On this day, Ji Cheng first returned to Orchid Lane accompanied by Shen Che. Being a busy man, Shen Che left shortly after a brief stay. However, Ji Qing and Ji Yuan were already very grateful. During the initial examination fraud incident, Ji Yuan had been in despair, never expecting that Shen Che would be so capable as to exchange his exam paper. After that incident, Shen Che became almost godlike in Ji Yuan’s eyes.
Later, the imperial court organized another provincial examination. Although Ji Yuan failed to place, it was already a great fortune. He didn’t lose his determination to study and began to study hard again, waiting to re-enter the examination in three years.
This was Ji Cheng’s first visit to Orchid Lane since Ji Yuan’s incident. Ji Qing called her to the study and asked, “Is your husband treating you well?”
Ji Cheng remained silent.
Ji Qing sighed, “I know your brother has implicated you this time. I’ve already scolded him, and such things won’t happen again in the future. Since your husband is willing to help so much, it means he still cares for you. Serve him well; marital affection is cultivated. If you have any difficulties, feel free to tell your father.”
Ji Cheng nodded. The father and daughter used to be close, but it was a pity that they had unknowingly reached this point where they had nothing to say to each other. Her father didn’t love her; it was just that he loved too many people and things, so her position was relatively low on his list of priorities.
Ji Cheng had lunch at Orchid Lane, rested for a while, and then returned to the Shen mansion.
When she arrived at Rui Ying Hall, the Old Madam was chatting and laughing with Shen Yuan, Shen Qian, and Shen Cui, her married granddaughters. Seeing Ji Cheng enter, she asked, “Why are you back so early? Didn’t Ache accompany you?”
Ji Cheng replied, “The young master had matters to attend to, so he left after escorting me to Orchid Lane.”
Ji Cheng didn’t mean anything by these words; she knew that Shen Che’s affairs were indeed busy. However, to others’ ears, it sounded quite different.
Today, except for Shen He, who was in a special situation and whose husband wasn’t present, the other married granddaughters, even Shen Cui, were all accompanied by their husbands.
The Old Madam couldn’t say much, only sighed, “This child, I don’t know what he’s busy with during the New Year.”
Shen He thought to herself, what else could he be busy with except entertaining his female companions? However, she didn’t sympathize with Ji Cheng, thinking instead that she had brought it upon herself.
If it hadn’t been for Ji Cheng’s dalliance with Shen Che back then, Feng Qing would have probably married into the Shen family long ago. Her husband wouldn’t have been angry at her for the failure of that matter, and their marriage wouldn’t have reached its current state.
Shen Qian couldn’t help but speak up for Shen Che, “Brother now has an official position, so he probably has many social obligations with colleagues during the New Year. That’s why he couldn’t accompany his sister-in-law.”
Ji Cheng smiled at Shen Qian. When Shen Qian got married, she had been too ill to attend the ceremony, and during Shen Qian’s three-day return home, she had been unconscious. This was the first time she had seen Shen Qian since her marriage. She seemed to have gained some weight, her cheeks flushed with a healthy glow, indicating that she was living well in her husband’s family.
Ji Cheng smiled and said, “Mm.”
No one wanted to see people getting upset during the New Year. The Old Madam saw that Ji Cheng was smiling, showing no signs of resentment, and felt relieved. She also thought that Ji Cheng was quite sensible, possibly due to her humble background, and wasn’t as troublesome as daughters-in-law from more prominent families. This was indeed fortunate for the household.
“Second Brother is too much, always busy with this and that, hardly ever coming home. Otherwise, Second Sister-in-law would surely have conceived by now,” Shen Cui said from the side, stroking her belly.
Ji Cheng then noticed Shen Cui. Although her lower abdomen was as flat as ever, judging by her proud demeanor, she was likely pregnant.
“Is Cui expecting?” Ji Cheng asked with a smile.
Shen Cui smiled and said, “Second Sister-in-law has sharp eyes. The physician’s pulse diagnosis says it’s been two months. I thought I couldn’t conceive, but unexpectedly, it happened. Is there any news from the Second Sister-in-law’s belly? The Old Madam has been longing for Second Brother to have children for a long time.”
This was Shen Cui’s one flaw: when she was pleased with herself, she had to step on others’ sore spots. She just couldn’t bear anyone surpassing her.
