Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 780: Catching Someone Red-Handed (1)_1

Chapter 780: Chapter 780: Catching Someone Red-Handed (1)_1

Mo Qingze valued Shen Ji and knew he had to ask some things clearly; otherwise, if Shen Ji’s family already had arrangements, wouldn’t Mo’s rash disclosure be embarrassing for himself?

Upon hearing Shen Ji’s counter-question, Mo Qingze smiled and said, "Naturally, it concerns the lifelong matter of Yun Jin! I had heard before that you were yet unmarried, and now that you have become a Scholar, you have also reached the marrying age, hence the question."

"This..."

Since Shen Ji came to his senses, he had devoted himself to studying the sage’s books and never concerned himself with matters of men and women. Now, when Mo Qingze brought it up, he felt somewhat uneasy, and yet unwittingly, the image of a young girl and her bell-like laughter surfaced in his mind.

Seeing Shen Ji’s absent-minded expression, Mo Qingze’s heart sank: Could it be that his family really had made arrangements? Or had he taken a liking to a girl from some family?

Thinking of this possibility, Mo Qingze’s heart soured. When he first entered Changshan Academy, he noticed those young men who looked upright and proper. It was not easy to find Shen Ji who met his expectations in every aspect, but now he might not get his wish, a truly awful feeling.

As Mo Qingze speculated, Shen Ji had already regained his composure and shyly replied, "Yun Jin wishes to discuss the matter of marriage only after achieving his name on the gold list, so there are no arrangements at home."

"Truly none?" Mo Qingze was overwhelmed with joy, the fine lines at the corner of his eyes deepening instantly; one moment he was in hell, the next moment in heaven.

With a serious expression Shen Ji said, "There is no need for Yun Jin to hide this from Brother Ziyu."

Mo Qingze nodded, restraining the urge to immediately clarify his intentions and continued to beat around the bush, "Yun Jin is nearing his prime, surely there is someone you hold dear?"

Someone dear? Shen Ji was startled, the former image bursting into his mind once again, so clear and so heart-trembling that his breathing quickened.

As a person with firsthand experience, how could Mo Qingze not understand the unusual reaction Shen Ji had, and in an instant, his heart plummeted from heaven to hell: "Yun Jin... do you have someone?"

Realizing the ambiguity in his question, Mo Qingze quickly corrected himself, speaking in a joking tone, "I wonder which family’s young lady has caught Yun Jin’s favor; that lady would be fortunate indeed!"

"No, there’s no..." Shen Ji initially wanted to deny it, but for some reason, he blurted out instead: "The young lady is someone Brother Ziyu is very familiar with, yet she is unaware of Yun Jin’s feelings."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Ji regretted it. Annoyance flitted across his face, the lingering flush now more vivid.

Counting today, he had only seen her twice, but it was as though he had seen her countless times. She kept coming to mind, both happy and unhappy, each time more distinct than the last.

A bad premonition flashed through Mo Qingze’s sinking heart: "Someone I’m very familiar with? Could it be Brother Jianan’s beloved daughter?"

It was merely a probing question, but to Mo Qingze’s surprise, Shen Ji fell silent, neither confirming nor denying.

At that moment, Mo Qingze really couldn’t describe what he was feeling. It was the son-in-law he had painstakingly sought, but before he could even broach the matter, this "son-in-law" turned out to be smitten with his good friend’s daughter!

If it were someone else, he could have contended for her, but now, it was neither possible to fight nor to blame, leaving him incredibly frustrated.

After wallowing in frustration for a while, Mo Qingze found it difficult to accept this reality. Yet Brother Jianan had already arranged a marriage for his niece Ting Lan, and the wedding was to be held the following year; how could he respond to Yun Jin’s affection? If it weren’t so, the two children would indeed make a perfect match.

Since the niece of the Liu Family was already betrothed, it might be better to reveal this to Yun Jin while his feelings were not too deep, rather than let him find out later and suffer greater hurt.