Chapter 261: Will You Marry or Not?

Gu Fei’s eyebrow quirked. "Wait, I’m not Lan Zhi. I’ll go get her for you."

The old woman froze, her face twitching. ’I was told it was the pretty girl behind the counter,’ she thought. ’And this girl is certainly pretty. Who’d have thought I’d get the wrong one?’

"Lian’er, go get Lan Zhi."

Lian’er glanced at the old woman, answered in affirmation, and headed to the back courtyard.

Lan Zhi came out holding an embroidery hoop. "Little Fei, you called for me?"

Gu Fei jutted her chin toward the old woman. "There. The matchmaker’s for you."

Lan Zhi’s face instantly flushed crimson. She turned away and huffed, "Little Fei, you’re getting more and more out of line! Always spouting nonsense."

The old woman hurried over to Lan Zhi and curtsied. "You must be Miss Lan Zhi?"

"No need to be shy, Miss. I am indeed here today to arrange a match for you."

Lan Zhi waved her hands dismissively. "Go away, go away! I don’t need you to arrange a match for me."

The old woman chuckled. "Oh, you’re just being shy, Miss. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Every girl must marry when she comes of age. Since your parents are gone, you have to be the one to make the decision."

Lan Zhi shook her head. "Go away. I’m not getting married."

’I have the status of a slave right now,’ she thought. ’I’ve never even considered marriage.’

Gu Fei cleared her throat. "Lan Zhi, come sit down. Just hear what she has to say."

But Lan Zhi didn’t come over. Instead, she stomped her foot and retreated to the back courtyard.

The old woman looked awkward. Gu Fei smiled. "Why don’t you just tell me? I’ll pass the message along to her later."

The old woman nodded, sat down on a chair in front of the counter, and began, "Miss, this isn’t just any ordinary family I’m talking about. It’s the second young master of the Ning’an Marquis Mansion."

Hearing this, Gu Fei’s eyebrows shot up. "May I ask, Madam, is this young master’s surname Xu?"

The old woman beamed. "It is indeed Xu!"

"This Mr. Xu... he’s young, handsome, and brilliantly learned. Plus, he’s the son of a Marquis! Tell me, where else could one find such a fantastic opportunity?"

Gu Fei asked impassively, "Is the second young master of the Marquis Mansion asking for Lan Zhi’s hand as a wife, or to take her as a concubine?"

The old woman was taken aback. "As a concubine, of course."

’A girl from a common family like her... surely she doesn’t dream of becoming the principal wife?’ she thought.

Gu Fei lowered her gaze. "Alright, I understand. I’ll talk to her about it later."

"Please come back another day for her answer."

But the old woman was reluctant to leave. "Miss, it’s not my place to boast, but we’re talking about the second son of Marquis Ning’an! For an orphan girl like Lan Zhi, this is the kind of opportunity you couldn’t find even if you searched with a lantern."

Gu Fei nodded. "Rest assured, I will make everything clear to her."

"Lian’er, see our guest out!"

The old woman’s mouth twitched. With a roll of her eyes and a flick of her handkerchief, she left.

Gu Fei told Lian’er to watch the front of the shop, while she went to the back courtyard to find Lan Zhi.

Lan Zhi was sitting in her room, embroidering with her head bowed.

Gu Fei unhurriedly explained the situation. "You’ve met that Mr. Xu. Didn’t you always say you wanted to marry a talented, handsome, gentle, and refined young master? I think he fits your description quite well."

"Besides, if you marry him, you’ll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life."

Seeing Lan Zhi remain silent, Gu Fei continued, "And about your servitude contract... don’t worry. I have it, and I’ll never let anyone find out."

"This isn’t West Qin County. No one here knows your background. If you really marry him, you’ll be considered a concubine of free status."

When she finished, there was still no reply from Lan Zhi. Gu Fei looked over and saw that her head was still bowed, tears dripping down one by one.

Gu Fei asked in surprise, "What’s wrong? Just say something. Do you want to marry him or not?"

"If you want to, then you can marry him. If you don’t, then you don’t have to."