Chapter 108 [Rebirth Side Story] "The only person I want to marry in this life is..."

Chapter 10 [Rebirth Side Story] "The only person I want to marry in this life is..."

Not only did the scions of prominent families attending the banquet think Xue Lingyu had gone mad, but even Xue Lingyu himself thought he had gone mad. He knew the consequences of his actions, but he was willing to accept them and even hoped for them.

Xue Lingyu held the plum blossom to her nose and sniffed it a few times. She smiled at Jiang He and said, "I really like this plum blossom. Thank you."

Jiang He couldn't help but scratch the back of his head and said with a simple smile, "I'm glad you like it."

She didn't care what others said; she felt incredibly satisfied as long as she saw Xue Lingyu's smile.

Seeing that she was still standing there blankly, Xue Lingyu tilted her head and gestured to her, saying, "Don't you think it's a bit noisy here? Why don't we go sit in the pavilion?"

Jiang He had no reason not to agree.

Seeing that Xue Lingyu had taken the initiative to extend an invitation, as if he were genuinely interested in Jiang He, the young ladies from noble families who admired him found it all quite unbelievable. What did Jiang He have that they could compare to? Apart from being good-looking and having a bit of money, his status was nowhere near theirs.

I wonder if Xue Lingyu has lost her mind.

Jiang He seemed a little uneasy. She rarely had the opportunity to spend time with Xue Lingyu like this, and she was afraid that she might do something wrong and upset Xue Lingyu, which would make him continue to dislike her.

Xue Lingyu plucked a petal from a plum blossom branch, pretended to place it in her hair, and asked Jiang He for her opinion, "Does it look good?"

Jiang He nodded seriously, "It looks good."

Xue Lingyu chuckled softly. How come he had never noticed how adorable Jiang He was before? After the Xue family fell into misfortune, the two of them were caught in a web of misunderstandings, and his heart was clouded, unable to see the kindness Jiang He showed him.

Now that he has a second chance, he will treat Jiang He even better.

"I actually have a question I want to ask you, but I'm hesitant." Jiang He took a deep breath, looking quite hesitant.

“Those people will naturally be very surprised to see me accept your flowers and be so close to you, and they might even spread rumors.” Xue Lingyu winked at Jiang He, and seeing that she was a little far away from him, he moved closer. Looking at her astonished expression, he said with thin lips, “Then let them say what they want. As long as you are willing to marry me, that’s all that matters.”

"I know you want to ask if I have feelings for you, and if I'm willing to marry you." Xue Lingyu pursed her lips slightly, looked at Jiang He with a firm gaze, and said with a smile, "I want to say that I like you, and I'm willing to marry you."

There were only Jiang He and Xue Lingyu in the pavilion. Jiang He was initially taken aback, but eventually, like a man, his eyes reddened, and he looked at Xue Lingyu at a loss.

She was excited, happy, and even felt like the luckiest person in the world. But she was also afraid that it was all a dream. Xue Lingyu had been deliberately avoiding her before, but now he suddenly said he liked her.

If heaven has taken pity on her and allowed her to have a dream, then she prays that she will never wake up.

"So what about you?" Xue Lingyu tugged at her sleeve, his voice as clear as jade, "Will you marry me?"

Without even thinking, Jiang He blurted out, "Of course I'm willing."

Her greatest wish in life was to marry Xue Lingyu.

Xue Lingyu took her hand and said, "Then I'll wait for you to propose."

He had always liked Jiang He's hands, and now that he saw that she hadn't listened to those bad friends and done anything foolish, and that she wasn't injured, he felt much more at ease.

He wanted Jiang He to always be safe and sound.

After the banquet, rumors indeed began to circulate, saying that the eldest son of the Xue family had lost his mind and actually took the initiative to befriend the playboy from the Jiang family, even openly accepting flowers from her at the banquet, showing no restraint or demeanor whatsoever of a young master from a noble family.

These words quickly reached the ears of Xue's parents, and Xue's father immediately summoned Xue Lingyu.

“Yu’er, have you forgotten your father’s instructions? You are the son of the Prime Minister, while the Jiang family is just a merchant family. You should stay away from that spoiled eldest daughter of the Jiang family, otherwise one day she will ruin your reputation.”

Xue's father was always proud of his eldest son and hoped that he could marry into the royal family and become a noble young master. He absolutely did not want him to marry a merchant and spend his days worrying about money, which would waste the integrity he had been raised to have.

Mr. Xue still believes that Jiang He was pestering him, and that Xue Lingyu acted out of kindness and consideration for her feelings.

