Chapter 48

Yan Yiming couldn't quite remember when Jiang Yi had started calling her “A’Ming.” From the beginning, he had rarely addressed her as “Fifth Sister” or “Fifth Younger Sister” like the other siblings, but he had never directly called her A’Ming either.
However, Jiang Yi only called her that when they were alone.
Now, as Yan Yiming peered through her fingers at the smiling face of the handsome young man, she responded with the same words she always did, feigning annoyance in a lazy, casual tone, “What's with 'A’Ming'? No sense of respect for your elders.”
Jiang Yi held the handkerchief he had taken from her face. Amid the vibrant flowers, her beauty stood out even more, and he found himself unwilling to look away. Sitting down beside her, he smiled and said, “I like it. Don't tell me what to call you.”
Yan Yiming shot him a sidelong glance, snatched the handkerchief back, and covered her face again. “You used to say you didn't call me 'sister' because you weren't part of the family. Now that you're officially a relative, you're still doing it. Give me the handkerchief, the sun is too bright.”
Jiang Yi reached out and pulled the handkerchief away again, but before Yan Yiming could protest, he shifted his position to block the sun for her. “I'll shield you. No need to cover your face.”
If she covered her face, he couldn't see it.
What did it matter if he was now a relative? In his heart, he had never seen Yan Yiming as a sister, not in the past, and certainly not in the future.
But he kept these thoughts to himself. Jiang Yi estimated the time; Yan Yiming usually went to speak with Lady Jiang around this hour. Why was she sitting alone here today?
“Third Sister and her husband had another argument, and she came back. It's irritating to watch.”
Ever since Third Young Lady's husband caught a glimpse of Yan Yiming a year ago and was utterly captivated, he couldn't keep his eyes to himself whenever he visited. Rumor had it that Third Young Lady and her husband had quarreled over this very issue.
But honestly, it had nothing to do with Yan Yiming. Yet, since then, Third Young Lady had always treated Yan Yiming with passive-aggressive remarks. The couple, one lustful, the other jealous, were a pair of unpleasant characters.
Yan Yiming had already been disgusted by Third Young Lady's husband, and now, whenever the couple returned, she would avoid them to spare herself the irritation.
At the mention of this, Jiang Yi's smile faded. He never wanted anyone to lay a finger on her, let alone have such a repulsive fly fixate on her. A trace of cruel ruthlessness flickered in his deep eyes before he calmly said, “Ignore them. You missed the peonies blooming all over Luoyang a while ago. Now the lotuses at Silver Beach are in full bloom. Let me take you there to relax.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Yi took Yan Yiming's hand and pulled her up. “The ground is cold. If you lie here too long, you'll catch a chill. If Lan Xiu finds out you were lying here, she'll surely scold you.”
Yan Yiming stood up smoothly, brushing off the petals and grass from her clothes. “I deliberately avoided her, so there’s no way she could’ve seen me. As long as you don’t tell, no one else will know.”
“You...” Jiang Yi sighed helplessly, reaching out to remove the flower branch from her hair. His slender fingers naturally smoothed down the loose strands that hadn’t been tied up.
Yan Yiming looked up into Jiang Yi’s dark eyes and suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia. In the past, she had always looked down at him and could casually ruffle his hair. But over the year, the boy had grown rapidly, and now she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze.
Jiang Yi withdrew his hand and walked beside her. “Why the sigh?”
“You’ve grown so tall in the blink of an eye,” Yan Yiming lamented, reaching out to pinch his arm. “But you’re still too thin. You need to eat more nourishing food.”
Jiang Yi smiled softly at her words. “Understood.”
“You’ve been studying day and night lately. I’ll have Lan Xiu bring you some walnuts later...”
If it had been over a year ago, he would have been at an age where romantic feelings were still hazy. But now, Jiang Yi was fully aware of what lay in his heart for Yan Yiming.
He liked her.
He adored her.
He wanted to be with her day and night, to see her figure every moment, and to listen to her chatter for a lifetime.
