Although it was already February, this winter was exceptionally cold. Spring had arrived, yet snow continued to fall. There was no snowfall during dinner, but now snowflakes were dancing in the air.
Ji Cheng, also in full makeup, stood behind Cui Long, listening to the approaching sound of hoofbeats.
The cold and imposing Shen Yu, as unyielding as iron, quickly dismounted upon seeing the Old Madam. He rushed over to support the elderly lady, saying, “Your unfilial grandson has kept you waiting, Great-grandmother.”
The Old Madam, with tears in her eyes, replied, “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back. The whole family being safe and sound is the greatest filial piety.”
Shen Zheng, who had followed behind Shen Yu, also came forward and supported the Old Madam’s other hand. “Great-grandmother, do you still remember your grandson?”
“How could I forget? You little monkey, you’ve finally decided to come back. Your mother has been missing you so much she’s cried buckets of tears.” The Old Madam reached out and patted Shen Zheng’s arm firmly.
Hearing this, Shen Zheng turned to look at Madam Huang, whose makeup had been washed away by tears.
The scene was quite touching, but it had little to do with Ji Cheng. She wore a Zhaojun hood, her eyes slightly lowered, and after standing in the wind and snow for a while, she followed the crowd through the main gate.
Li Rui, though only four months pregnant with a barely visible bump, was acting like she was nearly full-term. She walked with her hand on her belly, standing upright in the wind and snow for a while. Seeing that everyone’s attention was focused on the Second Branch, she felt left out and softly complained, “Oh my.”
Ji Lan was the first to hear. As Li Rui was carrying her precious golden grandson, she hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Li Rui frowned and forced a smile, “It’s nothing, nothing.”
The Old Madam had turned her head by now. “You must have been standing too long. It’s cold, and you’re with a child. Ading, quickly help your wife back to rest.”
Shen Jing stood there, not wanting to move. His eldest and third brothers had returned after years away, and he hadn’t even had a chance to talk with them. He looked at Li Rui with some impatience, feeling only irritation. Usually, when she used her pregnancy to make a fuss, he couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, preferring to avoid trouble. But he hadn’t expected her to put on airs even on a day like this.
Seeing that Shen Jing wasn’t moving, Li Rui felt a wave of grievance and called out softly, “Husband.” Her voice was choked with sobs.
Shen Jing had no choice but to look apologetically at Shen Yu and Shen Zheng. “Big Brother, Third Brother, I’ll come to drink with you tomorrow.”
“Go on, you ungrateful brat. Born into good fortune and don’t even know it,” Shen Zheng lightly kicked Shen Jing. He already had a son, while the person in Shen Zheng’s heart was still nowhere to be found.
When Shen Zheng looked towards Li Rui who had caused the commotion, he had already noticed Ji Cheng, but he didn’t recognize her.
Ji Cheng was wearing a big red brocade cloak trimmed with white fox fur, embroidered with peonies symbolizing wealth and status. She wore a white fox fur Zhaojun hood, her small face hidden under the long white fur. From the side, her face wasn’t visible.
Judging by her attire, Shen Zheng guessed she must be the new Second Young Madam his second brother had married half a year ago. At that time, he was busy preparing for battle and couldn’t leave his post, so neither he nor his eldest brother could return to the capital for the ceremony, which was quite regrettable.
Shen Zheng had initially felt some guilt towards this sister-in-law he had never met, but after the incident on the grasslands, he developed a great dislike for her.
Shen Zheng had long wanted to meet this second sister-in-law. He was surprised she still had the nerve to stay in the Shen family. If he didn’t know her true nature, he might have been fooled by her current appearance.
She looked quiet and elegant, with a slender figure. Although he couldn’t see her face clearly, she must be an exceptionally beautiful woman. His picky second brother wouldn’t have given her a second glance otherwise.
However, this beauty’s character was too flawed. Calling her fickle would be an understatement. Shen Zheng wondered silently, he had thought his second brother had rushed back early to divorce her, but judging by her festive appearance, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Shen Zheng, holding back his anger, asked the Old Madam, “Great-grandmother, why don’t I see Second Brother today?”
The Old Madam replied, “Does your second brother ever stay at home? It’s like he’s got a nail in his bottom. But he’s well-informed. Now that you’ve entered the gate, he should be back soon.”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. As soon as the Old Madam finished speaking, Shen Che strode into the courtyard of Rui Ying Hall. Now everyone was present.
The crowd escorted the Old Madam into the main hall. The room had floor heating, and the warmth immediately melted the snow on everyone’s cloaks.
