Wei Chen's anger flared up quickly, but he concealed it just as fast. Before Chen Qing could notice anything amiss, Wei Chen nodded at him expressionlessly, his eyes holding nothing but icy coldness, devoid of any other emotion.
"Brother Wei, what brings you to my home today?" Chen Qing asked casually, though he knew in his heart that Wei Chen was here about the marriage to Chen Li. There would probably be a tough battle ahead. How should he handle this to keep Wei Chen hooked, maintain his own fantasies about Wei Chen, and yet also make Wei Chen willingly go through with marrying Chen Li? That was the question.
"I'm here to see Chen Li." Wei Chen didn't waste words with Chen Qing and got straight to the point.
Chen Qing thought, 'Just as I suspected,' but his face showed sympathy as he said, "This was Grandfather's decision. I even spoke to Grandfather about it, told him Chen Li isn't suitable for you, but he wouldn't listen. You know how stubborn my grandfather is; once he decides something, even my father can't change it."
Chen Qing was subtly telling Wei Chen that the marriage between Wei Chen and Chen Li was already a done deal, and Wei Chen shouldn't bother trying to change that fact.
Whether Wei Chen understood Chen Qing's implication or not, he simply replied with an "Mm." and said nothing more.
Du Lijuan was sitting on the living room sofa, having just set down a cup of floral tea. Seeing Wei Chen enter, she put the tea aside and smiled gracefully. "Wei Chen, is that you? Did you come to see Chen Qing off because you knew he was leaving for the imperial capital today?" She was more or less aware of Wei Chen's feelings, but she certainly didn't welcome them. Chen Qing would eventually inherit the Chen family; how could he be entangled with a man? So, although Du Lijuan spoke with a smile and was outwardly polite, inwardly she held a grudge against Wei Chen and even wished Chen Qing would cut ties with him immediately.
If Wei Chen weren't a grandson of the Wei family, who might perhaps be helpful to Chen Qing in the future, she would have driven him out long ago. She wouldn't have allowed Chen Qing to welcome him inside.
"Mrs. Chen." Wei Chen greeted her politely. As for Du Lijuan's attitude, he didn't particularly care at the moment. "I came this time hoping to see Chen Li."
Du Lijuan also knew Wei Chen's purpose. Sipping her floral tea, she said, "Wei Chen, it's not that I, as your aunt, want to criticize you, but since the marriage between you and Chen Li has been decided by both the Chen and Wei families, it's very difficult to change. I also know you're unwilling. We're all clear about Chen Li's condition; having him marry you is indeed unfair to you. But you can't just look at it that way. You need to see what benefits the Wei family gains from this. An alliance with the Chen family – if the Wei family wants to develop in the imperial capital in the future, it would only take a single word from our Chen family. You have to think about the Wei family." Du Lijuan spoke with feigned earnestness.
Wei Chen gave Du Lijuan a cold look and said, "Such a favor obtained by a single word – my Wei family is not worthy of it." Meaning, even if the Wei family wanted to develop in the imperial capital, they wouldn't need the Chen family's help. Although Wei Chen didn't know exactly why his grandfather had agreed to this marriage with Chen Li, he was certain it wasn't because of the Chen family's influence in the imperial capital.
His Wei family had not sunk to such a deplorable state.
Du Lijuan and Chen Qing hadn't expected Wei Chen to respond so harshly. Du Lijuan stared at him and asked, "So, are you saying you intend to reject the marriage to Chen Li completely?"
Wei Chen looked innocent. "When did I ever say I was rejecting it? The reason I came today is to take Chen Li to register our marriage."
There was no time like the present. Since the marriage was already decided, it was best to complete it as soon as possible. For Chen Li, the Chen family was not a warm and loving harbor. Every day he could take Chen Li away from this place was one less day of torment for him.