Chapter 228 — One by One (Double Update, Begging for Pink Tickets)

She was afraid that if Ji Yong kicked up a fuss and let slip that the Ji family had once sought a match with Dou Zhiwei, and someone discovered that Dou Yan had not yet broken off her engagement at the time—couple that with the swap of the Dou sisters on the wedding day, and people might well conclude that the young miss had been the one who set it all in motion. That would be trouble indeed!

"No need." Her Sixth Aunt already felt that each of her marriages had been worse than the last, and was heartbroken enough. Dou Yan had no wish to disturb her aunt over such a matter again. She said coolly, "This is the Xiangshan Temple Lane. If they think the food in the Huaishu Lane house tastes better than the food in the Yunqi Temple Lane house, then let them go and take up their posts in Huaishu Lane."

Suxin knew that Dou Yan was truly angry now.

She could not help but feel a chill herself, and answered respectfully, "Yes." She helped Dou Yan change her clothes and accompanied her to the flower hall.

At the sight of her, Ji Yong complained, "Why are you dawdling? I have things to do!"

It was as if those quarrels and those cutting words had never happened at all.

For a moment Dou Yan felt she had been carried back to Zhending.

Ji Yong, studying as a guest at the Western Dou household, teasing the monks; she herself, confident of breaking off the match with the Wei family, whiling away her spare hours sparring and laughing with Ji Yong. Both of them had thought life very fine, and had been full of longing for the future...

This, surely, was what it meant to be true childhood sweethearts?

Suddenly Dou Yan's eyes grew a little moist.

She asked Ji Yong, "What is it you want with me?"

Ji Yong said, "Are you planning to marry Song Yan?"

Dou Yan thought for a moment, then said, "Let me speak frankly with you—could you not simply act according to your own likes and dislikes?"

Ji Yong said, "Am I to watch you do wrong and just let you go on doing it?"

"You are not the fish; how do you know the fish's joy?" Dou Yan said. "I did not ask you for help. You ought not to meddle as you please."

Ji Yong lowered his head and thought for a long while, then opened his eyes wide and gazed into Dou Zhiwei's eyes. "Is that why you got angry?"

"Yes!" Dou Yan did not flinch, but met his gaze squarely. "I may not be as capable as you, but you should still respect my choices. Not only mine—yours too, and those of your good friends, your fellow students, your examination peers, your colleagues, even your family. Everyone has their own likings, and those likings are inseparable from each person's own experience. You may pay no heed to people whose tastes differ from yours, but you have no right to mock them."

"We were talking about you, so why drag in a pack of people who have nothing to do with it?" Ji Yong had no patience for a lecture. "Fine—I won't meddle in your affairs." Then he could not resist adding spitefully, "I'll be waiting to see you fall to the bottom of the pit and be unable to climb out—and to see whether you come begging me for help!"

Such childishness made Dou Yan laugh in spite of herself.

Ji Yong put on a fierce face.

Dou Yan sat up straight and said earnestly, "I have not yet decided whether or not to marry Song Yan. But yes, I am a little tempted."

Ji Yong was choked with anger. "That fellow is good for nothing but his birth. You don't know—" And he told Dou Yan about Song Yan's wanton killing of the innocent. "...And not only does he cultivate the inner eunuchs, he's in league with Gu Yu of the Hui Chang Earl's household, buying and selling for profit, dealing all day with the petty clerks of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel—there's not a shred of propriety about him. A man like that—whether you marry him or not, you had better think it through carefully!" In the end he could not help adding, "If you don't want to marry him, I have a way to make the Song family break off the match, and it won't damage your reputation!"

"Many thanks!" Dou Yan thanked him sincerely. "If I do wish to break off with the Song family, I will certainly come to consult you."

Which was as good as saying nothing at all.

Ji Yong flung his sleeves and stalked off.

Only after he had left the Dou house did he realize that he seemed not to have asked any of the things he ought to have asked, nor said any of the things he ought to have said—instead he had rambled on about a heap of nonsense.

Yet his mood had lifted.

Was it because Dou Yan had approved of what he did?

Standing before the gate of Yunqi Temple, gazing at the two stone lions more than a zhang tall that flanked the entrance, Ji Yong could not help muttering to himself.

Since when did he need another's approval before he could feel that what he did was right?

This was a matter he would have to think over carefully!

Dou Zhiwei's words were not necessarily all correct.

Ji Yong sank into deep thought.

※

Sisters and brothers, first let me make up the extra update for June 2nd. Tonight I'll try to write another chapter, but these few days are the college entrance exams and there's a lot of petty business at work, so I don't know whether I'll manage to finish it smoothly. Look for it tomorrow at noon!

o(n_n)o~

I know,