"I?" Qi Zhenzhen chuckled softly. "Marriage is a major event, decided by matchmakers and parents. I naturally listen to the arrangements of my elders."
Qi Zhenzhen's mind flashed with Gu Sinian's image, and she continued, "Moreover, in my heart, the Young Master is an excellent person. I am very satisfied with this marriage."
As for Lu Chen, perhaps the original owner had some affection for him, but at that time, the original owner was young, and later experienced hardships. There was no connection between them, so how deep could their feelings be?
Of course, this was Qi Zhenzhen's thought, it did not represent the original owner, nor did it represent Lu Chen. But to take a step back, if Lu Chen truly valued this relationship, how could the marriage engagement between the two families be so easily broken? Even if there were difficulties, Lu Chen should have found an opportunity to tell her.
However, he did not.
Li Nuan breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that you think that way."
Lu Chen returned to his courtyard in a daze, sitting before his desk, his mind constantly replaying the image of Qi Zhenzhen picking flowers under the tree. Gradually, it overlapped with the little girl who used to call him 'Lu Chen Gege' and follow him. Back then, he liked Qi Zhenzhen very much, so when his father asked him if he was willing, he nodded. But now...
Lu Chen felt remorse but was helpless. He knew very well that there was no room for salvage in this matter. He and Zhenzhen would never be together in this lifetime, yet he couldn't help his thoughts.
The border.
Zhang Xiaoniu looked anxious. "Gu Qing, how is the Young Master?"
"The bleeding has stopped, but he has lost too much blood. The situation is not optimistic," Gu Hai sighed. "I can handle the external injuries, but I don't understand medicine. In this icy weather, it's impossible to find familiar herbs. If the Young Master doesn't develop a fever tonight, given his constitution, he might be able to pull through."
Zhang Xiaoniu clenched his fists. If something happened to the Young Master, how would he explain it to Zhenzhen when he returned? Those damned barbarians, he would not rest until he had dealt with them.
Zhang Xiaoniu suddenly stood up and walked towards the cave entrance.
Gu Qing grabbed him. "Don't be rash. How can you possibly be a match for those barbarians alone? The best we can do now is to guard the Young Master well. As long as the Young Master is alright, everything else can be discussed."
Gu Qing knew why Zhang Xiaoniu was so impulsive. In that situation, if the Young Master hadn't shielded Zhang Xiaoniu, Zhang Xiaoniu would have been gone by now. The life-saving grace weighed heavily on Zhang Xiaoniu, how could he remain calm? Zhang Xiaoniu slumped to the ground. If he went out now, he wouldn't even see a shadow of the barbarians, let alone avenge the Young Master.
Seeing that he had heeded his words, Gu Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Capital, Changping Marquis Mansion, Longxiang Garden.
Qi Zhenzhen sat by the window, idly fiddling with the flowers sent from the flower room.
Er Xi entered from outside, bringing a gust of cold air.
"Er Xi, is there a letter from the Young Master?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
Er Xi shook his head. "Young Master Qian's side said that they haven't received a letter from the Young Master for half a month. People from the Qian family at the border said that twenty days ago, the Young Master led his men to chase the barbarian leader into the forest. Since then, there has been no trace of them. The Qian family people tried to prevent others from entering the mountain to search, but the snow at the border is heavy. Once people enter the forest, they can't distinguish north from south, let alone find anyone."
Qi Zhenzhen was stunned, not knowing what to say for a moment. In winter, the mountains and forests were blocked by snow. Not to mention people unfamiliar with the mountains, even those who were familiar would not dare to enter the mountains easily. Gu Sinian was never an impulsive person, so why did he enter the mountain?