Gateway to Happiness - Chapter 71
Chapter 71: It Was Mother Who Did It
Young Master Zhou was beyond pissed, “I don’t know who you are! When did I ever offend you?”
Lu Xiao Shu spat, “You’re a weak bully who misuses your position! I don’t know you either! Let me ask you this: why are you bullying the eldest daughter of the Lu Family into marrying you?”
Young Master Zhou did not answer her. Instead, he watched her with his eyes squinted.
“You little bastard! I bet you have nothing to say because you’re feeling guilty!” Lu Xiao Shu accused him aggressively.
“Oh! I know who you are!” He shouted as if he just discovered a new land, pointing at her in bewilderment, “It’s you! Yes, it’s definitely you! That day at the temple fair in town. It was you, you—”
You’re the one who beat me up! Young Master Zhou was too embarrassed to say it out loud, but he was sure that Lu Xiao Shu understood what he meant.
Lu Xiao Shu could not help the feeling of dismay. She wanted to avoid being recognized, that was why she covered her face and did not call him a fatso. Unexpectedly, he could still recognize her!
She should have known. How could he forget the day he was beaten up in a dark alley? Besides, his assailant was a weak little girl. It would have been unforgettable even without seeing her face!
“That’s right! It’s me!” Lu Xiao Shu angrily pulled her face veil off and scoffed, “Now you recognize me, you better keep your mouth shut, or else I won’t be so kind to you.”
“I didn’t cross you, so why did you beat me up?” Young Master Zhou demanded indignantly with hatred.
Lu Xiao Shu laughed coldly, “Then, what did the girl from the Lu Family do to you? Why did you harass her? I think I was too kind to you last time! I should’ve made you disabled, then we’ll see if you’ll still dare to mess with her! Since you have yet to give up on your intentions, forcing and blackmailing for marriage, have you forgotten your lesson last time?”
Lu Xiao Shu bared her teeth, made a scary face and snapped at him, “I’m gonna make it clear to you now. You will never bring up this marriage proposal again and promise in the name of the Zhou Family’s ancestors that you will return Miss Lu’s handkerchief immediately! Or else, I will stab your eyes, cut your nose, pull out all of your teeth, and shave your head bald! You can try me if you don’t believe me!”
Young Master Zhou’s face turned slightly paled. Even though Lu Xiao Shu was merely a weak little girl, he had experienced her wraith and he was sure she was not lying. Regretfully, he should have brought two men with him.
“You can save your ideas! Where’s the handkerchief? Hand it over now!” Lu Xiao Shu snapped as she extended her palm at him.
He snapped out of his thoughts and asked in astonishment, “How, how did you know I, I have her handkerchief?”
Lu Xiao Shu spat and said in disdain, “How dare you claim it as yours when it belonged to a girl from another household? How shameless! What’s more shameless is using it to force her hand in marriage. Your entire family is so messed up!”
“What do you mean? Force her hand in marriage?” Young Master Zhou stared in bewilderment.
Lu Xiao Shu was getting more aggravated as she scoffed, “You can drop your act! Isn’t it true though? That matchmaker brought the handkerchief to the Lu Family’s house to blackmail for marriage. You’re telling me that you know nothing about it?”
Young Master Zhou was confused as he mumbled, “I really don’t know anything about… Ouch! Why are you kicking me?”
Before he could finish his sentence, he earned a hard kick from Lu Xiao Shu.
“You don’t know?” Lu Xiao Shu asked sarcastically, “Do you think I’m three years old? Did that handkerchief grow wings and fly away? How did it fall into the hands of the matchmaker to help her blackmail for a marriage?”
Speechlessly, Young Master Zhou still had that stupid look on his face.
It was getting on Lu Xiao Shu’s nerves and she was ready to hit him with a stick. To her, he was guilty.
“Stop! Stop!” He scrambled to put his hands above his head to block any attacks as he stepped backwards, “I, I, I thought I told you the truth just now. I really did not mean to blackmail her into marriage! I truly like Miss Lu and want to propose. Why would I blackmail her?”
Lu Xiao Shu’s anger turned into sarcastic laughter, “Haha! That’s hilarious! You think if you like someone, that someone would naturally like you back? Do you think that if you want to marry someone, that someone would just agree to it unhesitantly? You’re being ridiculous! I cannot believe that you don’t know anything about it. Where’s the handkerchief? Give it back!”
Young Master Zhou stared at her incredulously, “Who are you to Miss Lu? Why should I— give it to you?”
“Don’t think of leaving if you don’t return it!” Lu Xiao Shu snapped, “I have no obligations to tell you who I am to her! We’re really close, otherwise, why would she tell me things like this and help her with this?”
Young Master Zhou glanced at her without scepticism as he thought to himself: How would I know that you would help her? I don’t know that you both are close! Anyway, you’re definitely a devil that wishes for chaos in the world!