Ji Cheng’s smile froze. On the matter of children, she indeed had no confidence. Not only had she and Shen Che not yet consummated their marriage, but even if they had, she had just recovered from a serious illness and didn’t know if there would be any impact.
The Old Madam broke the awkward situation for Ji Cheng, “Your Second Sister-in-law has just recovered from a serious illness and is still taking medicine. How could she conceive so quickly? In my opinion, nurturing her health is the most important thing. Children will come sooner or later.”
Shen Cui pouted and said, “Old Madam just favors their Second Sister-in-law, even more than us, her granddaughters.”
Shen He said, “Second Sister-in-law is indeed blessed. If she had married into another family, she wouldn’t have such an open-minded grandmother-in-law as the Old Madam, and the Princess is also generous, not requiring her to establish her authority.”
Ji Cheng somewhat understood these aunts’ mentality. They all looked down on her background to varying degrees, but seeing the Old Madam favoring her a bit more made them all a bit sour.
Ji Cheng didn’t mind these sour remarks, just smiled faintly and let it pass.
In the afternoon, a game of mahjong was set up in Rui Ying Hall. Ji Cheng didn’t want to participate, but Shen Cui’s comment, “You, the lucky goddess of wealth, won’t come to spread some wealth on New Year’s?” forced her to join.
Ji Cheng indeed played the role of the lucky goddess of wealth, losing to the other three players. Yet she still smiled happily, showing no signs of frustration from losing.
Shen Cui won quite a bit, her face beaming with joy. Even at mealtime, she was reluctant to leave the table. One might have thought she was desperately in need of money. In the end, she said, “Second Sister-in-law indeed has a lot of money, not even feeling the pain of losing.”
Ji Cheng didn’t respond to Shen Cui’s words, fearing she might say something too sharp and lose face in the Old Madam’s eyes. Sometimes, suffering a loss is a blessing. Being sharp-tongued doesn’t necessarily mean one is truly capable.
Sure enough, when Ji Cheng was helping the Old Madam to the hall for dinner, the Old Madam whispered, “You suffered this afternoon, deliberately losing money while pretending to play mahjong. But you don’t need to pay this money; I’ll have Yun Jin reimburse you later.”
These words made Ji Cheng blush immediately, “Old Madam, you’re embarrassing me.”
The Old Madam sighed, “I don’t know how they manage their households, why they all seem to lack money to spend. It makes this old woman ashamed, not knowing how I raised them.”
Ji Cheng said softly, “Every family has its difficulties. A single coin can drive a hero to desperation. Once a daughter marries and starts managing a household, she realizes how difficult it is. Not everyone has a family as comfortable as ours.”
The Old Madam let out a gentle sigh.
After dinner, Chu Zhen came to the inner courtyard to pick up Shen Qian. As soon as he entered, he saw Ji Cheng sitting next to Shen Yuan. He hadn’t seen Ji Cheng for many years. At her wedding, he had heard she was seriously ill and couldn’t even attend the ceremony. Although he had some concern in his heart, he knew it was inappropriate, so he showed no reaction.
Now, seeing Ji Cheng sitting there quietly, wearing a cherry-blossom-colored dress with magpies woven in gold brocade, her hair adorned with only a single camellia jade hairpin, she truly was a vision of beauty with her jet-black hair and fair complexion. She looked even more delicate than Shen Qian, almost like an unmarried young lady.
She just sat there, not even speaking, yet was enough to attract everyone’s attention.
Chu Zhen couldn’t help but recall the first time he had seen Ji Cheng. She had been changing clothes in the rest area, and he had never expected that the person whose polo skills he had admired would turn out to be a woman.
Ever since seeing Ji Cheng, Chu Zhen had been lost in thought. Shen Qian, whose heart was entirely focused on Chu Zhen, paid close attention to his every move. Seeing him so unusual, she immediately sensed what was happening.
Shen Qian felt hurt, but she wasn’t the type to cry and make a scene. She only said softly, “Your Highness, what’s wrong with you? You seem distracted.”
Chu Zhen came back to his senses and said, “Didn’t we hear last time that your Second Sister-in-law was so severely ill that she couldn’t even get out of bed?”
Hearing that Chu Zhen was indeed asking about Ji Cheng, Shen Qian angrily turned her face away.
