Not only was Shen Yu an exceptionally capable man, but he also had a protective nature toward his family and didn’t dally with women outside. Any woman who married him would truly be blessed by good fortune cultivated over three lifetimes. However, most importantly, if Ji Cheng became Shen Che’s sister-in-law, the tight control he held over her would become useless. If Shen Che were to move against the Ji family, his elder brother Shen Yu would be the first to stop him.
This prospect was so wonderful that Ji Cheng’s heart fluttered incessantly.
So much so that when Shen Che and Shen Qian entered, the smile had not yet faded from Ji Cheng’s lips.
“Sister Cheng, you’re finally awake. You seem to be in good spirits now,” Shen Qian said affectionately as she sat by Ji Cheng’s bedside.
Seeing Shen Che, Ji Cheng naturally had to keep up appearances in front of Shen Qian. She struggled to get out of bed to pay her respects to Shen Che, but fortunately, Shen Qian held her back. Ji Cheng then slightly bowed her head to Shen Che from the bed, saying, “Thank you, Cousin Che, for saving my life.”
Shen Che merely grunted in response. Shen Qian immediately smiled, “Second Brother, you’re not polite. Sister Cheng fell into the water for Hong’er’s sake.”
Shen Che looked at Ji Cheng and said, “You caught a cold from falling off your horse last time, and now you’ve been soaked in icy water for so long. The two incidents combined, I’m afraid…”
Shen Che left his sentence hanging, which didn’t frighten Ji Cheng, but it made Shen Qian anxious. “Second Brother, quickly check Sister Cheng’s pulse. We can’t let her develop any lasting illness. She’s still so young.”
At these words, Shen Che didn’t move, and Ji Cheng’s expression became awkward.
Shen Qian’s gaze darted between the two, unable to discern anything unusual. She couldn’t help but doubt that Su Yun’s words were merely wild guesses.
“Sister Cheng, don’t think I’m joking. My Second Brother is skilled. When I was little and fell ill, I took medicine from that Mongolian doctor for over a month without any effect. Later, it was my Second Brother’s prescription that cured me in less than half a month. Since then, every time I get sick, it’s always Second Brother who diagnoses and prescribes for me.”
“I had no idea that Cousin Che was so proficient in the art of medicine,” Ji Cheng said with a smile, playing along.
“I know a little,” Shen Che nodded.
Shen Qian urged anxiously, “Come on, stop being so formal. We’re all family. Sister Cheng, if you’re being coy now, remember it was my Second Brother who pulled you out of East Lake.”
Ji Cheng glanced at Shen Che, silently questioning, “Is your sister’s temperament also your concern?”
“Qian, can you speak less?” Shen Che said.
Shen Qian stuck out her tongue and said to Ji Cheng, “It’s true though. It’s not a big deal. Second Brother only pulled you out of the water, and with such thick winter clothing, there’s no question of skin contact. The Old Ancestor herself has spoken, so no one is allowed to gossip.”
“Who else is talking besides you?” Shen Che rebuked.
Shen Qian quickly covered her mouth.
Shen Che sat down on the embroidered stool by Ji Cheng’s bedside. “Give me your hand, I’ll check your pulse.”
Ji Cheng obediently extended her hand. Shen Che sat upright, his fingers lightly resting on Ji Cheng’s pulse. After a long while, he switched to the other hand before finally speaking, “Cold and dampness have entered your bones. You might not feel it now because you’re young, but when you’re older, you’ll be prone to headaches and may have difficulty walking.”
Difficulty walking was indeed quite serious. Shen Qian felt her Second Brother was being too unkind and couldn’t help saying, “Second Brother, don’t scare Sister Cheng like that.” Then she turned to Ji Cheng and said, “Sister Cheng, don’t believe my Second Brother. He used to scare me like this just to make me take my medicine obediently.”
“Do you think your Sister Cheng is as afraid of taking medicine as you are?” Shen Che’s words left Shen Qian speechless.
“I’ll write you a prescription. You can consider it,” Shen Che said. “In the future, your knees might ache on rainy days. In a few days, I’ll have Nishang send you some medicinal packs. When it hurts, you can use a warming pan to heat them and place them on your legs to alleviate the pain. If possible, move around more. I’ll have Nan Gui teach you a set of Five Animals Exercises.”
