Upon hearing this voice, Yun Xi's heart thumped and her eyelids twitched.
She turned and looked at Jiang Henglin, who had come downstairs in a casual outfit. He was a son of a noble family and yet he behaved like a hedonist.
At least, in the eyes of Yun Xi, such an idiot would never please her.
"Do you think that the Jiang family is something where you can come and go as you wish? You said you wanted to call off the engagement. Have you considered the humiliation it will bring to the Jiang family?"
At the end of the day, he was not happy because she was the one who had initiated calling off this engagement.
For so many years, this engagement that had been arranged since he was young had made him a joke among his childhood friends. Now the Yun family wanted to get out of it after taking advantage of the Jiang family. Not so simple!
"Henglin, what are you talking about?" Lin Yunrong stared at her son, desperately trying to signal to him.
Alas, she had waited for the Yun family to call off the engagement, and now what was her silly son fussing about?
He had been grumbling every day about calling off the engagement and getting back his freedom. Now the opportunity had arisen, but he was not willing to take advantage of it.
Jiang Henglin did not seem to hear her reminder. He walked over, staring hard at Yun Xi with his piercing eyes.
"If you want to call off this engagement, you have to ask whether I agree or not. If I don't agree, don't think of getting rid of me."
His attitude made Yun Xi angry, and she sneered. It was impossible to talk sense to such a person.
"Since you dislike me so much, isn't calling off the engagement better for you? If you feel unhappy about me initiating it, when it's time to announce the news, you can say that it was you who called it off first. We will not say otherwise."
Her couldn't-wait to-unconditionally-get-rid of-him attitude made Jiang Henglin feel like he was getting slapped in the face by her.
This kind of impression of not being comparable to a dog fart caused him to be full of anger with no place to vent it. Holding in his anger was like piercing his chest with thorns, very painful and uncomfortable.
He was the second young master of the Jiang family; she was just a granddaughter of a police guard. The Yun family was an insignificant clan in Jingdu. What grounds did she have to despise him?
Since the Yun family had made such a big concession and at the same time saved the Jiang family from humiliation, Grandmother Jiang had naturally hoped that this matter would end perfectly this way.
"In this case, it's settled. We will call off the engagement and make the announcement later."
Grandmother Jiang made the decision directly without waiting for Grandfather Jiang to say anything.
Grandfather Jiang looked at Grandfather Yun and Yun Xi. Seeing that both of them agreed, he sighed. "Yun Xi, it was our Jiang family that let you down. Grandpa will compensate you."
Since she'd wanted to call off the engagement, he, who felt dearly for her, would naturally hope that she would be happy in the future.
Initially, he'd thought that with her return, she could cultivate a good relationship with his grandson. But seeing what happened today, this grandson could not get along with her.
The way Jiang Henglin spoke just now was total without any respect for her. How would you expect the girl to like you?
It fulfilled the saying of whatever will be, will be. They, of the older generation, should not interfere too much.
"Grandpa and Grandma! I haven't agreed to call off the engagement yet! How could you decide on my behalf?"
Jiang Henglin looked at his grandmother with arrogance. "I don't agree to call off the engagement!"
His insistence, in the eyes of Grandmother Jiang, was like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
"Henglin, this marriage is not suitable for you. Grandma will arrange another one for you. Or you can seek your own. If you find a suitable one, let Grandma know. I will take charge."
Lin Yunrong stood up to exhort him as well. "That's right! Henglin, listen to us, don't be childish!"
With so many of his supposed supporters standing up for the dissolution of the engagement, Jiang Henglin was put into a situation where disagreeing with them seemed out of the question, even if he had no intention of agreeing with them.
Probably because he wasn't in his right mind on this issue, Jiang Henglin was insisting on disagreeing with them no matter what.
Seeing his grandmother and mother taking a tough stance on the issue, Jiang Henglin panicked. He sprang to his feet and complained, "Initially, it was you guys who decided on the engagement. Now, it's also you guys who are breaking off the engagement. Am I expected to just comply with all your decisions? Do I not get any say in this matter?"
Hearing Jiang Henglin's outcry, Yun Xi tried to hold back her laughter.
Living as a member of a rich and powerful family for 20 years, hasn't he understood that marriages are often involuntary in aristocratic families? That is, the marriages are always centred around the family's interests, and no one will ever be given the freedom to choose a partner on their own.
