As Ji Cheng relaxed her guard, her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep within three breaths.
During the night, rain fell in the mountains. The raindrops made a “tap-tap-tap” sound as they hit the water’s surface, but they didn’t wake the usually light-sleeping Ji Cheng. She had expected to be awakened by the cold, but when she woke in the morning, her hands and feet were comfortably warm.
At this moment, a sliver of white appeared on the horizon. Ji Cheng felt something near her face and opened her eyes to find Shen Che sitting beside her, leaning against the wall. Her face was close to his thigh.
Had he sat like this all night? Ji Cheng felt somewhat apologetic, as she had occupied all the bedding, forcing Shen Che to sit alone.
“Awake?” Shen Che opened his eyes and looked down at Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng sat up, wrapped in the quilt. The braid she had made the night before had loosened, and there were pink pillow marks on her cheeks. Her face was flushed, her eyes half-lidded and alluring. The slightly open collar of her undergarment revealed a small section of her collarbone. As Ji Cheng rubbed her eyes, Shen Che leaned in close.
She leaned back, but Shen Che’s hand firmly held the back of her head. Then Ji Cheng heard Shen Che say, “If I wanted to do something to you, what conditions would you want?”
Ji Cheng looked into Shen Che’s eyes. His warm breath scattered before her eyes. She didn’t think Shen Che was joking, so she raised her hand to slap him.
Shen Che caught Ji Cheng’s hand and pinned her back down onto the bedding. “I was wrong. Such things should be mutual, not conditional. That way, you won’t feel I’m humiliating you.”
Shen Che’s nose lightly touched and slid along Ji Cheng’s cheek. Ji Cheng said angrily, “Who’s being mutual with you?” The closeness of last night instantly crumbled. Ji Cheng knew Shen Che must have had ill intentions; she shouldn’t have let her guard down.
“Oh? Then why didn’t you go find He Cheng on the night of the Lantern Festival? Why come all this way to find me instead?” Shen Che asked.
Ji Cheng remained silent, only raising her leg to kick at Shen Che. He extended one leg across her, pinning her down completely. She could only squirm within a small range, which only added to his amusement.
“Afraid He Cheng would look down on you from then on? Or that the He family wouldn’t want to take you as a proper wife?” Shen Che clicked his tongue. “How come you don’t dare take any risks? You’re not usually so cautious. You came to find me thinking you could use me and then cast me aside? Feeling safer when you learned about the male prostitute? You’re quite adept at silencing people afterward.”
Ji Cheng’s thoughts were laid bare by Shen Che, making her feel uncomfortable. “But I wasn’t willing. If it wasn’t for…”
Shen Che gently bit Ji Cheng’s earlobe. “Don’t make excuses for your foolishness. Ji Cheng, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance.”
Ji Cheng’s heart fluttered. She understood what Shen Che was implying. So, bringing her to San Hao Ju, telling her about his past—it was all to tempt her to take the plunge.
But this trap was too alluring, paved with gold and silver. Shen Che had grasped her lifeline, knowing exactly what she wanted most. Money, power, desire—he had laid everything before her, waiting to see if she could resist the temptation to reach out.
Usually, Ji Cheng might have acted impulsively, focused only on immediate benefits. But strangely, an image of someone suddenly appeared in her mind. She didn’t want to lose to a courtesan. If that woman could leave resolutely, carving a scar on Shen Che’s heart, why should she, Ji Cheng, submit?
Ji Cheng arched her back, seemingly compliant, but slightly bent her leg, planning to catch Shen Che off guard and give him a painful lesson he wouldn’t forget.
Shen Che chuckled softly and bit Ji Cheng through her clothes, making her cry out in pain.
Birds in the forest suddenly took flight, fluttering towards the sky. Even the fish that had just poked their heads out quickly darted back into the crevices between rocks.
It wasn’t until the sun was high that someone slowly pushed open the door of San Hao Ju from inside. Through the sudden opening, one could see someone quietly lying on the bedding, revealing a snow-white back. The spine’s furrow was indented, and the shoulder blades were lean yet elegant.
Shen Che put on his shoes and walked down the steps. At the gate, he bent down to pick up a bamboo tube left outside. Inside was a bouquet of Flower Crane’s Feather, pink and white. This was also a famous variety of camellia, vibrant and eye-catching due to its vigorous vitality.
Shen Che returned to the room and placed the bamboo tube with the Flower Crane’s Feather within arm’s reach of Ji Cheng. “Old Luo sent it, probably wanting to exchange it for more wild vegetable pancakes.”
