Old Madam Ren was indeed capable. Lei Ting had indeed personally attended the birthday banquet of the Jin family's matriarch. It was unclear how Old Madam Ren had sent someone to speak with Lei Ting, but after leaving the Jin family, she arranged for him to meet at a teahouse.
When Lei Ting pushed open the door of the private room and entered, Ren Yaohua's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Looking at his still steady and resolute face, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Seeing that only Ren Yaohua was in the room, without even a maid or servant to serve tea, Lei Ting raised an eyebrow slightly but approached calmly, speaking in a gentle tone, "I heard you wanted to see me?"
Lei Ting's expression remained unchanged, his thin lips always pressed together, giving him an appearance devoid of any smile. Yet, Ren Yaohua did not mistake the warmth and concern in his eyes.
Ren Yaohua invited Lei Ting to sit down. Taking the opportunity as she turned, she bit her lip to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.
After they were seated, Ren Yaohua personally poured a cup of tea for Lei Ting and silently watched him drink it.
Seeing that Ren Yaohua remained silent for a long time, Lei Ting pondered and asked, "Are you troubled by the Ren Family's affairs?" After a moment's thought, he explained, "Your Eldest Master came to see me. My view is that this matter has escalated too much. Although the authorities have temporarily suppressed it, resolving it completely so quickly won't be easy. You..."
Lei Ting's words suddenly halted as he glanced toward the green gauze screen separating the adjacent room and frowned. This was a suite in the teahouse, typically used for hosting guests or conducting business. When the green gauze screen was moved aside, the two rooms became one large space, though they could also serve as two separate private rooms.
At that moment, Ren Yaohua spoke softly, "I came to express my gratitude." She finally looked up at Lei Ting. "Thank you for stepping in to mediate during this trouble with the Ren Family."
Lei Ting refocused his attention and was about to speak when Ren Yaohua interrupted him, "I know the Ren Family's demands are excessive, so you need not pay them any mind."
A faint sound came from the other side of the green gauze screen, so subtle that an ordinary person would hardly notice it. Lei Ting glanced in that direction again and discreetly signaled to Ren Yaohua.
Ren Yaohua's face stiffened for a moment, and her hand holding the teacup trembled uncontrollably. However, she soon relaxed again, slowly straightening her back. Her beautiful face had turned pale, drained of color, but her eyes were calm and resolute.
Lei Ting frowned deeply as he looked at her, feeling an inexplicable ache in his heart.
"Although we are betrothed, the Lei Family is the Lei Family, and the Ren Family is the Ren Family. In this matter, the Lei Family has already done more than enough. So, Eldest Master Lei, I implore you not to involve yourself further in this affair," Ren Yaohua insisted, enunciating each word clearly.
Lei Ting suddenly grasped Ren Yaohua's hand resting on the table. Her hand was cold and trembling, even though she had just set down the warm teacup. Lei Ting slowly tightened his grip, as if trying to transfer the warmth from his palm to hers.
The warmth from his palm left Ren Yaohua momentarily stunned. She looked down at Lei Ting's hand for a long while before slowly but firmly withdrawing her hand from his grasp. She whispered softly, "Eldest Master Lei, perhaps it would be best if we called off our engagement."Lei Ting looked at Ren Yaohua without speaking. He wanted to grasp her hand again, but Ren Yaohua avoided it.
If Lei Ting were facing any other woman today, he would surely think she was playing hard to get, using their engagement to threaten him. But sitting across from him was Ren Yaohua, and he understood better than anyone that every word she had just spoken was sincere—she truly intended to break off their engagement.
Ren Yaohua withdrew her hands into her sleeves. No one could see that her clenched fists were already taut with bulging veins. Her proposal to dissolve the engagement with Lei Ting was certainly not a ploy of playing hard to get. The actions of the Ren Family had made her feel ashamed and humiliated. Never before had she been so acutely aware that she was unworthy of Lei Ting. She even felt that marrying him under such circumstances would be an insult to both of them. She could already foresee that if she married into the Lei Family, Lei Ting would constantly have to compromise and act against his own wishes because of her family, and one day, he would come to resent her.
Ren Yaohua did not cry, but Lei Ting felt an urge to wipe away her tears. He sighed, his tone gentler than ever before. "Don’t talk nonsense. An engagement is no trivial matter. I..."
Just then, someone knocked on the door outside. The maid Shanhu’s voice sounded urgently from beyond: "Miss, it’s getting late. It’s time to return."
Ren Yaohua glanced at Lei Ting and stood up to leave.
Seeing this, Lei Ting quickly rose and stepped forward, silently grasping her arm. Ren Yaohua’s steps faltered, but she did not turn around. She dared not look back, for she did not want Lei Ting to see the tears that had uncontrollably slipped down her face the moment she turned away.
Hearing Ren Yaohua’s tightly suppressed breaths, Lei Ting disregarded her avoidance and resolutely stood before her. Then, he raised his hand and gently, with deep tenderness, wiped the tears from her face.
