Chapter 52

Let Madam Jing realize that the Third Young Master Jing and Yan Yiming were not a good match, while the Zhou family's daughter and the Third Young Master Jing were a perfect pair made in heaven. Delay the imminent engagement to buy time for the Third Young Master Jing and the Zhou family's daughter to interact further, seize the right moment to finalize the matter, and firmly bind the two together, leaving no room for regret.
This not only ruined the engagement but also absolved the Jiang family of any blame for their deliberate concealment, killing two birds with one stone, flawlessly executed.
Neither the Jing family nor the Jiang family would suspect anything, and even if they did, their suspicions would only fall upon the beneficiary, the Zhou family.
Although the Zhou family's daughter's reputation had been tarnished, it was ultimately the Third Young Master Jing who had erred first. The Zhou family was wealthy, but their official rank was even lower than the Jiang family's. However, now that the Zhou family's daughter could smoothly marry the Third Young Master Jing, there were gains and losses. Privately, Madam Zhou was overjoyed.
Jiang Yi sat leisurely in the garden pavilion, sipping tea. The maids bustled about, creating a noisy and somewhat clamorous atmosphere, yet Jiang Yi, who usually preferred quiet, did not find it grating.
The maids were undoubtedly gossiping about the Jing family's young master's lack of virtue, how he was about to become engaged to their young lady but had committed such a mistake.
The Jing family was at fault, and the Jiang family was wronged. What would become of their young lady now that she could no longer marry?
The others all shook their heads, sighed, and walked away.
A faint smile played on Jiang Yi's lips as he took a sip of tea. His slender fingers traced the rim of the teacup, and only after finishing the tea did he rise and leave.
Yan Yiming was not in her own residence but with Lady Jiang. After the incident, the Jing family, knowing they were in the wrong, had come to apologize in person, with Madam Jing bringing the Third Young Master Jing along.
Madam Jing had scolded her son relentlessly, frustrated by his failure to live up to expectations. The Third Young Master Jing appeared utterly disheartened.
That day, he had drunk too much and couldn't clearly recall what had happened, but by the time he sobered up, things had already reached this point.
Before ever meeting Yan Yiming, the Third Young Master Jing had been prepared to marry the Zhou family's daughter. However, circumstances had later severed his ties with Miss Zhou. He already felt somewhat indebted to her, and now, with this incident, his shame was even greater. Though he still loved Yan Yiming, given the situation, he had no choice but to marry Miss Zhou. The thought brought a redness to his eyes.
Especially when Yan Yiming entered the room, the Third Young Master Jing's gaze fixed intently on her, unable to look away. That day, he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of her from afar, but now, seeing her up close for the first time, he realized she was even more beautiful than he remembered.
The Third Young Master Jing wanted to say something, but meeting Yan Yiming's icy gaze, he guiltily averted his eyes.
In truth, he had also wronged Yan Yiming, but it was too late for anything now.
No matter how furious Lady Jiang felt, with Madam Jing's sincere attitude and the Third Young Master Jing's evident affection for her daughter, Lady Jiang found herself unable to voice any angry words. No matter how aggrieved or indignant she was, she could only swallow her emotions in silence.
After seeing Madam Jing and the Third Young Master Jing off, Lady Jiang finally broke down in tears, holding her daughter and weeping bitterly.
“My poor child, how could you encounter such a thing...”
Her daughter had waited two years, finally securing a promising marriage, only for it to vanish in an instant. No matter how many apologies or gifts the Jing family sent, no matter how much fault they admitted, her poor child's impending marriage was gone.
What would happen to A’Ming now?
She would likely face reprimands from Old Madam Jiang and ridicule from Second Lady Jiang. The thought alone made Lady Jiang's heart ache unbearably.
The maids around them couldn't hold back their sobs either. Having served Lady Jiang for so long, they understood her feelings all too well.
Yan Yiming, who had roughly guessed the reason, couldn't bring herself to cry. She could only offer a few comforting words to Lady Jiang, though her thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
She knew Jiang Yi would take some action but never imagined that, at just over fifteen years old, his methods could already be so ruthless.
How did he find out about Miss Zhou's interest in the Third Young Master Jing? How did he manage to arrange a situation where both the Third Young Master Jing and Miss Zhou were present, with other witnesses no less? Was this solely his doing, or had he colluded with the Zhou family?
Yan Yiming had no way of knowing.
Accustomed to his ever-smiling, innocent demeanor, this was the first time she had witnessed his true capabilities.
No wonder he would rise to a position second only to the emperor before he even turned thirty. Such a man was anything but simple. In the treacherous world of officialdom, a single misstep could cost one's life. Compared to that, this was merely a trivial affair.
With this move, Jiang Yi had completely severed the ties between the Jiang and Jing families. Even if the Third Young Master Jing still held lingering feelings, it was futile.
Only when Lady Jiang had calmed down and fallen asleep did Yan Yiming quietly leave her side. As she stepped out, she encountered Lord Jiang, who had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing her emerge, even Lord Jiang sighed heavily and closed his eyes.
After a long pause, he offered an awkward attempt at comfort: “Perhaps you and Young Master Jing were not meant to be. You... don't be too upset.”
“I'm not upset,” Yan Yiming replied. “Today was the first time I met Young Master Jing. I have no feelings for him, so I'm not sad. If it wasn't meant to be, then I'll wait for the right opportunity. If I truly can't marry...”