Since he had been designated as the next patriarch, his marriage was never going to be of his choosing.
Fondness, love, etcetera, all of these were irrelevant when compared to family interests.
Even though she had carried the title of the future Young Lady of the Jiang family even in her previous life, Yun Xi was aware that Grandmother Jiang and Lady Jiang had constantly been seeking available daughters of noble families and setting them up on blind dates with Jiang Henglin behind her back.
No matter how nice or patient a person is, they have their limits. And here we're talking about Jiang Henglin. Therefore, it was inevitable that he would eventually become annoyed and tired of the machinations of his mother and grandmother and his blind dates. Eventually, he grew so annoyed that he devised a plan to prevent his grandmother and mother from arranging any more blind dates for him. He struck a deal with Yun Xi, and they planned to act like a loving couple in front of his elders, but in private the two of them would have nothing to do with each other.
Han Yaotian had been aware of their plan, yet he'd never once mentioned it or expressed his disapproval. She used to naively think that Han Yaotian trusted her and thus had no qualms about her relationship with Jiang Henglin. Later, however, she realized that the only reason that he was able to act the way he did was that he truly did not care about her.
Lin Yunrong was worried that by continuing to make a fuss, her son would end up ruining the chance to call off the engagement. If that were to happen, they would have lost such a great opportunity. Not wanting that to happen, she patiently coaxed him, "My dear child, marriage is a serious matter, and it has always been the elders calling the shots. You're old enough to understand these things, so why are you acting like this?"
After hearing what his mother had said, Jiang Henglin finally took the hint. He let out a sneer upon realizing the intentions behind their persistence and turned to look at his mother frivolously.
"A moment ago Grandma said I could choose my partner. Did she say that just as a joke? Well, since it was a joke, then by that reasoning, I shall not be taking the deal to call off the engagement seriously."
Lin Yunrong was about to be infuriated to death by her son's attitude. If it were any other matter, there might be room for discussion, and she could have closed her eyes to his stupidity. But in this matter, she did not understand why her son was being so stubborn. His reaction to this matter was completely beyond their expectations.
"What Grandma meant was that you can have your say in other matters, but in this matter, you need to listen to your elders. After all, this marriage was arranged by your grandfather, not by you. Thus, the decision to call off the engagement shall not be yours to make either."
Noticing the commotion her grandson was making, Grandmother Jiang dropped the issue like a hot potato and threw it back to the person who had started it all: her husband. Indeed, the older, the wiser... In just a few words, Grandmother Jiang was able to get her point across to Jiang Henglin and she even managed to divert the issue to Grandfather Jiang.
Jiang Henglin had no say in this matter. Regardless of how unwilling he was about calling off the engagement, he would have to agree if his grandfather agreed to go along with Yun Xi's decision.
Jiang Henglin turned to Grandfather Jiang with a pitiful look, "Grandpa!"
"I respect Yun Xi's decision on this matter. This arranged marriage was decided between me and Old Yun many years back. Originally, we wanted to cement old ties by marriage, hence we made this arrangement. Who would've thought that both of you would be unwilling to marry? However, since that is the case, I think it would be best to call off the engagement. I believe if you two were destined for each other, you guys would have ended up together even without this engagement. What do you say, Henglin?"
It could not have been clearer what his precious grandson had had in mind. Previously, at the Weiya Banquet, his grandson had attended the event with Yun Xi's sister as his date. He certainly had not considered Yun Xi's feelings when he decided to bring her sister to the banquet.
Taking Yun Ziling as his date had been a real slap in the face for Yun Xi. Putting that aside, he had never seemed to show any respect or compassion toward Yun Xi either. Grandfather Jiang was determined to put a stop to this behaviour. He was not going to condone anyone acting in this way in his house, especially not under his watch.
This engagement had been an agreement made between the two families. It should not have been utilized as a way for Jiang Henglin to humiliate the Yun family. Calling off the engagement would do the Yun family good, as it would save Yun Xi from Jiang Henglin's unjust treatment and bullying.
"Grandpa, I..."
"Henglin, you are our future patriarch. Regardless of whether you are handling situations or executing plans, you'll have to act the way a patriarch should. Yun Xi does not owe you anything, let alone should she be subjected to your bullying and humiliations. Your actions speak for the Jiang family, not you alone, do you understand?"
"Grandpa...I understand."
