Greed, Do You Really Take Me for a Pushover

No one outside knew what William Wang Jinling and Uncle Zhan discussed. All that was known was that after spending an entire afternoon talking with William, Uncle Zhan stopped calling Yana a "bastard" and didn’t cause her any more trouble—he even seemed much more spirited.

According to Prince Nolan’s private inquiry, Uncle Zhan actually agreed that Yana Zhan would have the right to make her own decisions about marriage. If Yana refused, House Zhan would not force her to marry before she turned twenty.

Yana must observe three years of mourning for her late father, so by the time those three years are over, she’ll have already passed the prime age for marriage. William Wang Jinling fought hard to win her this condition—it’s the least he could do to honor Master Wenyuan’s fatherly kindness.

Whether a woman is a noble lady or a well-bred daughter from a scholarly family, once she’s past the prime age for marriage, it’s nearly impossible to find a good match. Most people are engaged early—no matter how outstanding you are, you won’t find anyone suitable after that.

Three years from now, given how much Yana’s mother and Uncle Zhan dislike her, she’ll almost certainly be married off as someone’s second wife. William Wang Jinling paid a steep price to get Uncle Zhan to relent and not make things difficult for Yana over her marriage.

Master Wenyuan was wrong about one thing—he couldn’t protect Yana for her whole life. Yana has to learn to survive on her own.

Before a girl is married, every family treats her like a precious jewel. But after marriage, everything depends on who she marries—her fate can change completely.

For Serena Feng, marriage isn’t even on the table—so this problem doesn’t exist for her. But Yana Zhan is different; coming from House Zhan, whether she wants to or not, she has to marry. The only thing she can’t decide is who she’ll marry. William Wang Jinling fought to win her a huge right.

"You sacrificed so much just to secure a good marriage for Yana. If Master Wenyuan’s spirit knows what you’ve done, he can rest in peace." Prince Nolan looked at William Wang Jinling with a half-smile. "It’s a pity Yana’s status isn’t good enough. Otherwise, if you married her in three years, it’d make a great story."

"I’m not you—I don’t just marry anyone." William Wang Jinling raised his eyes, a hint of sarcasm in his gaze. Prince Nolan didn’t mind at all. "So what if you stay pure your whole life? William, your strength is being a gentleman—and your downfall is also being a gentleman."

"Whether I’m a gentleman or not, I don’t know. All I know is that I live by my conscience." William Wang Jinling wasn’t upset; he looked calm and unruffled, as if nothing really mattered to him.

That was the truth—even the prospect of destroying Jixia Academy’s reputation didn’t faze him. There was nothing he couldn’t let go of.

"Live by your conscience? That’s exhausting—why bother?" William Wang Jinling cares about too many things, he has too much he can’t let go. In the end... they’re the same kind of people.

"It’s strange to hear you say that. Are you really any better than me?" William’s mood instantly improved.

Compared to Prince Nolan, he was much happier—he’d gotten everything he wanted, while what Nolan wanted most was still out of reach.

"Better than you by a little is still better." Prince Nolan thought of how Serena Feng was still angry with him, and the lines at the corner of his mouth stiffened. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with William, so after discussing the details of how to pin the blame on Jixia Academy, he hinted that William should leave.

But today, it was as if William was deliberately going against Prince Nolan. No matter how many hints or outright signals Nolan gave, William simply refused to leave. He kept finding new topics to talk about, until a servant came to report that Old Matriarch Zhan wanted to see him—only then did William have to go.

"Congratulations on getting tangled up with House Zhan." Prince Nolan’s face was dark.

William Wang Jinling had wasted several hours of Nolan’s time, and he hadn’t managed to handle a single official matter. Tonight, who knew when he’d be able to rest.

William slowly got up, brushed the creases from his clothes, and said, "House Zhan isn’t a problem for me. If I don’t want to do something, no one in House Zhan can force me. Oh, I almost forgot—there’s something special about one of Princess Vivian’s maids."

No matter what Prince Nolan thought, William Wang Jinling tossed out that remark and left.

When William arrived at Old Matriarch Zhan’s courtyard, he happened to run into Serena Feng coming out.

"Serena." William quickened his pace to catch up, and Serena stopped where she was. The two of them stood in the courtyard, moonlight spilling over them, painting a dreamlike scene—it looked beautiful.

"How is the old matriarch?" Serena was recommended by William, and his request was simple: it didn’t matter if Old Matriarch Zhan ended up paralyzed, but she had to stay lucid during this period—above all, House Zhan needed a safe retreat.

"She’s awake, but her speech isn’t very clear. With some rest, she’ll be able to get out of bed, but her hands and feet will stay clumsy, and she might develop dementia later." Serena didn’t hide anything—she was even more detailed than what she told House Zhan.

William didn’t bother with pretense in front of Serena and said bluntly, "That’s actually ideal. Thank you for your hard work, Serena."

"Don’t worry, I won’t mess up your plans." Serena understood what William meant: even if she could save the old matriarch, she wouldn’t. It was a bit against medical ethics, but given the situation, there was nothing she could do.

"I’ll go in first. When things settle down, let’s have a proper talk." William, ever the gentleman, stepped aside for Serena. She didn’t say much, just picked up her medicine chest and left.

Just as Serena said, the old matriarch’s condition wasn’t great, but her mind was sharp and her words were logical—she just couldn’t speak clearly.

"G-Grand Heir... Yana, Yana..." When Old Matriarch Zhan saw William, her cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, and she seemed much more energetic than before.

William Wang Jinling patted the old matriarch’s hand and reassured her, "Don’t worry, all those who know the truth have been dealt with. No one will ever bring it up again."

The old matriarch nodded in relief, then opened her mouth again: "Yana is a good child. In three years... would it be all right for her to marry you?"

Old Matriarch Zhan was clearly angling for a marriage alliance with William Wang Jinling—only then would he keep helping House Zhan.

William’s brows drew together, hiding the cold mockery in his eyes from the old matriarch.

"Old Matriarch, my wife isn’t just the Wang family’s mistress—she’s the head matriarch. And the Wang clan doesn’t let me decide that alone. To become the Wang family’s matriarch, the clan investigates thoroughly." In other words, even if Yana’s background is hidden, it wouldn’t stand up to the Wang clan’s scrutiny.

The old matriarch’s smile froze, and she awkwardly changed the subject, making more requests—like asking William to help House Zhan gain a foothold in Eastlyn, or to introduce them to the Cui Clan.

One thing after another—each request showed just how greedy the old matriarch was. William’s smile grew colder and colder. Even when she tried to guilt-trip him by invoking Master Wenyuan, William didn’t budge.

"Old Matriarch, it’s getting late. You should rest. I won’t disturb you any longer." With that, he left politely, leaving the old matriarch fuming.

"William Wang Jinling talks a good game about kindness, but his actions are watertight—he refuses to lend House Zhan a hand."

"They mistake courtesy for weakness. House Zhan really thinks I’m a pushover, that they can manipulate me however they like. Just because I care about my teacher’s reputation doesn’t mean I owe House Zhan anything. Not even the Wang clan deserves endless sacrifice from me." As soon as William left the courtyard, his smile vanished, replaced by an icy expression.

He’d barely walked a few steps before he ran into one of Yana’s servants. The servant greeted him happily, "Grand Heir, our young lady requests your presence."