Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Although quarreling with his eldest sister-in-law before leaving home dampened his spirits a bit, Shen Qinglan was naturally someone whose emotions came and went quickly.

His cold-hearted eldest brother and sister-in-law were far less important than his Brother Han.

So shortly after the carriage left, Shen Qinglan's brows relaxed and he regained his cheerful demeanor.

By the time the Shen family's carriage arrived at the gate of Jinguang Temple, Madam He, wife of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, who had made an appointment with them, was already waiting with her third legitimate son, He Hanwen, in the secluded guest courtyard of the temple.

Just as the Shen family members were led in.

Madam He smiled and stepped forward, saying in a crisp voice, "Sister Rong (Shen's mother's maiden surname is Rong), you're finally here! You've kept me waiting for ages! This must be Lan'er, right?"

"Oh my, Sister Rong's son is truly outstanding. Look at this handsome appearance, so well-behaved and handsome, truly delightful to behold and endearing..."

Naturally, Madam Shen (née Rong) also beamed with smiles, warmly holding Madam He's hand and chatted warmly: "Sister Wei (Madam He's maiden surname is Wei), I've kept you waiting. The carriage was indeed a bit slow today. Is this your third son, Hanwen?"

"He truly lives up to his reputation: extraordinarily handsome and composed, clearly a modest gentleman. Sister Wei, you are truly blessed..."

The two elders exchanged banter with laughter and smiles, enthusiastically praising each other, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.

This classic matchmaking scene was obvious to anyone who wasn't a fool.

"..."

Shen Qinglan's smile vanished instantly, and he looked at his mother with some resentment.

He knew it: his mother still hadn't given up on separating him and Brother Han!

Brother Han was clearly outstanding, yet his mother always looked down on him simply because of his humble origins.

But what was wrong with being from a humble background? His father was also a poor scholar back then, and his grandparents were country folk. Why wasn't he good enough for Brother Han?

Shen Qinglan sighed, couldn't help silently feeling sorry for his beloved...

Nearby.

The younger half-brother and half-sister who had usurped Shen Qinglan's marriage prospects saw this and once again felt indignant and jealous.

Shen Qingbai, the son of the third branch, leaned in and whispered sourly:

"Third Sister, see? The legitimate child really is different. If it were us, with our reputations ruined like that, we'd have been married off to some remote backwater long ago. But Second Brother still gets to meet with Third Master He from the He family!"

"Although the He family is only of the fifth rank, they oversee the imperial court's meals and sacrificial banquets, making it easy to show off in front of nobles. Their prestige is not low."

"And that Third Master He is a famously handsome figure in the capital... It's really too good for that 'mountain tiger' Second Brother."

He was jealous of Second Brother and simply couldn't stand seeing him do well!

Shen Qingshuang was also indignant in her heart. She too wished for Shen Qinglan to marry as poorly as possible!

But they had already harmed Shen Qinglan to this extent, so no matter how aggrieved they felt, they could do nothing at the moment.

She could only suppress her jealousy and console herself with a cold smile: "So what if he stays in the capital? What if Third Master He is handsome? Good looks can't be eaten; in the end, this marriage depends on family status."

"As for our marriages, they were carefully chosen by our stepmother for him. Our good days are still ahead..."

"On the contrary, Second Brother will have to kneel at our feet in the future and bow to us when he sees us. It's not a bad thing for him to stay in the capital and watch us thrive..."

Shen Qingbai found this reasonable: "Third Sister is right."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, as if already envisioning the satisfying scene of putting their legitimate elder brother firmly in his place, which finally soothed the lingering jealousy in their hearts.

Their exchange of glances, however, did not escape Li Huilan's notice.

Li Huilan covered her mouth with her handkerchief: "..."

The match that Mother had chosen for her brother-in-law was naturally ideal for him; but for someone else, it was hard to say, since everyone's situation is different.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

After the two matrons had finished their pleasantries,

Madam He eagerly suggested, "Look at us, chatting away so merrily that we've neglected the children. Why don't you and I, sister, move to the meditation room for a more private chat, and let the youngsters amuse themselves freely?"

"Sister, this is an excellent idea..."

Mrs. Shen agreed calmly, not fearing that Third Master He would actually lure her Lan Geer away.

Third Master He was indeed handsome, but compared to Little Han—the two were simply incomparable.

No wonder her Lan Geer was so utterly devoted; when it came to appearance, she had yet to find anyone in the capital more handsome than Little Han!

Han Zhang preened internally: ...

Of course, not only was he naturally beautiful, he was also a cheat.

The healing effect of Plant Power allowed his body to stay in peak condition, so all those minor issues affecting appearance—hunched backs, nearsightedness, dull skin, loose gums—simply disappeared.

Others were handsome.

But he was flawlessly handsome.

Mrs. Shen patted her still somewhat reluctant son and finally softened her voice, advising softly:

"Go, even if it doesn't work out, it's fine. Mother just hopes you can get out and unwind... In this world, everything is contested, and the harder things are to obtain, the more precious they seem."

Shen Qinglan was momentarily stunned, then understood the deeper meaning behind his mother's words.

The young man's mood cleared instantly, and he nodded emotionally: "I understand, Mother, I'll listen to you..."

So Mother had no intention of splitting them up; she was actually scheming on his behalf.