Since the discussion had come to this, Jiang Henglin realized that no amount of persistence was going to change the outcome of the situation. Left without a choice, he gritted his teeth and accepted the decision to call off the engagement. Shooting Yun Xi a glare, he noticed a hint of smugness on Yun Xi's face. The look on his face became extremely vexed.
Without staying for lunch, Grandfather Yun and his granddaughter took their departure. Having settled the engagement question, Yun Xi let out a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for Jiang Henglin. From his perspective, calling off this engagement was not a situation worth celebrating.
As Jiang Henglin walked Yun Xi and her grandfather to the door, he contemplated whether to speak what was on his mind. He was on the point of saying something, but as soon as he caught the look on Yun Xi's face, her evident eagerness to leave, his pride got the better of him and he checked himself.
Yun Xi was ignoring Jiang Henglin and was treating him like a stranger.
Such a detestable woman... Why is he feeling such disappointment?
Letting out a snort, Jiang Henglin cast an angry look at Yun Xi. With that, he turned his back on her and left.
Yun Xi raised an inquiring eyebrow at Jiang Henglin's reaction but didn't think much of it. She opened the car door and got in. There was certainly neither a hint of hesitation nor nostalgia about her.
In her previous life, she had been stuck with the identity of the Young Lady Jiang right up until her last breath. But, on this day, she felt a sense of relief from finally having thrown off the shackles of her past.
"Grandchild, I hope you won't regret this." Grandfather Yun questioned Yun Xi on the way back home.
"Grandpa, what's mine will be mine. Forcing what's not mine to be mine will not result in a happy ending anyway. This engagement was decided by you and Grandfather Jiang. You've seen Grandmother Jiang and Mrs Jiang's stance on this matter. It's clear they think I'm unworthy to be associated with them. Besides, I don't wish my life partner to be decided so early in life. If I were to marry Jiang Henglin and be forced to lead a miserable life, I'm sure, Grandpa, you wouldn't want to see that, right?
Recalling how Jiang Henglin had treated his granddaughter earlier in the living room, Grandfather Yun acknowledged that Yun Xi would be on the losing end if his granddaughter and Jiang Henglin were forced into a marriage.
Since Grandmother Jiang also disapproved of the marriage, calling off the engagement might be beneficial in thinking about the future well-being of Yun Xi's children.
"Since this has been settled between the two families, you'll handle your marital matters in the future. Grandpa just wants you to be happy. Nothing is more important to me than your happiness."
MMM! "Thank you for your understanding, Grandpa!"
...
The news of Yun Xi and her grandfather making a trip to the Jiangs' spread quickly, and it didn't take long to reach Mu Feichi's ears. At the point when he had received this news, Mu Feichi was inspecting the training of a tank battalion.
In the military tent, Grey Wolf broke the news to Mu Feichi. The focused man, who had been concentrating only on his computer screen, turned abruptly to face Grey Wolf upon hearing that Yun Xi had taken along her grandfather on a visit to the Jiangs'. The expression on Mu Feichi's face couldn't hide his surprise.
Li Zilan looked askance at Mu Feichi's reaction. Sensing Mu Feichi's excitement, she casually teased him, while cleaning the newly acquired pistol in her hand, "It is perfectly normal for a fiance to visit her future in-laws. What are you so happy about?"
Without taking a moment to think, Mu Feichi blurted out what was on his mind, "She took her grandfather along with her to the Jiangs', and there can only be one reason: to call off her engagement."
"How can you be so sure? She could have gone over to pay a New Year's call since it is still the beginning of the New Year."
"It's been 20 days since the first day of the Chinese New Year. Do you think that's what she was doing?" Mu Feichi answered with a sneer. "Besides, if she'd wanted to visit her future in-laws, she wouldn't have left without staying for lunch. That's not the upbringing of the Yun family. Therefore, this can only mean one thing: she was there to call off the engagement, it ended on a sour note, and so they left."
Mu Feichi was always acting lovey-dovey with Yun Xi, publicly displaying his affection for her in front of all his associates. Because of this, Li Zilan liked to tease him by being a wet blanket in an attempt to dampen Mu Feichi's excitement.
"Regardless, Grandfather Yun once saved Grandfather Jiang's life. Taking that into consideration, even if the discussion ended on a bad note, it wouldn't have degenerated to the extent that they wouldn't stay for a meal."
