Ji Cheng turned his head slightly, revealing half of his profile, but he didn’t linger at all, drifting away like a cloud.
Even with Shen Che’s superior lightness skill, how could he catch up to the mountain mist? In the all-encompassing silence of the mountains, Ji Cheng’s shadow was nowhere to be found.
“Ji Cheng!” Shen Che shouted, suddenly sitting up. He looked around at his surroundings in a daze, realizing he was still in the San Hao Residence.
It had been nothing more than an absurd dream.
Shen Che stood up and washed his face in the mountain stream beside the house. His gaze inadvertently fell on his reflection in the water, and he suddenly laughed, shaking his head. When had he become such a coward, afraid to face his true feelings?
When he first saw Ji Cheng, rather than feeling disappointed or dejected, he was afraid. If too many things were said clearly, there would be no room for turning back. So he gave up on questioning Ji Cheng, waiting for her in the Jiu Li Courtyard instead.
He thought Ji Cheng was clever enough to understand that at that time, she had no other choice but to beg him. All he was waiting for was an opportunity to descend gracefully.
But despite all his calculations, he never expected that someone as pragmatic as Ji Cheng would have a moment of stubborn pride. All he could rely on was threatening her to bow her head.
Shen Che laughed out loud. Everyone who knew the situation was waiting for him to deal with Ji Cheng, and he had almost fooled himself too. But while the dream was false, the feelings were real. Ji Cheng only needed to push him a little, without even shedding a tear, and he was eager to forgive her.
He forgave her without principle, finding a thousand reasons in his heart to exonerate her, just seeking to let her off.
Unfortunately, while he wanted to come down from the mountain, Ji Cheng was unwilling to give him that chance.
The sky had not yet brightened, but Shen Che could no longer sleep. He sat against a pillar and carved a new wooden plaque that read: “No anger, no foolishness, no resentment; Unrestrained, unbound, limitless.”
The San Bu Residence was indeed more interesting than the San Hao Residence.
While Shen Che found it difficult to sleep in the San Bu Residence, Ji Cheng was equally restless. With many concerns weighing on her mind, she asked Nan Gui, who rarely left her side, “Do you have any news of Liu Ye’er and Yu Qian’er?”
Nan Gui replied, “Don’t worry, Miss. They’re both doing very well.”
Ji Cheng took out a silver note worth one hundred taels and handed it to Nan Gui. “Thank you for looking after them these days. Please give this money to those caring for them. If they’re picky, I hope you can be understanding.”
Nan Gui thought for a moment before accepting the note, hoping it would ease Ji Cheng’s mind.
People develop feelings after spending time together, and Ji Cheng never mistreats Nan Gui. Liu Ye’er and Yu Qian’er had also gotten along well with her. Nan Gui hesitated for a moment before saying, “Miss, I know it’s not my place to say this, and you probably have many grievances against me, but I…”
Ji Cheng interrupted Nan Gui, “I have no grievances. You were just following orders. If you have something to say, just say it. We can’t sleep anyway, so it’s good to have someone to talk to.”
Nan Gui finally spoke with difficulty, “Miss, why don’t you go and plead with the Young Master?”
Ji Cheng raised an eyebrow, “Do you think it would help if I begged your Young Master?”
Nan Gui fell silent, troubled. What Ji Cheng had done this time was indeed too much. If it were her, she might not be able to forgive either. But privately, Nan Gui didn’t want to see Ji Cheng suffer. “I don’t know, but if you beg the Young Master, it couldn’t hurt, could it? I see that the Young Master treats you quite exceptionally.”
Nan Gui couldn’t remember when it started, but every time Ji Cheng was brought back asleep, Shen Che always insisted on carrying her himself. He would place her on the bed and tuck her in before leaving.
Once, Nan Gui had seen from behind a screen that after Shen Che brought Ji Cheng back, he didn’t rush to leave. He just sat by the bed watching her, gently tidying her slightly messy bangs. Before leaving, he even leaned down and pecked her lips repeatedly, making Nan Gui herself blush.
The way he looked at her wasn’t just for one night. Nan Gui remembered the night before Shen Che left for the Western Regions, when he brought Ji Cheng back, he sat by her bed for a long time. He only left when dawn was breaking and there was movement in the courtyard.
Nan Gui thought, how could two people who were so good together and so well-matched end up in such a situation?
Hearing Nan Gui’s advice, Ji Cheng couldn’t help but sneer, “How can I beg him? Even you can’t see him.”
Nan Gui lowered her head and said, “I’m limited by my status. I can’t go see the Young Master without being summoned. But you’re different. I’ve checked, and the secret passage to the Jiu Li Courtyard has never been closed.”
Ji Cheng glanced at Nan Gui, merely smiling lightly without answering. She had been humiliated due to her status, but that was passive. She had never thought of deliberately humiliating herself, especially not in front of Shen Che. She neither could nor would.
Seeing Ji Cheng’s expression, Nan Gui knew she had spoken out of turn. Unfortunately, she was not eloquent enough to persuade Ji Cheng and could only retreat glumly.
Time moves forward whether you want it to or not, and Ji Cheng had no choice but to follow Fan Zengli to the Bao Guo Temple early in the morning.
“Ah, why are you still dressed so plainly?” Fan Zengli complained a bit. She was afraid the Liu family would look down on Ji Cheng’s background, just as the Ye family had once preferred a buck-toothed girl. So she wished Ji Cheng would dress more luxuriously, to show Madam Liu that marrying Ji Cheng was no less than marrying a gold mountain.
