"Guagua, tell your mother honestly, why did you go and tease the Wei Family's young master again?" Xiu'er slammed a feather duster on the table. "How many times is this now! Every time I ask you to go on a matchmaking trip, you always cause trouble. What are you trying to do!"
Guagua lowered her head and fiddled with her clothes, refusing to speak.
She doesn't want to get married, not at all.
"Look at you, Wuji and Xiaobai got married last year, what are you thinking, child!" Xiu'er said with exasperation.
Guagua is eighteen this year!
Xiu'er is no longer the nimble little maid she once was. From a Countess, she has become a Marquis's wife, and no one dares to neglect her.
But her body also reminded her that she was no longer young, and eating anything no longer brought her the same joy as before.
Xiu'er gave birth to two more sons, one eight years old and the other six.
Miemie is already eleven years old and is training alongside Linlin, who is the Emperor.
His personality is like Song Jingyang's; he is honest and kind, but also has inner wisdom and doesn't cause people any trouble.
The two younger ones had just started school and dared not disobey.
--If you don't listen to your mother, you'll get a good beating when your father comes home. Who dares to mess with this tigress?
It was Guagua's marriage that was causing Xiu'er so much worry.
Guagua remained silent.
Xiu'er was so angry she had a headache. "Tell me honestly, what are you thinking? If you don't want to get married, I won't force you; it's not that I can't afford to support you. But seeing other people embroidering their dowries, you're copying them... Who are you going to marry after you finish embroidering this?"
Guagua stammered, "I have someone I like..."
"Someone you like? Who do you like? Tell me, as long as they're not missing an arm or a leg, I'll accept them even if they're bald!" Xiu'er said angrily.
That doesn't make sense. My daughter is with me every day; who could she possibly like?
How could she not know?
Could it be one of the palace guards?
What's there to hide!
"Your father was just a guard before," Xiu'er said. "Don't worry, your mother isn't the kind of person who cares about social status. Just tell me."
Guagua's face turned bright red. "Mother, can you please stop asking?"
Xiu'er: "What, you've grown wings and won't even let me ask anymore? Tell your mother, and I promise I won't tell anyone, not even the Empress Dowager, okay?"
Tang Zhuyun has now been promoted to Empress Dowager, and spends her days playing mahjong in the palace with her close girlfriends. Her life couldn't be more comfortable.
Guagua didn't believe it. "Is there anything you can hide from the Empress Dowager?"
Xiu'er: "... Maybe. For example, for example..."
I couldn't come up with an example for a long time.
Guagua chuckled.
Xiu'er: "Hurry up and tell me. Are you afraid the Empress will find out? That would be heartless. How has the Empress treated you since you were little, and how has she treated Wuji and the others? Even they aren't as precious as you. She has everything Xingan'er, and she's given you everything she deserves. Don't even mention the Empress; even the Emperor Emeritus favors you. Otherwise, why would you have the title of County Princess?"
Guagua remained silent.
Mother is right.
Whether it was Sister Yanran, Brother Emperor, or Sister-in-law Empress, they all treated her very well, and she never complained.
only...
She just likes Wuxian.
However, no one knew.
Wuxian as ever, immersed in his own world, completely unaware of romantic relationships.
Guagua took good care of him, and everyone thought it was just a brother-sister relationship.
But Guagua knew herself that she truly loved Wuxian.
She didn't actually know what liking someone meant.
But she was worried and Wuxian marry any other woman.
She felt that only when she was by Wuxian's side could she truly feel at ease.
But how could she possibly bring it up?
Even someone as clever as my mother never considered that possibility...
Under Xiu'er's persistent questioning, Guagua finally couldn't hold back her tears and whispered, "Mother, could you please talk to the Empress and tell her to stop worrying about Wuxian's marriage?"
Xiu'er was taken aback. "What does this have to do with Wuxian... You, Wuxian? You don't actually like Wuxian?"
Guagua blushed, but still nodded honestly, biting her lip tightly, her eyes reddening.
Xiu'er was shocked.
When the two of them were children, the adults did make jokes about it.
But later, Wuxian became more and more of a bookworm, and Tang Zhuyun even felt that she should just let him be and not force him to get married. Being able to immerse himself in his own world was a kind of happiness.
However, Guagua has grown into a beautiful young woman that everyone admires.
"Guagua, don't be impulsive," Xiu'er said. "I won't force you. Think it over slowly. And do Wuxian to fool me with Wuxian, okay?"