Hearing this, Shen Qian feared Ji Cheng wouldn’t believe Shen Che. “Sister Cheng, don’t hesitate. My Second Brother is no worse than those doctors outside.”
Ji Cheng nodded in agreement.
Shen Che spoke as he walked to the outer room. Liu Ye’er, having heard the conversation inside, had already prepared brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Shen Che finished writing the prescription and handed it to Liu Ye’er, giving her a quiet instruction before leaving with Shen Qian.
Liu Ye’er took the prescription Shen Che had written and brought it in for Ji Cheng to see. Though she didn’t understand medicine, she could read the characters. “Miss, the Second Young Master’s handwriting is quite beautiful.”
Shen Che’s calligraphy was vigorous yet graceful, like a dragon soaring through clouds or a phoenix dancing in flight. It indeed looked elegant and slender, but perhaps overly focused on fluidity at the expense of steadiness and strength. Much like the impression he gave people – debonair yet unreliable – though it was just the sort of thing that would appeal to young girls like Liu Ye’er.
Ji Cheng remembered Shen Che’s words, knowing he had no reason to frighten her. She looked over the prescription once before handing it to Liu Ye’er, telling her to fetch the medicine tomorrow.
After a while, Ji Cheng felt some soreness and swelling in her lower back, and a heaviness in her lower abdomen. Counting the days, she realized it was about time for her monthly cycle. Although she hadn’t experienced such obvious pain before, Ji Cheng was about to call Liu Ye’er to brew some ginger sugar water when she saw her already bringing it in.
“It’s thoughtful of you to remember,” Ji Cheng said. “Put the bowl down first, help me to the washroom, and prepare a clean pair of trousers.”
Liu Ye’er exclaimed, “Oh my! It’s two days early?” Ji Cheng’s cycle had always been quite regular before, but this time it seemed to have come early, probably due to falling into the water.
Ji Cheng asked with slight surprise, “Didn’t you brew the ginger sugar water for me?”
Liu Ye’er quickly explained, “It was the Second Young Master who told me to brew it before he left. I thought it was to ward off the cold for you.”
Ji Cheng’s face immediately flushed hot. Such a private matter had been noticed by Shen Che, and he had been so indiscreet as to have Liu Ye’er brew ginger sugar water for her without any consideration.
Even after Ji Cheng had changed her trousers and returned to lie down on the bed, the embarrassment and annoyance had not yet faded from her face.
That night, Ji Cheng had a very strange dream. She dreamt she was wearing a frost-white dress, which she had carelessly stained. When she stood up, not only was the back of her dress stained with blood, but even the blue peony-patterned gold-threaded cushion she had been sitting on had a small stain. As she turned around, she saw Shen Che staring at her dress. Ji Cheng woke up with a start.
What a cursed dream.
While Ji Cheng had dreamt of Shen Che that night, at that very moment, Shen Che was discussing her with Shen Yu. It was New Year’s Eve, and everyone in the Shen family was staying up to welcome the New Year. So even though it was late, the two brothers were still drinking together.
By now, both were half-drunk. Shen Yu was pouring wine directly into his mouth from the wine pot. After wiping the lingering drops from the corner of his lips, he said, “Hong’er should have a birth mother.”
Hearing this, Shen Che slowly put down the hand that was about to pour wine.
“Mother is getting on in years now, and it’s truly too tiring for her to manage all the social niceties of the New Year,” Shen Yu continued.
“So, does Big Brother have someone in mind?” Shen Che asked.
Shen Yu turned to look at Shen Che. “What do you think of Cousin Cheng?” Shen Yu had always been a straightforward person. He hadn’t given it much thought before, but now that the idea had occurred to him, he didn’t want to delay. By asking Shen Che this question, he was also testing the waters. After all, back at Le You Yuan, Shen Che had seemed to show unusual interest in Ji Cheng.
At that time, Shen Yu had stepped back, but now that he had brought up the subject, he was essentially asking Shen Che to step aside.
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Shen Che’s lips. “Surely Big Brother isn’t considering this just because she saved Hong’er?”
Of course, Ji Cheng saving Hong’er was the most important factor in Shen Yu’s consideration of her, but it wasn’t the only reason. Under the influence of alcohol, Shen Yu’s mind instantly conjured up the image of Ji Cheng reclining in bed earlier that day.
