"Second Master," Ju Mu'er sighed, his childish temper flared up again. But his outburst actually made her feel a little better.
"Eat more." Long Er put some food on her plate. "You were already skinny, and after this illness, you're just skin and bones. You need to gain some weight quickly, otherwise it'll be painful to hold you like that."
Ju Mu'er blushed slightly at his words and lowered her head, trying to cover it up by eating. But then she realized that eating would make it seem like she was trying to gain weight. Just then, she heard Long Er's soft laughter.
His laughter made her a little uneasy, so she decided to change the subject of the annulment of the engagement.
"Second Master, do you like me?"
Long Er kept piling food onto her plate, saying, "I'll tell you after you finish all the food on your plate."
Was he deliberately trying to punish her?
Ju Mu'er pouted, ate a bite of food, and asked again, "Second Master, do you like me?"
"It depends on who you're compared to," Long Er said slowly. "If it's compared to Long San and Feng Feng, or Big Brother and Sister-in-law, I'm afraid my affection for you can't compare. But if it's compared to those Miss Ding, Miss Chen, or Miss Liu, then I can't be happier for you."
Ju Mu'er fell silent, unsure how to respond. She had expected him to say he wasn't particularly happy, which would allow her to continue the conversation. But his reply was so smooth, neither flattering her nor giving her any opening to say anything.
Ju Mu'er sighed inwardly, thinking of retreating and looking for another opportunity to fight, but unexpectedly, her opponent came after her.
Long Er asked, "Then Mu'er, tell me, do you like me?"
Ju Mu'er almost bit her tongue. Before she could reply, Long Er continued, "You must like me. Otherwise, why would you turn down Chen Liangze's marriage proposal, refuse Yun Qingxian, and then personally propose to me? It must be because you like me, right?"
Ju Mu'er was stunned for a moment, then nodded helplessly and smiled, "Second Master, it sounds quite lively on the street outside. Is the Lantern Festival about to begin?"
"Tell me how you like me, and make me happy."
Ju Mu'er sighed inwardly; it seemed this hurdle was truly difficult to overcome. She began to fabricate a story: "Second Master has a dignified appearance..."
"You can't see?"
Ju Mu'er pursed her lips: "Second Master's voice is very pleasant to hear."
"This is not bad." Long Er gave her a token compliment.
Ju Mu'er continued her embellishment: "Second Master is elegant and has an extraordinary bearing."
"You felt it?" That sounds so insincere.
Ju Mu'er pouted and said in a muffled voice, "Second Master's hands are very warm."
Long Er smiled with satisfaction and reached out to hold her hand. Ju Mu'er bit her lip, and pulled her hand away in a little tantrum. How could someone secretly tease her while also trying to be nice to her?
She pulled her hand away, and Long Er was dissatisfied. He said in a stern voice, "Give me your hand."
Ju Mu'er crossed her arms on her knees, gritted her teeth, and bluntly said, "Second Master, please don't marry me, okay?"
“No.” Long Er answered crisply. Ju Mu’er bit her lip and twisted her fingers under her head.
Long Er snorted and asked, "Why won't you marry me?" His voice sounded angry and fierce.
Ju Mu'er dared not speak.
"You don't want to get married anymore?"
I dare not nod.
What are you thinking?
Ju Mu'er didn't know how to answer, and continued to twist her fingers with her head down.
Long Er glanced at the bustling crowd downstairs, then suddenly stood up and said, "Let's go see the lantern festival."
Ju Mu'er was feeling down. She responded with a sound of agreement and reached out to touch her bamboo cane, but couldn't reach it. Then she remembered that Long Er had taken it. She said somewhat awkwardly, "Second Master, my bamboo cane..."
"Oh, I fell downstairs." Long Er felt no remorse whatsoever.
Ju Mu'er stood there. She knew it had fallen downstairs, but since he had lost it, shouldn't he have found someone to retrieve it?
Long Er seemed to know what she was thinking. He grabbed her hand fiercely and dragged her outside, saying, "That broken bamboo cane was picked up by someone a long time ago. It's gone."
"Then how am I supposed to walk?"
"How are you leaving now?" Long Er arrogantly grabbed her hand and, in full view of everyone, led her downstairs, through the front hall, and out of the main gate of Xianwei Restaurant.
As dusk settled, families who had finished their dinner strolled the streets, buying trinkets and waiting to see the lanterns.
Ju Mu'er had never liked crowded activities, and after losing her sight, she never joined in on the fun. Yet, Long Er insisted on leading her to a crowded place. Ju Mu'er was stepped on and bumped into several times, but she couldn't complain.
She knew she had angered Long Er, but the shadow of being kidnapped lingered in her heart. Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her forehead—Long Er had flicked her. "You can even space out while walking."
"I wasn't spacing out."
"So do you know where we are now?"
Ju Mu'er was taken aback; she hadn't expected to memorize the route at all.
"Aren't you the one who loves counting steps to remember the way? Aren't you the one who knows where you are wherever you go?"
She certainly did, because she was afraid of getting lost, so she always tried her best to remember the way when walking. But now that he was holding her hand and leading her, she forgot, forgot she was supposed to remember.
Long Er led her to the side of the street, took her hand, and let her touch the colorful lanterns hanging on the pole. Ju Mu'er smelled the scent of the perfume shop next door and said, "East Street."
The perfume shop at the intersection of Dongda Street, and the lantern festival on Dongda Street.
“It’s East Street.” Long Er smiled and led her to touch the next lamp, telling her, “After the first month of the lunar calendar, the eaves of this street will be built. The place where you are standing will be covered with roof tiles.”