Chu Zhen belatedly realized that Shen Qian was angry and couldn’t help but think that women were petty, overreacting to every casual remark. He had just casually expressed concern; they were all relatives, and past events were in the past. How could she be so hung up on it?
Chu Zhen had never been one to coax women, so he didn’t try to appease Shen Qian, letting her stew in her anger.
That night, Shen Qian cried in secret until her eyes were swollen.
Chu Zhen sighed and said, “She’s now our Second Sister-in-law. It’s been so many years since we’ve seen her. I was just curious about how she recovered from such a severe illness. How can you cry for so long? Do you think I’m the kind of person who would pine for my sister-in-law?”
Shen Qian shook her head, and her tears finally began to subside.
Ji Cheng, of course, knew nothing about Shen Qian’s sulking. She only knew that her waist and back ached from playing mahjong for so long, her head hurt, and the constant chatter had been exhausting.
When Shen Che returned, the lamps had been lit for quite some time. Seeing Ji Cheng rubbing her temples with her fingers, he stepped forward to take over her task, “Why does your head hurt?”
Ji Cheng complained coquettishly, “Not just my head, my hands and waist hurt too.”
Shen Che sat down beside Ji Cheng and began to gently massage her waist. He was extremely knowledgeable about the body’s acupoints, and with his martial arts skills, his massage was incredibly comfortable. Ji Cheng let out a couple of contented “hmms,” thoroughly enjoying it.
“I just went to pay my respects to our great-grandmother and found out that our family’s Madam Spendthrift hasn’t been shy about scattering money all afternoon,” said Shen Che. “But I don’t believe my wife would lose money playing mahjong.”
Ji Cheng chuckled lightly, “Indeed, winning money is easy, but losing it is truly headache-inducing. I even had to keep track of what tiles they were discarding.”
Shen Che said, “Why are you going to such trouble? It’s your brain that’s hurting. Why bother trying to please them?”
It’s worth noting that the “them” Shen Che referred to were his sisters.
Ji Cheng scolded, “It’s easy for you to say when you’re not in my shoes. I noticed that Cui seemed to be tight on money. If I were to win more silver from her, I’m afraid she might have exploded in anger right then and there.”
Shen Che snorted, “Why bring her up? It spoils the mood. You don’t need to consider her feelings.”
Ji Cheng twisted her waist, “Don’t stop, it feels just right.”
Shen Che said, “You might be comfortable, but I’m not.” He lifted his robe to show Ji Cheng, who quickly covered her eyes with both hands, exclaiming, “How vulgar!”
Shen Che bit Ji Cheng’s ear and whispered, “Only for you.”
Ji Cheng wrapped her arms around Shen Che’s neck and said, “I’m considering that Cui might be pregnant, about two months along. I’m worried she might get upset and cause trouble, and then you’d blame me.”
Shen Che tapped Ji Cheng’s lips, “You little miser, still holding a grudge? If I hadn’t used their situation to pressure you back then, how could we have ended up together? And if we hadn’t gotten together, how could I have discovered what a wonderful person our Taotao is?”
Ji Cheng merely hummed in response, content to just listen to Shen Che’s sweet words.
“Why did you come back so early today? I went to Orchid Lane to pick you up, intending to drop you off before going out again, but Father-in-law said you had returned right after lunch,” Shen Che said, noticing Ji Cheng starting to yawn. He carried her to bed and helped her remove her shoes and socks.
Ji Cheng replied, “I didn’t know what else to say there, so I just came back early.”
Ji Cheng’s mood was low, and even her speech lacked energy.
Shen Che lowered his head to kiss Ji Cheng’s forehead and cheeks, as gently as if she were made of delicate tofu, not daring to use any force. “I’m sorry, there were too many things to handle today. I should have been with you the whole time.”
Ji Cheng had been indifferent, but after Shen Che’s words, she felt a lump in her throat. She only managed an “Mm,” afraid that if she spoke, her voice would betray her tears. She was becoming increasingly sentimental these days.
Shen Che spoke softly, “The Emperor’s health is deteriorating, and no miracle medicine seems to work. All the princes are still young, so the Empress Dowager will inevitably rule. The Qin Dynasty’s ancestral precept is that the Jingshi Army only serves the Emperor, not the Empress Dowager. Now, I have no choice but to disperse the Jingshi Army into smaller units and hide them, waiting for the future when the Emperor can rule personally.”
