Ever since Lu Yi’s visit, Shen Youran found herself increasingly distracted, unable to focus on her studies.
She told her father she wanted to visit the Lu Residence to see her mother. Not only did her father agree, he also had gifts prepared for her to take along.
Shen Youran longed for this day, night and day, until finally, three days later, the Lu family’s carriage arrived. Lu Yi rode alongside the carriage, escorting her to the Lu Residence.
The Lu family’s residence in the capital was not close to the Shen Residence. The carriage traveled for over half an hour before arriving.
Mother and daughter had not seen each other in years, and both had missed each other deeply. There was so much to say, so many tears to shed. Shen Youran stayed at the Lu Residence that night, sharing a bed with her mother and whispering secrets in the dark.
Madam Ning held her daughter just as she had when she was a child, only now her daughter was already as tall as she was.
“By the way, how is it that I’ve never heard your sister mention her engagement to the eldest son of the Pei family?” she asked.
“Big Sister said she wrote you a letter,” Shen Youran replied. “Did you not receive it?”
“Perhaps something went wrong at the courier station. I never received your sister’s letter.” Madam Ning stroked her younger daughter’s cloud-like black hair, her mind already turning to her elder daughter’s marriage. “Have you met the Pei family’s eldest son? What is he like? And the Pei Residence?”
“I only met him once,” Shen Youran hesitated, not daring to mention that she had stood in for her older sister at the meeting with the Pei young master. “I didn’t get a good look at his appearance, but Sister is satisfied with him. Besides, he was a third-ranked Jinshi at the palace examination, twenty-one this year, now serving as an official in Lingzhou. He must be excellent in both learning and character…”
“The Pei family’s patriarch was honored with the title of Grand Mentor after retiring from office. His father is currently an Academician in the Hanlin Academy, his second uncle holds a post in a leisurely office, and his third uncle is a merchant in Quanzhou…”
All Shen Youran knew about the Pei family was what she’d heard from her father and elder sister—just the surface, nothing deeper.
“It seems the Pei family is among the best in the capital. Your sister chose well for herself, finding a good husband’s family…”
Her eldest daughter had always been intelligent and decisive, graceful and dignified. Even back in Xunzhou, many families had come to propose. Madam Ning had wanted to arrange a marriage for her there, but for one reason or another, none had worked out. When her daughter turned sixteen, she suddenly asked to go to the capital to visit her father and sister. Madam Ning thought she would soon return, but she ended up staying for two years.
And now, the marriage was already settled.
Although Madam Ning only knew a little about the Pei family from her younger daughter, the children’s father, Shen Tingyu, had served as an official in the capital for years and knew all the prominent families well. Since he had approved the match, there could be no serious problems with the Pei family.
With that, Madam Ning felt reassured.
“What about your second brother…” Madam Ning had always avoided talking about that child, but some things could not be ignored forever. “How do you get along with him?”
“He’s studying in Quanzhou and rarely comes home. He came back last Mid-Autumn Festival and stayed for two or three days before leaving again.” Shen Youran was the third child. Above her was her eldest sister and her twin brother.
In the hazy memories of her early childhood, her second brother began to fall ill around the time their parents separated. When their mother returned to Xunzhou, she only took Shen Youran and her elder sister, leaving her ailing brother in the capital.
No one knew what strange illness her brother had. He never recovered. Shortly after their parents’ separation, her father heard that there was a miraculous physician in Quanzhou who might cure him, so he sent the boy there, entrusting him to a friend.
And so it went on for ten years.
When she saw her brother again, he was already fifteen, grown into a refined and handsome young man, though he looked nothing like Shen Youran. Standing together, no one would guess they were twins.
Perhaps because of their long separation, he was not close with his father or the siblings at home, only staying a few days each time before returning to Quanzhou.
After that, he came home only once or twice a year, each time for just a few days. Often, Shen Youran would forget she even had a second brother.
Hearing her mother bring him up today, Shen Youran figured she must miss him very much, so she said, “If Second Brother knew you’d returned to the capital, he would be so happy. How about I write to Quanzhou and ask him to come back and see you?”
A faint sadness flickered in Madam Ning’s eyes. “There’s no need to write to him. I do not wish to see him…”
“Why?” Shen Youran was puzzled. “Mother, why don’t you want to see Second Brother? Isn’t he your child, too?”