Maids came forward in an orderly manner to help the masters remove their cloaks. Ji Cheng untied the string around her neck, took off her big red cloak, and handed it to a young maid, then lowered her head to untie her Zhaojun hood and passed it over as well.
While Ji Cheng was removing her cloak, the Old Madam had already started talking again. As an elderly person seeing her long-absent grandsons, besides concern for their food and clothing, her main concern was their marriages. Now that even though Shen Jing had a child, Shen Zheng’s marriage was still unsettled, how could the Old Madam not worry?
“This time you’re back, you’re not allowed to run off again. Your mother has already looked at several young ladies for you. Your marriage needs to be settled quickly. Your fourth brother is about to have a son, and you haven’t even taken the first step.”
As the Old Madam said this, she turned to look at Cui Long and said, “Now that the eldest is back, it’s a good time to keep Along company. You left just a few months after she came into the family, and these two years haven’t been easy for her. Honger is still waiting for his brother to teach him to read.”
Cui Long blushed at the Old Madam’s words, and couldn’t help but look up lovingly at Shen Yu. After two years apart, she felt her husband had become even more handsome and imposing. Just seeing him made her heart flutter like a little deer.
Shen Zheng saw that the Old Madam had turned the fire on his eldest brother and was secretly relieved. However, the Old Madam wasn’t confused at all, she was sharp, and quickly turned the topic back to him, “Azheng, I heard you brought a young lady back with you this time, is that true?”
Shen Zheng hadn’t expected the Old Madam to be so well-informed. Afraid she might start matchmaking, he quickly said, “That’s true. I was injured on the grasslands and she took care of me for a few days. This time when we returned to the capital, she happened to be heading south to look for relatives, so I brought her back with us. In a few days, after she’s settled, I’ll send someone to escort her south to find her family.”
“Oh,” the Old Madam nodded, no longer dwelling on the matter of this young lady. “All right then. The red plum blossoms in the garden are in full bloom these days. I’ve already told your mother to send out invitations for a red plum blossom banquet. You’re not to run off then. If we can’t settle it this time, I’ll have someone tie you up and drag you into the bridal chamber.”
Shen Zheng immediately put on an exaggerated crying face, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Ji Cheng’s lips also curved into a smile. Just as she raised her head after adjusting her clothes, she felt a burning gaze fall on her without any attempt at concealment.
“You…” Shen Zheng exclaimed in a low voice, losing his composure.
At this point, everyone’s attention was already on Shen Zheng. Hearing his exclamation, they all followed his gaze to Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng was bewildered by Shen Zheng’s stare and looked back at the Old Madam in confusion.
“What’s the matter? Haven’t you seen your second sister-in-law before?” the Old Madam spoke up to diffuse the situation.
Shen Zheng was completely stunned at that moment. He knew she was already married and called Young Madam, but he never imagined that the woman he had been thinking about day and night was his second brother’s wife. Moreover, she was the same sister-in-law who had disregarded his second brother’s safety and taken the antidote to save her childhood sweetheart.
Only Shen Zheng himself knew the feeling of his idealized goddess crumbling at that instant. A myriad of emotions surged through him, leaving him unable to even think of words to cover up or respond.
The Old Madam knew something was amiss, but for the sake of face, she had to explain to Shen Zheng, “He’s still a child.”
A mother knows her son best. Madam Huang had already guessed something from Shen Zheng’s initially delighted then heartbroken expression. She quickly followed the Old Madam’s lead, “Isn’t he just? Cheng girl is so beautiful, who wouldn’t be stunned when they first see her?”
Ji Cheng was now in an awkward position. Her face showed feigned shyness as she turned slightly to the side, while her heart was tying itself in knots. Madam Huang was throwing mud indiscriminately. It was her son who was being improper, staring at his sister-in-law, yet she blamed it on her being too beautiful. Why not just call her a vixen outright?
Everyone present had noticed Shen Zheng’s loss of composure, but no one spoke up. Some didn’t dare, while others were lost in their thoughts.
Cui Long, being quick-witted, also chimed in, “That’s right. On the day of Second Uncle’s wedding, when we sisters-in-law went to the bridal chamber to tease the newlyweds, the moment sister-in-law’s veil was lifted, we were all stunned. It took us quite a while to come back to our senses.”
Thanks to Old Madam, Madam Huang, and Cui Long’s successive explanations, this awkward moment was finally glossed over. Shen Zheng averted his gaze and sat silently in a corner, no longer as lively as before.
