Chapter 2 Xiao Rong Stared at Her Unblinkingly Again…

At daybreak the next morning, as dawn’s light gradually rose, a few faint rays filtered through the bamboo blinds by the window.

Si Jin’s brows and eyes twitched slightly, and she woke up.

Upon opening her eyes, the room was as silent as ever.

She tilted her head to look toward the dividing screen, but no shifting shadows were cast upon it—Xiao Rong seemed to be absent.

Si Jin rose from the bed, the thin quilt slipping down to her waist, revealing smooth skin beneath her slightly open collar.

She quickly grabbed the outer garment beside her, threw it on, and tiptoed stealthily in her embroidered shoes toward the screen.

Only after peeking out and confirming that Xiao Rong was no longer in the bedchamber did she relax her posture, letting her outer garment hang loosely as she strolled back to her own bed.

This was one of the many inconveniences brought about by this marriage.

In the first half-year of their marriage, Xiao Rong hadn’t visited often—just three times a month, as was proper.

But later, his visits gradually became more frequent. Especially last month, before he went on a long journey, he had stayed here for more than half the month, making Si Jin worry that if this continued, she might soon face the situation of having to move into Songlan Courtyard and live directly with Xiao Rong.

It really shouldn’t have turned out like this.

When Si Jin first met Xiao Rong, she was only six years old.

Even now, she could still vividly recall that incident.

In the courtyard, she saw a young boy standing quietly for a long time, expressionless, as if deep in thought.

Unable to resist, she went up to ask him.

The first time Xiao Rong met her, he solemnly lied to her.

He told her that on sunny days, the pond fish would sing, and he was there listening to the tunes to relieve his fatigue.

Si Jin believed him and waited by the pond the next day for a long time, her little face flushed red from the sun, but she heard nothing. In the end, she fainted by the pond from heatstroke.

Later, when Si Jin learned the truth, she was furious and never treated Xiao Rong kindly again.

But Xiao Rong had a bewitchingly beautiful face, and in his youth, he was as pure as fine jade.

Speaking softly and putting on a pitiful act of having learned his lesson, he made Si Jin’s heart soften, and she forgave him.

Yet, the truth proved that Xiao Rong was nothing but a wicked, bad child.

Later, he tricked her out of the candies in her pocket and snatched away toys others had given her.

Even the little goldfish she raised were taken by him under the flimsy excuse that he was lonely, only for him to end up letting the fish die.

After being deceived multiple times, Si Jin resolved never to be friends with him again.

However, the Si and Xiao families interacted closely, so they inevitably still crossed paths.

When she was ten, Si Jin came across Xiao Rong twisting the neck of a dead wild cat with a strange expression on his face.

Raising his arm to show his blood-stained fingertips, he said to her, “Don’t misunderstand—I didn’t kill it.”

The way he said it made it seem as though his hands had already been stained with other blood—utterly chilling.

Si Jin was immediately frightened, her eyes reddening and her face turning pale.

After holding her breath for a moment, she burst into tears and ran away.

Later, she heard others talk about the incident, praising Xiao Rong for his kindness.

They said he had properly buried the poor wild cat and carefully instructed the servants to watch out for small animals that might appear around the estate.

In contrast, she, who had turned and run away without doing anything, seemed like a heartless, bad child.

When she was thirteen, she accidentally came across Xiao Rong again in a corner.

Xiao Rong, unlike his usual refined and noble self, was stepping on someone’s head with a ferocious expression.

He trampled on that person as if crushing an ant.

Hearing the noise, Xiao Rong turned his head and met her terrified gaze. He showed no guilt, only expressionlessly retracted his foot from the person’s head.

He then reminded her in a calm voice, “This matter must be kept secret. You must act as if you saw nothing.”

Si Jin was frightened by him once again.

Panic-stricken, she turned and fled.

Si Jin had no intention of keeping the secret, but neither did she manage to spread it.

That night, she dreamt of a demon from hell coming to claim her life—a handsome face, yet sinister and chilling, utterly terrifying.

The next day, she fell ill.

For three days, she was gravely ill, drifting in and out of consciousness. Just as she began to recover slightly, she heard the news that Xiao Rong had uncovered a traitor, captured him in time, and received great commendation.

It sounded as if she had misunderstood him again.

But in Si Jin’s eyes, Xiao Rong had never been the honorable and upright man he appeared to be.

In his youth, he was mischievous and fond of bullying others.

As he grew older, he became deeply scheming and hypocritical.

Although, given Xiao Rong’s status, her likes or dislikes meant nothing to him, Si Jin still held a one-sided mix of aversion and fear toward him.

Fortunately, given her own status, the older they grew, the fewer opportunities she had to see him.

If not for this marriage, by now, she would have been able to completely sever all ties with him.