Ji Cheng’s clothes had been neatly arranged, and her hair, due to lying in bed, was held back only by two openwork gold camellia leaf combs behind her ears, revealing a girlish, delicate charm. Though her complexion was poor due to illness, it only made one want to hold her in their arms and cherish her.
Shen Yu felt that Ji Cheng would be a good choice, both for himself and for Hong’er.
Of course, Shen Yu couldn’t tell Shen Che about his feelings for Ji Cheng, so he just grunted in response.
“Big Brother should know that if it had been someone else today, not Hong’er, Cousin Cheng wouldn’t have jumped into that icy water,” Shen Che said.
Shen Yu remained silent, tacitly agreeing. Shen Yu wasn’t Shen Jing; although he didn’t understand Ji Cheng as well as Shen Che did, he knew she wasn’t a naive and innocent young girl. At Le You Yuan, Shen Yu had witnessed Ji Cheng’s horsemanship. During the final polo match, Shen Yu even suspected that Ji Cheng might have been impersonating Ji Yuan. With this suspicion, Shen Yu thought that at Nan Yuan, Ji Cheng shouldn’t have been so easily thrown off her horse by Wang Si Niang, unless she had done it intentionally. Someone who had truly fallen from a horse shouldn’t have injuries that so neatly avoided vital areas, as Ji Cheng had.
But Shen Yu’s requirements for a second wife didn’t include being naive and innocent. After all, the principal wife of the second branch shouldn’t be too weak.
“This time, Cousin Cheng saved Hong’er because he’s your only son. But if you marry her, do you think she would save Hong’er again in a similar situation?” Shen Che asked.
This question was so malicious that Shen Yu didn’t know how to answer.
“It’s not that Cousin Cheng isn’t kind-hearted, but how many women can be wholeheartedly devoted to their husband’s child from a previous marriage, especially after they have their children? Does Big Brother think she has the temperament to willingly play second fiddle?” Shen Che asked.
Shen Yu couldn’t help but recall his first encounter with Ji Cheng. She was extremely skilled with a slingshot, and such accuracy could only be achieved through intention and perseverance.
“If Big Brother didn’t have Hong’er, there would be nothing wrong with marrying her,” Shen Che said.
If Ji Cheng had heard these words from Shen Che, she would have been furious enough to jump up and down, cursing Shen Che half to death. But in reality, if she calmed down and searched her conscience, could she truly tolerate Hong’er overshadowing her own son in the future? Probably not. There would always be moments of imbalance in her heart. As a mother, a woman could do anything for her own child.
Moreover, Shen Che wasn’t entirely wrong in saying Ji Cheng had a rebellious nature.
Shen Yu said, “Am I not capable of protecting Hong’er?”
“Big Brother, don’t underestimate the private affairs of the inner quarters. Women spend their entire lives within these walls, and some of their methods are beyond your anticipation or prevention,” Shen Che replied.
In fact, Shen Che had left something unsaid. It’s often said that a stepmother brings a stepfather. Although Shen Yu was currently both a strict and loving father to Hong’er, with Ji Cheng in the picture, that might change. Whenever Shen Che recalled Ji Cheng dancing at Tianxiang Lou, he felt this woman was likely the type to “conceal her sleeve to feed her greed, with fox-like charm able to bewitch her master.”
Shen Yu remained silent, tilting his head back to take another large gulp of wine. “What kind of person do you think she is?”
Shen Che also took a drink. “Ambitious and capable.”
In fact, even Shen Che himself hadn’t realized that his reasons for opposing Ji Cheng were somewhat biased. It wasn’t just Ji Cheng who might not be able to accept Hong’er; many women might struggle with that. But what was Shen Che worried about with Ji Cheng? He was concerned that a stepmother would bring a stepfather, that Shen Yu wouldn’t be able to resist Ji Cheng’s pillow talk. In other words, Shen Che’s subconscious had already acknowledged Ji Cheng’s charm, a charm that even a man like Shen Yu, who wasn’t particularly susceptible to women, couldn’t resist.
On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Ji Cheng had mostly recovered from her illness. After all, being sickly during the New Year period could affect one’s fortunes for the entire year. Now that she was better, she needed to pay her respects to the Old Madam at Rui Ying Hall, as the younger generation should have done on the first day of the year.
As soon as Ji Cheng entered the room, the Old Madam pulled her close to examine her. “This illness has put some meat on your bones. A young lady looks better with a bit of plumpness.”