His tone softened, and he patted Xue Lingyu's hand, saying, "Yu'er, don't worry, I'll go and ask your mother to go to the Jiang family right now and have Jiang Shangyi teach her legitimate daughter a lesson. You are a pampered young master, how could her family possibly dream of marrying you?"

His father had always looked down on the Jiang family, and Xue Lingyu's prejudice against them was deeply ingrained. However, this time, he had to disobey his father.

“Father, regardless of social status, Jiang He is not what you imagine her to be. She is a good person, and it was my own choice to become close to her.”

Father Xue was surprised to hear such praise for Jiang He from his eldest son. His eyes widened. "Yu'er, what's wrong with you?"

Xue Lingyu's next words almost made him faint.

"Father, I love Jiang He, and I want to marry her."

"How could you say such frivolous and dissolute things!" Mr. Xue clutched his heaving chest, looking at Xue Lingyu in disbelief.

Just then, a servant came to report: "My lord, the Jiang family has come to propose marriage, and the master is currently receiving them in the front hall."

Before Xue's father could say anything, Xue Lingyu ran towards the front hall and disappeared in no time, leaving him no chance to stop her.

Jiang He finally managed to beg her mother to propose marriage, even offering most of the Jiang family's wealth as a dowry, hoping that Xue Lingyi would agree to marry her eldest son to her.

Everyone in the capital knew that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family was deeply in love with the eldest son of the Xue family, but no one expected her to be so generous. After all, the Jiang family was the richest family in the capital, and the amount of betrothal gifts she offered was even comparable to the dowry of a prince.

However, Xue Lingyi's expression was not good. Firstly, merchants were considered lowly, and Jiang He had no official rank. Secondly, her legitimate son did not like Jiang He. In any case, she could not agree to this marriage.

“Aunt Xue, I am Jiang He. I humbly request that you marry your son to me. I promise that I will treat him with all my heart and will never take a concubine. I hope you will agree to my request.” Jiang He presented the betrothal letter with both hands.

She wrote the letter of appointment herself. Although she wasn't very well-educated, she had practiced her handwriting diligently, and it was quite decent.

Xue Lingyi wouldn't let the Jiang family lose face so easily. She symbolically accepted the betrothal letter, glanced at it twice, and was about to politely decline when Xue Lingyu suddenly ran over and snatched the betrothal letter from her hand.

Xue Lingyu ran all the way here, his face flushed and a little out of breath, but he held the betrothal letter tightly and looked at Jiang He, "I personally agree to this marriage."

Xue Lingyi frowned and scolded, "Yu'er, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Xue Lingyu looked at her mother and said seriously, "Mother, I'm not being silly. I really want to marry Jiang He. No matter if she's a merchant or a commoner, she's the only person I want to marry in this life."

The fact that the eldest son had changed so much in such a short period of time caught Xue Lingyi off guard.

She lowered her voice and said to Xue Lingyu, "Do you really know what you're saying?"

“My son has never been so clear-headed.” Xue Lingyu pursed his lips. “If Mother doesn’t agree to this marriage, I will elope with Jiang He to a place you will never find.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Lingyi truly felt that her son had gone mad and was simply making a laughingstock of himself. She simply waved her hand and said, "Someone, take the eldest young master back to his room. Do not let him out without my orders."

The servants were about to make their move, and Jiang He was also a little anxious. She wanted to step forward to protect Xue Lingyu, but Xue Lingyu gave her a look that said "stay calm" and signaled her not to move for the time being.

Jiang Shangyi was completely stunned. She hadn't expected the eldest son of the Xue family to say such a thing. It seemed that the marriage was going to happen.

Just before Xue Lingyu was about to be taken away after being grabbed by the arm by a servant, she uttered a shocking statement: "Let's see who dares to touch me, Mother. Can you bear to see the child in my belly without a mother?"

He spoke as if it were the truth, and everyone turned to look at Jiang He. Jiang He was forced back two steps by the gazes, not knowing where to begin to explain. She had never done such a thing, nor did she have the courage to do so.

Xue Lingyi gritted her teeth and asked, "When did this happen?"

The servants immediately released Xue Lingyu, fearing that something might happen to the child in her womb.

"It's been two months already," Xue Lingyu said as if it were true.

Her eldest son has always been obedient and well-behaved, the most reassuring person. I never expected him to do such a thing. Xue Lingyi had no doubt that he would lie about such a thing, so the way she looked at Jiang He was probably as if she wanted to kill her on the spot.