Ji Cheng had been lying motionless, seemingly lifeless. But as she slightly raised her eyelids, she could see the Flower Crane’s Feather, its stem broken and placed in water, yet still struggling to thrive.
Should it wither away from now on? Or should it bloom into its most vibrant petals before gradually fading?
Ji Cheng sat up, supporting herself, and reached out to gently touch the petals of the Flower Crane’s Feather.
“Do you need me to carry you to the washroom?” Shen Che asked.
“I’ll go myself,” Ji Cheng said coldly. “Can you go out for a moment?”
Shen Che complied and walked out. Ji Cheng wrapped herself in a robe and struggled to get up. The earlier ordeal had been like being mauled by a beast. Ji Cheng’s body was not too bad, with only intertwining red and purple marks. Shen Che’s back, however, was in a worse state. The bedding was covered in spots of blood.
But Ji Cheng was undoubtedly in the most pain. She drew in a sharp breath as she stood up, only for her legs to give way, causing her to fall onto the reed mat with a thud.
Shen Che, who had been standing by the door, came over at the sound and picked Ji Cheng up. Looking down at her, he said, “Why pretend to be strong? If you still have energy, why not go another round?”
Ji Cheng reached out to scratch Shen Che’s face, but he dodged quickly.
The distance from the main room to the washroom wasn’t far. For Shen Che’s long legs, it was just a few steps. He set Ji Cheng down by the bathpool and asked, “Do you want me to attend to you?”
Ji Cheng picked up a nearby gourd ladle and splashed water at Shen Che. He laughed and dodged outside. Ji Cheng wanted to throw the ladle at him but then thought better of it, realizing she’d have to retrieve it herself later. This was the downside of being too rational.
The hot bath greatly eased the soreness in her body, but the wound in her heart was beyond healing. Ji Cheng’s mind was blank as she rested her overlapped hands on the edge of the pool, chin on her arms, staring blankly at the distant snow-capped mountains.
The more crystalline the snow-capped mountains appeared, the more they contrasted with Ji Cheng’s current predicament, mired in a swamp from which she couldn’t extricate herself.
Ji Cheng’s nose stung, and she tilted her head back, refusing to let her tears fall. The more one is wronged, the more one must not cry. Only rationality and calmness could help her escape this predicament.
Ji Cheng soaked in the hot bath for nearly half an hour before getting up and dressing. She went straight to the kitchen.
Her stomach was already growling with hunger. This was the priority now. After all, wasn’t life just about eating, drinking, and sleeping?
In the kitchen, there were fresh wild vegetables, a few wild boar bones, a piece of fresh wild boar meat, and a basket of wild chicken eggs. Ji Cheng’s eyebrows twitched. Did Old Luo intend to make enough pancakes for ten days at once?
When one is in pain and has no outlet, having something to do isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Ji Cheng first washed the wild boar meat in warm water, then rinsed it in cold water for a quarter of an hour. She broke the leg bones, added a bit of rice vinegar, and made a soup. The remaining miscellaneous bones, having more meat on them, could be used to make braised bones. Preparing the sauce was no challenge for Ji Cheng.
As for the pork, she made red-braised pork over low heat. Finally, she blanched the wild vegetables in water and arranged them on a plate, which would complement the oiliness of the red-braised pork nicely.
These dishes were all time-consuming. In the meantime, Ji Cheng prepared the batter and started making wild vegetable pancakes one by one.
Throughout San Hao Ju, apart from the kitchen where Ji Cheng was, everywhere else was silent. Ji Cheng occasionally poked her head out to look but didn’t see any sign of Shen Che. He must have gone out.
At this moment, Shen Che was sitting opposite an old man dressed in gray linen clothes, with a Daoist topknot and graying hair and beard. Between them was a Go board. Shen Che played white, holding a piece between his fingers, but hadn’t placed it for a long time.
“Your aura is chaotic, and so is your heart,” Old Luo said.
“How can the heart be at peace if it’s not chaotic?” Shen Che placed a piece, engaging in wordplay with Old Luo.
Old Luo picked up a black piece and pondered, “I observe that the barriers of your Great Deduction realm seem to have loosened again, but your foundation is unstable, hence the chaos in your heart and aura.”
“Mm, with Heaven’s assistance, I’ll break through this barrier,” Shen Che said, seemingly unconcerned about the chaos in his heart and aura.
