Fellow Countrymen Meet Again

When Fu Yunkai returned to the mansion, the steward was already waiting.

Seeing Fu Yunkai get off the carriage with a grim expression, his heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong. He had wanted to ask about the result, but now he didn't dare to utter a word and followed Fu Yunkai into the house.

Fu Yunkai sat down in the chair, his face grim, and remained silent for a long while.

After a long pause, he said, "There's no need to prepare anything—no matchmaker, no betrothal gifts, etc. His family has rejected the marriage proposal."

"You refused?"

Although the butler had guessed the outcome from Fu Yunkai's expression, he was still surprised. "How could this be?"

In his view, his young master was a son-in-law who was one in a thousand in the capital.

Since the young master's fiancée was not dead, many noble ladies confessed their love to him in person; and many important figures also expressed their desire to marry their daughters to the young master.

Since his fiancée died, matchmakers have been coming to his door in droves for the past six months. Even though the young master is the Second Prince's study companion, ministers who are close to the Third Prince and Fourth Prince have all expressed their intention to arrange a marriage, making their attempts to win him over all too obvious.

Their Marquis of Pingnan's Residence not only enjoys the emperor's favor, but its heir is also outstanding and represents military power.

The small, dilapidated Earl of Suiping's Residence had nothing but a title. It was already a great honor for the young master to take a liking to their daughter. If it weren't for the fact that this Fifth Miss Zhao had become a disciple of Mister Kumu, in the steward's eyes, the Zhao Family's daughter would only be worthy of being the young master's concubine.

Therefore, he really couldn't understand why the Earl of Suiping's Residence would refuse this marriage proposal.

Fu Yunkai was unaware that the housekeeper's ego was just as inflated as his mother's.

He sighed deeply and said, "He said his daughter had just been found and he wanted to stay a few more years; he also said that his fifth daughter likes to paint and wants to find someone who is compatible with her."

The butler's expression was even more unpleasant than Fu Yunkai's.

This is clearly an excuse.

His daughter doesn't even fancy the young master, does she really want to marry a prince?

Seeing that the young master didn't seem to want to talk, he poured a cup of tea and tactfully withdrew.

"Father." A woman with a woman's hairstyle approached him and called softly.

The housekeeper heard her daughter's voice and turned to look at her.

"Dad, something's come up at home. I need to talk to you."

The woman pulled her father to a secluded spot before speaking, "Father, Madam sent me to inquire about the young master's marriage."

The steward's eyes darted around, and he said, "She was rejected. It seems the Earl of Suiping's Residence is reluctant to let Fifth Miss Zhao marry so soon."

"Ah?" the woman exclaimed in surprise, quickly covering her mouth with a handkerchief.

"Don't you dare spread this around. It's disgraceful for the young master. If the whole mansion finds out and he discovers it was you or me who leaked it, neither my daughter nor I will escape unscathed," the steward warned her sternly.

"Yes, Father, don't worry, I definitely won't tell anyone," the woman said.

The butler was finally satisfied and waved his hand, saying, "Go on, and stop wandering around the outer courtyard."

"Yes, yes." The woman quickly left.

Watching his daughter's retreating figure, the butler's mustache twitched.

When his daughter hears this news, she will probably not only report it to the madam and receive a reward, but she will also go to the second young master to claim credit.

Anyway, this matter can't be kept secret, and the young master probably didn't intend to hide it from his wife and second son. In that case, it's good to let his daughter receive some reward money.

He didn't know what the lady would think if she knew about this, but the second young master was definitely hoping that the young master would marry Fifth Miss Zhao. That way, he could hitch a ride and marry Sixth Miss Zhao.

If the second young master can lend a hand in the young master's marriage after receiving the news, then he will have made the best use of his talents.

The next day, Zhao Ruxi had just gotten into the carriage after school at noon when she received a German letter from Qingfeng.

Zhao Ruxi thought for a moment and then asked Gao Weiqiang to go to the Kang Family Painting Academy and tell the cook that she had to go to the estate and wouldn't be eating there. Only then did she have Uncle Lu change direction and go to the address mentioned in the letter.

This time, the house Xiao Lingyan rented was much better than the last one; it was a two-courtyard house. The two could talk in the inner courtyard, and the servants could at least stay in the outer courtyard, instead of having to hide at the gate.

Xiao Lingyan was already waiting there.

"Let's try to meet less often in the future and keep in touch mainly through correspondence. Even if we do meet, let's not choose this time. I usually go to my master's art academy for meals around this time. If I suddenly stop going, they'll definitely ask questions, and it'll be easy to expose my whereabouts. Then I'll have to lie to cover it up, which is too much trouble," Zhao Ruxi said as soon as she entered.

Xiao Lingyan wanted to argue with her, but he swallowed the words back and nodded, saying, "Okay."

Seeing Xiao Lingyan so obedient, Zhao Ruxi felt a little uncomfortable.

She glanced at him, sat down, and asked, "Do you have something on your mind?"

Xiao Lingyan pushed the plate on the table. "Are you hungry? Have some snacks first."

Zhao Ruxi looked at it and found that the plate contained tiny, trembling, milky-white cubes.

She picked up the spoon next to her, scooped up a piece, and put it in her mouth. The pastry melted in her mouth, and a flavor with the aroma of milk and coconut filled her mouth.

Her eyes lit up.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Lingyan couldn't help but smile, "I remember you like to eat this kind of raw milk tofu with a coconut aroma, so I specially asked the imperial kitchen to make it."

Zhao Ruxi looked at him strangely. "Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious. Tell me, what do you want from me this time?"

"You woman." Xiao Lingyan was speechless.

He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, completely relaxed. "We're from the same hometown, after all, and we fought in the same trenches. Isn't it only right that I treat you well? You'll have to get used to it, understand?"

"Ha!" Zhao Ruxi responded with a cold laugh.

But that didn't stop her from happily finishing the raw milk tofu on the plate.

Xiao Lingyan looked at Zhao Ruxi, whose cheeks were chubby like a little hamster, with unusually gentle eyes.

Zhao Ruxi felt uncomfortable under his gaze, so she looked up and glared at him, then raised her plate. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I've already eaten."

Seeing her put the last piece in her mouth and swallow it, Xiao Lingyan asked, "Do you have any ideas about what to do?"

"I have many ideas." Zhao Ruxi took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, "But I need to confirm with you what stage of development steel smelting technology has reached. Can springs be produced now?"

Xiao Lingyan nodded. "For more than a decade before Empress Shengyao passed away, she devoted herself to steel smelting. The steel smelting technology is quite good now, and the steel we produce should be enough for us to handle, as long as the requirements aren't too high. However, if you have higher requirements for springs, I can give those people some pointers so they can produce spring steel."