Someone informed Lady Jiang, and although Jiang Yi was a steady child, she couldn’t help but worry. She instructed Lan Xiu and the others to accompany and attend to him, repeatedly reminding them not to let him eat recklessly outside and to return early without staying out too late.
Once everything was settled, she couldn’t help but complain about her third daughter, who frequently returned to her maiden home. “She’s already married, what’s the point of always coming back?”
It wouldn’t be so bad if she just visited, but she always made a scene, forcing that wretched Chen Si to personally come and coax her back. It was infuriating just thinking about it, especially since everyone knew what unsavory thoughts Chen Si harbored.
“Young Master rarely has free time. Since he’s in the mood, let him go out and have some fun. Staying cooped up in the manor all day is rather dull.”
The head maid by Lady Jiang’s side smiled upon hearing this. “Young Master may seem young, but he’s remarkably steady and treats our young lady exceptionally well.”
At this, Lady Jiang couldn’t help but sigh. “Yes, it’s rare for these two to be so close. A’Ming doesn’t have a younger brother of her own, so having Young Master around is quite nice. It’s just... ah...”
She left the rest of her words unspoken.
As Jiang Yi grew older, his striking looks and refined demeanor became more apparent. He had already passed the child-examination at a young age and was the most favored student of his tutor at the private school. His future prospects were undoubtedly limitless.
Although he wasn’t a blood-related child of the Jiang family, he had been formally adopted into the clan. Now, at just fifteen, people were already inquiring about his marital status.
As for their own A’Ming, due to her poor health, she had already been delayed for several years. Now, even if someone came to inquire about her, it wouldn't be for a proper, well-matched marriage as the principal wife.
Lady Jiang knew that Old Madam Jiang complained daily about her daughter being so old and still remaining at home, saying it was shameful that she couldn't marry her off and that keeping her at home was a waste of money. Lady Jiang was so upset she cried, but fortunately, her husband did not share such thoughts.
“If she can't marry well, then she doesn't have to marry. As a fifth-rank official, am I incapable of supporting my own daughter?”
Lady Jiang finally felt relieved. However, no matter what, a woman couldn't stay with her maternal family forever. So, she sought out a matchmaker, promising that the Jiang residence would continue to cover her daily expenses after marriage. As long as the man's appearance and character were acceptable, his family background didn't need to be too high, but it couldn't be too poor either. All she wanted was for him to treat her daughter well.
With the conditions lowered so much, the matchmaker became busy, and gradually, there was some progress.
However, Yan Yiming was unaware of this at the time.
The small Silver Beach was filled with the fragrance of lotus blossoms, fresh and delightful. Since becoming this sickly young lady, Yan Yiming had hardly ever left the Jiang residence. Now that she had a rare opportunity to go out and have fun, she was livelier than Jiang Yi had expected.
She was dressed in a snow-white gauze dress, with silver thread embroidered into orchid patterns along the hem. The collar and cuffs of her garment were also adorned with exquisite embroidery, and a light silver brocade belt cinched her waist, making her slender figure appear even more delicate and graceful.
With her captivating appearance and the equally striking Jiang Yi by her side, they drew many glances as they boated on the lake. A few elegantly dressed young gentlemen standing at the bow of a boat spotted them from afar. The young man in blue stared intently at the woman's delicate features and suddenly fell into a daze. After a long while, he asked his companion, “Whose young lady is that?”
Yan Yiming sat in the boat, occasionally watching lotus-picking girls pass by, singing in an attempt to catch Jiang Yi's attention. She leisurely observed Jiang Yi, who was rowing the boat himself, and teased him, “Young sir, with such handsome looks, are you already betrothed?”
Jiang Yi turned around, scrutinizing her carefully before replying slowly, “This humble scholar admires the young lady's ethereal grace. Would the young lady be willing...”
“Such glib talk, so improper,” Yan Yiming plucked a grape and threw it at him, but her aim was poor and it missed. “How dare you joke with your elder sister?”
