Chapter 211: Chapter 210 CompensationQin Tangyue was very confident.
Just her name was enough to make the wealthy heirs and cultured gentlemen of Quanzhou City flock to her like ducks to water.
But she was not interested in such things.
How could ordinary people catch her eye?
Only the man before her, exuding exceptionality from every aspect, captured her attention the moment he appeared on the street, and she couldn’t look away anymore.
Now Sang Yan found herself awkwardly in between He Ying and Qin Tangyue.
She hadn’t expected to witness He Ying being confessed to outside the palace.
But, really, was it okay to snatch someone else’s companion?
Sang Yan glanced at the passersby and noticed that they simply laughed at this awkward "triangle," as if snatching a companion was not such an unusual event.
She vaguely remembered that some port cities, due to thriving trade and frequent interactions with foreign countries, would sometimes adopt peculiar cultures.
It seemed that this culture of "snatching the bride or groom" must have been learned from foreign lands.
"Are you blind?"
A frosty voice rose beside her.
Sang Yan snapped back to reality and looked at He Ying—
He Ying’s expression had darkened, his eyes full of hostility, impatient: this woman not only looked unimpressive, but her eyesight seemed poor too, who gave her the courage to act so presumptuously in front of him!
"Lu Zi—"
He turned and was about to call Lu Zijin to chase the person away.
Sang Yan quickly tugged at his hand, stopping him, "Don’t! It’s not necessary!"
If Lu Zijin came, the grand time they were having tonight would be wasted.
"I’ll handle this."
While comforting He Ying, she said to Qin Tangyue, "Sorry, he is my husband."
"Husband."
Those words acted like a soothing balm, instantly suppressing the anger in He Ying’s heart.
Qin Tangyue was not convinced: How could a woman who wasn’t much to look at and didn’t come from an impressive family deserve to marry such a good man?
She had never faced a setback before, but He Ying’s rebuff only made her more determined.
She looked at Sang Yan with disdain, maintaining her ladylike demeanor, but the words that came out were especially unpleasant.
"Lady, according to the customs of Chinese Valentine’s Day, regardless of marital arrangements, if both parties are willing, compensating the other party’s loss allows for another union. My father, Qin Wanjin, owns the largest tea house, textile shop, and even kiln factories in Quanzhou. If you’re willing, I can give you a hundred taels of gold—"
"Lady, I think you’re mistaken."
Sang Yan cut off Qin Tangyue mid-sentence, a chill in her eyes, "My husband and I share a deep affection, I doubt he would even be willing to take a concubine. If he’s unwilling, why would we need your compensation?"
She couldn’t believe it; she was actually being propositioned to her face, and the other party was even offering money to make her leave.
Her usually good temper vanished.
Qin Tangyue, unaware of the situation, arrogantly lifted her chin, "Why would he be unwilling? As long as you agree, it’s settled."
Sang Yan, upon hearing this, gave a nasty smile, lifted the intertwined hands with He Ying, and taunted, "Why don’t you ask my husband, whether he’s willing to take a concubine or not?"
"Who wants to be a concubine!"
Qin Tangyue felt both embarrassed and annoyed.
She was a proper young lady from a reputable family in Quanzhou; if she became a concubine, it would be laughable!
Why should this woman make decisions for this man?
Qin Tangyue wanted to ask He Ying, but when she looked up, she saw his eyes were extremely cold; his gaze doused her enthusiasm with an icy chill.
There was no need to ask.
This man, not only did he not want a concubine, by the looks of it, he was nearly treating her as an enemy.
Qin Tangyue felt a wave of retreat in her heart.
She didn’t want to stay here any longer.
There were plenty of good men in the world.
If he was blind and preferred the woman in front of him, did it mean all the men in the world were blind?
Her father had said that with her credentials, even entering the palace as a consort would be well within her reach.
Why waste her efforts on this man?
"Fine, forget I said anything—"
Qin Tangyue clenched her veil, comforting herself, as she frequently turned her head back while returning to the side of her handkerchief friends.
Yet, that man really was extraordinarily distinguished.
Sang Yan looked at He Ying—his face was now terrible, clearly on the verge of anger.
"Shall we go back?"
She felt today’s "date" had been very unsuccessful.
He Ying’s mood not only hadn’t improved, it felt like he was on the verge of losing it.
This made her feel very frustrated.
"Let’s keep walking."
He Ying took a deep breath and, without discussion, took her hand and continued forward.
She had been looking forward to this for so long, she shouldn’t waste her affection on someone irrelevant.
It was just that before, he had simply been holding her hand, but whether it was because he was provoked by Qin Tangyue, He Ying now had her almost entirely in his embrace.
Only lacking the words "Property of Sang Yan" written on his forehead.
With him holding her so dominantly, Sang Yan smiled broadly, her exposed eyes becoming more vivacious.
"Then let’s go to the dock. I heard there are flower boats there, and it’s bustling."
She had long since found out: on Chinese Valentine’s Day, the dock suspends cargo activities to allow the people to enjoy the flower boats. Not only were there riddles to solve, but there was also Quanzhou City’s special festival event—the flower admonishment toss.
Brimming with excitement.
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As soon as Qin Tangyue returned to her circle of handkerchief friends, tears fell.
Among these brightly dressed young ladies, Qin Tangyue had the most prestigious family background.
They usually "pampered" and "indulged" her.
Now seeing her return with such a dejected face, everyone’s eyes carried malicious mockery, yet their faces were full of concern.
"Yueyue—"
One of the girls dressed in lake-green skirt affectionately took her hand and consoled, "Don’t cry. You’re so beautiful, that man just now surely felt it wouldn’t be proper to agree because his wife was by his side."
It was this girl who had been the most enthusiastic in egging her on earlier.
She had always been jealous of Qin Tangyue, and now seeing her deflate, she couldn’t have been happier.
"But his look just now... was very frightening."
Whenever Qin Tangyue thought of his gaze, her pretty face turned deadly pale.
Flickering shadows from the trees.
The candlelight by the road cast a glow on her tear-stained cheeks, making her appear even more pitiable.
"What’s there to be afraid of."
The lake-green skirt girl rolled her eyes, mean-spiritedly scheming, "They seemed to be heading towards the dock just now. Isn’t there lantern riddle guessing there? Why don’t you let that gentleman witness your literary talent, and surely you’ll dazzle him?"
With that suggestion, the other girls chimed in:
"Yes, the dock is so lively tonight, with several flower boats."
"Yueyue, you are the face of Quanzhou City, don’t let some bland girl surpass you."
"Right, right, let’s go show off our skills now, and let that man know your worth."
...
The girls babbled on, almost pushing Qin Tangyue onto a flower boat right then and there.
"Really?"
Qin Tangyue dabbed her tears with a handkerchief, somewhat tempted.
Mostly because that man... had truly been unforgettable.
In the entirety of Quanzhou City, no one could measure up to him.
"Of course, it’s true! We’ll go with you!"
The lake-green skirt girl affectionately looped her arm through Qin Tangyue’s, "Hurry up. There are many women over there, what if someone else snatches him away, you’ll regret it too late."
Half reluctantly, half willingly, Qin Tangyue was dragged towards the dock.
Perhaps, she really could astonish that man with her talents?
With that thought, Qin Tangyue felt a bit of relief in her heart and a newfound determination to strive for love.