Chapter 134: Unexpected Turn

Chapter 134

Unexpected Turn

Everyone in the room was left stunned into silence. Chen Furen began to cry, using her handkerchief to wipe her tears in despair. She was deeply worried about her daughter’s future. She had always felt secure knowing that Chen Yuelan would marry into the Young An Hou Manor. Despite the Hou being temperamental, the family was known for their good hearts. Chen Furen had never worried about her daughter being mistreated in the future. But now, with Song Ren’s rejection, where could she find such a good match again? Master Chen, equally shocked by Song Ren’s firm rejection, looked to both the Hou and Song Ren, pleading.

“Brother Yan, A’Ren, you both know what Yuelan is like. Yes, she’s hot-tempered, but she’s never meant harm, especially not to your family.”

Song Ren looked at Chen Yifang sympathetically, but his voice remained resolute. 

“Uncle Chen, we’ve grown up together, so of course, I know her well. I originally agreed to marry Yuelan because I didn’t want our families to be divided. That way, Father wouldn’t have to break his promise to you, and my brother and sister-in-law could return home. But after today’s events, I fear that if I marry Yuelan, it would only lead to more conflicts.”

“Brother Yan, isn’t there any way to fix this?”

Master Chen turned to the Hou, but the Hou only sighed.

“This is my fault,”

The Hou this much and fell silent. He didn’t exert the same pressure on Song Ren as he had on Song Qilin. It seemed that all the following events had led him to reevaluate his biases toward his daughter-in-law. He began to regret the decisions that had caused so much trouble. If he had refused Chen Yifang’s request from the start, none of this would have dragged on for so long. Chen Yuelan would have moved on and married someone else by now.

The reason the Hou had initially agreed to Chen Yifang was because the family had been familiar with Chen Yuelan. He hadn’t anticipated that integrating her into the family would be an issue. What he failed to consider was that being an acquaintance wasn’t the same as being part of the family. Chen Yuelan may have been a good friend to the household, but she wasn’t someone who could live harmoniously with them. Her respectful behavior was likely due to the Hou Manor’s noble status. The Hou had overlooked these points, driven by his prejudice against his daughter-in-law and his desire to maintain his friendship.

Seeing that the Hou remained silent, Master Chen turned directly to Song Ren. 

“A’Ren, I beg of you, please. Consider this for my sake. A’Lan is not young anymore. If she doesn’t marry you, it will be difficult to find a suitable match for her.”

Song Ren clasped his hands, answering, 

“Uncle, I understand your concerns. You worry that she might end up marrying someone unsuitable. But she’s not a good match for me either. This isn’t because I think I’m too good for her, but because I wish for a peaceful and happy family life after marriage. She despises my sister-in-law. If I take her as my wife and this kind of incident happens again, I fear I won’t even be able to face my own family.”

Chen Yuelan’s heart ached upon hearing Song Ren’s words. She had never truly noticed him, always seeing him as just the second young master, someone who would never inherit the noble title of the Hou Manor. Her love had always been for Song Qilin. But strangely, tears began to fall from her eyes.

Since her father had told her she would marry Song Ren, she had never imagined this day would come—the day he would cancel their wedding. Song Ren was a kind-hearted man, never getting angry even when others teased him. He would laugh along with them, and everyone liked him. She had known this since childhood. He had never hurt anyone’s feelings, and so, even when Song Qilin rejected her, it didn’t hurt as much as this. To her, Song Qilin had been a distant dream, something bright but unattainable. Moreover, he was already married, so though she felt embarrassed when she lost him, it wasn’t truly sorrowful. But with Song Ren, she felt as though she was losing a foundation she had always counted on, shaking her to the core.

"Hmph! Who would want to marry you anyway?!"

Chen Yuelan declared with a stomp before storming out. Even though she felt defeated, her pride remained. She would never allow herself to lose face in front of that lowborn woman. Without waiting for her parents, or even saying goodbye to the Hou or Xu Shi, she headed straight for the carriage.

Everyone in the room was once again left in stunned silence. Chen Furen quickly wiped her tears. Although she was sad, the damage had already been done. She could only focus now on salvaging their relationship with the Hou. Master Chen, embarrassed, apologized to the old man.

If it were in a modern era, Nie Shuang might have suggested that the Chen couple take their daughter to see a therapist. It seemed that Chen Yuelan had a terrible time managing her negative emotions. She couldn’t handle anger, disappointment, or sadness, all of which were part of being human. But, in the end, experience would teach her the necessary lessons. It was the parents, who had raised her with so much love, that were to be pitied. Seeing their discomfort, Nie Shuang tried to offer some comfort.

"Please, don’t worry about it. I don’t know what rumors are circulating about me, but I truly don’t mind. The friendship between the Song and Chen families will not be shaken by something so trivial."

Hearing her words, the Hou nodded in agreement. Her demeanor reassured him. If she had insisted on dealing with Chen Yuelan harshly, disregarding the Chen family’s honor, it would have put him in a difficult situation.

"That’s right, Yifang. Over the years, I’ve never forgotten your kindness in taking care of my family while I was away at war. Don’t worry too much about Yuelan’s actions. Since we haven’t formally announced anything, you can find a good match for her elsewhere. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask me."

Master Chen and his wife accepted his words, then took their leave with heavy hearts. As the situation settled, Nie Shuang also excused herself. The Hou nodded in acknowledgement and slumped into his seat, feeling exhausted. He felt that his well-intentioned actions had backfired, harming both his friend’s family and his own. Had Song Ren not spoken up today, he would have ended up with a wife as troublesome as Chen Yuelan. Song Ren, seeing that his father wished to reflect in silence, followed Nie Shuang out of the room. When she noticed him catching up, she turned to speak with him.

"Second Brother, you knew from the start what kind of temperament Young Miss Chen had. Why did you agree to marry her?"

Nie Shuang had been curious about this for a long time, and now, given the opportunity, she finally asked. Song Ren chuckled before replying to his sister-in-law.

"You don’t believe that I was willing to sacrifice myself for the sake of the family?"

Nie Shuang smiled and spoke her mind.

"That might be part of it, but no one can completely disregard their own feelings."

He smiled at her response.

"You’re not wrong. The reason I was willing to sacrifice for the family is because I knew I would be fine."

Nie Shuang looked at him curiously, prompting him to explain further.

"I’ve known Yuelan since childhood. I’ve always known she never loved me. In her eyes, there was only my eldest brother. As for me, I didn’t desire any form of binding commitment. My plan was to marry her, give her a stable life, and continue living freely as I pleased. If she loved me, I would have felt guilty for thinking this way. But I never expected much from marriage—who I married or lived with didn’t really matter to me."

"But now, you’ve changed your mind. And it’s not just because you think Young Miss Chen will cause problems in the future, is it? Come on, tell your sister-in-law the truth. Have you secretly fallen for someone?" Nie Shuang teased lightly, but to her surprise, she watched as her second brother’s youthful face slowly turned pink.