If Shen Che were to speak honestly, Ji Cheng wouldn’t have been in the picture at all. Not because Ji Cheng wasn’t good enough, but because he wouldn’t have given himself and Ji Cheng any chance.
However, the most unpredictable thing in this world is “fate.” It was precisely because of Fang Xuan’s departure that brought Shen Che and Ji Cheng together.
“What else could it be? Didn’t I say that a woman like you is unsuitable to be a concubine unless one wants domestic strife?” Shen Che said tactfully.
Ji Cheng naturally understood Shen Che’s meaning. She turned over to lie on top of Shen Che, looking into his eyes, and said, “How could that be? With such a mistress in place, what waves could I possibly stir up in the inner courtyard?” Her words were so sour that one could smell the vinegar from ten miles away.
Shen Che immediately sensed that this topic absolutely couldn’t be discussed further, or it would lead to an argument.
“Think about it yourself, could you stir up any waves? Would you be content to be subordinate to someone else?” Shen Che countered.
Ji Cheng tapped Shen Che’s chest and said, “That depends on which side you stand on. If you stand on my side, then the winds could blow high and the waves could surge.”
Shen Che laughed, “Where do you come up with all these ‘what if’ questions? Those are things that would never happen. What’s the point of discussing them?”
Indeed, there was no point, but Ji Cheng just wanted to know the answer. Ultimately, she wanted to prove a point, to see if Shen Che liked her more or Fang Xuan more.
But with Shen Che avoiding the topic like this, Ji Cheng already knew the answer. Her enthusiasm naturally disappeared, and she turned over to lie down again, her back to Shen Che, ready to sleep.
Shen Che wrapped his arm around Ji Cheng’s shoulder and said, “Look at you, getting upset with me over some imaginary situations, aren’t you? It’s fine to be upset, but don’t harm your health over it.”
Ji Cheng shook her shoulders but unfortunately couldn’t shake off Shen Che’s hand. She muttered sullenly, “It’s too late. I want to sleep.”
Shen Che’s hand applied a bit more force, compelling Ji Cheng to turn and face him. “Alright, alright, alright, my dear lady, can I beg for forgiveness? Are you forcing me to say it?”
Seeing Shen Che’s helpless expression, Ji Cheng couldn’t help but curl her lips. “Are you still thinking about her in your heart? If she comes back, do you want me to step down and give up my position?”
Shen Che bit Ji Cheng’s lip and said, “You ungrateful little thing, you know very well in your heart, you just want to force me to say it, don’t you?”
Ji Cheng remained silent, but in return, she bit Shen Che’s lip hard. He made her unhappy, so she wouldn’t let him off easily either.
“If I still had feelings for Fang Xuan, I would have kept her when she returned from the Western Regions,” Shen Che said.
At that time, Fang Xuan was indeed at her most vulnerable, having drifted for too long, people naturally seek stability. If Shen Che had put in a bit more effort, Fang Xuan might have changed her mind. But by then, Shen Che already had Ji Cheng’s shadow in his heart, which was why Fang Xuan ultimately left for the South.
Ji Cheng pouted and said, “You’re just trying to appease me. If you say that, then why did you evade the question earlier when I asked which side you would stand on?”
Shen Che chuckled and said, “I was just following your line of questioning and thinking that such a situation was truly impossible. Subconsciously, I didn’t want to put you in the position of a concubine, but here you are, insisting on being one.”
Although not entirely satisfied, Ji Cheng was at least no longer angry. She pressed her face against Shen Che’s chest and said, “Then if you had met me and her at the same time back then, who would you have liked?”
This question was too simple. “Naturally, it would be you.”
Ji Cheng felt Shen Che’s answer came too quickly, which made it seem like he had something to hide. “Oh? How so?”
“Because our A’Cheng is the most beautiful,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng widened her eyes, looking at Shen Che. Such a superficial reason?
Shen Che laughed and said, “How old was I back then? When looking at women, of course, I prioritized looks.”
Ji Cheng smiled and said, “I think you still prioritize looks now.”
