After a brief moment of surprise, Tan Jianjun turned his gaze to his daughter and asked, "You're really sure about this choice?"
Tan Xiuying lowered herself in the deepest form of respect. "Father, I'm all in. I'm ready to take up the exile punishment that was on the table before."
A mix of emotions swirled within Tan Jianjun as he regarded his daughter. Just a few weeks back, fueled by a storm of feelings and anger, he had resolved to punish Tan Xiuying by exiling her to some distant village. Yet, in this moment, his own decision seemed to hang in the balance as uncertainty took over.
As he noticed his daughter's behavior change so drastically, he felt a range of feelings. He eventually reached out and helped her stand up, telling her, "Get up, Xiuying. I'll have to think about this for a while."
A beat passed, and a thick tension gripped the air, the quiet hanging heavy as everyone held their breath, anticipating Tan Jianjun's decision. Just then, the silence was broken by a knock on the door, and a maid's voice drifted in through the crack.
Right at that moment, the maid strolled in, holding a tray that had a letter on it. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but there's an important letter, Master."
"Who sent it?"
"The messenger mentioned it's from Master Zhu Longwei."
Tan Jianjun nodded to the maid, his gaze shifting to the letter on the tray. He frowned as he took the letter and opened it.
"Who is he? I don't remember ever knowing him."
Tan Xiuying quickly spoke up, "Father, I'm truly sorry for not informing you earlier. Master Zhu was the one who rescued me when I was drowning in the sea recently. After I insisted, he agreed to pay us a visit as a gesture of my gratitude. I thought it would be nice to organize a gathering to show our appreciation."
Tan Xiuying and Liu Meifeng shared a meaningful look in a brief moment. She then surveyed the room, noticing the collective astonishment that painted the faces of everyone present. Tan Jianjun seemed like he'd just seen a ghost! Even Li Jiayi, who was right by his side, had a mix of a sour expression and wide-eyed shock.
They will have a special guest on the way...
The next afternoon, just as the letter had indicated, Zhu Longwei made his entrance. He was welcomed with a warm reception as he stepped into the Jiujiang Marquis' residence.
As he caught sight of Tan Jianjun and his entire family standing in the entrance hall, Zhu Longwei offered his greetings. With a respectful bow, he spoke, "I'm truly grateful for your hospitality, Marquis. I was informed of your return from the capital and thought it would be fitting to pay a visit."
"Your presence is greatly appreciated, Master Zhu. I cannot thank you enough for rescuing my daughter from a perilous situation. Without your help, she might not be with us today," Tan Jianjun expressed his gratitude warmly.
"Marquis, no need to be overly formal. I'm just doing what's right."
Zhu Longwei gave a subtle nod, his gaze moving across each person in the room before eventually locking onto Tan Xiuying's eyes. In response to her subtle nod, the girl offered a respectful bow in his direction.
"Miss Xiuying, I hope you've been keeping well? How's everything going?"
Tan Xiuying responded with a slight smile, "I'm doing much better now, thanks to your timely help, Master Zhu. Everything's been going quite smoothly."
Considering the fact that Zhu Longwei had played a crucial role in saving his daughter's life, Tan Jianjun couldn't help but extend a warm welcome and express his gratitude.
Even though he wasn't entirely comfortable with the unfamiliar young man, he swiftly instructed the maids to offer tea to Zhu Longwei in the entrance hall. "Prepare some tea for our guest!"
Tan Jianjun couldn't find any solid grounds to turn down the man's company. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he guided Zhu Longwei to the dining hall.
Considering that Zhu Longwei was essentially an outsider, it wouldn't quite be the norm for him to dine with the female members of the household. That's why Tan Jianjun had a game plan: he intended to share dinner with Zhu Longwei and his two sons while having the female members enjoy their meal in a separate pavilion.
However, Zhu Longwei swiftly interrupted his plans, saying, "Marquis, please don't go to any trouble. A regular dinner is perfectly fine. There's really no need to be too formal about it. I'd be more than content with a simple meal in the company of your family."
His gaze swept across the hall where the ladies were seated, and he went on, "Now that I've had the pleasure of meeting Miss Tan Xiuying, it's safe to say I'm not exactly a stranger anymore. Since we're all family here, why not extend the invitation to everyone and have a nice dinner together?"
Tan Jianjun stayed quiet, and his mind was full of questions. He wasn't sure what Zhu Longwei was trying to do. Even though he was uncertain about this strange visitor, he kept his guard up.
His mind was full of questions: Did Zhu Longwei have his eyes on his daughter? Was he considering her as a potential wife? Was he looking to strengthen his ties? Or were there plans going on behind the scenes?
It was like trying to solve a puzzle with parts missing, and the more he thought about it, the more things seemed to fit together, but also the more they didn't. It all makes so much sense.
After a brief pause, he reluctantly instructed his wife and children to make their way to the dining room. "Let's head to the dining room!"
Throughout the banquet, a sense of worry lingered in Tan Jianjun's mind. He couldn't shake off the concern that Zhu Longwei, this unfamiliar man with a mysterious background, might develop romantic feelings for one of his daughters.