Hearing this, Trillian couldn't help but laugh, "In that case, if you're not going to get married, you shouldn't be in a rush. Let others be in a rush. If they're anxious to death, then there'll be one less competitor."
"That's right," Draco revealed the chain reaction behind it.
"If most people don't get married, then fewer children will be born, one less cattle or horse, one less soldier, one less consumer, one less taxpayer... How can we not be anxious?"
"Of course, it's entirely up to personal choice," Draco rationally stated. "Because some people want to get married, and some don't."
"People who want to get married shouldn't advise others to get married, and people who don't want to get married shouldn't advise others not to get married. You can't say you can't find a wife and then feel resentful, so you advise others not to get married."
"This isn't accumulating good deeds, this is creating evil."
There's a saying, "It's better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage." Does this also include the advice against marriage...?
"In addition, avoid getting involved in or engaging in matters that conflict between men and women. Avoid anything that might trigger your emotions, such as news, games, events, and books."
"Anything that is contradictory will inevitably lead to negative emotions. Negative emotions will make you restless, unable to sleep well, eat well, or do anything well. Moreover, they will leave a mark on your mind, making you think about them often."
"So don't look at conflicting things, control yourself and try to stay away from them. Like the conflict between men and women, you can't say you don't have a girlfriend, and then when you see someone who found a girlfriend and had an unfortunate experience, you can't start making sarcastic remarks and mocking them. That would make people who don't have that mindset afraid to find a girlfriend, and that would be terrible."
Something occurred to Trillian, and she asked:
"So, if you see something that deserves to happen, you can't just say it's deserved?"
Draco thought for a moment and said, "I don't know."
"It's not wrong to say he deserved it, after all, he brought it on himself, it was his personal choice. It's not wrong not to say he deserved it either, since he's already suffered, and to say that would feel like kicking him when he's down."
Draco added another possible way to put it, "If you really have to say it, you should explain why they deserved it, the reasons why they deserved it. For example, 'Serves them right, who told you to do that?' rather than 'Serves them right, who told you to get a girlfriend?'"
Trillian suddenly realized and nodded, saying, "I understand. You should say, 'Serves you right, who told you to have a girlfriend like that?'"
Draco nodded with a smile:
"Pretty much. It's a personal choice anyway, so you have to accept the consequences. If it's good, you're lucky; if it's bad, you're unlucky."
Hermione asked earnestly, "Then what if we don't look for these 'unsuitable' ones, and we can't find anything suitable?"
"I don't know," Draco answered honestly. "Sometimes you say it's not suitable, but you don't say what's suitable. How can others know if it's suitable or not? If you want something, just say it."
Hermione nodded slightly, then added another concern, "However, if we state the conditions directly, the other party might think to themselves: 'Don't you know what kind of person you are, yet you dare to make such demands?'"
"Of course." Draco thought so too.
"What you want is no problem, but you need to figure out what you can offer first. You can't say you want someone tall, handsome, and rich, but you yourself are short, ugly, and unattractive—that's just not fair."
"However, it's not wrong to think, and we can't stop others from thinking. But it's not okay to 'want'. If you 'want', then don't blame others for what conditions they'll impose on you."
At this point, Draco aptly pointed out a common mindset in relationships. "Actually, men are all about downward compatibility, and women are all about upward compatibility; it's a perfect match."
"But many people just can't grasp that balance."
"Don't get brainwashed, that's enough."
"And don't bother with things like 'The President Falls in Love with Me, the Cleaner.' Just treat those kinds of things as jokes or entertainment."
Trillian immediately picked up on the word "compatibility" and joked with a smile, "Then you and Hermione are exactly the opposite, young master."
Before Hermione could speak in her defense, Draco preemptively replied, "Can't we do it the other way around? Hermione down, I up, what's impossible about that? It's a matter of mutual consent."
"That's true." Trillian's attempt to dig a hole failed.
Draco then added a layer of social discretion, "Besides that, don't show off anything in public, including your affections. It's the same principle as not flaunting your wealth."
"Originally, people who are single don't feel resentful, but your public displays of affection have made them feel resentful."
"Then don't blame people for cursing you two to break up and making all sorts of sarcastic remarks, calling you 'the man with a peculiar personality' or 'the woman with a peculiar personality.' With so many people cursing you, it's no wonder you two can't end up together."
Unless it was just a casual game from the start,
"If everyone has their own agenda from the beginning, and they may not necessarily choose each other in the end, then others have nothing to say."
Trillian seized on the opportunity, raising an eyebrow and teasing, "Young Master, haven't you and Hermione shown enough affection already? You still have the nerve to say this?"
Hermione blushed slightly and softly explained, "We mostly spend our time alone together; we rarely make a fuss about it in public."
Draco, of course, wouldn't admit it. "It was you who insisted on noticing our show, so there's nothing we could do about it."
At this moment, Hermione yawned, clearly sleepy.
Draco turned to look at her. "Tired?"
"I'm not sleepy, you're the one who's sleepy," Hermione retorted stubbornly.
Draco chuckled softly, saying indulgently, "Yes, I'm sleepy. Come on, Miss Granger, let's rest together..."
As he spoke, he naturally reached out and pulled Hermione's slender waist closer to him.
Hermione was momentarily stunned when Draco did this right after she told him not to show off, but she quickly relaxed.
There's nothing I can do; I can't go against this guy.
Trillian also seized the opportunity to complain:
"Young Master, you just said not to show off your love in public, and then you immediately do. What's the meaning of this? This is such a double standard."
Draco retorted confidently, "That's not a show, it's just simple physical interaction. The real show is the kind that's all over each other."
"Yes—Young Master, you're absolutely right."
Trillian rolled her eyes.
Draco glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past 1 a. m. "We've been talking until now, it's getting late. Everyone should wash up and get some rest; we have things to take care of tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, Draco waved his wand, and magic swept up the scattered kitchen waste on the table, sending it all into the trash can. After doing all this, he put his arm around Hermione and walked out of the study.
In the hall, Soren continued to stare at Michael.
But Michael was no longer paying attention to his gaze; his eyes were closed, his breathing was steady, and he seemed to be asleep on the sofa.
" Michael," Draco called out.
"Um?"
Michael opened his eyes and looked at Draco and Hermione.