“What? Adoptive father, you, are you serious?” Meng Xueran felt as though a thunderbolt had struck from the blue. His face drained of all color as he froze in place, instantly recalling the promise he had made upon first entering the Chancellor’s Residence.
Was it going to be fulfilled this soon?
Yet he was only fifteen. To be bustling about arranging a marriage at this age was far too hasty.
Mei Jinshu rested his chin on his hand, gazing out at the distant scenery to give the boy enough time to process his emotions. To be frank, doing this truly lacked a bit of human warmth, but the roster had been sent over by the Emperor’s command, so he had no choice but to review it.
As expected, he was the one destined to play the villain.
“Not speaking? Have you turned mute?” Mei Jinshu’s tongue remained as sharp as ever. For all these years, he had maintained a strategy of giving a slap followed by a sweet date, remaining entirely unpredictable and impossible to figure out.
Yet even though he had to play the villain, he could not be excessively cruel. He needed to make the underlying reasons clear. “The roster was sent by His Majesty’s decree, and the Empress has already looked it over.”
“If you have someone you already fancy, that would be even better, as you could avoid a bestowed marriage.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
“Adoptive father, I…” Meng Xueran gripped the roster so tightly his knuckles turned white, gritting his teeth without managing to squeeze out a single syllable. Why must he be forced to choose? He regretted it, oh how he regretted it.
If not for having personally agreed to the condition of leaving the Chancellor’s Residence back then, he truly wanted to remain beside Mei Jinshu and stay in the Chancellor’s Residence forever.
Yet the choice before him was handed down by the Emperor and Empress. Even worse, the adoptive father he had recently grown closest to was now pressing him into a corner. Everything felt entirely beyond his control, running completely counter to his own desires and heart.
With a helpless sigh, Mei Jinshu took the roster back from the boy’s hands. Given this expression of a halted speech, even a fool could tell the boy was unwilling.
“You are truly wasting all my painstaking efforts. With so many daughters of prominent families at Fanghua Academy, not a single one catches your eye. Sometimes, having ambitions higher than the heavens will only lead to a miserable fall.”
“I have no such ambitions!” Meng Xueran retorted. “I do not think myself above everyone else; I simply truly dislike them.”
“If even Fanghua Academy cannot yield someone you like, are you expecting a celestial maiden from the heavens?”
“That is not it either.”
“You…” Mei Jinshu wanted to ask him whether he disliked women altogether, but he instantly swallowed that terrifying thought back down into his stomach. If he were to truly puncture that layer of paper or hear something he shouldn’t, he might actually strangle Meng Xueran on the spot.
Damn it, just what must he do to preserve his innocence in this lifetime? He always ran into such thorny problems no matter how hard he tried to avoid them. Was he really expected to force Meng Xueran into marrying someone?
With his current strength, if Meng Xueran resisted with all his might, he might not even be able to pin the boy down. Aside from turning into sworn enemies, who knew what kind of madness this kid might descend into?
Mei Jinshu stated, “This is a task assigned by His Majesty. It is not up for you to choose.”
Lifting his head, Meng Xueran demanded, “Then was this brought up by adoptive father? Did adoptive father not say you would only petition the Emperor for a marriage for me when I turned sixteen? Why bring it forward by a full year?”
“Could it be that adoptive father is so eager to drive me out?”
“How can you think such a thing?” Mei Jinshu explained, “It is because the eldest daughter of the Marquis Yi Estate has reached the eligible age for marriage, and His Majesty is currently hesitating between the First Prince, Meng Shaolin, and yourself, intending to bestow Princess Bu Jingyu of the Marquis Yi Estate upon you as a bride.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Xueran felt his vision go black as he nearly fainted on the spot, his hands trembling with fierce resistance. “I will not agree! I will never accept this marriage!”
Mei Jinshu continued, “Bu Jingyu is the reigning Empress Dowager’s niece, and her father, Marquis Yi, is the Empress Dowager’s own younger brother. Her status is illustrious indeed, and she was granted the title of Commandery Princess the moment she was born.”
Meng Xueran protested, “So what if she is a Commandery Princess? There is not the slightest possibility between her and me!”
