Song Chuyi clenched her fists tightly, the fingernails of her right hand digging into her palm without her noticing. Trembling, she looked toward Zhou Weizhao. When her eyes met his, he was looking at her, his gaze like the sea—deep and boundless. This was something she had pursued in vain throughout her entire previous life—love.
“How will you know if you can move past it if you don’t try?” Zhou Weizhao grasped her wrist, refusing to let her escape. He knew that if he allowed her to avoid this now, she would likely retreat even further into her shell and refuse to come out. He told her plainly, “I’m not Shen Qingrang, and you’re not the Song Chuyi from your dream anymore. Everything is different now, and the outcome won’t be the same either. If you don’t try, how will you know whether I’m worthy of your trust?”
Song Chuyi watched as Zhou Weizhao pried open her tightly clenched fist, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion and alarm.
Zhou Weizhao took the handkerchief Qing Luo handed him and wrapped it around the place where she had wounded herself. His voice was gentle and soothing: “Xiao Yi, only when an abscess is lanced can it eventually heal and scar over. I’ll wait for the day when your wound heals. Why don’t we try this together—shall we? Let’s see if I can live to a natural end, see if you can emerge from your nightmare, see if we can walk together to the very end.”
Song Chuyi could barely restrain herself from reaching out. Zhou Weizhao made it sound so beautiful, painted such a wonderful picture of the future. She felt that the other self trapped in darkness, unable to move, was also beginning to stir restlessly.
All those dark thoughts and fearful terrors that had been locked away in her heart for years without seeing the light of day suddenly surged forth all at once. It was like a quilt that had been kept in darkness for years suddenly exposed to sunlight—the musty smell and dust choking her almost to tears.
She thought for a very long time. It seemed as though ten thousand years had passed, yet it also seemed very brief, perhaps only a quarter of an hour. Then she finally made her decision. She lowered her head softly and said a single word: “Alright.”
This word—alright—the shortest word possible, yet it made Zhou Weizhao’s entire body relax. He gently shook Song Chuyi’s hand, smiling until his eyes curved into crescents.
For Song Chuyi to speak that word had already taken all the courage she possessed. Zhou Weizhao didn’t dare press too hard. He reached out and released her hand, then turned to discuss the matters in the capital with her: “Third Madam Chen may not be a match for Old Madam Chen. If Old Madam Chen suppresses the matter within the Chen family’s inner quarters and prevents it from spreading, then it cannot become a major scandal.”
Song Chuyi collected her emotions. Her mind, muddled from the rapid emotional transition, gradually calmed down again. After thinking it through carefully, she finally felt she had gained a moment to catch her breath.
“That won’t happen. With Madam Fang and Minister Fang there, and with Imperial Censor Tao and the others watching closely, this matter will definitely become a major scandal.” She rubbed her eyes, which felt dry from crying. “Besides, Third Madam Chen has already been driven to a desperate situation. She herself believes she’s at an impasse and thinks things couldn’t possibly get worse than they are now. All these years, her life in the Chen family has truly been difficult.”
Third Madam Chen had indeed been driven to desperation. She looked at her husband with tears streaming down her face as she told him the news she had heard from Madam Fang. She shook her head in disbelief: “Father received such an enormous sum of silver for selling the examination papers, yet we knew nothing about it at all! Now that disaster has struck, our daughter is the first to suffer misfortune, and you’re still planning to drag our whole family to die together with them. You weren’t born into the Chen family to be a child at all—you were born to be a beast of burden! A slave!”
Third Master Chen was dumbfounded by Third Madam Chen’s tearful tirade. After a long while, he finally grasped what she was saying and asked in astonishment, “What are you talking about? What silver?”
Seeing that he didn’t believe her, Third Madam Chen practically pointed her finger at his head. She let out two cold laughs and revealed what Madam Fang had told her about Elder Chen receiving two hundred thousand taels from the Zhou family. She concluded by drawing out her cold laughter: “Father is truly such a wonderful father! He’s collected all that silver and kept it in the residence. But of course, it has nothing to do with us—who told you to be born of a concubine?”
Third Master Chen was born of a concubine, and this had always been his unbearable pain. Whenever it was mentioned, he felt as though his heart and liver were being gouged out. Previously, Third Madam Chen had pitied him and never brought up this matter. She had felt nothing but heartache for him. But now, driven to distraction, she had lost all restraint and even brought this up.
Third Master Chen’s expression changed as expected. He rose angrily to his feet and pushed away Madam Fang’s hand. His lips moved several times, but ultimately he couldn’t utter a single word. After a long while, he finally rebuked her: “Stop your nonsense!”
Third Madam Chen’s tears rolled down her face. Her red and swollen eyes narrowed to slits. She grabbed Third Master Chen’s arm and refused to let go, desperately seeking witnesses for her words: “Don’t believe me?! If you don’t believe me, go ask Imperial Censor Tao! Go ask the officials handling the case, ask your father! But I don’t know if your dear father will be willing to tell you. I’m afraid that even if he dies, he plans to take all that silver to give to your elder brothers to weigh down their coffins as burial goods—he won’t leave you a single tael!”
Third Madam Chen spoke with such sincerity and such agitation that Third Master Chen couldn’t help but believe her. He stared straight ahead in disbelief and paced around the room for a long time. Finally unable to restrain his inner anxiety, he grabbed his outer robe at random: “I’m going out to make some inquiries.”
Third Madam Chen sat alone in the room, her heart ashen with unease and resentment. The handkerchief in her hands was nearly torn to shreds.
Time passed—who knows how long—until darkness had completely fallen outside. Only then did Third Master Chen return, reeking of alcohol and filled with resentment. He sat beside his dazed wife, and after a long while, couldn’t help but cover his face and weep bitterly.
By now, Third Madam Chen had instead become clear-headed and calm. She hastily dismissed all the servants, then held her husband as though holding a child who had suffered endless grievances: “Never mind, my lord. This is fate! Who told you to be born into this family, to have such a father?”
Elder Chen’s affection for his children was far too thin—or rather, his paternal love had been entirely devoted to the legitimate first and second branches. There was no place for their third branch at all. Such a person truly made one’s heart turn cold.
Third Master Chen tearfully told Third Madam Chen, “It’s true. Even Brother Fang said so. Father really did take the silver himself and turn around to sell the examination papers.”
If it were only this, Third Master Chen wouldn’t have much to grieve about. His own father taking silver was nothing unusual. But now the Chen family was in a precarious situation, and he had been running around outside every day, exhausting himself. Yet not a single family member had been honest with him—they had all treated him like a fool to be ordered about.