"Recently, reporters discovered that the Shao family mansion has been decorated more festively than during Chinese New Year. As everyone knows, Old Master Shao, General Shao's birthday is on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. However, General Shao has always been frugal and rarely throws grand birthday celebrations. But this year, his ninety-eighth birthday seems to be a major event. After visiting, reporters learned from a servant that there will be joyous news on General Shao's birthday."
Just then, the sound of news reports from the television in the living room drifted over.
Ruan Tianxin heard it and immediately put down the vegetables she was holding, walked out of the kitchen, and looked at the news report on the television from afar.
"The joyous occasion that has Old Master Shao paying so much attention has led many onlookers to speculate that it's likely the Shao family's crown prince, Shao Chen, will announce his engagement on that day..."
Ruan Tianxin stared blankly at the photo of Shao Chen shown in the entertainment gossip report on the television.
No wonder he hadn't appeared these past few days. He had already returned to the country and was planning to get engaged!
A sudden bitterness welled up in her heart.
Xiao He Miao lied to her, saying he still had feelings for her. Is this what he meant by still having feelings? Turning around to get engaged to someone else?
The gossip report continued: "As for the fiancée, many media reporters have recently been seen with Shao Chen in close contact with a woman. If nothing unexpected happens, the fiancée is likely..."
"Yo, a new flame so soon, and getting engaged!" Mother Ruan also came over to watch the news. She was of Chinese descent and paid close attention to domestic news on the television.
Seeing her daughter's unusual expression while watching the television, with her experience as someone who had been through it, she finally understood why her daughter hadn't looked for a partner for the past five years. Great Wind Novel Network.
She was indeed still pining for Shao Chen.
But their status meant that a relationship between them was destined to have no outcome, unless one of them gave up their identity and was willing to follow the other.
If they were willing, they wouldn't have broken up in the first place.
Therefore, rather than let her daughter mope like this, it would be better to quickly find a new partner, enter a new relationship, and completely move on from the past.
"My precious daughter is so outstanding, she definitely won't lose to him. What's an engagement? We'll get married and have children before him, see who can outdo whom," Mother Ruan said, putting her arm around Ruan Tianxin's shoulder. At the same time, she didn't forget to ask Father Ruan, who was watching the news in the living room, to turn down the TV volume.
Ruan Tianxin felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. She did want to get married and have children, but not with just anyone. She only wanted to build a happy family with the person she loved.
Seeing her precious daughter's silence, Mother Ruan led her back to the kitchen. "Let's not talk about him anymore. Let's cook. James will be here soon. Mom will take more photos of you two and post them on Weibo. Isn't that showing off affection? Who can't do that."
"Okay." Ruan Tianxin knew her mother favored James and didn't want her to have any more entanglements with Shao Chen. She obediently agreed.
However, the thought of Shao Chen getting engaged to someone else made her unable to muster any enthusiasm for anything she did.
She cut her finger while chopping vegetables, burned the stir-fry, and even scalded her hand by accident. Mother Ruan was heartbroken and stopped her from staying in the kitchen, handing it over to the chef.
James came for dinner. Mother Ruan originally wanted them to go watch a movie to deepen their relationship.
Ruan Tianxin, however, refused, "Maybe next time. I'm a bit tired and want to go back to my room to rest."
Mother Ruan couldn't insist further. James also noticed that Ruan Tianxin seemed preoccupied and absent-minded that evening, so he didn't press the issue, telling her to rest well and that they would arrange another time.
Meanwhile, at the Shao family's old residence.
"Where is A'Chen?"
At the dinner table, Old Master Shao, who was seated at the head, asked when Shao Chen's seat was empty.
"Young Master hasn't woken up yet. He returned quite late last night and drank a bit too much. He finally fell asleep, so we didn't wake him for lunch," the butler explained.
"What time did you come back from your wild nights? A person in his thirties, all he knows is to indulge in debauchery! What kind of behavior is that! Go and drag him up," Old Master Shao said sternly, his face darkened.
Madam Shao understood her father-in-law's temper. Fearing he would drag her son up and beat him, she quickly interjected, "Dad, please don't be angry. Don't upset yourself. He's getting engaged soon, and A'Chen is happy. He was just catching up with some brothers. After he gets married and has children, he'll settle down."
The mention of marriage and children slightly improved Old Master Shao's expression. At his age, with one foot in the grave, his greatest wish was to hold a great-grandchild before he passed away.
"If he keeps drinking like this every day, he'll ruin his health. How will he have a chubby great-grandchild?" he grumbled, but he no longer insisted on having Shao Chen dragged up. "He's not allowed to go drinking and carousing tonight! He'll accompany Xue Bing!"
Madam Shao dared not disobey him and replied with a smile, "Alright. Later, when he wakes up, I'll tell him. The stylist is scheduled for three o'clock. I'll watch the time and wake him up, and then they'll go to try on the styling together."
Old Master Shao nodded with satisfaction and began to eat.
Madam Shao breathed a sigh of relief. Her father-in-law had a quick temper, and Shao Chen had been beaten by him quite a few times since childhood, ranging from minor injuries to being hospitalized. She was terrified.
Moreover, in recent years, her father-in-law had gotten older and his health was not as good as before. She also worried that if he got angry, he would harm his health, so she had to consider both sides.
As for the engagement, she didn't intend to force her son to marry anyone. Her own marriage was an arranged one, and she knew all the bitterness of such marriages. Therefore, she supported her son in falling in love freely and marrying the woman he loved.
But this engagement was a deal her son had made with Old Master Shao, so she couldn't interfere.
After lunch, Madam Shao waited until two o'clock in the afternoon and gently pushed open Shao Chen's room.
The room was dimly lit, and a strong, unpleasant smell of alcohol hit her.
She went in, pulled open the curtains, and opened the window to ventilate. Then, she went to the bedside and said softly to the person on the bed:
"A'Chen, it's time to get up. At three o'clock, you need to accompany Xue Bing to try on the styling for the engagement day, and have a candlelit dinner with her tonight to deepen your relationship."
Shao Chen had already been woken up by the sound of her pulling the curtains. He was annoyed that he had forgotten to lock his room door when he returned that morning.
"So annoying. I've already agreed to the engagement, and you're still making such a fuss." He irritably pulled the quilt over his head, turning his back to Madam Shao, clearly unwilling to go.
"It's precisely because you've agreed to the engagement with your grandfather that you need to try on the engagement attire," Madam Shao said.
Shao Chen opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. His mind couldn't help but recall the scene of Ruan Tianxin's emergency surgery that day. It was the first time in his life he felt so useless and powerless.
He had accumulated quite a network of contacts doing business all over the country these years, but he hadn't yet reached into the Danish royal family. The identity that Yu He had reminded him of that day was merely a reminder of his grandfather's power as a general.
He also knew that his grandfather had always been strict about separating public and private matters. His grandfather would absolutely not allow him to use his official position to handle personal affairs. Therefore, in the end, with no other choice, he had used his trump card, making his marriage a transaction with his grandfather.
His grandfather helped him break through the security lines of the Danish royal family, allowing him access to the operating room. In return, he promised his grandfather that he would marry his comrade-in-arms' granddaughter.
"Alright, don't dawdle. It's already ten past two. Hurry up and wash up, and eat something," Madam Shao reminded him.
Shao Chen took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "I know."