The green locust trees cast deep shade, slender willows brushed the verandah. Shen Yunshu was playing Go with Grand Preceptor Pei beneath the quiet Le Hall. Halfway through, the old man began to lose focus, so Shen Yunshu switched to playing Five-in-a-Row with him. Pei Huai’an, who had been lounging nearby eating fruit in boredom, grew interested when they switched games and eagerly came over to advise the old master on where to place his stones.
A simple game of Five-in-a-Row: the grandfather and grandson together won two rounds and lost three. The old master grew tired, so Pei Huai’an had someone escort him to rest, then sat down himself with great flourish, determined to win at least one round before stopping.
Shen Yunshu had only let the old master win two rounds out of respect for him; facing Pei Huai’an, she showed no mercy. In less than a quarter hour, she placed her fifth stone in a row.
Pei Huai’an smacked the stone table in frustration. “One more game! I can’t believe this…”
With nothing better to do, Shen Yunshu simply accompanied him, beating him seven times in a row. The youth across from her went from spirited and full of fighting intent to incredulous, then to doubting himself, and finally drooped, saying, “I admit defeat, my skills are no match for yours.” Trying to regain his dignity, he added, “But I’m quite good at Pitch-Pot. How about we compete in that instead?”
A gust of wind suddenly swept through the pavilion, carrying the scents of fresh grass and earth. Shen Yunshu glanced outside; the sky, bright a moment ago, was now heavy with dark clouds—rain was imminent. She rose and said, “I don’t know how to play Pitch-Pot. It’s going to rain. Let’s go back.”
The youth called anxiously, “Then another day I’ll teach you! Once you learn, we’ll see who’s better.”
Shen Yunshu smiled, leaving Quiet Le Hall ahead of him.
By the time the large raindrops began to fall, Shen Yunshu was still some distance from her residence. The wind grew stronger, whipping her robes about. If she continued, she would be soaked; if seen in such a state, it would not be proper. She had no choice but to take shelter in a nearby pavilion.
In the midst of the wind and rain, she saw Pei Huai’an dashing over, using his hand as a makeshift umbrella. As soon as he stepped inside, he glanced up, saw her, and paused, his fair face wet with rain. With a sigh, he turned and ran back out into the downpour.
After all, they were to be brother- and sister-in-law in the future. In Quiet Le Hall earlier, there had been maids around, so there was no need to avoid suspicion. But now, if the two of them were seen sheltering from the rain alone in a pavilion—never mind the awkwardness between a young man and woman—it would only give people something to gossip about.
Watching his figure disappear into the rain, Shen Yunshu thought that this supposed wastrel wasn’t so terrible after all. Though he was idle and unstudious, frivolous and carefree, at heart he wasn’t bad, and unlike those pampered sons of the wealthy, he didn’t chase after women or engage in other bad habits. On the contrary, he kept himself clean, understood propriety, and was quite filial…
And to top it off, he was handsomely elegant, no wonder the little maids in the manor were so smitten, each eager to throw themselves at him.
The rain came and went quickly. The flagstone path beneath the pavilion gleamed, washed clean by the downpour. The pearl-embroidered cloud-tipped shoes stepped lightly, Shen Yunshu dodged the raindrops clinging to bamboo leaves, admired the fresh scenery after the rain, and made her way slowly back to her temporary courtyard.
Tinglan and Qiongzhi were chatting under the eaves. When they saw their young lady return, they hurried over to greet her.
“Tinglan?” Shen Yunshu had left her at home to oversee her younger sister’s studies. She hadn’t expected her to come out to the manor today, so she guessed something must have happened in the residence.
Even before Tinglan spoke, Shen Yunshu was already anxious—could this be related to Lu Yi?
As expected, Tinglan’s next words sent a chill through her heart.
“Young Miss, the eldest son of Vice Minister Lu’s family—that is, your eldest brother—has the intention to propose marriage to Third Miss. Master sent me to ask for your opinion. Are you willing to approve this match?”
Tinglan had only come to serve Shen Yunshu after she arrived in the capital, and was unaware of Lu Yi’s true nature. Her face was wreathed in smiles, evidently thinking this was a close alliance between families, certain that Shen Yunshu would not object.
But Shen Yunshu’s face went pale in an instant, as if her whole body had been frozen by ice. After a few slow breaths, she finally said, “Go back and tell Father that I do not agree to this marriage.”
Tinglan was puzzled, unable to understand why her young mistress would oppose such a good match. “If Master asks for the reason…”
Shen Yunshu’s expression grew solemn. Her voice was slow but clear. “I will explain to Father myself in due time. You only need to tell him that Lu Yi is not a suitable match, and in the future, he is not to approach Third Sister again.”
Tinglan agreed and went back to deliver the message.
The air after the rain was thick with humidity, making it hard to breathe.
Shen Yunshu knew Lu Yi had no true intention of marrying Third Sister. This was a move against her—a means to force her to appear. After two years apart, her stepbrother was still as despicable as ever.
Knowing Lu Yi’s motive, she was all the more determined not to give him what he wanted. If she returned home now, she would be walking right into his trap.
But if she did not return…
Twelve years ago, she had hidden herself to avoid being taken away by her father, thinking that as long as she was not found, all would be well. She never imagined that Third Sister would have to bear the pain of being separated from their mother in her place.
Now, if she continued to hide for her own sake, and Lu Yi truly went mad enough to marry her third sister…
The more Shen Yunshu thought about it, the more terrified she became. She absolutely could not let Lu Yi lay a finger on her sister.