Madam Ning sighed, but did not explain further. She only pulled her daughter into her arms, patting her gently as she used to, comforting her: “Youran, be good…”
After that, Shen Youran often went to the Lu Residence, sometimes staying for a day or two. Every time, Lu Yi would pick her up and see her off. On the way, he would tell her stories about her mother’s past. As time went by, they grew close. At first, Shen Youran called him “Lu Young Master,” but later changed to “Brother Lu.” He laughed, “Your sister used to call me ‘Ah Xiong.’ Why don’t you call me ‘Ah Xiong’ too?”
Shen Youran didn’t think much of it: Since her elder sister called him that, it should be fine for her to do the same.
Lu Yi was not related to her by blood, yet he treated her with kindness. But her other brother—her mother’s son by another marriage—was not nearly so friendly.
After her mother remarried into the Lu family, she had another child, a boy named Lu Nian, now six and a half, about the same age as Shen Youran’s fourth younger sister, but far more troublesome than Shen Yuming.
Shen Yuming was the daughter of her stepmother, Madam Wei. She used to run around after Shen Youran, calling her sister and complimenting her looks.
But Lu Nian was nothing like that. Every time he saw Shen Youran, he glared and shouted, “Sister, you’re so annoying! You’re so old and still trying to steal my mother! Shame on you…”
Shen Youran hadn’t wanted to argue with a child, but after being scolded so many times, she retorted, “What do you mean, I’m stealing your mother? She’s my mother to begin with!”
Lu Nian stomped his feet and replied, “No, she isn’t. This is my home, not yours. Your mother is in your house; my mother is in my house!”
At such a young age, he left Shen Youran speechless.
Indeed, this was the Lu Residence, and she was a Shen.
Because of this, Shen Youran did not go to the Lu family for seven days. Unexpectedly, Lu Yi came to visit her at home, asking why she hadn’t been to the Lu Residence lately—was she ill? Her mother was worried about her.
Twisting her handkerchief awkwardly, Shen Youran told him the reason.
“So that’s it.” Lu Yi quickly hid his satisfaction, maintaining his gentle demeanor as he comforted her, “Fifth Brother is just a child; don’t take his words to heart. If you want to stay with Mother, I have a way to make Fifth Brother accept you…”
“What way?”
He suddenly leaned closer, coaxing softly, “Marry me. Then Mother will be your mother-in-law as well as your mother, and Fifth Brother won’t have any reason to drive you away.”
With that, he straightened up, looking down at her with confidence. He figured after these days together, plus her mother’s persuasion, she would not refuse.
Even if she did, it would only be the shyness of a young girl. He could coax her into agreeing.
As expected, the girl was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks flushed red. Twisting her handkerchief, she did not dare look at him. “No.”
Lu Yi admired his seemingly certain prey. “Why not?”
“You’re Ah Xiong. Siblings can’t marry.”
“But we have different fathers and mothers. We’re not really siblings.”
“It’s still not right. My mother is also your mother. My sister is your sister, so by that logic, we are siblings. I can’t marry you. That would violate the rules…”
“You’re overthinking. You’re a Shen, I’m a Lu. Marrying won’t violate the rules.”
“It’s still no.” Shen Youran stubbornly insisted, her tone growing firmer. “I call you Ah Xiong, so you’re my elder brother. How could a sister marry her own brother? That’s absurd…”
Shen Yunshu had said much the same to him before.
But unlike the innocent Shen Youran before him, Shen Yunshu’s eyes were filled with deep disgust when she said it.
For a moment, her face seemed to overlap with the one before him. Rejected once more, Lu Yi became both angry and ashamed. Suddenly, he grabbed her slender arm, forcing her to look at him, his gaze turning dark. “I will solve all the problems. You just have to say yes…”
Frightened by his sudden change of expression, and in pain from his grip, Shen Youran struggled but could not break free. Only by kicking him in the shin, taking advantage of his momentary distraction, did she manage to escape his grasp.
“I don’t want to.” She tossed these words behind her and hurriedly fled.
Watching her panic-stricken retreat, Lu Yi realized he’d lost his composure and probably scared her.
But it didn’t matter for his plan. He never intended to marry a substitute—he just wanted Shen Yunshu to hear about his proposal to Shen Youran.
If Ah Shu knew he wanted to marry her younger sister, she would surely come see him herself.