But things did not go as planned.

Si Jin sighed softly as she sat by the edge of the bed. After sitting quietly for a while longer, she called for Chun Xing to enter the room.

Chun Xing was well aware of her mistress’s secret.

Upon entering, she first went behind the screen and swiftly tidied the bed where Xiao Rong had slept, making it appear as though this spare room had never been used.

Only then did she summon the other servants to help Si Jin change her clothes and do her makeup.

Today was Si Jin’s day of returning home. She examined her reflection in the bronze mirror, but after a moment, noticed that the maid beside her had stopped moving.

Si Jin turned and asked, “Where is the silk handkerchief?”

The maid in charge of her clothes was taken aback and hurriedly replied, “Just now, when this servant was organizing the clothes you changed out of yesterday, the silk handkerchief from yesterday was missing. I assumed you still intended to use it today.”

“The one from yesterday is missing?”

The two maids exchanged glances.

Si Jin frowned slightly, trying to recall, but she could not remember where she might have left the handkerchief the day before.

She had never considered herself forgetful—at most, a little careless.

But in recent months, unexpected incidents had repeatedly troubled her, causing her to lose quite a few things.

Even some of her intimate belongings.

Last month, a newly made undergarment, which she had worn only once and had not yet sent to the laundry, had gone missing.

That night, the weather was hot, and she had left the east window open to catch the cool breeze while she slept.

The next day, the undergarment was gone, likely swept away by the night wind, drifting to who knows where.

It was utterly embarrassing, too shameful to mention.

So much so that Si Jin felt too awkward to bring up the undergarment again, fearing that somewhere in the estate, news might spread of an unclaimed undergarment being found.

Fortunately, there were no unusual rumors in the estate, and she could only pretend the undergarment had never existed, silently resolving to break this bad habit.

Who would have thought that today, she would lose a silk handkerchief?

Si Jin muttered quietly, “The handkerchief isn’t with me. Go look for it again, and prepare a new one for now.”

“Yes, madam.”

The maid in charge of her clothes withdrew, and Chun Xing stepped forward from the other side.

Chun Xing reported, “For your return home, madam, the master has prepared modest gifts. They are all arranged and ready now.”

Si Jin let out a soft “oh,” unsurprised.

Xiao Rong was always thorough in everything, and this was indeed something he would do.

But she soon realized something else and curled her lips into a gentle, faint smile. “My husband is always so thoughtful.”

Seeing Si Jin respond, Chun Xing quickly added, “And regarding the crisp cake Madam mentioned earlier, the master said he would bring it today for Madam to share with her family at the Si residence.”

Si Jin: “…”

This surprised her.

Over a month ago, before Xiao Rong had left on his journey, she had casually mentioned a shop in the suburbs that specialized in crisp cakes.

She had heard they were delicious, but due to the distance and lack of opportunity at the time, she hadn’t been able to try them.

Had Xiao Rong even remembered such a trivial matter?

But Si Jin’s smile stiffened, unable to maintain it any longer. She lowered her eyes, feigning shyness, and softly replied, “Alright.”

As soon as Si Jin stepped down from the carriage, she encountered Si Yue returning from court at the entrance of the estate.

Her eyes flickered, and she called out softly, “Elder Brother.”

Si Yue turned to look at her, his gaze cold and undisguised.

Si Jin had always been somewhat intimidated by him since childhood.

Only when the Emperor arranged her marriage did he speak up, mentioning her incompatibility with Xiao Rong—which, in a way, had been helpful to her.

But in truth, it was only because Si Yue looked down on her from the start and didn’t believe she deserved such a prestigious match.

The atmosphere grew tense for a moment.

Fortunately, Si Yue had no intention of engaging further with her. He merely responded with an “Mm” before stepping into the estate ahead of her.

Si Jin breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Entering the estate brought another inconvenience caused by this marriage.

If she had married anyone other than Xiao Rong, neither her wedding nor her returning home would have drawn much attention from the rest of the Si family. She could have continued living as before—quietly and unnoticed, only close with her parents.

But her marriage to Xiao Rong made it impossible to remain inconspicuous.

A crowd was already waiting in the main hall.

Si Jin hadn’t returned often since her marriage.

Yet, with her status as Madam Xiao, every visit became a grand affair.

Today, even the family patriarch was present.

Stepping across the threshold, Si Jin struggled to maintain a dignified and gentle demeanor as she greeted everyone in the room. Still, her nervousness caused her to stumble over her words a few times.

Soft giggles immediately arose from the left side.

Though Si Jin couldn’t see from the corner of her eye, she knew it must be Si Yingdong, the second daughter of the second branch, laughing at her.

Si Jin and Si Yingdong were the same age and had often been compared since childhood.

