Upon hearing Old Master Bai's name, the shopkeeper immediately led them to a private room on the third floor.
His colleagues looked at him with envious eyes, and Old Master Bai suddenly felt a surge of pride.
No matter how well the father and daughter concealed it, Madam Bai, who managed the backyard, discovered something was amiss.
After sending someone to investigate and learn the truth, she was truly surprised that her husband would agree to such an unreasonable request. At the same time, she felt her earlier resolute decision not to acknowledge this daughter was correct. Indeed, she was from a small place and had none of the bearing of a young lady of status. If others learned of her daughter's actions, she dreaded the gossip and ridicule.
No, to prevent this matter from being exposed, she had to devise a plan. Before she could even formulate her strategy, some unexpected guests arrived.
As soon as the Huang couple arrived in the capital, they rushed to visit at Huang Xuefeng's urging.
When they arrived, Old Master Bai was not at home. Madam Bai, upon hearing from a servant that the Huang family was visiting, was somewhat puzzled. She was quite certain the Bai and Huang families had no prior dealings and wondered why they were calling. However, given their social standing was similar to hers, she could not directly refuse and could only greet them courteously.
As soon as Madam Bai appeared, Madam Huang enthusiastically took her hand, "Having lived in the capital for so many years, it's always been a regret of mine not to have met Madam Bai. Now that we have the good fortune to meet, we must have a good long chat."
Madam Bai was taken aback by Madam Huang's enthusiasm. As they were meeting for the first time, she nodded awkwardly.
"May I inquire what brings Mr. and Mrs. Huang to our humble abode today?" Madam Bai asked politely.
There was a moment of silence in the room. The three members of the Huang family exchanged glances, looking at each other in bewilderment. Logically, Bai Shuxue should have informed her parents, but Madam Bai's demeanor suggested otherwise.
Madam Huang paused for a moment, then quickly composed herself. "Is it not said that a daughter in a family attracts many suitors? We heard that Miss Bai is elegant and dignified, and we came to sound out your thoughts on a marriage proposal."
Madam Bai blinked. Could the words "dignified and elegant" even be associated with Bai Yulan? In her eyes, she was a wilful and haughty girl.
However, on second thought, having that girl in the household always made her uneasy. Marrying her off might be a good solution.
Thus, she replied politely, "The marriage of children is a major affair. As a woman, I cannot make such decisions alone. When my husband returns, we will discuss it, and then we will give you a reply."
Madam Huang nodded in understanding. Their visit today was merely to gauge the Bai family's attitude; a formal proposal would require a matchmaker and gifts.
Although Madam Bai did not particularly like Bai Yulan, since they intended to make her their son-in-law, she would still need to assess him. It wasn't that she expected him to be exceptional, but he certainly shouldn't disgrace the Bai mansion.
Subsequently, they began to chat about the two young people, both intentionally and unintentionally. The Huang family was full of sincerity, and they answered truthfully whatever Madam Bai wished to know.
When Madam Bai learned that the young Master Huang was already a *juren* at such a tender age, her desire to betroth Bai Yulan to him diminished considerably. She even thought that if Shuxue were not yet engaged, marrying him would be a good option. After all, in her opinion, while the title of the General who Guards the Nation's wife sounded impressive, being stationed far from the capital and constantly in danger on the frontier was not ideal.
She truly did not want Bai Yulan to marry too well, otherwise, she felt the girl's ego would skyrocket.
After politely seeing off the Huang family, Madam Bai couldn't help but sigh about her good fortune. With the Huang family's grand visit today, she couldn't keep it from her husband, so she would have to tell him truthfully when he returned that afternoon.
Having been in officialdom for so many years, Old Master Bai was familiar with the Huang family. From his perspective, it was a rather suitable choice.
After all, the Huang family was remarkably harmonious, with a simple household structure. Young Master Huang was also very promising, already a *juren* at a young age, and undoubtedly destined for a prominent position in the court in the future.
Although Mr. Huang's official position was similar to his own, an official in the capital was generally considered one level higher than a local official. With his backing, he believed they would treat their daughter well. Moreover, his daughter was so intelligent and kind that he was confident she would thrive wherever she was.
He had originally intended to make the decision himself, but out of love for his daughter, he still informed Wu Caiwei of the matter.
Upon hearing this, a million curses flashed through Wu Caiwei's mind. She felt she had been too careless. If her father had not doted on her so much, would she have unknowingly been betrothed to Huang Xuefeng?
She quickly recounted the scene she had witnessed that day with Huang Xuefeng and Bai Shuxue to Old Master Bai.
Old Master Bai asked in surprise, "The Huang family originally intended to propose to Shuxue, didn't they?"
Wu Caiwei nodded in agreement, feeling that her father was quick to grasp the situation.
"Although I don't know what went wrong, hearing your account, this marriage is off. I feel quite sorry for you. If he didn't have someone else in his heart, I would have truly considered him a good candidate," Old Master Bai said with a hint of regret.
"My marriage is not urgent. In the future, if such things arise, please refuse them all on my behalf, for I already have someone I like." Although she didn't know where he was waiting for her, Wu Caiwei knew they would meet.
"Oh? Whose son is he? Perhaps Father knows him. Tell me, and I will help you get a better look," Old Master Bai's interest was immediately piqued. He wanted to see which young man had such good taste.
"This, for now, is a secret. I will tell you when the time is right."
Seeing that his daughter was being coy, Old Master Bai resolved to send someone to thoroughly investigate everyone his daughter had met, to discover just which young man it was.
To his disappointment, despite his extensive inquiries, he could find no clues. Yet, his daughter's demeanor at the time did not suggest she was lying. When he asked her again, she refused to say, leaving Old Master Bai feeling impatient. He decided that when he proposed himself, he would certainly make things difficult for the suitor.
Leaving the Bai mansion, the Huang family hurried back towards their residence in the capital, wondering where they had offended Madam Bai. Why had she been so warm at first, only to gradually grow cold?
Huang Xuefeng repeatedly replayed his actions from earlier, but found no flaws.
Feeling uneasy, they quickly inquired about recent events at the Bai family.
Upon learning that the Second Miss of the Bai family had been bestowed by the Emperor to the General who Guards the Nation, Huang Xuefeng's world crumbled.
As happy as he had been when Bai Shuxue agreed to marry him, he was now equally despairing.