"..." Mu Feichi shot Li Zilan a cold look. Sensing tensions rising, Feng Rui quickly got up and stood in front of Li Zilan. Blocking Mu Feichi's sight, Feng Rui attempted to smooth over the disagreement with a suggestion. Smiling at Mu Feichi, he said, "Young Commander, why don't you give a call and have it checked out? Then you'll know the answer to your question. If the engagement was called off, that'll be great news."
HMPH! Mu Feichi let out a snort. He picked up his field telephone and dialled. With that, he turned and left the tent to make his call.
"That little brat is now Mu Feichi's forbidden lamella.1 Why are you constantly trying to light his fuse? Are you out of your mind?"
Li Zilan shrugged her shoulders. "No, I'm not. He's constantly putting on public displays of affection in front of us, so I reciprocate by trying to tease him and spice things up. I can't believe this thought hasn't occurred to you guys."
"..." Qi Yuan, Feng Rui, and Grey Wolf glanced at each other. Without saying a word, they all let out loud, treacherous laughs.
Yun Xi had planted the seeds of destruction to the life they all knew. She would be responsible for the upcoming show.
***************
"Forbidden lamella" comes from the saying, anyone who touches the forbidden lamella of a dragon dies. The lamella is a scale on the dragon's body and is a metaphor that means, touching someone's forbidden lamella is doing something that will make them very, very angry.
When Yun Xi received Mu Feichi's call, she was just heading out. She had finished preparing samples of the medicine from her new formula for her second aunt's pharmaceutical company. As for whether it would be approved, that depended on whether there was anyone with a discerning eye in the Food and Drug Administration of this era.
On the bus, Yun Xi looked at the number that was calling her and noticed that five of its digits were hidden by asterisks. She hesitated for a moment before picking it up.
"Oh, are you on the bus?" Mu Feichi asked in a low voice after hearing the sound of bus announcements from her end.
Yun Xi smiled when she heard his voice. The sunlight was just right now at the beginning of spring in Jingdu, its rays refracting through the bus's window and shining on her delicate features. Its pinkish glow emphasized her youthful vigour.
The snow outside, which hadn't completely melted, was reflected in her pupils, and a hint of stubbornness and grit was evident on her otherwise peaceful face.
"I'm on my way to my second aunt's pharmaceutical company. Why are you calling me? Aren't you busy?"
"I still have time to call you." Mu Feichi turned around and glanced at the people huddling by the door trying to eavesdrop and walked further away. "I heard that you visited the Jiang family together with your grandfather? Did something happen while you were there?"
Yun Xi immediately understood the reason for his call and smiled exasperatedly, "You just want to know if I visited the Jiang family to cancel my engagement, don't you? You can just ask me directly."
"All right, then take it that I have already asked and just tell me the answer."
"Yes, I've cancelled it. Since I won that international award, my grandfather lets me do whatever I want, and since both Grandmother Jiang and Mrs Jiang are against the engagement, it doesn't matter if Jiang Henglin objects. This engagement was fixed by Grandfather Jiang many years ago and since he has agreed, this matter is settled."
Mu Feichi only heard the part where Jiang Henglin objected and that the engagement was cancelled. His focus was on Jiang Henglin's attitude. That rascal had always disliked Yun Xi, but he'd objected to the annulment?
Mu Feichi narrowed his eyes, and a sharp glint flashed behind them. "Jiang Henglin objected to the annulment?"
"Yes, he is probably unhappy that I brought it up first and feels that his pride has been wounded. Anyway, when the time comes, the Jiang family will be announcing the annulment first. Since they are taking the initiative, he has nothing to lose."
When the time came, she would be gossiped about by other people who would say that her family background was not good enough for the Jiang family and whatnot. That was fine since it was the truth. She wasn't afraid of people talking about it.
"He has nothing to lose, but you will suffer."
"I'm all right. What they say is all true. The Yun family's current standing is indeed not good enough for the Jiang family. When the Yun family grows to become more influential in the future, we will naturally be received differently."
She already disdained Jiang Henglin now, when that time came, she would just disdain him even more.
"Yes, you have spoken well. My babe is more captivating when she is ambitious."
He knew that she was working very hard to advance the Yun family into Jingdu's high society without relying on him, but on her intelligence and resourcefulness.
Although the path in front of her was not straightforward and would be difficult, he still liked to see her working hard. Every day, she would be filled with vigour and positive energy, pouring her heart out to her people, but never merciful when it came to her enemies.