While Si Jin wasn’t entirely without merits, there were many areas where she fell short compared to Si Yingdong.

This had made Si Yingdong particularly smug around her.

At some point, that smugness had taken on a hint of annoying hostility.

After Si Jin married Xiao Rong, that hostility was brought completely into the open.

Hearing the muffled laughter, Si Jin couldn’t help but frown.

Right now, she wished she could let Si Yingdong know what Xiao Rong had said yesterday.

If Si Yingdong knew just how important a figure she had become, she certainly wouldn’t be laughing.

Si Jin let out a faint, unimpressive hum, secretly reclaiming a small victory in her heart.

The family patriarch, seated in the place of honor, glanced toward the door and asked, “Why isn’t Chongyun here?”

Si Jin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she snapped back to attention.

She should have realized earlier—the only reason her grandfather was here today was because Xiao Rong had returned from his journey, and he might have hoped to see him here.

She parted her lips, about to speak.

But Si Yue, standing nearby, spoke first, “Chongyun is likely occupied today. Right after court, the Crown Prince summoned him. I’m afraid he’ll be busy for a while.”

Si Jin felt her grandfather’s gaze finally settle on her. She then added softly, “Yes, my husband mentioned this morning that he might not be able to free up time today.”

Her words sounded exactly as if Xiao Rong had whispered them in her ear this morning while she was half-asleep.

“Tch, what’s there to show off about?”

Si Jin’s lips twitched, nearly breaking her composure.

Si Yingdong was truly detestable. Which eye of hers had seen any showing off?

If she was so willing, she could take on this task herself—it would be a great help.

Old Master Si was visibly disappointed but still nodded: “It’s fine. His official duties come first.”

Since Xiao Rong wasn’t present, Old Master Si didn’t linger long in the main hall, rising to leave shortly after.

After his departure, most of the men in the room dispersed as well.

Si Jin struggled through interactions with the remaining people for quite some time before finally managing to extricate herself and return to the courtyard with her parents.

Cheng Yi held her daughter’s hand, looking her up and down repeatedly.

Si Jin couldn’t help saying: “Mother, you’re about to stare holes through me.”

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I’ve missed you terribly—how could I not take this chance to look my fill?”

“If you miss me so much, you shouldn’t have married me off then.”

And yet they’d cried theatrically when she refused the marriage.

“More nonsense. Where would anyone else kneel and pray to obtain such a good marriage? It’s our family’s good fortune.”

Si Chengyuan nodded: “Indeed, many people beg for this but can’t obtain it. To this day I still feel like I’m dreaming.”

Si Jin’s brow furrowed slightly.

But soon, Cheng Yi changed tack: “Our Xiao Jin has such a lovely temperament and beautiful features—she was always likable. The Xiao family got the better deal. Look how harmoniously Xiao Jin and Chongyun get along now, how deeply affectionate they are—doesn’t that prove our Xiao Jin’s irreplaceability?”

Si Chengyuan nodded repeatedly again: “That’s true too. I also think our Xiao Jin is perfect in every way.”

Si Jin felt her face grow warm at these words—she wasn’t nearly as wonderful as her parents were boasting.

Well, she did feel somewhat smug about it.

But ultimately, this marriage was fake and would end when the time came.

For her own selfish reasons, Si Jin quietly laid some groundwork: “Actually, it’s not that perfect. We do have conflicts sometimes.”

After saying this, Si Jin tensed up.

Was she being too obvious? Would her father face impeachment tomorrow because of this?

But Cheng Yi’s smile widened: “What couple doesn’t quarrel? Arguments at the head of the bed are resolved at its foot—that’s how it should be.”

Her father’s handsome face blossomed into joy: “Like how you often scold me?”

“Scold you? When I look at you…” Cheng Yi’s gaze fell on Si Chengyuan’s dashing features with their sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, her words catching in her throat before she stiffly amended, “Exactly like us.”

Si Jin: “…”

It seemed she had worried unnecessarily.

Si Jin stayed to have lunch with her parents.

After the meal, she declined her parents’ offer to see her off, bid them farewell, and prepared to return to the Xiao residence.

Unfortunately, the weather changed in the afternoon.

Sudden summer storms were common.

The rain came fiercely, quickly shrouding the doors and windows with heavy curtains of water. The eaves and stone steps echoed with the dense patter of raindrops.

Standing under the eaves watching the continuous rainfall, Si Jin suddenly felt a wave of melancholy.

If not for this marriage, she might still be unmarried, remaining by her parents’ side. Or if she had found a true soulmate to marry, she could have been sharing stories of her genuine married life with her parents during her returning home visit.

Si Jin lightly lifted her skirt to avoid getting splashed by water from the stone steps.