“You’re wrong about that,” Shen Che whispered in Ji Cheng’s ear. “At my age now, I prioritize figures. Someone as skinny as you, all skin and bones, really doesn’t interest me at all. Too bony.”
Ji Cheng immediately reached out to pinch Shen Che, and after some playful tussling, they finally fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Shen Che felt the person in his arms burning hot all over. Alarmed, he touched his forehead to Ji Cheng’s, and it was so hot that Shen Che immediately sat up.
Ji Cheng’s sleep was restless, and she twisted her head following Shen Che’s movement but didn’t wake up. Her brows were tightly furrowed as if she was in great discomfort.
Ji Cheng’s health condition was just like this. Usually, she seemed fine, with no apparent symptoms, at most just a bit of dizziness and palpitations, more easily fatigued than others. But the biggest problem was how easily she succumbed to illness. Last night she had just sneezed, and by midnight she was running a fever.
Shen Che took Ji Cheng back to the Shen residence in the middle of the night, summoning doctors and administering medicine, wiping her down with warm water, just short of lying on ice to save his wife.
The next day, when Old Madam learned of this, she scolded Shen Che severely, asking how he could have failed to take good care of her when he took her out.
Ji Cheng’s illness was extremely dangerous. The high fever kept recurring; just as she seemed to be improving in the evening, the fever would return, accompanied by vomiting.
In just two or three days, she had become so thin that her eye sockets were sunken and her skin was waxy and yellow.
The invited doctor shook his head upon seeing her, and even Imperial Physician Lin was at a loss. He secretly suggested they prepare for the worst and see if they could weather through it.
Old Madam was immediately frightened. “How did it become so serious? She seemed fine usually, how could a mere cold lead to this…”
It was because Ji Cheng’s body was too weak. Like a great edifice on the verge of collapse, it might look majestic, but with the slightest disturbance, it would come crashing down.
Due to this illness, Ji Cheng missed Shen Rong’s wedding day. While Qing Garden was decorated with lanterns and filled with joy and celebration, Jiuli Yuan was shrouded in worry. There were no smiles on anyone’s face, and everyone walked more quietly than usual.
Liu Ye’er and Yu Qian’er took turns watching over Ji Cheng. The smell of medicine and the silence in the room seemed even more desolate against the backdrop of music from the Qing Garden.
Yu Qian’er cried silently, afraid to sob out loud for fear of disturbing Ji Cheng. In reality, nothing could disturb Ji Cheng; she was rarely awake.
Before leaving, Shen Che had given Liu Ye’er a box of medicinal pills. They were life-prolonging pills from the palace that could extend one’s life by a few days after taking them. However, the mechanism was to put one into an endless sleep, slowing down the body’s metabolism infinitely to preserve life.
“Sister Liu Ye, do you think the young master can find a way to save the young madam?” Yu Qian’er asked, sobbing.
Liu Ye’er was crying herself. From what she had heard from the imperial physicians and doctors who had been invited, they were all suggesting to prepare for the worst. Although she harbored some hope in her heart, she feared that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. But when Yu Qian’er asked this question, Liu Ye’er couldn’t help but comfort her.
While the two maids sat facing each other crying in the cold night, Shen Jing was standing at the gate of Jiuli Yuan at the foot of the mountain. He had mustered great courage with the help of alcohol to come here.
With Ji Cheng’s illness being so severe, naturally, everyone in the Shen family had received the news. When Shen Jing learned that Ji Cheng might not have long to live, he couldn’t believe his ears.
Shen Jing lumped in his throat. He had seen how his Second Brother Shen Che had been cold towards Ji Cheng recently. If it weren’t for his poor treatment of her, how could Ji Cheng, at such a young age, be on the verge of death?
If Ji Cheng had been living well, Shen Jing might not have been so concerned about her. However, Shen Jing was kind-hearted at his core and always felt that it was because he hadn’t tried his best to persuade his mother that Ji Cheng had ended up marrying his second brother, ultimately leading to her untimely demise.
Shen Jing knew he should avoid suspicion because Ji Cheng was his second sister-in-law, but he feared that if he didn’t come tonight, he might never see Ji Cheng again in this lifetime. That’s why he had mustered the courage to come.