“These past few days, I’ve done nothing but eat and sleep. It would be strange if I hadn’t gained weight,” Ji Cheng said with a smile, while inwardly feeling grateful to Hong’er. If not for the incident of Hong’er falling into the water, the Old Madam might have remained cold towards her.
“When spring comes, the family will prepare some medicinal pills. I’ll have some Ginseng Nourishing Pills prepared for you. If you need any other pills, just tell your Second Aunt,” the Old Madam continued. “Although your aunt has made mistakes and I’ve punished her, I still regard you as my granddaughter.”
Ji Cheng’s eyes immediately welled up with tears, overwhelmed with gratitude – at least, that’s how she appeared on the surface.
Finally, the Old Madam patted Ji Cheng’s hand and said, “Remember, only when one’s heart is righteous can one walk the right path.”
Ji Cheng, of course, adopted the appearance of attentively listening to the advice.
After leaving Rui Ying Hall, Ji Cheng went to Lu Yuan’s courtyard. Ji Cheng had already had Yu Qian’er inquire about Lu Yuan, who had barely left her courtyard these past few days, likely due to guilt and self-reproach.
“A Yuan,” Ji Cheng called out as she entered, parting the curtain to find Lu Yuan doing needlework. This girl must have been feeling extremely guilty to force herself to sit down and do needlework; Lu Yuan was even less patient with such things than Ji Cheng.
“Sister Cheng, are you all better now?” Lu Yuan stood up. Her eyes were large and bright, and while she couldn’t compare to national beauties like Ji Cheng and Su Yun, she was still a very pretty and spirited girl.
Ji Cheng nodded, “Why haven’t you come to see me these past few days?” During her time in bed, Ji Cheng hadn’t been bored at all, with many visitors coming to check on her. Even Han Lingze and He Ning had come to visit when they heard of her illness.
Lu Yuan lowered her head sheepishly, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have…” Shen Qian, being unable to keep secrets, had naturally told everyone about Shen Che saying Ji Cheng might have difficulty walking when she got older.
Ji Cheng took Lu Yuan’s hand and said, “How could this be your fault? Don’t take it so hard. I’m going to see Hong’er, do you want to come?”
Lu Yuan quickly looked up, but then deflated again, “Me? I’d better not.”
This wouldn’t do. Ji Cheng had deliberately come to find Lu Yuan. Going to Shen Yu’s courtyard alone would be too conspicuous, but bringing Lu Yuan along would be fine. Fair competition, Ji Cheng thought shamelessly, she was also giving Lu Yuan a chance.
Lu Yuan genuinely liked Hong’er and also had Shen Yu on her mind. In the end, it only took a couple of words of persuasion from Ji Cheng for her to happily agree.
When Hong’er saw Ji Cheng, he was as delighted as a poor child seeing candy. “Sister Cheng.”
Despite Shen Yu and the maids around him correcting Hong’er many times, the child still called Ji Cheng “sister” whenever Shen Yu wasn’t around. Calling her “aunt” made her feel like someone from another world. Hong’er always remembered how Ji Cheng looked the first time he saw her – a light, ethereal fairy who barely touched the ground when she walked.
When Ji Cheng and Lu Yuan arrived, Hong’er was practicing calligraphy. But upon seeing them, he naturally lost interest in writing, much to the distress of his new maid, Yun Zhu, who opened and closed her mouth several times before saying, “Young Master Hong, the Master said you’re not allowed to play until you’ve finished your daily writing practice.”
“Sister Cheng rarely visits. I’ll practice writing later,” Hong’er, though young, was already unwilling to listen to the maids in the house.
Ji Cheng said, “You should finish your writing first. Your Aunt Yuan and I have nothing urgent to do. After you’re done, I’ll take you to play in the garden.”
Hong’er cheered. Ever since he had fallen into East Lake, the maids in the house had been watching him like hawks. At the mention of going to the garden, they looked as if their lives were being threatened, fearing another mishap.
But Hong’er was still a child, and practicing calligraphy alone was tedious. He kept glancing longingly at Ji Cheng, wanting to play with her.
Ji Cheng asked Yun Zhu to bring her a set of writing materials, and then asked Lu Yuan if she wanted to join. Lu Yuan shook her head, “I’ll go chat with Sister Rui Xue.” Rui Xue was Shen Yu’s concubine, who had been cultivating a relationship with Lu Yuan, anticipating that she might become the future mistress.
