Liang Chen and Liang Zhi were pacified by Fu Zhen’s words, but they still couldn’t accept the situation in their hearts.
Su Xinger helped Fu Zhen smooth things over at the Wanbin Building and cald the two brothers, but privately she was of course on her husband’s side.
That afternoon, they were invited to the Pei family to announce the marriage news. Seeing Pei Yu and his wife’s joyful faces, she felt completely uneasy.
After tossing and turning all night, she still confided in Liang Chen, "The Pei family’s pace is so fast, they’re talking about getting married in a month, like they’re afraid the cooked duck will fly away. Who hasn’t got a bride before? It’s just their family that’s in a hurry."
Upon hearing this, Liang Chen imdiately sat up from the bed with a start, "What? A month?!"
"Yes! How absurd do you think that is?"
Su Xinger clapped her palm, "He’s been single for twenty years now, how bad could it be if he stayed single a few more months? I couldn’t expose myself, or I couldn’t stand sitting there watching them so happy!"
"This guy!"
Liang Chen jumped to the ground.
After pondering for a mont at the door, he turned back, "Wife, I feel like he knows Aunt’s identity."
Su Xinger choked on her tea, "No way! How did you figure that out? He still seems just as indifferent to little Aunt!"
"That’s not the point; he always was indifferent to little Aunt," Liang Chen said, sitting across from her, "Haven’t you seen him not refusing to work with little Aunt while being indifferent at the sa ti? He hasn’t told to be on guard against her for a long ti now.
"Moreover, he never suspected anything despite how we usual talk and act around Aunt."
Su Xinger suddenly felt the problem too, "That sly guy, how could he not be suspicious? Sothing’s definitely up! But if he knows, why hasn’t he verified it with us?"
Liang Chen frowned for a while and suddenly said, "Quick, call Brother Xuan over! I have sothing to ask him!"
Liang Xuan was next door playing house while pulling weeds; when brought over, he still had a ball of mud in each hand.
"I ask you, the other day at the Cheng family’s, the ti they hosted your Fu family sister and we were all present with your fifth uncle. Who suggested to you to trip up in the backyard?"
Liang Xuan never thought that after all this ti, he’d still be held accountable.
But he wanted to be Pei Zhan’s scout!
So he said, "It was just who did it, no one else!"
Liang Chen slapped the table, "Still lying? Your fifth uncle told everything! I’m just testing whether you’re honest or not!"
Liang Xuan’s big face froze, and he imdiately began to cry, "That wicked Uncle! How could he be so bad, always tricking ! He clearly promised not to tattle!"
Liang Chen waved to Su Xinger, "Alright, let’s give him a beating!"
Su Xinger imdiately grabbed Liang Xuan by the scruff of the neck and pressed him onto the bench!
Today, there wasn’t ti to put a cushion down, so all the smacks landed on his butt.
Liang Chen asked again, "Explain in detail, and perhaps your sentence can be reduced!"
After a while, once the couple had learned everything, they threw Liang Xuan out and closed the door again.
Su Xinger: "What do we do now? What’s that old fox plotting? Should I go and inform little Aunt right away?"
"No need!" Liang Chen took a deep breath and stood up, "I will go et the fifth uncle!"
...
Pei Zhan was drinking tea in the garden. Seeing the fast-approaching Liang Chen, he waved the others away and pushed an extra cup of tea across, "This is new tea. I’ve been waiting for you for a while."
Liang Chen sat down with a frown, "You knew I would co?"
"We’ve faced enemies together, fought back to back; what you’re thinking is what I’m thinking, we’d figure each other out sooner or later."
Liang Chen supported his knee with one hand, his hawk-like eyes straight ahead, "Fifth uncle, if you’re a man, tell clearly, was this marriage plan of yours a conspiracy from the start?"
"If you must call it a conspiracy, I won’t deny it. However, since I confird it, I’ve never tried to hide it. It’s just that you all didn’t believe—" Pei Zhan put down the teapot and stared back with the sa stance, "Didn’t believe I would like her."
Liang Chen punched him on the shoulder!
"That’s my aunt! You have to call her Aunt too! Wanting to marry her, aren’t you insane? You know it’s wrong and you still do it! You bastard!"
"So what?" Pei Zhan didn’t evade, but held his shoulder while laughing, "As long as her last na isn’t Pei, even if she’s Grand Aunt or Great Grand Aunt, I’ve set my heart on her!
"I just like her, and I want her to be my one and only Taiping. I’m a bastard through and through!"
Liang Chen, in anger, grabbed his collar, "When did this start?!"
"Since childhood." Pei Zhan gazed into his eyes, "I can’t rember exactly when, just since the first ti she talked to , she has always lingered in my heart.
"Don’t doubt .
"Regardless of whether they’re nad Xu or whatever, as long as they were involved in hurting her—ever since she turned back from Xu Yin’s tune that night and rushed to find at the tofu shop, I haven’t had any regrets. Those people all beca my enemies too."
Liang Chen glared at him.
After a while, he released Pei Zhan but punched him again!
"I should punch you three tis; that first punch was for scheming against my aunt, the second for your arrogance, letting you take my aunt from the Liang family to the Pei family first! You deserved that hit!
"And the third punch, that’s for taking advantage of our brotherhood, but I’ll save it until your wedding day!
"Rember, from now on, I will be watching every step you take; if there’s even the slightest problem, prepare for that punch!"
"I won’t let you have the chance!" Pei Zhan said, "I will be ticulous and thorough, and never give you a chance to hit your soon-to-be uncle-in-law."
Liang Chen lifted his fist again at these words.
But under the threatening fist, Pei Zhan smiled brightly.
It felt like taunting him, but such a harmonious and bright smile was sothing Liang Chen hadn’t seen in the twenty years he’d known him—
A person, a heart, desolate for twenty years, finally ca alive with color because he could marry the one he loved.
Liang Chen lowered his hand.
Pei Zhan tugged at his clothes, "You can punch as many tis as you like. But please, don’t let her know; Li Er said she would be upset if she found out.
"I think she’s such a good person, being betrayed by Xu Yin back then, it must have broken her heart. That’s already enough. If she knew I deceived her too, it would only sadden her more.
"Let’s just keep this unspoken, making it seem like this marriage is just a matter of compromise.
"I just want her to co here happy, without any burden. If in the future she finds this unsatisfactory and wants to leave, she can leave without any burden.
"Even if I have to cover for her for a lifeti, I will be satisfied."
Liang Chen gritted his teeth, stared at him for a long ti, then stood up.
He cast another glance, "Even if you say all this, it’s just words. How it’ll turn out, we’ll have to see in the future!
"Anyway, for now, you’ve gotten your wish.
"Since she will be your bride, don’t let anything go wrong at any point! If anything sses up, it doesn’t matter who you are; you’ll be in for a beating from !"
After saying this, he downed the tea in his cup in one gulp and placed it down with a thud, then walked off with large strides.
Pei Zhan watched the direction he left in, rubbing his shoulder as he called over Guo Song, "Notify the strategists to go to the Great General’s house. If the Great General is upset, let them advise him well. No matter what the Great General says, whatever demands or thoughts, make sure they comply."
Guo Song hurriedly agreed.
He also checked on Pei Zhan’s injuries, and upon seeing the bruises, couldn’t help but sigh in relief:
"At least he didn’t hit you in the face!"
"..."
(End of third watch)
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