Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
If Luo Ziling got married to someone from that sort of family, he would be securing himself a fortune to spend for the rest of his life. And, Ouyang Feifei, the lady he was engaged to when they were young would surely be beautiful. He could see it in the attractive young lady that was Ouyang Feifei’s little sister.
Luo Ziling might not like the lady’s attitude but he cannot deny that she was beautiful.
“O grandfather, why would you have me make this cruel decision myself…?”
He sighed.
“What if… I didn’t want to call off the engagement? What if I did just the opposite of that? What would happen then?”
He had a sudden thought. At that moment, his heart beat faster by the second.
While he was having his moment of random, wild ideas, the man in black that went away to report Luo Ziling’s arrival had returned. Following behind him was a middle-aged man with a certain uncommon aura around him. Judging from his appearance, he looked like he was in his fifties. When the middle-aged man saw Luo Ziling, he paced faster and greeted him with a respectful bow.
“Young Master Luo, please come in!”
The middle-aged man was the Ouyang household’s butler, Jin Guoqiang. He had been ordered by Ouyang Lingyun to welcome him into the house.
Luo Ziling thanked him and followed the middle-aged man with a matching pace to enter the compound.
The inside of the entire mansion was modeled completely after the landscape style of Jiangnan.
After the entrance was a large collection of rockeries and a garden behind. In the center of the garden was a large pond. There were lotus roots as well as water lilies. A school of silver koi fish swam gracefully in the pond. Across the entire pond was a waving bridge and in the middle of the bridge was another collection of rockeries and a gazebo. Surrounding the pond was a wall of rockeries of various shapes and sizes. Two long roofed walkways were erected on the two ends of the garden, and the land on the sides of the walkways were planted with various expensive flora.
It was still the middle of the Autumn season yet there were still many flowers blooming then.
The person behind this garden must have had a keen artistic sense, and those that lived in the mansion had to be someone of a certain prominence.
At this point, his heart started to waver, uneasy and he began to feel depressed about his task today.
To make things worse, the middle-aged man guiding him into the mansion said something, smiling as he did, that caught him off guard.
“The old master has always remembered Old Master Luo and Young Master Luo. He had been waiting eagerly for your arrival. Now that you are here, I’m sure the old master will be eased of his worries. The old master had called for the young miss. She will be back in a short while. I’ve heard that the two of you had met once when you were younger?”
“Indeed. Ouyang Feifei and I had met before,” Luo Ziling commented as he ignored the initial statement and proceeded to only reply to the last question.
“I was very young. That time, I was only five years old.”
“Ah. That means you’re the young miss’ childhood friend,” he replied, smiling from ear to ear happily. He turned to face Luo Ziling.
“Young Master Luo is a handsome young man. I’m sure that the two of you are perfect for each other.”
Luo Ziling felt even worse. He decided to just shut his mouth.
He followed the middle-aged man into the mansion and into the main living room. There, he met an elderly man with a long, snow-white beard. He was sitting with a dignified posture drinking tea. When he saw Luo Ziling walk in, his eyes lit up with spirit.
“Master,” Jin Guoqiang greeted as he bowed. He gestured to Luo Ziling behind him and said, “Young Master Luo has arrived.”
“It is a pleasure to meet Grandfather Ouyang. Please forgive me for this unannounced arrival,” Luo Ziling said as he bowed respectfully. He unraveled the gift that was given to him by his grandfather and handed it over.
“This is a gift from my grandfather. It’s some wellbeing medicine he made by himself.”
“Thank you. I shall accept it then. Please send my regards to Old Brother Luo.”
Ouyang Lingyun stood up to receive the gift personally from Luo Ziling. As he retrieved the box from the young man, he examined Luo Ziling thoroughly and laughed.
“It’s been so many years since we’ve met! Little Ling has already grown into a fine young man! How is your grandfather? Is he well?”
“Grandfather is well as always. For years he always goes out for in-house treatment everywhere,” Luo Ziling said. He was visibly squirming. “He’d even told me to check on Grandfather Ouyang, in his stead.”
“Haha! As expected of Brother Luo! I will reserve my thanks then,” said Ouyang Lingyun as he looked at Luo Ziling with eyes that spelled grace. There was even a hint of reminiscence. “Little Feifei will be back soon. You two should catch up with each other.”
Luo Ziling’s heart pounded frantically for a few moments when Ouyang Feifei’s name was mentioned. He parted his lips but failed to convey any words.
Ouyang Lingyun took the gift box that Luo Ziling gave to him and put it away by himself instead of handing it over to Jin Guoqiang. He returned soon after and took a seat.
Luo Ziling sat down as well, choosing to sit a few seats away from him.
The interior of the mansion was built in traditional Chinese style. The furniture and decor shared the same style and were of those that Luo Ziling liked.
The thing that was getting Luo Ziling nervous was how Ouyang Lingyun was looking at him lovingly, similar to how his own grandfather, Luo Liansheng looked at him. It made him incredibly uneasy, which drained his bravery of bringing up the topic of calling off the engagement.
Jin Guoqiang gracefully filled his cup with tea and retreated to a side.
“Ziling, have you come to Yenching just for Feifei?” Ouyang Lingyun started a new topic seeing as how Luo Ziling was being quiet and reserved.
“Actually, I am here because grandfather wanted me to study,” Luo Ziling confessed.
“Study?”
“Yes,” Luo Ziling hummed as he nodded. “He wanted me to study medicine. To study Clinical Medicine at Yenching University.”
“Clinical Medicine? Isn’t that a western course?” Ouyang Lingyun gasped mildly after listening to Luo Ziling’s confession. Flabbergasted, he asked again, “Your grandfather is a miracle worker in the field of Chinese Medicine. Why would he send you to study western medicine?”
“Grandfather said that there are always shortcomings in both fields of medicine. It is crucial to learn from both sides for me to become a better physician,” Luo Ziling bashfully explained.
“He also said that I should see the world instead of remaining in the small village,” Luo Ziling muttered.
“Ah! I understand!” Ouyang Lingyin cried surprisingly, sounding quite happy.
That Old Luo had only used the excuse of sending Luo Ziling to a university to get him out of the village and into Yenching.
“Grandfather Ouyang, I am here today, for an important matter,” said Luo Ziling as Ouyang Lingyun was cheerfully laughing. He braced himself and prepared for the next step.
“Please. Go on,” said Ouyang Lingyun politely. He gave him an encouraging look and said, “I will do what I can to fulfill your request.”
He knew that Luo Liansheng had sent his grandson to finally accept the engagement officially.
“Actually… Grandfather Ouyang, I am not here to accept the engagement,” Luo Ziling said nervously. After that, he pushed himself harder to deliver the next part of his declaration.
“I am here to call off the engagement. Grandfather had asked me to call off the engagement!”
Everything that he needed to say had been said. At that moment, Luo Ziling felt deflated, like all his energy was spent.