Wang Yang paused, then asked, "Is this what you want, or what your father wants?"
"It's..."
Her father had said that if she went with Young Master Wang, she was destined to be a concubine at best. She might not even manage that, and would have to settle for being a mistress kept outside the household.
But she would be a mistress of the Langya Wang clan! That was far more prestigious than being the lawful wife of one of those powerful local families! If she bore a son and had a little more luck, he might even have a chance of being entered into the clan genealogy! That would mean joining the aristocracy-and its very highest tier!
"This is a chance for our Jiao family to soar into the heavens, the sort we wouldn't encounter in a hundred years. You must seize it! Of course, I won't force you. If you don't want to, forget it."
A gulf as vast as heaven separated aristocrats from commoners. A gulf as vast as heaven!
Jiao Zheng's words echoed in Jiao Yan's ears. She remembered those aristocratic ladies laughing and chatting as they climbed into their splendid ox carriages, then looked again at Wang Yang's delicate, handsome features. Firmly, she said, "It's what I want."
Wang Yang shook his head. "I don't need anyone to attend to me."
"He... he refused? I told you to bend over more. Did you?"
"He didn't want me! What was I supposed to do?" Jiao Yan was both ashamed and angry.
Seeing the redness around his daughter's eyes, Jiao Zheng sighed.
"It's all right. Men like this either have very strict families or have been steeped in women's company since childhood. From the way he acted, I thought he was a spoiled wastrel, so I