Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 782: Catching Someone Red-Handed (3)_1

Chapter 782: Chapter 782: Catching Someone Red-Handed (3)_1

Upon hearing his address change from the casual "Hanzhang" to the polite "Sir Xiao", Mo Yan’s face turned slightly pale. She involuntarily looked towards Xiao Ruiyuan and found him gazing back at her. He nodded subtly to her, his expression composed, showing no sign of panic.

Seeing this, Mo Qingze felt a lump in his throat, and his voice grew colder by several degrees, "Get back to your room. I’m not a tiger; do you think I’m going to eat someone?"

Mao Tuan, lying in a corner, perked up at these words and barked towards Mo Qingze with a "woof". It was a tiger indeed, but it never ate people. Master, you can’t accuse a tiger with your eyes open!

Distracted by Mao Tuan’s interruption, even if Mo Qingze couldn’t grasp the meaning behind its bark, his face struggled to stay stern. He forced himself to maintain his serious demeanor and stood up, walking towards the outside of the small hall.

Xiao Ruiyuan was tactful. He cast a reassuring glance at Mo Yan before striding out after Mo Qingze.

Mo Yan watched as the two important men in her life disappeared into the courtyard, not daring to follow. She thought about sending Mao Tuan to eavesdrop, but after some consideration, she dismissed the idea.

Mo Qingze walked quickly into his own room and, upon lighting the lamp, fixed Xiao Ruiyuan with a piercing gaze. "Sir Xiao, my daughter is young and unaware. If she has caused any misunderstanding, I hope Sir Xiao will not take it to heart. As for tonight’s incident, let’s pretend it never happened."

Having a favorable impression of Xiao Ruiyuan was the reason Mo Qingze wasn’t being as harsh to the man who had fooled his daughter – otherwise, he would have been furious.

Xiao Ruiyuan had anticipated that Mo Qingze would probably not agree to his relationship with Mo Yan. Hearing Mo Qingze speak like this, he still felt a twinge of disappointment.

He stepped forward, giving a respectful bow to Mo Qingze, speaking without a hint of emotion in his voice, "Uncle Mo, my feelings for Yanyan have never been false. I cannot treat this as a mere misunderstanding, and I hope Uncle Mo will grant us his blessing."

"Grant your blessing?" Mo Qingze’s voice raised several degrees, "The Mo and Xiao families are mismatched in status. Sir Xiao, you are a man of high position and destined to rise even higher. Even if you don’t care, would your family feel the same way? The obstacles of our social positions are insurmountable. How do you expect me to grant this blessing?"

Besides the mismatch in social status, he had another concern. Xiao Ruiyuan was a military general, and the frontiers were never entirely peaceful. Engagements on the battlefield were inevitable, where combat was fraught with blindness and peril. He only wished for his daughter’s safe and joyous life and could not bear to see her live in constant fear. Moreover, the man before him was too aloof by nature. He did not believe that someone with such a temperament could harmonize with his daughter, sharing a life of marital bliss.

"Uncle Mo, my marriage is mine to decide! As long as you are willing to grant your blessing, your concerns will not arise," Xiao Ruiyuan stated categorically, his words filled with what could only be described as assertive confidence.

The family at the Lord Wei Yuan House was not large to begin with. Xiao Ruiqing had been expelled from Jing City and could not stir up any trouble. His supposed father, though a duke in title, had no achievements in court and had no say in his marriage. And as for Lady Wei... she would probably be more than happy for him to find a bridal family without significant influences.

If he married Yanyan, he would move to the General Mansion bestowed by the Emperor before his investiture. After their marriage, it would be just the two of them living their days together. He, too, desired for Yanyan to share a safe and joyous life with him, untouched and undisturbed by external forces.

After listening, Mo Qingze fell silent for a long time. He knew Xiao Ruiyuan was a man of his word, but hearts could change. If he were to fall out of love in the future, how was Yanyan to cope? He feared that by then, he might not even be able to seek justice for his daughter.

"Even if you disregard the social status, I only wish to find an ordinary husband for my daughter, so that they may live as equals, supporting each other for life. Can you do that, too?" Mo Qingze looked squarely at Xiao Ruiyuan, not missing any change in his expression.