boyutpedia Chapter 1358 Too Long
Chapter 1358 Too Long
Rong Zhiyu threw herself into his arms, crying, "I didn't mean to. Now that things have come to this, I have nothing left. I just want you to bring me into the Marquis's mansion as soon as possible. Three months is too long. I think this is just an excuse!"
Seeing her trembling, Zhan Mu quickly comforted her, "Zhiyu, I don't blame you. My mother always keeps her word; she would never go back on her word!"
Rong Zhiyu buried her face in Zhan Mu's arms and cried for a long time. The trembling on her shoulders gradually subsided before she raised her red eyes and said in a nasal voice, "Brother Mu, I was foolish. I shouldn't have acted so pettily and even caused you to quarrel with your aunt. I'll go with you to apologize to your aunt."
Seeing that she knew she was wrong, Zhan Mu's heart softened considerably. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks and said gently, "It's good that you have this intention. Although Mother is angry, she is not an unreasonable person. If you apologize properly, she will definitely not blame you anymore."
Rong Zhiyu nodded emphatically, but when he lowered his eyes, a calculating glint flashed across them.
She knew that Lady Lin Yiwan, the wife of the Marquis of Zhan, was always concerned about her reputation and valued propriety above all else. Today's visit to apologize was a tough battle for her.
If we can win over Lin Yiwan, then the three-month period might not be so short.
After tidying up briefly, the two headed together to the Marquis of Zhanyi's residence.
They arrived at the main courtyard. As soon as they entered through the hanging flower gate, a maid announced their arrival, and soon after, a matron led the two inside.
Lin Yiwan sat upright in the pear wood armchair at the head of the table, her expression calm and revealing no emotion.
However, the gaze that fell on Rong Zhiyu carried a hint of scrutiny and indifference.
Zhan Mu bowed first, saying, "Mother."
Rong Zhiyu followed closely behind, kneeling down with impeccable respect: "Junior Zhiyu greets Madam. I have come today to apologize to Madam. The other day, I was confused and wiped off the ointment out of selfishness, which caused displeasure to the young master and Madam. I deserve to die. I hope Madam will forgive me."
As she spoke, she bowed in greeting.
Lin Yiwan didn't tell her to get up, but said indifferently, "It's just a small matter, why make such a big show of it?" Although she said this, there was no warmth in her tone.
Rong Zhiyu stood up as instructed, stood to the side with her hands at her sides, her back straight, but she deliberately concealed her sharpness, appearing obedient and sensible.
Zhan Mu chimed in, "Mother, Zhiyu was just confused for a moment. She didn't mean to upset you."
Lin Yiwan glanced at her son but didn't reply. She only said to the nanny beside her, "Since you've come to apologize, let's do it the proper way."
The old woman understood immediately and quickly brought over a cup of freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea, handing it to Rong Zhiyu.
This cup of tea is an apology.
Rong Zhiyu held the teacup in both hands, her fingertips turning slightly white.
She knew very well that if she served the tea properly, it would dispel Lin Yiwan's resentment, but if she served it casually, her apology today would be in vain.
She composed herself, walked slowly to Lin Yiwan, knelt down, raised the teacup high, and said in a gentle yet earnest voice, "Madam, I was young and ignorant and acted rashly. Today, I offer this tea in place of wine to apologize to you. From now on, I will be careful with my words and actions and will never cause you any more trouble. I hope you will not hold it against me."
Lin Yiwan sat upright and did not reach out to take it.
Rong Zhiyu's heart sank slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.
She silently thought that Lin Yiwan was manipulating her.
Thinking of this, she bent her knees even lower, but her arms held the teacup steadily. With a slight sway of her wrist, a few drops of warm tea gently swirled along the rim of the cup and landed on the back of her hand.
The burn hadn't fully healed, and the tea caused a sharp, tingling pain.
Rong Zhiyu frowned slightly, but gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his face turned pale.
Zhan Mu saw it clearly and his heart tightened. He quickly said, "Mother, Zhiyu's hand has not yet fully healed. Please forgive her this time."
Lin Yiwan's gaze fell on Rong Zhiyu's reddened hand, her eyes flickering slightly. She wanted to see how long this girl could endure it.
Rong Zhiyu seemed to be in so much pain that she could barely hold on, her body swaying slightly, but she held the teacup firmly in her hand without tilting it even slightly.
She looked up at Lin Yiwan, her eyes brimming with tears, but she stubbornly held them back, saying only, "Madam, I am alright. If I cannot obtain your forgiveness today, I will remain kneeling."
The room fell silent after he said that.
Zhan Mu also knelt down in front of Lin Yiwan with a thud. He stubbornly said, "Mother, your son will kneel down with Zhiyu!"
The old woman whispered, "Madam, the young master and Miss Rong are acting in good faith. Please calm down."
Lin Yiwan remained silent for a moment before finally raising her hand and accepting the cup of tea.
When her fingertips touched Rong Zhiyu's hand, she felt a burning heat. She paused slightly, then took a sip of tea and said calmly, "That's enough, let's let this matter rest. Get up now, and in the future, don't be so impulsive."
Rong Zhiyu was secretly delighted, but on the surface he still maintained his gentle demeanor and respectfully thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Madam. I will remember your teachings."
She slowly stood up, the red marks from the tea on the back of her hand standing out against her fair skin.
Zhan Mu also got up, reaching out to support her arm, his eyes full of concern: "How are you? Does it hurt? Let me see."
Rong Zhiyu gently shook her head and gave him a gentle smile: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Brother Mu."
Lin Yiwan looked at the two supporting each other, her gaze darkening slightly.
She could easily see that Rong Zhiyu had deliberately spilled tea on the back of his hand to gain her sympathy and to make Zhan Mu feel sorry for him.
This girl, though young, has quite a few ideas.
However, in front of her son, she couldn't make things difficult again, and simply said, "Your hand still needs to be properly cared for. Mu'er, take her away and let the physician examine her again."
"Yes, Mother." Zhan Mu responded, and helped Rong Zhiyu to leave.
Rong Zhiyu stopped and turned to Lin Yiwan, curtsying softly, "Madam, I have another request."
Lin Yiwan raised an eyebrow: "Go on."
"I know my status is lowly and dare not ask for too much, but..." Rong Zhiyu bit his lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "I am all alone and truly hope to enter the manor as soon as possible to serve Madam. I hope Madam can arrange a marriage for us as soon as possible!"
Lin Yiwan interrupted her, her tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority, "You should focus on recovering from your injuries first."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Rong Zhiyu's eyes, but he still respectfully replied, "Yes, junior obeys."
Once outside the main courtyard, Zhan Mu couldn't help but complain, "Why did you do that just now? You knew your hand wasn't fully healed, yet you still insisted on serving that cup of tea."