“Yet His Majesty looks very favorably upon this match.” Having heard tales of Commandery Princess Shangning Bu Jingyu’s overbearing nature, Mei Jinshu knew she was indeed a spoiled and willful character. He softened his tone to reason with him. “The Empress Dowager’s original intention was to bestow Bu Jingyu upon the Crown Prince. However, fearing that the Marquis Yi Estate would wield too much influence and wishing to suppress Noble Consort Wu, His Majesty decided to bestow this marriage upon you instead.”
“Logically speaking, although you are the legitimate secondary son born to the Empress, your status as a twin restricts you to discussing marriage with the Marquis Yi Estate merely in the capacity of the Chancellor’s adopted son, which can be considered a step down.”
Incredulous, Meng Xueran gasped, “You, you actually want me to marry into her family as a resident son-in-law!”
“It is not quite that severe!” Mei Jinshu replied. “At most, it counts as you marrying upward while she weds downward.”
“I will not marry! I refuse!” Meng Xueran hurled the roster onto the ground, turned on his heel, and sprinted toward the Plum Quarters. Locking himself inside his room, he threw the deadbolt and stubbornly refused even to eat dinner.
Mei Shiyi knocked on the door, wishing to deliver food and water, but the door remained deadbolted from the inside, and no amount of persuasion worked.
“No, this will not do. I cannot leave!” Meng Xueran paced the room in frantic panic. The mere thought of leaving the Chancellor’s Residence and parting from Mei Jinshu left him so distressed he could neither swallow his food nor sleep through the night.
Why could time not simply stand still? Why must he grow up? His marriage had been settled in such a slipshod manner without a single person ever asking for his opinion or caring about his plight.
Could it be that in the eyes of the Emperor and Empress, he was also viewed as climbing high to match above his station with Bu Jingyu?
Meng Xueran felt his mind on the verge of shattering. He would rather remain solitary for the rest of his life than marry Bu Jingyu; to speak of affection was out of the question, when simply not hating her already required effort. Who would willingly spend a lifetime living alongside someone they despised?
He looked up toward the ceiling beams, half-tempted to hang himself with a white silk sash.
If he truly lost his mind and sought a way out, would adoptive father care? Meng Xueran felt his thoughts grow entirely unhinged as he actually went to fetch a length of long cloth within the room and looped it over the ceiling beam.
Mei Jinshu was currently eating dinner. To be honest, he had zero desire to go coax Meng Xueran; every single dispute with the boy involved a thousand reasons and tactics designed to melt his heart and force a compromise, only for him to regret his momentary softness afterward. Gradually, he had learned to ignore those little tricks.
“My Lord.” Mei Shiyi stepped into the main hall, cupping his fists with a worried expression as he reported, “You really ought to go check on the Young Master.”
Mei Jinshu asked, “Did you not see that I am eating?”
“Forgive me, My Lord,” Mei Shiyi explained hurriedly. “The Young Master said he no longer wishes to live. This subordinate is worried something unexpected might happen.”
Stirring up trouble again. The boy possessed nothing else, sticking solely to these unimaginative antics. Mei Jinshu couldn’t help letting out a cold sneer, completely ignoring the warning. He leisurely finished his meal, picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth, and finally rose to walk toward the Plum Quarters.
Though he felt deeply wary of Meng Xueran as a ticking time bomb of a cannon fodder character who could turn on him at any moment, human hearts were made of flesh. Having raised the kid for so many years, even a dog would have fostered some affection.
Mei Jinshu stood inside the Plum Quarters, querying his system interface for his remaining debt. Sure enough, the points were climbing frantically. It seemed Meng Xueran was truly devastated by his indifference; at this rate, he would clear another twenty thousand points.
The debt interface notification flashed: Points negative 19,500.
“So many?” Mei Jinshu instantly sobered up, secretly concealing his delight. Within moments, another five hundred points were wiped away. Just how violently opposed to this marriage was Meng Xueran that he would rather die?
Mei Jinshu asked, “System, if Meng Xueran actually dies, then what happens to me?”
The system replied, “If the points are not fully repaid, you must first undergo a severe punishment as the price for breaking your promise, after which you will be completely eradicated.”
