Chapter 261 - 261 Not Fated

261 Not Fated

Lu Yaoguang never expected so much to happen at home in just a meal.

He first asked Madam Shu and Lu Yao to bring the guests to the reception hall to rest before saying to Tang Guixi,

“Come with me for a moment.”

Tang Guixi followed Lu Yaoguang to the study.

After the two of them sat down, Lu Yaoguang spoke solemnly.

“I’m old friends with your father. Even if your father is no longer around, the relationship between our families is still there. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. I’ll definitely help you. Don’t mention the annulment again.”

Tang Guixi said, “I appreciate your kindness. I don’t have any difficulties. The reason why I want to annul the engagement is that I’m not suitable for Lu Yao.”

Lu Yaoguang asked, “Aren’t you and Yun Zhong quite compatible? And I can tell that Yun Zhong likes you very much. It’s not like you don’t have feelings for him.”

Tang Guixi looked down at her hands in her lap. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away.”

“If Lu Yao marries me, he has to live with me in the Eastern Expedition Army camp. We can’t stay at home often to serve you and your wife. I can’t listen to your arrangements for everything. If I’m unlucky, I might even die on the battlefield. Can you still accept such a daughter-in-law?”

Lu Yaoguang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t.

Of course, he couldn’t accept it.

What he wanted was a daughter-in-law who could take care of Lu Yao and help with the housework, not a woman who would abduct his son after getting married.

Tang Guixi looked up.

She saw the answer on Lu Yaoguang’s face.

She was not surprised.

Tang Guixi continued calmly.

“There are many things in this world that are more important than love, such as responsibility. With my father gone, I will watch over the Eastern Expedition for him. It is my responsibility. Lu Yao is the eldest son of the Lu family. It is his responsibility to inherit the family business in the future. We all have our responsibilities. He cannot give up his responsibility as the eldest son of the Lu family just to be with me. I can’t abandon the Eastern Expedition Army just to be with him.”

Lu Yaoguang was stunned.

He did not expect such a little girl to think so far ahead.

He let out a long sigh.

“Your parents are no longer around. You’re alone and helpless now. If you still break off the engagement with our family, what will you do in the future? What will you rely on to survive? Don’t just think about the Eastern Expedition Army. You have to plan for yourself!”

Tang Guixi lowered her eyes again. “My father used to tell me that there has to be a small number of people in this world who can’t plan for themselves. I didn’t understand these words before, but I do now.”

Lu Yaoguang could no longer speak.

He would never be able to become someone like Tang Pei, but this did not stop him from admiring someone like Tang Pei.

The little girl in front of him already had the demeanor of her father when he was young.

Tang Guixi placed the jade pendant and the marriage proposal on the table.

“These are back to you.”

Lu Yaoguang picked up the Guanyin jade pendant. “This jade pendant was given to you by Yun Zhong, right? He actually gave you this. Looks like he really wants to marry you.”

Tang Guixi said, “I’ve let him down.”

Lu Yaoguang put down the jade pendant. “Forget it. None of you did anything wrong. You can only blame fate.”

He stood up and walked to the desk. He opened the locked drawer and took out the marriage proposal.

“Logically speaking, the withdrawal of the engagement should be discussed by the parents of both parties, but your family’s situation is special, so we don’t have to be so particular. This is your proposal. Take it.”

Tang Guixi took the proposal with both hands. “Thank you.”

Lu Yaoguang said regretfully.

“Although the engagement has been annulled, I still treat you as my niece. If you suffer in the future, feel free to come to me.”

“Okay.”

….

In the hall, Lu Yao had been distracted. Madam Shu called him several times, but he did not react.

Madam Shu couldn’t stand it anymore and raised her hand to pat his arm twice.

“Yun Zhong!”

Only then did Lu Yao come back to his senses. “Mother, what’s the matter?”

Madam Shu glared at him. “What are you thinking about? Why do you look like you’ve lost your soul?”

Lu Yao was naturally thinking about Tang Guixi.

Thinking of what she had said previously, Lu Yao felt that the source of the problem should be his mother. If his mother could change her attitude towards Tang Guixi, perhaps Tang Guixi could give up on the annulment.

Therefore, he said to Madam Shu, “Mother, Guixi is actually a very good girl. Can you be more tolerant of her in the future?”

When Madam Shu heard this, she immediately frowned and was very unhappy.

That girl had yet to enter the house, but she had already seduced her son to side with her. If she really entered the house, would her son still have her in his eyes in the future?!

There were still guests sitting in the reception hall, so Madam Shu couldn’t flare up in front of them.

She chided helplessly.

“Look at what you’re saying. I’ve always treated Guixi as my child. When have I not been tolerant of her?”

Lu Yao tried his best to explain, “What I mean is that Guixi has her own thoughts. What she wants to do is up to her. Don’t always use your methods to restrain her.”

Madam Shu was so angry that she laughed.

“Tell me, what are Guixi’s thoughts?”

Lu Yao said seriously, “She wants to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army and inherit her father’s unfinished business, not stay in the back residence to support her husband and teach her children.”

Madam Shu felt her fists harden. She wanted to punch her silly son.

“You mean that you have to stay in the Eastern Expedition Army with her in the future? What about me and your father? What about the huge Lu family? Your father and I didn’t raise you so that you could fall in love. We want you to have the ability to bear the heavy responsibility of the Lu family!”

In the end, Madam Shu gritted her teeth to suppress her voice. Her upbringing had taught her that no matter how angry she was, she could not show it in front of outsiders.

No matter the occasion, she had to maintain her bearing as the wife of the county governor. She was like this, and her daughter-in-law had to be like this in the future.

Lu Yao understood what his mother meant, but he could not bear to give up on Tang Guixi. He tried his best to strike a balance between the two things.

“Mother, it’s not that I don’t want to take responsibility. I mean, I’ll follow Guixi to the military camp for a few years. When the Imperial Court sends people to take over the Eastern Expedition Army in the future, I’ll move back with Guixi. When the time comes, we will be filial to you and Dad.”

Madam Shu couldn’t help but regret it. She had protected her son too well, which made him so naive. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have agreed to let him go out to study.

“Then tell me, how many years are you going to stay in the military camp? Is it three or five years?”

Lu Yao did not know the exact number and could only say vaguely, “Anyway, it won’t be long.”