Chapter 561  : The Truth of the Marriage Arrangement

Everyone twittered in excitement.

Since Yang Nianwas so insistent and confident about his pursuit, then he must be telling the truth. That meant that the agreement between their elders was definitely ironclad.

Furthermore, Yao Tangwas the older granddaughter. It only stood to reason that the engagement would involve her and notYao Ran.

After all, it wasn’t customary to bypass the older children when arranging marriages. These things usually went in order.

But if that was the case, then why was Yao Ranacting all pitiful and aggrieved?

The words she had spoken just now had caused everyone to misunderstand the situation.

They had been led to believe the false picture she was painting.

Now that the others had some time to think about it, doubt and disgust began to creep into their minds.

They turned to Yao Tangin unison, their eyes clouded with unpleasant emotions.

Then they looked at Yao Tang. Surely,Yang Nian’s earnest speech had moved her, right?

It shouldn’t be a big deal, anyway, as arranged marriages were a common practice among their circles. And Yang Nianwas certainly a catch.

Not only was he of outstanding character and a true gentleman, but he also hailed from the great and powerful Yang family.

One couldn’t hope for a better match.

Yao Tang was truly fortunate to be his fiancée.

Even so, she remained aloof and distant. “I’ve already given you my answer. There’s no need for us to discuss this matter any further.”

Yang Nian flashed her a smile. “Well, perhaps you would change your mind in the future.”

Her lips twitched at that, but her eyes were still cold. “You should be able to understand what I mean.”

The remark immediately wiped the smile off Yang Nian’s face. He looked stunned for a moment. “But why?”

Yao Tang seemed to consider his question before saying, “We’re just too different, I guess. We don’t have the same preferences or viewpoints in life. There’s no way we can be together.”

Yang Nian gaped at her, as did the other guests.

Was she really rejecting him for such a shallow reason?

Was this her way of saying that she didn’t like Yang Nianat all, and therefore wouldn’t even give him a chance?

What a difficult young woman.

Although Yang Nian’s brows were furrowed, he spoke with determination. “It’s okay, really. We can take things slow. In time, I know that you will understand my heart.”

Yao Tang didn’t even bother to respond to that.

Meanwhile, Yao Ranwas gnashing her teeth as she listened toYang Nian’s profession, her eyes blazing with hatred.

Up until then, she didn’t think that Old Madam Yaohad really told him the truth about the arranged marriage.

Yang Nian’s recent behavior was finally making sense.

Yao Ran had foolishly believed that the old lady would at least take some time to decide on the rightful candidate for his fiancée.

All this time, she had been confident that she was ahead of the race.

So her grandmother had already revealed the truth. That was why Yang Nianwas pursuingYao Tangright? It must be.

Yao Ran sneered. As the legal child of the second branch,Yao Tang’s position was nothing compared to hers.

Yang Nian would be an idiot to marry into that poor, pathetic family.

Unbeknownst to her, however, the Yang family didn’t see any difference between the first branch and the second branch of the Yao family. In their eyes, both were too insignificant in terms of status and power.

Yao Ran’s eyes gleamed with malice. She silently placed her feet on the floor and suddenly shot up.

She put on her classic victim act and said, “It looks like you need a proper discussion about this, Young Master Yang. Please have a good talk withSister Tang. I’ll be heading downstairs after I change. I’m sorry for all the trouble, everyone.”

Yao Ran gave them a pleading look.

Everyone stared at her in shock, which was, of course, according to her plan. She instantly adopted an embarrassed expression, as if she had just realized that she had screwed up.

She fell back on the bed and waved her hand dismissively. “I… I really did sprain my ankle. Young Master Yangwas only holding me because I can’t walk around on my own. There is nothing between us, truly!”

Just like that, Yao Ranhad once again gained control of the narrative and manipulated the guests’ thoughts in her favor.

They wondered to themselves, if Yao Ranhad sprained her ankle as they had initially believed, then how could she stand up so quickly like she just had?

Moreover, she only corrected herself when she saw everyone’s reaction. Her explanation seemed obvious and forced, too.

In fact, it sounded more of an excuse than a plausible explanation.

As for what she was trying to hide behind her excuses, that was glaringly obvious as well.

She and Yang Nianhad really thrown them for a loop. And here they were, thinking that they had misunderstoodYang Nian.

In the end, even he had been lying to their faces!

Yang Nian’s gaze locked on Yao Ran’s ankle, his expression terrible. She had acted truly agonized by her so-called injury when it had just been the two of them.

Yet she had stood up by herself without even wincing, and had even taken a couple of steps just now.

If Yang Niandidn’t know any better, he would have suspected that she was purposely making up a scenario where they had an entanglement of some sort.

“Is the pain gone?” he asked through gritted teeth. “So suddenly? You should still go to the hospital and get a check-up to prevent any complications.”