Ji Cheng said, “The Liu family values literature and education. Dressing too luxuriously might make Madam Liu think we’re nouveau riche.”
This made sense, so Fan Zengli said no more.
Upon arriving at Bao Guo Temple, Madam Liu was pleasantly surprised when she saw Ji Cheng. When her brother-in-law’s younger sister had mentioned Ji Cheng to her, Madam Liu hadn’t been very willing. Her family had been scholars for generations, and marrying a merchant’s daughter didn’t seem suitable. But the problem was that those who knew the truth were unwilling to marry her son, and she feared that if an uninformed family married in, the new daughter-in-law might cause trouble, making everyone unhappy.
The Ji family was just Madam Liu’s choice out of desperation. Who knew Ji Cheng would be so beautiful, with proper manners, having been nurtured by Old Madam Shen for over a year? One couldn’t tell at all that she came from a merchant family. Madam Liu thought to herself, even she couldn’t help but look again and again at such a beauty. Who knows, maybe when her son saw her, he might even be able to change his ways.
So both Fan Zengli and Madam Liu were pleased, while Ji Cheng just kept her head lowered in “shy” modesty.
Although the real purpose was to arrange a marriage, they still had to keep up appearances. So after bidding farewell to Madam Liu, Fan Zengli took Ji Cheng to the main hall to offer incense, which also counted as fulfilling a vow.
It was still early, and although Bao Guo Temple was famous for its incense offerings, there weren’t many visitors yet. Just a few young ladies who had come early to avoid the crowds.
While Fan Zengli was waiting for an old monk to interpret her divination slip, Ji Cheng, uninterested in future matters, wandered alone toward the Hall of Arhats at the back. Just as she climbed the steps, she saw a woman leading a young maid coming out of the Hall of Arhats, walking down.
One was walking up with her head down, the other was looking down as she descended. They shouldn’t have met eyes, but women have a natural sensitivity to those of equal status. Perhaps it was the other’s embroidered shoes that caught her eye, or maybe it was the other’s aura that aroused her curiosity. Either way, as one ascended and one descended, they both raised their heads at the same time.
This was what it meant to be as gentle as a chrysanthemum. The woman before Ji Cheng appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, and her beauty was perhaps the most stunning Ji Cheng had ever seen. Yet, what left the deepest impression wasn’t her appearance, but rather an indescribable aura. It was an aura built by years and tempered by experience, something that couldn’t be learned no matter how hard one tried.
Ji Cheng was also known for her extraordinary beauty and youthful charm. Although modest by nature, she had never easily admitted defeat in her heart. Yet in front of this woman, she felt somewhat inadequate, secretly wondering if she would have such an aura when she reached that age.
It was extremely impolite to stare at a stranger without blinking, so Ji Cheng only looked for a moment before lowering her eyes again and continuing up the stairs.
As for the woman walking down, when she saw Ji Cheng, she could only marvel inwardly: Who would have thought there could be such exceptional beauty in this world? Although time had given her valuable assets, and she had never envied youth, looking at the person before her, she couldn’t help but think how delightful such tender beauty was. Just one glance made her whole heart feel refreshed and joyful.
The two passed each other, Ji Cheng above, the other below. A moment of understanding flashed between them. Ji Cheng had already felt that the young woman looked strangely familiar, but couldn’t quite place why. As she finished climbing the stairs, it suddenly struck her that the woman’s features were somewhat similar to Feng Qing’s. No wonder she seemed familiar.
Realizing this, Ji Cheng had already guessed the woman’s identity. She was Shen Che’s beloved, the one he had traveled thousands of miles to rescue in the Western Regions, knowing it was a trap – Fang Xuan.
Ji Cheng suddenly turned around, and at the same moment, her sister-in-law Fan Zengli had just found her and called out, “A’Cheng.”
There might be a thousand or ten thousand women in the world called A’Cheng, but when Fang Xuan heard this “A’Cheng,” she instinctively stopped and turned her head.
Ji Cheng and Fang Xuan, one standing at the top of the stairs, and one at the bottom, gazed at each other in astonishment. Although they had never met before, in that instant, Ji Cheng knew she must be Fang Xuan and Fang Xuan knew that this Miss A’Cheng must be the one Shen Che had called for in his feverish state in the middle of the night.
Ji Cheng smiled at Fang Xuan, and Fang Xuan nodded in return. Then, as if by mutual agreement, they both turned away. Ji Cheng entered the Hall of Arhats, while Fang Xuan walked towards the exit of Bao Guo Temple.
“So she’s that A’Cheng,” Bing Ling, who accompanied Fang Xuan, sighed softly. “No wonder…”
No wonder that man, delirious with fever, still murmured her name. She was indeed a rare beauty in this world, captivating at first sight.
Bing Ling couldn’t help but glance at Fang Xuan. Fang Xuan’s beauty was already rare in the world. At twenty-four or twenty-five, she was at the peak of a woman’s beauty. Even though she was as gentle as a chrysanthemum, she was so resplendently in bloom that she was breathtaking.
However, Miss A’Cheng just now also had a subtle air about her. But it wasn’t the kind of gentleness that Fang Xuan had, which came from tenderness and tolerance. It was a kind of ethereal beauty, like misty mountains in the rain, inexplicably evoking concern that such beauty might be as fleeting as scattered clouds or as fragile as crystal.
“Let’s go,” Fang Xuan said, amused by Bing Ling’s worried expression.