Chapter 41: Confession to Young Master Mu
Mu Lichuan had an inexplicable feeling toward the girl Mo Shanshan. "How did I mock you? Aren’t you about to become my younger brother’s fiancee?"
Mo Shanshan’s face was full of grievance. "You—" In the end, she turned and left, clearly unwilling to speak with him any further.
Mu Lichuan shrugged, thinking that the girl must be suffering from pre-wedding jitters - otherwise, why would she act like this?
The Mu family’s outdoor celebration was lively, filled with festivities for the union of the Mu and Mo families. Yet, some keen observers noticed the forced smile of the Mu family’s second young master and the reluctance of the Mo family’s eldest daughter.
Mu Changnian delivered the opening speech, then called Mu Xiaolin and Mo Shanshan forward. The latter took a deep breath before grabbing the microphone and loudly declaring, "I refuse to be engaged to Mu Xiaolin! The one I’m engaged to is Mu Lichuan, the Mu family’s eldest young master—not this shuzi!"
[庶子 (shùzǐ): Common/Secondary Son, born to a father’s official concubine in aristocratic families (ancient china). Legally recognized but ranked below 嫡子 (dízǐ, sons of the primary wife) in inheritance and social status]
The term "shuzi" was an ancient reference, and using it in modern times carried a humiliating connotation. After all, which prominent family didn’t have its share of scandals? Even if a family legitimized an illegitimate child, their past status was usually only whispered about privately. To say it out loud in public wasn’t just an insult to the bride’s family, it was a disgrace to both sides.
"Mo Shanshan!" Mu Xiaolin glared at the girl with a venomous expression. "A used goods, I don’t want to marry you either!" He had already been thinking of ways to call off the engagement, but he never expected her to call him a "shuzi."
"Mu Xiaolin, watch your words! Who are you calling used goods ?" Mo Shanshan’s face flushed crimson. This matter was a lifelong pain for her, only a select few knew about it, and no one else had any idea.
Mu Xiaolin sneered. "You, of course! Who knows how many men have had you? And you still dare to demand an engagement with me? You’re not even fit to be my concubine!" He was a prodigy, a genius. A mere ordinary girl like her should consider it an honor if he so much as glanced her way.
"You—you—! No wonder you’re a shuzi, you can’t even speak properly! The reason I’m like this is all because of you!" Mo Shanshan felt dizzy with rage. So what if he was a genius? So what if he was the Mu family’s rising star? Look at his behavior, nothing more than a brat still smelled of mother's milk!
[乳臭未乾 (rǔ xiù wèi gān): lit. still smells of mother's milk; fig. immature, inexperienced.]
Their argument was brief. At first, Mu Changnian had been stunned by Mo Shanshan’s words. By the time he regained his composure, the two youngsters were already in a heated quarrel.
"Enough!" Mu Changnian’s face darkened with fury. The Mu family’s dignity had been completely trampled. Even if they wanted to call off the engagement, this was not the time or place. "Marriage is a serious matter, how can you treat it so frivolously?"
Mo Xiangxiong’s face also turned ashen. If this engagement fell through, the rift between the Mo and Mu families would only grow deeper.
Mo Shanshan noticed her father’s expression but glanced toward another direction instead. "Patriarch Mu, the one I love is Mu Lichuan! He was the one originally engaged to me, I want Mu Lichuan!" She had laid her heart bare in front of everyone, throwing caution to the wind.
"Crash—!" Mu Lichuan accidentally knocked over a nearby table, sending glasses tumbling to the ground. His face was frozen in shock, and when he noticed everyone’s stares, he forced an awkward smile. "My apologies… just a slip…" No matter how strong his mental fortitude was, he never expected Mo Shanshan to pull such a stunt, it was utterly overwhelming.
No comments:
Post a Comment