Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, the older sister from next door, who had already married out, returned home with her husband.

She came over to share some pastries with me, stroking my hair as she asked if I had been doing well lately.

I took a bite of a sweet, fragrant pastry and nodded vigorously.

“Very well! A few days ago, Fang Jingheng even came back to see me. He brought me a new set of clothes!”

Sister sighed. “Heir Fang…”

“Zhaozhao, you aren’t a child anymore. You only ended up like this because you saved him back then. Next time he comes, you must ask him how he intends to treat you in the future.”

I etched her words firmly into my heart.

Over a month later, Fang Jingheng came again.

I asked him happily, “Have you been doing well lately?”

He didn’t pay me any mind, however.

Instead, he turned around and carefully helped a young lady out of the carriage.

She was exceptionally beautiful, her hair swept up with jade and pearl hairpins, and she was wrapped in a snow-white fox fur cloak.

I was almost dazed by the sight of her.

She looked my small house up and down, shaking her head with a sigh.

“How can a perfectly good girl live in a place like this?”

I heard the pity in her voice and hurried to explain.

“This place is great!”

I cleaned my home every day, had fashioned a screen out of an old wooden door, and had even cleared a small vegetable patch in the yard.

As I spoke, I reached out to take her hand, wanting to show her my garden.

But she jerked away from me.

Covering her nose with her sleeve, she cried, “Fang Jingheng! She has a smell on her!”

I had just bathed yesterday; how could I have a smell?

I lifted my sleeve and sniffed.

There was only the faint scent of wood.

I must have picked it up while working this morning.

Fang Jingheng coaxed her patiently. “Didn’t we agree to go boating and pick lotus seeds? Go back to the carriage first. I’ll be there after I have a few words with her.”

He had such a wonderful temperament in front of that lady.

It wasn’t like how he used to be with me, always speaking in a gruff, loud voice.

He used to rap his knuckles against my forehead and call me a dummy.

I felt a bit dejected and a little angry.

But then Fang Jingheng pulled a silver hairpin from his sleeve, and I was coaxed into happiness again.

During our conversation, I remembered the neighbor sister’s advice.

I hurriedly said, “Fang Jingheng, I’ve reached my coming-of-age. It’s time for me to marry.”

“I only became like this because I saved you. How do you intend to treat me in the future?”

I said it all in one breath, without missing a word.

I was very satisfied with myself.

Unexpectedly, the look Fang Jingheng gave me was quite strange. “Are you using your kindness to coerce me? Don’t tell me you actually want to marry me?”

My eyes widened. “Marry you? Are you going to marry me?”

“Ye Zhao, I thought you were simple-minded, but I didn’t realize that now that you’ve seen me return to my position as Heir, you’ve developed thoughts of social climbing.”

I didn’t understand what he meant, so I just stared at him in confusion.

“Heh… fine.”

He looked at me, and though he was clearly smiling, I felt inexplicably afraid.

He said with a smile, “You are my savior. It would be quite a grievance for you to marry me.”

“Don’t worry. To repay your kindness, I will certainly arrange a good marriage for you.”