“Oh well, you must be delighted now, right? I saw her with my own eyes—your little beauty is indeed as fair as a celestial maiden, so charming that even I feel tenderness. Master Mei, you certainly enjoy extraordinary good fortune!” Bi Zhen said through clenched teeth.
“Where, where…I’m not being modest. I mean, how could such a thing possibly exist?” Mei Qing sweated profusely.
Just moments ago, Mei Qing had been climbing the social ladder, repeatedly addressing Liu Laoshibo with great warmth as “Uncle.” He never expected that in the blink of an eye, this very “Uncle” would suddenly turn into a potential father-in-law. Now, Mei Qing was sweating bullets, while Bi Zhen was furious.
“Uncle, perhaps we should discuss this matter more thoroughly…” Mei Qing stammered, “Besides, many people share the same names—could there be a mistake? I’ve never heard of such a thing before…” As he spoke, Mei Qing noticed Bi Zhen’s eyes blazing with rage, clearly ready to devour him whole, so he hurriedly tried to deny everything.
“How could I possibly make such a mistake?” Old Master Liu, visibly displeased, replied, “Not only do the names and official titles match perfectly, but your appearance is almost identical to your father’s. It’s understandable that you, being young at the time, might not remember, but now that fate has brought you back to me, how can we possibly let this marriage slip away? My daughter is gentle, well-mannered, and by no means unattractive. You’ll understand once you meet her…”
As the two continued their argument, a young girl appeared, accompanied by a maid, walking gracefully toward them.
“Greetings, Father,” the girl said softly.
“Mei’er, you’ve come,” Master Liu smiled. “This is the descendant of the Mei family I’ve often mentioned to you. He’s actually your senior cousin. Please greet him properly.”
“Mei’er greets Senior Cousin Mei,” the girl said indifferently, bowing slightly to Mei Qing.
“Oh no, no no! Miss Mei, there’s truly no need for such formalities,” Mei Qing replied hastily.
Before he could finish, he suddenly cried out, “Ah!”
“What’s wrong, dear nephew?” Master Liu asked, alarmed.
“Ah…I suddenly feel a terrible headache. I hope Uncle will kindly allow me a moment to rest. Excuse me, excuse me…” Mei Qing said somewhat awkwardly, enduring the painful pinch Bi Zhen had secretly delivered to his ribs.
“Oh dear, what a situation!” Master Liu looked genuinely concerned. “Quickly, go rest in the back. Mei’er, why don’t you assist your senior cousin…”
“Ah…I would never dare to trouble dear Sister Mei so! Uncle, please just let my brother accompany me for a while. I absolutely mustn’t trouble Miss Mei,” Mei Qing said, his brows furrowing further.
He rushed into one of the side rooms in the back garden as though fleeing for his life. After finally catching his breath, Mei Qing was still being scolded by Bi Zhen when the earlier conversation began.
Seeing Mei Qing drenched in sweat, Bi Zhen suddenly chuckled, “Serves you right for trying to make up relatives recklessly. You always think you’re smarter than others, don’t you? This time, your cleverness has backfired!”
Mei Qing smiled bitterly, shaking his head. “Can’t you see the inconsistencies here? I really can’t figure out Old Master Liu’s intentions.”
Bi Zhen raised her eyebrows, about to ask something, when a soft voice interrupted from outside the door: “Is Senior Cousin Mei feeling any better? I’ve come to check on him.”
Mei Qing’s eyes glazed over as he suddenly collapsed onto the bed, eyes tightly shut. “I’m dizzy and exhausted, truly falling into a deep sleep. This fairy is all yours to handle now.”
Bi Zhen angrily pinched Mei Qing’s arm a few times. Seeing him endure the pain without moving, pretending to be asleep as peacefully as could be, she could only glare at him furiously before softening her tone to reply at the door: “My elder brother is already much better now, just very tired. He’s fallen asleep. Miss Mei, perhaps you should return for now.”
However, upon hearing this, Miss Mei pushed open the door and walked in. Approaching Mei Qing gently, she said, “Is that so? Senior Cousin Mei, has this kind of fainting happened before? I have some basic medical knowledge. May I examine you briefly?”
Bi Zhen snorted, “Didn’t know Miss Mei was so accomplished in everything. But my brother’s health is fine, so there’s really no need.”
“Of course I wouldn’t dare claim expertise,” Miss Mei replied calmly, completely ignoring Bi Zhen’s murderous glare. She reached out her delicate hand, gently grasping Mei Qing’s wrist to check his pulse. After a moment’s contemplation, she said, “Indeed, there’s nothing serious. That relieves my concern.”
Seeing that Miss Mei completely disregarded her, Bi Zhen grew furious and snapped, “What concern is it of yours whether my brother is alright or not? Why should you care?”
Lowering her gaze, Miss Mei remained calm and unhurried, “Since childhood, I’ve known there was an engagement between myself and a Senior Cousin Mei, though we’ve been out of contact for years. As a woman, I must remain loyal and faithful. Today, by Heaven’s grace, I’ve been reunited with my senior cousin. Naturally, I shall serve him dutifully in the future. From what I understand, Senior Cousin Mei has only one brother at home, with no cousins. May I ask, how should I address this gentleman?”
