Chapter 41: Chest Apology – I Was Wrong

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At Mingyue Floating Bridge, where talented scholars and beautiful ladies gathered, Lin Xihe leaned against the railing in contemplation. The bustling night scene unfolded gradually like a shot from a historical drama. A soft call by her ear pulled her thoughts back from modern associations.

The scholar’s gaze fell upon the lady.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Lin Xihe felt something was off about Wen Zhixu.

A squirrel tail pendant hung beside the jade ornament at his waist, matching her fur ball accessory. His attire was unusually formal, resembling a historical romance male lead trying too hard.

“Freedom to dress as one pleases,” Lin Xihe thought again. Even if Wen Zhixu were to parade through the temple fair in emperor’s new clothes, it was none of her business—as long as he didn’t drag her along.

Suddenly, countless pigeons descended like a snowstorm.

Lin Xihe: Huh? Did I stumble onto the Harry Potter set?

From her peripheral vision, she noticed crowds had already gathered beneath the bridge, while the windows of Xianqing House’s private rooms were packed with spectators.

Even as a modern person who had seen some things, Lin Xihe had to admit: this spectacle was too grand.

Wen Zhixu took out a pouch.

Lin Xihe’s heart skipped a beat: What, what’s inside…?

Wen Zhixu half-knelt.

“!”

Ahhh, is he kneeling to me?!

Is my rival proposing?

The more critical the moment, the more Lin Xihe’s CPU tended to wander, thinking about irrelevant things.

As the pigeons cooed “gu gu gu,” she genuinely wondered what trick Wen Zhixu would pull next: Don’t domineering CEOs use drones for proposals?

Lin Xihe unconsciously picked at her fingers, fearing these “pigeon drones” might fly up and spell out “Marry Me” in the sky.

She widened her eyes, watching Wen Zhixu reach into the pouch.

Half-kneeling on the ground, his voice gentle as moonlight: “Don’t rush, let Miss Lin feed you.”

Then he extended his arm, opening his palm: “Here.”

Lin Xihe looked closely.

Golden, yellow grains.

Corn kernels.

“…”

Ha, haha! The classic pigeon feeding activity! In that brief moment, Lin Xihe’s brain went from crashing to forced reboot, her adaptability making leaps and bounds.

The pigeon she fed, though appearing aged with faded feathers, still had sharp eyes and exuded the aura of “pigeon gang leader.”

“Is this the pigeon that delivered the letter that day?” Lin Xihe recognized it.

“Mm, raised by my elder brother.”

A veteran pigeon that had been on battlefields and delivered intelligence.

“Wow,” Lin Xihe activated praise mode, “Your brother raises so many pigeons, he’s amazing.”

Wen Zhixu: “The other pigeons are borrowed.”

“…”

Every pigeon from all Bird Marts and pigeon enthusiasts in Shengjing had been borrowed by Wen Zhixu to create this spectacle.

The crowd had already craned their necks. They saw the Lin family’s young mistress untie the secret message from the pigeon’s leg, unfold and read it aloud. Before finishing, her expression suddenly changed, her willow-leaf eyebrows shooting up as she lifted her skirts to chase after Second Master Wen.

Amidst the lantern lights, the beauty startled countless white feathers into flight, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

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After the temple fair, the previous rumors were basically eradicated.

Secret meetings with unrelated men? That was Miss Lin openly touring the temple fair with her future husband—what fault was there in that?

Since then, a small group quietly emerged among the populace, delightedly discussing anecdotes about this perfect couple.

“I saw the Lin family’s young lady at the silk shop, she only brought her personal maid.”

“Second Master Wen visited the jade store with his servant.”

“Did they have a fight?!”

“No no, if they break up, I’ll never believe in love again.”

In a few days, it would be Lin Xihe’s birthday.

Lin Zhaoheng insisted on celebrating it lavishly, so Lin Xihe had no choice but to visit the silk shop to select fabric.

The shopkeeper presented a new gauze: “Miss Lin, this is the newly arrived Cicada-wing Gauze, perfect for hot weather.”