Meanwhile, the turmoil in Shen Yu’s heart was no less than Shen Zheng’s. Not to mention his personal feelings, he spent the most time with Shen Zheng and often heard him mentioning some girl, but he never imagined it would turn out to be Ji Cheng.
After this incident, everyone lost their desire for further conversation.
The Old Madam kept Shen Che behind to talk privately. Ji Cheng sat alone in the darkness of Jiuli Courtyard, completely baffled by what had happened. But she could see that Shen Zheng seemed to recognize her. Why was he so shocked then?
Now that she had calmed down, Ji Cheng realized that even if she were a celestial beauty, Shen Zheng shouldn’t have looked at her like that in front of Shen Che, to the point where everyone noticed his impropriety. Among the children raised in the Shen family, except for the blockhead Shen Cui, none were fools.
Shen Zheng knew he shouldn’t have done it but did it anyway, there must be some misunderstanding here.
No matter how much Ji Cheng racked her brains, she could never have guessed that it was because Shen Zheng had secretly watched her bathing. Of course, if she knew, her headache would probably be even worse.
At this moment, Shen Zheng was sitting in the highest pavilion of Qing Garden, the Moon-Reaching Pavilion, drinking to drown his sorrows. It was cold and snowing, and only thanks to his strong constitution could he endure it.
Shen Zheng wasn’t cold at all now, in fact, his heart was burning with waves of heat. He had been thinking day and night, hoping that now that he had some free time, he could finally spare some effort to inquire about that person.
Although he knew she was already married, Shen Zheng, because of his constant searching and yearning, had become almost obsessed, just liking her. So Shen Zheng’s mind was full of fantasies about what he would do after finding her, and how he would use both soft and hard tactics to win her over. Marrying her might be difficult, not because Shen Zheng was unwilling, but because his mother would certainly not approve. But taking her as a concubine should be possible. However, why would she give up being a proper young madam to be his concubine?
So Shen Zheng thought again, if she was unwilling and his mother couldn’t accept it, he would elope with her. He was sure he could make a career for himself. Moreover, Shen Zheng was certain that his mother loved him the most, and the Old Madam doted on him too. In the end, the two elders would surely compromise.
Look how well Shen Zheng had imagined it. Because he had imagined it so well, in his imagination he had made so much effort. Yet when they suddenly met today, it turned out like this. How could he bear it?
Shen Zheng never imagined that the person who was a thousand times good and ten thousand times wonderful in his heart, like a fairy, would turn out to be someone who abandoned her husband without a care.
Shen Zheng felt that his heart hurt even more than his second brother’s. It was the simultaneous destruction of his fantasy and disillusionment of love, a pain that pierced his heart.
Shen Zheng violently smashed the wine cup in his hand to the ground, then grabbed the wine jar beside him and started gulping it down. Even Du Kang, the god of wine who dispels worries, could no longer stop his pain.
With sorrow in his heart, people get drunk more easily. Soon, the pillar in front of Shen Zheng’s eyes turned from one into two, and in the wind and snow came a person, wearing a big red gold-embroidered cloak and a snow-white Zhaojun hood, beautiful like the eyes of a lake in the frontier, full of sorrow. Though he knew it was poison, he couldn’t help but feel that the water was too sweet.
Shen Zheng stumbled and fell to the ground, simply leaning against the pillar without getting up. He thought how beautiful that person was. When he first saw her, he thought how could there be someone in the world so perfectly beautiful, only suspecting that his eyes had deceived him, wondering if his memory was too confused and had beautified her too much, after all, he had only seen her once. But seeing her again tonight, he realized that his memory wasn’t confused at all.
She was indeed as beautiful as the snow on the top of the divine mountain.
Ji Cheng was indeed beautiful. Although she had suffered a lot during this frontier journey, she was naturally gifted with beauty. In the month since her return, her skin had gradually whitened and her face had become a bit rounder. Although not as good as before, under the lamplight, she already appeared luminous and fair. She might not be as good as her former self, but compared to others, she was still on a different level.
Shen Zheng looked greedily at the person in the wind and snow, but when he tried to look harder, there was no figure in the snow. It was just his imagination.
Shen Zheng drooped his head drunkenly, thinking to himself that no wonder his second brother couldn’t bear to divorce her. If it were him, although his heart would be hurting terribly, he might not be able to bear divorcing her either.
Shen Zheng took another big gulp of wine from the jar. Drink while you can today, for tomorrow is uncertain. After tonight, he would have to forget everything. Pretend he had never seen her.
The wine jug rolled aside with a clatter. Shen Zheng let out a drunken burp and, with hazy eyes, followed the line of the feet in front of him and called out, “Second Brother.”