“It wasn’t until you told your master that you wanted to marry Yunzhou, and that Yunzhou also had feelings for you, that I had to put aside my pride and admit that I had failed these past few years. No matter how I treated you, you only had eyes for him. That day at the Shanyin Villa, I deliberately came out of your room in disheveled clothes, which was indeed to help you out of that predicament, but I also had my own selfish motives and wanted everyone to misunderstand.”
I didn't expect him to be so frank.
"We were engaged long ago, but I never mentioned it. It wasn't because I wanted to hide anything from you; it was simply because I was proud and didn't want to force you to accept me with a marriage contract. I still clung to the hope that you would like me because of who I am. In truth, I was just being stubborn with myself."
My heart softened, and my anger gradually subsided.
He paused for a moment, then said, "I consider myself clever and always thought that nothing could stump me, but I stumbled and fell hard in front of you."
That low, melancholy sigh, filled with helplessness, resentment, regret, and despair, made me unable to stay angry.
He took a breath and said slowly, "Xiao Mo, I know you'll find out sooner or later, and you'll be angry with me, but I'm still willing to try and take a gamble. It wasn't until later, when I deliberately showed people that our relationship wasn't legitimate, that I brought up the marriage. I knew that I relied on external forces rather than my own abilities to make you willingly marry me. You have no idea how sad and frustrated I felt."
I had no idea that he always appeared so bright and carefree in front of others, like a clear sky and a bright moon.
"Do you know how I felt watching my fiancée fall for someone else? Do you know how I felt when I couldn't express my suffering and was angry with myself?"
My mouth tightened, and I couldn't speak. He knew I was his fiancée, yet he watched me secretly fall for Yunzhou. Though there was an element of stubbornness and pride in it, he was undeniably magnanimous. If I were to argue with him about this, I would seem petty. Whether this engagement was arranged by our parents or a fluke, everyone knew. And his feelings for me were undeniably touching.
At dinner, my mother and my master sat on either side of me. My master would glance at me, then at my mother, his eyes full of smiles. I felt happier than ever at that moment. I had a mother, and now I had a father, the father I had always longed for.
I mustered up the courage to call him "Dad" several times, but because I had called him "Master" for over ten years, it was hard to change my address. Halfway through the meal, I picked up a piece of fish with my chopsticks and put it in his bowl, then said softly, "Dad, eat more fish."
The master's face turned red instantly, and his fingers holding the chopsticks seemed to tremble.
The mother put down her chopsticks and looked at her master with a half-smile, "Everyone says that children who eat fish are smart, but I wonder if it will work for the old man."
The master's face flushed slightly, and he remained silent.
Lady Qi chuckled and said, "Shi Jing is not old at all! He's in the prime of his life! Ah Qiao, you always know how to annoy people."
Jiang Chen looked at me resentfully and said in a muffled voice, "Xiao Mo is also good at making people angry."
I pretended not to hear and focused on picking out the fish bones.
Lady Qi continued, "Ah Qiao, your heart is as sweet as honey, but you're so sharp-tongued. Every word you say sounds like flirting."
The mother fell silent, giving her master a half-smile. The master awkwardly covered his mouth and coughed twice, his face turning even redder.
“Ah Qiao, Shi Jing is now the head of the Xiaoyao Sect. In my opinion, it would be better for your wedding to be held in a grand manner at the Xiaoyao Sect.”
The mother's face turned cold. Seeing the mother's serious expression, the master immediately tensed up as well.
“I dislike ostentation the most. If he marries me as the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, it will surely attract countless people from the martial arts world. Even if it's not because of him, they will come to congratulate him because of Master Yuanzhao.”
“That’s true. But if Shi Jingruo suddenly and quietly gets a wife, it will only make people more suspicious of your identity and background. Therefore, this marriage needs to be taken seriously.”
Master suddenly said, “Ah Qiao, I understand what you mean. You have been Aunt Gu for more than ten years, and you naturally don’t want anyone to know your identity anymore. I will resign from my position as sect leader and follow you to be an accountant or live in seclusion in the mountains. From now on, I will never be separated from you again.”
