Chapter 259
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Chapter 259 Forced Melons Aren’t Sweet
Qin Yueran’s words caused complete silence throughout the venue!
They even doubted their own ears! How could anyone say “unwilling” at a time like this?
Seeing the shocked expressions as everyone looked at each other, Qin Yueran continued smiling and repeated herself.
“You didn’t mishear me. I am unwilling.”
Boom!
Ouyang Xinghai felt like his brain was about to explode!
He had thought that even if Qin Yueran was resistant and unwilling, she wouldn’t voice her opposition in front of so many guests. At most, they would have a couple of arguments in private. But he never expected her to be so unyielding, completely disregarding the face of both the Qin and Ouyang families!
Didn’t she realize what position this action would put the two great families in? From this moment on, regardless of whether this marriage succeeded or not, both families would become the laughingstock of the capital!
“Yueran, what’s wrong with you? I know you had a fever last night and weren’t feeling well, don’t let it affect your mood.” Qin Mufeng was nearly driven to death with anger by Qin Yueran, but still had to stand up to smooth things over: “Everyone, Yueran was sick last night…”
“I’m not sick,” Qin Yueran coldly interrupted.
Qin Mufeng stood frozen in place. Despite his shrewdness and capability, he suddenly didn’t know what to do!
The fact that today’s wedding banquet could take place was largely due to Qin Mufeng’s efforts. If it weren’t for him, Qin Yueran wouldn’t even be here!
If this wedding succeeded, he would enjoy tremendous support from the Ouyang family, and advancing another step in the political arena would be absolutely no problem! He would be the greatest contributor to the powerful alliance between the Qin and Ouyang families!
However, if the wedding banquet fails, he would be the biggest sinner! This itself is a gamble, but for the sake of his future, Qin Mufeng considers it worth the risk!
Unfortunately until now, despite his careful calculations and planning at every step, he ultimately failed to control Qin Yuran, the only variable!
In front of so many guests, Qin Yuran’s casual “I don’t” directly threw Qin Mufeng from heaven to hell!
From now on, not only will the Qin family become a laughingstock, but Qin Mufeng himself will never be able to hold his head up again!
The longer one stays in this circle, the more one realizes that too many people have fallen into eternal regret with a single misstep, and once they slip, they can never recover in this lifetime!
Jiang Yibo is a typical example!
Qin Mufeng stood there, feeling all eyes shooting toward him!
“Yuran, have you lost your mind?” Qin Mufeng felt his face burning; he had to think of a solution, he couldn’t just wait for doom.
“My mind is very clear, I never get confused.” Qin Yuran refused to take the way out Qin Mufeng offered. She looked around the room, her voice clear: “I will not let myself become someone else’s trading chip.”
Trading!
When they heard these words, some people’s faces showed shock, while others smirked coldly!
Such arranged marriages happen far too often in their circle! They just didn’t expect that the marriage between Qin Yuran and Ouyang Xinghai would also be of this nature!
One has a rare thousand-year fortune that brings prosperity to her husband, the other is a leading figure among young men in the capital. This powerful combination made their marriage the focus of everyone’s attention, which is why so many high-level figures were present.
But there is an old Chinese saying—the higher you stand, the harder you fall.
The smile on the face of Ouyang Jian, the head of the Ouyang family, had long frozen. He looked at the resolute and determined Qin Yuran, then at the helpless Qin Mufeng, and finally fixed his gaze on his grandson.
“Sigh.” Ouyang Jian sighed softly. Both publicly and privately, he had very much hoped his grandson could unite with Qin Yuran, but now it seemed things had gone slightly awry.
Ouyang Xinghai stood beside Qin Yuran, feeling somewhat dizzy. He tried to calm himself down and squeezed out a smile to the guests below: “I think there are some misunderstandings between Yuran and me that need to be resolved. Sorry for the embarrassment.”
As he spoke, he reached for Qin Yuran’s hand.
“Yuran, let’s talk about this at home. This isn’t the right place,” Ouyang Xinghai said.
Qin Yuran slapped his hand away, showing him no face at all. This young woman’s character was so fierce that she didn’t even put the elders and high officials in her eyes, so how could she give Ouyang Xinghai any respect? If it weren’t for him, Qin Yuran wouldn’t have to be standing in this position now!
“Home?” Qin Yuran sneered: “Ouyang Xinghai, are you deceiving yourself? Which home do you want me to return to? You can’t still be naive enough to think that you and I could form a family, can you?”
Naive!
Ouyang Xinghai spoke carelessly and was caught by Qin Yuran, leaving him speechless!
Ouyang Jian looked at Qin Zhizhang. His grandson had been repeatedly rebuked and mocked by Qin Yuran, and he felt he was losing face too. The Qin family’s girl was really going too far. Hadn’t she considered where they would put their old faces? With such a scene, hadn’t she thought about the consequences?
Thinking of this, Ouyang Jian’s anger began to rise.
“Old Qin, my Ouyang family came with sincerity, but we ended up seeing this situation. Don’t you need to give me an explanation?” Ouyang Jian coldly looked at Qin Zhizhang.
Jiang Tiancang and Bai Tianzhu and others showed no expression. In fact, these old fellows had been openly and secretly fighting for so many years that when the Qin family’s fourth girl suddenly caused such an incident, to be honest, they were mostly interested in watching the drama unfold.
