Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 307 How About Not Breaking Off the Engagement?
Min Zangzhi felt as if her breath was about to stop.

He thought that this might be retribution for his habit of mocking even the stone lions in front of the Court of Justice.

He prided himself on being a man of strong emotions, capable of achieving perfection in whatever he pleased. He was the foremost expert in incense appreciation in Chang'an, and a single tune from him could transform an ordinary girl into the most beautiful courtesan.

Min Zangzhi thought that he had suddenly decided to wear mourning clothes when he went out, and the next day countless people in Chang'an followed suit.

He believed that acting recklessly was the destiny he had ordained for himself in this life.

Who is he? He is Min Zangzhi!

He was never anxious; he always calmly watched the people around him cry or laugh. Therefore, he felt that the position of clerk in the Court of Judicial Review was the most suitable for him. He held a pen and recorded all the loves and hates of the fools.

He thought he could always remain calm and composed.

He believed that his mouth could never be silent, and there would never be a time when he couldn't speak.

But now he finds that everything he thought he knew has been overturned.

"I won't break off the engagement. Ah You, I won't break off the engagement." Min Zangzhi had never realized that her words were so clumsy.

He murmured repeatedly, his hands nervously clutching his robes. His palms, which he usually held with a pen, now felt as if a hole had been ripped out of them. The soreness made his whole body numb, as if tears were flowing from every pore.

Min Zangzhi himself never imagined that he would have such a miserable day.

"I won't break off the engagement. Ayou, I won't break off the engagement."

Chu You looked at Min Zangzhi, who seemed like she could shatter at any moment. Her expression froze for a moment, then she looked at Min Zangzhi as if she had made up her mind.

"The most important thing is that I don't like you yet."

Min Cangzhi listened with a heart full of anguish. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Chu You.

"But you can choose to die for me without hesitation. I can't be sure if I will fall in love with you in the future, to the point that I would also die for you."

That's not fair to you.

Before this, I thought you were only interested in me because of your looks, and that I just happened to need someone suitable to marry.

Now it seems that this is not the case.

Chu You looked into Min Cangzhi's scarlet eyes and said earnestly.

When she was with Zhou Yan, she was disliked by Old Madam Zhou because she was naive and too straightforward.

But that's just who she is. She can't become worldly or sophisticated, she's not good at speaking tactfully, and she can't lie.

"I want to marry you because you allow me to do what I want to do in the future."

Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. Similarly, I do not want you to be ridiculed because of me, or to be unable to do the things you like.

So let's just forget about it, Minzang..."

As Chu You spoke, she couldn't continue.

"You... why are you crying... a grown man, why are you crying..."

As she spoke, she felt herself stumble forward and crash into Min Zangzhi's arms. He held her waist tightly with one hand and pressed her head down with the other. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, and the hot tears made Chu You shudder.

This left her feeling somewhat at a loss.

Zhou Yan never cried in front of her. He always smiled faintly and handled everything calmly.

Most of the time they were together, she would do math problems while Zhou Yan sat at the table looking at files. Neither of them spoke, and time flowed by quietly.

She loved those days; they brought her immense peace. But because she loved Zhou Yan so much, she didn't leave after he departed.

As she ran wildly through the snow today, she thought that she had already lost Zhou Yan once, and she couldn't bear to lose Min Zangzhi again.

This feeling was too heavy, so heavy that it seemed to pull her back into the vortex of that stormy day, from which she could never escape.

It felt like the person was about to drown.

In the instant she was hit by the carriage, she thought that she shouldn't have been with Min Zangzhi. If she had, this wouldn't have happened, and he wouldn't have died.

Min Zangzhi should be the immortal Min who is admired by all.

Chu You only wanted to be an ordinary person, without any life-or-death situations or intense romances. She could draw, and her husband could do what he wanted. She just wanted to live a peaceful and stable life without worrying her family.

But Min Zangzhi's tears burned her.

"I won't break off the engagement, Ayou, please don't break off the engagement, okay? Please don't break off the engagement."

Min Zangzhi said sullenly, only now realizing that when dealing with people he didn't care about, every word was precious, but when dealing with people he cared about, every word was carefully chosen.

The songs he composed were the most widely circulated love poems in Chang'an.

But now his mind was blank, and he could only repeat, like the sparrow in front of the porch, in a clumsy and murmuring voice, "Don't break off the engagement."

Chu You did not respond.

"Ayou, you said it yourself, it wasn't my fault, you can't punish me like this."

As Min Cangzhi spoke, he felt Chu You's body stiffen, and he clearly changed. It was as if a person who was about to drown had finally found a piece of driftwood and suddenly came back to life.

“I don’t want to break off the engagement. I only lust after you. I am an official of the Court of Justice. How can I watch an ordinary person die in front of me? Regardless of whether that person is you or not, I will choose to die myself and let the other person live.”

So don't be afraid of me.

I don't care if others laugh at me or scold me, because I will scold them back fiercely. Even Chang Zuoping can't beat me in a verbal battle.

As for being a refined and elegant gentleman, I've already reached the top of the list, and I've long since lost interest in it. I've reached the age to get married and want to settle down. I'm very happy with you, Ayou. I love watching you do arithmetic and build your little house.

Is it okay not to break off the engagement?

I did nothing wrong. You can't break off the engagement with me without a reason; that's even more unfair to me.

Chu You's breathing changed.

Min Zangzhi cursed himself inwardly for being despicable and shameless; everything he said was a lie.

He clearly fell in love with her at first sight and wanted to offer her everything he considered the best.

He wasn't some immortal Min; Chu You was the immortal in his heart.

His biggest mistake was that he burned her with excessive heat before she was ready and before her gaze could shift from Zhou Yan to him.

Now he's going to take advantage of her kindness to shamelessly seek to have her executed later in the autumn.

"Everyone in Chang'an knows I'm going to marry you. I've been going around extorting betrothal gifts from them; I've taken two coins from anyone who had even three in their pocket. If you want to break off the engagement, I'll send them back to you one by one..."

In that case, we'll be ridiculed one by one! I'll truly lose all face in Chang'an.

Ah You, please don't call off the engagement, okay?

Just thinking about that scenario makes me want to cry.

(End of this chapter)