Fated Deception: How I Accidentally Married a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 47: First Impressions

The young woman was dark-complexioned and heavyset—evident signs that her family was financially comfortable. A truly impoverished family couldn’t support such robust eating. She was, to put it plainly, built like a gas pipe.

Standing only about 1.57 meters tall compared to Su Liyan’s 1.67 meters, this height wasn’t particularly short for a woman. However, her substantial girth made her appear quite stocky.

Lu Yuan felt no surprise whatsoever at Wang Xu’s prospective daughter-in-law’s appearance. He had anticipated this from the beginning. Consider the facts: both her parents held jobs, and she herself had steady employment. In the imperial city, such a family would be considered comfortably situated—public housing, urban registration, stable income.

With these advantages, why would she need an arranged match? If she had been even moderately attractive, she would never have required matchmaking services. Furthermore, what did Wang Xiaofei’s family offer? A ramshackle private dwelling, a mother who was lazy and contributed little, no imperial city registration, and Wang Xiaofei himself was merely an apprentice earning a dozen yuan monthly.

Under these circumstances, any attractive woman with good prospects would have no interest in such a match. There had to be a significant drawback explaining why she would consider Wang Xiaofei’s family.

Lin Zhidong appeared with three bottles of orange soda and a bottle opener. Lu Yuan opened one for his wife and one for himself, leaving Lin Zhidong to manage his own. After taking a deep gulp that emptied half his bottle, Lu Yuan set it on the waist-high wall and released a satisfied belch. The cool drink felt wonderful on this Saturday afternoon when everyone was home.

As soon as the curious children called out, residents streamed into the yard to witness the scene. The backyard quickly filled with onlookers.

Wang Xu and Wang Xiaofei initially emerged from their home wearing proud, excited expressions, but their faces fell noticeably as they approached. They couldn’t maintain their composure.

To be fair, Wang Xu had received some vague warnings from the matchmaker about the young woman’s appearance. But she had reasoned—how unattractive could one person be compared to another? Everyone has one nose and two eyes, essentially the same features. Now, confronted with reality…

After her momentary shock, Wang Xu quickly recovered her smile. So what if the girl wasn’t beautiful? Her family had means and status! With the lights off, nighttime would erase all differences. Wang Xu considered herself open-minded about such matters.

Wang Xiaofei, however, was visibly distressed. Though reluctant, he couldn’t simply walk away with so many witnesses present. He could only stand awkwardly in place.

The matchmaker guided the young woman into the backyard where everyone could see her clearly. Several onlookers nearly burst into laughter. After Wang Xu’s weeks of boasting about her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, this reality proved anticlimactic.

Truthfully, the girl wasn’t utterly unappealing—she belonged to the same human species as everyone else. With sufficient determination, one could adjust to her appearance. Many faces become more pleasing after prolonged exposure.

But such reasoning might have applied before Su Liyan joined the compound. Her presence had significantly elevated everyone’s aesthetic standards. The residents glanced between Su Liyan—slender-waisted and graceful in Lu Yuan’s embrace, her rosy complexion almost ethereal—and the stocky newcomer. The contrast was stark and unflattering.

Wang Xu greeted the matchmaker at the entrance, and the two older women began chattering animatedly. Meanwhile, the young woman and Wang Xiaofei hung back, neither speaking. Still, the girl’s interest in Wang Xiaofei was evident.

Wang Xiaofei stood at least 1.7 meters tall—a half-head shorter than Lu Yuan but still above average height for the era. His appearance was pleasant enough, with a muscular build visible even beneath his sweatshirt—the natural physique of a working man. The young woman clearly found him acceptable.

Wang Xiaofei, however, barely glanced at her. Instead, he kept stealing looks at Su Liyan across the yard, her fairy-like beauty impossible to ignore.

Internally, Wang Xiaofei struggled. Repeatedly, he tried convincing himself to accept the match despite his initial shock. The woman’s family circumstances were undeniably advantageous. Yet each time his resolve weakened, he would catch another glimpse of Su Liyan, and his determination would solidify anew.

No, absolutely not! This was a lifelong commitment! Even if his future wife couldn’t match Su Liyan’s beauty, she should at least reach half that standard! Wang Xiaofei’s pride wouldn’t allow him to settle. Though currently an apprentice, he wouldn’t remain one forever. Eventually, he would advance to a seventh or eighth-level worker earning seventy or eighty yuan monthly. He deserved better than this.

Wang Xu, having completed her pleasantries with the matchmaker, pulled her reluctant son forward. She smiled at the young woman. “Come inside and talk, dear. Let’s continue our conversation indoors.”

The girl nodded eagerly, ready to speak privately with Wang Xiaofei. But he remained rooted in place, immovable as stone.

Seeing his resistance, Wang Xu grew anxious. She slapped her son’s backside and glared at him. “What’s wrong with you, boy?”

Typically a mama’s boy who never dared contradict his mother, Wang Xiaofei found himself unable to explicitly reject the match but equally unwilling to proceed with the indoor conversation. He remained frozen in indecision.

The compound residents watched this uncomfortable scene with barely concealed amusement, while Wang Xu and the matchmaker struggled with mounting embarrassment.

“Xiao Fei,” Lu Yuan’s voice suddenly cut through the awkward silence. “Go inside and chat with the young lady. When seeking a wife, looks aren’t everything. What matters most is compatibility—similar personalities, easy conversation. Look at me, brother. When I chose your sister-in-law, it wasn’t for her beauty. It was simply because we share similar temperaments and communicate well.”

Everyone turned toward Lu Yuan in confusion.

He spread his hands with exaggerated sincerity. “It’s true! I’m face-blind. I couldn’t even tell you if your sister-in-law is pretty or not!”

The gathered crowd could only stare in disbelief.