"Mother, isn't Wuxian good enough?" Guagua, tears streaming down her face.
"Okay... he's a child I raised, how could he not be good? But no matter how much you invest in him, I'm afraid he won't feel it. Guagua, it's too hard for you..."
In life, you can't just give unilaterally; you need a response!
"Wuxian is very good to me," Guagua said. "Mother, everyone knows that I'm Wuxian's exception. Actually, I've been waiting, waiting for you to bring up our marriage. But neither Your Majesty nor you have ever thought about it that way..."
She felt somewhat wronged and resentful.
Xiu'er: "..."
Does that make sense?
It's not that Wuxian wasn't proactive, it's their fault?
Guagua really can't see Wuxian's flaws!
Wuxian such a simple-minded child, so absorbed in his own world...
"Guagua, tell your mother honestly that you truly love Wuxian and are willing to spend your whole life with him; you don't envy other women's husbands' sweet words and romantic moments..."
"I'm not envious, I'm not envious of anything! They're the ones who envy us for being with Wuxian!" Guagua cried.
Xiu'er: "You silly child... let me think about it."
"Mother, please, please go and talk to Her Majesty. I'm not wronged. I don't feel like I'm the only one giving when I'm with Wuxian. We're very, very good together..."
"Alright then. You child, why didn't you just say so earlier? Aren't you suffering by keeping it all inside?"
Xiu'er is quite open-minded.
He only has one daughter, and Wuxian is indeed kind-hearted; let's keep things simple.
Happiness is something that originates from individual feelings; others don't really know it.
With her mother's approval, Guagua was overjoyed.
She couldn't wait to find Wuxian.
Wuxian was reading a book when suddenly someone snatched it from his hands, which made him angry.
But when he saw it was Guagua, his temper subsided quickly, and he simply said, "Guagua, why are you stealing my book?"
"Her Majesty the Empress is going to find you a wife, are you happy?"
Wife?
Wuxian didn't care much about what was happening around him; the only wife he could think of was Wuji's wife, Xiaobai.
"My wife isn't good enough, I don't want her." Wuxian shook his head.
Huai Jiande is both fierce and stingy. He pulls his second brother's ear every day and scolds him for being wasteful. It's terrifying.
What's even more terrifying is that the Emperor, Empress, and everyone around them are all helping Xiaobai.
It's utterly hopeless; I can't get help from anyone.
Wuxian does Wuxian want a wife; he just wants to be alone, reading and researching.
Guagua: "... Why not? A wife can always be with you, like me..."
She couldn't help but blush.
Wuxian reached out and touched her forehead. "Is Gua sick?"
His hands were slightly cool, and his palms had thin calluses from holding the pen, but they were clean.
He's a bit of a germaphobe; he never touches anyone except Guagua.
Guagua's face turned even redder. "No."
She had a feeling that she was abducting a fool.
"That's good." Wuxian said, "When you're sick, you need to take medicine. Bitter melon, I need to study now."
"I'm asking about your wife!"
"I don't want a wife," Wuxian repeated.
"You don't even want someone like me?"
"Don't want..."
Guagua's heart sank.
Then Wuxian said, "Having melons is enough; we don't need anyone else."
A heart, in an instant, soared to the heavens.
But I'm going to get married...
"Marry? Don't marry my second brother, he's a bad guy."
Guagua gritted her teeth. "Then I'll marry you!"
"Me? No." Wuxian shook his head. "I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid! You're definitely not stupid! You're the smartest person in the world!" Guagua said excitedly. "You can open the underground palace mechanisms that others can't! Even the Emperor Emeritus praised the repeating crossbow you invented."
He never bullied anyone, just quietly did his own thing, never bothered by external things.
If there is only one person in this world who understands Wuxian, Guagua feels that she is undoubtedly that person.
Wuxian was silent for a moment, then asked, "Gua, do you want to marry me?"
Guagua nodded vigorously, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Don't cry, Gua." Wuxian took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "I'll marry Gua!"
Everyone said he was foolish, but Gua didn't mind and wanted to marry him, so he married her.
He doesn't want the melon to cry.
Wuxian hugged Guagua and gently patted her back. "Guagua, don't cry. If you cry, I'll cry too."
Guagua burst into tears in his arms.
This is the happiness she wants, the rest of her life she desires.
There were no dramatic events, only love and companionship.