"Mother, it was my own choice. Jiang He was forced by me. This has nothing to do with her." Xue Lingyu touched her belly, looking pitiful. "But Mother, a child can't be without a mother..."

Even though Xue Lingyi was furious, she knew that since this had happened, Xue Lingyu had no choice but to marry Jiang He. She took the betrothal letter from Xue Lingyu's hand, suppressed her anger, and said to Jiang Shangyi, "I agree to this marriage. The wedding must be completed before next month."

If this drags on, Xue Lingyu's belly will grow bigger, and the whole capital will laugh at her.

When Jiang He and Jiang Shangyi finally left, she was still in a state of not having reacted yet.

The marriage was actually arranged like that? Was she dreaming?

However, Xue Lingyi's murderous gaze sent chills down her spine, but she really hadn't done anything like that...

Xue Lingyi wanted to ask Xue Lingyu what exactly happened, how he suddenly fell in love with Jiang He, insisted on marrying her, and even secretly had an affair with her...

Xue Lingyi knew her son's temperament well; if he hadn't wanted to, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family wouldn't have even been able to touch his hand.

However, whenever Xue Lingyi tried to ask, Xue Lingyu would pretend to be nauseous from morning sickness, putting on a weak appearance, which made Xue's father feel sorry for him. He would hold him in his arms and refuse to let Xue Lingyi continue to press him for answers.

"Now that the die is cast and Yu'er is carrying our granddaughter, let's not dwell on those things anymore. Is your pride more important, or Yu'er's health?" Father Xue cried and sniffled, leaving Xue Lingyi with no chance to ask and only able to prepare for Xue Lingyu's wedding.

With such a generous betrothal gift from the Jiang family, she naturally couldn't show weakness.

Xue's father was prejudiced against merchants and felt that Jiang He was not good enough for Xue Lingyu. However, he still loved his only legitimate son in his heart. Moreover, after Xue Lingyu told him about the dream, his opinion of the Jiang family changed somewhat.

Xue Lingyu said that in her dream, the Xue family was framed and fell into misfortune three years ago. Xue Lingyi was exiled, and she and her father were reduced to slaves and almost ended up in the brothel. If it weren't for the Jiang family's intervention and their secret protection of Xue Lingyi in exile, the Xue family would probably have disappeared.

Later, Jiang He risked her life to save Xue Lingyi and help the Xue family to clear up their grievances.

At first, Mr. Xue thought it was just a dream, and it was three years from now, so he couldn't take it seriously. But when Xue Lingyu said several things that would happen tomorrow, and they all came true, Mr. Xue really believed that Xue Lingyu might actually have the ability to foresee the future.

Perhaps in another world, all of this actually happened. Jiang He really saved the Xue family, married Xue Lingyu, and the couple lived happily ever after, even having a daughter and a son.

"Just focus on getting married. As long as Jiang He treats you well, I won't have any other worries," Xue's father said gently, stroking Xue Lingyu's hair.

"I originally wanted to keep you for a few more years, but I never thought that a son can't stay at home forever. Since you like Jiang He, it can be considered a good match. As long as my son is happy, I will be happy too."

These words brought tears to Xue Lingyu's eyes. He hugged his father and choked out, calling out "Father!"

"Don't let your mother's stern face fool you; she cares about you the most. Now that you're married, she'll definitely find opportunities to help her son-in-law." Mr. Xue meant that he shouldn't worry and could just marry into the family without any concerns.

Anyway, with the Xue family backing him up, the Jiang family wouldn't dare treat him badly.

Just as her father had said, Xue Lingyi was extremely busy with Xue Lingyu's affairs. The old fogies in the Ministry of Rites said she had gone mad for marrying her son off to a merchant, and they gave her a stern lecture, showing no regard for the fact that Xue Lingyi was the head of all officials.

Xue Lingyi didn't back down either, engaging in a heated debate with these old fogies until they were exhausted and dared not argue with her any further.

"So what if they're merchants? As long as my son is happy, it's none of your business, you old hags!" Xue Lingyi said angrily. She was just looking for a place to vent her anger, and these people just happened to walk in.

At this time, Kang Minzhi was just a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel. By chance, he and Xue Lingyi became friends.

She didn't understand why Xue Lingyi would agree to the marriage, so she dared to chime in with a few words. Unexpectedly, Xue Lingyi broke off all contact with her.

After hearing Xue Lingyu's words, Xue's father whispered in Xue Lingyi's ear that it was best to stay away from this villain who might frame the Xue family as soon as possible.