Chapter 690: Qingluo and Zhe Ying: The Final Chapter

Chapter 690: Qingluo and Zhe Ying: The Final Chapter

Zhe Ying nodded instinctively, only realizing something was wrong after he finished, his face so red it looked like he might burst.

Qingluo, however, had a triumphant smile.

In fact, she had already inquired and found out that there were no women in Ah Ying's life. When he was adopted by the Xie family, he was an orphan, so there couldn't possibly be any early arranged marriage.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have pursued him so boldly.

Qingluo was headstrong; once she set her mind on something, she would persistently pursue it, of course, without hurting anyone.

Just like when she decided to follow Su Youyue, she was determined to win Zhe Ying over.

The rumors didn't bother her at all.

Because, she had started them herself to win him over.

Seeing Zhe Ying's face reddening to the point of explosion, Qingluo quickly stopped teasing him and spoke softly, "Ah Ying, look, all your friends are eager to settle down. Have you never thought about it?"

Zhe Ying really hadn't thought much about it. Although his brothers talked about it every day, he was too focused on honing his skills, even with one eye, that he just listened without much thought.

Only now, as Qingluo brought it up, did he finally seem to get the idea, feeling flustered and overwhelmed, like a lobster in boiling water.

"Now that you know my feelings, Ah Ying, will you still come to see me?"

Knowing he was slow to catch on, Qingluo didn't push him for an immediate answer.

Zhe Ying felt more relaxed, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

After returning to Yanjing, they had fewer duties and more free time, and he had already gotten used to not being alone during these times but instead coming to Qingluo to listen to her talk about everything under the sun.

Qingluo's eyes shone brightly.

This was as good as a yes.

"Great, it's settled then. Remember to come and see me more."

Qingluo knew when to quit, so she left after making her point.

Actually, she wasn't usually so forward, but she was determined, having set her sights on Ah Ying, which made her bold in her pursuit.

Even this brief conversation made her heart race.

For three days straight, Zhe Ying avoided her.

Who knew that during these three days, Qingluo seemed to be avoiding him too, and they didn't run into each other at all.

This was a relief, sparing him the awkwardness of facing her.

But he couldn't stop thinking about her, recalling her enthusiasm during this period and her tearful devotion in Dongrong for her lady.

Such sincere, passionate, and unrestrained feelings were something Zhe Ying had never experienced before, even though he was loyal to his master, most of the time he had to be reserved due to his status.

So much so that he didn't know what to say to her when they met again.

Another two days passed, and they still hadn't met. He even visited my lady twice but still hadn't run into Qingluo, gradually becoming anxious.

For the first time, he asked the maid in my lady's courtyard.

It was only then that he found out Qingluo had been going to a women's school for the past few days.

In the Capital, under the Emperor's orders, the Su and Xie families recently set up a women's school and a technical school to train exceptional women and skilled craftsmen.

At first, many people doubted the value of learning craftsmanship, thinking it was only for those without status or future prospects.

But the famous Hua family took the lead by sending their kids there. When the school announced that the empire's legendary weapons were also made by craftsmen, and the Emperor promised official jobs to graduates, everyone rushed to sign up.

As for the women's school, with the court now having female officials, many women and their families pushed for the chance to attend.

But it was surprising that even Qingluo had gone.

If she was going to school every day, they'd see each other less often.

Zhe Ying thought he'd feel relieved, but instead, every time things got quiet, he found himself wanting to see her.

He never realized missing someone could keep him up at night and haunt his thoughts.

That day, when he heard the maids say Qingluo was back at the mansion, he couldn't help but feel excited.

But she still didn't come to him. Finally, that evening, he couldn't resist going to see her.

She was actually drunk with my lady. Her face was flushed, and when she saw him, her eyes lit up as usual, and she slipped out unnoticed.

"Ah Ying!"

Hearing her familiar, enthusiastic voice, he finally felt relieved, realizing he was more afraid of her losing interest in him than of her enthusiasm.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Had a little too much to drink, feeling stuffy. Let's take a walk..." The moonlight lit up the path, and a gentle breeze blew.

After walking a bit, Qingluo suddenly stopped, and Zhe Ying, with his sharp hearing, stopped too.

He looked down to see Qingluo's bright eyes gazing at him, reflecting the moonlight, and then she suddenly smiled as if delighted by a secret.

"Miss Qingluo?" he asked.

Qingluo raised her hand and patted his face, saying, "Who’s this? Looks just like my future husband."

Caught off guard, Zhe Ying’s face turned bright red. "Miss... Miss Qingluo," he stammered.

He stammered, but Qingluo swayed and suddenly sat on a nearby stone bench, burying her head and falling asleep, her face flushed from the alcohol.

Only then did Zhe Ying realize she was really drunk, and he felt both amused and helpless.

He was about to call for other maids to help her back when Qingluo, in her daze, grabbed his sleeve. "Ah Ying..."

The young man froze.

"I really like you. Do you like me too?" Qingluo’s voice was slurred, but her half-closed eyes were clear.

Zhe Ying couldn’t see her gaze, but at that moment, he let his guard down, wanting to wholeheartedly care for the girl in front of him.

He opened his mouth and said, "Yes."

"I like you," he said.

The evening breeze blew on. Qingluo’s face, buried in the table, had a smile that kept growing. The tactic my lady taught her—to retreat in order to advance—had worked perfectly. She just needed to give him a few days to figure out his feelings, and then she could make her move. This big fool, finally, she had him in her scheme!

Throughout their years of marriage, Zhe Ying occasionally brought wine for his wife, but it was always mild fruit wine or rice wine.

After all, he always kept in mind that his wife couldn't handle strong alcohol.

Until one day, a young officer who didn't get along with him challenged him to a drinking contest, saying he wasn't a man if he didn't dare. So, despite not being fond of drinking, he had to accept the challenge.

Little did he know...

In the end, Qingluo came out and outdrank everyone.

She then laughed and said, "You can't even outdrink a woman—are you even men?"

Eventually, the other side broke down in tears, and they returned home victorious. He was completely baffled: "Wife, I thought you couldn't handle alcohol?"

Qingluo patted her chest: "When I was with my lady in Jiujiang Pass, we often brewed wine to sell. I had to taste it to see if it was good. How could I not handle alcohol? I'm practically unshakable when it comes to drinking!"

"Then back then..." Zhe Ying, having been outsmarted by his wife many times over the years, finally began to catch on and realized something.

Qingluo suddenly flung herself into his arms: "If I hadn't faked being drunk, how else could I have tricked you into marrying me? Good heavens, you have no idea how many girls were after you once Zhe Jing married Jin'er! Forgive me, my dear husband."

Just then, Ah Lin and Ah Mu came running in from outside.

"Daddy, me too, me too, hug!"

"Daddy, Ah Mu wants one too!"

"..."

Zhe Ying held his wife and children, his grin stretching from ear to ear. How could he still care about being tricked back then?

If it weren't for his wife tricking him, he might have gone another ten years without a wife and kids!