CH 81

The County Magistrate was furious, and the severe consequences were bound to follow.

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Tang Tianyuan wanted to applaud Tan Lingyin. He had a gentle temperament and didn’t get angry very often. However, Tan Lingyin could always make him so angry that he would ascend to heaven. They were simply ill-fated; he didn't know how much debt he owed her in his last life.

Because he was so irritated, Tang Tianyuan was unable to calm down and think carefully about the false proposition of if he liked her or not. All he thought about was how to deal with Tan Lingyin ruthlessly. So that she would stay put and act like a normal person who dare not talk nonsense.

Just when Tang Tianyuan's anger had nowhere to vent, he heard another news that made him even more angry.

Huanggua had come back from Jinan and returned with another person. He had fully investigated the grievances between Tan Lingyin and Zhu Dacong's family. As a close and caring servant, Huanggua also saw that his Young Master's gaze on Head Commissioner Tan was unusual. So as soon as he had everything sorted out, Huanggua’s horseback ride made no intermediate stops; he wasn’t even able to try the local specialties.

Before Tang Tianyuan finished listening to Huanggua's report, he had already squeezed a teacup into two with a livid face.

So she ran away from her marriage arrangement?

Very good. She was already engaged to that man.

Tang Tianyuan was so angry that his heart ached.

Huanggua calmly bandaged the wound of his Young Master, reflecting the professionalism of a close servant. At the same time he continued to finish his words, "You can rest assured, Young Master. This humble one has already asked carefully. After Head Commissioner Tan escaped from the marriage, her father was afraid that things would get worse, so he told everyone that she passed away. The agreement was nullified."

In other words, their engagement has been dissolved.

Tang Tianyuan only felt the stagnation in his chest smoothed out. He lowered his eyes to look at the big bow tied with white gauze by Huanggua on his hand, and nodded solemnly. "I see."

Huanggua still wanted to comfort him. "Young Master, you still have a chance."

Tang Tianyuan stared at him. "What's it matter to me?"

Huanggua thought to himself: You’re already this concerned, yet you pretend it has nothing to do with you…. Do you think everyone else is as blind as Head Commissioner Tan?...

Naturally, he didn't dare to say this outloud.

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Tan Lingyin was truly reckless enough to run away from marriage. Tang Tianyuan also couldn't say whether his views on the matter were positive or negative. It stands to reason that a woman should not run away from her marriage. Marriage was an important matter, and her parents' decisions should be followed. A girl should marry whoever her parents ask her to marry. 

Tang Tianyuan really thought this way before. Not only him, but most likely that everyone in the world thinks this way.

But what about now? He thought that if Tan Lingyin had really listened to the words of her parents' matchmaking, then she would have already married that Dacong. Maybe by now, she would have even given birth to his child. Thinking of this, Tang Tianyuan felt uncomfortable.

How can Tan Lingyin marry Zhu Dacong? Why should she listen to her father and marry him? Children are all living people, why can't they make their own decisions about marriage?

Furthermore, Tang Tianyuan thought of himself again. What about him? Will his marriage be his own? Will he also listen to his father's arrangement and marry a woman he doesn't know as a wife in the future? So if they had conflicting temperaments, were not in harmony, and disagreed on each other’s opinions, they still have to face each other every day— to live like this for the rest of his life?

He didn't think there was anything wrong with this before, but now that he thought about it, it was really scary.

Following this line of thought, Tang Tianyuan considered this problem more and more. He and Tan Lingyin were two completely different people. When encountering difficulty, Tan Lingyin always gritted her teeth and stomped her feet; she would act first and then look at the consequences. Even if there may be some things overlooked, she would make up for it later. And Tang Tianyuan liked to think about things thoroughly before taking action.

Regardless of what Tang Tianyuan thought, Tan Lingyin got up a little late this morning. This was because she overdrank; her head was pounding. 

She vaguely remembered that she seemed to have given an ‘awe-inspiring speech’ in front of the County Magistrate after she came back yesterday. Thinking back now, Tan Lingyin was a little frightened and regretful. That person always held big grudges, what if he gets revenge on her?

She then rewinded a little more and remembered more clearly. What Zhu Dacong said; his frustration and depression, and the two sullen people drowning themselves in wine...

Tan Lingyin sighed helplessly. The emotion of guilt was like a dull knife. It may not feel very painful at first, but after digging in the heart everyday, there will be a  bleeding wound sooner or later. This kind of injury hurts the most, and it took a while to heal from it. All in all, it's hell’s suffering.

Tan Lingyin decided to end this torment. At least, she had to tell Zhu Dacong that his third fiancee didn't die at all.

So she came to Zhu Dacong's house.

"I have something to tell you."

"I have something to tell you."

As soon as the two met, they said the same thing at the same time. Tan Lingyin was startled and said, "You go first."

Zhu Dacong looked into her eyes. "Because we drank alcohol yesterday, I didn't dare continue, for fear that you might think it was a drunk man’s babble. I'm very sober now, so I mean everything I say."

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Listening to his serious tone, Tan Lingyin unconsciously pricked her ears and her expression looked solem; even her back straightened.

Zhu Dacong said, "Actually, the first time I saw you, I liked you very much. I never thought about what kind of wife I would marry, but since I saw you, I have been thinking: If I marry a wife in this life, my wife should be like this."

She was being confessed to. Tan Lingyin's face flushed red and she stammered, "I, I..."

"Allow me to finish," Zhu Dacong interrupted her. "You know about my situation too. I've been hesitant and in pain, unsure if I should ask you this question. I know there's not much hope, but I still want to give it a try. Otherwise I will regret it for the rest of my life. Lingyin, I like you very much, but I don't know if you mind me..." He took a deep breath, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "I still want to ask, so, you... ...will you marry me?"

Tan Lingyin was dumbfounded. She didn't expect him to talk about this. Her face was hot, "Zhu dage, I’m not—"

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Seeing that she was about to refuse, Zhu Dacong hurriedly added, "I promise, I will be good to you, really! My parents are both open-minded and tolerant people, and my family business is also passable. I never go around to inappropriate places nor plan to take in a concubine. If you marry me, I will definitely live a good life with you." The more he said, the more anxious Dacong became. In the end, he grabbed her hands, "Lingyin, don't reject me."