Chapter 48: A Brilliant Counterattack (Part Two)

At a quarter past one in the afternoon, inside the Lotus Garden.

The fifth young miss, Tantai Xuan, wearing a peach-red peony-patterned short jacket with a slanted collar, approached with a bashful expression. Holding a court fan in her hand, she half-concealed her hibiscus-like face, exuding an indescribable charm.

Standing beneath the drooping willows, Wang Ziyu narrowed his eyes slightly, a smug smile blooming in his heart. Even though he had lost the third young miss, Tantai Jing, he still had the fifth young miss, Tantai Xuan; he was not at a loss. If it were not for Ma Yuantong stumbling into great fortune and currently overshadowing him, he would not have been in such a hurry. The fifth young miss, Tantai Xuan, was only ten years old, so he had plenty of time, but the present circumstances were different.

Both originating from humble backgrounds and both boasting boundless futures, Ma Yuantong had already far outshone him. If he did not seize this tiny sliver of lingering affection in the fifth young miss Tantai Xuan's heart, how could he ever hope to defeat Ma Yuantong? Madam Ye was evidently a snobbish person; who was to say Madam Ye wouldn't let Ma Yuantong replace his position!

With these thoughts in mind, Wang Ziyu smiled even more tenderly as he welcomed the fifth young miss Tantai Xuan. Against the autumn sunlight, his facial expression was as warm and smooth as mutton-fat jade.

"Brother Ziyu." Seeing Wang Ziyu smiling at her beneath the weeping willow, and then looking down to see the dark blue peony sachet she had given him that morning pinned right against his pale blue straight robe, Tantai Xuan felt as sweet inside as if she had been coated in honey.

Watching the captivating beauty half-hiding her face behind her fan, Wang Ziyu felt his heart flutter. Yet, he ultimately did not dare let that trace of lust show on his face, speaking instead in his usual cultured and refined manner: "The fifth young miss's sachet is exquisitely crafted. Ziyu is overwhelmed with anxiety that he has won the fifth young miss's favor."

Wang Ziyu's tactic of playing hard to get was deployed to absolute perfection. For a high-born young lady like Tantai Xuan, who was eager to throw herself at him, this trick of his never failed to work its magic.

As expected, Tantai Xuan raised her head with a worried look, her pearly white teeth biting her vermillion lips as she asked, "Could it be that Brother Ziyu is still harboring thoughts for the third sister? Have you not heard about what happened recently?"

Her apricot-like eyes brimming with tears, Tantai Xuan dabbed at her eyes and said, "Relying on her maternal family, the Dong clan, the third sister usurped Mother's authority to manage the household and even had us sisters grounded to learn decorum and rules. Surely Brother Ziyu has heard about yesterday's events? The stewards of our manor acted tyrannically and threw their weight around. If it weren't for the third sister being so young and incapable of keeping people in line, how could such a thing have ever happened?"

"Do you really like the third sister that much, Brother Ziyu? The third sister is a shrew! If you were truly to take the third sister home as your wife, your household would never know peace!" The fifth young miss Tantai Xuan had long wished to widely broadcast Tantai Jing's misdeeds, but since the sixth sister refused to let her speak of it, she had simply been forced to endure in silence.

How could Wang Ziyu possibly miss any gossip concerning the Tantai residence? His mind and heart were entirely focused on the Tantai family right now. What concerned him was not that the third young miss had instigated her servants to cause trouble; what troubled him was that this incident had actually been resolved with the assistance of Ma Yuantong, and moreover, Ma Yuantong had stayed at the Tantai residence for two or three hours!

Ma Yuantong was clearly plotting something regarding the third young miss of the Tantai family. He could not compete with him right now, nor was he willing to. By comparison, the fifth young miss Tantai Xuan held much greater utility. A third young miss who had already been reduced to a mute, coupled with such an overbearing maternal family—since he could not claim her, he would make sure Ma Yuantong didn't get to have her either.

The mere thought that Ma Yuantong would ultimately end up with nothing for all his trouble made Wang Ziyu feel vastly more comforted inside!

At that moment, as Tantai Xuan shed tears before him, large droplets rolling down like morning dew, if he failed to show some reaction now, he truly would break a beauty's heart.

"The fifth young miss worries too much. How could Ziyu ever presume to be a match for the Tantai residence? Previously, I was merely momentarily flustered. The third young miss had shown Ziyu much consideration back in the academy; upon hearing that the third young miss had lost her voice, Ziyu was terribly afraid she might do something foolish, and hearing further that she was to be married into a noble household in the capital as a concubine—as former schoolmates, how could Ziyu stand by and watch the third young miss fall into such a plight? That was why I spoke without thinking and remarked that my feelings for the third young miss were unusual." Wang Ziyu was naturally blessed with a handsome appearance, and coupled with such self-deprecating words, it pierced the fifth young miss Tantai Xuan's heart with deep heartache.