Liu Ye’er was very surprised when she saw Shen Jing and called out “Fourth Young Master.”
“Why has the Fourth Young Master come at this time? Has the banquet at the front ended?” Yu Qian’er asked.
Shen Jing said, “No. I’ve come to see my Second Sister-in-law. How is her illness?”
Liu Ye’er looked at Shen Jing with some difficulty. If her own master were here, it would be fine, but Shen Che wasn’t present. It wasn’t convenient to let Shen Jing into Ji Cheng’s bedroom. But Liu Ye’er also knew that Shen Jing’s visit was probably to see Ji Cheng for the last time, and she couldn’t bear to refuse him. As the head maid who was always by Ji Cheng’s side, Liu Ye’er could see a bit of Shen Jing’s feelings for Ji Cheng.
However, Shen Jing didn’t give Liu Ye’er a chance to refuse. He simply said, “I’ll go in and see her,” and then walked past Liu Ye’er.
When Shen Jing saw Ji Cheng’s condition, his eyes immediately reddened. They say a man doesn’t shed tears lightly, only when truly heartbroken. Shen Jing didn’t dare to stay long inside. He stood there briefly before turning to leave. “Where’s Second Brother? Is he not here?”
Liu Ye’er nodded.
Shen Jing felt even more that Ji Cheng had been wronged. If he had married her back then, he would have treasured her like a pearl or a gem, and would never have let her fall so gravely ill at such a young age.
After leaving Jiuli Yuan, Shen Jing was in a daze, unable to find his way. It wasn’t until very late that he returned to Tiemao Hutong.
“Why are you back so late? I sent maids to look for you everywhere but couldn’t find you,” Li Rui had been waiting for Shen Jing without sleeping.
Shen Jing was in no mood to deal with Li Rui. He was feeling very upset at the moment.
Seeing Shen Jing like this, Li Rui immediately became angry. “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?”
Shen Jing glanced at Li Rui and turned to leave. When they first married, Li Rui had seemed decent, but after living together, Shen Jing felt that regardless of her status as the daughter of a marquis, judging by her temperament, she was no different from a shrew from the marketplace, utterly intolerable.
Li Rui chased after Shen Jing for a few steps but was stopped by Lan Mama beside her. This Lan Mama was brought from her maiden home when Li Rui had returned to Tiemao Hutong in disgrace last time.
“Young Madam, don’t argue with the young master now. I can see that the young master’s demeanor is very off. He’s upset about something, and with your fiery temper, you’ll only make people laugh at us,” Lan Mama advised.
“What could he be upset about? He’s probably drunk too much and finds me unattractive now that I’ve had a child,” Li Rui had put on weight during her pregnancy with the young miss, and even now, several months after giving birth, her belly still looked as if she were pregnant. No wonder she thought Shen Jing found her repulsive.
Lan Mama said, “The young master isn’t that kind of person. I think we should find someone to ask where the young master went tonight. Today was Fourth Miss’s wedding day, he shouldn’t look like this.”
Li Rui nodded, and the next day she found out that Shen Jing had gone to Jiuli Yuan.
Li Rui said with disgust, “It’s a good thing he got angry and left as soon as he came in yesterday, otherwise who knows if he would have passed the illness to me.”
Lan Mama sighed, “Young Madam, please don’t speak like that. After all, she’s your sister-in-law.”
Li Rui pursed her lips, then suddenly remembered, “Why did he go to Jiuli Yuan last night?”
When she met Shen Jing, Li Rui asked him directly, “Second Brother isn’t there, so why did you go to Jiuli Yuan alone?”
Shen Jing lifted his eyelids slightly and said, “I had been drinking and happened to walk there. Seeing that Sister Cheng is about to pass away, I went to see her.” Shen Jing didn’t refer to Ji Cheng as his second sister-in-law, mainly because he resented his second brother in his heart. Ji Cheng was so ill, yet he wasn’t by her side. So he still considered Ji Cheng as his cousin, and if his second brother didn’t cherish her, he, as her cousin, would care for his younger cousin.
Li Rui’s eyelid twitched. The two words “Sister Cheng” exploded in her mind like fireworks.