Seeing Madam Song and the matchmaker looking defeated brought me joy. My mother-in-law glanced at me and then claimed to be tired, returning to her room.
I perked up, picked up the refreshing tea that Que’er had specially prepared for me, took a big gulp, and prepared to win the first battle of eliminating An Jin’s romantic entanglements.
Madam Song, seeing this, could only turn to me, saying her daughter was well-behaved and would not compete for affection if she married in.
I appeared to ponder, but inwardly thought, “Believe you? Do I look stupid?”
Madam Song, thinking she had a chance, hinted that if I agreed to this marriage, she could persuade her son to return my big brother’s intended bride.
I glanced at her and cleared my throat. “No need. We’ll handle my big brother’s marriage ourselves. Such a fickle girl is not suitable for my brother. Ah— she’d be much more compatible with your distinguished gentleman.”
Madam Song’s face turned blue, then she bit her lip and pleaded, “My daughter and An are truly in love. Now she can’t eat or sleep; she’s wasted away—” Her eyes reddened, and she let out a sob.
The matchmaker sympathetically chimed in, “Young Madam An, Song’s third miss truly loves An. Why must you break up their love?”
Now it seemed I had become the villain.
Over the past year, although I hadn’t deliberately obstructed anything, I knew every detail of An Jin’s romantic encounters. Fortunately, his meeting places were always in crowded locations—tea houses or White Crane Plains—which made tracking and sketching convenient.
Whenever he had a date, I would follow if possible, or observe from a distance, completing my series of paintings about him and thoroughly understanding his romantic history.
This Song third miss had never actually been on a date with An Jin. She had only met him once through her brother, and An Jin probably spoke no more than three sentences to her.
This sheltered young lady, who rarely saw men, encountered a handsome and gentle man and thought she had found her true love. She began daydreaming, mostly seeing me as an imaginary enemy.
Madam Song’s face finally turned completely blue. She said indignantly, “Madam An, what do you mean?”
I swallowed the last bite of cake and clapped my hands. “Madam Song, after careful consideration, I have three words for you.”
“What?”
I smiled sincerely at her. “Not a chance.”
Chapter Nine: Song Third Miss
That evening, An Jin unexpectedly returned home on time, followed by a small, fat, entirely white dog.
I was overjoyed. The big white dog ran towards me happily, barking lightly.
An Jin frowned slightly and said firmly, “Stop.” So it reluctantly stopped, sitting and looking at me, then at him.
I stood in place, glancing at An Jin. “It…”
The corner of An Jin’s mouth slightly curved, then immediately pressed down, looking somewhat stiff. “On my way back, I passed your home and saw it sitting at the door looking this way, looking quite pitiful. So…”
I finally couldn’t help but cheer, bending down to hug Yuan Xiao’s big head. Yuan Xiao raised its front legs onto my shoulders, its white fur burrowing into my neck.
An Jin watched quietly, no longer hiding his smile, which was surprisingly gentle.
Yuan Xiao had been sitting at the door for days. I wondered why An Jin suddenly decided to bring it back. While stroking Yuan Xiao’s back, I speculated that An Jin might know about Madam Song’s marriage proposal and want to curry my favor to successfully introduce a concubine.
The more I thought, the angrier I became. Yuan Xiao sensed my mood change and whimpered questioningly.
“Zhuo Yi,” I said seriously, “This is non-negotiable. I absolutely, absolutely will not agree.”
An Jin was slightly stunned. “What?”
Yuan Xiao sat in front of me and growled threateningly at An Jin.
“Today, Madam Song came to propose marriage, wanting her third daughter to become your concubine,” I watched his expression carefully.
“I know,” he revealed a knowing smile.
I continued, “I refused.”
His smile deepened. The sunset’s afterglow shone in his eyes, making his usually deep black pupils look transparent.
I looked at him suspiciously, trying to find signs of embarrassment or anger, but found none.
He finally laughed softly, as if feeling very relieved.
“You’re not angry?” I tried to confirm again. “I offended someone on your behalf again.”
He walked towards me. “You did well, why would I be angry?”
I stood rooted to the spot, watching him come closer and closer.
An Jin stopped a step in front of me, lowered his eyes and softly said: “I’m happy.”
I slowly nodded, thinking he indeed did not like the third young miss of the Song family. But then another thought occurred to me.
“How did you know? About Lady Song’s visit.”
An Jin seemed to be reaching out to pull me, but upon hearing my question, his fingers froze midair, awkwardly withdrawing. “I happened to meet Lord Song on my way home, and he mentioned this matter.”
This explanation was hardly convincing. But I didn’t intend to press further. Having known An Jin for over a decade, I knew that if he didn’t want to say something, it was impossible to pry it out of him.
Even my usually stern mother-in-law’s expression softened. Yuan Xiang wandered around the dining table, finally settling under my father-in-law’s legs, contentedly eating the meat bones he occasionally handed over.
The family had not enjoyed such harmonious moments for a long time. At night, An Jin breathed slightly on my shoulder, softly asking if I was truly willing to bear a child for him.
This intimate encounter was not particularly pleasant from a sensory perspective. While his fingers sliding on my body did give me a taste of ethereal pleasure, it was still painful, merely changing from sharp to dull pain. Yuan Xiang even curiously tried to jump onto the bed to observe, causing us quite a bit of panic. Finally, An Jin, breathless, held me in his arms, kissed my lips, and comforted me that things would get better.
Although I didn’t understand whether he meant our relationship or the physical experience, after this, things seemed to become more harmonious in both aspects. Occasional bickering was just playful. He gradually returned home on time, and even when busy, would send someone to inform me.
I almost felt complete.
However, An Jin, the famous playboy of Yan Feng, suddenly transforming into a good husband amazed the people of Yan Feng and bred dissatisfaction among those with ulterior motives.
Like the girl before me.
A maiden of sixteen, with eyes like crescent moons, pale and delicate. Her lotus leaf skirt draped around her, her tiny waist no wider than a grip, making even me want to show some compassion. Unfortunately, she wanted not my pity but my husband’s. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but want to ruthlessly crush this delicate flower.
I originally didn’t want to attend this meeting, but this delicate flower blocked my path, almost kneeling.
She looked at me with teary eyes, hands gripping a tea cup. “Sister…”
“Call me Madam,” I corrected her.
She bit her lip, her rabbit-like eyes looking aggrieved. “Madam, Mother said you won’t agree to my matter with Master An.”
“That’s correct, I do not agree.”
“Madam, I truly love Master An!” Her eyebrows twitched, looking like she was about to cry.
I was helpless. “Tell me, what is true love?”
She was stunned, even forgetting to cry.
“Alright, let me ask differently. What exactly do you like about him?”
She thought for a moment, hesitantly saying: “He… is handsome, talented. And very gentle.”
This—forget it.” I waved my hand. “Third Miss, do you understand my meaning?
In Yanfeng City, there are handsome, gentle, and talented men everywhere.
