Unintentional Surprise (GL) - Chapter 19

Wen Dinglan did it on purpose—she deliberately let Che Kuiyuan see the tender moment between her and Jiang Shunyao.

Letting Che Kuiyuan know she already belonged to someone else made it easier to reject his lavish gifts, to avoid a messy situation.

Che Kuiyuan would leave. He would take the golden zither he brought and return the way he came.

And “Listening Pavilion of Strings and Melody” would remain safe and sound.

Wen Dinglan was thick-skinned and didn’t mind being seen. But Jiang Shunyao was not. The moment it happened, he bounced away like a startled ball, putting distance between himself and Wen Dinglan.

His flushed cheeks and crimson ears betrayed the shame he desperately wanted to hide.

They all stood in awkward silence, waiting for one of the three to speak and break the colorful tension hanging in the air.

Che Kuiyuan slumped with his zither in hand, looked at Wen Dinglan, then at Jiang Shunyao, and realized just how unnecessary he was in this scene. With a sudden wail, he burst into tears like a child denied a favorite toy—heartbroken and helpless.

Though often referred to as “the Grand Chancellor’s grandson,” Che Kuiyuan was hardly a child anymore.

Why, then, did he cry so easily?

Jiang Shunyao was stunned, feeling like the culprit behind this whole mess.

He hesitated. Should he go over and help Che Kuiyuan up?

But Wen Dinglan saw through his well-meaning instinct and stopped him just in time, leaning affectionately on the scholar’s shoulder:
“He’s probably the last person who wants you to help him.”

Jiang Shunyao whispered, “Because… he’s jealous of me?”

Wen Dinglan chuckled softly, “So… you’re not as clueless as you pretend to be.”

Jiang Shunyao raised his hand to cover his face, smiling awkwardly behind it.

“You two… You’re still being lovey-dovey in front of me!” Che Kuiyuan gasped, nearly fainting from his sobs.

Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought him pitiful.

“We’ve been lovey-dovey all along. You’re the one who barged in and threw open the door,” Wen Dinglan retorted shamelessly, her elegance somehow intact even as she reversed all blame.

Every bit of fault now belonged to Che Kuiyuan.

Her words chilled Che Kuiyuan’s heart to the core:
“Wen Dinglan, you’re so heartless! How could you go back on your word like this?”

But Che Kuiyuan had misunderstood one thing.

It wasn’t that Wen Dinglan was heartless or unfaithful—her love and loyalty simply belonged to someone else.

“How did I go back on my word?” Wen Dinglan replied lazily, offering half-hearted answers, hoping Che Kuiyuan would finally give up and leave.

She didn’t want her peaceful little world with Jiang Shunyao in the courtyard disturbed.

“You rejected Jiang Shunyao’s ten-cart betrothal gift, didn’t you? I thought… I thought that meant you refused him!” Tch—how interesting that the so-called frivolous Che Kuiyuan now cared about proper order and priority?

“I also thought,” Jiang Shunyao murmured, unsure of himself, “that you rejected the gift because you disliked me…”

But Wen Dinglan, now clingy and unshakable, didn’t care what Che Kuiyuan would say or do next. She tightened her hold on Jiang Shunyao’s arm, not allowing her beloved to slip away.

If Jiang Shunyao lacked confidence, then she would be his confidence.

Her explanation now was very different from the one she gave when refusing Song Tianlang’s gifts:

“I never said I didn’t accept the ten-cart gift!”

“But you didn’t! Everyone in the capital saw it! The gifts were returned right to the Top Scholar’s residence in broad daylight!” Che Kuiyuan protested. He had been there, watching closely, waiting to see Jiang Shunyao humiliated.

Who could’ve guessed that in the end, he would become the fool of the story?

“Weren’t those ten carts part of a betrothal gift?” Wen Dinglan nudged Jiang Shunyao, asking him for a definitive answer.

When had he ever called it a betrothal gift? Jiang Shunyao blushed again.

That was all just gossip and speculation from the people of the capital.

But seeing Wen Dinglan’s eager gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to deny it.

So he went with the flow and agreed—

“Yes. The ten-cart gift… was my betrothal gift!”