Blossom in Adversity

C124. So-Called Family.

Chapter 124: So-Called Family

The news of the Hua family's involvement spread like wildfire, even before they returned home.

Shen Qi and the old master were so disturbed by the news that they could hardly concentrate on their game of go.

Shen Zhui tossed down his chess piece, wiped his hands, and took a sip of tea. "If you'd made it clear from the start that you wouldn't marry anyone else, your grandmother wouldn't have agreed to annul the engagement so readily."

"She might have hesitated, but she would have done it eventually," Shen Qi replied with a bitter smile. "If I had known that a half-year journey would cost me so dearly, I would never have left."

Shen Zhui also regretted the situation. Despite the downfall of the Hua family and the subsequent loss of their matriarch, the family had remained strong and united. They'd even dared to send people to the Yang family to reclaim their mistreated married daughter. This was no ordinary act of courage; the Hua family girl herself was extraordinary.

If she had become the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family, there would have been no need to worry about future internal strife. But as Shen Qi had said, even if the Hua family hadn't withdrawn the engagement, the Shen family would have had to do so eventually. The two families were simply too mismatched.

Shen Qi covered his face, overwhelmed by a sense of failure. It had only been half a year, yet his teacher had been exiled and his fiancée was gone. By the time he had received the news and returned, it was too late. He couldn't bear to think about how his teacher would view him—heartless, ungrateful, or even worse. He felt he was lower than a beast.

"What would Hua Zhi think of me now?" Shen Qi pondered. "If breaking off the engagement was merely a test, she'd probably think him heartless and unfeeling."

And wasn't he?

With his grandfather's attitude so clear, even if they didn't initiate the breakup, it would happen sooner or later. Thinking of the beautiful woman who laughed and chatted with the maidservants, Shen Qi felt a pang of sorrow.

He had met Hua Zhi several times. After their engagement, he had secretly coaxed Bailin into telling him more about his sister. So he knew she was well-educated, skilled in calligraphy, painting, and music, and that she was a talented cook. He knew that many of Bailin's skills had been taught to him by his eldest sister, and that Bailin respected and loved her above all else.

At the time, he had thought, "Such a wonderful woman will be my wife. Our life together will be so beautiful."

He had even decided that this would be his last journey. Once married, he would not leave his wife alone at home. But who could have imagined that he would return to such a situation?

He shouldn't have gone to such a remote place. Even if he had to travel, he should have chosen a place closer to home.

"Grandfather, I..." Shen Qi looked up, but when he met his grandfather's gaze, he fell silent. He knew there was no point in arguing. His grandfather would never agree.

Shen Zhui set down his teacup and said indifferently, "Just consider it fate that you two weren't meant to be. Don't force it. And even if you wanted to ask her now, she probably wouldn't agree. Qi'er, she's no longer just a young lady of the Hua family. She's the head of the Hua family. The Hua family can't do without her. We're marrying a wife, not an entire family."

"Yes," Shen Qi forced a smile, pushing himself up from the armrest. "Your grandson is a bit tired. I'll return to my room now."

"Go," Shen Zhui nodded, sitting silently for a moment before letting out a long sigh.