The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 484 - 451: Three Years Later, I’ll Come to Marry You (Second Update)
This statement, intentional from the speaker, is perplexing to the listener.
The little girl’s face was filled with confusion, as if she didn’t quite understand but was eager to verify, her eyes fixed intently on him.
Song Yuanbao met her clear gaze, his lips slightly curved, "Is it okay?"
Ye Ling didn’t quite understand, "Wh-what?"
Song Yuanbao said, "You didn’t draw this painting well because your experience is too shallow, and your understanding is not deep enough. Take it back and reflect on it. Three years from now, I’ll come to take it from your home."
Ye Ling became even more puzzled, "Why do we have to wait three years?"
Song Yuanbao made a sound of "Hmm," "I can come for it tomorrow as well, but I fear you won’t be able to capture me well in a short time."
Ye Ling nodded; indeed, within a day, she couldn’t fully capture his previous intoxicated state among the flowers, with inspiration transmuted into brushstrokes.
As she was dazed, she heard Song Yuanbao say again, "There’s a term called ’Being True to One’s End’, whether it’s for people or objects. Since you’ve started the painting, you should give it a perfect ending, otherwise the character lacks expression, and the entire painting loses its soul. Wouldn’t that mean you’ve wasted ink and brush for so long, right?"
Ye Ling felt he was quite right, and nodded in agreement.
Song Yuanbao slightly hooked his lips, rolled up the now dried painting paper, and handed it to her, "Don’t forget our promise, three years."
Ye Ling took it, pursed her lips, "I’ll be seventeen by then."
Grandmother said that after she turns fifteen next year, maidenhood starts, and then talks of marriage begin. She wasn’t sure if she would be married or still be awaiting in the year she turns seventeen.
Song Yuanbao looked at her, a youthful, dazzling smile appeared at the corner of his lips, his brows and eyes charming, particularly captivating, "Didn’t I say I’d come to marry you in three years?"
"I heard you!" The little girl completely didn’t realize she had fallen into the big bad wolf’s trap, "I’m just worried the painting might not be here by then."
Song Yuanbao’s eyes deepened with amusement, "It’s okay if the painting isn’t here, as long as the person is."
The little girl exclaimed, "Oh," "Then I’ll be extra careful not to lose it for you."
"Alright."
Their conversation ended here, and Song Yuanbao made the excuse that he had things to attend to with His Highness, needing to leave first. After saying goodbye to the little girl, he stepped out of the garden, heading toward the front yard.
Zhao Xi was still on the corridor, hadn’t gotten up since sitting down earlier. If not for Xue Yinhuan’s good composure, she would have gone mad; she thought she was usually quite taciturn enough, but didn’t expect this person to be even more so, able to maintain a posture sitting for so long, without speaking.
She was just about to ask Zhao Xi what he was really up to, when she saw Song Yuanbao coming out from that end of the corridor, walking towards them briskly.
Almost turning into a statue, Zhao Xi finally reacted, lifting his eyes to look at him, his expression seemed vaguely amused, "How was it?"
Song Yuanbao was in a good mood, lightly raising his eyebrows, teasingly said, "Let’s talk back at the government office."
Zhao Xi’s purpose for bringing him here was to let him see clearly that Ye Ling might not be the type of girl he likes.
But looking at Song Yuanbao’s reaction now, Zhao Xi felt he might have unknowingly played the role of a helper.
Xue Yinhuan looked perplexedly at the two of them, "What are you talking about?"
Song Yuanbao smiled mysteriously at her, "Thanks for Miss Xue’s hospitality today, we both shall take our leave."
Watching the backs of both men, Xue Yinhuan frowned, "Hey..."
What did they really come for today?
No, Ah Yao, Ah Yao and Song Yuanbao were in the garden just now!
Xue Yinhuan suddenly realized, her face changed quickly with urgency, she lifted her skirt disregarding her image and rushed into the garden, discovering the little girl sitting on the stone steps in front of the pavilion, the broad banana leaves above her shielding her from the sunlight. She held a painting in both hands, her eyes focused, seemingly in deep thought, unaware of someone approaching.
"Ah Yao." Seeing her safe and sound, Xue Yinhuan finally found her voice, though it was still somewhat trembling as she spoke, "Why are you sitting here?"
Upon hearing someone speaking, Ye Ling snapped back to reality, looking at Xue Yinhuan, "Sister Huan, is anything wrong?"
Xue Yinhuan strode over to her, initially intending to ask if Song Yuanbao had done anything earlier, but her gaze was irresistibly drawn to the painting in Ye Ling’s hands.
It wasn’t the previous Spring Slumber of Beauty, it looked as if it had just been painted, with the depiction of a youth drunk among flowers, strikingly true to life. Even though the face wasn’t fully drawn, Xue Yinhuan could already tell it was Song Yuanbao.
