Ji Cheng also lowered her gaze and called out “Royal Cousin.” This was rather presumptuous of her, but regardless of whether Shen Yu approved of her background or not, it was proper for her to address him as a cousin based on her relationship with Shen Cui. It was better to forge closer ties, as one never knew when they might need to rely on the Shen family in the future. Familiarity made conversations easier.
Upon seeing his father Shen Yu, Hong’er instinctively moved to Ji Cheng’s side, successfully avoiding Shen Yu’s gaze.
Shen Yu looked at Ji Cheng, surprised to suddenly encounter her here. Since the day he had witnessed Ji Cheng rescuing someone from the water, Shen Yu had dreamed of her for two consecutive nights. He felt ashamed, realizing he had developed improper thoughts about the young lady.
At this moment, Shen Yu naturally had nothing to say and only asked, “Why have you come?”
“Isn’t tomorrow the Dragon Boat Festival? We’ve come to bring Brother a longevity thread,” Shen Cui explained.
“Let’s talk inside,” Shen Yu said as he headed towards the main hall. Shen Cui and Ji Cheng hurriedly followed, with Hong’er clutching Ji Cheng’s clothes as they walked.
Ji Cheng glanced down at Hong’er. Shen Yu must be a strict father, otherwise Hong’er wouldn’t be so afraid of him. She hadn’t expected the mature and proud Hong’er to be so close to her, considering they had only met twice.
Inside the room, the light was much brighter. Shen Yu noticed Hong’er beside Ji Cheng and showed a hint of surprise in his eyes. Hong’er took half a step back, but Shen Yu refrained from scolding the child in front of others.
As Shen Yu remained silent, Shen Cui tugged at Ji Cheng’s sleeve, signaling her to present the gifts. Shen Cui gave Shen Yu a string of small, exquisite gourds made of five-colored satin, while Ji Cheng randomly picked a longevity thread from her box and handed it to Rui Xue, who was attending nearby.
After presenting the gifts, Shen Cui pulled Ji Cheng away. Once they were far from Shen Yu’s Changhengyuan, Shen Cui pat her chest and said, “Whew, I can finally breathe properly.”
Although Shen Yu’s presence was indeed intimidating, it wasn’t to the point of making one unable to breathe. Ji Cheng laughed and said, “Is the Eldest Young Master that frightening to you?”
In front of Shen Cui, Ji Cheng no longer addressed Shen Yu as “cousin.” This girl had a possessive nature towards anything remotely related to her, and Ji Cheng usually indulged her.
“Of course! He’s like a stern-faced Judge Bao. He doesn’t speak, and I don’t know what those ladies who want to marry him see in him,” Shen Cui said while glancing at Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng could easily see through Shen Cui’s intentions but only smiled slightly without responding.
Unable to discern Ji Cheng’s thoughts, Shen Cui continued, “We came here just to show our sincerity. I thought we wouldn’t run into him, but who knew he’d return at this time? By the way, why is Hong’er so close to you?”
Ji Cheng made up an excuse, “I’ve always been good with children.” This wasn’t entirely false; when she had pretended to be a boy, she was even more popular than her second brother, practically commanding a following.
Shen Cui naturally didn’t believe her but knew she couldn’t get more information. She huffed, “Let’s go, we should visit Second Brother now.”
This time, it was Ji Cheng who hoped the Second Young Master Shen wouldn’t be present. Ever since their encounter on the roof of the Deyue Pavilion, Ji Cheng felt uneasy thinking about Shen Che. Her usual pretenses were useless in front of him.
However, it was rare to see these Shen cousins in the mansion. Meeting Shen Yu today was already a stroke of luck, and even he was just changing clothes before going out for social engagements. The chances of encountering the elusive Second Young Master were even slimmer.
Ji Cheng followed Shen Cui to the Jiuli Courtyard in Qing Garden. Shen Che didn’t live in the outer courtyard of the Duke’s Mansion, but as he was unmarried, he chose to reside in the Jiuli Courtyard of Qing Garden.
This Jiuli Courtyard was almost a separate garden within Qing Garden. Entering through the Baopin Gate, there was a winding path with nine bends and eighteen turns, surrounded by small streams. The path meandered through bamboo groves, crossed wooden bridges, and wound around rose trellises, offering changing scenery with every step. The air was filled with the faint, sweet fragrance of magnolia flowers. It could be described as a paradise on earth.
When the view opened up, there were bamboo houses built along the stream, winding up the hillside. Alongside stood countless slender bamboos, their green layers cascading upwards.
By now, lanterns were lit, and the orange light shining through the bamboo houses resembled a winding dragon ascending through the verdant forest. The nearby stream appeared like a misty silver ribbon. Ji Cheng couldn’t help but exclaim, “How beautiful!”
Even Shen Cui was captivated, feeling a twinge of jealousy towards the refined luxury of the Duke’s Mansion’s main branch.
As the two were about to move forward, a young servant came to greet them. “Fifth Young Miss…” The servant didn’t recognize Ji Cheng and hesitated, unsure how to address her.
“This is my Cousin Ji Cheng,” Shen Cui said. “Is Second Brother here?”
Qi Shu replied, “The Second Young Master is indeed here. Fifth Young Miss, you’ve come to deliver the longevity thread, right? Miss Lu is inside as well.” As he spoke, Su Yun appeared from the winding path with her maid, and the three of them walked together.
As they approached the bamboo house at the foot of the hill, before even entering, they heard Lu Yuan’s coquettish voice, “Cousin Che, will you go watch the dragon boat races tomorrow? After the races, there’s a polo match too. Beijing is so lively now, I’m glad I made it in time for the Dragon Boat Festival.”
