Ji Cheng nearly screamed aloud, her exceptional self-control barely keeping her voice in check. “You… what are you doing here?”
Shen Che didn’t answer. As a renowned playboy, his first instinct was naturally to feast his eyes on the sight before him. Although Ji Cheng wore thin silk undergarments of cherry blossom pink on her lower half, her upper body was bare as she had been in the process of removing her chest bindings. Fortunately, she held the loosened bindings against her chest, covering the essentials. Yet this partial concealment only served to accentuate the allure of her snow-white peaks and jade-like valleys.
Her fair, delicate skin quickly flushed pink with embarrassment and urgency, the blush spreading even to her dainty, petal-like toes. The elegant collarbones she couldn’t hide seemed to cradle years of fragrant wine, tempting one to cup their hands and drink deeply.
However, Shen Che’s visual feast lasted but a moment before Ji Cheng darted behind a nearby clothes rack. The rack, with its open octagonal design and bare of any garments, provided only partial cover. The curves of her waist remained visible through the openings.
“How did you get in? I bolted the door,” Ji Cheng asked, her voice trembling.
Shen Che chuckled softly. “I was already here. It’s you, little sister Cheng, who came in and immediately locked the door. I wonder what your intentions were?”
Who was he called “little sister Cheng”? How shameless. Ji Cheng peeked out from behind the rack, glaring at Shen Che. She had always thought his reputation as a playboy was just for show, given how he usually kept his distance from young ladies. But now she saw Shen Che’s true colors – utterly depraved and shameless. No wonder he constantly dallied with those brazen young widows.
Ji Cheng couldn’t fathom Shen Che’s motives, but given their current situation – alone together with her in a state of undress – and his refusal to leave, she feared he must have some nefarious intent. Her heart pounded, but she reasoned that in this busy place, even if empty now, anyone could enter at any moment. Surely Shen Che wouldn’t dare to dishonor her here. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm and handle the immediate situation.
“I didn’t know you were here when I came in, Cousin Che. Could you please…” Leave, she was about to say, but Shen Che cut her off.
“I didn’t think you were that kind of person, little sister Cheng. How could you disrobe so completely in front of me? Though I’ve encountered such situations before.”
Ji Cheng was disgusted by Shen Che’s words. She was far from naked! Moreover, instead of leaving, he was approaching her. Even in her naivety, Ji Cheng realized Shen Che was toying with her, likely mistaking her for one of those shameless young widows.
“Cousin Che, propriety demands that you leave,” Ji Cheng said firmly.
“Isn’t it too late for propriety now?” Shen Che had reached the clothes rack. His tall stature allowed him to look down and take in the view without even stretching his neck.
Ji Cheng had managed to put on her undergarments while hidden behind the rack. Her trembling hands were fastening her clothes when she saw Shen Che approach. Frightened, she stumbled back two steps, bumping into a small table.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door outside. “Tianzi, how are your injuries? Are you alright?”
Ji Cheng was too scared to make a sound, while Shen Che nonchalantly continued speaking, “Besides, I’ve seen everything there is to see, both what I should and shouldn’t have. I ought to take responsibility for little sister Cheng now.”
Ji Cheng inwardly wished she could stab Shen Che. Who needed his responsibility? But she had to respond to the person outside, forcing her voice to sound hoarse, “I’m fine.”
After dismissing the concerned visitor, Ji Cheng’s mind raced through a thousand thoughts. She realized the situation couldn’t get much worse, so she calmed herself.
Her hands steadied as she fastened her clothes. No longer trying to hide, despite Shen Che’s brazen gaze making her burn with embarrassment, Ji Cheng wasn’t one to admit defeat easily. “There’s no need for you to take responsibility, Cousin Che. Today was merely an accident. Let’s keep this between us.”
Shen Che raised an eyebrow, leaning lazily against the clothes rack. He glanced sidelong at Ji Cheng, “If little sister Cheng says so, doesn’t that mean I’ve seen you for nothing?”
Ji Cheng ignored Shen Che and hurriedly donned her robe, shielding her skin from his audacious gaze. “If you’ve seen me for nothing, so be it. It’s not as if you’re the one at a disadvantage, Cousin Che.” Her sidelong glance conveyed her meaning clearly: if that’s the case, why are you still talking?
Shen Che had never encountered someone like Ji Cheng before. Though not from a noble family, she was still a wealthy young lady who usually acted like a proper maiden. Yet her current attitude was more open than even most courtesans.
In truth, Ji Cheng wasn’t being open-minded; she was simply making the best of an impossible situation. It was preferable to be bullied to tears by Shen Che. Would crying and demanding he take responsibility make her future any better? She had no desire to be a concubine.