As he watched her getting ready to land a hit on him, he hurriedly explained, “I’m telling you the truth! I don’t mean to blackmail her! I’ll fix it now that I know what’s going on. I’ll have the matchmaker return the handkerchief to Miss Lu. We won’t speak a word about this to anyone, so you can tell her not to worry. However…”
He said it as if he was wronged, “I truly like Miss Lu—”
“But she doesn’t like you back!” Lu Xiao Shu rolled her eyes at him and said unforgivingly, “You must promise to never speak of the handkerchief! Besides, I don’t trust that damn matchmaker. I will be waiting here until you get the handkerchief back and return it to me!”
At first, Young Master Zhou was reluctant, but after being threatened by Lu Xiao Shu, he had no choice other than to nod and oblige. He swore grudgingly and said, “I’m telling you, that handkerchief isn’t with me. I think to get it back—”
“I will be here waiting for it!” Lu Xiao Shu huffed and rolled her eyes, “You better not play tricks on me! You may think that your family has a strong defence, but I can still beat you into a pulp!”
He sighed absentmindedly, “Yeah, I got it. Just wait here.”
Young Master Zhou rushed home to immediately look for his mother, Lady Zhou. He asked her where exactly was the handkerchief.
Lady Zhou chuckled when she saw him, “Gosh, what’s up with you? What’s with the rush? What happened?”
“Mother, where’s the handkerchief?” Young Master Zhou asked hastily.
Lady Zhou sighed silently: What a foolish child! If he wasn’t like this, why should a girl of that family marry into our family? Anyway, didn’t he just randomly pick a girl in Gu Xi District?
Lady Zhou joked, “What is it with you? Why are you getting worried over something like that? It’s just a handkerchief! Once we have the marriage settled, how many handkerchiefs do you want? I promise you that we’ll have her join the family next year. Now, do you still need to worry?”
“The Lady loves the Young Master so dearly!” The nanny beside them said and everyone chuckled.
“Mother,” Young Master Zhou went straight to the point when he noticed his mother avoiding his question, “Did you ask the matchmaker to bring it to the Lu Family and force her hand in marriage?”
Lady Zhou’s smile froze, she gave everyone a hint to dismiss them and said calmly, “Was your question directed at me?”
He bowed before her and used a gentler tone, “Mother, is it true?”
Lady Zhou glanced at him before nodding, “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”
“Mother!” He suddenly got worked up, “How is it acceptable? I, I sincerely like her. If you do that, what would the Lu Family think of us? What would Miss Lu think of me?”
Lady Zhou’s expression turned dark as her temper rose. She demanded, “Where did you hear this from? Did anyone tell you something? If you like the girl from that Lu Family so much and you wish to marry her, am I not helping you by doing this? Once she is married into our family, she will see your sincerity. What else can she ask for? Pfft! What can the Lu Family think of us? If anyone is to be blamed, it should be that girl for not being cautious! They shouldn’t blame us!”
“Mother!” Young Master Zhou was angry and worried by her words. He argued, “That’s unacceptable! You need to quickly summon that matchmaker to return the handkerchief now!”
“What are you planning to do?” Lady Zhou fixed him with a fierce look.
Guiltily, Young Master Zhou avoided her gaze.
Lady Zhou sighed silently: He has never followed the rules since he was little, but once he made up his mind, nothing can change it especially with that temper.
Thus, she replied gently, “Alright! You don’t have to worry about this. As long as you like that girl, I promise you that I will have her marry you! You don’t have to worry at all!”
“Mother,” Young Master Zhou thought about it and shook his head, “I, I don’t want to marry her anymore. Return me that handkerchief!”
“What?” Lady Zhou raised her eyebrow and watched her son before asking. “Did someone say anything to you?”
“No!” He stubbornly said, “I just want that handkerchief back!”
Lady Zhou huffed, “I’m your mother. Do you think you can fool me? I’ve never seen you fall for anyone that seriously. Why would you suddenly not want to marry her anymore?”
“I just don’t!” He replied, but he grumbled in his thoughts: It was all fine, but why did you have to turn it this way? I sincerely like Miss Lu, and you want to use such tactics to let me have her? If that’s the case, she would’ve already looked down on me. I, I’d rather not marry her instead of being looked down by her.
Unexpectedly, Lady Zhou was dumbfounded before she regained herself and said, “I will not allow that! You will marry her and she will become the daughter-in-law of the Zhou Family!”
“Mother!” Young Master Zhou was confused.
Lady Zhou scoffed, “We have had several marriage discussions so far and if there’s still no agreement to it, how can the Zhou Family maintain our reputation? Anyway, you will marry the girl! If you don’t like her, you can treat her as decor when she’s part of the family! I heard Li Hua said that the eldest daughter of the Lu Family is a great role model and people told me that she’s an excellent girl. I think that she is quite suitable to be the daughter-in-law of the Zhou Family.”
Young Master Zhou left his mouth hanging wide open. He was utterly flabbergasted!
Lady Zhou looked away coldly. It was a few seconds of silence before she purposely said with a stern expression, “If there’s nothing else, you are dismissed!”
Young Master Zhou raised his head and locked eyes with his mother. His lips trembled but eventually, he did not say anything other than a “yes, ma’am” and left.