As Lu Yuan went to find Rui Xue, Ji Cheng sat with Hong’er to practice writing. “I have to practice writing every day too. Let’s have a little competition.”
“You’re an adult, and I’m a child,” Hong’er protested.
“But you’re a young man, and I’m just a little woman,” Ji Cheng teased. From her experience, children like Hong’er hated being treated as kids; they wanted to be respected as equals. Ji Cheng had hit just the right note with Hong’er.
Sure enough, although Hong’er pouted, he immediately focused and began writing seriously, not wanting to lose to Ji Cheng.
Rui Xue and Lu Yuan stood talking in the corridor. “What wind blew Miss Ji here today?” Rui Xue asked.
“Sister Cheng wanted to see if Hong’er had recovered,” Lu Yuan replied artlessly.
Rui Xue was far more perceptive than Lu Yuan, or perhaps she was simply more sensitive – a concubine always anxious about the future mistress couldn’t help but be alert. Rui Xue sincerely hoped Lu Yuan would marry into the family; such a person with simple thoughts and a kind heart would be easy to live under.
But the Ji Cheng inside was different. Although Rui Xue hadn’t interacted much with Ji Cheng, she could tell from the few glimpses she’d had that she was an extraordinary person. Her looks were unparalleled – no man could resist her fairy-like appearance. If she were to marry in, she’d likely be cherished and protected to the extreme.
Rui Xue had also heard about Ji Cheng’s character – very generous, with all the servants liking her. This was called “closing mouths with food.” But how could there be someone liked by everyone in this world? Rui Xue suspected Ji Cheng must be quite sophisticated. If one were to suffer under her hand in the future, they might not even have a chance to complain.
“She didn’t use to visit our place much,” Rui Xue added. She couldn’t explicitly warn Lu Yuan, only hint subtly, but unfortunately, Lu Yuan couldn’t understand Rui Xue’s good intentions.
As Rui Xue and Lu Yuan were talking, they saw Shen Yu coming in from outside. Rui Xue was about to step down to greet him, but Shen Yu waved his hand. She immediately understood that Shen Yu had come to check on Hong’er’s studies.
As soon as Shen Yu entered Hong’er’s room, he saw him and Ji Cheng standing side by side behind the long desk, their arms suspended as they wrote. This pair, one big and one small, both looked exceptionally fine, even their movements were somewhat similar, making for a truly pleasing sight.
Ji Cheng and Hong’er were both very focused. Ji Cheng, of course, didn’t want to lose to a child. In truth, her foundation wasn’t much stronger than Hong’er’s. In her younger years, she had neglected studying and writing in favor of play, and her family hadn’t cared much. Later, she had worked hard to improve, but with only a few years of practice, her writing looked decent but lacked depth – something that required at least ten years of hard work to achieve.
Shen Yu cleared his throat lightly, startling the two absorbed writers.
“Cousin Yu (Father),” Ji Cheng and Hong’er put down their brushes and greeted him.
Shen Yu nodded, “Hong’er, bring me your work to look at.”
Hong’er obediently brought his large and small character practice sheets to Shen Yu, who glanced at them for a moment. “You’ve improved.”
These simple words made Hong’er beam with joy. Perhaps because Shen Yu’s tone was gentler today, Hong’er wasn’t as intimidated as usual. He turned back to the desk, grabbed Ji Cheng’s practice sheets, and ran back to Shen Yu.
“Ah,” Ji Cheng could only utter a sigh. She couldn’t very well snatch them back from Hong’er’s hands.
“Father, look at Aunt Cheng’s writing. We were having a competition,” Hong’er said excitedly.
Ji Cheng’s face flushed with embarrassment. Competing in writing with a five-year-old child – she had really outdone herself.
However, Shen Yu’s face showed no trace of mockery. Instead, he examined the writing carefully. Ji Cheng’s characters were very beautiful, but essentially just for show. If her character was like her writing, it would be quite intriguing.
“Not bad,” Shen Yu said flatly. “Practice diligently, no slacking off. You can only go out to play after you’ve finished today’s lessons.”
“I’ve finished, I’ve finished it all,” Hong’er nodded vigorously.
Shen Yu stood up, nodded to Ji Cheng, and left.