Yan Yi Ming was quite surprised; she truly had not expected that this frail body of hers would one day be able to attract a suitor. She found it hard to believe that the third young master had not heard of the Jiang family’s daughter’s congenital ailment. Yet this still had not deterred him?
“Indeed, beauty really is justice,” Yan Yi Ming could not help but sigh. Though this face was not one she had customised for herself, the system-generated appearance was undoubtedly top-tier. She turned to glance at Jiang Yi and, unsurprisingly, found his expression was far from pleasant.
While Yan Yi Ming was merely surprised; for Jiang Yi, this unexpected news was enough to disrupt all his plans and expectations.
He had never considered the possibility of Yan Yi Ming getting married. After all, Master Jiang and Madame Jiang would never wrong her, and noble families would never allow their sons to take her as an official wife.
Jiang Yi had always prided himself on flawlessly planning every step, whether in academics or matters of the heart. However, someone had barged in uninvited, disrupting everything he had planned.
The legitimate third son of the Jing family, the governor of Luo Yang Prefecture’s household. If the Jing’s were truly willing to take Yan Yi Ming as an official wife, Master Jiang and Madame Jiang would have no reason to refuse. In fact, they would likely be overjoyed, marrying her off in grand fashion.
Jiang Yi clenched his fists tightly.
Back when he first arrived alone at the Jiang household, he had not felt anxious or lost. Yet, now, for the first time, his heart was in turmoil, and he was losing his composure.
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Tyhkdt vayhlzzle okvb Wkqvb Yypvla Kkydt qsa ulyap, bl bye blyae nswdvzlpp vkxlp vbyv lhlausdl byp vblka zsv kd zkql. Tsolhla, bl bye dlhla ldhkle vbspl sq bktb pvyvwp. Zlv, yv vbkp xsxldv, bl pweeldzu wdelapvsse fwpv bso nawnkyz qyxkzu cynjtaswde yde psnkyz pvydekdt olal.
Mbl sdzu vbkdt vbyv tyhl Kkydt Zk y pkzhla sq nsxqsav oyp Zyd Zk Ykdt’p alynvksd. Bdzkjl vbl xykeplahydvp, obs olal cakxxkdt okvb lmnkvlxldv, pbl oyp xlalzu y zkvvzl vyjld ycynj cu vbl dlop. Wwavblaxsal, yqvla vbyv kdkvkyz alynvksd, pbl iwknjzu alvwadle vs bla wpwyz kdekqqlaldv elxlydswa, pkxrzu alprsdekdt okvb y bwx yp kq pbl bye xlalzu ynjdsozletle obyv pbl blyae.
Jlqsal Kkydt Zk bye y nbydnl vs calyvbl y pktb sq alzklq, Zyd Zk Ykdt pvsse wr yde elnzyale, “Mbld zlv’p ts byhl y zssj.”
Kkydt Zk’p nblpv vktbvldle, bkp rwrkzp nsdvaynvkdt pbyarzu yp bkp tygl qszzsole bla xshlxldv. Gv vbyv xsxldv, bl pweeldzu alyzkple vbyv xspv tkazp bla ytl olal yzalyeu ldtytle sa xyaakle. Ohld kq pbl oyp dsv yp lmnkvle yp svblap, pbl elqkdkvlzu nyale ycswv vbkp xyvvla.
Gde dso, pbl bye yd lmnlzzldv nbsknl clqsal bla.
Ekvbswv y xsxldv’p blpkvyvksd, Kkydt Zk pvsse wr yde pyke, “R’zz nsxl yzsdt yp olzz.”
Zyd Zk Ykdt tzydnle cynj yv bkx. Kwpv dso, Nkvvzl Grrzl alxkdele bla vbyv, qsa y caklq xsxldv, Kkydt Zk’p lxsvksdyz qzwnvwyvksdp bye dlyazu lmnllele vbl oyadkdt vbalpbsze. Fbl pxkzle pkzldvzu, zsolale bla lulp, yde psqvzu alrzkle, “Mbld zlv’p ts vstlvbla.”
“Jwv…” Nyd Dkw blpkvyvle, bla hsknl tlvvkdt pxyzzla. ‘Jwv Yyeyxl sdzu nyzzle qsa Wkqvb Ykpp…’
Yet, she did not dare to voice the rest of her sentence aloud. Given how close the young master and the young miss were, and how much he cared for her, Madame surely would not mind him coming along.
Normally, the two of them always had endless things to talk about, but perhaps because they currently each had something on their minds, this was the first time they walked together in complete silence.