Ju Mu'er was stunned for a moment, then felt her eyes welling up with tears. Long Er continued, "Your beloved Qing'er is selling flowers here, no longer exposed to the sun and rain. Aren't you happy?"
Ju Mu'er was speechless for a moment, and it took her a long time to finally respond: "Happy."
"When you came to me with your request, did you ever consider that I might refuse?"
"I lost my mind. The doctor said that Qing'er would die from such a high fever. I cried and thought I had to do something for her. So, on impulse, I went to find the Second Master."
"Hmph, you have a bad temper too. When I don't agree, you find an excuse to spill tea all over me." Long Er poked her forehead again.
Ju Mu'er rubbed her head, looking aggrieved, and said, "Hasn't Second Master already retaliated for this?"
Am I such a petty person?
The girl hesitated to answer yes. She continued walking forward, led by Long Er.
As Long Er walked along, he said again, "Mu'er, once you're married, your family will be my family, and I will take good care of them. Now that the eaves have been built on this street, Qing'er's little business will be easier. Or if she doesn't want to sell flowers anymore, I can arrange something else for her."
Ju Mu'er shook her head: "She's very stubborn. If you're too obviously biased, she'll get upset."
Long Er nodded, not caring, since his main point wasn't about Su Qing. He pulled Ju Mu'er to a stop and said, "But if you don't marry me, I'll make sure she can't do any business in this city."
Ju Mu'er was stunned. Long Er stroked her face and said, "You were the one who proposed to me, and I agreed. So if you want to back out, you have to think about the consequences. Ding Yanxiang isn't the only one who will force you into marriage."
Ju Mu'er blinked, her face scrunching up. Long Er threatened her, "Aren't you scared?"
"I'm scared." Her voice was full of grievance.
Long Er pulled her into his arms and kissed her ear: "What are you hesitating about?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head, unable to speak.
"Is it those gossipy people in the neighborhood? Did their nonsense upset you?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head again.
"What are you afraid of? Even though Ding Yanshan is still unmarried and no one wants her, people are spreading rumors about her. You already have someone who wants you, so why care what others say?"
Ju Mu'er rubbed her eyes and muttered, "Don't talk about Miss Ding like that."
"She's nobody to me, I don't care about her." Long Er rubbed Ju Mu'er's head: "I only care about my own family."
Yes, it's common knowledge that Master Long is stingy and protective of his own.
Ju Mu'er felt sad again. She clutched his clothes, trying to figure out how to sort things out. Just then, she heard Long Er say, "I have a good idea that can help you get rid of your hesitation."
Ju Mu'er looked up, rubbing her eyes: "What method?"
Do you know where this is?
"East Street".
What day is it today?
"The fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
"So there are a lot of people on this street."
Ju Mu'er nodded. So what if there are a lot of people? Did he mean that if she didn't listen, he would leave her in the crowd and let her be crushed to death?
As Ju Mu'er was lost in thought, her lips suddenly tightened, and she was kissed.
45. A daughter who stays at home gets married for the first time
This was not a fleeting kiss.
Just like Master Long's domineering style, this kiss was powerful and deep.
Before Ju Mu'er could react, Long Er had already grabbed the back of her head and kissed her deeply. Ju Mu'er heard gasps of surprise from people around her, and soft cries of "Oh dear, oh dear"... Ju Mu'er felt herself being held tightly in Long Er's arms, feeling the warmth and strength of his tongue and lips.
The surrounding noise was deafening, and even though Ju Mu'er couldn't see, she could imagine the stares directed at her from all sides. Her ears were ringing, and her face felt burning hot, as if it were about to bleed. But Long Er was holding her so tightly that she couldn't and dared not push him away.
With so many people watching, she suddenly understood what he meant.
She nestled in his arms, her hands gripping his collar tightly. To struggle now would be like slapping him in public; she couldn't do that. She thought he was certain she would.
This is the perfect opportunity to ruin the marriage, but she can't bring herself to do it at the cost of his reputation. Dealing with it privately is one thing, but embarrassing him in public is quite another.
But why would she do that?
So she cared about him that much?
Ju Mu'er suddenly felt like crying; she had made a complete mess of things. At this moment, Long Er released her, looked down at her lips, which were moist and pink from being kissed, and couldn't help but touch them with his fingertip.
Ju Mu'er was still clutching his clothes tightly. Long Er placed his hand on the back of her hand and said, "On the eighteenth day of the first month, I will marry you in a sedan chair carried by eight men."
Ju Mu'er could no longer hold back and threw herself into his arms, closing her eyes as tears soaked his chest.
Long Er smiled, stroked her hair, and whispered in her ear, "Don't overthink it. Just be a wife of the Long family, okay?"
Ju Mu'er nodded, nodded vigorously.
That night, Ju Mu'er was in a daze. She didn't know how long they wandered the streets. She only remembered that she no longer had her bamboo cane and that Long Er was holding her hand the whole time.
She hadn't actually seen what the lanterns hanging in the street looked like, but Long Er would tell her about any that were interesting and even let her touch them. He even took her to guess lantern riddles. She heard the lively sounds around her, everyone chattering away as they guessed the answers, some of which were so funny they made her laugh. She didn't like joining in the fun, but today, standing among this group of people, standing next to Long Er, she felt happiest of all.
It's strange, was she the one who was so depressed a few days ago?
Was she the one who kept thinking about how to refuse the marriage proposal while we were eating?