Ji Cheng and Shen Cui exchanged glances, both unable to suppress a shudder. Lu Yuan’s usual voice was bold and spirited, unlike this coy tone that gave them goosebumps.
Su Yun beside them couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Seeing Ji Cheng and the others enter, Lu Yuan’s face reddened even more, and she unconsciously took a step back. “What a coincidence, did you also come to bring Cousin Che some Dragon Boat Festival charms?”
Among the three, only Shen Cui responded. Ji Cheng felt awkward upon seeing Shen Che as if she were caught doing something wrong. Meanwhile, Su Yun was blushing and stealing glances at Shen Che.
Ji Cheng thought to herself, between the two cousins – one beautiful as a flower, the other lively and cheerful – she wondered which one Second Young Master Shen would favor.
However, even Ji Cheng, a newcomer, had heard of Shen Che’s reputation as a charming playboy. Su Yun and Lu Yuan surely knew this too, yet they still harbored secret affection for him, which was rather pitiable.
But one could hardly blame Su Yun and Lu Yuan. Shen Che’s appearance was truly exceptional – cold and handsome, yet not lacking in refinement; aloof, yet with hints of charm. He was like the bright moon in a cold sky or a green pine on a solitary mountain, inspiring admiration and captivating hearts. Even Ji Cheng, who had seen him several times, found it hard to resist his allure.
A man like Shen Che could probably make one eat an extra half bowl of rice just by his mere presence every day.
Such beauty was indeed a feast for the eyes.
Unfortunately, Lu Yuan’s flirtatious glances were wasted on blind eyes. Her inquiries were met only with Shen Che’s response of “having other engagements.”
Su Yun couldn’t help but say, “I heard that even His Majesty will attend the dragon boat races at Golden Rainbow Lake this year. Cousin Che, are you not going to watch?”
“His Majesty goes to Golden Rainbow Lake every year to watch the dragon boat races. Second Brother goes every year too, he must be tired of it by now,” Shen Cui said quickly.
A faint smile played on Shen Che’s lips, but he remained silent. Ji Cheng, however, noticed him glance briefly at the young servant beside him, who then announced loudly, “Young Master, it’s almost the hour of Xu. Didn’t you have an appointment with Young Master Ma and the others?”
Shen Che stood up, apologized, and turned to leave to change his clothes.
Ji Cheng and Shen Cui hurriedly placed their small gifts on the table. Although Su Yun and Lu Yuan had countless words to say, they could only swallow them back.
On the way back, Ji Cheng thought about Shen Che’s attitude earlier. He seemed quite cautious around his female cousins, which put her mind at ease. When she first heard about Shen Che’s romantic escapades, she worried he might behave similarly within the family.
At a fork in the road, Lu Yuan suddenly said, “My feet are tired from walking all day. I won’t go to see Cousin Jing. Fifth Sister, could you please deliver this to him for me?”
She was indeed straightforward, only caring about the one she liked, but this also made her an easy target for ridicule.
Su Yun was more composed than Lu Yuan and continued with Ji Cheng and the others to Shen Jing’s courtyard.
The situation at Shen Jing’s place was different. Knowing his cousins would come to deliver gifts today, he had specifically canceled his engagements, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ji Cheng.
Now, seeing Ji Cheng enter, he couldn’t help but ask, “Cousin Cheng, have you fully recovered?”
Ji Cheng responded naturally with a smile, “I’ve completely recovered.” It was better to be straightforward than to act coy, as this would arouse less suspicion.
Shen Jing knew he shouldn’t focus solely on Ji Cheng, so he exchanged a few words with Su Yun. Su Yun smiled and said, “I heard that Cousin Jing lent Cousin Cheng some books. I wonder if you could lend me a few as well?”
How could Shen Jing refuse? Moreover, Su Yun was naturally beautiful and more lively than Ji Cheng, easily getting along with everyone. The two discussed books for a while, and since Shen Jing didn’t have the ones Su Yun wanted on hand, he promised to find some miscellaneous records and essays from the bookshops outside for her.
After seeing off his cousins, Shen Jing watched Ji Cheng’s retreating figure with some concern, wondering if she would misunderstand his intentions. His conversation with Su Yun was merely to protect Ji Cheng, to keep her out of it, and to prevent his mother from targeting her.
Ji Cheng, however, hadn’t given the matter a second thought.
The next day, Ji Cheng and the others woke up early to dress and prepare, as they were going to Golden Rainbow Lake to watch the dragon boat races. The Shen family’s colorful tent had been set up by the lakeside a few days earlier, and the young ladies would be accompanying Princess An He, Madam Huang, and Ji Lan.
The Old Madam, being advanced in age, couldn’t withstand the heat and therefore didn’t go out. As for the gentlemen of the household, Duke Qi and Earl Zhongyi had received imperial orders to accompany the Emperor. Third Master Shen Ying had made plans with friends and wouldn’t be joining the ladies to watch the races.
When Ji Cheng and the others arrived at Golden Rainbow Lake, the surroundings were already crowded with people.
On the north side of Golden Rainbow Lake, a high viewing platform had been erected, surrounded by imperial guards standing at attention every few steps. This was where the Emperor and the royal family would watch the races. The east and west banks were lined with colorful tents belonging to the city’s dignitaries and nobles. Only the south bank was open to the common people, separated by a fence to prevent them from disturbing the nobility.
Princess An He naturally didn’t sit in the Shen family’s tent. Upon arrival, she was escorted by palace eunuchs to the royal viewing platform.