“Qiongzhi, help me change clothes.” On the way here, despite carefully avoiding the bamboo leaves at the roadside, a few raindrops had still dampened her sleeves, leaving deep and shallow marks.
She changed into a pale mountain-green jacket and a crimson gauze skirt. Taking Qiongzhi with her, Shen Yunshu went to bid farewell to Old Madam Pei.
Old Madam Pei had grown used to her company over the past days, and was reluctant to see her go so suddenly. But since the wedding was only a month away, it was time for Shen Yunshu to spend more time with her family. She patted Shen Yunshu’s hand. “Very well. Go home and await your wedding in peace. Enjoy these days of maidenhood…”
Then, worried about her safety on the road, she summoned Pei Huai’an and instructed him to escort Shen Yunshu and her maid home.
Finally, she teased her youngest grandson: “You rascal, staying on the estate day after day, you must be stifled. Go back to the city and have some fun with your friends. In five days, come fetch your grandfather and me. Your eldest brother will be back in the capital soon, and the wedding preparations must be stepped up…”
Pei Huai’an readily agreed, then went to pack, prepare horses, and have the carriage readied.
Half an hour later, he and Shen Yunshu met at the estate gate and headed down the mountain together.
“Sister-in-law, why are you suddenly going home?” he asked. She’d been so at leisure this morning, playing chess with Grandfather—why the sudden change?
Shen Yunshu replied with Old Madam Pei’s words: “The wedding with your elder brother is near. I should go back and check on my dowry.”
“Oh.” Pei Huai’an only asked out of politeness. Then he warned her that the roads would be slippery after the rain, to watch her step, and said nothing more.
Sitting restlessly in the carriage, Shen Yunshu worked to calm her mind, planning how to counter Lu Yi.
Pei Huai’an wanted to escort her all the way to the Shen residence, but Shen Yunshu said she needed to check on her custom jewelry at the Tianxiang Pavilion, and had him drop her off near the Chenxiang Pavilion.
She stayed at Chenxiang Pavilion for less than a quarter of an hour, then left by the back door wearing a veiled hat. She went to a nearby brothel, picked out a girl of similar build, gave her a large sum of silver, and asked her to do a small favor in a few days.
Only then did she return to the Shen residence, heading straight for Shen Youran’s courtyard.
Shen Youran was busy with her studies.
She knew that Tinglan had gone to the Pei estate to fetch her sister today, and with her elder sister’s wedding with the Pei family’s eldest son approaching, she expected her to return soon.
She had been spending too much time at the Lu residence lately, neglecting her assignments—eighty percent of the work her elder sister had set for her remained unfinished. Luckily, since her sister hadn’t come home with Tinglan today, she still had time to catch up.
As she scribbled furiously, she heard the door open. Assuming it was Danruo, she didn’t look up. “Danruo, help me write five thousand characters today. Your handwriting looks a bit like mine. By the way, how’s Qinghe’s embroidery on the handkerchief going? Tell her not to do too well. If it’s too good, it won’t look like my work…”
Shen Yunshu walked right up to her desk and saw that ink stains covered her cuffs, and even her fair hands and face were blotched with ink, while her calligraphy was a complete mess. Shen Yunshu frowned, “When practicing calligraphy, you need a calm mind. If you’re this impatient, you might as well not practice at all…”
Her pen halted mid-stroke. Shen Youran looked up in surprise. “Sister, why are you back so soon?”
“Is this how you do your assignments when I’m not here for a whole month?” Shen Yunshu lifted her little sister’s panic-stricken face and wiped at the ink smudges with a handkerchief.
No matter how she tried, the stains wouldn’t come off, and instead her cheeks turned red from the scrubbing.
Feeling the sting, Shen Youran dared not dodge, eyes lowered in guilt. “Sister, I was wrong.”
It was always like this—quick to admit fault, but never to correct it.
Shen Yunshu sighed, exasperated at her lack of progress. “You, you—how long do you plan to stay lazy? Once you’re married, do you think your husband’s family will tolerate this?”
“Why mention marriage all of a sudden?” Shen Youran looked up at her in alarm. “Don’t tell me you agreed to let me marry Lu Yi?”
“Do you want to?” Shen Yunshu looked down at her.
Shen Youran shook her head vigorously. “No, no! He’s your brother, which makes him mine too. How could siblings be husband and wife?”
Only then did Shen Yunshu’s expression soften, and her hand grew gentler. “Good, as long as you don’t want to.” She had worried that her simple, naïve sister would fall for Lu Yi’s tricks.
How could siblings be husband and wife?
Even Third Sister understood such a thing, yet Lu Yi insisted on defying it. Truly, he was mad.
Shen Yunshu stayed at the Shen residence for two days. Although she didn’t reveal Lu Yi’s true nature to her father, she managed to persuade him to give up on the idea of a marriage alliance with the Lu family.
She then returned to the Lu residence, met with her mother and younger brother, and also with Lu Yi, who had been waiting for her.
Lu Yi tried to speak with her alone, but she always managed to avoid him. At night, she slept with her mother, so he couldn’t disturb her then either.
It was not until the next day, after Shen Yunshu purposely sent Tinglan and Qiongzhi away and pretended to be alone, that Lu Yi finally found his chance, pulling her aside. “A-Shu, how long are you going to avoid me?”
“If you hadn’t come to find me, Brother, I was going to seek you out as well.” Shen Yunshu gazed steadily at her stepbrother, working hard to hide her disgust. In a calm tone she said, “About Third Sister, I wanted to discuss it with you. There are some things best said outside the house. Meet me at noon today at Fengle Tower…”