You've Got Mail: Cautionary Tale (YGMCT)

Chapter 23 - All First Loves Are Painful

Edited by DancingDolphinsYo

Guan Shanjin looked at that earnest face. Although those gentle, shining eyes were looking at him, he was thinking of someone else. Guan Shanjin could not help but pinch Wu Xingzi’s cheek.

“Ow…” Wu Xingzi cried out in pain. As Guan Shanjin had not controlled his strength, he nearly left a bruise on Adviser Wu’s face. He hurriedly let go, feeling completely vexed.

Since he had mentioned going to the capital to participate in the imperial exam, it clearly meant that this was not a matter of recent years. General Guan had long been aware of how much money Adviser Wu had. Who knew how long it had taken him to accumulate that miserable amount of ten silver taels?

This Zaizong-xiong, it sounded like he did not return after going to the capital? He might have died on his journey, failed the exam and was too ashamed to return, got lost in the luxury of the capital, or achieved great results in the exams and found a good marriage, throwing Wu Xingzi to the back of his head.

However, this name sounded familiar to Guan Shanjin. It seemed like this Zaizong-xiong should have entered the emperor’s court, and his position was quite high as well, at least a fourth-rank or above.

Such an unloyal person, what rights did he have to let Wu Xingzi remember him for so many years? And even made him cry for him?

He looked down to see Wu Xingzi foolishly and obediently nuzzling into his arms. His face was still stained with tears, his eyes reddened, but at least he had stopped crying.

Pondering over it for a moment, Guan Shanjin decided to ask about the matter. He could vaguely guess that something had happened to Wu Xingzi then, and that was why he would become so unwilling to be close with anyone. That weiqi match had already made him unhappy. It was true that some people did have an indifferent personality, and they were not interested in competition, always just going along with the flow.

However, Wu Xingzi could no longer be considered just going along with the flow. He simply did not plan on asking for anything, as only by doing so, could he then be at ease. Whether it was a victory, his marriage, his livelihood, or even his own reputation, the first thing he looked out for was always an escape route, and he would never take any step forward.

As such, even though he liked Ansheng, and even bought a jade hairpin in preparation for his confession, in the end he only just buried his feelings that could not be gifted under his bed. If he needed money, he would dig it out to sell it, and he had no reluctance towards parting with it. Wu Xingzi had not hidden this matter from Guan Shanjin, instead talking about it openly in front of him as he dug it out. Finally, he looked at the jade hairpin, sighing, “The colour of this jade is really pretty nice. How many coins do you think it can be sold for?”

“You’re not keeping this jade hairpin?” Guan Shanjin took the muddy box, casually sizing up the dull object. In his eyes, this thing was something an older maid in his house would use, but for Wu Xingzi, it was something valuable.

“I had wanted to keep it, but…” Wu Xingzi bit his lip, swiftly shooting a glance at his wardrobe next to him. Guan Shanjin had noticed it, but did not take it to heart. It was clear that he did not know what Adviser Wu was currently thinking.