Chapter 686 Marriage Confirmed (2)
On the sofas to either side of the main seat sat the couples Kong Shi and An Zisheng, alongside Gu Qingfeng and Chen Fang. Following in the younger generation, An Zhihang, An Zhiyan, and Gu Tingting sat next to the couples An Zisheng and Gu Qingfeng.
Opposite the elder gentlemen, An Yiqing and Gu Yelin sat upright and proper on the sofa.
An Yiqing couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth as she observed the seating arrangement, silently ridiculing to herself how a simple meeting of the family elders had been turned into something akin to a solemn trial.
"Today, I, as the Family Head and the elder of the Gu family, am here with my grandson Gu Yelin to visit and formally propose marriage. Everyone has witnessed the affection between Lao San and Girl Qing, and in this day and age, we speak of free love. The old ways of matchmaking and parental dictates are long out of fashion. However, I believe that a proposal still ought to be treated with due ceremony," said Old Master Gu solemnly in the quiet living room. "All of you are familiar with my grandson’s character. Although he may appear cold, he is indeed a man who cares for and cherishes his wife. I hope Elder An, sisters and brothers, as well as Zisheng and Xiao Shi, you would consent to our proposal and marry Xiao Qing to our family."
Old Master Gu paused and heaved a sigh, continuing with a smile, "In truth, I would have preferred to simply see the two children married. But nowadays, people value a bit of romance in the process, and besides, to quell the rumors outside, we should first have an engagement and host a grand ceremony. That way, I’d like to see what else those outside can gossip about."
Though Old Master Gu appeared to be detached from worldly affairs, he was actually quite attuned, more aware than most of the goings-on outside. He had indeed heard the talks of An Yiqing becoming a phoenix who had taken flight, including how the An family relied on the Gu family. These were not lost on him.
He truly cherished An Yiqing as his granddaughter-in-law and would not allow others to gossip about her.