to take their seats, while he fed the eldest and second child snacks.
Ling Changyi was about to stand up to say a few words to Ling Mohan and exchange pleasantries, but Ling Mohan seemed not to see her, passing by her as if she were invisible.
In that brief moment, Ling Changyi experienced an unprecedented embarrassment in her life.
At that moment, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into and end this awkwardness. Ling Changyi quietly sat in a corner, trying to minimize her presence, to downplay what had just happened, and to look for an opportunity to act.
After a long while, seeing that no one was speaking, Ling Changyi spoke again, “Why don’t I see Second Brother today? Muzhu, did you forget to ask your father to come?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Muzhu’s hand, which was holding his chopsticks, suddenly froze. He didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
Old Master Ling’s expression turned extremely grim. He slammed his chopsticks heavily onto the table with a loud noise that startled Ling Changyi.
She wondered what she had said to anger her father so much.
The air fell silent, even the faint sound of breathing was unusually clear. Ling Changyi became cautious with her breathing, not daring to make any significant noise.
“Do not speak while eating, do not speak while sleeping. If you’ve forgotten everything and don’t want to eat, then leave!”
Old Master Ling’s authority was at its peak. With a casual sentence, Ling Changyi didn’t dare to say anything more, and the entire meal became unusually quiet.
Feng Jin immediately saw the underlying issue. This aunt was not liked by Old Master Ling at all. She even felt that Old Master Ling was somewhat annoyed by his own daughter.
After all, they were father and daughter. It was remarkable that they had reached such a state.
This eldest aunt also seemed accustomed to this. Being reprimanded in front of the younger generation, she acted as if nothing had happened, finishing the meal calmly, and even said a few words to Old Master Ling from time to time, but only received a faint response from him.
Ling Changyi, however, was not embarrassed at all. Instead, she kept smiling and interacting with Old Master Ling, her face full of ingratiation.
“I’m finished eating. I’ll go out for a walk. You all continue eating.”
Old Master Ling put down his chopsticks and instructed a maid to take the two children with him for a stroll.
With the person she was primarily trying to please gone, Ling Changyi turned her gaze to the others, starting with Ling Muzhu, who was the easiest to deal with.
“Muzhu, you’ve been so focused on preparing for the imperial examinations, but has your marriage been settled?”
“I am still young and not yet married. All my focus is on my studies.”
“Yes, studies should indeed come first. However, it’s good to have someone by your side who knows your needs and cares for you… Coincidentally, Auntie has a daughter of a similar age to you, who is very gentle and lovely. Auntie will arrange for you to be betrothed.”
“Cough… cough…”
Ling Muzhu coughed violently, startled, and quickly waved his hands to refuse, “No… no… Auntie, I am still young and not interested in matters between men and women for the time being. Let’s forget about marriage.”
“This… this…”
Ling Changyi had not expected Ling Muzhu to refuse so politely, leaving her in an awkward position.
She took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then managed a smile, turning to Ling Muzhu again, “This is something that requires mutual consent. It cannot be decided so hastily. Let’s let you get to know each other for a while first.”
“Auntie, you want to marry your daughter into the Ling family to make the relationship closer?” Feng Jin immediately understood Ling Changyi’s intention and stated it directly.
Ling Changyi had not expected Feng Jin to say this so bluntly and was caught off guard.
“Even if I have this intention, shouldn’t I… shouldn’t I see what the children think? A forced melon isn’t sweet. If the children are unwilling, there’s nothing that can be done.”
“Whether the melon is sweet or not, only one can know after tasting it, Auntie?”
Unexpectedly, Feng Jin’s words were so sharp that Ling Changyi was unable to cope. She had no choice but to quickly change the subject, “Let’s not talk about this… let’s talk about something else…”
Before Ling Changyi could speak, Feng Jin slammed her bowl and chopsticks onto the table, “I’m done eating. Auntie, please enjoy your meal.”
“I’m also finished. Eldest Sister, I’ll leave with you.”
Ling Muzhu hastily put down his bowl and chopsticks and hurried to follow Feng Jin, leaving as if escaping.
Ling Mohan, however, calmly finished his meal without any rush. Even if Ling Changyi wanted to say a few words to him, she didn’t know how to interject and could only sheepishly close her mouth, finishing her meal silently.
“Eldest Sister, Auntie’s eyes are full of calculations. Why do I feel… her gaze towards me is so frightening…”
The way Eldest Sister looked at him just now was so terrifying, as if she wanted to devour him alive, and he immediately felt goosebumps.
“You’re not entirely foolish if you can see that. Your Auntie indeed sees you as a meal. She wants to marry her daughter to you. You are about to become her son-in-law. It’s unexpected that your marriage has come so quickly. It’s indeed good to have a closer family tie, but…”
Picturing the imagined scene, Feng Jin couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle. She paused and then continued, “It’s just that I don’t know what your Auntie’s daughter looks like. If she’s pretty, that would be good. But if she’s ugly, wouldn’t that be too unfair to you?”
Ling Muzhu’s appearance was indeed good. Although he was a little less striking than Ling Mohan, he was still a handsome man.
He should at least have a beauty to match him so that they would be pleasing to the eye when standing together. If she found an ugly one, it would be a waste of natural beauty.
“Eldest Sister, please stop teasing me. I don’t want to marry Auntie’s daughter. This Auntie is difficult to get along with, with a face full of calculations. Her daughter must be the same. If it’s a woman like that, I’d rather remain unmarried for life.”
He absolutely did not want to marry such a woman as his wife. Wouldn’t that be like stepping into a fiery pit with one foot?
Thinking about future days, he felt full of dread. If it were truly like that, he might as well remain unmarried for life.