Mother was so kind to him. Once he and Brother Han were married, he would definitely urge Brother Han to rise to prominence and earn an honorary title for him, so that Shen Qinglan could support Mother.

With that thought, Shen Qinglan shed his earlier dejection and no longer minded going out for a walk with Third Master He.

After all, a blind date wasn't an engagement—going along was no big deal.

Mother was right: he needed to let Brother Han know that others were interested in him, so Brother Han would feel a sense of urgency and cherish him more.

The group dispersed.

...

Shen Qinglan and Third Master He each brought their own page boy and servant along as they headed toward the apricot grove.

Along the way, Shen Qinglan was listless and had little to say to the other.

Third Master He also looked reluctant, clearly not interested in him either.

Shen Qinglan was secretly delighted about this!

He had agreed to take a walk alone with Third Master He only to make Brother Han a bit jealous, so that Brother Han would cherish him more in the future—he had no real intention of going through with this arranged meeting.

Since the other party didn't fancy him, that was perfect! This way, it would be easier for his mother to politely turn down the match later.

With that in mind,

Shen Qinglan lost all further interest in chatting with Third Master He.

His eyes darted around, searching for Brother Han's figure, while wondering when Brother Han would come today and whether he'd bring him any nice little presents.

Oh man, why isn't Brother Han here yet? He misses him so much!

Shen Qinglan's face was full of joy and anticipation. Thinking of his beloved made him feel so sweet—

But when Third Master He saw this, he assumed Shen Qinglan had taken a liking to him, and his already impatient expression turned even more sour.

Indeed, Third Master He hadn't taken a shine to Shen Qinglan either.

Even though Shen Qinglan was exceptionally handsome and came from a family of equal standing, who could overlook that he had already been through three broken engagements?

Even if his mother said there were hidden reasons behind those broken engagements and it wasn't Shen Qinglan's fault, so what?

Once he married Shen Qinglan, in others' eyes, he'd be picking up a young man that three other men had discarded—everyone would laugh at him, calling him a fool and a cuckold for picking up other men's leftovers.

But he had no choice but to go through with this marriage.

The He family was already living beyond its means. If they didn't welcome a wealthy in-law to fill the financial gaps, they could barely keep the household running, let alone maintain appearances.

Now, he was the only son left unmarried, and this marriage was destined to be his sacrifice.

But he would rather be mocked for marrying a merchant's daughter straight up than wed Shen Qinglan, an official's son who had been through three broken engagements!

However, no matter how unwilling he was, he recalled his mother's words before leaving...

"Son, I know how bitter you feel, and I'm not particularly fond of that Shen boy either. But everything is fate, and we have no say in it. Right now, our house urgently needs the Shen family's connections and money. The Shens are the best in-laws we can hope for. If we miss this chance, the He family is truly finished."

"It doesn't matter if you don't like the Shen boy. A man who achieves great things won't be bogged down by petty details. Once our family is through this crisis, making him step aside will be up to us, right?"

"If you insist on not marrying him, that's fine too. But from now on, you will no longer be the Third Young Master of the He residence..."

If he refused, he'd be cast out. What else could he do?

Third Master He clenched his fists, finally stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at Shen Qinglan, who was still lost in his own thoughts. With a look of resigned suffering, he said reluctantly:

"Master Shen, I agree to marry you. But I hope you will agree to two conditions."

"Huh?"

Shen Qinglan, who had been secretly yearning for Brother Han, was stunned by these words, momentarily unable to process them.

Marry? What was this man talking about?

Before Shen Qinglan could sort out his thoughts, Third Master He assumed he was simply too overjoyed to speak—after all, this Master Shen had fallen for him at first sight. Hearing that he was willing to marry him, he must be ecstatic.

Third Master He continued, with a face full of humiliation: "Master Shen, I understand your feelings, and I am willing to agree to this marriage. But your reputation... you know it yourself. I won't hide it from you—as a man, it's impossible for me not to mind your past."

"So, I hope that after we marry, we won't consummate the marriage for now. We can slowly develop feelings."

"Also, after the wedding, I plan to take up an official post far away and focus entirely on my career. I hope you will stay at the residence, serve my parents on my behalf, and fulfill my filial duties."

"Don't worry. When I return to the capital someday, I won't let you down. Either way, I'll treat you as a principal husband."

As for the loneliness and mockery Shen Qinglan would face while he was away—that was none of his concern.

This marriage was never his wish. Since Shen Qinglan chose to marry him, he should bear the consequences of that choice.

After hearing what the other said, Shen Qinglan thought: Does this guy think I'm an idiot?

Even if he had taken a fancy to this Third Master He—which he absolutely hadn't—he would never be foolish enough to agree to such a shameless request that would ruin his entire life.

This guy was ugly to look at and even uglier in his fantasies, and he actually dared to look down on him?

Shen Qinglan puffed up like an angry pufferfish, rolled up his sleeves, and was ready to throw a punch.

But then—a familiar scent of cedar faintly reached his nose.

Brother Han was here!

Joy lit up Shen Qinglan's eyes, and with a mischievous thought, he had an idea...

His hand, about to strike, stopped mid-air. Instead, he clutched his chest, feigning being so angry he might faint. Tears streamed down his face as he cried, like a pear blossom in the rain:

"Third Master He, when did I ever say I would marry you? How have I offended you that you would so insult my honor and ruin my name? Just because I've had engagements broken off, does that give you the right to humiliate me like this?"