Shen Che pretended not to notice and added a bit more sesame paste to Ji Cheng’s bowl before saying, “The hot pot at this place excels in its knife skills, but the sauce is just average. When spring comes next year, let’s go to San Hao Ju. We’ll use mountain sheep, I’ll do the cutting, and you can prepare the sauce.”
Ji Cheng responded with a noncommittal sound.
Shen Che put down his chopsticks and his smile faded. “A’Cheng, if you have something on your mind, just say it. What’s the point of us guessing each other’s thoughts? It only leads to misunderstandings. Haven’t we learned enough from our recent experience?”
Ji Cheng mumbled, “Even if I don’t say anything, you can still tell what I’m thinking.”
Shen Che replied, “You’re hard to please. They say a ruler’s heart is unfathomable, but I think our A’Cheng’s thoughts are even more unpredictable. You never speak your mind, yet you don’t want me to guess. How domineering of you!”
Ji Cheng retorted, “You guess correctly but still feel the need to say it out loud. How embarrassing for me!” She also put down her chopsticks and said, “Can’t you just pretend to be oblivious sometimes?”
Shen Che rubbed his nose and said, “I thought being open and honest was better.”
Ji Cheng turned her head away, ignoring Shen Che. Some thoughts were truly difficult to express, especially to him. Ji Cheng felt ashamed of her pettiness, knowing she was in the wrong.
Shen Che moved closer and asked, “Are you upset about Wang Li’niang?”
Only then did Ji Cheng learn the young widow’s name was Wang Li’niang. She moved away slightly, still ignoring Shen Che.
Shen Che chuckled, “What are you jealous about? My relationship with her was entirely innocent. Besides, that was so many years ago.”
Ji Cheng muttered, “I’m not jealous.” Indeed, she wasn’t jealous. Wang Li’niang was merely a casual acquaintance to Shen Che, and Ji Cheng didn’t care about her at all.
Ji Cheng was simply struck by the thought that if she and Shen Che were to part ways this time, would he be just as indifferent towards her? Often, the decision to separate or not comes down to a single moment, leaving Ji Cheng unsure of how thin the line between love and hate truly is.
Shen Che’s kindness towards her didn’t make Ji Cheng feel secure, especially now that he had taken over Longchang Hao. With Ji Cheng now penniless, she felt even less secure.
“Isn’t this the expression of someone jealous?” Shen Che whispered, nibbling on Ji Cheng’s ear.
Ji Cheng gently pushed Shen Che away and said, “I’m not jealous. I just think you were a bit too harsh with her.”
Shen Che felt a hint of anger. Ji Cheng’s sympathy for Wang Li’niang seemed to disregard his feelings. He considered being cold towards Ji Cheng for a moment but knew that in the end, he would be the one to give in. He didn’t want to upset her health.
So Shen Che just smiled and said, “Would you feel better if I flirted with her right in front of you?”
Ji Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. She had expected Shen Che to be angry upon hearing her words, but his temper was surprisingly good. She shook her head and admitted honestly, “No, I would feel even worse.”
Shen Che tapped Ji Cheng’s cheek with his finger and said, “Being indifferent to her is actually for her good. An ambiguous relationship would only hurt both parties.”
Ji Cheng rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the steaming hot pot without looking at Shen Che. “Just now, I couldn’t help but put myself in her place. I wondered if you would treat me the same way if we had… a few days ago.”
She shook her head and laughed at herself, “I know I’m overthinking things.”
Shen Che embraced Ji Cheng from behind and said, “Your assumption doesn’t hold. But even if we followed your hypothetical scenario, I wouldn’t treat you that way. If I caught you watching a play with another man, I’d deal with both of you right then and there.”
Ji Cheng laughed, “So I’m even more pitiful than Wang Li’niang?”
After speaking her mind, Ji Cheng felt much better and even ate two more slices of mutton.
As soon as they finished eating, Ji Cheng began to feel drowsy. She yawned twice and fell asleep leaning against Shen Che. While she used to have trouble sleeping, lately she couldn’t seem to wake up.
When Ji Cheng awoke, she wasn’t in Jiuli Yuan but in an unfamiliar place. She sat up in bed and faintly heard people talking outside. Listening carefully, she could make out Shen Che’s voice.
A crafty hare has three burrows, and Shen Che certainly had no shortage of hideouts. Ji Cheng was about to get out of bed and put on her shoes when Shen Che entered through the curtain. “You’re awake, perfect. It’s time for your medicine.”
“You brought the medicine with you?” Ji Cheng asked in surprise. Even she had forgotten about taking medicine when they went out.
Shen Che took out the medicine container from the warming bucket and poured it into a bowl for Ji Cheng. However, she didn’t reach for it, only looking at Shen Che and saying, “It’s too bitter. I don’t want to drink it.”
“You sure know how to pick your moments,” Shen Che said, sitting on the edge of the bed with the medicine bowl. “With such a petty heart, no wonder I said you lacked a sense of fun.” He took out some dried peaches from his pocket. “I’ll reward you after you drink it.”
Ji Cheng hadn’t intended to give Shen Che a hard time. She obediently drank the medicine in one gulp and took a dried peach from Shen Che’s hand to sweeten her mouth. “Where is this place? Who were you talking to earlier?”