"Does Brother Ziyu mean that you actually don't like my third sister at all? Is that it?" Tantai Xuan was so excited she nearly jumped, crying out in agitation, "I knew it! How could Brother Ziyu ever take a fancy to the third sister? It's not that Brother Ziyu isn't good enough for the third sister; rather, the third sister is the one who isn't worthy of Brother Ziyu!"

With a sorrowful expression, carrying the melancholy of a young nobleman, Wang Ziyu raised his head to gaze at the withered lotus leaves and said in a deep voice, "Ziyu comes from a humble background and is well aware of my lowly status; I dare not harbor illusions of grandeur. To think the fifth young miss would bestow this sachet upon me—I was already overwhelmingly excited. From this day forward, I shall wear this sachet upon my person every single day to cherish this sentiment from the fifth young miss."

The cheerful mood that Tantai Xuan had just attained was stunned into stillness by Wang Ziyu's words. Observing his expression, she pressed her lips together and asked, "What is Brother Ziyu saying? If you like it, Xuan-er can embroider more for you, Brother Ziyu! As many as you want, you can have them!"

Wang Ziyu gently shook his head, a face full of sorrow as he replied, "I thank the fifth young miss for your kind intentions, but I am painfully aware of my own standing. The Tantai residence is far beyond my reach. From now on, Ziyu can only offer my blessings to the fifth young miss—blessing you to marry a man of your heart and live a life of peace and joy!"

The fifth young miss Tantai Xuan nearly lost her footing. Eyes wide with shock, she stared at Wang Ziyu and demanded, "Brother Ziyu, do you not like me? You clearly know that the person I wish to marry is you!"

"The fifth young miss was merely carried away by the momentum of the conversation that day. How could Ziyu ever presume to climb higher by clinging to the branches? Rest assured, fifth young miss, Ziyu will never disturb you. As for what happened at the Tantai residence that day, Ziyu will treat it as a fleeting dream, and will never speak of it to outsiders, let alone tarnish the fifth young miss's reputation for chastity!" Wang Ziyu cupped his hands in a formal salute, then gently cradled the dark blue peony sachet with one hand, sighing wistfully in the very picture of reluctance to part.

Unable to restrain her temper a moment longer, Tantai Xuan blurted out loudly, "Brother Ziyu, you have misunderstood! I did not say I wanted to marry you for the sake of my third sister. I genuinely like you! The third sister has now become a mute and is unworthy of you; only I am a match for you. If you don't believe me, Brother Ziyu, you can simply wait until the New Year passes and send a matchmaker to propose marriage to my father and mother. I am certain to find a way to make my parents agree!"

Hearing Tantai Xuan's explicit promise, Wang Ziyu felt a burst of secret triumph inside, though he dared not show it on his face. Tantai Xuan was merely a minor obstacle in his path; the real obstacles were Madam Ye and Tantai Shanchang. Only by thoroughly winning the heart of the fifth young miss Tantai Xuan could he continue to advance step by step!

Acarressing the sachet in his palm, Wang Ziyu sighed, "The fifth young miss is innocent, kind, passionate, and radiant. In Ziyu's heart, you are a being like the sun. If I fail to see the fifth young miss for even a few days, Ziyu becomes like withered grass deprived of sunlight, losing all vitality. Yet the fifth young miss is a high-born young lady of noble rank; how could Ziyu ever dare to aspire to such heights? If I were to truly dispatch a matchmaker, I fear I would simply be beaten and driven out!"

"Though it would be a small matter for Ziyu to lose face, ruining the fifth young miss's reputation would be a grave disaster! How could Ziyu be so selfish as to destroy the fifth young miss's good name?" Wang Ziyu retreated step by step, burying his face in his hands in the very picture of excruciating agony!

Hearing these romantic words from Wang Ziyu, Tantai Xuan felt her heart turn as sweet as honey, melting like a pool of spring water. How could she possibly care about anything else anymore? She flung herself straight into Wang Ziyu's embrace, greedily inhaling the scent of peonies lingering upon him, and cried out loudly, "Brother Ziyu, please don't talk like that! I will never marry anyone else. Go ahead and send a matchmaker to propose. If my father and mother refuse to agree, I will shave my hair and become a nun! If they push me too hard, I will jump into the pond with you, and the two of us will never, ever be parted through all eternity!"

Before Wang Ziyu's triumphant smile could even bloom across his face, a chorus of sighs rang out: "Truly a match made of deep affection!"