Jiang Wan, seeing he was looking for her, gazed at him and said, “Why are you calling me? We have no relation anymore. Please don’t call my name so casually; those who don’t know might think we’re still close!”
Yan Dong stepped forward and said, “Jiang Wan, I know I hurt you before, but there was a reason. Can you listen to my explanation?”
As soon as he finished speaking.
An old woman dressed in cotton clothes walked in from outside, “Daughter-in-law, please forgive Yan Dong. He did what he did because of us.”
Jiang Wan replied, “Don’t call me that; I’m not your daughter-in-law.”
The old woman continued.
“Yan Dong has already told us what happened. At that time, he thought the third prince had failed, and we were surely killed by his false father, so he harbored resentment towards Duke Jun, which is why he treated you that way and said those things. He was just too angry; he didn’t mean to do that to you.” Jiang Wan turned her gaze towards Yan Dong and said, “My brother-in-law is Lord Jun, you’ve always known that. You should also know how capable he is. But you just won’t tell me, won’t tell me about my brother-in-law. Do you think we can’t help you? Since you don’t consider us family, why bother coming to me now?”
Her words left Yan Dong speechless.
“Alright, you can leave now!”
Without looking back, Jiang Wan walked towards the backyard.
Yan Dong’s mother, Liang, seeing Jiang Wan leave like that, became anxious: “You child, why don’t you go after her? What are you standing here for?”
“Mother, let’s go.”
Yan Dong knew Jiang Wan was still angry with him, and even if he stayed, she wouldn’t forgive him.
Instead,
he decided to come back after some time.
He wouldn’t give up so easily.
…
Although Jiang Wan spoke so decisively, once she returned to the backyard, her emotions crumbled, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
She couldn’t understand if she still had feelings for Yan Dong.
If she did,
why would she care about those things?
But if she didn’t,
why was she so upset?
Yan Jin found his mother with tears on her face. He hurried over to her side, “Mother, what’s wrong? Who bullied you? Don’t cry, tell me.”
“Mother’s fine, just got some sand in my eyes, that’s why.”
Jiang Wan wiped her tears as she spoke.
Yan Jin, being still young, believed her and started to blow on her eyes to help.
This warmed Jiang Wan’s heart.
She hugged him and led him towards a nearby room.
After playing with them for a while,
feeling a bit better,
Jiang Wan went back to her work.
In the following days,
Yan Dong visited Jiang Wan every few days, regardless of whether she would see him or speak to him, he came without fail.
One day, as Qing Yi was passing by, he spotted Yan Dong, grabbed him, and pulled him out: “You have the nerve to come looking for Jiang Wan, do you know she nearly died because of you!”
No one had told Yan Dong about this.
He was utterly shocked.
Yan Dong looked at Qing Yi in disbelief: “What did you say? Say it again!”
Seeing Yan Dong was unaware, Qing Yi told him what he could.
As for him saving Jiang Wan, he didn’t mention it,
as it would tarnish her reputation.
He claimed it was Jiang Yan who saved her.
Yan Dong felt even worse: “It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have treated her like that, I was wrong, really wrong.”
“Does it help to say that now? If you really want what’s best for her, stay away from her.”
Qing Yi gave him a disdainful look.
“No, I won’t!”
“I need to make it up to her!”
Yan Dong shouted at Qing Yi and then ran towards the shop.
When Qing Yi caught up,
Yan Dong was already kneeling before Jiang Wan: “Jiang Wan, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you nearly died. I didn’t realize the harm I caused you.”
“Are you done? If you are, leave.”
Just mentioning that day made Jiang Wan’s heart ache.
“Did you hear that? Leave now!”
Qing Yi didn’t wait for Yan Dong to respond and kicked him out, instructing everyone in the shop not to let him in.
Jiang Wan knew it was Qing Yi who had saved her, she approached to thank him: “Brother Qing Yi, thank you for that day, if not for you, I might have died…”
“It was fate that you were not meant to die, no need for such formalities, I was just following the orders of the Princess.”
Qing Yi said with a calm demeanor.
Back at the Prince’s Mansion,
Qing Yi hesitated before going to inform Jiang Yan about the incident.
After he finished, Jiang Yan asked: “What did my sister say? Does she still have feelings for Yan Dong? Does she still want to be with him?”
Qing Yi answered: “My Lady, how would I know that? I didn’t ask.”
Jiang Yan then stopped questioning Qing Yi.
When Jiang Wan returned, Jiang Yan personally asked her:
“Second Sister, be honest with me, do you still have feelings for Yan Dong?”
Jiang Wan’s hand clenched, she wanted to say no, but before she could,
Jiang Yan continued: “A person’s reaction is the most honest, you still have feelings for Yan Dong, don’t you?”
“Sister, let me be honest, I haven’t forgotten Yan Dong. But every time I see him, I remember what happened before, even if he didn’t mean it, it still hurts.”
Tears flowed from Jiang Wan’s eyes as she spoke.
Jiang Yan sighed: “I don’t know if I was right or wrong to agree to your relationship with him initially. Seeing you like this pains me, but to let you be with him right now, I can’t think straight.”
“Sister, don’t worry about my affairs anymore, let nature take its course. If Yan Dong can persist until I forgive him, then we’ll be together again; if not, so be it.”
Jiang Wan expressed her thoughts.
After she said that,
Jiang Yan did not interfere in her matters anymore.
Two years passed in a blink.
Yan Dong persisted as before.
During this time, Jun Nuo had not spared him from frequent beatings, yet Yan Dong would soon reappear in front of Jiang Wan.
Knowing he still sought out her aunt,
Jun Nuo was furious. That day, she approached Ouyang Yuefeng and said, “Yuefeng, should we just break Yan Dong’s legs? That way, he wouldn’t be able to bother my aunt for a while.”
Chapter 161: Jun Nuo’s Coming of Age
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yuefeng slightly twitched his lips and said: “Nuo, that’s too violent, it’s not a good idea. Actually, I think your mother and her family have already forgiven Yan Dong. Think about it, if they hadn’t, would they not have stopped him?”
“Stop talking,” Jun Nuo said.
Ouyang Yuefeng explained, “You can’t just think from your own perspective. You need to consider it from your mother’s and their point of view. They definitely hope for your second aunt’s happiness. I’ve had people secretly observing her these days, and she still has feelings for your second uncle. She just hasn’t forgiven him yet…”
“Is that really true?” Jun Nuo asked.
Ouyang Yuefeng didn’t say anything more and directly took Jun Nuo to sneak a peek.
“Look, your second aunt barely spoke to your second uncle, but she smiled on her way back to the backyard. If she wasn’t happy, how could she smile?”
Jun Nuo was speechless.
Ouyang Yuefeng rubbed Jun Nuo’s head and said, “Alright, let’s not meddle in their affairs anymore. Isn’t it enjoyable to study during the day and eat and drink at night? Come on, I’ll treat you to roast duck legs.”
“Alright!”
Jun Nuo followed Ouyang Yuefeng.
Yan Ting still treated Jun Nuo as well as ever, knowing she loved to eat, he brought her various delicacies every day.
One day.
Yan Ting didn’t want to keep it hidden anymore. While Jun Nuo was eating, he said, “Jun Nuo, there’s something I want to tell you.”
Jun Nuo was stunned and slapped him, “When did you become so indecisive? Just say what you want to say! Don’t be such a wimp.”
Yan Ting: “…”
He really didn’t know what to say about her, but he liked her just the way she was!
