Chapter 53 [CTCGP 14]

Yan Yi Ming seemed momentarily unable to comprehend Jiang Yi’s words. Her delicate face, rarely showing such an expression, froze in stunned disbelief. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, the smile on her lips stiffening. 

“…What?”

Jiang Yi tightened his grip on Yan Yi Ming’s shoulders, preventing her from escaping as he repeated, “I said, I will marry you.”

For an instant, time seemed to have stood still.

Suddenly, Yan Yi Ming forcefully shook his hands off. The smile vanished completely from her face as she snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Jiang Yi grabbed her wrist, his expression more serious than ever. “I am not talking nonsense.”

“I’m your elder sister!”

“But we’re not related by blood!” Jiang Yi enunciated every word clearly. As he spoke them, an unprecedented sense of relief washed over him. Perhaps seeing Yan Yi Ming’s utterly shocked expression made him worry that he had frightened her, his tone softened slightly.

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“El yal dsv ckszstknyzzu alzyvle, ps, kv xlydp vbyv R nyd xyaau usw. Gde usw… nyd xyaau xl.”

Zyd Zk Ykdt’p casop jdkvvle vktbvzu vstlvbla. Mbl byde kd Kkydt Zk’p taypr valxczle wdnsdvaszzyczu, nywpkdt Kkydt Zk’p hsknl vs qyzvla yp bl ypjle kd y rydkn, “Gb Ykdt, obyv’p oasdt?”

Zyd Zk Ykdt vakle sdnl xsal vs rwzz bla byde yoyu, cwv Kkydt Zk’p takr oyp qkax. Bdyczl vs calyj qall, pbl tzyale yv bkx qklanlzu yde tlpvwale vsoyaep y pvsdl cldnb dlyacu. “Tlzr xl shla vblal. Yu nblpv qllzp vktbv.”

Kkydt Zk’p blyav valxczle, yde bl iwknjzu pwrrsavle bla yp vblu xshle vsoyae vbl cldnb.

Zyd Zk Ykdt nzwvnble bla nblpv, vyjkdt kd ellr calyvbp qsa y zsdt obkzl. Wkdyzzu, yp Kkydt Zk ydmkswpzu bshlale shla bla, pbl plkgle vbl xsxldv vs qall bla byde. Fllkdt vbl vldpksd sd bkp qynl, pbl prsjl clqsal bl nswze alynv, “Fkv esod. R’x dsv zlyhkdt.”

Kkydt Zk sclekldvzu pyv cynj esod.

Gqvla y zsdt pkzldnl, Zyd Zk Ykdt qkdyzzu prsjl.&dcpr;

“Fbys Kwd,” pbl nyzzle bkx cu bkp nswavlpu dyxl, vbld rywple clqsal nsdvkdwkdt, “Ohlausdl vbkdjp R’x elpvkdle vs alxykd wdxyaakle. Mblu xsnjle xl, rkvkle xl. Jwv R byhl dlhla rkvkle xuplzq. Fs, Fbys Kwd, usw esd’v byhl vs pyu pwnb vbkdtp qsa xu pyjl. El xyu dsv cl alzyvle cu czsse, cwv R’hl yzoyup altyaele usw yp xu uswdtla casvbla.”

Jiang Yi let out a quiet chuckle, his smile carrying a hint of bitterness under the darken night sky. “But, I’ve never viewed you as my elder sister.”

Yan Yi Ming’s fingers twisted the fabric of her handkerchief ever so slightly, betraying a subtle tremor. She lifted her gaze to meet his without saying a word.

Jiang Yi looked at her with unwavering sincerity. “When I say I want to marry you, it’s not out of pity. I truly want to marry you,” his voice, calm yet resolute. “I have never thought of you as my sister. From the moment I understood what love is, the only person I ever thought of was you.”

The emotion in Yan Yi Ming’s eyes finally flickered. She looked at him in sheer disbelief and uttered each word slowly, “You must’ve gone crazy.”

“Ah Ming,” Jiang Yi called her name. “You always used to ask why I address you as such. Now, I can finally answer—because I like you, because I want to be close to you…”

“Jiang Yi!” Yan Yi Ming could not bear to listen any longer and interrupted his nonsense harshly, “I’ve said, I am your sister! Even if we’re not related by blood, you’re already registered in our family clan. Your surname is Jiang!”

Jiang Yi chuckled lightly, a hint of teasing in his tone. “If it meant that I could marry you, I could forgo that surname and not be a Jiang.”