“Don't talk nonsense!” Lord Jiang interrupted sharply. “I will definitely find you a good match. You've had a long day, go rest now. I'll go check on your mother.”
Yan Yiming nodded and stood to leave. Lord Jiang watched his daughter's retreating figure, then covered his eyes with his hands and sat there, unmoving for a long time.
For nearly a month, Old Madam Jiang had been boasting about the excellent marriage prospect, only for it to fall through. Although it wasn’t due to Yan Yiming’s lack of merit but rather Third Young Master Jing’s misconduct, the fact that the duck she thought was in her hand had flown away left Old Madam Jiang so furious that she skipped dinner for the entire evening.
Having been embarrassed for almost a month, Second Lady Jiang, upon hearing such joyous news, immediately brought her daughter to the Jiang residence for a visit. Disappointed to learn that Lady Jiang was unwell and not receiving guests, she had no choice but to visit Old Madam Jiang instead. Putting on a heartbroken expression, she sighed, “Ah, how pitiful my niece is! This promised marriage vanished in the blink of an eye.”
Old Madam Jiang, exasperated and claiming a headache, bluntly drove Second Lady Jiang out.
Even after being expelled, Second Lady Jiang showed no sign of annoyance. Smiling, she took her daughter on a leisurely stroll around the Jiang residence before leaving, thoroughly satisfied.
The entire Jiang household was dejected, with only two people, no, three, holding different thoughts.
Aside from Yan Yiming and Jiang Yi, there was also Lan Xiu, who had recently stumbled upon Jiang Yi’s secret. Since that day, Lan Xiu had vaguely guessed what the young master might do. It wasn’t until today that she suddenly understood everything.
But she was also stunned by the realization.
Lan Xiu found it hard to believe that this was the young master’s doing. After all, he was only in his teens, a powerless and unsupported youth, how could he possess such capability?
Yet, since things had already come to this, Lan Xiu hesitated for a long while before finally letting out a deep sigh. Dismissing the other maids, she said to Yan Yiming, “Miss, this servant has something… to discuss with you.”
Before she could finish her sentence, someone approached slowly from ahead. Both looked up to see Jiang Yi walking under the starlight. The night had grown deep, making it difficult to discern his expression.
Lan Xiu’s heart tightened, and her voice stammered as she watched Jiang Yi draw nearer, “Yo… Young Master…”
“I have something to discuss with your mistress. You may leave first,” Jiang Yi said, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Yiming’s face.
Lan Xiu bit her lip, glancing uneasily between Yan Yiming and Jiang Yi before finally curtsying and retreating to a distance.
Yan Yiming had a rough idea of what Jiang Yi wanted to say, but logically, she should know nothing, neither about Jiang Yi’s feelings for her nor what he had done.
However, having just lost the hard-won “good marriage,” Yan Yiming tried her best to show obvious sorrow or disappointment. Adjusting her expression, she glanced faintly at Jiang Yi and forced a weak smile, “You’re usually busy studying. What brings you out for a stroll today? Have you had dinner?”
“I’ve eaten,” Jiang Yi’s eyes remained fixed on her face. Though the twilight deepened, he could still see the weariness in her expression. A surge of emotion, whether anger or nervousness, rose within him. He took a step closer and asked, “Young Master Jing is going to marry Miss Zhou. Are you… disappointed?”
“Disappointed?” Yan Yiming repeated the word softly. “Of course, I am.”
Jiang Yi’s breath hitched.
Pretending not to notice, Yan Yiming continued, “I’m already eighteen. All the sisters my age have married without exception. Grandmother complains about me every day, Mother fasts and chants prayers for my sake, and Father’s hair has turned white because of me. I thought I could finally fulfill their wishes, but it all came to nothing. When there was hope, how could I not be disappointed?”
“And what about you?” Jiang Yi looked at her. “You lost a good match, have you ever felt disappointed yourself?”
Yan Yiming let out a light laugh, gazing at him for a long while before sighing. “Everyone thinks I’ve lost a good husband and pities me, but no one has ever asked how I feel. As for me... I’ve long grown used to it.”
The cool moonlight cast a chill over Yan Yiming’s already somewhat icy tone, making it sound even more devoid of emotion.
“Ever since I was old enough to understand, my grandmother said I was born with a luckless fate and would surely end up unwanted. Back then, I didn’t understand and only felt angry. Later, I gradually realized, my health is poor, and I won’t live long. What family would dare marry their son to a girl like me? Since I came of age, my Mother has been inquiring on my behalf, but after three years, there’s still no result. So even this time, I’m not particularly surprised. I’ve long grown accustomed to it. In this world, no one will ever marry me...”
“There is,” Jiang Yi interrupted her.
Yan Yiming chuckled. “You sound just like Father. Alright, alright, there is, it’s just that fate hasn’t arrived yet. Sooner or later, someone will...”
Jiang Yi reached out and pressed his hand on her shoulder. The young man had already grown much taller than Yan Yiming. He looked down at her from above, yet stood so close. Under the moonlight, his deep eyes concealed boundless affection.
Perhaps it was the tenderness of the night, but even Jiang Yi’s tone and expression seemed exceptionally gentle as he said,
“I will marry you.”