"Who is this brat? How dare he barge into the Ouyang family's inner courtyard without any regard for the rules!"
As Ren Yuanhao bowed, feeling a bit awkward, Ouyang Rui stepped forward. "Mom, he's my friend."
"A friend?" Zhou Qingfang, Ouyang Rui's mother, eyed Ren Yuanhao with extreme caution for a long time. She thought the boy was quite handsome, but his face was unfamiliar. He was most likely a shield Ouyang Rui had invited.
With this thought, Zhou Qingfang pulled Ouyang Rui to the side and said sternly, "I told you, I asked you to come back today to have dinner with Jiang Li and the elders. Why did you bring an actor here? To show off your unconventional ways? Or to deliberately embarrass your mother?"
While they were whispering, a servant bowed outside the door and said, "Madam, the family banquet is ready. Everyone is waiting for Madam and the young lady."
"Alright, you go ahead. We'll be there shortly."
Zhou Qingfang pinched Ouyang Rui's waist and whispered, "You're not even married yet, and you're already pushing people away, treating your mother like an enemy?"
"Mom, no, he's not an actor."
"If he's not an actor, then what is he?"
"If I say he's not an actor, what kind of man do you think I'd bring back?"
Zhou Qingfang's expression darkened. She pinched her daughter's waist again. "Rui'er, you must be joking. What's so great about this pretty boy? How long have you known him? What stage are you at? What's his family background? Does he have any hidden illnesses?"
"Mom, can we eat first? Look, my stomach is growling. If we make him stand there, it'll look like we're terribly impolite, won't it?"
Zhou Qingfang gave her daughter a glare. She then solicitously took Ling'er and Jiang Li's hands and walked along the shaded path with intertwined branches, turning into a tranquil, secluded courtyard with crisscrossing branches. The family banquet was laid out in a vermilion pavilion by the rockery near the pond. Six elders, with solemn expressions, were already seated around the round table, their demeanor reminiscent of jailers or interrogators in ancient prisons.
'Damn, this setup. I feel like I'm going to be verbally thrashed to within an inch of my life. Tsk tsk.'
Ren Yuanhao shook his head and took a seat at the very end. After being seated, Jiang Li greeted each elder one by one and then presented them with carefully prepared small gifts. It was as if the city's defenses were already crumbling before the battle had even begun.
"Jiang Li, you are truly thoughtful. These items are all very much to our liking. If our Rui'er can receive your support and the two families can form a happy union, then in Stone City, the influence of our two families will be no less than that of the Dongfang family."
The speaker sat at the northernmost position of the round table. He was the eldest, with white hair and beard, but he didn't appear frail. Instead, his face was ruddy, and his mere presence exuded an aura of commanding respect without anger. This was Ouyang Rui's grandfather, the previous generation's Ouyang family head, Ouyang Shuo.
Gaining the favor of the previous generation's patriarch finally brought a touch of earthly warmth to Jiang Li's transcendent and ethereal face.
"They are merely small trinkets. I am content if you elders like them," Jiang Li said with a slight bow, composed and graceful.
"Please sit. We hear that Young Master is already a double doctor from Harvard University?"
The speaker was Ouyang Rui's second uncle, who had the highest academic qualifications in the family. When he was the same age as Jiang Li, he also earned a double doctorate from Harvard, a true prodigy. In the entire Stone City, there were fewer than five people more accomplished than him.
Jiang Li responded with a casual "Mm," showing no pride in his achievement. This calm and collected demeanor immediately earned him more points in the eyes of the elders.
The conversation flowed, with everyone speaking to Jiang Li and completely ignoring Ren Yuanhao. Ren Yuanhao, however, was happy to have a moment of peace and quiet. He occasionally watched the water in the pond surge and ebb like the tide, propelled by unseen pumps. He also looked at the red koi swimming upstream, coiling their bodies and then flicking themselves into the shallow water, only to be washed back down by the current, as if rebelling against their fate.
Throughout this time, no matter how much the family elders praised Jiang Li and admired his abilities, Ouyang Rui gazed at Ren Yuanhao with a lovesick expression. As the saying goes, you may be watching the scenery from afar, but the beauty beside you is watching you.
Just then, it seemed as if someone finally noticed Ren Yuanhao's presence and realized that Ouyang Rui seemed to have a greater fondness for this pretty boy. The elders exchanged glances with Zhou Qingfang, who immediately understood. She then asked coldly,
"By the way, I wonder which family's young master this unfamiliar young gentleman is from?"
"Mom, Second Uncle, Grandpa, can we eat? I'm starving. You're all just holding your chopsticks and not moving!"
Ouyang Rui was clearly trying to defuse the situation for Ren Yuanhao, but she was met with a sharp glare from her mother.
Ren Yuanhao, not being someone unfamiliar with grand occasions, cupped his hands slightly and said, "This humble one is not from Yun Jin City, nor is he a scion of a great family."
Upon hearing this, the elders' expressions dimmed, and they seemed disinclined to inquire further.
"Oh? Then what is your profession?"
Zhou Qingfang pressed on, determined to get to the bottom of it.
"I am an accountant."
"An accountant? A financial analyst?" asked the second uncle.
"No, just an ordinary accountant."
Ren Yuanhao answered frankly, even with a smile on his face, showing no trace of stage fright or self-consciousness.
"A mere accountant, and not from a prominent family, how can he be worthy of sitting and dining with us?"
The eldest uncle, who had a habitually fiery temper, was seated right next to Ouyang Shuo.
"Eldest Uncle, it's just a meal. Do we have to distinguish between social classes?" Ouyang Rui put down her ivory chopsticks, secretly gripping Ren Yuanhao's hand tightly. Ren Yuanhao could clearly feel her body trembling.
'DiDi, detecting employer's emotional disturbance. Recommend timely face-slapping to increase good review probability.'
The eldest uncle snorted. The second uncle, trying to ease the tension at the family banquet, then said gently, "Rui'er, look at someone like Jiang Li. He comes from a distinguished family, is talented and handsome, and has been your childhood friend. Who else is more suitable for you?"
And at this moment, Ouyang Rui tightly grasped Ren Yuanhao's hand, looked at him deeply, and her expression suddenly became somewhat sorrowful. "So, for the sake of family alliances, my happiness can be sacrificed for the family?"
As the eldest uncle was about to fly into a rage, Ouyang Rui preemptively stood up, biting her lower lip as if making a bold decision, her eyes glistening with tears. "Yes, perhaps you think Yuanhao doesn't have a distinguished family background, nor outstanding academic qualifications, nor even a good job. But as long as he is by my side, I can do anything!"
Her words stunned everyone into silence. Ren Yuanhao was also deeply shaken. He was utterly bewildered by her declaration of love. He thought, 'We've never even met before, yet you're so deeply in love. This makes me almost believe in love again.'