“I understand.” Cold sweat beaded on Mei Jinshu’s forehead as he instantly discarded his attitude of sitting back and watching. Damn it, having accumulated so much debt on Meng Xueran’s behalf while also playing the villain, if he failed to succeed after pouring in this much effort, he truly wouldn’t be able to rest in peace even in death.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. Striding up to the door, he delivered a sharp kick that sent it flying open.
Startled into a violent shudder, Meng Xueran was currently standing atop a low stool with the white silk sash clutched in his hand, striking the very picture of someone seeking self-destruction.
Mei Jinshu demanded, “What? Were you waiting specifically for me to arrive before dying?”
“Adoptive father, I…” A wave of humiliating exposure washed over Meng Xueran. The youth had now grown into his features, carrying a hint of youthful yet captivating allure. With his outer corners upturned like a fox, he gazed pitifully at the newcomer. “I do not want this marriage arrangement.”
“Are you trying to negotiate terms with me?” Leaning against the doorframe and looking him up and down, Mei Jinshu couldn’t help mocking, “Who hangs themselves while still wearing their sword?”
“I, I forgot!” Feeling utterly humiliated and wishing to stubbornly keep up appearances, Meng Xueran was abruptly sent tumbling to the floor by an impatient kick from Mei Jinshu, landing in a miserable heap without daring to raise his head.
Even Ye Ting, who had been watching the commotion from behind, couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Mei Shiyi awkwardly scratched his head, finding the scene too painful to watch, while the sweeping servants occasionally cast furtive glances their way.
Mei Jinshu ordered, “Enough, no one is allowed to laugh! All of you, step outside.”
With a loud slam, the door shut closed. Mei Jinshu strode up to the youth standing at his own height, surging anger boiling in his chest as he scolded, “You ungrateful brat, you good-for-nothing! Even a dog knows how to watch the gate for its master! I have painstakingly cultivated you for so many years, yet you dare threaten me with your death.”
“I never expected you to repay my kindness, but how dare you return my grace with enmity!”
“If you die in the Chancellor’s Residence, how am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty and the Empress? Am I supposed to tell them I abused you and treated you with all manner of cruelty? Or should I tell them you chose to prove your conviction with death because you refused a marriage bestowal?”
“I am sorry…” Meng Xueran’s grievance-laden voice trembled. “I did not want to die. I only wanted to test whether adoptive father truly cared for me and had me in his heart, even if it were only the slightest shred of genuine feeling.”
Mei Jinshu froze in disbelief. He actually wanted genuine feeling from him?
What a childish and ridiculous notion. Raising his hand, Mei Jinshu delivered a merciless slap across Meng Xueran’s face, snapping the boy’s head sideways as blood surged hot in his veins. “Rid yourself of those unrealistic thoughts!”
“Is even thinking about it forbidden?” The exquisitely beautiful cheek of Meng Xueran blossomed with a swollen, reddish fingerprint. In this lifetime, probably only Mei Jinshu possessed the audacity to strike this face without mercy.
Mei Jinshu knew that playing hardball with him no longer worked. The person before him was no longer that easily manipulated child. In the past, hitting him would cause him to shed aggrieved tears and continuously question or reflect upon himself. But now? Not only did he feel no pain, but he had also grown utterly shameless.
The only way to persuade him was through a mix of force and persuasion. Mei Jinshu delivered a sharp kick to the back of the boy’s knee, forcing Meng Xueran to drop to his knees before him. Hooking a finger under the boy’s chin and adopting an air of helpless compulsion, he said, “There is nothing wrong with a marriage arrangement anyway; you are bound to marry sooner or later.”
“Rather than waiting for me to personally petition His Majesty next year, it is far better to accept this match with the Marquis Yi Estate right now. If you obediently agree, His Majesty will surely deem you sensible, obedient, and well-acquainted with the bigger picture.”
Lifting his gaze to lock eyes with him, Meng Xueran searched Mei Jinshu’s eyes for even a trace of reluctance to let him go, but only disappointment awaited him. A bone-deep agony spread outward. He didn’t even dare to brush against the fingertips of the man before him, reduced to a humble, desperate yearning.