As they approached Madame Jiang’s courtyard, laughter and cheerful conversation could already be heard from within. Jiang Yi’s fists, hidden in his sleeves, clenched even tighter.
Upon spotting Yan Yi Ming and Jiang Yi approaching, the maidservants at the door quickly called out, “Fifth Miss has arrived!”
The people inside, Madame Jiang and her two daughters-in-law, who had been chatting with Madame Jing, immediately turned toward the entrance.
A few days ago, her youngest son returned home and started inquiring about something. He had seemed distracted and absent-minded, but when asked what was wrong, he refused to say. It was not until yesterday that he excitedly told her he had set his sights on the Jiang family’s daughter.
The governor of Luo Yang Prefecture was a fourth-rank official, and Master Jiang happened to be one of his subordinates. From what her husband had told her, the Jiang family was upright and had a solid family reputation.
Although this was not the same young lady Madame Jing had considered initially for her son, the Jiang family’s status was still acceptable. The only concern was the rumour that this Jiang family’s daughter was frail and sickly.
Madame Jing had always doted on her youngest son. Since her son was utterly infatuated with the Jiang family’s daughter, coupled with his sweet coaxing words, he painted this Fifth Miss Jiang as unparalleled, both in the heavens and on earth. Persuaded by her son, she finally agreed to visit the Jiang manor and take a look for herself.
The Jing family was wealthy and would not mind how much medicine Yan Yi Ming consumed; as long as she was not too frail, well-educated, and had a gentle disposition, it was not impossible.
Hearing the maidservant’s announcement of Fifth Miss Jiang’s arrival, Madame Jing lifted her head, only to spot a tall yet delicate young woman step inside.
In that instant, she understood why her son had been so enamoured.
Leaving aside her rare beauty, just her cool and serene temperament alone made her exceptionally outstanding.
Seeing Yan Yi Ming enter, followed closely by a young man, Madame Jing immediately noticed that, while he was still young, he was already quite distinguished in appearance and demeanour.
Madame Jing could not help but think of how her husband had spoken highly of the Jiang family’s upbringing, and just by looking at these two children, it was clear they were indeed exceptional.
On the other hand, Madame Jiang was not surprised to see Jiang Yi arriving alongside her daughter. The siblings had always been close, and besides, if it were not for Jiang Yi’s sudden interest in taking Ah Ming out, they would not have run into Third Young Master Jing, and this promising marriage would not have come about.
With that in mind, she suddenly found herself growing fonder of Jiang Yi, thinking that her Ah Ming’s compassion towards this boy had not been in vain.
Watching as Madame Jing carefully inquired about Yan Yi Ming’s daily activities and the type of books she likes to read, Madame Jiang felt immense satisfaction when her daughter answered with poise and grace. Though Ah Ming was physically frail, she was outstanding in every other aspect. Even her husband often remarked that if Ah Ming had been born a male, she would have undoubtedly achieved great things.
Madame Jing also found herself becoming more impressed than she had expected.
Madame Jing had once been the eldest daughter of a prominent aristocratic family in the Imperial Capital and had only come to Luo Yang Prefecture after marrying the governor. In her youth, she had met many people and naturally had a discerning eye.
The Jiang family’s young Miss had a naturally cool and composed demeanour. When she spoke, she neither flattered Madame Jing because of her status nor deliberately acted distant for the sake of appearances. Despite coming from a less prominent household, she carried herself with the grace and composure of a young lady from a noble family.
Her son’s judgment was not bad at all. If only this girl were in better health, she would have been perfect.
However, it would not be appropriate for Madame Jing to inquire directly about Yan Yi Ming’s physical condition. Madame Jiang could hear the subtle hints in Madame Jing’s words, but of course, she would not openly admit that her daughter was in poor health. Instead, she put on a pained expression and said, “Ah Ming may not be as robust as others, but with proper care, it’s nothing serious. I really don’t know which troublemaker went around spreading rumours about my child being born with some terrible affliction.”
Madame Jing nodded thoughtfully. She had heard from her son that the rumour had originated from the Jiang family’s second branch. Now, it seemed even clearer; legitimate offspring were indeed superior to those born from concubines. The second branch’s head had failed the imperial examinations back in the day and had only managed to buy a minor official position later on.
The heads of both households differed, so the daughters they raised were also different.
Madame Jing carefully scrutinised Yan Yi Ming once more. Seeing that Yan Yi Ming’s complexion seemed quite good, Madame Jing decided not to probe further.
