Chapter 827: End of the Engagement
With so many of his supposed supporters standing up for the dissolution of the engagement, Jiang Henglin was put into a situation where disagreeing with them seemed out of the question, even if he had absolutely no intention of agreeing with them.
Probably because he wasn’t in his right mind on this issue, Jiang Henglin was insisting on disagreeing with them no matter what.
Seeing his grandmother and mother taking a tough stance on the issue, Jiang Henglin panicked. He sprang to his feet and complained, “Initially, it was you guys who decided on the engagement. Now, it’s also you guys who are breaking off the engagement. Am I expected to just comply with all your decisions? Do I not get any say in this matter?”
Hearing Jiang Henglin’s outcry, Yun Xi tried to hold back her laughter.
Living as a member of a rich and powerful family for 20 years, hasn’t he understood that marriages are often involuntary in aristocratic families? That is, the marriages are always centered around the family’s interests, and no one will ever be given the freedom to choose a partner on their own.
Since he had been designated as the next patriarch, his marriage was never going to be of his own choosing.
Fondness, love, etcetera, all of these were irrelevant when compared to family interests.
In spite of the fact that she had carried the t.i.tle of the future Young Lady of the Jiang family even in her previous life, Yun Xi was aware that Grandmother Jiang and Lady Jiang had constantly been seeking available daughters of n.o.ble families and setting them up on blind dates with Jiang Henglin behind her back.
No matter how nice or patient a person is, they have their limits. And here we’re talking about Jiang Henglin. Therefore, it was inevitable that he would eventually become annoyed and tired of the machinations of his mother and grandmother and his blind dates. Eventually, he grew so annoyed that he devised a plan to prevent his grandmother and mother from arranging any more blind dates for him. He struck a deal with Yun Xi, and their plan was to act as a loving couple in front of his elders, but in private the two of them would have nothing to do with each other.
Han Yaotian had been aware of their plan, yet he’d never once mentioned it or expressed his disapproval. She used to naively think that Han Yaotian trusted her and thus had no qualms about her relations.h.i.+p with Jiang Henglin. Later, however, she came to the realization that the only reason that he was able to act the way he did was because he truly did not care about her.
Lin Yunrong was worried that by continuing to make a fuss, her son would end up ruining the chance to call off the engagement. If that were to happen, they would have lost such a great opportunity. Not wanting that to happen, she patiently coaxed him, “My dear child, marriage is a serious matter, and it has always been the elders calling the shots. You’re old enough to understand these things, so why are you acting like this?”
After hearing what his mother had said, Jiang Henglin finally took the hint. He let out a sneer upon realizing the intentions behind their persistence and turned to look at his mother in a frivolous way.
“A moment ago Grandma said I could choose my own partner. Did she say that just as a joke? Well, since it was a joke, then by that reasoning, I shall not be taking the deal to call off the engagement seriously.”
Lin Yunrong was about to be infuriated to death by her son’s att.i.tude. If it were any other matter, there might be room for discussion, and she could have closed her eyes to his stupidity. But in this matter, she did not understand why her son was being so stubborn. His reaction to this matter was completely beyond their expectations.
“What Grandma meant was that you can have your say in other matters, but in this matter, you need to listen to your elders. After all, this marriage was arranged by your grandfather, not by you. Thus, the decision to call off the engagement shall not be yours to make either.”
Noticing the commotion her grandson was making, Grandmother Jiang dropped the issue like a hot potato and threw it back to the person who had started it all: her husband. Indeed, the older, the wiser… In just a few words, Grandmother Jiang was able to get her point across to Jiang Henglin and she even managed to divert the issue to Grandfather Jiang.
Jiang Henglin had no say in this matter. Regardless of how unwilling he was about calling off the engagement, he would have to agree if his grandfather agreed to go along with Yun Xi’s decision.
Jiang Henglin turned to Grandfather Jiang with a pitiful look, “Grandpa!”
“I respect Yun Xi’s decision on this matter. This arranged marriage was decided between me and Old Yun many years back. Originally, we wanted to cement old ties by marriage, hence we made this arrangement. Who would’ve thought that both of you would be unwilling to marry? However, since that is the case, I think it would be best to call off the engagement. I believe if you two were really destined for each other, you guys would have ended up together even without this engagement. What do you say, Henglin?”
It could not have been clearer what his precious grandson had had in mind. Previously, at the Weiya Banquet, his grandson had attended the event with Yun Xi’s sister as his date. He certainly had not considered Yun Xi’s feelings when he decided to bring her sister to the banquet.
Taking Yun Ziling as his date had been a real slap in the face for Yun Xi. Putting that aside, he had never seemed to show any respect or compa.s.sion toward Yun Xi either. Grandfather Jiang was determined to put a stop to this behavior.. He was not going to condone any one acting in this way in his house, especially not under his watch.
This engagement had been an agreement made between the two families. It should definitely not have been utilized as a way for Jiang Henglin to humiliate the Yun family. Calling off the engagement would do the Yun family good, as it would save Yun Xi from Jiang Henglin’s unjust treatment and bullying.
“Grandpa, I…”
“Henglin, you are our future patriarch. Regardless of whether you are handling situations or executing plans, you’ll have to act the way a patriarch should. Yun Xi does not owe you anything, let alone should she be subjected to your bullying and humiliations. Your actions speak for the Jiang family, not you alone, do you understand?”
“Grandpa…I understand.”
Since the discussion had come to this, Jiang Henglin realized that no amount of persistence was going to change the outcome of the situation. Left without a choice, he gritted his teeth and accepted the decision to call off the engagement. Shooting Yun Xi a glare, he noticed a hint of smugness on Yun Xi’s face. The look on his face became extremely vexed.