Chapter 645: Status
Guan Tang said plainly, “You’re quite observant.”
Jiahui shrugged. “It’s an occupational habit. Moreover, those two weren’t aware of my presence so they were very relaxed and genuine. That makes it easier for me to observe them.”
Guan Tang nodded in agreement.
After Jiahui set the bowl down, she stood up and stretched her limbs. “Alright, I’ve finished eating and drinking. Now, tell me what you want to do. Since you postponed my death sentence, before I find a way to leave, why don’t we coexist peacefully?”
Guan Tang looked at Jiahui with a gentle gaze as though she was looking at a friend whom she liked very much. She said honestly, “If it weren’t for all those things, I think I’d really like to be friends with you.”
Jiahui shrugged.
Guan Tang said, unprompted, “I don’t have any friends. I haven’t had one since I was young. Moreover, I don’t know how to make friends. Yin Jia and I… Yin Jia doesn’t like me, and I don’t have the right to dislike her. She’s the Eldest Miss of the Yin family, and I’m just a relative living under someone’s roof. Although she doesn’t have a mother, she’s regarded as the lucky star of the Yin family so she’s always been high and mighty.”
“Even my aunt, her stepmother, has to treat her well. However, I’m different; I don’t have anything. My parents died early, and my inheritance is controlled by my aunt and uncle. I can only live by pleasing everyone. Under such circ.u.mstances, I learned to read people’s expressions and have a good temper, manners, and grades. Even then, I could never compare to the Eldest Miss of the Yin family,” Guan Tang said self-deprecatingly.
“When my parents pa.s.sed away, I was in an awkward position. I was betrothed to the Eldest Young Master of the Yin family, but the Yin family did not have an Eldest Young Master. The Yin family didn’t lack daughters. At that time, Old Master Yin said there’s no harm in having another young miss in the family; it would eventually come in handy. With just one sentence, he determined the trajectory of my life and my fate, which was to be used as a p.a.w.n in an alliance marriage.”
“You must think that as a relative, my status should only be second to the young misses of the Yin family, right? Moreover, I also have the dowry that my parents left for me. I lived very carefully, aware of my future and what I had to do. Who knew things would suddenly change again. I was once again the fiance of the Eldest Young Master of the Yin family,” Guan Tang said as she gracefully brushed a lock of her long hair back. Her movements were elegant, and even the way she spoke was elegant.
“So what is it you want? Do you want to stay in the Yin family or do you want to leave the Yin family? All I’ve heard so far is what people want you to do, not your own thoughts,” Jiahui said with a frown.
Jiahui felt that Guan Tang and Yin Jia were rather similar. The duo did not know what they wanted, but they kept blaming others for not letting them do anything. They were showing typical signs of a narcissist.
“My own thoughts? Am I allowed to have my own thoughts?” Guan Tang smiled mockingly. She did not look at Jiahui as she continued to speak. It was as though she was talking to herself. “I carried the ridiculous and empty t.i.tle of the future Young Madam of the Yin family for so many years. When I was a teenager, Yin Jia lost her temper and called me a jinx. She said that it was my fault that her mother died and her younger brother was lost. After that, she chased me out of the house and made me kneel in the yard. I was not allowed to get up even when it rained. Then, I was made to stay in the servant’s quarters. For that reason, I ran a very high fever. During the month I stayed in the servant’s quarters, Yin Jia did not feel guilty at all. After her anger subsided, she pretended like nothing had happened. As for me, I had to act as though I was insensible and was caught in the rain, causing me to fall sick. When I was sick, my treatment was even worse than that of the servants. In fact, I even had to curry favor with the servants. There were so many people. Even if I had to exhaust all my energy, I tried to curry favor with as many people as I could. I used to be so desperate.”
Jiahui listened very attentively. When Guan Tang stopped speaking, she asked, “What happened after that? What did you do?”