Entangled Love GL - Chapter 26

On the third day after Shuǐ Yánghuā’s death, Zhāng Mǎn finally felt at ease to hold the funeral for his daughter. There were cries of grief both inside and outside the Roaring Tiger Hall, and people hurried in and out in great commotion.

Yang Mei had some past friendship with Zhāng Ājiāo, and also keeping in mind that it’s better to reconcile with an enemy than to harbor resentment, she once again paid a condolence visit. Zhāng Mǎn also put aside the previous day’s conflict at this point. After all, he viewed Yang Mei as a junior, and the two families reconciled.

Yán Bózhān’s withdrawal during the confrontation was actually an act of favor toward Yang Mei. Yang Mei knew this in her heart and paid a little more attention to the actions of the Nine-Turn Dragon Pavilion.

Only Méi Jìngxiān, who was smug, made veiled suggestions, and spoke with sarcasm in public, greatly disgusted Yang Mei. Yang Mei was also worried that he was secretly causing trouble and spreading rumors. The night of the confrontation at Yúnyún Hall, many people saw and heard what happened. If someone intended to cause trouble, the timing was just right.

Yang Mei’s worry was not misplaced. By the fourth day, people were discussing in the streets and alleys of the capital that the current head of This Place Pavilion was shameless and violated moral principles, being a woman who indulged in female beauty and frequently sought pleasure in places of ill repute. The rumors came fiercely, and the morale of This Place Pavilion scattered.

At this point, the problem could no longer be solved by simply ignoring it. Even if Yang Mei disregarded her own reputation, she could not ignore the reputation of This Place Pavilion. Moreover, the crime of indecency in the Yámen (government office) was no small matter, and if someone in the Imperial Palace believed it, the trouble would be even greater.

Only then did Yang Mei realize how serious this matter was.

Yang Mei hid in This Place Pavilion, wondering if any hot-blooded heroes would come knocking, seeking to eliminate a wicked person from the world. And if someone really came to confront her, what should she do? Would flat-out denial still work?

Or, should she perhaps act quickly and immediately offer a defense?

But Yang Mei did not want to offer a defense.

When Shuǐ Yánghuā issued her threat, and when Méi Jìngxiān openly mocked her, Yang Mei had been avoiding the issue. Even if she dared not admit it, she was unwilling to deny it against her conscience. In her view, offering a defense at this point would undoubtedly be a sign of weakness and admission of fault. And if even she herself denied it, how could she expect Duan Min to accept her?

But if she didn’t offer a defense, how else could she quell these rumors?

Yang Mei stayed in Yuè Yuán for several consecutive days, avoiding the situation outside and also avoiding any potential solutions Xue Yuyu might propose.

The season was already deep autumn. Although the loquat trees in the garden were still green, their color was somewhat desolate. Looking out the window, Yang Mei was reminded of Duan Min.

Duan Min was staying here in the spring, when the loquats were turning from green to ripe. Once, Yang Mei saw her reading by the window. A cluster of green fruits was being blown by the wind to the window side, seeming to hang by her temples. The long leaves and round fruits decorated her, making her look very charming.

Yang Mei had kept Duan Min’s room. Now, looking at it again, although there was no dust, there was no sign of life either. Opening the window revealed only dense green leaves.

Yuèting was afraid that Yang Mei would catch a cold from the prolonged exposure to the wind, so she came over to advise: “Miss, the wind is strong. Please close the window.” Yuèting was Yang Mei’s favorite maid and had personally looked after Duan Min for over a month.

Yang Mei casually closed the window, looked at her, and asked: “You’ve also heard the rumors outside… What do you think?”

Yuèting was surprised and hesitated: “Miss, what can I think? They are all nonsense. It is true that Miss wanted to keep Miss Duan in our Pavilion, and Miss Duan is very likable, but nothing else! Absolutely not!”

Yang Mei pondered for a moment, and then asked: “Where is she likable?”

“This…” Yuèting hadn’t expected her to ask this and couldn’t answer immediately.

Yang Mei didn’t wait for her reply. She sat down by the table, recalling the day Duan Min tore off her pretense and insisted on leaving, the fresh bl00d gushing onto the table from her hand.

At that time, Duan Min’s expression was very indifferent, yet very unwilling. Indifferent as if she didn’t even care about life or death, yet unwilling as if her heart was full of resentment. These contradictory emotions interwoven made her see a Duan Min who was both exceptionally false and exceptionally real, a memory that kept coming back to her.

And these past few days, the Duan Min she saw at Yúnyún Hall was no longer that vibrant. She could actually get along well with Yúnniáng, Muyè, and the others. Yang Mei found this a little difficult to accept.

“What is so good about her,” Yang Mei half asked Yuèting and half murmured to herself, “Her temper is not good, her personality is strange. If she were particularly upright and ignored everyone, that would be a merit, but she is not. She also laughs and chats with others.”

