Marriage Continues

The study was quiet. A cup of tea sat on the table, steam curling from it.

An Ziran sat calmly with his eyes lowered. Across from him was Fu Wutian, who looked as straight and imposing as a pine even while seated. After hearing his confession, he had not said a word.

Several times, An Ziran had tried to read his expression, but he could not tell what he was thinking. It was always like this whenever he faced Fu Wutian; he could never seize the initiative. If it were not for the An Family, he truly did not want to see Fu Wutian again.

"The wedding is imminent, yet you are telling me now that your sister has run away from the marriage. Do you think I am someone so easily toyed with?"

Just as his thoughts drifted slightly, Fu Wutian suddenly spoke. The words immediately put him on guard.

An Ziran raised an eyebrow slightly. The phrase "toyed with" did not seem quite appropriate, but he did not dwell on it. Instead, he said seriously, "Your Highness, I mishandled this matter. I will give you an explanation. I hope you will spare the An Family for the sake of the friendship my grandfather once shared with Old Prince Fu. When the time comes, I will offer the An Family's greatest sincerity."

Though this so-called sincerity would leave the An Family severely drained and greatly diminished, if they could survive this crisis, there was no reason to mourn the loss of some property. Money could be earned again, but once people were gone, there would be nothing left.

Fu Wutian suddenly stood and walked before him. Leaning down, he looked into An Ziran's eyes. "What explanation can you give me? If outsiders learn that my fiancée fled the marriage, do you know how greatly it would affect the manor's reputation? Everyone would laugh at Prince Fu's Manor. Do you think a mere An Family can afford to compensate for that?"

An Ziran met his gaze without retreating. He could not deny that Fu Wutian was right, but hearing it still made him somewhat unhappy.

The An Family was indeed insignificant now. If Da Ya lost one landowning family, countless others would rise in its place. But in the future, he would make the An Family Da Ya's foremost merchant house. That had been the goal he set after taking over the An Family, and it was also the true reason he wanted the An Family to cling to Prince Fu's Manor.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will announce that An Yuzhi died of a grave illness. Prince Fu's Manor's reputation will not suffer."

Having fled the marriage, An Yuzhi would only think of escaping as far away as possible, somewhere no one could find her. She could not possibly return anytime soon. Besides, very few people knew her. Even if she came back later and realized how terribly wrong she had been, no one would believe her words. This was the best solution An Ziran could think of.

Fu Wutian looked at him.

When An Ziran heard no response, he could not help lifting his head. He suddenly realized that the distance between them seemed to have narrowed somewhat.

Fu Wutian's handsome face was almost within reach. He did not know when the man had moved closer. His dark eyes resembled an ancient well, and An Ziran could even see his own reflection in them, as though it were being drawn inside.

"You are very clever, but this only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Sooner or later, someone will find out, and the manor will still be implicated." Fu Wutian lowered his head and spoke.

An Ziran fell silent.

Fu Wutian said, "Also, His Majesty has already agreed to bestow this marriage, making the union between our two families all the more legitimate. On the day of the wedding, your sister's name will be entered into the ancestral shrine. If the wedding is suddenly called off, he will certainly investigate the reason. You may be able to hide it from others, but you will never hide it from him. Should His Majesty fly into a rage, consider the consequences..."

An Ziran's eyes widened. This was completely beyond his expectations.

He had indeed heard that the Emperor was paying attention to this matter, but he had not expected it to go this far.

Although the Emperor had only added his approval afterward, fleeing the marriage still counted as deceiving the sovereign. He was confident he could make Fu Wutian spare the An Family, but he had no way to quell the Emperor's wrath.

When an emperor raged, blood flowed like rivers!

That was not an empty saying. He was no fool.

An Ziran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were utterly calm. Staring straight into Fu Wutian's eyes, he said, "What does Your Highness want?"

Fu Wutian looked at him appreciatively. He suddenly braced both hands against the chair's armrests and leaned even closer, nearly enclosing An Ziran between the chair and himself. The sight was rather intimate. "There is one solution. It depends on whether you will cooperate."

An Ziran raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What solution?"

Fu Wutian remained composed. "Very simple. The wedding will continue."

The moment he heard those words, An Ziran understood what he meant. Yet the answer still surprised him, because he had not expected Fu Wutian himself to be the one to propose it. He immediately said, "I understand. I will cooperate with all my strength."

Fu Wutian looked at him. "Are you sure?"

An Ziran nodded.

Fu Wutian narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "I look forward to it."