"There is no need to apologise," said Zhai Muchen when he heard Han Ruochen’s apology. His eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance when he heard her response. "So, am I invited to this banquet?" When he came to look for Han Ruochen, he only wanted to talk to her a little and then leave straight for the army. There was a bunch of work waiting for him in the army.

However, when he saw that Han Ruochen was avoiding him, he couldn’t help but want to follow her. By the time his brain reacted, Zhai Muchen was quite surprised, as he had never tried to chase after women, and this was the first time he was acting like a little teenager in love. "I mean, I also do have some credit. Don’t I Miss Han?"

Though he did not like the fact that he was acting like a cheesy and clingy man, he did not feel regretful at all.

It was not until many years later, when Zhai Muchen and Han Ruochen were standing at the altar, that he marvelled at his wisdom and decisiveness on that very fateful day. With just a few flirtatious remarks, he was able to capture the heart of such an outstanding girl to become a part of his family. Otherwise, this sweet little lady had never fallen for a big bad wolf like himself and had little wolves after she was dragged into his cave.

"Of course you do." Han Ruochen blinked her eyes. "But do you really want to join us? I don’t have much ability, and this banquet might not be as fancy as the ones you are used to attending, Master Zhai. I am afraid you will not be able to enjoy it as much." She was not so thick-skinned that she would invite the heir of the Zhai family to a small banquet at her home. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

There was no reason for Zhai Muchen to agree with her. He arched a brow and said to her, "Miss Ruochen, are you calling me a capitalist?"

"Of course not!" Han Ruochen’s face turned pale when she heard his response. She had never thought of calling Zhai Muchen a capitalist. Even though the policies had relaxed a lot, these terms were still considered taboo. How could she even think of calling someone who had helped her when she needed it the most? She was not that ungrateful!

"Then what do you mean by that, I wouldn’t like the banquet held at your house? Do you think that I am the kind of person who differentiates between the rich and the poor? This kind of thinking is capitalistic thinking, and by making such a suggestion, you are causing me quite a lot of trouble. If someone hears you, then I am worried that people will think ill of me."

Han Ruochen listened to his words, and suddenly she felt like she was caught in a dilemma. What did he mean by such words? When did she refuse him? She could feel that there was something wrong with Zhai Muchen, but she could not put her finger on it. However, since the man had decided to come to the banquet, she could not just refuse him. Anyway, it was not her fault that the man was inclined to attend the banquet. If he disliked something or someone offended him, then he could only blame himself.

At most, she would think of a way to make sure that no one from the village offended this big Buddha.

But at the thought of Zhai Muchen and his family status, Han Ruochen felt her mouth go dry. She could not understand why this man was adamant about attending this small banquet.

"If you want, then you can come join us at the banquet," said Han Ruochen. She had no idea what to think and could only go along with Zhai Muchen’s requests. Anyway, she was not the one who was making trouble for no reason and had warned the man from the start already.

Even if something went wrong, he could only blame himself!

Zhai Muchen finally smiled. He seemed like a little boy who had finally gotten what he wanted, and that look made Han Ruochen speechless. What was this man smiling about? There were so many issues that she had to deal with just because of his momentary decision!

Han Ruochen could already feel her head swell when she thought about her mother and Han Ziyan. She could only hope that Han Ziyan was not at home because that would be one less trouble! The two of them soon arrived at the Han family house. At that moment, the yard was full of people, and all kinds of bustling noise had filled the space. Han Ruochen peeked at Zhai Muchen, but the man looked completely calm despite the many gazes that were aimed at him.

No wonder this man was able to rise to the top in the past.

"Ruochen, who is this young man?" Aunt Zhang from the neighbourhood questioned. She then added in a teasing voice, "Is he your boyfriend?"

Han Ruochen’s face, despite knowing the truth, could not help but heat up. She shook her head and then said to Aunt Zhang, "No, Aunt Zhang. He is..." Han Ruochen paused as if just realising the gist of the situation. She raised her head and looked at Zhai Muchen with a sort of confused expression. Who was Zhai Muchen to her?

"Hello, Aunt Zhang." Zhai Muchen, as if sensing the troubled thoughts that were swirling in Han Ruochen’s head, reached out and bowed in front of Aunt Zhang. "I am Zhai Muchen, Zhai Heng’s older brother. I heard that Miss Han was holding a banquet for the village and impolitely decided to gate-crash. I hope I am not bothering you all with my presence."

In just a few words, he cleared the air and even stopped the tongues of the gossip mongrels who were about to start new rumours regarding Han Ruochen.