At the Sixth Young Lady Fu's birthday banquet, when the cheerful music stopped and Warlord Fu cleared his throat in front of everyone, the lively chatter and conversations in the hall came to an instant halt.
Everyone turned toward Warlord Fu, and they were well aware of what he intended to announce tonight.
When had the Fu family ever hosted such a grand birthday ball for a girl born to a concubine? Even with a son who was part of a twin, such an event was unprecedented.
The presence of Warlord and Madam Fu, along with high-ranking officials from the Six Southern Provinces, clearly indicated that a significant announcement was about to be made.
As for what it was, everyone had a pretty good idea.
Warlord Fu gestured for Leng Sa to approach him and beckoned for Xu Shaoming to push Fu Fengcheng over as well. All eyes turned to Fu Fengcheng, their expressions filled with sympathy and regret.
Just half a year ago, the First Young Master… no, he was the Young Marshal of the Fu family, a young man with a bright future. Now, he sat helpless in a wheelchair, unable to move and father an heir.
Not to mention that his younger brother had snatched away his intended fiancée. In any ordinary family, such an act would be considered a grave humiliation.
But what could Fu Fengcheng do now, except bear it with patience?
The young ladies in the room couldn't help but steal glances at Fu Fengcheng's strikingly handsome face, which remained perfect despite the scar above his brow. Then they looked at Fu Yucheng's once-handsome face, now twisted into something quite unpleasant, and turned away in discomfort.
Heaven is jealous of heroic
Leng Sa lowered her head and looked at Fu Fengcheng, who was sitting beside her. When Fu Fengcheng raised his eyes to meet hers, his gaze remained fixed, unwavering.
Leng Sa suppressed the urge to reach out and knead someone to death. She was certain she saw provocation and malice in the eyes of this despicable man.
"Everyone, sorry for interrupting. I have a small matter to announce here," Warlord Fu said with a cheerful smile. With age, he had gained a more prosperous physique, and when he smiled, he didn't exude the same youthful aggression, but rather, a touch of amiability.
Some of the people standing in front also chimed in, saying, "Warlord, I'm afraid it's not a small matter, but a joyous occasion, right?" Everyone echoed as if they had never participated in the gossip about the Fu family these past few days.
Warlord Fu paid no mind to their comments and continued with a smile, "My two boys aren't getting any younger, and since I have had some free time recently, I've decided to arrange their marriages. After some investigation, I've found that May 28th is an auspicious day. I'd like to invite all of you to join us for a drink on that day."
There was a moment of silence in the hall, and a graceful lady couldn't help but ask. "Warlord, do you mean that First Young Master and Fourth Young Master will get married on the same day?"
Warlord Fu nodded and said, "That's right, it's more convenient this way." He didn't beat around the bush and made the announcement directly.
After all, everyone here was from Yong City, and who didn't know what had happened? Today was mainly about making a public statement.
As for Madam Fu's desire to restore Fu Yucheng's reputation, Warlord Fu didn't think much of it.
Regarding such matters, no matter how hard you try to restore someone's reputation, it would not be effective. Who didn't have their thoughts and judgments? Even if they didn't say it openly, did you think they don't know anything?
But Fu Yucheng was still young, and if he could mature in a few years, all these things would eventually become nothing more than a slightly unsavory piece of gossip.
The crowd couldn't help but whisper and discuss the matter. There were still two full months until May 28th. No one knew how far along Miss Zheng's pregnancy was, and it wouldn't look good if she were visibly pregnant by then.
The Zheng family's expression was also unpleasant. However, looking at Warlord Fu's demeanor, they knew that there was no room for negotiation.
During this time, Warlord Fu was annoyed by the Zheng family, so they didn't dare to question it openly and could only endure the curious gazes of the onlookers in silence. Fu Yucheng and Zheng Ying also had displeased expressions, but they were mentally prepared and didn't act impolitely.
Second Master Leng and Second Madam stood in the crowd, but Second Madam's eyes were slightly red.
When Yue'er came over earlier to inform them of Warlord Fu's decision, both of them were taken aback. However, they understood that since the marriage had been agreed upon, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was agreed that they would marry once Yue'er turned eighteen in the original engagement plan. Warlord Fu had set the date for three days after her eighteenth birthday, and he came to apologize to them for any inconvenience. Since Yue'er didn't object, they had no choice but to accept it.
After Warlord Fu's announcement, the people in the hall congratulated them in unison, and it was an atmosphere of joy and celebration.
Standing by Fu Fengcheng's side, Leng Sa slightly lowered her head and whispered, "I didn't expect the First Young Master to be so eager to marry me."
Fu Fengcheng smiled, "With an outstanding lady like Miss Leng as my wife, I can't wait. Do you have any objections, or perhaps… we should postpone for another month?"
She looked up at Fu Yucheng and Zheng Ying who were standing opposite right beside Madam Fu. Both had stiff expressions. She said with a teasing smile, "Forget it. I don't want to hold a wedding with a pregnant bride."
"She's pregnant now."
"You know what I mean."
The two of them stood close together, wearing smiles on their faces, which led the people around to believe that they were getting along well.
Warlord Fu was also quite satisfied. Having come from a military background, he appreciated ladies who were confident, composed, and had a spark in their personalities. Those who looked perpetually gloomy and delicate were not to his liking. While men might appreciate such women, fathers, and elders did not want their daughters or daughters-in-law to appear that way.
"You see, I told you that the Leng family's girl is not bad," Warlord Fu proudly said to his wife.
Madam Fu forced a slight smile, glancing at her husband, who was beaming with joy. She chose to withhold her comments.
Perhaps the decision to let their eldest son marry Leng Mingyue had been wrong from the very beginning.
Having made his announcement at the younger generation's birthday banquet, Warlord Fu left with his entourage.
Some of the older guests like Yao Guan, also followed suit, leaving behind the younger crowd and idle individuals to continue their festivities. The hall's orchestra resumed playing dance music, and some of the young people started dancing. Meanwhile, Leng Sa and Fu Fengcheng left the hall and walked into the now-quiet garden.
As they listened to the music echoing from the hall, Leng Sa leaned against the flowerbed in the garden, raised an eyebrow, and looked at him, saying, "Young Master, do you want to explain?"
Fu Fengcheng raised his eyebrows. "Explain what?"
"Wedding date."
Fu Fengcheng seemed nonchalant. "Didn't Miss Leng already agree?"
Leng Sa said coldly, "I agreed, but that doesn't mean you don't need to explain."
He pondered for a moment and replied, "Because… I really can't wait to marry Miss Leng."
She calmly cracked her knuckles, producing two cracking sounds that seemed unusually clear in the current situation.
"I'll give you one more chance."
A glint of cunning crossed Fu Fengcheng's eyes as he responded, "We're getting married sooner or later. Don't you think it's interesting to get married together?"
"I can't see the fun in two abandoned people marrying two people who abandoned others at the same time," she said as she inched closer to Fu Fengcheng. She examined him closely for a while before adding, "Could it be that Young Master… bears a grudge against Miss Zheng because of unrequited love? You want to irritate her, right?"
Fu Fengcheng chuckled mysteriously, "You can think of it that way. Does Miss Leng have any objections?"
"No, I find it quite amusing too," she replied. After all, why not stir things up a bit and have some fun together?