After all the members of the Zhao family had left, Zhao Shuning quickly checked Yan Ruyu's body.
Finding that her master was unharmed, Zhao Shuning asked in confusion, "Master, didn't my father beat you?"
"Why would he beat me?"
"Never mind. It's just that—last night, he saw it, you know. I just—"
Zhao Shuning struggled to get the words out for a long time.
Then she said, "It's okay. It's all in the past."
"Okay."
Yan Ruyu stood up and took Zhao Shuning's hand on his own initiative. Then they walked out of the room together.
When they saw Zhao Zheng, Zhao Shuning tried to pull her hand back immediately. But for some reason, her master either didn't notice Zhao Zheng or didn't feel Zhao Shuning's struggling strength. Instead, he held her hand even tighter.
Her father clearly saw that her master was holding her hand, but he just turned a blind eye and walked past.
Zhao Shuning was completely dumbfounded.
This wasn't how her father usually reacted!
"Master, what did you say to my father?"
"Nothing much."
"Impossible. Usually when my father sees a man come to propose marriage, he would look very angry. If those men dared to touch me, my father would definitely break their legs."
Yan Ruyu stopped, and Zhao Shuning bumped into his body.
Her master looked like he was out of this world and his body didn't seem very strong. But when Zhao Shuning bumped into him, she felt a pain in her head.
It seemed that her master was actually quite strong.
"Has anyone come to propose marriage?"
Zhao Shuning rubbed her aching forehead and nodded. Without noticing Yan Ruyu's gaze, she continued, "Yes, father drove them all away."
"That's good."
A beautiful arc appeared on Yan Ruyu's lips.
"What's good?"
"Let's go."
Zhao Shuning was led by Yan Ruyu all the way back to his courtyard.
What puzzled her was that although her master was so bold, Zhao Zheng and Lin Min'er, who doted on their daughter so much, seemed not to notice and just let them go.
After they returned to Yan Ruyu's room, Zhao Shuning slapped her forehead. Finally, she realized what was wrong. Her father had said a sentence to her master before.
"I'll leave my Shuning to you."
Zhao Shuning was really slow when it came to matters of the heart.
It was only now that she understood the profound meaning behind her parents' words.
"Why did you stop?"
Feng Zhan heard the sound and came out. Seeing his younger brother being so bold this time that he was holding Zhao Shuning's hand right in the Zhao family's courtyard.
"Little girl, did you make it in time?"
Zhao Shuning blushed slightly.
She lowered her head and for the first time showed the shyness of a young girl.
"Master, do my parents know your identity?"
"I just told them that I'm a grandmaster of the Association."
Zhao Shuning was stunned.
This identity meant nothing to Yan Ruyu, but in the eyes of the Zhao family, it was a status higher than the sky.
Zhao Shuning said with a long face, "Master, don't take my parents' words to heart. They're just talking nonsense."
"Oh?"
Yan Ruyu's voice trailed off. Feng Zhan also looked at the two of them in confusion, not understanding what they were talking about.
"Master, my parents haven't seen much of the world. Since you've revealed your identity, and I've just behaved like that, my parents must think that I've fallen in love with you. They must want to force me on you so that I'll have someone to rely on in the future."
Yan Ruyu gave a charming smile.
Why hadn't he noticed before that his Ning'er had such a wild imagination?
"Did I guess right?"
Yan Ruyu shook his head.
"Master, you don't have to worry about my feelings now. If my parents weren't confident in leaving me to you, they would never have said such things."
Yan Ruyu smiled.
Then he asked, "So, Ning'er doesn't like your master?"
Zhao Shuning quickly denied it, "No no no, master, I respect you."
After thinking for a long time, Zhao Shuning thought that the word "like" was too frivolous and her master might not like it. If so, it would affect her position in his heart in the future. So she swallowed the word "like" and replaced it with "respect".
The smile on Yan Ruyu's face disappeared.
Zhao Shuning felt that she had said the wrong thing again.
"Master, I—"
Yan Ruyu gently put his arm around her, and Zhao Shuning was pulled into his arms. Yan Ruyu's breath was so close to her.
When Zhao Shuning was in a daze, she heard Yan Ruyu whisper in her ear.
"You don't have to respect me."
"What?"
At this moment, Yan Ruyu let go of Zhao Shuning. Without the strength on her waist, Zhao Shuning was in a daze for a moment, and then stared blankly at her master's back as he walked away.
Her master said that he didn't need her respect?
What did that mean?
Feng Zhan shook his head outside the door again and again, then went in cursing.
"Really. Why did I come out? To look for trouble? Isn't it just bringing back the girl he likes? Bu Ran, do you really have to show off like this in front of me?
"Don't you even think about it. If I eat so much of this kind of sweetness, will I get toothache? Really. In the palace of the Qingyun Kingdom, I had to watch Su Mu being nice to my elder sister. And here, I have to endure you two. Where can I find a place for myself?"
After Zhao Shuning came to her senses, she quickly entered the room.
She was convinced that after her family knew that her master was a grandmaster of the Association, they wanted to force her on Yan Ruyu, which was why Yan Ruyu was so angry.
It was rare for her master to come here once, and she had made him angry.
This misunderstanding must be cleared up. She had to make her master think that she didn't have any feelings for him. In this way, her master wouldn't deliberately distance himself from her because she liked him.
As soon as she thought of this, Zhao Shuning took action.
"Master, don't feel any psychological burden because of my parents' words."
"Master, those are just my parents' words. You can't believe them. I definitely don't dare to have such thoughts about you."
Yan Ruyu frowned slightly.
Feng Zhan shook his head with a smile beside them.
This little girl was so outstanding in every aspect, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was just like an idiot. Bu Ran was already unhappy, but she still didn't notice.
"Master, don't be angry. Things are really not what you think."
Yan Ruyu put down the book in his hand.
Then he said, "So, you feel wronged to be with your master?"
"Well, not really." Was this the point?
"Then what do you mean?"
Yan Ruyu stood up and walked towards Zhao Shuning, getting very close to her.
Zhao Shuning's heart started beating wildly again. Every time her master got a little closer to her, she couldn't control her heart.
"I, I don't mean anything."
Zhao Shuning closed her eyes and shouted, then turned around and ran out.
Looking at her back as she ran away in despair, Yan Ruyu frowned slightly.
"Bu Ran, you've scared the little girl away."