Qingwu took one look and thought the fabric was so thin it seemed almost invisible—even women of ill repute might find it indecent, let alone a respectable young lady from a noble family. The maid immediately scowled.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper realized the misunderstanding and repeatedly bowed, “Please don’t be angry, Miss! This gauze is meant for decoration, not to be worn alone!”

Lin Xihe gestured for the shopkeeper to cut an extra piece.

Mo Hu and Bu Bu happily received new outfits. The thin gauze was draped over the dog’s back, and Wen Zhixu averted his gaze at the absurd sight.

“Wear it if it’s given to you,” he said, picking up a thin strap. “And what’s this?”

Wen Ba replied, “Miss Lin said this is a Maid Hat.”

“…”

The dog, dressed in a makeshift maid costume, lay listlessly in the shade, panting and feigning sleep as if it had lost all will to live. Bu Bu flew onto its owner’s shoulder, sporting a pair of lace wings on its back.

“Quack,” it let out a flattering croak to survive.

Seeing its cooperation, Wen Zhixu snorted lightly, “At least you know what’s good for you.”

The birthday of the Lin family’s legitimate daughter was the most important KPI for the entire household. Anyone who failed to cooperate had long been expelled by Lin Zhaoheng.

Min Shi, who had been so frightened by a snake shedding its skin that her legs gave way, once knocked over a maid’s teapot and scalded half her face.

During her recovery, she grumbled incessantly. Worried it would affect his precious daughter’s mood, Lin Zhaoheng waved his hand and ordered Min Shi sent to an old estate a hundred miles away, assigning her only two elderly maids and one laborer.

It was treated as exile.

During this time, Lin Zhaoheng repeatedly tried to gauge his daughter’s feelings. Whenever he so much as mentioned “your mother,” he would receive a cold glare from Lin Xihe.

“Father, you may do as you please. I have no right to interfere with your free will, but please do not disturb my mother’s quiet cultivation.”

“But she has already left Shu Shi An.”

Lin Xihe’s patience vanished. “Even if she were to ascend to the heavens, it has nothing to do with you. I plan to stay with my mother for a few days. I’ll return once you’ve come to your senses.”

“How could you be so—”

Lin Xihe cut in, “After my parents divorced, the court didn’t assign me to either party. According to my personal wishes…”

“!” Lin Zhaoheng was truly at a loss.

With his daughter recovered and Huixin having something to care for, how could she retreat into monastic life? Following Lin Xihe’s arrangements, she moved to a courtyard at the foot of Yueling Mountain.

The residence was purchased by her daughter. Though not as spacious as Tinghe Courtyard, it was furnished with many novelties according to her wishes.

For instance, a washroom with flushing capabilities and a water room equipped with a simple manual shower system.

A day later, after tossing paper balls, knocking on the wall, and even sending a lotus lantern as a “message in a bottle” floating into the connected pond between the two estates, Wen Zhixu finally confirmed: Lin Xihe was not home.

After inquiring with the Lin family’s Housekeeper, he learned that Lin Xihe had “run away from home.”

Wen Zhixu had no choice but to ride the foolish horse named Chun Lu. After getting lost several times, he finally found the small courtyard where Madam Lin resided.

As an unrelated man, it was improper for him to enter.

“Why haven’t the furniture delivery people arrived yet? Qingwu, go and check.”

Wen Zhixu, caught off guard, locked eyes with the maid behind the door. He immediately raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent.

But Qingwu had already called out loudly into the courtyard, “Madam, Miss, the Second Young Master is here to see you!”

“Why has Xiao Xu come?” Madam Lin stood with crossed arms, her face no longer bearing the kindly neighborly expression but instead wearing the critical gaze of a prospective mother-in-law. No matter how she looked at him, the young man seemed somewhat lacking.

Her daughter had barely settled in when this fellow came sticking to her like a plaster.

Rash and inconsiderate.

Madam Lin sniffed the air. Beyond the faint floral fragrance in the courtyard, there seemed to linger a subtle, sour bitterness?

