Lu Hao looked at Mingyu in silence for a long while. The rain outside the eaves was getting heavier and heavier, making a loud noise. The raindrops hit the bluestone road, splashed under the eaves, and wet his clothes and shoes.
"I know you've been wronged by what happened today." Lu Hao said, "But it's already happened, there's no point in dwelling on it. Fang'er has learned her lesson today, I'll talk to her when I get back, I'm sure she won't be confused again in the future."
Mingyu took a deep breath of the moist air, suppressed the moisture in the corners of her eyes, and shook her head, "Lord Lu, because of your cousin, my friend Fu Lemei's reputation was ruined, and my brother almost went to jail. You say it's useless for me to care about these things? I don't think I'm that magnanimous."
If Hong Fang'er appeared in front of her at this time, Mingyu could not guarantee that she could restrain the urge to rush over and beat her up. She had seen people who were annoying, but she had never seen such an annoying person. Before, the impression Hong Fang'er left on Mingyu was just that of a girl who had suddenly become rich and had a brain fog. She was not very scheming. Now it seemed that she was wrong. She was the only one who was not scheming from beginning to end.
Lu Hao sighed. He never thought that Mingyu would have such a bad relationship with her family before she even got married. How could this girl not understand his good intentions? His mother didn't like Mingyu in the first place, and favored Fang'er, who she had lived with for many years. When Mingyu married in, her mother and Fang'er would be united. Then he would be caught in the middle and Mingyu would not be in a good situation. Now Fang'er had done something wrong, which was considered unfair to Mingyu. If Mingyu was more tolerant and generous at this time, Fang'er would also remember her kindness and would not go against her in the future.
"You are in a bad mood today, so I won't say much to you." Lu Hao spoke slowly, "I originally planned to invite Mr. Gong to come to my house today, but I didn't expect such a big thing to happen. I will send you home first, and I will bring Mr. Gong to your house tomorrow."
Mingyu took a step back and shook her head, “No need.”
Lu Hao frowned slightly and spoke in a slightly heavier tone, "Don't be angry. It's raining so hard and the weather is so cold. What if you get sick standing here? I'll take you home and leave."
Mingyu was stunned for a moment, then realized that Lu Hao had misunderstood her meaning. He thought she didn't want him to take her home. Looking at the somewhat angry Lu Hao, Mingyu sighed, "Lord Lu, what I mean is that you don't have to invite Lord Gong to your house tomorrow. You don't have to do that in the future."
Lu Hao, who was about to turn around and ask the carriage to go closer to the eaves, paused and stared at Mingyu in a daze.
A cool autumn wind blew over the eaves, carrying a few drops of rain, and drifted onto Lu Hao's warm face. Feeling the coldness of the raindrops, Lu Hao suddenly came to his senses and reached out to wipe the water marks on his cheeks. His originally impatient heart instantly turned cold.
"You're saying those words out of anger again." Lu Hao smiled, "Don't say them everywhere. If people hear them, they'll gossip about you."
The autumn wind blew up Mingyu's hair, revealing her fair forehead. Mingyu's eyes were calm, and there was a trace of compassion in her face. For a moment, Lu Hao felt that Mingyu was very similar to the white jade Guanyin statue enshrined in the temple, a cold stone statue that seemed compassionate but was actually indifferent.
Mingyu gathered her hair and said calmly, "I didn't say anything in anger, Lord Lu. I never act on impulse when it comes to my lifelong affairs. Besides, you have always been the one talking to yourself. You came to my house to propose marriage, and more than a month later you asked Lord Gong to act as a matchmaker. It seems that you never asked us what we think." At this point, Mingyu looked up at Lu Hao. "Do you think that this marriage is so good... that we will definitely accept it with great trepidation and there is no way we can refuse it?"
Lu Hao did not answer. He only said, "It's been more than a month... because I have to convince my family to accept you. You know, my mother... Although it's a little late now, the result is good at least. Don't get angry because of these little things."
Mingyu shook her head and looked at Lu Hao's calm and gentle face. After hesitating for a moment, she made up her mind and said, "It has nothing to do with how much time has been wasted. Whether there has been more than a month or not, I don't want to marry you. This is what I really mean."
From the conversation just now, although Lu Hao had vaguely guessed Mingyu's true inner thoughts, that she was unwilling to marry him, but hearing Mingyu actually say it was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, making him feel a different feeling in his heart.
"Why?" Lu Hao asked subconsciously. It wasn't that he was arrogant. In terms of family background, future, character, and sincerity towards Mingyu, who else could compare to him? Mingyu couldn't have a better choice than him.
Mingyu and the others stood under the shop for a long time to take shelter from the rain. A shop assistant came out to look around. Seeing that Lu Hao and the others were well-dressed, he didn't say anything. He just poked his head out a few times and then retracted his head, no longer paying attention to the people outside.