Or should she fight Shen Che to the death for this dishonor? That would be foolish too. If discovered, she might not even have the chance to be a concubine; her only option would be suicide, leaving behind a tarnished reputation. If their current situation were discovered, people would only say she was improper.
Since Ji Cheng couldn’t choose either path, it was better to let it go. She had never placed much importance on such matters anyway. Otherwise, when Shen Yu and Shen Jing saw her saving Qi Hua, she would have sought death immediately.
For Ji Cheng, it was just a matter of being seen. He could look but not touch, so she didn’t lose anything. This wasn’t because Ji Cheng was particularly enlightened, but because she had never received that kind of upbringing. Her father was often away on business, and her mother, Yun Niang, had been a tofu seller who had an affair with her father before marriage, conceiving her older brother before they wed. With such a family background, how could one expect Ji Cheng to have a strong sense of chastity?
Moreover, Ji Cheng had been a tomboy in her youth. At six or seven, she often went to the river to catch fish with the boys. At that age, there wasn’t much difference between boys’ and girls’ bodies; they all wore pants and had flat chests. Many boys had seen Ji Cheng’s small red buds.
Yun Niang had beaten and scolded Ji Cheng for this, saying her fair skin had been seen by others. But Ji Cheng was a wild child then, climbing mountains to catch birds and swimming in rivers to catch fish. Her skin was darker than many boys’, so she had no “fair skin” to worry about being seen. Her current fair complexion was only developed in recent years, thanks to her mother’s good genes.
Given her background and upbringing, Ji Cheng quickly came to terms with Shen Che’s visual trespass.
As Ji Cheng had expected, Shen Che turned away and stopped teasing her. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Shen Che was indeed a scoundrel who disregarded women’s chastity.
Ji Cheng had misunderstood Shen Che to some extent.
Shen Che had indeed intended to tease Ji Cheng, but not without reason. The king had no intention, but the goddess enticed him. He had initially paid no mind to Ji Cheng’s coy behavior, but when he realized this little cousin Cheng was no pushover – if not malicious, then certainly not well-intentioned – Shen Che didn’t mind teasing her a bit. Moreover, since Wang Liangniang, Shen Che hadn’t found a suitable plaything. Since Ji Cheng had stumbled in on her own, he saw no reason to refuse, curious to see how deep her skills ran and how long she could hold his interest.
But no matter how unscrupulous Shen Che was, he wouldn’t be so brazen as to ogle a young lady so shamelessly. He had entered the room first, and when he heard footsteps, he signaled his meeting partner to leave through the window. Before he could leave himself, Ji Cheng had burst in like a whirlwind.
Shen Che was already suspicious of Ji Cheng’s timing, so since he couldn’t leave, he decided to stay and test her. He never expected Ji Cheng to undress so smoothly, locking the door while removing her robe and kicking off her shoes. Before he could warn her, she had already stripped down.
Later, Shen Che did have time to alert Ji Cheng, but in that brief moment of hesitation, she had already stripped down to her chest bindings. By then, it was too late to warn her. If Ji Cheng discovered him, Shen Che would have to take responsibility whether he wanted to or not.
So, to avoid embarrassment for both of them, Shen Che had intended to leave quietly. However, Ji Cheng happened to see him in the mirror she was holding.
Shen Che accepted his bad luck, and his words about taking responsibility weren’t just to appease Ji Cheng.
However, Shen Che never expected this little cousin Cheng to be more open-minded than most men, presenting an attitude of indifference to his gaze. He had heard that women from Jin were bold, but this was beyond his expectations.
Shen Che had always believed that a woman’s shyness and restraint were her most beautiful aspects. When Wang Liangniang had taken the initiative, he immediately lost interest. Now, faced with Ji Cheng’s nonchalance, his desire to tease her also vanished.
Seeing Shen Che turn away, Ji Cheng felt relief mixed with an unexpected sense of dejection. The reason she hadn’t screamed or panicked was that she hadn’t seen any lustful desire in Shen Che’s eyes. He seemed to be regarding her as he would a flower or a painting.
Young as she was, Ji Cheng had a competitive streak. Even in such a state, Shen Che remained so composed – either his self-control was too deep, or she lacked any allure. This dealt another blow to Ji Cheng’s confidence in marriage. She thought that if she had entered the palace, she might not have been able to gain the Emperor’s favor, given the numerous women he had encountered over the decades.
Since Ji Cheng didn’t require him to take responsibility, Shen Che was about to leave. However, Ji Cheng’s next action made him stay.