Only this way, would she be able to steadily walk down the path that was ahead of her.
He was flirting with her from a remote location a long-distance away. Yun Xi blushed a little, and she changed the topic. "Aren't you at the training exercise? Why are you able to call?"
She could faintly hear the sound of cannons and thought that he was probably outdoors.
"I can call you whenever I miss you, I am the Young Commander. Who would dare to say anything about it?"
"As the Young Commander, that is even more reason for you to set a good example. There is no need for you to worry about me. I can take care of myself."
She was no longer the meek Yun Xi who anyone could bully as she had been when she had first returned. Strategizing, manipulating, and killing people: she was already used to doing these things now.
She was walking further down this road, and also higher and higher.
After hanging up, Mu Feichi walked out of the tent, where his friends were pretending to be nonchalant. He snorted softly.
"Grey Wolf, keep an eye out for when the Jiang family announces cancelling the engagement. Think of something to divert attention away from it. I don't want to let all the gossips focus on this lass. This is something that she doesn't need to shoulder."
"Of course." Grey Wolf nodded. He thought about it for a second before asking, "What should I divert the gossips' attention with? The Young Commander's criteria for a romantic partner...?"
"..." Mu Feichi turned sharply on him. "Since when did you become as nosy as these others?"
Grey Wolf rubbed his nose and then said with a serious look, "If the bait is not catchy enough to grab everyone's focus, it will be difficult to divert attention away from the cancelled engagement."
Naturally, Mu Feichi knew this as well, which was why he'd asked Grey Wolf to think of something. To capture everyone's attention, the target must be somebody that the entire city was interested in.
"Look for some scandal. If all else fails, then you can use the criteria for romantic partners."
Better him than her, he could not bear to see her being gossiped about by everyone.
"....." The people in the tent looked at each other. They knew it! They knew that the Young Commander would be willing to compromise on anything for the sake of that lass.
He was even willing to expose his private affairs. When it came to double standards, it depended on who the other party was.
"Also, keep a close eye on Crocodile's movements. Anything unusual must be reported to me. That lass is going overseas for a competition in a few days. Send Jin Lei to follow her and ensure that she is safe."
"Yes, sir!" Once Crocodile was mentioned, the joking atmosphere in the tent vanished.
...
The two candidates for the Biology competition had been chosen. Yun Xi had been selected from the start, there was no doubt about that.
Zhou Chengzhe stared at the glaring words Yun Xi that were once again on the notice board and got so angry that he wished he could smash the glass on the notice board.
The students who were looking on all glanced at Zhou Chengzhe. Many of the students still vividly recalled the way he had behaved extremely aggressively at the last competition. Ever since what had happened at the winter camp, most of the students in the school scorned Zhou Chengzhe's underhanded ways.
In addition, at the English corner, Yun Xi had been approachable and had readily provided all sorts of tips on studying. Many male and female students liked Yun Xi who excelled at every subject and also shared her methods with everyone. They held nothing back when it came to disparaging Zhou Chengzhe.
"I heard that if you win the Biology Competition, the Ivy League universities overseas send you an automatic acceptance letter. Those are globally renowned universities."
"Yun Xi is amazing! She is dominating everything with her capabilities...unlike some people who are full of themselves but come up short in the end."
"Since he is not as good as she is, naturally he needs to play some tricks. He can't bear to lose!"
"..."
Standing in front of the notice board, a fire started raging in Zhou Chengzhe's chest as he listened to his schoolmates' derisive remarks.
He turned around abruptly and glared fiercely at the male students behind him. His dark gaze was chilly. "All of you, shut up! Don't think that I don't know you guys are talking about me."
"Look at that, we didn't name anyone, but you are admitting it yourself."
"Although you have the guts to do it, you are still afraid of people talking about it."
"You guys..." Zhou Chengzhe gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. He could not win against all of them by himself. So he turned around and left angrily.
It was all because of Yun Xi that he'd ended up like this. He would make sure that she paid for it.
The person who got the other spot for the Biology competition was the first-year high school student Peng Zihang. Yun Xi had gotten all his detailed information from Grey Wolf. His father was the director of some government agency, while his mother was the daughter of a wealthy family. He had an excellent family background as well as grades.
She had had some contact with him during winter camp. He was mild-mannered and a gentleman. Compared to Zhou Chengzhe who was arrogant and greedy, this son of a government official was much more sophisticated.