My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 25 Part 3

"I’ll pay you back."  

Huo Shu ignored him and strode ahead. "Keep dawdling, and if bandits snatch you, I won’t lift a finger."  

Ji Taoyu’s hand trembled, and he hurried after him. "Wait for me!"  

Huo Shu didn’t respond but paused, letting the young ger catch up.  

Watching the soft crown (the hair at the top of the head) of Ji Taoyu’s head, Huo Shu’s lips curled slightly. 

"From now on, you’re not allowed to come here again. What kind of nonsense is this? After all this, they still dare to arrange another match? What do they take our Zhou family for?"  

"If I’d known their family was like this, I’d never have brought it up to you. Thank goodness we came today and heard what the villagers say about them. Otherwise, we’d have been tricked into a terrible deal."  

Just as the two entered the village, they spotted two figures approaching - Village Head Zhou from the neighboring village, and his son Zhou Zheng.  

"Father, maybe there’s a misunderstanding. Shouldn’t we ask Village Head Ji directly?"  

"What misunderstanding? Even if you ask him, do you expect him to admit his ger lacks propriety? A family that breaks engagements like this, don’t even think about them again."  

Village Head Zhou's voice, thick with anger, carried clearly as they passed Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu.  

Ji Taoyu had been about to greet them when the words struck him silent.  

"T-Tao ger…"  

Zhou Zheng wanted to refute his father's words, but when he raised his eyes, he stuttered upon seeing Ji Taoyu on the path.  

But Village Head Zhou showed no shame at being caught for criticizing others. Instead, he yanked his son’s sleeve. "Don’t let infatuation cloud your judgment. Marrying someone with that kind of reputation would kill your father with rage."  

"What kind of reputation? Explain yourself."  

Huo Shu’s voice turned icy.  

The Zhou father and son suddenly lost their momentum under his intimidating presence but stubbornly held their ground. "Who are you? It’s none of your business."  

Huo Shu’s eyes darkened, his fists clenching.  

Ji Taoyu quickly grabbed his sleeve. Though he’d never seen Huo Shu fight, the man’s sheer size suggested irreversible damage if he struck.  

Although he didn't understand what the Zhou family meant, Ji Taoyu shook his head slightly, meeting Huo Shu’s gaze.  

Village Head Zhou though humiliated, felt a prickle of fear under Huo Shu’s cold stare, like he wasn’t even looking at a living being. On another’s turf, he swallowed his pride and hurried away without another word.  

Once they were gone, Ji Taoyu sensed something was wrong. "I-I need to go home."  

Huo Shu said, "I’ll walk you."  

"No need. It’s just a few steps inside the village. I’ll be fine."  

Seeing the distress on the young ger’s face, Huo Shu reached out, intending to take his hand. But at the last moment, settled for gripping his sleeve.  

"Whatever it is, don’t cry. I’ll help you."  

Ji Taoyu hadn’t felt like crying until then. But at Huo Shu’s words, his nose stung. He pressed his lips together and nodded firmly before hurrying home.  

Huo Shu watched until he disappeared, then turned away.  

____

"You’re back?"  

Yuan Huiru had just returned from the fields when she saw Huo Shu. She set down her basket urgently. "Something terrible happened!"  

Huo Shu tensed. "What?"  

"This afternoon, I heard people saying…"  

She hesitated, glancing awkwardly at Huo Shu.  

Guessing, he asked, "Is it about Taoyu? Just say it."  

Yuan Huiru nodded. "Out of nowhere, villagers started spreading rumors that Tao ger and You Erlang had been… intimate during their engagement. The things they’re saying, it’s vile."  

"Village Head Zhou’s second son from the neighboring village had taken a liking to Tao ger, but since the village head hadn’t invited him back, he brought his father today to discuss a potential match."  

"But on their way, they overheard the gossip. Village Head Zhou was furious, feeling humiliated. He cursed loudly without even stepping into Village Head's Ji residence and left immediately."  

Yuan Huiru had been in the fields when the commotion erupted. She hadn’t dared to speak up, rushing back instead to tell Huo Shu.  

For an unmarried ger, such rumors could ruin his prospects, and even his life.  

Yuan Huiru was almost worried to death.

Huo Shu’s voice was steel. "Impossible."  

Ji Taoyu, with his strict adherence to propriety, would never have crossed that line. Even if he hadn’t been so rigid, You Lingxiao’s sweet talk wouldn’t have swayed him.  

"If any of it were true, the Ji family would never have agreed to annul the engagement. Even if the You family sought a better match, the Ji family would’ve fought openly rather than concede so peacefully."  

Yuan Huiru’s eyes widened in realization.  

"Right! When the village head announced the broken engagement at the assembly, he’d been brief. Amid the tax crisis, it barely registered. People assumed the You family had grown ambitious after the imperial exam, but no one dared say much, not with the You family’s new status."  

"Now it’s clear the village head announced it then to prevent gossip."  

But if the rumors were false, Yuan Huiru was baffled. "Then why are people suddenly saying these things? They know Tao ger is the village head’s child, aren’t they afraid of offending him?"  

Huo Shu’s eyes narrowed. "Why would they fear offending the Ji family but not the You family?"  

"They’re saying… Tao ger used his looks to ensnare You Erlang, that the broken engagement was to avoid hindering You Erlang's career…"  

Yuan Huiru sighed. "People love salacious gossip. They don’t care if it’s true or not, they just want the thrill. But their words can destroy lives."  

She looked at Huo Shu. "A-Shu, what do we do?"  

Hesitantly, she added, "With the Ji family embroiled in scandal, if you’d rather avoid trouble… we can forget our earlier plans."  

Huo Shu’s frown deepened. The one-sided nature of the rumors was too deliberate.  

"I’m not afraid of trouble."  

Yuan Huiru understood his resolve and nodded approvingly. If Huo Shu had retreated at the first sign of difficulty, she’d have been disappointed.  

A man who claimed affection but fled at hardship lacked backbone.  

"Then should I prepare for a matchmaker to visit the Ji family?"  

She mused, "We can’t let people think no one wants Tao ger."  

"Proposing now would be taking advantage."  

Huo Shu said firmly, "Even if we proceed, it can’t be under these circumstances. We must address the rumors first."  

Yuan Huiru fretted. "But how? You can’t silence every mouth."  

Huo Shu was silent for a moment. Then, low and determined:  

"I’ll handle it."