Early summer.
Mosquitoes were already present. Nian Jiaojiao stood hesitantly at the doorway, a few mosquitoes buzzing loudly, irritating her.
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
With several clean claps, the bodies of the mosquitoes fell lifelessly.
Nian Jiaojiao steadied herself and walked into the house.
"Wife, you're back."
Xing Yun, like a cat seeing its owner return, kept circling Nian Jiaojiao.
"Mm."
Nian Jiaojiao nodded and walked towards the main hall, with Xing Yun following closely behind.
Nian Jiaojiao suddenly stopped and asked from the side,
"Have you all eaten yet?"
"Naturally not at this hour," Xing Yun replied.
Nian Jiaojiao said, "Then go and call everyone to come and eat."
"Miss Tong will be back very late today and had already informed us that she wouldn't be dining at home. As for Young Master Tong, he has no appetite and said he won't be having dinner."
Hearing Xing Yun's words, Nian Jiaojiao became concerned:
"How can you not eat dinner?"
Nian Jiaojiao thought for a moment. In such a short time, the other party might feel awkward seeing her again. So, she said to Xing Yun,
"I'll trouble you to send a dinner over then."
"Alright," Xing Yun nodded.
...
The dining room.
Nian Jiaojiao didn't need to specifically find the four of them for a talk. Today's dinner happened to be without any outsiders.
After dinner, as they were about to return to their rooms, Nian Jiaojiao called out to them.
"Wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you."
Nan Qing seemed to know what Nian Jiaojiao wanted to discuss. Nian Jiaojiao clearly felt a cold aura around him.
Nian Jiaojiao sighed inwardly and said,
"What are your thoughts on the matter of our outing on the lake that day?"
Nan Qing gave a cold laugh:
"Heh, regarding Wife's matters, Wife can decide as she pleases."
Nian Jiaojiao frowned. She was focused on resolving the issue, but Nan Qing was clearly emotional.
She just couldn't understand why he would have such a temper over this matter when he didn't even like her.
Although their relationship had eased slightly, Nian Jiaojiao considered them friends and family. However, she never thought he would fall for her.
After all, he rarely showed her a good face.
However, she also understood it was a matter of personality, so she had no intention of advancing their relationship further.
Therefore, she asked directly:
"Nan Qing, saying that makes me think you're jealous."
Hearing Nian Jiaojiao's words, Nan Qing's expression faltered. After a pause, he said word by word,
"You're overthinking it."
Nian Jiaojiao patted her ample chest with lingering fear:
"Phew, that was close. You scared me to death."
At this moment, Xing Yun was staring fixedly at Nian Jiaojiao's actions, or rather, at where she had patted, his face also flushing.
Everyone's attention was on Nian Jiaojiao and Nan Qing, so no one noticed Xing Yun's abnormality.
Then Yu Chuan spoke:
"Wife, regarding Young Master Tong, whatever decision you make, Yu Chuan will support you."
Xuan Yi did not speak.
He was not as magnanimous as Yu Chuan. Although he usually appeared to have no desires, the thought of his wife marrying someone else made him feel inexplicably down, even jealous.
He was ugly. If his wife found someone new, would she still treat him the same as she did now?
What's more, even though his second and third brothers didn't say anything, and perhaps they themselves hadn't fully realized it, as their biological brother who grew up with them, how could he not understand their true feelings?
Sooner or later, Xing Yun would open his eyes, and Nan Qing would start to face his own feelings...
The more Xuan Yi thought about it, the more distressed he became.
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head:
"What are you all doing? I'm just asking for your thoughts, not making any decisions."
Nan Qing looked at Nian Jiaojiao and said,
"Then what will you do if we don't agree to you marrying Tong Ziyao?"
Nian Jiaojiao was silent for a moment. When she looked up again, meeting Nan Qing's gaze, she said firmly:
"Then I won't marry him."
Nian Jiaojiao's words stunned all four of her husbands. Xuan Yi's pupils widened. He had thought his wife was set on marrying Young Master Tong, but he hadn't expected her to answer like this.
Nan Qing said with a bit more calm:
"If you don't marry him, how will you explain yourself to Young Master Tong, and how will you explain yourself to Miss Tong?"
Nian Jiaojiao's thoughts became clearer and clearer:
"In life, one has to make many choices, but not all choices can be perfect. As humans, we weigh options. Between family and friends, I choose family, but that doesn't mean friends aren't important.
As for Tong Ziyao, I will first be honest with Tong Fu. As long as I can do it, no matter how difficult, no matter how long it takes, I will compensate them...
If I lose friends because of this, I will have no regrets and will seek peace with my own conscience."
Nian Jiaojiao's words silenced Nan Qing.
He now had a deeper understanding of this "new" wife of his.
In fact, when they were in Qinghe Village, he had already realized that the other party was not the original Nian Dabao.
But whether the other party was a ghost, or possessed by a mountain spirit, as long as she was good to them brothers, he could turn a blind eye.
As they interacted more, he found that the other party had no intention of harming them. On the contrary, she treated them very well. At that point, he thought, let her possess Nian Dabao forever. If one day Nian Dabao returned, he would kill him and let him possess him instead.
Later, the increasingly beautiful appearance, astonishing knowledge, and unheard-of novel stories from before, all proved that the other party was no ordinary ghost or spirit.
Sometimes he wondered, perhaps the other party was a deity sent from heaven.
And today, she seemed completely unaffected by the Great Yue Dynasty, having her own ideas and a very firm stance, as if she had never existed in this land before, but came from another world.
Nian Jiaojiao was unaware of the many thoughts swirling in Nan Qing's mind as he maintained a placid expression.
If she could read minds at this moment, she would have been utterly impressed with Nan Qing.
Because from such limited information, he had drawn a conclusion that was both absurd and yet close to the truth.
*Clang—*
Hearing the sound of a dropped plate, the four of them seemed to snap out of a daze. They looked towards the door and saw Tong Ziyao, his face pale.
Tong Ziyao smiled awkwardly at them:
"Sorry, I was coming to put down the bowl and accidentally dropped it. I'll get something to clean it up."
With that, he turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Nian Jiaojiao quickly followed.
Although it had to be said sooner or later, she didn't want to say it so directly.
At the moment, she was somewhat annoyed at herself for being too engrossed in her own thoughts and not noticing Tong Ziyao's approach.
"Young Master Tong, let's talk."
After leaving, Nian Jiaojiao blocked Tong Ziyao's path, stopping him.