After all, they enjoyed watching trouble, and the bigger the trouble, the better.
Bai Tianzhu made an ambiguous comment: “This kind of thing is always very troublesome.”
“This is simply outrageous!” Qin Zhizhang’s face was clearly displeased. His granddaughter’s behavior was like a hard slap to his face!
He slammed the table and stood up: “Qin Yuran, give me an explanation!”
In fact, Qin Zhizhang wasn’t asking his granddaughter for an explanation, but rather giving the Ouyang family an account. Otherwise, his Qin family would never be able to get past this hurdle and would deeply offend Ouyang Jian!
Did Qin Yueran consider the family’s interests when doing this? This would make the Qin family lose face forever!
In the future, which young man from a prestigious family would dare to marry a woman from the Qin family? Which excellent girl would be willing to marry into the Qin family?
Even if they were willing, their families wouldn’t agree! Because the Qin family might start turning hostile right at the wedding banquet!
Thinking about these issues, all the Qin family members’ expressions darkened, their eyes filled with gloom!
Actually, the more prestigious the family, the more such arranged marriages occur. However, those women aren’t as unyielding as Qin Yueran. They’re usually persuaded to “sacrifice themselves for the family’s interests” and hand over their lifetime happiness.
“Grandfather, I hid for two years, and that’s the best explanation,” Qin Yueran said. “I won’t marry someone I don’t like or someone who wants to use me as a bargaining chip.”
“Can’t you choose a better time to make trouble? Who said you don’t like him? Who’s using you as a bargaining chip?” Qin Zhizhang’s temper flared up as he slammed the table again. “Today, you’ll marry whether you want to or not! From now on, wherever you go, you are the Ouyang family’s daughter-in-law!”
Given Qin Zhizhang’s status, his words naturally carried immense weight. Ouyang Xinghai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Qin Yueran with a complex gaze.
“What if I simply refuse to marry?” Qin Yueran still stood straight. Even with all eyes on her face and all the pressure on her shoulders, she showed no fear or retreat.
She was a girl full of courage, willing to fight with all her might for her own happiness.
No compromise, no retreat!
Qin Yueran’s words now carried a threatening tone toward Qin Zhizhang!
Seeing her sister so brave, Qin Yuexin couldn’t help but feel a warm current flowing from her heart as memories surfaced.
If she had been as brave as her sister back then and refused the marriage arranged by the family elders, those later events wouldn’t have happened—her fiancé dying on their wedding day, and herself being labeled as having a “husband-killing fate.” Even now, no man dared approach her.
Qin Yuexin’s gaze locked onto Master Ji. If he hadn’t “spoken carelessly while drunk” and accidentally revealed that she had a once-in-a-century husband-killing fate, things wouldn’t have developed to this point.
Having been repeatedly “slapped in the face” by his granddaughter in front of numerous onlookers, Qin Zhizhang was on the verge of explosion. His temperament was already quite volatile, and now he was like a powder keg, ready to ignite at the slightest spark!
“Qin Yueran, if you refuse to marry, leave the Qin family from now on. The Qin family doesn’t have you, and I don’t have such a granddaughter!” Qin Zhizhang roared!
Qin Yueran bit her lip and remained silent!
“Did you hear me? If you don’t marry, get out of the Qin family!” Qin Zhizhang shouted. “Get out!”
The old man, at his age, was trembling with anger.
The entire venue fell silent! No matter what, such words from a grandfather to a granddaughter were far too harsh.
Qin Yueran stared at her grandfather. Although this was the outcome she had anticipated, she had considered various scenarios when making her decision to resist the marriage. She knew what difficulties and pressures she would face. But she wasn’t afraid.
Those disappointed looks, those angry expressions, those malicious words—she was prepared to endure them all. However, when it all actually happened, when she truly had to face the entire world alone, Qin Yueran still felt wronged and helpless.
Tears had already secretly formed, but they only swirled in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
The banquet hall and the faces of the guests were gradually blurred by the rising mist in her eyes. Qin Yueran couldn’t see them clearly, but another face became increasingly clear before her.
She suddenly felt very tired.
For a girl to reach this point was incredibly difficult.
“Forced melons aren’t sweet,” a rather playful voice suddenly echoed through the silent hall at this moment!
Moreover, this voice seemed to contain a hint of teasing!
To tease the Qin and Ouyang families at such a moment—wasn’t that drawing hatred upon oneself?
Who would dare to be so arrogant? Weren’t they afraid of offending two major families?
Even though everyone thought this, no one would say it out loud! Since he had spoken up, it meant the nature of the situation had completely changed!
This statement undoubtedly drew all the firepower toward him. When people looked, they saw it was a middle-aged man sitting at the main table!
To be able to sit at the same table as Qin Zhizhang, Jiang Tiancang, Ouyang Jian, and other elders at his age was enough to demonstrate this man’s status and position!
In the capital, those with such status could be counted on one hand!
Su Wuxian!
Seemingly oblivious to the strange gazes around him, Su Wuxian played with his jade ring and continued teasingly: “Forced melons aren’t just not sweet, they’re bitter as hell.”