Eight years ago, Shen Che’s Great Deduction realm had shown signs of a breakthrough, but he hadn’t been willing to use Fang Xuan to break through. Now, encountering Ji Cheng was undoubtedly Heaven’s assistance, allowing him to have another breakthrough after eight years.
Although Fang Xuan was independent and strong, her heart was the softest. If Shen Che had truly used her to break through the “beautiful woman turns to bones” barrier, it would have deeply hurt her, never to recover.
As for Ji Cheng, she was the most resilient wild grass, able to stand up again no matter what happened, even if she had to sprout from between bricks. Shen Che wasn’t worried about her ability to accept things. Moreover, this was a wild grass that was already black from the roots.
Old Luo spoke no more, concentrating on the game. Even with Shen Che’s chaotic mind, he could still give Old Luo a five-stone handicap.
“I smell the aroma of red-braised pork,” Shen Che said after placing a piece that trapped Old Luo’s entire dragon.
When Shen Che entered the kitchen, Ji Cheng was packing the large bones, braised bones, red-braised pork, and wild vegetable pancakes into a basket. Seeing him come in, she said, “This is for Old Luo.” To thank him for the Flower Crane’s Feather he had sent her.
“I’ll take it to him,” Shen Che took the basket.
Shen Che went and returned quickly. When he came back, Ji Cheng had just set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Shen Che had a good appetite. Ji Cheng had made generous portions, but surprisingly, not even a drop of sauce was left in the end.
Ji Cheng stood up to clear the dishes. Shen Che said, “Let me help you.”
Shen Che was indeed helping. He fetched water and washed the dishes, while Ji Cheng only had to dry the bowls Shen Che handed over with a cotton cloth.
“You’re quite skilled at washing dishes,” Ji Cheng remarked.
Shen Che turned his head and smiled, “When I was young, learning martial arts with my master, it was just us two men. Naturally, we couldn’t let the master handle the chores.”
“Then why did you say you couldn’t cook?” Ji Cheng caught Shen Che’s inconsistency.
Shen Che said, “Compared to you, I really can’t be considered a good cook.”
After washing the dishes, Ji Cheng looked at the pile of bedding and felt her eyes hurt. She wanted to clean up but felt reluctant.
“Leave it there. Old Luo will find some aunties from nearby villages to wash them. Put your changed clothes here too, and they’ll wash them together. Next time, you won’t need to bring winter clothes,” Shen Che handed a wooden box to Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng ignored Shen Che’s suggestive words and took the box. Opening it, she found about thirty black pills inside.
“What are these?” Ji Cheng’s hand turned white from gripping too hard.
“Contraceptive pills. Don’t drink the contraceptive soup anymore. It’s too cold and yin, harmful to your body,” Shen Che glanced at Ji Cheng. “If you don’t want to take them, that’s fine too.”
Before Shen Che finished speaking, Ji Cheng had already taken one pill and put it in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed it without water. Good medicine tastes bitter, but it’s unforgettable.
After swallowing the pill, Ji Cheng quickly walked to the water’s edge with the medicine box. In front of Shen Che, she opened the box and poured all the pills into the water, then forcefully threw the empty box away.
When Ji Cheng turned around, she could no longer control her emotions. She knew she should stay calm, perhaps even play along with Shen Che. Who knows, one day while sharing a bed, she might be able to stab him with a golden hairpin, or she could gain many benefits from him. But people have emotions, and Ji Cheng has reached her limit.
“Why me? You have so many intimate friends, why bring me here?” Ji Cheng’s voice was choked with emotion. She didn’t want to appear weak, but fear and helplessness had accumulated too much. Moreover, Ji Cheng had discovered the most terrifying thing that morning: when she was already confused and disoriented, Shen Che’s eyes remained frighteningly cool.
Shen Che looked at Ji Cheng calmly. “Sit.”
Ji Cheng didn’t move. Only after seeing Shen Che kneel on the reed mat by the water did she hesitantly adjust her skirt and kneel opposite him.
“What if I say it was uncontrollable passion?” Shen Che said.
It was indeed uncontrollable. He had originally intended to stop at a mere taste but ended up setting himself on fire. Ji Cheng was a double-edged sword for him. Because he couldn’t restrain himself, she could maximize the stimulation of his Nine Transformations Mysterious Yuan Power. But it was also this lack of control that gave Shen Che the potential to destroy himself.
But Shen Che had never been one to fear taking risks.
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che, doubting her ability to make him lose control. She could sense when a man liked a girl, but she hadn’t felt that from Shen Che.
