Had she said something wrong? Was she supposed to brazenly tell him, “I think you’re a good person, I think you care about me, I think you’re handsome and wealthy, I’m touched, and I’m starting to have feelings for you”? Ji Yingying felt utterly frustrated.
Yang Jingyuan wasn’t wrong. If it had been someone else, someone with money and power, even if her mother disapproved, she would have insisted on accepting. She would have willingly married a man she didn’t like for the sake of her mother and brother.
But Yang Jingyuan was different. When she thought about him carefully, all those little moments came rushing back. There were so many memories of him, surprisingly many.
When they first met, she had prayed for marriage fate and drawn an extremely unlucky lot. Meanwhile, at Zhulin Temple, he had drawn a fortune that said all expectations would be fulfilled. The two prophecies proved so accurate that Ji Yingying believed she and Yang Jingyuan were destined for each other.
Coming to meet him today, instead of clearing things up, she had only earned Yang Jingyuan’s mockery and ridicule. Her shyness and expectations were shattered by his words. She could hardly face him anymore. “I agreed to this marriage for the thousand taels of gold dowry, and you look down on me for that, right? Fine, I’ll earn money to repay you. Please ask your mother to return my birth certificate! I have many things to attend to, goodbye!”
Yang Jingyuan blocked her path in a few steps.
When Ji Yingying moved to the side, he shifted to block her again.
She stubbornly refused to speak, and they remained in silent deadlock in the grove.
Yang Jingyuan didn’t even know why he was blocking her.
He was filled with suppressed anger. His stepmother had said she couldn’t bear to see him miss out on the woman he admired, that it was for his good. He was angry at his stepmother for making decisions without his input, using a thousand taels of gold to tempt the Ji family into agreeing to the marriage during their time of need. Yet he couldn’t direct his anger at his stepmother. Marriage was a matter of parental command and the matchmaker’s words. It was perfectly proper for his stepmother to make decisions on his behalf.
He had told Ji Yingying that he would never force her to marry him just because his family was wealthy. What was this now? He was afraid Ji Yingying would mock him and look down on him.
He had spoken carelessly and messily. Yet when she wanted to break off the engagement, he didn’t want to. He liked her. He liked her fierce demeanor, liked her mischievous smile when she succeeded in her pranks. And seeing her with Zhao Xiuyuan made him heartache.
“I already said if you’re not satisfied, I’ll earn money to repay you, and your family can return my birth certificate! Why are you blocking me?” Ji Yingying, who was naturally quick-tempered, couldn’t help but shout when he prevented her from leaving.
“After taking benefits from my family, you want to kick me aside? Still want to break the engagement? Keep dreaming! Unless I don’t want you, you’re marrying me!”
Yang Jingyuan lifted his chin, not letting her see his uncertainty.
He also didn’t see how tears instantly filled Ji Yingying’s eyes and fell rapidly.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her yellow figure floating past. He quietly turned his head to see her running out of the grove.
Yang Jingyuan dejectedly hugged his white horse, saying softly, “What if she had lied and said she liked me? She won’t even look at me when she sees me. Just like a servant girl bought by my family with money. It’s clearly because of that thousand taels of gold that she’s willing to marry me. Strange, with her personality, she should have been jumping mad and wanting to fight me after such mockery… Immediately wanting to break the engagement, she doesn’t care about me at all. I’m the one who’s heartbroken, right?”
In his anger, he didn’t want to go drink at the Ji family’s wedding celebration anymore.
“Third Young Master! Yang Third Young Master!”
A distant voice made Yang Jingyuan turn around.
Sang Shisi approached him wearing a broad crimson robe, his face beaming with sunshine.
Before he could speak, Yang Jingyuan cut in: “You’re also here for Ji Dalang’s wedding celebration? Looking at how you’re dressed, people might mistake you for the groom.”
Sang Shisi laughed heartily and opened his arms to embrace him: “Third Young Master, I was worried you wouldn’t return until the New Year. Brother has missed you so much these days. Yizhou City is so dull drinking without you!”
“Hey hey hey! How nauseating! I’m not Niu Qi.” Yang Jingyuan was caught off guard by the embrace. He forcefully pried open Sang Shisi’s arms and pushed him away in disgust. “I’ve been wanting to beat you up. What did I tell you when I left? How did the Ji family end up in such trouble?”
“That’s why you should treat me to a matchmaker’s drink to thank me!” Sang Shisi winked at him suggestively.
Yang Jingyuan crossed his arms and looked at him, suddenly realizing: “You had something to do with my engagement to Ji Erniang?”
Sang Shisi habitually put his arm around his shoulder, saying proudly: “Well, that day when my father returned from the prefecture office…”
“Get to the point.”
“Don’t rush. Let me finish.” Sang Shisi explained how he learned from Chancellor Sang that the Ji family had been sued by the Yichuan male, and how he had a sudden bright idea. He finished and mysteriously asked Yang Jingyuan, “Guess what idea I had?”
Yang Jingyuan punched him in the stomach. Sang Shisi clutched his belly and pointed at him, gasping: “…This… revenge… will… be… repaid!”
“So you went to my stepmother at the Yang residence and spilled everything about how I asked you to look after the Ji family?” Yang Jingyuan saw him nodding vigorously like a pecking chicken and wanted to hang him from a tree and give him a good beating.
Sang Shisi caught his breath and jumped up cursing: “I risked everything for you, and this is how you repay me?”
Yang Jingyuan couldn’t express his frustration. Sang Shisi didn’t know that his stepmother and brothers valued Ji Yingying’s skills. It was perfect timing to take advantage of the situation and get the Ji family to agree to the marriage. His stepmother was happy, and his elder brother was pleased. The Ji family also resolved their difficulty. The problem now was that he awkwardly felt Ji Yingying didn’t like him. And then he made Ji Yingying run away angry.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I saw Ji Erniang enter through the dye house’s back door from far away. Did you two argue?” Sang Shisi noticed Yang Jingyuan’s unusual expression and, forgetting his pain, came close again.
Yang Jingyuan said glumly: “I told her she only agreed to the marriage because the Yang family is wealthy.”
“Tsk tsk.” Sang Shisi clicked his tongue repeatedly, circling him, “I never expected this. Young Master Yang is so proud. Your mouth felt better, but your heart doesn’t feel good now, right?”
His finger poked Yang Jingyuan’s chest, and he grabbed it and twisted it back. Sang Shisi cried out in pain: “Ouch! Do you still want to make Ji Erniang happy or not?”
Yang Jingyuan released his hand and said sullenly: “I didn’t say anything wrong. She ran away because she felt guilty, why should I comfort her?”
Sang Shisi sighed deeply: “Forget I said anything. Later when Ji Erniang is still angry and breaks off the engagement, don’t cry.”
Yang Jingyuan wanted to remain stubborn. Sang Shisi put his arm around his shoulder again: “Listen, the firecrackers are already going off upfront. The bride has arrived! Come on, Third Young Master. Let’s go drink at Ji Dalang’s wedding. After drinking, my brother will give you an idea. I guarantee Ji Erniang will be happy and won’t be angry with you anymore.”
Half pushing and half pulling, Sang Shisi dragged Yang Jingyuan into the Ji residence.