When she looked up again, a golden osmanthus-patterned umbrella entered her view.

As the umbrella tilted upward, Xiao Rong’s face appeared before her.

Si Jin was slightly startled: “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to fetch you.” Xiao Rong tilted the umbrella slightly toward Si Jin. “Have you bid farewell to your parents?”

“…Mm.” Si Jin asked, “Would you like to come inside?”

“Next time. The rain is getting heavier, let’s return to the residence first.”

Si Jin parted her lips: “Grandfather asked about you today as well.”

“Mm, next time.” Xiao Rong repeated the same phrase.

He seemed somewhat dispirited, perhaps affected by the sudden downpour.

Yet his current demeanor made it appear as though he had come solely to fetch her, with nothing else occupying his thoughts.

Just then, Chun Xing returned with an umbrella and stopped bowing several steps away.

Seeing her, Si Jin said: “Let’s go then.”

As she moved to step toward the carriage, her wrist was suddenly grasped by Xiao Rong and pulled toward him.

Stumbling, her cheek touched warmth—she had collided with Xiao Rong’s chest.

The powerful heartbeat reverberated through her, making her ears tingle: “Wh-what’s wrong?”

Xiao Rong released her hand, his gaze fixed on her: “Come with me.”

“…Oh.”

Si Jin boarded Xiao Rong’s carriage, the umbrella shielding her from the rain until she was seated inside. Glancing around, she noticed her dress remained completely dry.

The carriage swayed gently.

Si Jin’s vision darkened before she could look up, first noticing the water dripping from Xiao Rong’s sleeve and shoulder.

The carriage curtain remained open, allowing servants waiting outside to glimpse inside.

Hesitating briefly, Si Jin still lifted her handkerchief to wipe his arm: “You’re all drenched. Let me dry you.”

Xiao Rong’s posture stiffened slightly, his lowered gaze following Si Jin’s fingers to the silk handkerchief she held.

Today it was a cloud-patterned handkerchief, pale sky blue that complemented her smoke-green dress.

Her delicate fingers merely brushed over the satin fabric of his clothing, denying his arm any direct touch, leaving only his darkened gaze to linger on that fair skin.

Si Jin made a show of wiping before quickly withdrawing her hand.

The silk handkerchief had absorbed some moisture, but she still tucked it back into her collar.

Suddenly, an arm reached past her cheek from beside her, carrying the scent of ink from Xiao Rong’s sleeve.

Xiao Rong closed the carriage door, shutting out both the storm and prying eyes.

As he adjusted his collar, he said mildly: “It’s fine. The inner layers aren’t wet. I’ll change when we return.”

Xiao Rong possessed exceptionally beautiful hands—slender fingers with distinct knuckles.

His pale complexion always reminded her of that bloodstained scene she’d once witnessed by chance.

Si Jin snapped back to reality, looking up to find Xiao Rong staring intently at her again.

In the fading light, Xiao Rong’s expression remained cool, as if no emotion could ever touch those eyes.

Yet whenever his gaze fell upon her face, it would linger meaninglessly for long moments without shifting away.

It was always like this, making one feel utterly uncomfortable.

Just like now.

Si Jin couldn’t help asking: “What is it?”

Xiao Rong’s lips tightened without response.

Staring at her lovely face, he suddenly reached out to pinch her chin, his thumb brushing ambiguously against the corner of her mouth.

Heat bloomed at her lips as Si Jin’s eyes widened abruptly. Her gaze instinctively darted toward the window, habitually checking if anyone might be watching.

Xiao Rong spoke first: “Was it tasty?”

“What?”

“The crisp cake.”

Xiao Rong withdrew his hand, his thumb coated with crumbs—precisely the crumbs from the crisp cake he’d bought her.

Th-this… did he just wipe this from the corner of her mouth?!

How long had it been stained? Why hadn’t anyone reminded her earlier!

No wonder he had been staring at her like that just now!

Was he silently laughing at her with that expressionless face?

Si Jin’s face began to visibly flush, tender and rosy like a ripe apple.

Xiao Rong’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily as he deliberately reached out and snatched the silk handkerchief she had just put back from her collar, using it to wipe his thumb.

The handkerchief felt slightly damp, soft and smooth in his grasp.

“If you like it, I’ll have someone buy more for you to try different flavors.”

Si Jin puffed her cheeks, the heat on her face refusing to fade: “Give it back to me after you’re done wiping!”

“It’s dirty.” Xiao Rong’s expression was unreadable.

Where was it dirty? The handkerchief remained perfectly clean, without even a trace of that tiny crumb left.

Yet Xiao Rong casually tucked the handkerchief into a nearby drawer with an air of nonchalance: “I’ll have someone wash it for you. Let it stay here for now.”