“Let’s make a bet,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng raised her eyelids slightly.
“Six months. After six months, I’ll either marry you or let you go,” Shen Che said.
The stakes of the bet were highly favorable to Ji Cheng, win or lose. “How can I trust that you’re truly willing to let me go? No more using any leverage to threaten the Ji family, me, or the Ling family?” Ji Cheng asked.
Since she voiced the question, it meant she was interested.
Shen Che said, “You can choose not to bet.”
Ji Cheng thought to herself, no wonder the stakes benefited her regardless of the outcome. The essence of this bet lay in whether Shen Che would keep his word, and whether she should trust him.
A person at the end of their rope will grasp at any straw for survival. Ji Cheng thought for a moment, “I need you to swear.”
Shen Che chuckled lightly, “You believe in swearing?”
Ji Cheng said, “It’s better than nothing.”
Shen Che replied, “But I don’t believe in it.”
Ji Cheng glared at Shen Che.
“If you lack confidence, let’s call off the bet,” Shen Che said.
In a situation of completely unequal power, there naturally couldn’t be a fair bet. This might just be bait thrown out by Shen Che, who was accustomed to toying with people’s hearts. But in reality, Ji Cheng knew that she shouldn’t agree. As long as Shen Che wasn’t willing to let go, her willingness or unwillingness made no difference.
So Shen Che told her not to bet if she lacked confidence. Because the bet itself was about Ji Cheng’s charm. If she could win Shen Che over, all problems would naturally be resolved. Either she would become the Second Young Madam of the Shen family or Shen Che would become too fond of her to bear letting her go.
“I’ll bet with you,” Ji Cheng said.
They certainly couldn’t stay at San Hao Ju that night. Ji Cheng had already been “missing” for a full two days. If she didn’t return tonight, there might be trouble. Moreover, Shen Che didn’t have much time to spend drinking tea in the mountain residence.
When they returned, Shen Che once again carried Ji Cheng, flying directly from the mountain peak to another hilltop. If Ji Cheng had been slightly more familiar with martial arts, she would have noticed the difference between Shen Che yesterday and today. For instance, yesterday when they came, Shen Che could fly over with her in one breath. But today, Shen Che had to flick three stones with his hand, needing to borrow force in mid-air to maintain flight without falling.
However, as a layperson, Ji Cheng didn’t think deeply about these small details even if she noticed them.
When Ji Cheng returned to Nan Xun Garden, Yu Qian’er was almost frantic with worry. If it weren’t for Nan Gui holding her back, who knows what trouble she might have stirred up.
“Miss, you’re finally back. My eyelid has been twitching all day, I was so afraid something had gone wrong,” Yu Qian’er hurried to greet Ji Cheng as soon as she saw her.
Ji Cheng was physically and mentally exhausted, with no extra energy to comfort Yu Qian’er. However, when Yu Qian’er was helping Ji Cheng bathe and change, she noticed dense purple marks on her neck, extending deep down, and her face filled with worry.
“Miss, where have you been these past two days?” Yu Qian’er asked, tears starting to flow.
Ji Cheng raised her hand to wipe Yu Qian’er’s tears. “I went to see the scenery in the mountains. Don’t worry, silly girl.”
Yu Qian’er knew Ji Cheng had something on her mind, but also knew she couldn’t help her resolve it. She could only quietly attend to her bathing and getting into bed.
Usually, body aches only manifest the next day. Yesterday, Ji Cheng could still cook freely, but today, let alone cooking, even slight movement caused unbearable pain as her clothes rubbed against her chest, not to mention her sore waist and powerless legs.
Ji Cheng hadn’t been much help to Huang Yuan Niang in Nan Xun Garden, and when leaving, she only had Yu Qian’er inform Huang Yuan Niang.
Returning to Old Madam’s Rui Ying Hall, Shen Yuan and Shen Qian were also there. After paying respects to Old Madam, they all went to Ji Cheng’s room.
Shen Yuan’s wedding date was set for May. The Zeng family highly valued Shen Yuan, and for this marriage, the Zeng clan from Tongxiang had all come to the capital.
The Zeng family planned for Zeng Xiuwen to marry Shen Yuan in the capital. Regardless of whether Zeng Xiuwen passed the imperial examinations this time, they intended for the young couple to stay in the capital.
This arrangement made Second Madam Huang extremely satisfied with the marriage. Wasn’t it best that Shen Yuan wouldn’t have to marry far away from Tongxiang?
