代练牛

Cai Wenxi\'s eyes flew open in surprise. "Did I look that bad?"

The thought flitted through her mind—was he exaggerating?

No way she looked that terrible!

However, as she gazed out at the downpour and visualized herself in the scene, doubt crept in.

Perhaps to an outsider, she might indeed have seemed so distressed.

Slap!

The realization struck her sharply, prompting her to smack her forehead with her hand before sighing deeply, "See... I didn\'t mean to come across like that," she clarified.

Zhang Wei nodded understandingly. "You certainly didn\'t, until you seemed like you were inviting me to console you. I mean, I\'m quite adept at offering comfort... want a demo?" Despite maintaining a teasing face, he couldn\'t resist standing and inching closer to her.

Cai Wenxi\'s eyes widened in alarm as she quickly placed her hands on his head, firmly pushing him back into his seat.

"I would rather not receive any consolation!" she declared, her chuckle tinged with a bitter note, baffled by his obliviousness.

How had he even thought that approach would be effective?

Yet, in Zhang Wei\'s eyes, a sly smile was already playing, as he had long imagined her unwittingly falling into the carefully laid trap.

"Well, if no consolation is desired, then humor me, or I might just walk out," he added, shrugging helplessly as if resigned to his fate.

"..."

\'Why would I humor you?\' Cai Wenxi\'s face involuntarily twitched as she helplessly covered it with her hand, finding his attempt to appear pitiful rather unconvincing. "Okay, but I really don\'t have anything to entertain you with. However, I can share why I was sitting alone..." she added, her voice trailing off, "Though it\'s not really a secret."

Cai Wenxi hailed from the esteemed Cai family of the capital, a lineage rich in history and deeply entrenched in service to the nation, with robust ties to the upper echelons of the Han Dynasty\'s leadership.

This network included Zhang Qiangshan, the venerable patriarch of the Zhang family, also based in the capital.

His current son, Zhang Mingxuan, was the active General of the central province.

Historically, the Zhangs were peers of the Cais, both dynasties serving the Empire side by side.

This bond grew even stronger when both sons of Zhang Mingxuan were chosen for the prestigious Dragon Squad!

The Zhang family, long accustomed to the perils of mortality, was suddenly privy to the secrets of immortal health, something that spread like wildfire over the last decade.

Zhang Yuan ascended to the leadership of the Dragon Squad, while his brother, Zhang Ming, also served in this elite unit.

With one son commanding the military as a general and the other heading the nation\'s top-secret force, Zhang Qingshan stood unafraid of most threats, his only concern being the shadowy power of the ancient hidden families.

Naturally, his remarkable progress hadn\'t gone unnoticed, attracting attention and proposals from across the globe.

Among these interested parties was Cai Wenxi\'s father.

He approached Zhang Qingshan with a proposal to solidify an alliance through marriage: his plan was to marry off his eldest daughter, Cai Wenxi, to Zhang Mingxuan\'s eldest son, Zhang Yuan.

However, Zhang Yuan immediately rejected the proposal, despite his professional ties with Cai Wenxi in the same elite squad.

This refusal left both Zhang Mingxuan and Cai Wenxi\'s father in a delicate and somewhat embarrassing position.

To salvage the situation and maintain the alliance, Zhang Mingxuan\'s second son, Zhang Ming, was promptly engaged to Cai Wenxi.

Cai Wenxi\'s father accepted this alternative without hesitation.

After all, aligning with Zhang Mingxuan, who was intimately connected to Master Huang—the most powerful figure in the Dynasty—was hardly a setback.

Now, Cai Wenxi found herself strategically paired with Zhang Ming to foster better bonds as decreed by the elders in their squad.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ming wielded the impending marriage as both a jest and a veiled threat during their interactions.

Despite Zhang Ming\'s efforts to be accommodating and even caring—evident in his checking up on her just a few hours earlier—Cai Wenxi\'s perception of him had been tainted negatively.

Once cast in such a light, all his actions were viewed through a lens of skepticism and distrust, rendering them ineffective in changing her initial judgment.

In contrast, if Cai Wenxi ever perceived someone favorably, that positive image was likely to persist, coloring all subsequent interactions with an enduring glow of approval.

Zhang Wei, who had only heard Cai Wenxi\'s side of the story, couldn\'t help but nod thoughtfully. "Then why don\'t you just refuse the marriage?"

Though the situation seemed ripped straight from a melodramatic soap opera, he believed the solution was straightforward.

Cai Wenxi\'s eyes flashed with surprise at his suggestion, and she furrowed her brow in concentration. "I can\'t! My father has already given his word. Do you think it\'s that easy to just break his promise?"

Zhang Wei shrugged, leaning back comfortably against the seat and placing his hand casually behind his head, "Well, it might be easier for you than you think—sometimes, you need to learn to disappoint others to be true to yourself."

Cai Wenxi\'s expression grew somber, and she muttered grimly, "They would disown me..."

Zhang Wei countered softly, "It\'s your choice, but if you\'re so terrified of disappointing your father, you might never truly live for yourself."

"..."

Cai Wenxi\'s face darkened further, shadows playing across her features. While his advice seemed sensible on the surface, she doubted its practicality.

Wouldn\'t rejecting the arranged marriage trigger the collapse of her family\'s carefully constructed social standing?

Would she bear the weight of that collapse?

Could she endure the guilt associated with such a drastic decision?

Deep down, Cai Wenxi already knew the answer.

She bit back her words, tempted to point out that it was easy for him to speak so freely—he didn\'t have parents to disappoint.

Her lips parted in hesitation, but the words stubbornly refused to surface.