The mother looked at her master with gentle eyes and said softly, "Alright. Then go back and resign from your position as sect leader, and I will marry you."
Master stood up happily and said, "Alright, wait for me, I'll be back the day after tomorrow."
Madam Qi laughed and said, "Shi Jing, I've never seen you so decisive! Perfect timing, you go back for a while, and I'll make some preparations here. I can also prepare things for Chen'er and Xiao Mo. Everything is ready, and two days should be enough to prepare for the wedding."
"Alright, I'm leaving now." Master took two steps, then suddenly turned back, leaned close to my ear and said, "Xiao Mo, keep an eye on your mother."
I suppressed a laugh and nodded repeatedly. Dad has finally learned his lesson this time.
"Father, don't worry. I will definitely keep an eye on things for you."
After her master left, Lady Qi sighed, "Ah, it's so good to marry an honest man. He's reliable and warm-hearted. Ah Qiao, stop manipulating him. Don't you feel sorry for him?"
The mother blushed and scolded, "Binglong, you're almost a mother-in-law now, why are you making fun of me like this?"
Lady Qi raised her willow-leaf eyebrows: "Sigh, who would want to laugh at you? I'm more than envious."
The mother smiled without speaking, and after a long while said, "I have been having the palace servants inquire everywhere, and now we will have news soon. You can rest assured and wait for the broken mirror to be mended."
Lady Qi was taken aback: "You've been asking about him all this time?"
"Yes, he's both far away and right in front of you. You always thought he went to Japan, but actually, he might be right here in the capital."
"Impossible! I saw him board the ship with my own eyes."
“A smart man like Jiang Ruiyang, if he wants to hide, will naturally create a smokescreen.”
"Hmph, even if I find him, I don't want him."
"Very well, I will have someone stop the search."
"Sigh, you."
I watched my beautiful mother and mother-in-law laughing and joking back and forth, and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I never imagined they were such good friends.
That night, I slept with my mother and asked about Jiang Chen's father. My mother sighed, "He's different from your father. Your father had a good temper and didn't care much about a man's pride. Jiang Ruiyang's pride is unparalleled. Look at Jiang Chen's arrogance; he's somewhat like him. Back then, my father proposed to Master Yuanzhao but was rejected. In a fit of anger, he declared that whoever married me would receive the 'Chongshan Sword Manual.' When this news reached Qi Binglong's ears, she conspired with Jiang Ruiyang to use his charm to trick me into giving him the 'Chongshan Sword Manual.'"
My mother laughed as she said this. I, however, was too surprised to laugh. This Lady Qi was too clever; she actually thought of having her husband use his good looks to seduce her, and she didn't seem to mind at all?
"How could someone as proud as Jiang Ruiyang listen to such words! He immediately felt that she didn't care about him, which was why she could be so carefree. During their argument, Jiang Ruiyang also misunderstood that Qi Binglong was using her beauty to marry him in order to help her older brother obtain the Chongshan Sword Manual. The two argued fiercely, neither willing to give in due to their youthful arrogance, and Jiang Ruiyang ran away from home in a fit of anger."
"Qi Binglong once came to Jinbo Palace to see me. We got along very well and became friends. After my father passed away, the Chongshan Sword Manual was passed on to me. I promised Qi Binglong that on the day you and her son got married, I would return the sword manual to the Jiang family intact."
"Mother, is there any news about Jiang Chen's father?"
"He and Qi Binglong were living in Fujian at the time. Qi Binglong saw him board the Japanese ship with her own eyes, and she always thought he went to Japan. But I always felt that the business of Guiyun Manor was going too smoothly. They hardly encountered any difficulties, and even when they encountered some insurmountable obstacles, they always had benefactors to help them. At first, I thought it was General Qi who was secretly helping them, but later I felt that was unlikely. General Qi is an upright person who cherishes his reputation and usually keeps his family very strict. He would definitely not secretly ask someone to take care of his sister's business. So I secretly sent people to investigate, and gradually I got some clues. That's why I said that Jiang Ruiyang is probably in the capital."
"Since you are secretly looking after Lady Qi, why won't you meet her?"