Chapter 22.2 - Old Friend
Chapter 22 Part 2: Old Friend
No wonder Jiang Youyao just now mentioned that many people were invited to the coming of age ceremony and perhaps she could meet an acquaintance. This “acquaintance” must be referring to Zhou Yan Bang! If it was the real Jiang Li who met Zhou Yan Bang during the ceremony, she would either be sad and distressed, unable to speak for herself, or became excited and lost her self-control in front of the people. In short, it was not a happy thing, equal to stabbing a person’s heart with a few knives.
Tong’er anxiously supported Jiang Li while Jiang Jing Rui still chattered away. “I think you don’t need to go to the ceremony. You don’t know, Zhou Yan Bang looks much better now compared to when he was younger. Nowadays, how many Yanjing ladies fix their eyes on him. You liked him so much during childhood, if you meet him now, afraid you will be even more unable to give him up. However, now, what’s done has been done, Jiang Youyao and Zhou Yan Bang have already set their marriage. Even if you are not reconciled, it will be useless and will only make you sad. It’s better if you don’t meet.”
Jiang Li listened to his words and an idea came out in her mind. This Jiang Jing Rui really couldn’t speak well. If it was the real Jiang second miss at this moment listening to his way of advising herself, it would be no different from pouring oil on fire and making things worse. It would be good if she didn’t die from anger.
Seeing that Jiang Li didn’t say a word, Tong’er was afraid that she was recalling those hurtful things and cautiously called out: “Young lady?”
Jiang Li smiled and spoke: “I’m fine. As it turns out, Zhou Yan Bang will also come.”
Her tone as she was speaking was too calm, making both Tong’er and Jiang Jing Rui blank out momentarily.
They didn’t know, the current Jiang Li was not Jiang second miss. Jiang second miss would jump into the water so Zhou Yan Bang would reconsider, but the current Jiang Li would not. For her, Zhou Yan Bang was merely just a stranger whom she had never met and nothing more. To feel the four human emotions1 for a stranger, it was really too difficult.
Zhou Yan Bang would not be able to stimulate her. No matter what Jiang Youyao was planning, she was already making a mistake from the beginning. Zhou Yan Bang would be useful in the ceremony, useful under the condition that Jiang Li still cared about him. If Jiang Li didn’t care the slightest, it wasn’t important whether Zhou Yan Bang showed up or not.
Jiang Jing Rui asked: “Even if Zhou Yan Bang came, are you still going to go?” He observed Jiang Li’s face, trying to find any trace of sadness or hurt in her expression.
But he failed to do so.
“If I don’t go, mother and third sister will be heart-broken. Father will also blame me. How can I not go? Besides, there’s really someone I would like to meet.” Jiang Li spoke.
Jiang Jing Rui and Tong’er heard Jiang Li’s words and sympathized. Indeed, Jiang Li had to go. If she didn’t go, who knew how Ji Shuran would arrange for things behind her back, a person sending a raft in front of people.
After listening to the second half of her sentence, the two people were stunned at the same time. Is Jiang Li still unable to give up Zhou Yan Bang? But this expression, why does it seem like there are no lingering emotions at all?
Due to Jiang Li’s words “want to meet people”, the two people concluded that it was Zhou Yan Bang. Yet, it didn’t seem so. It seemed that she genuinely wanted to meet someone else, not him.
Jiang Yuan Bai was the imperial court’s first assistant, a chief scholar. His di daughter coming of age ceremony would inevitably be attended by countless scholars, government officials, along with their wives and children. Shen Yurong, as the new top scorer, was nowadays an upstart in the court. On the outside, he would show a good relationship with Jiang Yuan Bai, so Shen Yurong’s younger sister would definitely come to attend.
In addition, Shen Yurong’s younger sister, Shen Ruyun, at the time when she was still calling Xue Fangfei as her sister-in-law, she found out that Shen Ruyun had Marquis Ningyuan’s heir in her heart. Shen Ruyun was narrow-minded, ambitious and aggressive, she would certainly come to take a look at Zhou Yan Bang’s future wife’s appearance.
Jiang Li wanted to meet people, they were Xue Fangfei’s old friends, the people of the Shen family.
She was waiting for those people to come.
Footnotes:
1: Four human emotions: happiness, ager, sorrow, joy.:leftwards_arrow_with_hook: