Given her disposition, it was unlikely she would simply let this slide; she’d probably dredge it up another day, pinning some fault on him. If Chen’er threw a tantrum, Li Zheng truly wouldn't stand a chance.

He suspected that if he hadn't ended up with a bleeding head from her earlier assault, she wouldn't have been so amenable today. Thus, seizing the moment while Chen’er was overcome with guilt, Li Zheng was quick to try and nail the matter shut.

However, Chen’er was not so easily managed. She lifted her face, leaned in close to Li Zheng, and fixed him with wide, challenging eyes. “Are you that afraid of me bringing up you and Lanhua? Is there something you two are hiding? Why are you being so jumpy?”

Li Zheng now genuinely felt he’d overplayed his hand. This girl, Chen’er, never played by the rules. He’d been worried about her seeking retribution later, but now, there was no need to wait; the reckoning was immediate. Seeing the way Chen’er looked at him, terrified she might glimpse his thoughts, he grew nervous. He swallowed hard and stammered, “N-no, nothing! What could there be to hide? I only said that offhand!”

“Hmph, offhand? Li Zheng, I’ve known you for years. Don’t think you can fool me. If there’s nothing going on, why is it that the person you chose for betrothal happens to be Lanhua? There are so many other girls in the village, yet you picked her specifically. Why is that?” Chen’er pressed on, her face moving even closer to Li Zheng’s.

With every word Chen’er spoke, she took a small step forward until, finally, her face was nearly touching his. Just as Chen’er realized the proximity was far too intimate, her lips were suddenly sealed by a kiss. The warmth of soft lips met hers, enveloped by a familiar breath that held her tightly. Chen’er’s heart plummeted, sinking as if wrapped in soft feathers—comforting, safe.

When Li Zheng finally pulled back, satiated, Chen’er’s face was flushed a deep crimson, as tender as a ripe tomato. Seeing the knowing amusement in his eyes, she couldn’t help but blush harder and bury her face in his chest, gasping for breath.

A moment later, once the person in his arms had steadied her breathing, Li Zheng gently stroked Chen’er’s head and murmured, “It’s getting late. Let’s go out. We shouldn't keep He’er and Mother waiting too long, or they’ll start imagining what we’ve been up to.”

Chen’er had been about to reply when she heard the first part of his sentence, but the last few words made her cheeks burn anew. She scrambled out of his embrace, shot him a fierce glare, and bolted out the door alone.

Lin He, who had been chatting with Aunt Xu in the kitchen, heard the noise in the courtyard. She smiled at Aunt Xu and said, “I’ll step out and see; I expect the two have finished their talk.”

Lin He went into the courtyard and indeed saw Chen’er standing there, radiating a shy blush. Though a hint of petulance lingered on her face, her eyes were bright with amusement. Following close behind her, Li Zheng watched her with an expression full of indulgent affection. However, Li Zheng looked slightly different than when he went in; the corner of his brow was noticeably red and swollen, as if the skin had broken.

Lin He knew with the slightest thought that Chen’er must have inflicted that injury. That girl, really. Lin He shook her head with a smile and asked, “Finished your conversation? Then come help Aunt Xu tidy up; we’ll be eating soon.” With that, Lin He walked toward the kitchen without waiting for their reply.

After the meal, Aunt Xu and Uncle Li must have discerned something from the faces of the pair, as they were both overjoyed. They declared that a long-cherished wish had finally come true and told Lin He to go back and discuss it with her parents—if her family had any free time in the coming days, they should finalize the engagement arrangements.

Since the two families were extremely close, Aunt Xu felt no need to spare Chen’er and Li Zheng, discussing these matters right in front of them. She even asked Chen’er what kind of items she preferred for the betrothal gifts, saying everything would be arranged according to Chen’er’s taste. As a young woman, Chen’er turned scarlet, hiding her face and refusing to look up. Li Zheng, however, was completely delighted, telling his mother not to bother asking Chen’er; he knew exactly what she liked.

It was late afternoon when they returned from Aunt Xu’s place. Zhao Shi and Hong Yun had already left. Only Ling Xiao remained in the courtyard, chatting with Er Niu. Seeing Lin He and Li Zheng return, Ling Xiao rose, offered a brief salute, and withdrew.

Er Niu, seeing them come back, asked with considerable anxiety, “Did you finish eating? How did the discussion go at Aunt Xu’s? Did Chen’er and Li Zheng sort things out?” He glanced over his shoulder at Chen’er.

Chen’er called out an admonishing, “Father!” and headed straight into her own courtyard.

Er Niu looked utterly bewildered at Lin He. “What’s wrong with that girl, Chen’er? Why did she run off like that? Is she afraid I’ll scold her? Does she still refuse to marry Li Zheng? I just don’t know why this child has to be so stubborn, sigh.” Er Niu let out a sigh of discouragement.

Lin He laughed, looking at the worried Er Niu. “Father, why such haste? Look at Chen’er’s expression—she probably wouldn’t agree even if you didn’t let her marry Li Zheng now. They’ve both agreed. Now you just wait for them to come officially propose.”

“Really, He’er? You aren’t just saying that to cheer me up, are you? Chen’er has always been so against it. Did she really agree this time?” Er Niu asked, his face full of disbelief.

“Hehe, Father, why would I lie to you? Uncle Li and Aunt Xu just said that as long as you and Mother agree, they’ll send someone to propose right away. They even said the current timing is auspicious, and it would be a relief for everyone to settle it sooner. You just wait at home to be a father-in-law,” Lin He said, smiling at Er Niu’s anxious demeanor.

Upon hearing this, Er Niu immediately jumped up from his chair, pacing the courtyard with a joyful expression. He began issuing orders happily: “He’er, have someone go to town tomorrow to fetch your mother and your brothers. You shouldn’t go back these few days either; we need to sit down as a family and properly discuss Chen’er’s engagement. Oh, right, I need to go tell Li Zheng’s family that we all agree and they can start making preparations.”

Lin He watched Er Niu’s excitement, torn between laughter and tears, and teased him, “Father, what’s gotten into you? It’s just Chen’er’s engagement; do you need to be this thrilled? Don’t you even know basic etiquette? Are you really going to go tell them yourself that you agree? Are you trying to make sure everyone knows your daughter couldn’t find anyone else to marry?”

Er Niu finally realized he had gotten carried away with his excitement. He quickly said, “Oh, right. I don’t need to say anything about this. Their family will naturally send a matchmaker first. Look at my brain, honestly…” With that, Er Niu jokingly slapped his own cheek with a smile.