Ji Cheng sighed, “If a new Emperor ascends to the throne, will the Shen family be…?”
Shen Che replied, “They won’t touch the Shen family for now. But no one can predict the future. However, we have some influence in the Western Regions. Worst case, we can retreat there and play at being Western Region royalty. You don’t need to worry.”
Ji Cheng nodded, knowing that Shen Che must have prepared a contingency plan. She said softly, “I’m not blaming you for not accompanying me today. I know you wouldn’t leave me if you didn’t have important matters to attend to.”
Shen Che nuzzled Ji Cheng’s cheek with his nose, “Of course not. I wish I could be with you every moment. I’m already this old and have only just found a wife who suits me so well.”
At the mention of age, Ji Cheng’s mood sank again.
Shen Che stroked Ji Cheng’s hair, “Sometimes I wish you weren’t so understanding and sensible. It would be nice if you’d argue with me a bit. If you threw a tantrum, I definitely wouldn’t go out.”
Ji Cheng lightly kicked Shen Che, “It’s your fault, yet you blame me for not knowing how to throw tantrums. If I did act spoiled, you’d probably complain that I’m being difficult and unreasonable.”
Shen Che said softly, “I absolutely wouldn’t. I love hearing your voice when you’re acting spoiled. It makes my heart feel all soft and tingly, and I just want to…”
“Behave yourself,” Ji Cheng chided.
“In a few days, once I’ve sorted out my current affairs, how about I take you to stay at the hot spring estate for a while?” Shen Che whispered, nibbling on Ji Cheng’s ear.
Ji Cheng gave a noncommittal “Mm” in response.
“What’s wrong? Why are you still so listless? Did something happen?” Shen Che asked.
Ji Cheng shook her head, “No.”
Shen Che sat up and began to call for Yu Qian’er.
“What are you doing?” Ji Cheng asked.
“If you won’t tell me, I’ll have to ask her,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng said bitterly, “Aren’t you usually so good at reading minds? Why can’t you read mine today? Stop pretending to be clueless, Shen Che.” How could this man, who was practically a spirit, not see why her mood was low?
Shen Che chuckled, “If I guess what’s on your mind, you’re unhappy. If I don’t guess, you’re still unhappy. You’re truly difficult to please.”
“You’re still laughing. You have no idea how much pressure I’m under,” Ji Cheng was on the verge of tears.
Shen Che embraced Ji Cheng again and said, “I know what’s troubling you, but I don’t want to help.”
Now it was Ji Cheng’s turn to be stunned, “Why? Don’t you want children? Or do you already have a son somewhere else?” As she said this, Ji Cheng suddenly sat up, ready to end Shen Che if he dared to nod.
Shen Che laughed, “How did you jump to such conclusions? Where would I have a son from?” He patted Ji Cheng’s back, coaxing her to lie down again. “Be careful not to catch a cold. If you fall ill, you might be fine, but I’d be scared out of my wits, unable to eat or sleep properly.”
“Smooth talker,” Ji Cheng scolded.
Shen Che whispered in Ji Cheng’s ear, “Of course I want children, but now isn’t the right time. Think about it, how many times have we been intimate since we married? If you were to become pregnant, we’d have to wait over a year before we could be intimate again. Even if I were as virtuous as Liu Xiahui, I’d still be driven mad with frustration. You should let me have my fill first, don’t you think?”
Ji Cheng’s face turned red at Shen Che’s words. She lightly spat, “Shameless.”
Shen Che’s hand slipped inside Ji Cheng’s collar, “If being shameless means I can’t touch my wife, then I’d rather be shameless.”
Ji Cheng was left breathless by Shen Che’s teasing, completely at his mercy. Shen Che bit her ear and asked, “Did Cui say something unpleasant again? With her personality, if there’s anything she can brag about, she probably couldn’t resist saying it in front of you, right?”
“You seem to understand her well,” Ji Cheng said.
“You understand her too. With that personality of hers, she’s bound to face some difficulties in the Qi family,” Shen Che said.
As if proving Shen Che’s words true, before the Lantern Festival had even passed, news of Shen Cui’s miscarriage reached them.