NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Surprised by a Shock
Chapter 57: Surprised by a Shock
“Uncle Pei, why are we being so polite?”
Fang Shaoze assumed that Pei Jifeng was hesitant to accept his help, and he encouraged him, “I’ve already invited Young Master Lin from the county town here, so don’t be so polite.”
Pei Jifeng quickly replied, “No, really, there’s no need!”
Fang Jiazhu’s face darkened slightly as he spoke in a more serious tone, “Brother Pei, don’t be so formal. The Fang and Pei families have always been close, and Shaoze and Zhaoxi were engaged as children. Soon, we’ll be in-laws. Shaoze is doing this out of filial piety, inviting Young Master Lin to help you secure the next town mayor position. You don’t have to refuse.”
“I don’t need your help, I said no!”
Pei Jifeng snapped, his anger flaring up. “Who asked you to interfere in my business?”
Xu Lian almost laughed out loud as he realized what was going on here.
The higher-ups had already decided that Pei Jifeng would be the next town mayor. The information had come directly from the Quarry Patrol Inspector White Fox, and the matter was as good as settled. There was no need to make any extra effort.
If Fang Shaoze continued pushing his “assistance”, there was a risk of undoing everything. What if the already secure position of the city’s mayor was jeopardized by this intervention?
Pei Jifeng’s sudden outburst left both Fang Jiazhu and his son stunned. They could hardly believe what they were hearing. Was Pei Jifeng really refusing their help?
Pei Jifeng’s desire to become the next city leader was well known. Fang Shaoze had invited Lin Chengyu from the county to help strengthen his position, but he never expected such a furious rejection.
Could it be that Pei Jifeng didn’t want the position anymore? Or was there some other reason behind his refusal?
“Uncle Pei, did I do something wrong? Have I upset you or Sister Zhaoxi?”
Fang Shaoze’s eyes welled up with tears as he spoke. Pei Jifeng’s anger, coupled with Zhaoxi’s earlier indifference, made the normally sunny young man feel hurt and confused, not understanding what had gone wrong.
To stop Fang Shaoze from continuing his “help”, Pei Jifeng coldly responded, “In any case, my matters are not for you to meddle with, do you understand?”
Fang Shaoze quickly tried to explain, “I didn’t mean to interfere, Uncle. I just wanted to offer my help to ensure your success in becoming the next town leader.”
“Who do you think you are!”
Pei Jifeng exploded, his anger even more intense. “Who asked for your help? My daughter Zhaoxi hasn’t even been promised to you yet. Do you really consider yourself part of the family?”
Fang Shaoze was completely stunned.
Fang Jiazhu’s face turned pale with fury as he shook with anger, pointing his trembling finger at Pei Jifeng. “Pei Jifeng, have you lost your mind? My son has shown you nothing but filial piety, and this is how you treat him? Do you think your daughter is such a treasure? If the Fang family snaps its fingers, we can find many gentle and virtuous women to marry into our family. What’s your daughter compared to them? From now on, the engagement is over!”
Xu Lian felt like he’d gotten a surprise, but not a bad one. He hadn’t even had a chance to propose dissolving the marriage contract with the Fang family, and here was Fang Jiazhu doing it on his own.
Xu Lian looked at Pei Zhaoxi. Their eyes met, and in that brief moment, he saw the same surprise reflected in her gaze.
Pei Jifeng, suddenly calm amidst his fury, laughed coldly, “Let it be canceled then.”
Fang Jiazhu, his temper rising, threw back his sleeve and forcefully grabbed Fang Shaoze, pulling him away.
Fang Shaoze, snapping out of his daze, became frantic. “Father, we can’t do this! There must be some misunderstanding. Let’s stay here and listen to Uncle Pei explain. We can clear things up.”
“You don’t need to explain anything!”
Pei Jifeng’s voice was firm, and his expression was resolute.
The higher-ups had already decided on him as the next town leader, but that information was still confidential and hadn’t been made public. He couldn’t risk revealing it right now. If he did that, it could anger the higher-ups and ruin his chances.
And more importantly, he couldn’t explain it without revealing the secret connection between Xu Lian and the quarry patrol inspector. That relationship was something that Pei Jifeng had carefully cultivated, and he wasn’t about to share it with the Fang or Su families.
Fang Jiazhu, now seething with rage, forcibly dragged Fang Shaoze away and headed down the mountain without another word.
Lin Chengyu, the young master of the Lin family who came from the county town, looked at Xu Lian deeply and left as well. He was invited by the Fang family, and since the Fang family had left, he certainly would not stay.
The tension between the Fang and Pei families didn’t go unnoticed. Su Qing, the former mayor and head of the Su family, one of the three major families, was secretly pleased. As someone who didn’t want the two families to join together through marriage, he saw an opportunity.
Su Qing glanced at Pei Zhaoxi before smiling at Pei Jifeng, “Old Brother Pei, there’s something I hesitate to say, but I feel I should.”
Pei Jifeng slowly calmed his anger and replied with a neutral tone, “What is it, Old Brother Su?”
Su Qing smiled, his voice laced with subtle scheming, “On the surface, Fang Shaoze and your Zhaoxi seem like a perfect match, a young and beautiful couple. But Shaoze is still too young and inexperienced. Zhaoxi is lively and playful; he’s simply not capable of handling her. In truth, they’re not well suited for each other.”
Pei Jifeng frowned, sensing that something was wrong. “What do you mean, Old Brother Su?”
Su Qing, still smiling, continued, “What I mean is that your Zhaoxi should marry a more mature man, someone a little older. For example, my eldest son, in his twenties, is already a man of maturity and capability. He would be a much better match for Zhaoxi.”
Xu Lian, who had been observing the conversation, couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Really?” He had just gotten rid of an engagement, and now here was another proposal?
Pei Zhaoxi was not having it. She coldly replied, “Thank you for your kind intentions, Old Town Mayor, but I am already engaged.”
Su Qing’s smile faltered, his eyebrows furrowing in surprise. “You’re still thinking about Fang Shaoze?”
Pei Zhaoxi shook her head. “No.”
Su Qing was even more confused. “Then who is it? Who could be better than my eldest son?”
Pei Jifeng also looked at his daughter in confusion. He knew that she had some feelings for Fang Shaoze, but they had just ended their engagement. To his surprise, it seemed that she already had feelings for another man. Was she that quick to move on? Or had she already been interested in someone else while she was still engaged to Fang Shaoze?
This forced Pei Jifeng to take the situation more seriously. “Zhaoxi, you are my legitimate daughter, not like some secondary daughter. Your marriage is a serious matter, and the man you marry must be of value to the Pei family. It cannot be based on your personal preferences.”
He paused, thinking about her past. “Breaking off the engagement with Fang Shaoze might actually be a good thing. When your mother had you, the Fang family also had a child, and the families agreed to the marriage. But I never expected you to grow up to be such a stunning beauty. Marrying into the Fang family now seems like a waste. If you marry into a more prestigious family in Pingyang County, it would be the greatest help for the Pei family.”
Pei Zhaoxi shot a look at Xu Lian, irritation in her eyes. The message was clear: Was he still waiting for her to say something? Was he going to sit there in silence, or was he going to act?
Understanding that the time had arrived to seize his own happiness, Xu Lian immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Uncle Pei, I have something to ask you.”
Pei Jifeng, caught off guard by Xu Lian’s sudden interjection while he was discussing Zhaoxi’s marriage, shifted his gaze toward him with a puzzled expression. Did Xu Lian also want to marry Zhaoxi? After all, hadn’t the two of them just had a falling out earlier?