Ning Meng Yao’s two eyes lit up at the sight of the walnuts which were around 3-4 jins worth (jin = ½ kilo). “I want all of them. Here’s the money.” Ning Meng Yao gave 30 wen, which was too high an amount in the eyes of the seller.
“Miss, this isn’t worth that much money.”
Ning Meng Yao waved her hand and replied, “If I say it’s worth that much then it’s worth that much.”
Qiao Tian Chang automatically took the bag of walnuts and started carrying it while also holding on to Ning Meng Yao’s hand. The corner of his mouth curved slightly.
After leaving the stall, Ning Meng Yao eagerly looked at the hand Qiao Tian Chang held the bag in. Walnuts were her favourite thing to eat. She had been here for so long yet she’d forgotten to ask someone to go and find some, so when she suddenly saw them she really wanted to have some.
Qiao Tian Chang had no choice but to let go of Ning Meng Yao’s hand and take out some walnuts from the bag. He took two and put them in his palm before crushing them together.
Usually, one would have to use a rock to crush the walnut open, but the cracking sound could be heard in Qiao Tian Chang’s hand. Upon looking again, both walnuts were cracked and the kernels sat in Qiao Tian Chang’s palm.
Taking the kernels, he placed them into her hand. Seeing how Ning Meng Yao couldn’t get enough of them, he took her hand again and went in to a nearby tea house. He ordered some tea and deserts as he continued to crack and shell of the walnuts for her.
Ning Meng Yao narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. Suddenly, she felt that it wasn’t such a bad thing to tag along with Qiao Tian Chang.
At the least, when it came to eating the walnuts, she didn’t have to break them herself.
“Do you want to eat some more?”
“No, let’s leave some to eat on the way back.”
“Ok”
“Brother Qiao, you said that you like me, right?” She had thought about it a lot during this time and felt like there were some things she had to communicate clearly with him about.
Qiao Tang Chang was taken aback, before nodding his head and replying, “Yes.”
“I don’t ask for much, just not to be betrayed.” Ning Meng Yao looked Qiao Tian Chang directly in the eye as she spelled it out for him.
“En?”
“For two people to spend their life together.” (T/N: Meaning only two people, no concubines or mistresses.)
Qiao Tian Chang looked at Ning Meng Yao. Right before she was about to give up in disappointment, Qiao Tian Chang suddenly laughed, “What you want, I can give it to you. Also, I have mysophobia.”
He had seen countless men who had multiple wives and concubines and saw enough of their dirty fights and conflicts. He was not remotely interested in having multiple wives and concubines. What’s more, men only wanted multiple wives and concubines to satisfy their own lustful desires.
If one really liked someone and fell in love with them, how could they then go and marry several other people and thereby ending up making the one they truly love dejected?
“I can’t say flowery words, but I can say this, other men might enjoy taking multiple wives and concubines, but I don’t. I’m even disgusted by it. That was the type of environment that I was born in.” While facing Ning Meng Yao, he didn’t have much to say.
Right now he really wanted to stay, he was willing give up everything he had before and just wanted to live the simple life in a remote village.
Ning Meng Yao looked at Qiao Tian Chang incredulously. Was he his family’s Young Master? Or was he just the son of a concubine?
“Before meeting my father, my mother was engaged to her childhood sweetheart. But because of my father’s selfishness, two families were destroyed, and my mother was ruined as well. My mom passed away when I was five years old and I was considered to be an eyesore and thorn in the side of everyone in the family.” If it hadn’t been for the good relationship he had with Xiao Qi Tian and the others since they were young, which made his family members hesitate to openly attack him, he probably wouldn’t have survived to this day.
After hearing this, Ning Meng Yao’s heart felt a pang of sadness. No wonder he was so cold and detached, seemingly indifferent to everything.
“I understand.”
“What do you mean by ‘I understand’?” Seeing her feigned calmness, Qiao Tian Chang teased her a bit.
Ning Meng Yao looked fiercely at Qiao Tian Chang before lowering her head and not responding.
“After the new year, let’s get engaged.” Qiao Tian Chang suddenly said. Those words shocked Ning Meng Yao to her core.
“What did you say?”
“Become engaged.”
“Why the rush?” Ning Meng Yao’s jaw dropped. Didn’t they just reach an understanding? How did they suddenly jump into talking about becoming engaged? Why in such a hurry?
Qiao Tian Chang didn’t say anything but only looked at Ning Meng Yao with a fond smile. She was so outstanding that he wanted to think of a way to keep her by his side. Otherwise, if in the future someone came and stole her away from him, even if he wanted to cry about it he wouldn’t be able to.
Under Ning Meng Yao’s glare, Qiao Tian Chang finally said, “It’s just an engagement.”
