Chapter 496 - 225: The Proper Repayment Is a Lifetime Pledge
Chapter 496: Chapter 225: The Proper Repayment Is a Lifetime Pledge
"This is also a gift from the Sword God Palace.
"The character for ’sword’ on it was supposedly inscribed by the founding patriarch of the Sword God Palace.
"The character embodies Sword Intent. If you study it often, you may achieve enlightenment.
"You can come take a closer look whenever you have time."
Zhou Qingmei gave a slight nod, but her mind wasn’t on the stone monument.
’Fang Shuwen brought me to his home... What are we going to do?’
She felt a little timid, yet full of anticipation.
This wasn’t the first time she and Fang Shuwen had been alone in a room together, but for some reason, her heart hammered in her chest today.
She just couldn’t calm down.
But before they could even step inside, they heard a voice call out from the gate:
"Is Young Master Fang home?"
Zhou Qingmei’s face went pale at the sound of that voice. She instinctively glanced around, as if looking for a place to hide.
Fang Shuwen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"What are you hiding for?"
With that, he walked to the door and opened it. Standing outside was, of all people, Zhou Feixiong.
He was accompanied by several men, all of whom were familiar faces.
They were the Zhou Family’s Honored Martial Artists.
Zhou Feixiong was beaming, but his gaze swept the courtyard until it landed on Zhou Qingmei, who stood there awkwardly.
He said with a smile,
"Silly girl. You’re back and you didn’t even come home? What are you doing making a ruckus at Young Master Fang’s place?
"If I hadn’t heard that someone saw you in the city, your own father wouldn’t have even known you were back."
"Father..."
Zhou Qingmei’s panic didn’t last long. She quickly returned to her usual cool and aloof demeanor.
But her cheeks were still faintly pink with embarrassment.
"Perfect. I was planning on inviting Young Master Fang to dinner today. You can..."
"Today isn’t a good time."
Zhou Qingmei interrupted him before he could finish.
Zhou Feixiong glanced at Fang Shuwen, who was looking at Zhou Qingmei.
Zhou Qingmei said softly,
"Let’s do it some other time. He’s about to leave Julu City.
"When he returns, we can give him a proper welcome-back feast."
"Oh... so that’s how it is."
Zhou Feixiong nodded.
"What are your thoughts, Young Master Fang?"
"I have no objections."
Fang Shuwen smiled and nodded.
"Alright then, it’s settled."
As Zhou Feixiong spoke, he glanced at his daughter, a little exasperated at her passivity.
"It’s getting late. Why not come home with dear old Dad?"
The teasing tone in his voice made Zhou Qingmei even more embarrassed.
She didn’t want to leave, but she nodded anyway.
"Alright."
After stepping out the door, she couldn’t help but look back at Fang Shuwen.
"I’ll come see you again tomorrow."
Fang Shuwen nodded.
"Mm."
Zhou Qingmei then followed her father to the carriage waiting at the end of the alley.
After they were seated, Zhou Feixiong gave his daughter a helpless look.
"They say a grown daughter can’t be kept at home, and it’s true. You haven’t seen your father in so long, but you don’t even come home to visit. You run straight to that Fang boy instead."
"...Just a moment ago it was ’Young Master Fang’ this and ’Young Master Fang’ that. Now he’s ’that Fang boy’?"
Zhou Qingmei rolled her eyes at her father, then sighed.
"Inviting him to dinner was just an excuse, wasn’t it? What are you planning?
"Let me tell you, you are not allowed to pressure him."
"What..."
Zhou Feixiong was so angry his beard bristled.
"He’s got my daughter so utterly bewitched. Doesn’t he owe us an explanation?
"How did this turn into me pressuring him?
"He... even if he’s some great hero of the Jianghu, he can’t just love you and leave you, can he?"
"Don’t be ridiculous."
Zhou Qingmei’s face flushed red again, and she huffed.
"In any case, what’s between us is for us to decide.
"Don’t you go meddling...
"You don’t understand the affairs of people of the Jianghu."
"How utterly absurd."
Zhou Feixiong almost laughed out of anger.
"A man must marry and a woman must wed. There’s nothing to argue about there.
"If you two are truly in love, I would be happy to see it happen.
"But he can’t just... not give us any sort of commitment! Tell me, if I hadn’t come today, were you planning on sharing a room with him tonight?"
"What’s wrong with sharing a room? It wouldn’t be the first time..."
Zhou Qingmei muttered under her breath.
"What?"
A loud buzzing filled Zhou Feixiong’s head. ’The delicate flower I so carefully nurtured... has someone just walked off with the entire pot?’
’When did this happen? How could I not know?’
’No wonder that Fang Shuwen knew to pay us a visit after being away for half a year. So this was the real reason all along!’
He was about to order the driver to turn the carriage around right then and there. He had to go back and have it out with that boy surnamed Fang.
Zhou Qingmei quickly grabbed him, telling him to calm down.
She explained that while they had shared a room, nothing improper had happened between them.
But Zhou Feixiong was so anxious he was practically jumping out of his seat.
’They’ve already shared a room! Even if nothing happened, no one would believe them if word got out!’
But Zhou Qingmei wouldn’t let him, and there was nothing he could do.
"You... you girl, what on earth are you thinking?"
Zhou Feixiong couldn’t help but ask.
Zhou Qingmei thought for a moment and said,
"If he is willing to marry me, then I will marry no one else in this life."
"...And if... if he is unwilling?"
"Then I’ll follow him for the rest of my life anyway."
"..."
Zhou Feixiong sighed helplessly.
"This... this... *Sigh*..."
"Anyway, just don’t pressure him. He’s not an irresponsible man. When the time comes, he’ll give an answer without you having to say a word."
Zhou Qingmei said with a smile,
"Besides, he saved my life; it’s a debt of rebirth.
"No matter how you look at it... it’s only right that I pledge myself to him."
Zhou Feixiong felt a wave of helplessness, feeling as if his daughter were under some kind of spell.
’She used to be such a cool and aloof girl. So many talented young men in Julu City, and not one ever caught her eye. How did she suddenly lose her senses over him?’
’But on second thought, while the young men of Julu City were certainly talented, none of them could really compare to Fang Shuwen.’
’Such achievements at such a young age... Perhaps my perspective is limited, but I’ve never seen anyone else like him.’
Now that things had come to this, Zhou Feixiong knew he couldn’t win against his daughter. She had been stubborn since she was a child, and now her mind was completely set on that boy. No one could change it.
In the end, all he could do was sigh and hope that this Fang Shuwen fellow wasn’t a heartless scoundrel.
...
...
「Early the next morning, at One Square House.」
Fang Shuwen opened the door. He hadn’t been sitting for long when Zhou Qingmei arrived.
However, she didn’t come alone.
There were a few people with her...
Xu Zhiyin and the old man, Luo Shuqing and her two guards.
Zhou Qingmei had arrived with them, but only because she’d run into them on the way. Before she could even greet Fang Shuwen, she heard two loud thuds.
THUD. THUD.
She turned to see that two of the people behind her—the old man and the young woman—were already kneeling on the ground.
’What... Why are they doing this?’
Zhou Qingmei instinctively glanced at Fang Shuwen, but he wasn’t looking at them. He just extended a hand to her.
"You must be weary from the long journey.
"Why didn’t you get some proper rest at home?"
Zhou Qingmei walked to his side, her curiosity piqued.
"What’s going on with them?"
Hearing this, Fang Shuwen turned his gaze to Luo Shuqing.
"Yes, Miss Luo, what is the meaning of this?"