The Princess Consort of Zhennan’s magnanimity both surprised Old Madam Song and moved her deeply. Grasping the hands of Madam Cui and Yu Shi, she pressed her lips together and sighed. “It’s easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in snow. No matter what, after hearing Princess Rongcheng’s words, for the Zhennan Prince’s manor to still maintain this attitude is truly rare. With such a family, if Xiao Yi married into it, she wouldn’t suffer any losses.”
Madam Cui shared the same sentiment. She could be said to have watched Ye Jingchuan grow up. Shen Yang had also written back saying that when Ye Jingchuan was in Fujian, he was different from ordinary spoiled young masters—he both accepted discipline and listened to others’ admonitions, was personally involved in everything, and treated people kindly. In the future, he absolutely wouldn’t be a mere fish in a pond. Such a young man who at his tender age didn’t rely on his ancestral shade to idle away his life, who was also attentive toward Song Chuyi, and whose family members were all easy to get along with, whose status matched theirs perfectly—no matter how one looked, there was no unsuitable aspect to be found.
Although the Zhennan Prince’s manor certainly also intended to prevent the Song family from truly becoming completely estranged from the Grand Prince as Yuanhui had planned, still, in these circumstances to make such a decision was extremely rare.
Thinking of this, Madam Cui also nodded along. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Let’s first ask Xiao Yi’s opinion and see what she thinks. If Xiao Yi is agreeable… we might as well settle it before going to Jinzhong, so the old madam can also be happy.”
Yu Shi, however, didn’t chime in. Both Cui Yingshu and Madam Cui, in their concern for Song Chuyi, had become confused and always liked to make good decisions for her. But after such a long time of interaction, she’d discovered that Song Chuyi absolutely wasn’t the type of person who liked others making decisions for her. Most importantly, this young girl had no such romantic inclinations at all. When girls from other families attended flower viewing gatherings, even if constrained by propriety and modesty, when they heard teasing remarks, the shy expressions on their faces couldn’t be hidden. Only Song Chuyi—from beginning to end, not even a ripple of emotion arose.
Cui Shaoting was right. This young girl was too formidable, and saw matters too clearly. If she truly wanted to find someone to spend her life with, she’d need to find someone who could match her strength. Young Master Ye was good, certainly, but trying to match Song Chuyi—that was truly too difficult.
Hearing Old Madam Song and Madam Cui have someone go to Xiang Mingzi’s quarters to call Song Chuyi back, she silently sighed.
The Ye family hadn’t sent only Nanny Sang to deliver gifts. Ye Jingchuan stood before Song Jue, Song Jie, and Song Yan, somehow so nervous that his palms were sweating. Holding an entirely lacquer-black treasure box with gold-painted peony patterns, he didn’t dare move a muscle.
Song Jue sat in the middle, with Song Jie and Song Yan standing on either side like two door gods. He stroked his chin and looked at Ye Jingchuan, asking him, “Sending gifts? If you’re sending gifts, why not have the Princess do it? For you, a man, to carelessly send a girl things—in serious cases this could be called illicit exchange of gifts. If others use this as leverage to again pour dirty water over our Little Six’s head, should we blame you or blame us?”
Ye Jingchuan feared neither heaven nor earth—he only feared his father, his elder brother, and this killing god of the Song family. Song Jue had been thoroughly tempered in the Feathered Forest Guard. Since the great purge of the Feathered Forest Guard, Song Jue had risen meteorically, with faint signs of being promoted to Vice Commander. He’d always liked people who ate by their own abilities, and therefore greatly respected Song Jue who had passed the martial examination as top scholar. Moreover, he was the elder brother of his heart’s beloved, so this respectful awe naturally added another layer. At this moment, hearing Song Jue speak thus, he didn’t dare to use both soft and hard tactics to act shamelessly as he did before Song Jie. He hurriedly raised his free left hand and waved it. “Originally Mother intended to send someone herself, but I… I took on this task myself.”
When he’d heard that bald donkey Yuanhui had again brought up Song Chuyi’s fate to make an issue of it, he’d wanted nothing more than to smash the entire Huangjue Temple. Unfortunately, that bald donkey Yuanhui had hidden quickly, claiming to be in closed-door meditation, so he could only return home harboring a bellyful of stifled anger. Who knew there would be a turn for the better—hearing his father and elder brother discuss having him seek Song Chuyi’s hand in marriage to help both the Grand Prince and the Song family out of their predicament, he was so happy his entire being felt light and floating, as if drifting on clouds. Hearing his mother say that in a few days they’d host a theatrical performance specifically inviting the Song family to watch opera, and that she’d specially prepared an outfit and some jewelry for Miss Song, he was even more delighted. He volunteered himself, clutching the items and dashing along with Nanny Sang to the Earl’s manor.
Who knew he’d be intercepted by these three brothers?
How could Song Jue, who’d been through it all, not see the silly boy’s intentions? Just as he was about to speak, he heard Yulan come to say that Old Madam Song had heard guests had arrived and wanted them to bring him in.
Although when he was young, Ye Jingchuan had often entered and exited the inner quarters of Earl Changning’s manor due to their family friendship, as he’d gradually grown older this had become much rarer. Apart from occasionally being able to go in and pay respects to Old Madam Song when accompanying the Princess Consort of Zhennan, whenever he came, he was usually entertained by the brothers in the outer courtyard.
Now Old Madam Song was having them bring Ye Jingchuan inside. Song Jue exchanged glances with Song Jie and Song Yan, vaguely guessing Old Madam Song’s meaning.
Song Chuyi had always had keen perception. Arriving at the courtyard entrance and seeing Yulan and the others with flickering eyes that only looked at her with smiles, she sensed something was amiss.
In her previous life, before she’d married—though it hadn’t been a glorious way to marry, as she herself had shamelessly begged for it—those in her family who were good to her had all looked at her with such gazes and such smiles.
She stopped in her tracks and didn’t move further. Thinking carefully, she didn’t know why, but she somehow associated it with Ye Jingchuan.
Grandmother and Aunt had always felt the Ye family was an excellent household, and Ye Jingchuan was an impeccable candidate for son-in-law in both status and character. Now that she’d been pronounced to have such a fate by Master Yuanhui, the Zhennan Prince’s manor wasn’t the type to kick someone when they were down and sever relations. Adding Ye Jingchuan’s persistence and Ye Jingkuan and Princess Rongcheng… there was an eighty to ninety percent chance they would choose this moment to propose marriage to the Song family, both to maintain the Song family’s allegiance for the Grand Prince and to bestow a favor upon the Song family.
She also knew Ye Jingchuan’s feelings were entirely sincere. When he looked at her, his eyes radiated with smiling intent. The things he sent were never particularly precious items, but were certainly carefully selected with great thought.
Yet she suddenly felt unprecedented fear. That kind of fear, wrapped in overwhelming panic, froze her entirely in place.
For her to marry someone she liked—that was impossible in this lifetime. She felt she would never again be able to like anyone.
But for her to marry someone who liked her—that also seemed somewhat difficult. In her previous life, no one had liked her. Her passionate devotion had ultimately frozen into ice. But in this life, someone liked her, yet she’d rather no one liked her.
If they were too good to her, liked her too much, and later stopped liking her… wouldn’t she become like an autumn fan, cast aside?
Better not to reach out and grasp it than to obtain something only to lose it later.
She felt her heart in utter turmoil and turned to walk away.