Chapter 439: Chapter 426: Kissing Dolls

As long as you guys are helpless, I’ll feel relieved.

With this thought in mind, Zhao Qiancheng started to laugh heartily, plotting how he should break the news about Zhou Daya and Zhao Ziping to his brother-in-law.

—-

Zhuang Qingning returned home and started preparing lunch.

Today, Fan Wenxuan had given both Zhuang Qingsui and Zhuang Mingli a day off. Eager to play with Zhang Qiuying and Zhang Qiuyue, Qingsui had gone to town early in the morning and hadn’t returned yet.

With only Zhuang Qingning at home, she decided to make a curry with the leftover pancakes from breakfast for lunch.

The steaming curry with succulent pieces of pancake was comforting and warming to the bone.

[Congratulations, host. You have now earned 70% support value.]

Zhuang Qingning, who was taking care of remaining dishes, paused in confusion when she heard the system’s message.

She understood that the support value was a crucial factor in determining whether she could trigger the wheat seed task.

However, having suddenly achieved a 70% support value …

[Host, when you took action against the people from Zhaojiazhuang, you gained their approval, hence you’ve achieved such a high support value.]

So, fighting not only suppresses the opponent’s vigor and resolves the current predicament, but also inadvertently prepares for triggering new tasks?

Zhuang Qingning suddenly felt very excited.

If that’s the case, she shouldn’t wait. Why not fight against Zhaojiazhuang’s people once again, try to accumulate a hundred percent of approval value, trigger the wheat seed task, get more task rewards, get rich sooner and reach the pinnacle of life!

[…]

[It’s good that the host is ambitious, but could the host not be so narrow-minded? Accumulation of support value does not necessarily come from fighting. There are other ways to achieve it too.]

For example?

[For example, you gain support value when the villagers approve your unknown decisions.]

Unknown decisions, huh…

Zhuang Qingning stroked her chin, considering this very serious issue.

“Is Sister Ning at home?”

The voice interrupted Zhuang Qingning’s thoughts. She looked up to see Zhuang Wencheng entering the courtyard, slightly taken aback.

After expressing her feelings to Zhuang Wencheng last time, she hadn’t seen him for a while.

Seeing Zhuang Wencheng at her house, Zhuang Qingning felt a bit embarrassed. But she quickly set those feelings aside, and calmly asked, “Brother Wencheng, what brings you here?”

“I’ve been busy at the pharmacy for a while. Today, I thought to come see Father and Mother, so I took a break in the afternoon to come home.”

Zhuang Wencheng smiled as gently and brightly as always. “I wanted to see if you were home, Sister Ning. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Brother Wencheng, I …” Zhuang Qingning paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond to Zhuang Wencheng.

“It’s not about that, Sister Ning. I don’t want to discuss our relationship, nor do I want to insist on my feelings for you. I just wanted to say that I do have feelings for you, but I also understand that there’s no place for me in your heart, and love can’t be forced.”

“So, I won’t compel you to accept me, but Sister Ning, don’t force me to forget you quickly either. To be honest, I can’t forget you for the time being …”

“I know I’ll have to marry and bring someone else as my wife, but right now, I can’t just turn around and marry someone else. It would be a struggle, and I won’t feel it is fair to the other girl.”

“So, Sister Ning …”

“I’m thinking, why not wait until you get married or at least engaged? If you get engaged, I can put down my feelings and focus on my own marriage. Until then, can we pretend that nothing happened, and I’m still your Brother Wencheng, can we?”

Zhuang Wencheng didn’t give Zhuang Qingning any chance to interrupt, pouring his heart out in one go. After he was done speaking, he looked at Zhuang Qingning expectantly, hoping for her agreement.

Zhuang Qingning felt an additional layer of melancholy in her heart.

Her childhood friend was really stubborn, determined to hang himself on her crooked tree.

Rejecting someone you despise is one thing. You can do it openly without feeling guilty.

But when it came to rejecting Zhuang Wencheng, who was kind-hearted and good to her, Zhuang Qingning felt as if she was hurting him and couldn’t be ruthless enough.

However, if she didn’t, she would leave a glimmer of hope.

This hope could accidentally take root in one’s heart and grow into a massive tree.

It seemed like the only way to utterly extinguish the last glimmer of hope was …

Zhuang Qingning pondered for a moment. Eventually, she made up her mind, lifted her head, and said, “Brother Wencheng, the real reason I was in a hurry to clarify things earlier …”

“It’s because I’m already engaged.”

Zhuang Wencheng was stunned and took a minute to collect himself. His face was full of disbelief. “When … When did that happen?”

Why hadn’t he heard of it?

“It was arranged a long time ago …” Zhuang Qingning tried keeping her gaze steady. “It was an arranged marriage set by my parents when I was young. I only found out about it recently.”

“But even though it’s an arranged marriage, I find myself quite fond of it now. I’m just waiting for me to come of age and then get married.”

“So that’s it …”

Zhuang Wencheng murmured for a while with a bitter smile on his face. “I just wonder who that lucky guy is?”

Who is so fortunate to marry Zhuang Qingning in the future?

“Well, about that …” Zhuang Qingning blinked. “I haven’t told anyone else about this yet, I’ve just told you, Brother Wencheng …”

“In any case, the person isn’t from around here. I’ll introduce him to you, Brother Wencheng, if we ever have the chance.”

“That’s fine.” Zhuang Wencheng nodded.

He wanted to see for himself whether that person was worthy of Zhuang Qingning.

Even if he couldn’t marry Zhuang Qingning, at least he wanted to make sure she was happy.

Zhuang Wencheng grinned, forcing out a bitter laugh. “Since that’s the case, I understand your feelings now, Sister Ning.”

“Just like before, you’ll be my little sister Ning, and I’ll be your Brother Wencheng. Just wait for the day you introduce me to my brother-in-law.”

“Definitely.” Zhuang Qingning nodded, her eyes crescents, radiating with happiness.

The mention of “brother-in-law” seems to make Zhuang Qingning very happy…