Only Jiang Yi knew that there was not a hint of jest in his words, but Yan Yiming didn't want to hear it.
So he wouldn't say it.
He had once been indignant that no one appreciated her virtues, but now he felt it was for the best that she couldn't marry. The older she grew, the fewer suitors she would attract, and Jiang Yi felt increasingly at ease.
Although Lord Jiang and Lady Jiang were anxious to marry off their daughter, they still adhered to the principle of quality over quantity when selecting a son-in-law. At the very least, they needed to feel assured about entrusting their daughter to him, and Jiang Yi clearly did not meet that requirement at present. The provincial examination was next year, and he needed to study even harder. Only when he truly earned an official rank would he have the standing to approach Lord Jiang and Lady Jiang to ask for her hand.
So, after their return, Yan Yiming noticed that Jiang Yi had become even more diligent than before, often studying late into the night as if his life depended on it.
Since Jiang Yi and Jian Yu'er still had no interaction, Yan Yiming couldn't use the system to discern what Jiang Yi was thinking or doing. However, looking at the nearly maxed-out favorability, she could easily guess.
Jiang Yi's slogan: “Even a failure like me wants the power to protect you.”
That phrase was originally for Jian Yu'er, but now, it was for her.
The maids around Jiang Yi didn't dare persuade him directly, so they came to Yan Yiming to complain, saying he studied until almost the fourth watch every night, getting no more than three hours of sleep. Even with daily ginseng soup, such exhaustion was unsustainable, none of the other young masters in the mansion studied so recklessly.
“Whatever you do, don’t let the lord know about this,” Yan Yiming said with a light laugh. Lord Jiang was already strict about his descendants' studies, and after discovering Jiang Yi's diligence, he felt the other children weren't working hard enough. If he found out about this, all the brothers and nephews in the household would suffer.
But once Jiang Yi set his mind to something, even she couldn’t dissuade him. Besides, three hours, equivalent to six hours, wasn’t too little sleep. Jiang Yi was still young; pushing himself for a year or two wouldn’t hurt much. After all, high school students in modern society often faced similar pressures without collapsing.
After her midday nap, Yan Yiming had Lan Xiu bring a large batch of walnuts to check on him. Hearing him studying in the study, she didn’t disturb him but sat in the small parlor outside, cracking walnuts.
Yan Yiming had mentioned earlier that she would send someone with walnuts. Jiang Yi heard the crisp cracking sounds and assumed it was a maid shelling them. Only after finishing his reading and stepping out did he realize it was Yan Yiming herself.
He hurried over to take the walnut cracker from her hands. Seeing the fine walnut dust on her delicate, pale fingers, he felt a pang of heartache, thinking of her usually frail and weak state. “Let the maids handle this. There’s no need for you to do it yourself.”
“I find it amusing,” Yan Yiming replied with a smile, pushing a small pile of shelled walnuts on a handkerchief toward him. “You’ve been straining your mind with studying. Eat more walnuts, they nourish the brain and boost intelligence.”
If walnuts could truly enhance intelligence, many people would abandon studying and rely solely on them. But Jiang Yi didn’t argue. Instead, he ate the walnuts she had shelled and chatted with her, using it as a way to relieve his fatigue.
After they had been talking for a while, Lan Xiu rushed in, her face beaming with excitement. “Miss, the lady requests your presence.”
Jiang Yi and Yan Yiming looked up simultaneously. “What’s the matter?”
Lan Xiu had intended to wait until Yan Yiming went to see the madam in person, but she couldn’t contain her excitement. With no outsiders around and Yan Yiming asking, she blurted out joyfully, “The third young master of the magistrate’s family said he happened to see you boating a few days ago and was captivated at first sight. He spent days inquiring before learning you were our mansion’s young lady. As soon as he found out, he begged the prefect’s wife to come speak with our lady. They’re in the lady’s room right now, and she wants you to hurry over…”
Upon hearing this, all the maids present were overjoyed. Only Yan Yiming and Jiang Yi’s expressions darkened.