Chapter 10: A Moment of Soft-heartedness. Why did I have a moment of soft-heartedness?

It was half an hour later by the time Shen Ji returned from Jing’an Hou’s quarters.

Ping An carried the plate of Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake and approached him. “Young Master, Miss Su came by just now and delivered some pastries.”

“Mm,” Shen Ji replied distractedly, still mulling over Jing’an Hou’s words as he wiped his hands. Then, it registered, and his brows twitched slightly. “Who? Miss Su?”

“Yes.” Ping An nodded emphatically, a belated sense of unease creeping in.

It was just a plate of pastries, nothing particularly valuable. The Young Master wouldn’t blame him for taking matters into his own hands, would he?

He couldn’t help but explain, “I saw that Miss Su had delivered them personally, so it didn’t seem right to make her take them back. If Young Master feels it’s improper, I can return them to her as they are now.”

“Since they’ve been accepted, what’s the point of returning them?” Shen Ji’s tone was mild, his gaze sweeping nonchalantly over the plate.

But the first thing he noticed wasn’t the exquisitely arranged Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake, but the gilded peony on the plate.

On the smooth, plain white plate, the gold-rimmed peony was vividly rendered, bright and beautiful.

Shen Ji was a man of great learning and knew that the peony was also called Jiang Li grass. Since the time of the Book of Odes, it had become a flower used by young men and women to express their affection.

In his days at the Gu residence, most of the bowls and plates he had seen were decorated with patterns of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, or chrysanthemums, or perhaps the noble tree peony. Peonies like this were a rare sight.

But why would that Miss Su send pastries? Didn’t they agree they were even?

These pastries all looked like homemade fare. Could it be that she made them herself?

For some reason, an image surfaced in Shen Ji’s mind: the young woman that morning, standing on the ladder, her red lips parting as she silently called him “Cousin.”

Her dark, limpid eyes had been filled with surprise and delight, as if seeing him was the happiest thing in the world.

“Young Master?”

Shen Ji returned to his senses. “Hm?”

“Well, these pastries… would Young Master like to try one?” Ping An looked at him with eager eyes.

Shen Ji was silent for a moment before finally picking one up and placing it in his mouth. “Mm, it’s not very sweet.”

It was a little better than he had imagined.

Ping An’s face immediately broke into a wide grin. “It’s wonderful that Young Master likes it.”

“Did I say I liked it?” Shen Ji shot him a look. “Clean the plate and return it. While you’re at it, pick out a few of the best-looking Huangyan honey tangerines the Marquis sent over and deliver them as well.”

He didn’t want any complications during his stay at the Gu residence, but he couldn’t be too discourteous either.

“Right away.” Ping An agreed cheerfully and went to see to it.

…

The region of Huangyan was famous for its honey tangerines. With their thin skins, sweet flavor, and rich aroma, they were a tribute item in the current dynasty. The Jing An Marquis Estate was wealthy, but fresh Huangyan honey tangerines were still a rarity at this time of year.

When Ping An delivered them, his face was wreathed in smiles. “Miss Su, thank you for the pastries. Our Young Master asked me to bring these for you.”

“Thank you for making the trip,” Su Zhenyue said gently.

Ping An chuckled and waved his hand. “It was nothing! Just a few steps. I’ve run around to far more places with my Young Master.”

“Is that so? Where have you all been?” Su Zhenyue asked with a slight smile, her interest piqued.

“Oh, that’s too many to count. I couldn’t finish telling you in a short while.” Ping An scratched his head. “Our Young Master has traveled to many famous mountains and great rivers. Anyway, he knows martial arts, so he’s not afraid of wolves or tigers, nor of common bandits…”

Thinking he had said a bit too much, he gave another sheepish smile. “I have to get back and report to my master. Miss Su, I’ll talk to you again another day.”

“Alright.” Su Zhenyue nodded with a smile and had Nanxing see him out.

The West Wing Courtyard fell quiet once more. Su Zhenyue’s gaze landed on the Huangyan honey tangerines.

The tangerines were about the size of her fist, a vibrant yellow, plump and lovely.

She peeled one and tasted it. It was full of juice, sweet and sour and delicious—no wonder it was a tribute item. She kept only one for herself and gave the rest to Doukou and Nanxing to share.

Doukou smiled. “The Young Cousin is truly polite.”

“He is,” Su Zhenyue agreed casually, but she couldn’t help but wonder: had he seen through her vague, subtle little scheme?

Still, today had gone well. There was a proper give-and-take.

Moreover, judging from the attitude of his attendant, Ping An, Shen Ji probably didn’t have any obvious ill feelings toward her.

Perhaps she could try taking the next step?

The following afternoon, finding an opportunity, Su Zhenyue paid another visit to Shen Ji.

Nanxing saw this and looked as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Since she didn’t ask, Su Zhenyue naturally didn’t offer an explanation, simply pretending not to have noticed.

This time, Ping An wasn’t at the gate. Instead, just like yesterday, he was in the courtyard with a watering can, watering the branches of the Hibiscus mutabilis.

“Not too much. Just keep the sandy soil moist,” Shen Ji reminded him from the side.

