Grace couldn't believe her ears. She looked up at Xu Chong standing there with his chest puffed out, looking every bit the upright, honorable man. If she hadn't heard a certain rumor from Aunt Ning, she might have been fooled by his appearance.
"Zhao family? Are you talking about that girl from the Qingyun Marquis household? Oh, please, don't embarrass yourself!" Someone in the crowd snickered, as if they had heard the most ridiculous joke. Clearly, the joke wasn't on Xu Chong but on Grace, the girl he had just mentioned.
The laughter in the crowd grew louder. Everyone knew the reputation of the girl from the Qingyun Marquis household. Xu Chong claiming he earnestly wanted to marry her? What a joke! The whispers turned into open laughter, with no one bothering to hide it anymore.
Grace, despite having heard some rumors from Aunt Ning, had only planned to find a way to amicably break off the engagement. She hadn't expected Xu Chong to push her into the spotlight like this without any prior discussion.
"Well, this Xu Chong is quite something," Yun Xiangyi commented from the side. "By announcing it publicly, he's made sure the whole town knows about the engagement negotiations. Given the girl's reputation, if the Xu family proceeds, they'll become the talk of the town. The General of the State might not outrank a marquis, but he's still a well-respected figure. Xu Chong is putting his father in a tough spot."
Grace shot her a glance. "I don't need you to remind me about my reputation."
Yun Xiangyi coughed and fell silent. She was just worried Grace might not realize the gravity of the situation.
Grace looked at Xu Chong, her brow furrowing. This kid, despite his youthful arrogance, had quite the scheming mind. Whether or not he had a childhood sweetheart, his actions were clearly not those of someone who genuinely wanted to get married. Otherwise, why would he publicly proclaim his "sincere intentions" while beating people up over the same topic?
This was not only a move to force his father to drop the engagement but also to put the Zhao family in a bad light. If she didn't put him in his place, she'd be letting down her modern, twenty-first-century soul.
She couldn't help but raise her voice, "Xu Chong, have you ever met Grace?"
Xu Chong looked over, "Grace is a lady from a noble family. How could I have the chance to meet her easily?"
The crowd laughed even louder at the mention of "noble lady."
Grace's face hardened. "Since you've never met her, how can you claim to be 'sincere' in your intentions? Is your sincerity directed at the Zhao family's power, rather than Grace herself? If that's the case, isn't what Fang Gongzi said quite accurate? Your desire to marry is driven by the Zhao family's status."
Xu Chong was momentarily speechless. He quickly retorted, "When I said I haven't met her, I meant we haven't had a formal meeting. Of course, I've had the honor of seeing Grace's beauty from afar."
"Is that so?" Grace stepped forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Xu Chong scrutinized her but showed no sign of recognition.
His lack of reaction was proof enough that he had never seen Grace. Claiming "sincere intentions" without even knowing what she looked like was absurd.
Grace pressed on, "Xu Chong, why are you full of lies? Your engagement with the Zhao family isn't even set in stone, yet you drag Grace's name through the mud in public. Is this the upbringing of the General's family, or did General Xu specifically instruct you to act this way?"
Under her accusation, Xu Chong's anger flared. He looked her up and down, noting her petite frame and refined clothing. She seemed like a clever and cunning girl from a well-off family, but he couldn't place which one.
Assuming she was here to cause trouble, he snarled, "I am a man of honor. I may have seen Grace from a distance, but I did not stare rudely. It's only natural I don't know her exact appearance. So, I could say I've both seen and not seen her. But you, stop causing trouble!"
"How amusing! You're the one fighting in the street, yet you accuse me of causing trouble. Do you not understand what it means to be reasonable?"
Grace sneered, continuing, "According to your words, Grace is a noble lady and thus deserves respect. If so, you should be completely loyal to her with no second thoughts. Should you ever betray her, would you be willing to face divine retribution and the punishment of being drowned in a pig cage?"
Xu Chong's face turned red with anger. "Why should I promise you anything?!"
"Why?" Grace gave a cold smile and said, "Because I am Grace. Is that reason enough?"
Her words stunned Xu Chong. His face paled, and he stepped back in shock.
The crowd erupted into murmurs. People turned their eyes to Grace, some in fear for having laughed at her earlier, others in curiosity for never having seen her before, and some in shock for not expecting to see her here.
"You... you're Grace?!"
Xu Chong couldn't believe it. The sharp-tongued girl before him was the same Grace everyone called stupid and foolish? She was putting him in a tough spot effortlessly, clearly not the idiot he had heard about.
"Xu Chong, you keep saying you're sincere, that she's a noble lady, yet now you question her identity?" Yun Xiangyi stepped beside Grace, glancing at Fang Qu. "Seems like Xu Chong is a hypocrite. He claims to admire our lady, but hasn't even seen her, and now doesn't respect her title. Fang Gongzi, it seems you took a beating for nothing."
With his face swollen, Fang Qu glared at Xu Chong. "Turns out you're not only a hypocrite but also someone who sucks up to power. Talking about people's sharp tongues, do you think she'd even look at you?"
Xu Chong's face flushed purple, veins popping on his forehead. He moved to strike, but Hua Xiangrong quickly intervened, pushing him back a few steps. "What's wrong, Xu Chong? Feeling humiliated?"
"You were just praising our lady, saying you were sincere in your intentions. Now, answer her question. Will you stay loyal to her, or will you face the punishment of being drowned in a pig cage?"