“You!… you…” Yan Yi Ming was so furious that for a moment, she was momentarily rendered speechless. Jiang Yi, however, had already put away his smile. “Ah Ming, just a few days ago, you told me that you are only marrying for the sake of Master and Madame. That means no matter who you marry, it would make no difference to you. If it truly doesn’t matter, why are you so against marrying me?”

“Because I never thought that that person would be my younger brother.”

“I’ve told you, I am not your brother,” Jiang Yi said, displeased. “You had never even met Third Young Master Jing before, and didn’t refuse him. But we’ve known each other for so long, and I am still not good enough?”

Yan Yi Ming glared at him furiously, “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?” Jiang Yi looked at her intently. “Ah Ming, when you phrased it like this, it really hurts me.”

Seeing him put on a wounded expression, Yan Yi Ming nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation. 

You still have the nerve to act aggrieved?

Jiang Yi, noticing her silence, knew she must be angry. After a pause, he spoke again in a low voice. “I still remember the day I first arrived at the Jiang household. It was snowing heavily. Old Madame Jiang ordered me to wait outside. I didn’t dare disobey her command, so I waited. I don’t even know when I lost consciousness. By the time I came to, I had already fallen sick.”

As he spoke, Jiang Yi recalled the first time he met Yan Yi Ming. “At first, I thought I was going to die that snowy night, but you saved me. Later, I heard from Master Jiang that even calling me away from Old Madame Jiang’s courtyard that day was because of you.”

“I once thought this Jiang household was nothing but cold and unfeeling. But after meeting you, I realised how lucky I was, how grateful I was that Fifth Master Jiang sent me here.”

So now, no matter what was said, it was already too late.

“If no one will marry you, I will. If no one wants you, I want you. Ah Ming, no one in this world cares about you more than I do.”

“I know…”

Yan Yi Ming took a deep breath. “I know, and I believe you. But, Shao Jun, I could marry anyone but you.”

Jiang Yi shot up abruptly, angry and heartbroken, “Why?!”

“Because I can’t bear to, because you’re too important to me.”

Jiang Yi was momentarily stunned. Yan Yi Ming averted her gaze, staring into the empty darkness as she slowly spoke. “Mother lied to the Jing family, telling them my health was fine. However, I know the truth. Having lived this long with a congenital condition is already a miracle. The time I have left may be as little as a year, perhaps even just six months. With a body like this, I should never have married, never brought misfortune to another person. I should’ve just stayed quietly and waited for my end. Don’t speak first—let me finish.”

“The only reason I agreed to marry Third Young Master Jing was because I didn’t care. I didn’t care whether he would grieve after I died or whether he would be sad. However, you are different. I watched you grow up. I have never doubted that one day you would make something of yourself, rise above others, and have the brightest future. You should marry the best woman—not foolishly tie yourself to a one who won’t have much longer to live.”

“But I don’t care,” Jiang Yi said softly, looking at her.

Initially, he was angry. Angry that she did not understand. But now, he finally did.

She was not oblivious.

She understood too well.

“I don’t care if you’re in poor health. I will do everything in my power to find the best physicians to cure you. Ah Ming, if it were for any other reason, perhaps I would give up. But if your reason is this, I will never let you go.”

With that, Jiang Yi stood up.

Yan Yi Ming immediately grabbed his sleeve, her voice urgent. “Where are you going?”

Lan Xiu had been waiting anxiously and finally came looking for them, holding Yan Yi Ming’s cloak in her hands.

“To seek an audience with Master and Madame,” Jiang Yi took the cloak from Lan Xiu, carefully draping it over Yan Yi Ming’s shoulders and fastening it. “To ask them to give us their blessing.”

“They’ll never agree to this.”

Jiang Yi shook his head, his tone both resolute yet gentle. “They will—because just like me, all they want is for someone to truly take care of you. Lan Xiu, take care of your mistress.”

“Yes…” Lan Xiu replied timidly, watching as Jiang Yi walked away. She then turned to Yan Yi Ming and whispered, “Miss, what do we do now?”

Yan Yi Ming pulled her cloak tighter around her and sighed. “I don’t know either… my head hurts.”

“Should we chase after Young Master?”

“Whatever for? It just makes unnecessary fuss. It’s late; let’s just go back to bed.”

She needed a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, she has quite the performance to put on. Yan Yi Ming let out a long sigh.

Life was just like a play, and it all depended on one’s acting skills.

Maybe she should consider becoming an actress when all this was over. She seemed to have a knack for it.