Shanhu continued knocking outside, but with Lei Ting present, she dared not barge in uninvited.
Lei Ting paid no heed to the commotion outside. Holding Ren Yaohua’s shoulders, he gently yet firmly pulled her into his embrace, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Trust me!"
Those three simple words, along with the tingling, ticklish sensation by her ear, made Ren Yaohua tremble and nearly lose her balance. Her originally pale complexion instantly flushed with color. She wanted to raise her hands and push Lei Ting away, but she could muster no strength, not even to move a finger.
Ren Yaohua looked up at Lei Ting in a daze, meeting a pair of resolute and warm eyes. Once she gazed into them, she never wanted to look away.
"Miss? Third Miss?"
Shanhu’s increasingly urgent calls finally snapped Ren Yaohua back to reality. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but Lei Ting gently pressed his index finger to her lips, silencing her. Then, he continued whispering into her ear, "I understand everything. Don’t worry about these matters anymore. Go back and focus on embroidering your wedding dress while waiting for me to marry you."
Lei Ting was not placating Ren Yaohua. He truly understood her meaning—why she wanted to dissolve their engagement. And because of this, he felt even more tenderly toward her. Though rationally, he knew Ren Yaohua had been somewhat impulsive, aware that someone was eavesdropping next door yet still speaking so openly.Ren Yaohua was left speechless by Lei Ting's words, her face flushing to a deep red like a persimmon without her even realizing it.
Lei Ting released her at an appropriate moment, a slight smile appearing on his face. "You may leave first."
In a daze, Ren Yaohua followed Lei Ting's instruction and left the room. Only when she reached outside and saw Shanhu waiting anxiously did she slowly come back to her senses. She instinctively glanced back, but the door had already closed. Biting her lip, she paused briefly as she passed the neighboring room, turning her head to look once more.
Shanhu whispered, "Miss, Old Madam Ren is already waiting in the carriage."
By now, Ren Yaohua had regained her usual composure. She gave Shanhu a faint glance and walked away.
Shanhu helped Ren Yaohua into Old Madam Ren's carriage. As soon as she boarded and before she could steady herself, a heavy slap, swift and sharp, struck Ren Yaohua across the face. Losing her balance, she crashed headfirst into the carriage wall, momentarily dizzy and disoriented. Her lip was cut by her teeth, and blood began to seep out.
Ren Yaohua blinked, then slowly and calmly raised her head to see Old Madam Ren, usually gentle and kind, now staring at her with a cold, stern expression.
"Ungrateful wretch! All these years of raising you for nothing!"
Ren Yaohua took out her handkerchief and pressed it to the corner of her mouth, lowering her gaze without a word. The two maids attending in the carriage held their breath in fear.
Old Madam Ren said irritably, "Let's return to the estate first! We'll settle this in detail later!"
Ren Yaohua turned her gaze coldly and calmly toward the carriage window. As the carriage began to move, the curtain lifted slightly, revealing the teahouse they had just left passing slowly by. Ren Yaohua's eyes fixed on an empty point in the distance, remaining unmoved for a long time.
Old Madam Ren had no intention of letting Ren Yaohua stay in Yunyang City and took her directly back to the Ren Family's old residence in White Crane Town.
Ren Yaohua's face had swollen slightly, but Old Madam Ren ignored it. Along the way, the maids and servants who saw it were shocked and uneasy, but Ren Yaohua remained remarkably calm, showing no trace of shame or anger.
After returning, Old Madam Ren initially intended to enforce family discipline. Ren Yaohua's actions that day were no mere act of defiance; Old Madam Ren was furious, never expecting Ren Yaohua to pull such a stunt.
However, shortly after their return to the Ren Family, the Lei Family sent someone over. The Lei Family's steward delivered some fresh fruits and vegetables, claiming they were produce from their estate for the elders of the Ren Family to taste. Nothing else was mentioned.
Although the Lei Family's gift was ordinary, it somewhat eased Old Madam Ren's anger. Sending inexpensive, everyday food was something only families with close ties would do. Since the Lei Family had sent fruits and vegetables, it was clear they had no intention of breaking off the engagement with the Ren Family.
Old Madam Ren felt somewhat reassured, but her anger lingered. In the end, she punished Ren Yaohua by making her kneel in the ancestral hall.
Three days had passed since Ren Yaohua returned to White Crane Town. Ren Yaoqi had been keeping an eye on the Ren Family's affairs all along. She knew about the Ren Family taking Ren Yaohua to meet Lei Ting, and although she wasn't clear on exactly how Ren Yaohua had angered Old Madam Ren, based on her understanding of the Ren Family and Ren Yaohua, she could roughly guess what had happened.Finally, seeing Ren Yaohua being punished by Old Madam Ren to kneel in the ancestral hall, Ren Yaoqi was just thinking about how to bring her back when the Ren Family sent someone again. This time, however, Old Madam Ren had sent someone to fetch Ren Yaoying.
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