She gaped in surprise, "Did you just paint Young Master Song?"
"Yes!" Ye Ling stated truthfully, "Young Master Yuanbao said the Spring Slumber Beauty I painted for Sister Huan had issues, so he asked me to draw one of him for his guidance."
"Then why didn’t he take the painting away?" Xue Yinhuan’s brows were deeply furrowed.
"Young Master Yuanbao said I couldn’t capture his face, and that makes the painting incomplete. He asked me to take it back and ponder over it, and three years later he’ll come to our house to take the painting."
"Three years later?" Xue Yinhuan was even more perplexed.
"Mm-hmm."
"Ah Yao, um..." Xue Yinhuan hesitated, "let me ask you, when he was tutoring you just now, did he do anything to you?"
"No!" Ye Ling shook her head.
Xue Yinhuan remained uneasy, "Like holding your hand or something."
Ye Ling still shook her head, "Sister Huan, you’re overthinking. Young Master Yuanbao isn’t a lecher; why would he flirt with me for no reason?"
"Then why did he want you to paint for him and keep the painting?"
Ye Ling had the same answer, "Because the painting isn’t finished. He didn’t want it, saying unless it’s completed."
Can’t she see such an obvious hint? What a silly girl.
Xue Yinhuan sighed softly.
Before, she couldn’t understand why Zhao Xi insisted on inviting Ye Ling to the Minister’s Mansion. Now, seeing the painting, she suddenly understood it all.
It wasn’t Zhao Xi who wanted to see Ye Ling; it was Song Yuanbao.
Instructing on painting, leaving the painting behind, and claiming he’ll come back for it in three years.
Afraid that "marriage proposal" wasn’t really about "collection," right?
Thinking of this, Xue Yinhuan glanced at her simple-minded and unaware best friend, growing concerned, "Ah Yao, what do you think of Young Master Song?"
Ye Ling thought for a moment and said, "Quite interesting."
"Interesting?" Xue Yinhuan widened her eyes, "What do you mean by interesting?"
Ye Ling recalled Song Yuanbao’s words and laughed, "It’s just an ordinary painting, nothing like a famous masterpiece, yet he asked me to keep it for three years. I told him it might not be around in three years, and he said it didn’t matter if the painting was gone, as long as the person is still there. Sister Huan, do you think he really wants the painting, or is he joking with me?"
Xue Yinhuan was momentarily speechless, rubbing her head, "My silly girl, do you really think he cares about the painting?"
"Then what else could it be?"
"..." To avoid scaring the little girl, Xue Yinhuan didn’t spell it out.
Song Yuanbao’s interest in Ye Ling was her own speculation; whether it was true or not still needed verification.
——
Outside the Minister’s Mansion, Zhao Xi and Song Yuanbao boarded the carriage one after the other.
After slowly starting the journey, Zhao Xi asked the person beside him, "Did you win her over?"
"With Young Master like me personally taking charge, could I fail?" Song Yuanbao beamed proudly, "Once we reach the Divine Soldier Bureau, I’ll go find my father and ask him to discuss with my mother to choose a day to send a matchmaker to the Ye Family to propose marriage."
Zhao Xi’s brow twitched, "She agreed?"
He was curious how Song Yuanbao managed to persuade a girl to marry him after only meeting twice.
Thinking of a certain possibility, Zhao Xi’s gaze towards Song Yuanbao became complicated, "You didn’t do anything you shouldn’t have, did you?"
Song Yuanbao’s face instantly fell from pride, "Why do I dislike your words so much? What do you mean ’did I do something I shouldn’t have’? Do I look like that kind of person?"
Zhao Xi remained silent, eyes fixed on him, with one eye saying "yes" and the other "absolutely yes."
Together: You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
"..."
Upon returning to the Divine Soldier Bureau, Song Yuanbao didn’t even have time to drink a sip of water. After finding out where Song Wei was, he eagerly went to find him.
Song Wei was in the midst of assembling a small mechanical beast with several masters for an experiment. Seeing Song Yuanbao running into the warehouse, he paused his work and went to welcome him, "What are you doing here?"
"Dad, I have something to discuss with you." Song Yuanbao’s tone was noticeably more amiable than earlier at the Minister’s Mansion.
"Speak." Song Wei leisurely sipped his tea.
"You don’t need to trouble His Highness to persuade me anymore. I’ve decided to marry Miss Ye, and I won’t change my mind. When you go back, discuss with my mother to pick a day to send a matchmaker to propose marriage, okay? Make sure the matchmaker explains to the Ye Family that in three years, I’ll definitely return with a top scholar title and won’t disappoint their daughter."
Song Wei put down his teacup and asked him, "What if within these three years you meet another girl and fall for her instead?"
"That won’t happen." Song Yuanbao’s tone was full of certainty, "I know what kind of wife I want, besides, the son you’ve raised and taught personally, could he be that kind of person?"