Strange, the green plums in the yard hadn’t yet borne fruit—where could this scent be coming from?

She lifted her eyes for a closer look and traced the source of this sourness to Wen Zhixu’s forcibly composed expression.

What a picture of unrequited longing and frustrated speechlessness.

“Here to see my mother,” Wen Zhixu pretended to answer. “Passing by the foot of the mountain, so I thought I’d stop by.”

“Just passing through—” Madam Lin drew out the words. “Well, you’ve seen her. Time to go back. This is a good time to go up the mountain—Hui Ci should be free.”

Wen Zhixu’s gaze drifted past her shoulder to the solitary green plum tree standing quietly in the courtyard.

His little green plum was nowhere to be seen.

Sunset, dusk, a lean horse—a desolate scene.

Lin Xihe lifted her skirts and chased after him, calling out three words.

The heartbroken man on horseback turned back, his gloomy eyes instantly lighting up.

“What are you smiling at?” Wen Zhixu, sharp-eyed, caught the faint smile at the corner of Lin Xihe’s lips and tightened his grip on the reins.

Lin Xihe had just been imagining the scene from Journey to the West where Tang Seng argues with Sun Wukong only to be heartlessly abandoned by his disciple. She quickly pulled her thoughts back, biting her lip: “Going to see your mother?”

Wen Zhixu pulled out something he’d been hiding in his robe all this time and said resentfully, “I came to see you! Satisfied?”

“Preserved peach?” Lin Xihe immediately spotted the characters for “Chantangzhai” on the paper wrapper—this was the top trending snack shop in the capital.

Recently, their new batch of preserved peaches had hit the market, and the shopkeeper had adopted some new rule from who-knows-where: limited to one portion per person.

The young ladies of the capital with their cravings had been sending servants to queue up and compete for purchases, and Lin Xihe had naturally dispatched Qingwu. Unexpectedly, Qingwu had ended up quarreling with Miss Zhao’s head maid, publicly pulling each other’s hair in the street.

They won the fight but lost the preserved peaches.

“Oh…” Lin Xihe’s eyes fixated on the preserved peaches as she eagerly approached the horse, reaching out to take them.

But Wen Zhixu, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly raised his arm high.

Lin Xihe couldn’t reach it, standing on her toes and jumping.

He raised the oilpaper package even higher.

Driven by the greedy worm in her stomach, Lin Xihe jumped twice on the spot, her fingertips just brushing against the oilpaper package but still unable to reach it.

He was clearly doing this on purpose! Getting back at her for refusing to come out earlier.

“Hmph, I won’t eat it then!” She flicked her sleeves and turned to leave.

“Won’t eat it?” The young man’s voice, carrying the fragrance of June blossoms, reached Lin Xihe’s ears. “I had someone queue for half an hour—their legs are sore from standing.”

Actually, he had queued up himself. But in this great wide world, the dignity of the second young master of Wen Country Duke Manor mattered most.

“Just won’t eat it,” the girl’s reply came against the evening breeze, barely audible.

Dusk gave way to evening as the sun was swallowed by the valley.

Though Chun Lu didn’t know the way, that didn’t mean he wasn’t a good horse. With a slight squeeze from Wen Zhixu, he understood and charged straight toward the figure ahead.

Hearing the clip-clop of hoofbeats drawing nearer behind her, Lin Xihe couldn’t help breaking into a light run. She had principles—if she said she wouldn’t eat it, she wouldn’t, even if he caught up!

The young man on horseback leaned down and reached out, effortlessly scooping the girl onto the horse. Amid her startled cry, he smoothly pressed her firmly into his embrace.

Her feet left the ground as heaven and earth spun around her. In the next instant, her cheek was pressed against a solid chest. Thump, thump-thump—the drum-like heartbeat reverberated through her ears, leaving them numb.

Lin Xihe looked up in a daze.

He pleaded softly, “I was wrong. Please, just take one bite, will you?”

Her mind went blank, her gaze fixed on his Adam’s apple as she watched it bob several times.

…Bite?

He wanted her to… eat what?