Chapter 106 — The Wu Family
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Dou Zhiwei was speechless.
She gave a light cough, intending to offer Ji Yong a few more words of advice. But before she could open her mouth, she heard a cold scoff from Ji Yong, laden with disdain and contempt: "Some people have no ability of their own, yet they're forever blaming others for not being polite enough to them. I despise that sort more than anything!" His tone lacked the aggressive bite he usually brought to his mockery, but the words were just as caustic and cutting.
Fine. So she had spoken out of turn and misjudged the man!
Dou Yan resolved that from now on, she would never again play the lute to a cow.
She asked Ji Yong, "What did you want to see me about?" Her manner had turned cold.
Ji Yong, unbothered, rubbed his nose and said lazily, "You really don't want to marry He Yu, do you?"
Dou Yan's heart gave a jolt, but she betrayed nothing. "What makes you say that?"
"Otherwise, why would you scheme against me?" he said, slow and deliberate.
A thousand waves crashed through Dou Yan's heart at once. She barely managed to keep from leaping out of her seat, but her face had already gone ugly beyond concealment.
Ji Yong nodded, smiling broadly, seemingly in excellent spirits. "Still," he said leisurely, "seeing as we're family, I'll help you out this once." He looked utterly unconcerned.
Dou Yan was aghast.
Ji Yong had already risen and left the flower hall.
Dou Zhiwei pressed a hand to his forehead.
What on earth did this Ji Yong mean by that?
He was the cherished jewel of the Ji family, favored by the elders and revered by the younger generation. Never mind someone like him, who could draw on the Ji family's resources and bask in its prosperity; even his sixth aunt would, at a time like this, sort out the primary from the secondary and stand unwaveringly with the Dou family—the family on which her son depended for his livelihood, the family that would offer her sacrifices after her death—rather than the Ji family that had borne and raised her. How could he possibly abandon the Ji family to help her?
It would be tantamount to betraying his own interests!
And yet, from what she knew of him, his words and manner might often make a person want to spit blood in fury, but he had never once gone back on a promise...
Or was he merely here to mock her?
Dou Yan carefully replayed the earlier clues.
Apart from a few sarcastic jabs when Dou Qiguang was mentioned, he had behaved quite normally the rest of the time.
Could he have come to flaunt his superiority over her?
Then why bother saying he would help her...? That didn't fit either.
Dou Yan sat there shaking her head.
Suddenly, Ji Yong went and came back again.
"Oh, right," he said, grinning. His smile was dazzling and stinging all at once. "There's one more thing I forgot to tell you. That accountant of yours is really quite good—but compared with me, he falls far short. Next time something like this comes up, why not consult me? I'd wager I'm more useful than he is."
Dou Yan could not keep her face from turning ashen.
But Ji Yong looked as though he had witnessed some long-awaited marvel. With a satisfied roar of laughter, he swaggered off.
Dou Qu called out loudly for "Suxin": "Ask Old Chen to come over. I have important matters to discuss with him."
※※※※※
The Wu family's residence in the capital stood in the Fang family lane of Chongjing Ward, near Anding Gate in the north of the city.
To its north lay the Imperial College and the Confucian Temple. To its south stood the Kaiyuan Monastery; to its west, Anding Gate Street. Quiet amid the bustle, it was a fine place for study. Scholars from out of town who came to the capital liked to rent lodgings in the vicinity, and property prices in Chongjing Ward had always remained high.