Chapter 53

For a moment, Yan Yiming seemed not to grasp Jiang Yi’s meaning. Her exquisite face wore a rare look of bewilderment as she lifted her head to meet his gaze, her smile freezing at the corners of her lips.
“What?”
Jiang Yi tightened his grip on her shoulder, not letting her pull away, and repeated, “I said I will marry you.”
Time seemed to stand still for an instant. Suddenly, Yan Yiming forcefully shook off Jiang Yi’s hand, her smile vanishing completely as she snapped sharply, “What nonsense are you spouting!”
Jiang Yi seized her wrist, his expression more serious than ever before. “I’m not spouting nonsense.”
“I am your elder sister!”
“But we are not related by blood!”
Jiang Yi enunciated each word clearly, and as he spoke them, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. Perhaps seeing Yan Yiming’s overly shocked expression, he worried he had frightened her, so his voice softened slightly. “We are not related by blood, so I can marry you, and you can marry me.”
Yan Yiming’s brows furrowed tightly, and the hand held by Jiang Yi trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Yi’s voice faltered with concern, “A’Ming, what’s wrong?”
Yan Yiming tried to pull her hand away again, but Jiang Yi held on tightly. She could only glare at him fiercely and gesture toward a stone bench nearby. “Help me over there. My chest feels uncomfortable.”
Jiang Yi’s heart trembled slightly, and he quickly supported her as they moved toward the bench.
Yan Yiming pressed a hand to her chest and took several deep breaths. Finally, taking advantage of Jiang Yi’s distraction, she pulled her hand back. Seeing the urgency on his face, she quickly said, “Sit still. I’m not leaving.”
Jiang Yi obediently sat back down.
“Young Master,” Yan Yiming called out to him, then paused for a long moment before continuing, “Everyone thinks I’m unmarriageable, mocking and pitying me. But I’ve never felt pitiful. So, Young Master, you don’t need to say such things for my sake. Even though we’re not related by blood, I’ve always regarded you as my own younger brother.”
Jiang Yi smiled, a bitter chill in his expression under the cover of night. “But I’ve never thought of you as a sister.”
Yan Yiming’s hands, twisting her handkerchief, trembled slightly. She looked up at him without speaking.
“When I said I wanted to marry you, it wasn’t out of pity. I truly want to marry you,” Jiang Yi answered candidly. “I’ve never seen you as a sister. Ever since I understood what romantic feelings were, the only person I’ve ever thought of is you.”
Yan Yiming’s expression finally shifted. She stared at him in disbelief and said, word by word, “You’ve truly lost your mind.”
“A’Ming,” Jiang Yi called her by that name. “You’ve always asked me why I call you that. Now I can finally answer: because I like it, because I want to be closer to you…”
“Jiang Yi!” Yan Yiming couldn’t bear to listen any longer and sharply interrupted his nonsense. “I told you, I am your sister. Even without blood ties, you’ve been accepted into the clan. Your surname is Jiang!”
Jiang Yi chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery in his tone. “If I can marry you, I don’t mind giving up the Jiang surname.”
“You… you…” Yan Yiming seemed too furious to speak. Jiang Yi’s smile faded. “A’Ming, not long ago, you told me that you’re only marrying to fulfill your parents’ wishes. So, it doesn’t matter who you marry. Since it makes no difference, why are you so resistant?”
“But I never imagined that person would be my younger brother.”
“I told you, I am not your brother,” Jiang Yi said unhappily. “You didn’t even refuse Mr. Jing, whom you’ve never met. I’ve known you for so long, am I not even comparable to him?”
Yan Yiming glared at him angrily. “You know very well that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” Jiang Yi asked, looking at her seriously. “A’Ming, hearing you say that truly hurts me.”
Seeing him feign a wounded expression, Yan Yiming nearly laughed in exasperation. How dare you act aggrieved?
Jiang Yi, seeing her silence, knew she must be angry. After a pause, he said quietly, “I still remember the day I first arrived at the Jiang residence. It was snowing heavily, and the old lady ordered me to wait outside. I didn’t dare disobey, so I waited. I don’t even know when I lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, I had fallen ill.”
At this point, Jiang Yi recalled the first time he met Yan Yiming. “I thought I would die in that snowy night, but you saved me. Later, I heard from the master that even taking me away from the old lady’s place was because of you.”
“I thought the Jiang residence was cold and heartless, but after meeting you, I realized how fortunate I was. I’m so grateful that Fifth Master Jiang sent me here.”
So now, it was too late for any words.
“If no one will marry you, I will. If no one wants you, I do. A’Ming, no one in this world cares more about you than I do.”
“I know…”
Yan Yiming took a deep breath. “I know, and I believe it. But, Shaojun, I could marry anyone, except you.”
Jiang Yi abruptly stood up, furious yet heartbroken. “Why?”
“Because I can’t bear it. Because you mean too much to me.”
Jiang Yi was momentarily stunned. Yan Yiming averted her gaze, staring into the empty darkness as she spoke slowly, “My mother lied to the Jiang family, saying my health isn’t a serious issue. But I know better, living this long with a congenital condition is already a miracle. I might only have a year left, or even just half a year. With such a body, I shouldn’t marry and bring misfortune to others. I should just stay quietly and wait for death. Don’t interrupt, let me finish.”
“The reason I agreed to the engagement with Young Master Jing is simply because I don’t care. I don’t care if he grieves or suffers after I’m gone. But you’re different. I’ve watched you grow up, and I’ve never doubted that one day you’ll rise above others, achieve great things, and have the brightest future. You’ll marry the best wife, not be foolishly entangled with a woman who won’t live much longer!”
“But I don’t care,” Jiang Yi said softly, looking at her.
He had been angry that she didn’t understand, but now he realized, she understood all too well.
“I don’t care about your poor health. I’ll do everything in my power to find the best doctors to cure you, A’Ming. If it were for any other reason, I might let go, but if it’s because of me, I will never release you.”
With that, Jiang Yi stood up.
Yan Yiming immediately grabbed him, urgently asking, “Where are you going?”
Lan Xiu, growing impatient, had come looking for them again, holding Yan Yiming’s cloak.
“To see your parents,” Jiang Yi said, taking the cloak from Lan Xiu and carefully draping it over Yan Yiming’s shoulders, fastening it securely. “To beg them for their approval.”
“They will never agree.”
Jiang Yi shook his head, his tone firm yet gentle. “They will. Because, like me, they only want someone to treat you well. Lan Xiu, take good care of your mistress.”
“Yes.” Lan Xiu replied timidly, watching as Jiang Yi walked away. She turned and whispered to Yan Yiming, “Miss, what should we do now?”
Yan Yiming stood up, adjusting the cloak on her shoulders. “I don’t know either. It’s giving me a headache…”
“Should we go after the young master?”
“Why chase him? Don't cause trouble. It's late at night, go back to your room and sleep properly.”
A good night's sleep was needed, as tomorrow would require a well-coordinated performance. Yan Yiming sighed deeply. Life was like a play, all dependent on acting skills. Perhaps she should consider becoming an actress after returning, she truly had a natural talent for it.