CHAPTER 559: CHAPTER 288: CUTTING HAIR TO SHOW RESOLVE

The courtyard quieted down, and Shi Fengming suddenly felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. In fact, when she was around, he rarely spoke to her, and her words were scarce too, most of the time it was just as quiet. But now, it feels so different!

It was not just quiet but also empty. So silent that he could distinctly hear his own heartbeat, so empty that it caused an inexplicable panic within him.

Shi Fengming sighed in frustration, why was it so annoying!

"Second Young Master, it’s time for your medicine!" Xiaocui seemed to feel the abnormal atmosphere as well, and approached cautiously with the medicine bowl in hand.

"Get lost!" Shi Fengming was feeling irritable and glared at her upon seeing this.

"Second Young Master..." Xiaocui trembled with fright, her heart pounding. The Second Mistress had returned to the Zhou family, and she dared not force the Young Master to take his medicine like the Second Mistress used to do. Not only did she dare not to, but she also prayed in her heart that the Second Young Master would never recall these days when she acted as the "accomplice" of the Second Mistress in forcing him to take his medicine. Otherwise, if he settled scores with her after the fact, she would have nowhere to cry!

"Put down the medicine and get out!" Shi Fengming suddenly said coldly, looking up again.

"Yes, Second Young Master!" Xiaocui felt immensely relieved, quickly put down the medicine bowl, and ran out as if she was escaping. It was best for the Second Young Master to voluntarily take his medicine, hopefully, it would always be like this from now on.

Shi Fengming stared at the medicine bowl, lost in thought. If she were still here, she would have already brought over the medicine bowl, and although her expression would be cold, she would insist on watching him finish every last drop before giving up.

He picked up the medicine bowl and brought it to his lips, the pungent scent of the medicine hit him, causing him to unconsciously frown and turn his face away in disgust. He took a few deep breaths before turning back to attempt to drink it. His stomach churned, and he hurriedly set the medicine bowl on the table next to him, not wanting to give it another look.

The taste was unbearable! He even wondered if Xiaocui had put something else in while brewing the medicine; otherwise, why could he have swallowed it in the past, but now he absolutely couldn’t?

Shi Fengming sighed softly, stood up, and poured all of the medicine at the base of a flower, not wanting to take another sip!

Zhou Jingyi spent a few days at home in a daze, and Mrs. Zhou could not help but be heartbroken and cry when she saw her like this, which upset her greatly. Zhou Jingyi felt increasingly guilty toward her mother and tried to pull herself together, agreeing to put on some brighter clothes, comb her hair, and put on makeup. Seeing this, Mrs. Zhou finally felt happy.

"That’s more like it! Why sorrow over someone who’s not relevant? Good girl, how about we go to the manor in a couple of days for a brief stay to ease your mind? Take care of yourself and get into a better mood, and next year your father and I will pick a better match for you, then the Shi family will regret their actions! My daughter is so wonderful; they squandered her for nothing!"

Zhou Jingyi listened absent-mindedly, but the last two sentences startled her, and she couldn’t help but change color, saying: "Are you still considering marrying me off?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou felt a sour ache in her heart and patted her hand gently, smiling softly, "Silly girl, you’re still so young, how can you not marry? Without a good home, how could your father and I be at ease? Don’t be afraid, suffering this loss once is enough, there won’t be a second time like this. This time your father and I will definitely investigate the other party thoroughly before agreeing! Don’t worry!"

Thinking she was just scared, Mrs. Zhou was busy comforting her.

Zhou Jingyi’s heart began to feel uneasy, and she forced a smile without responding.

Unable to sleep at night, after much pondering, Zhou Jingyi felt it was necessary to make her stance clear to her parents. In this lifetime, she was absolutely not going to marry again; no matter how heartless he was to her, she couldn’t forget him, nor could she bear the thought of being wife to another strange man. Just thinking about it made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

The next day, Zhou Jingyi expressed her feelings in front of Master Zhou and his wife, wishing to live out her life quietly without ever marrying again, asking for their blessing.

Mrs. Zhou was stunned at first and then blurted out, "No! What kind of situation would that be? Are you deliberately trying to make your parents suffer?"

"Mother, the decision to marry again is mine to make, and I really do not wish to. I’m quite content as is, truly!"

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Zhou exclaimed angrily: "What do you mean the decision is yours to make? Could your parents possibly harm you? What’s so good about this? You may not feel it now, but in the future when your parents are gone, if you have no one to care for or rely on, and no children of your own, how can your parents pass away in peace!"