After listening to her complaints, Yuèting smiled sweetly and said: “Miss, Miss Duan is a bit cold towards you, but you can only blame yourself for keeping her by force. No matter how good the food and clothing are, people are ultimately not willing. Miss Duan was very kind to me. She always spoke gently and amicably, and discussed everything with me. She is very easy to get along with.”

Yang Mei’s criticism of Duan Min was actually her own feeling of grievance. Hearing Yuèting’s advice made her even more displeased: “Being easy to get along with means she didn’t take you seriously. She is still not close to you at all!”

“Miss, you can’t put it that way,” Yuèting seemed particularly sensible at this moment, explaining seriously, “Miss Duan and I only had a month’s connection. Miss Duan was unwilling to be here, and I privately felt that serving her wouldn’t be long-term. Neither of us put our hearts into it, and we didn’t even get thoroughly familiar with each other. How can we talk about being close? Besides, Miss Duan was definitely closer to me on the day she left than on the day she arrived. Miss, if you insist on comparing one month of closeness with three to five years of closeness, where is the logic in that?”

Yuèting spoke of “closeness” multiple times without stumbling, and Yang Mei felt a sudden realization.

Yang Mei had developed a feeling of great closeness the first day she met Duan Min, so much so that she had been ignoring the fact that she and Duan Min had not spent much time together and did not know each other well.

Yang Mei had always regretted that Duan Min could not feel an instant affinity for her. This regret made her sad, anxious, indignant, and somewhat at a loss. Only at this moment did she suddenly realize that Duan Min’s behavior was actually very normal.

Duan Min had a quiet disposition. One look was enough to know that she wasn’t easy to get close to. Furthermore, throughout the one month from their acquaintance to their parting, the two had always been in opposing positions. Duan Min had almost no opportunity to understand Yang Mei peacefully, and how much did Yang Mei understand Duan Min?

“You are right. I should thank you properly!” Yang Mei suddenly felt enlightened, as if the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed. She smiled and said, “While I’m in a good mood now, hurry up and tell me what you want.”

“Miss, do you have a solution?” Yuèting was momentarily surprised. Seeing Yang Mei nod with a full smile, she happily said, “I knew those rumors couldn’t trouble Miss! What are your arrangements? Should we go find the Military Advisor?”

Yang Mei paused slightly: “I still need to think about that matter.”

“Min-jie, there’s a new rumor on the street!”

Muyè excitedly darted into the room and shouted at Duan Min, “They’re saying that Yang Mei favors that person who specializes in treating venereal diseases in Yúnyún Hall. This person is as beautiful as a peach and as cold as frost, and the two have been inseparable for half a year. Look, the person who’s doing this is really not an amateur. They’re mixing truth and falsehood. You can’t say it’s all nonsense!”

After listening to her, Duan Min said flatly: “This rumor is not remarkable at all.”

Muyè sat down and drank a cup of tea: “You don’t have to care, but Yang Mei is suffering. I heard that quite a few people have left This Place Pavilion these past two days, and she’s been hiding herself. I don’t know how she is. I think I’ll go check on her tonight.”

Duan Min glanced at her, showing no further reaction.

Muyè frowned, staring at Duan Min: “With the situation escalating like this, she is truly pitiful. Yúnniáng even said that I should go and advise her properly. Don’t you have anything to say? She must be hoping you can send her a message.”

Duan Min looked at Muyè: “I have nothing to say.”

Muyè stared relentlessly: “The way she protected you in front of Shuǐ Yánghuā, you can’t be so heartless and not take any responsibility.”

Duan Min was too lazy to argue with Muyè, so she thought again, and finally said: “Then help me tell her: Several decades ago, there was a great Grand Princess who wielded immense power in the court and bestowed benevolence upon the common people. She had dozens of favorites in her residence, both male and female, and no one among the common people spoke ill of her. The fact that she is encountering such an incident now is certainly due to someone framing her, but it is also because her virtue is not enough to command respect, and her power is not strong enough. Therefore, she should not complain about others or fate. Hiding at home is not the important thing; thinking carefully about her way out is the crucial matter.”

Muyè pondered the words carefully for a while, and then smiled: “Min-jie, your words are so cold. Aren’t you afraid of making her vomit bl00d from anger?”

Duan Min smiled: “She is now suffering from internal emotional injuries, worry, and repressed qi. Perhaps vomiting a mouthful of bl00d will just happen to eliminate the root of the illness.”

“I just wonder if your prognosis is accurate.” Muyè stood up with a cheerful demeanor, as if she couldn’t sit still any longer. She walked back and forth twice and then suddenly looked at Duan Min, her gaze burning: “Don’t go to sleep tonight. Wait for me to come back and drink with me.”