Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 366: Acting

At first, Lian Fang Zhou was slightly stunned and her heart swayed.
Pursing her lips, she smiled stiffly and slowly put her hand in Ah Jian’s.

Before she could instinctively withdraw, Ah Jian’s fingers suddenly closed and gently cradled her hand.

His hand was warm and generous, wrapping entirely around her small fingers.
The feeling was strange and fresh.
Taken aback, Lian Fang Zhou resisted the urge to blurt out an exclamation.
All she said was: “You—!” before cutting herself off and allowing him to assist her down to the ground.

“Be careful!” Ah Jian said in a low voice as he gently set her down.

Like Lian Fang Zhou, there was a slight redness to his face and his expression was extremely embarrassed.

Holding her soft and delicate hand, it was like his mind had exploded and his heart was filled with thoughts that were both tender and not so decent.
How could her hand be so small and soft? He could wrap his entire hand around it, gently closing it around her.
This feeling, really, really—

His mind on fire, he couldn’t help but tug her hand and hug her as she stepped down.

“I’m fine.” Lian Fang Zhou called softly, gently raising her head to look at him with a faint smile on her lips.
She looked as shy as a flower, slowly blooming.

“Alright.” Ah Jian agreed but his hand was pressing her waist and the feeling came again.
So soft, so slender, so— it was unbearable!

He resisted the urge to pull her closer and forced himself to let go, saying regretfully: “We should go!”

The steward had long approached and was someone they had met before.
Seeing them together, he blinked and asked: “Master Ah Jian, Miss, this—”

“Why are you speaking so much nonsense! Hurry up and lead the way!” Said a cold voice from the side.

The three people looked over and saw that Cui Shao Xi and Cui Yi had arrived and looked as though they had both just dismounted.

Cui Shao Xi’s face was very ugly and tight.
The steward had never seen the usually cheerful man so close to losing his temper.
Shivering with fright, he hurriedly said: “Yes, yes!” and retreated to the side.

Seeing the young master, Lian Fang Zhou’s heartbeat, which had been like a rollercoaster, miraculously calmed down.
She leaned against Ah Jian like it was the most natural thing in the world and smiled at Cui Shao Xi: “Young Master Cui, what a coincidence!”

Ah Jian also nodded at him.

Cui Shao Xi hummed softly.
He stared at Lian Fang Zhou’s face without blinking, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment.

Although Lian Fang Zhou knew she had nothing to feel guilty about, she felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

Cui Yi was so anxious, he almost lost his soul.
He gently pulled at Cui Shao Xi’s sleeve, crying and beggin: “Young Master, Young Master…”

This was the gate of the Su family! If the Young Master stared at a girl in such a straightforward manner, it was basically the attitude of openly stating his feelings to the world.
What would this accomplish!?

“Young Master Cui,” Ah Jian coughed slightly.
He shook Lian Fang Zhou’s hand gently and set it down before taking two steps forward to block Cui Shao Xi’s sight.
He smiled faintly: “Fang Zhou and I have recently become engaged.
When Fang Zhou ends her mourning period next year, we will get married.
If Young Master Cui is interested, he can come and have a glass of wedding wine!”

Cui Shao Xi let out an unfriendly chuckle and turned his gaze to Ah Jian.
When their eyes met, it was like the strike of lightening sending sparks everywhere.
Ah Jian wasn’t even thinking about acting, at the moment the two men really were competing!

After a long moment, Cui Shao Xi still had not responded to Ah Jian’s words.
With a blink, he withdrew his gaze and looked over Ah Jian’s shoulder.

Although he couldn’t see Lian Fang Zhou’s face, his expression was gentle.
He smiled softly and said: “Fang Zhou, you look extremely beautiful today!”

“…” Lian Fang Zhou moved her lips but said nothing except for a sigh, smiling wryly in her heart.

“Cousin and Cousin-in-law must be waiting, let’s go!” Lian Fang Zhou said, stepping to the side with Ah Jian.
She turned her head towards Ah Jian and smiled at him before turning to look at Cui Shao Xi.
Smiling politely, she said: “Young Master Cui, please enter first!”

Lian Fang Zhou’s indifferent look coupled with her alienating and polite attitude, contrasted with the affection intimacy she showed Ah Jian, was like a sharp steel needle piercing Cui Shao Xi’s heart.

His face became two points paler and there was a touch of pain in his eyes, but the look he gave her only became deeper and deeper.

After a moment, he nodded and said softly: “You go first.”

As for Ah Jian? Who was that? He wasn’t even worth looking at!

Ah Jian didn’t care.
He walked into the house side-by-side with Lian Fang Zhou and turned a blind eye to Cui Shao Xi’s cold expression.
All he saw was his beloved fiancée.

With her, he had the whole world.
No matter how you looked at it, he was a satisfied man surrounded by happiness.

When Cui Shao Xi realized this, his eyes turned black with anger, and he desperately wanted to rush up to beat him!

Cui Yi was watching all this from the side.
Seeing his master’s expression, he was immediately frightened and failed to hold his tongue: “Young Master, Young Master, are you alright—!”

“Shut up!” Cui Shao Xi turned to glare at him.
Calmly, he looked back, only to find that Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian had already entered.
Feeling both annoyed and sour, he quickly rushed to catch up to them, gritting his teeth.

He had known she would be coming today so he had come from Xiuyuan to see her.
He just hadn’t expected to see such a dazzling scene right after getting off his horse! A heart is broken!

One of the servants had rushed to report the incident outside to Su Jing He and Fang Qing.
Fang Qing was taken aback when she heard it and sighed slightly.
This incident had really caused her cousin to be aggrieved!

Su Jing He, on the other hand, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fang Zhou is really a wonderful person! It’s very lively now, Min Zhi will likely give up!”

Seeing his wife give him a blank look, he realized she wasn’t as happy as he was.
He was startled for a moment and then understood, hurriedly persuading her with a smile: “Actually, I think Ah Jian is very good and is just right for Fang Zhou, don’t you think so?”

“If it’s really true, then it would be good but…” Fang Qing shook her head.
“Forget it, what’s the use of guessing at this time? It hasn’t been easy for Fang Zhou, I hope Min Zhi will stop messing around!”

Her husband sighed: “Actually, Min Zhi is also quite pitiful.
I can see that he really likes Fang Zhou! Alas, there are no elder brothers above him and no children in the family.
No family responsibilities can be shared.
In fact, even if insisted, Aunt and Uncle would not follow his wishes.
If only…”

“Have you been brainwashed?” Fang Qing glared at Su Jing He suspiciously.
She warned him: “You better not have any random ideas! He might be willing but Fang Zhou is not! You really think that as long as Min Zhi insists, Aunt and Uncle will reluctantly accept it? Could Fang Zhou live well in the Cui family? She is a smart girl; she can live a good life using her own ability and there will only be better things in the future.
Why go live that trembling, uncomfortable life?”

TN: More and more I want to know how FQ and SJH got together, because as far as I remember they were also a bit of a class mismatch, though I think FQ technically is closer to SJH in class than LFZ and CSX are.