Before departing, Madame Jing had gifts sent to Yan Yi Ming. Standing to the side, Madame Jiang barely managed to keep her expression in check. However, the moment Madame Jing left, she beamed with joy, pulling Yan Yi Ming close. “Madame Jing must be satisfied with you. Everyone always said my daughter lacked good fortune, but clearly, it was just late in coming.”
Then, she turned to Jiang Yi with an affectionate smile. “Good child, we have you to thank for such a wonderful match.”
Jiang Yi, “…”
Jiang Yi rarely found himself at a loss for words like he currently was.
Yan Yi Ming glanced at Jiang Yi, whose expression was utterly foul, and nearly burst into laughter.
If Jiang Yi had known this would happen, he would definitely not have taken her out that day.
Suppressing her amusement, Yan Yi Ming turned to Madame Jiang with concern. “Mother, my illness isn’t as minor as we made it sound. Wouldn’t this be unjust towards Third Young Master Jing?”
“Back then, the physicians said you wouldn’t live past ten, and yet here you are at eighteen. Just recently, didn’t the physician say your health had improved significantly?” Madame Jiang dismissed her concerns. “The Jing family is noble, with the head of the household being the governor of Luo Yang Prefecture and his wife a well-known lady from an esteemed household from the Imperial Capital. If this marriage goes through, I will pray and offer incense every day and even become a vegetarian to ensure my daughter’s continued well-being.”
The maidservants around them all chimed in with well wishes, saying that the young Miss would surely remain safe and sound. Yan Yi Ming caught a glimpse of Jiang Yi, who had remained silent the entire time, but in the end, she chose not to voice any objections.
Because this marriage… was never going to happen.
If Jiang Yi could simply stand by and watch her marry someone else, he would not be one of the four male protagonists in the game.
She did not believe for a second that Jiang Yi would remain indifferent to this matter. Not when his affection level had already reached 100%.
Given his intelligence, Yan Yi Ming was certain that if he truly wanted to stop this engagement, it would not be a difficult feat.
Would he go directly to Master Jiang and speak plainly? Or would he find some other way to sabotage this match?
Yan Yi Ming could not quite predict his countermeasure just yet.
After conversing with Madame Jiang for a while longer, Yan Yi Ming finally left with Jiang Yi. It was not until they were nearing Yan Yi Ming’s courtyard that Jiang Yi finally asked in a low voice, “Do you really want to marry him?”
Yan Yi Ming thought to herself, ‘If I said yes, would you agree to it?’
No, he wouldn’t.
Firstly, Jiang Yi knew she had never even met this Third Young Master Jing before, so she could not have possibly developed any feelings for him. Secondly, Jiang Yi was a proud prodigy who had been composing poetry like:
“I am the phoenix of the Southern Mountain, how could I dwell among mere birds?”
To him, even if this Third Young Master Jing came from a more prestigious family, he still would not be worthy of comparison to himself.
So, even if it were for her sake, Jiang Yi would never agree to this marriage, let alone when his own selfish desires were also part of the equation.
So no matter how she answered, it would not change Jiang Yi’s mind. However, Yan Yi Ming thought for a moment before answering to maintain her carefully crafted persona in Jiang Little Yi’s mind.
“If my marriage can put Father’s and Mother’s worries to rest, then it’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Yan Yi Ming said with a light smile.
After a long pause, she sighed, her voice carrying a faint trace of self-mockery. “As for whom I marry, I don’t particularly care.”
“You don’t particularly care…” Jiang Yi murmured the words under his breath before letting out a subtle, profound smile. Fixing his gaze on her, he said in a low voice, “You said it yourself.”
Yan Yi Ming pretended not to grasp his words. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Jiang Yi averted his gaze. “Go back inside quickly. The sun is quite glaring.”
Yan Yi Ming nodded. “Indeed, I’m a bit tired. Oh yes, Xiao Yin was telling me that you’ve been studying until the fourth watch every night. I know your future is important, but your health is equally so. You shouldn’t have to compromise everything for it.”
Jiang Yi smiled faintly and replied, “I know.”
He watched Yan Yi Ming enter her courtyard, not looking away until she disappeared from his sight. Only then did his smile fade, his eyes darkening with an unreadable expression.
Blistz has something to say:
I changed Ah Ming’s potential suitor’s surname to ‘Jing’ to differentiate between them. <江> and <蒋> both share the same spelling of ‘Jiang’ but have different pronunciations. I did this to reduce the confusion it would cause in the English translated version.
（＾ω＾）v
Thank you for the update! How thoughtful of you to do that. 💕 Out of all the male protagonist, I pity Jiang Yi the most. But still, little five is my favorite. 🤭