It was already the end of February, and the whole family was busy preparing for Shen Yuan’s wedding. Shen Yuan had recently been busy making shoes for her future in-laws and brushing up on her culinary skills, leaving less time to talk with Ji Cheng.
Shen Yuan smiled at Ji Cheng, “Being raised in the Old Ancestor’s room makes a difference. Look at your face, it’s rosy and white, like a fresh peach, so tender.”
Shen Qian chimed in, “I also think Sister Cheng looks more beautiful. It’s strange, we haven’t seen you for just two or three days, but you’ve become even more beautiful.”
The sisters chatted together, except for Lu Yuan, who usually talked a lot but now sat quietly to the side, not joining in much.
Ji Cheng sat next to Lu Yuan, “What’s wrong, A Yuan?”
Shen Yuan looked at Lu Yuan with amusement, “Yesterday, my mother took her to meet the third young master of the Luo family. She disliked his thin arms and legs and complained all night.”
Lu Yuan was used to the sturdy young masters from the frontier and naturally couldn’t appreciate the scholarly air of the Luo family’s third young master.
“Which Luo family?” Ji Cheng asked.
“The grandson of the Imperial Censor Luo,” Shen Yuan said.
He was a close minister to the Emperor. Ji Cheng turned to Lu Yuan, “Didn’t you say your mother sent you back to the capital because she didn’t want you to marry a military official? The family Second Madam allows you to meet must have good family values and character.”
But Lu Yuan just liked men with strong muscles, a feeling that gave her a sense of security. She had no fondness for the physically weak Young Master Luo. What’s more, Madam Huang and Shen Yuan had been criticizing her all last night.
Moreover, Lu Yuan had always had Shen Yu in her heart. She didn’t believe her aunt, Madam Huang, didn’t know. Her aunt’s sudden help in arranging a marriage for her meant she wasn’t the candidate for a daughter-in-law in her aunt’s heart. This was what made Lu Yuan feel most dejected.
Ji Cheng knew Lu Yuan’s thoughts. She had originally thought that since Madam Huang didn’t say anything when Lu Yuan often went to Chang Heng Court, Madam Huang intended to betroth Lu Yuan to Shen Yu as his second wife. She didn’t expect her to have changed her mind now.
After chatting for a while, Shen Yuan and Shen Qian left together, leaving only Lu Yuan with Ji Cheng. As Shen Yuan was leaving, she gave Ji Cheng a meaningful look, asking her to persuade Lu Yuan.
“Sister Cheng, what do you think if I tell my aunt my true feelings?” Lu Yuan asked.
Ji Cheng thought of Madam Huang’s appearance. Although she had a kind, round face, she was very efficient and capable in her actions. She sighed lightly, “How could someone as astute as Second Madam not know your feelings? She must have wanted you as her daughter-in-law before, which is why she didn’t say anything when you often went to see Brother Hong. Now that she suddenly wants you to meet other families, has something happened recently?”
Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then shook her head decisively, “No, could it be that my aunt is still concerned about the incident when I caused Brother Hong to fall into the water?”
This was not impossible. After all, Brother Hong was currently the only legitimate grandson of the second branch and the eldest grandson at that. Even though Lu Yuan wasn’t really at fault, it would still leave a shadow in Madam Huang’s heart.
“Maybe,” Ji Cheng said.
Lu Yuan asked anxiously, “Then what should I do, Sister Cheng?”
If Madam Huang hadn’t agreed, this marriage couldn’t have happened. Ji Cheng said, “Why don’t you have your mother talk to your aunt? They’re sisters, so they should be able to communicate. Sister Yuan is about to get married, is your mother coming back?”
Lu Yuan felt that even if her mother came to talk, it probably wouldn’t make much difference. She often heard her mother say that even when they were girls at home, her aunt had always been decisive and uncompromising.
Lu Yuan made up her mind that this matter still depended on her eldest cousin, Shen Yu. If Shen Yu favored her, her aunt probably wouldn’t object.
However, Madam Huang had recently instructed Lu Yuan that after Shen Yuan’s wedding, Brother Hong would move to the outer courtyard to live, and told her to visit Chang Heng Court less often. She was no longer young and needed to avoid suspicion.
Lu Yuan held Ji Cheng’s hand and said, “The Double Third Festival is coming up soon, and I promised to make a kite for Brother Hong. Sister Cheng, let’s go find Brother Hong together later. He’ll surely be happy to see you.”
Ji Cheng didn’t want to move, but her arm was almost shaken off by Lu Yuan. She could only agree with a smile.