Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Has she left?

That’s impossible.

He suddenly recalled something and walked toward the bathroom. From behind the tightly closed door, he could distinctly hear the sound of running water.

Startled, he pushed open the door at once and was assaulted by a gust of warm, misty air.

He widened his eyes in an attempt to see through the thick mist and, finally, caught sight of a figure sitting inside the spacious bathtub.

The shower was heated, and the temperature difference was big.

He turned to close the bathroom door before walking over to her slowly and stooping next to her.

Lin Xueya was sitting inside the bathtub, hugging her knees with her arms folded together. She had not removed the clothes on her as the water from the showerhead above fell on her.

She buried her face in her crossed arms, looking sad and lonely. There was not a word of reply from her when the man softly called her name several times.

“Xiaoya, what’s wrong?”

Hua Jin asked repeatedly with utmost patience—a feat that would never be observed from him with anyone else.

Finally, the woman looked up; her eyes were red and swollen as the water continued to splatter on her face. It was unclear if the wetness was due to the shower or her tears…

“What’s wrong?”

He knitted his brows slightly at her unsightly appearance but had no clue of what made her unhappy.

“Jin…”

Lin Xueya spun around and grabbed hold of his shoulders without warning. “Let’s elope, alright? I… Just you and me, let’s run away from here and never return…” she muttered helplessly.

He was stunned for a while before he displayed a frown, held her by the shoulders, and looked into her dazed and despondent eyes, tittering. “Why did you say that?”

“My father spoke to me last night. He said that he had arranged a matchmaking session for me with the Mus.”

…

Just before Chinese New Year’s Eve, Mu Linfeng found the opportunity to meet up with Lin Xueya’s father, Lin Boxiong.

The Lins were prominent in the capital. Although they could not compare to the Mus in terms of prestige, they were still one of the four elite families in the entire capital, having produced scholars for generations. Furthermore, Lin Xueya’s grandfather was one of the founding fathers of this nation. As such, even though he retired many years ago, he continued to hold a high reputation and authority in high society. The Lins could be said to wield mightly influence within the capital.

The missy’s grandfather was upright and righteous. Hence, although the old man was no longer in power and hardly spoke about political affairs, he continued to be held in high regard.

Coming down to her parents, her father entered politics whereas her mother was a businesswoman.

Qin Zhou had this to say about this family once: ‘Don’t take the Lins for the Songs. They are way beyond the other’s reach—even the lowest of the low in the former stand above the highest of the high in the latter. The Lins’ patriarch is just like the one from the Songs; both were pioneers of this country, yet the influences both families wield are vastly different now. Song Enya’s father is only a mayor, whereas Lin Xueya’s father holds a key position in the army. If this were the Qing dynasty, he would be the imperial guards’ captain. There’s no way the other family could compare to this one. Putting it another way, the central government will have to seek consensus from the Lins for any decisions made regarding important military issues.’

If the Mus succeeded in forming a marriage alliance with the Lins, then both families would truly have a bright future through their combined might.