Danruo and Qinghe had been chatting and embroidering under the eaves. From there, they saw that the Third Miss and the Lu family’s eldest son seemed to be quarreling under the crabapple tree. Just as they were about to go over, they saw their young lady rush toward them, dragging both into the room and telling them to shut the door tight.
“What happened, Miss?” Danruo asked, flustered. “Did the Lu young master say something to frighten you?”
“He…he asked me to marry him.” Shen Youran pressed her startled heart, muttering, “What a ridiculous idea…”
Danruo and Qinghe stared at each other in shock. This was no small matter. Regardless of Lu Yi’s true intentions, this must be reported to the master of the house.
When Shen Tingyu learned of it, he thought perhaps Lu Yi had taken a liking to his third daughter. Although he didn’t care for Lu Yi, if his third daughter really married into the Lu family, it might not be so bad. After all, the third daughter was not as gentle and virtuous as the eldest. If she married elsewhere, she would likely suffer at the hands of her in-laws. But if she married into the Lu family, with her birth mother to help her, her life would be much easier.
But this marriage, apart from needing his own approval, also had to be discussed with his eldest daughter.
So Shen Tingyu sent someone to the Pei family’s estate to inform Shen Yunshu.
At that time, Shen Yunshu had already been living at the Pei estate for nearly a month. Every day, she visited the old madam to pay her respects, kept her company, and often visited the convalescing Grand Mentor Pei. Whenever the old man was lucid, she played chess with him. It was said that using one’s mind like this would help with his illness.
The old madam had grown increasingly fond of her and couldn’t bear to see her leave, so she continued staying day after day.
That day, as usual, she went to play chess with the old man. Passing by the glass conservatory, she spotted a fresh-faced maid holding just-picked lilies, her cheeks flushed, clearly waiting for someone.
That bashful expression was very familiar. Shen Yunshu had seen it on other maids before. If she was right, the girl was waiting for the Pei family’s seventh young master, Pei Huaian.
Footsteps approached from behind, a man’s by the sound. It was probably the Seventh Young Master the maid had been waiting for.
Not wanting to spoil the scene, Shen Yunshu took the opportunity to hide behind a sturdy locust tree in the bamboo grove. But curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked out to watch what happened next.
Sure enough, Pei Huaian appeared, dressed in a narrow-sleeved robe with inky branch patterns, elegant as jade, strolling leisurely down the stone path.
The maid, upon seeing him, clutched her lilies and lowered her head, hurrying toward him.
The path was narrow, just wide enough for two people.
Pei Huaian, as the master, naturally wouldn’t step aside. But seeing the maid charging toward him without lifting her head, he instinctively dodged.
The maid had meant to bump into his arms, but missed and twisted her ankle, nearly falling.
Luckily, Pei Huaian grabbed her just in time, saving her from embarrassment.
Yet though he helped, his words were not so kind: “No more throwing yourself at me. I don’t eat the grass by my own doorstep!”
The red faded instantly from the maid’s face, replaced by a sheet-white pallor as she stammered, “Se-seventh Young Master, you misunderstand, I didn’t mean—”
“Better that way.” Pei Huaian waved her off impatiently. “Don’t appear before me again.”
The maid ran away in tears.
Pei Huaian, however, did not leave. Instead, he turned to Shen Yunshu, giving her a look of quiet reproach with his striking phoenix eyes. “Has Sister-in-law seen enough?”
Caught in the act, Shen Yunshu blinked awkwardly and stepped out from behind the locust tree, pretending nothing had happened as she greeted him, “Good morning. Going to see your grandfather? Let’s go together…”
But Pei Huaian pressed on, “You saw her before I did, Sister-in-law. Why didn’t you warn me? Instead, you hid and watched the show?”
“How was I supposed to know she’d try to run into you?” Shen Yunshu had thought the maid merely wanted a chance encounter, not that she’d fling herself at him. “Maybe it was an accident…”
But Pei Huaian was adamant. “That’s the sixth maid this month who’s tried it. Last time, another one spilled tea on me—ruined my cloud-brocade robe. Not even selling her would cover the loss.”
“What did you do to her?” Shen Yunshu glanced at him. “Did you really sell her off?”
“Selling her wouldn’t help. I just scolded her and told her to keep away from me,” Pei Huaian snorted. “Good thing my father’s rich. I’ll just have him buy me another bolt of brocade…”
Shen Yunshu smiled: so he was just a soft-hearted boy beneath the tough talk.