The autumn wind blew the raindrops under the eaves. Mingyu took a step inside the eaves. Lixiang stood aside, looked at Mingyu, and finally quietly walked aside to watch, afraid that someone would overhear.
"Sir Lu, you are an excellent person with a bright future and good in every aspect... You deserve a better wife to accompany you. There is no need to put yourself in a difficult position." Mingyu said slowly without directly answering Lu Hao's question.
In fact, she had figured it out in her heart. Lu Hao's desire to marry her was just the icing on the cake. As long as he was willing, there would be a crowd of noble and clean-born young ladies waiting for him to choose. But he chose only her. He must have liked her sincerely. But now that he was really going to marry her, the initial excitement had passed. Thinking that she was going to marry a woman from a lowly family and who had been divorced, she might not feel unwilling.
It took more than a month, perhaps to convince Mrs. Lu, or perhaps to convince himself.
Even if Sima Hong hadn't existed, Mingyu felt that she would not marry him. Lu Hao was too high and mighty, and he didn't have enough tolerance and compassion for her. She also didn't want to wait for Lu Hao's novelty to wear off and then live on her knees in the Lu family for the rest of her life, having to obey the wishes of Madam Lu and Hong Fanger.
However, Lu Hao had helped her again, traveling thousands of miles to help her return to her home in Lu'an from the northwest battlefield. No matter what Hong Fang'er and Madam Lu had done to her, Mingyu knew the difference. Mingyu was still grateful and appreciative of Lu Hao.
Just speak out clearly while you still have a little gratitude and appreciation for each other and still have a good impression of each other, so as to avoid becoming a pair of resentful couple in the future.
"What are you talking about?" After a long while, Lu Hao spoke, his voice a little hoarse and dark. "I have never felt that marrying you was an injustice to me."
Mingyu curled her lips and smiled symbolically. In fact, whether she felt wronged or not was no longer important at this moment. What was important was that she realized that Lu Hao was a good man of this era, but not the right one for her.
Looking at Mingyu's somewhat forced smile, Lu Hao felt his heart go cold, as if he had gotten the result he had least expected. He repeatedly confirmed in his mind whether this was true. He never expected that Mingyu would reject his proposal, because in his opinion, how could this be possible
How could this be possible? How could this be possible! She was just a divorced woman, at most she looked okay, but she had a bad temper, why did she reject him? Lu Hao's gradually cold heart began to resent again, an indescribable emotion filled his chest, as if he was humiliated, and as if the treasure he had longed for and was about to get flew away at the last moment, without even being able to touch him.
"Is it because of Marquis Anxi?" Lu Hao suddenly asked loudly, his eyes no longer as gentle and kind as before.
Mingyu was stunned for a moment, then immediately denied it, "No, it has nothing to do with him."
Lu Hao looked at Mingyu and laughed, his smile was full of sarcasm, "If it's because of him, I advise you to forget this unrealistic idea! I heard that the wife of the Marquis's Mansion is discussing marriage with the family of Duke Deng, and is waiting for him to come back to discuss the marriage. Why, he didn't tell you? It seems that Lord Anxi was too busy and neglected it."
Mingyu frowned. Besides feeling sad, she was more confused. She wanted to believe Sima Hong, but she didn't know if her choice would be another mistake.
"Lord Lu, I'll go back first." Mingyu said with her head down, bowed, turned around and was about to go out. Even if she had to go back in the rain, she didn't want to stay under the same roof with Lu Hao.
Lu Hao quickly grabbed her. Li Xiang, who was standing by, screamed. Lu Hao quickly let go of Mingyu's sleeve, stepped back, and said, "Don't be angry. I lost my temper just now." He glanced at the dense rain outside and whispered, "It's raining too hard. You'll get sick if you go back in the rain."
Mingyu lowered her head and didn't look at Lu Hao. "Master Lu, you are too polite. You are Mingyu's benefactor. No matter what, Mingyu will always remember this kindness."
The little girl lowered her head, and from Lu Hao's perspective, he could see her slender white neck and her soft and thin hair near her bun, which trembled slightly in the autumn breeze.
Lu Hao lowered his eyes and said, "Do you remember the first time we met? At that time, you were behind Sima Hong. In fact, I knew that it was the Sima family's horse farm. When I saw you, I was wondering when such a pretty and lovely lady appeared in the Sima Marquis's Mansion. It was not until I entered the Anxi Marquis's Mansion that I realized that you were so young, but you were already the second wife of the Anxi Marquis's Mansion, and you married that frivolous Sima Hong!"
"I have always looked down on those dandies, and I felt sorry for you, but I didn't think much about it." Lu Hao continued, "Later, I went to practice boxing behind the rockery in Furong Garden, and I accidentally saw Sima Hong trying to scare you with a toad. You, who have a bad temper, actually smeared mud all over his face."
Looking back, that day was also a cold and rainy day. Through the dense rain curtain, Lu Hao suddenly felt as if he had returned to that spring in Tianshui.