Shen Che helped Ji Cheng put on her shoes and led her outside. The outer room was empty, with a painting hanging on the wall depicting a fierce tiger sniffing a rose. The tiger’s eyes were hollow, allowing one to see through to the outside.
It was here that Shen Che had been arranging matters for the Jingshi Army.
Ji Cheng had no interest in knowing too many secrets. She made a yawning gesture and said, “Should I go back to sleep for a while then?”
Shen Che replied, “No need. I just took care of some business while you were asleep. Now that you’re awake, let’s go.”
Ji Cheng said, “You don’t have to specially make time to accompany me. I’m fine resting at home.” Ji Cheng was already busy managing the Ji family’s businesses every day, and Shen Che, responsible for the entire Jingshi Army, surely had even more complex matters to handle.
Shen Che said, “It’s no trouble. I enjoy being with you.”
The next place Shen Che took Ji Cheng was Qingcang Lou, a property of the Ji family. This was where Ji Cheng used to sell her Qingjian paper. After her mother passed away and Ji Cheng returned home for mourning, she stopped making decorated paper. However, Qingcang Lou had already established its reputation, so business remained good.
“Why are we coming here?” Ji Cheng asked.
“To see if there are any Qingjian collections left for sale. Since the paper maker vanished, even a single box of Qingjian is now extremely rare,” Shen Che smiled.
Ji Cheng didn’t believe that Shen Che was unaware of her situation. “That was just a pastime when I was a young lady.”
Shen Che smiled, “Aren’t you more leisurely now than when you were unmarried?”
Ji Cheng’s painting skills had been set aside for quite some time. She had barely touched a brush since marrying Shen Che. There didn’t seem to be much leisure time; each day was occupied by trivial matters, which was indeed frustrating to think about. No wonder people said married women were like “eyes that died in their sockets.”
The shopkeeper, upon seeing Ji Cheng, naturally recognized her as the owner’s daughter. He hurriedly welcomed them in and served tea. “Young Madam hasn’t been here for a long time. You wouldn’t believe how many people have come asking for Qingjian paper these past few years. We’ve been selling our stock sparingly, but with acquaintances making requests, we’ve completely run out now. The old customers are so disappointed.”
Ji Cheng just smiled upon hearing this. In the end, she picked out a few painting collections from the building and some storybooks from next door.
On the return carriage ride, Ji Cheng kept guessing Shen Che’s motive for bringing her to Qingcang Lou. Did he want her to start making decorated paper again? But Shen Che wasn’t short of money, so it couldn’t be for business. Therefore, Ji Cheng couldn’t help but wonder if he meant for her to distance herself from “the stench of copper” and engage in more refined activities.
Ji Cheng voiced her thoughts, “Did you bring me to Qingcang Lou because you hope I won’t manage the business anymore?”
Shen Che replied, “You’re thinking too highly of yourself. Why would I not use someone as talented as you and go find someone else I can completely trust to manage the accounts? Once you’ve recovered, I have a pile of account books waiting for you to review. The Western Regions affair was started by you, and I want it to be concluded by you as well.”
Now Ji Cheng was even more puzzled about Shen Che’s motives.
“Don’t overthink it,” Shen Che kissed Ji Cheng’s cheek. “It’s because you always think too deeply about everything that you’ve worn yourself out. I brought you to Qingcang Lou just to remind you that you have a great talent for painting and paper-making. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. Wouldn’t it be enjoyable as a hobby?”
Ji Cheng finally understood that Shen Che was finding a roundabout way to encourage her to pursue a hobby. “Oh, how do you know I have a talent for paper-making?”
“People aren’t blind. If your decorated paper wasn’t good, how could it have earned so much praise? Besides, I believe someone who could create ‘Twelve Hours of Longing in a Day’ must have talent,” Shen Che said.
The “Twelve Hours of Longing” decorated paper wasn’t sold at Qingcang Lou because Ji Cheng felt the name was too coquettish and might harm her reputation as an unmarried lady. Therefore, Ji Cheng was surprised and asked, “How do you know about ‘Twelve Hours of Longing’?”
“I saw it at A’Rong’s place,” Shen Che wouldn’t dare tell Ji Cheng that he had once used that decorated paper to write a letter to Fang Xuan.
Who could have predicted how things would turn out? He once thought he would only care for Fang Xuan for life and never change, not knowing he would later meet this bewitching star who would torment him to no end, leaving him unable to even express his temper. Even when he was with Fang Xuan, Shen Che had never been so cautious.
“You like it?” Ji Cheng asked, feeling secretly pleased. No matter what others thought, Shen Che’s approval meant more to her than anyone else’s.
“Of course,” Shen Che replied. Truth be told, back then Shen Che had looked down on Ji Cheng while also finding her intriguingly contradictory. How could someone with her temperament come up with something like “Twelve Hours of Longing”? It piqued his curiosity.
Ji Cheng smiled and said, “Well then, I happen to need someone to serve tea, grind ink, and cut paper. I think you’d be perfect for the job.”
“My ink-grinding skills are quite good,” Shen Che said, not at all modest.
Ji Cheng and Shen Che stayed out until nightfall. When they got into the carriage, Ji Cheng thought they were heading back to the Shen residence. To her surprise, the carriage drove towards the outskirts of the city, stopping at a place Ji Cheng would never forget.
Fenghuang Terrace.
“Why are we here?” Ji Cheng didn’t have many pleasant memories of this place.