Bi Zhen was momentarily speechless. Wanting to argue, she realized Miss Mei seemed to know quite a bit about Mei Qing’s family background. She couldn’t confidently claim to be from the Mei family either, so she could only insist, “Although we aren’t blood brothers, our bond is closer than brothers. Naturally, I have the final say in his major life decisions. Miss Mei, were you betrothed to my elder brother since childhood? No wonder your name is Mei’er. Unfortunately, my elder brother already has someone he loves. I’m afraid your affection might not be reciprocated.”
However, Miss Mei did not become angry. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, “My name is written with the character for eyebrows (眉), not 梅花梅. If Senior Cousin Mei prefers, I can change it to 梅花梅 in the future. As for marriage, it is decided by our parents, not by my own affections. Sir, you are mistaken.”
Bi Zhen now realized the girl’s name was actually Liu Mei, not Liu Mei. Still angry but unable to vent, she watched as this gentle Miss Mei carefully wiped Mei Qing’s forehead, adjusted his hair, straightened his bedding, and tidied his clothes, making sure everything was neat and clean. Only after giving Mei Qing, who lay with his eyes tightly shut, a deep look did she gracefully depart.
Bi Zhen, standing aside, was so furious she felt smoke coming out of her nostrils. Sure, she could summon magic and talismans, create thunder and lightning with ease. But when it came to delicate, thoughtful care and tender service, how could she possibly compete? Especially now, disguised as a man, she could only stand helplessly with her arms crossed.
“Must be quite comfortable?” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth. “Judging by how you’re enjoying it with your eyes closed, you’re in for some blissful married life.”
Mei Qing slowly opened his eyes, smiling faintly. “Jealous?”
“Jealous? Of what?” Bi Zhen pointed angrily at him. “It’s just that you’ve fallen for someone else. You like how pretty she is, how gentle her temperament is, how well she takes care of people, and now you’re tired of me. Fine! I’ll leave and give you two some space…”
Just as Bi Zhen was growing angrier, Mei Qing suddenly reached out and gently took her hand. His calm smile immediately quieted her, and with a look of resentment, she said, “Fine, I admit I’m jealous. But you’re not allowed to like her.”
“Actually, Zhen’er, didn’t you notice many inconsistencies in Old Master Liu’s words?” Mei Qing asked thoughtfully.
“Mm…there were indeed many strange things,” Bi Zhen replied, suddenly shifting from anger to contemplation. “How did he know your father’s name—I mean, the name of your nominal father? And…what he said about the marriage agreement doesn’t sound genuine…”
She added hastily, “This time, I’m not jealous. I just feel something’s wrong.”
“This situation is suspicious,” Mei Qing nodded. “I suspect—he seems to know my identity, but he doesn’t realize that I’m also aware of the secret.”
“What do you mean?” Bi Zhen asked, puzzled. “Are you saying he knows you’re an impostor claiming to be a descendant of the Mei family, but he thinks you don’t know this yourself?”
Mei Qing smiled. “Think about it. He claims to have been old friends with my so-called father and says I resemble him. But in reality, I look exactly like my mother, as Father-in-law himself has said. What does that suggest?”
“He’s never seen General Mei,” Bi Zhen mused. “That marriage agreement is probably just a lie. Maybe he knows you’re the esteemed General of Martial Virtue and a Thousand-household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and wants to climb the social ladder. It might not even be about any sinister intentions.”
Mei Qing shook his head. “Whether he’s met my so-called father is uncertain, but he definitely knows I haven’t met him. That’s why he dared to claim I resemble him. He knew my so-called father’s name and that I have only one brother, indicating he knows something about me. However, this doesn’t seem like a prearranged scheme specifically targeting me, which is what puzzles me…”
“Who knows? Maybe their daughter has some issues and can’t find a husband, so they’re taking advantage of you being an outsider who doesn’t know better, trying to trick you into marrying her. As for knowing General Mei’s name, maybe it’s just a coincidence?” Bi Zhen said, suddenly smiling again.
“No, no, this definitely wasn’t a prearranged scheme. It feels more like an impromptu decision,” Mei Qing thought carefully before shaking his head. “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many inconsistencies. But why would he do this, and how did he learn about me? That’s what truly puzzles me.”
“How can you be sure it wasn’t prearranged?” Bi Zhen questioned doubtfully. “If it wasn’t planned beforehand, how could he possibly learn about you and make his daughter say they were betrothed since childhood?”
“Think about it,” Mei Qing replied, deep in thought. “From our initial decision to come to Anlu to our actual arrival, it’s only been a few days. Moreover, very few people know about this, and they’re all people we trust. Our arrival here was even an impromptu decision, something even we hadn’t anticipated. Therefore, it’s impossible for someone to have arranged this so quickly. So I think, Old Master Liu must have recognized my identity only after seeing me, and then made up this story on the spot about having an old friendship with my ancestor and wanting to marry his daughter to me.”
“But then he must have known you beforehand,” Bi Zhen still didn’t understand. “If he didn’t have any intentions against you, how could he possibly know your identity and General Mei’s name?”
“Not necessarily,” Mei Qing shook his head. “That day when we met, I told him my name and mentioned I was from the capital. If he has sufficient capability and some unknown backing, discovering my general situation wouldn’t be impossible.”
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