The other day, on a whim, he had found something for that Miss Su to do, not expecting it would end up adding a new chore for Ping An.

Fortunately, Ping An didn’t mind and had agreed readily. “Don’t worry, Young Master, I’ll definitely take good care of it.”

Su Zhenyue composed herself and pushed open the half-closed gate.

With a creak, the master and servant in the courtyard heard the sound and looked over in unison.

At the sudden sight of the graceful young woman standing at the gate, Shen Ji’s eyelids twitched. He was abruptly reminded of the gilded peony on yesterday’s plate.

He didn’t know if he was overthinking it, but he had a feeling that this Miss Su had been seeking him out a little too often lately.

It couldn’t be that…

The thought had just begun to form when he suppressed it. Impossible.

Su Zhenyue steadied her nerves and looked at him with a warm smile. “Cousin.”

Shen Ji stood his ground, his face showing little expression. He gave a slight nod and asked with some detachment, “Is something the matter?”

“There is one thing I’d like to ask for your help with, Cousin.” The young woman took a few steps closer, a blush coloring her cheeks, her rippling, beautiful eyes filled with clear bashfulness.

Hearing this, Shen Ji paused, then raised an eyebrow. “Help? What kind of help?”

So she needed help. No wonder.

Deep down, Shen Ji instantly felt a little more at ease.

Seeing that the two had something to discuss, Ping An quickly put down the watering can to go pour tea.

Su Zhenyue, meanwhile, took a few more steps forward. Her long lashes lowered, her dark brows knitted slightly, and her face paled a little, as if she found the topic difficult to broach. “To be honest with you, ever since the assassination attempt, I’ve often been plagued by nightmares…”

At this point, she let out a soft sigh. Her lashes, thin as cicada wings, trembled twice, and a mistiness gathered in her dark, limpid eyes. “Cousin must know that the mastermind behind the attack has yet to be caught. Although the estate has arranged for many guards, I’m always afraid that if the assassin comes again…”

Shen Ji was silent for a moment. “So, you’ve come to me to…”

She couldn’t possibly want him to be her personal bodyguard, could she?

Or perhaps she wanted him to help catch the mastermind? But he didn’t even know who she had offended. The Jing An Marquis Estate was being very secretive about the matter.

“I want to ask Cousin to teach me some methods of self-defense.” Su Zhenyue looked up at him, her limpid autumn eyes filled with pleading.

The moment the words were out, even before Shen Ji could respond, she herself grew nervous, her heart thumping wildly.

He had the Spring Examination coming up, after all. If he grew impatient and refused her outright, she feared it would be difficult to find another reason to approach him.

Thus, Su Zhenyue hurriedly added, “Of course, I know Cousin is busy, and I wouldn’t dare to truly trouble you. I only ask that Cousin point me in the right direction. I, Zhenyue, would be eternally grateful.”

As she spoke, she curtsied.

A light breeze blew past, and the hem of her skirt moved with the wind, making her resemble a swaying white hibiscus.

Shen Ji was silent. The first thought that came to his mind was: Oh, so her name is Su Zhenyue.

He didn’t like to meddle in others’ affairs, especially now when he had his own matters to attend to. For him, a direct refusal was not a difficult thing; he even had a ready-made excuse.

But for some reason, the words of refusal failed to leave his lips immediately.

Su Zhenyue looked up, her gaze pitiable. “Cousin…”

“The Jing An Marquis Estate is heavily guarded. As far as I know, there are four people guarding the outside of the West Wing Courtyard in shifts every day,” Shen Ji said slowly, his gaze slightly lowered.

—Their residences were not far apart, and with his sharp senses, he had long since noticed this.

Su Zhenyue’s heart sank. What did he mean by that? Was this a polite refusal?

Perhaps she should have used a different excuse, found an easier matter to “ask for help” with.

However, in the next moment, she heard him continue in an unhurried tone, “…Of course, with the mastermind still at large, it’s only natural for you to feel uneasy.”

Su Zhenyue froze and blinked. Huh? Could there still be a chance?

She explained in a low voice, “Yes, I don’t dare to rely completely on the estate’s guards. I’ve always wanted to have some ability to protect myself. So that if a blade is at my throat, I won’t just be waiting to die.”

Thinking of how her life had been as adrift as a duckweed and her end so tragic in that long dream, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of gloom.

But very quickly, Su Zhenyue rallied her spirits.

This time, she would absolutely not walk the old path.

“At your age and with your… constitution, it’s a bit too late to start learning martial arts now. I’m afraid it would be difficult to see any results in the short term.” Shen Ji sized her up and down, not missing the obvious look of disappointment on her face.

The young woman’s face was snow-white. Though clearly disappointed, she still forced herself to look resolute.

Shen Ji’s heart skipped a beat, and he continued, “However, if you have a suitable tool on hand, you might be able to manage some self-defense.”

Su Zhenyue’s eyes instantly lit up. She abruptly remembered his crossbow bolt coated with anesthetic, and her breath hitched.

“I beg Cousin to teach me.”

Shen Ji pondered for a moment. “Go back for now. Come again in three days.”

Su Zhenyue’s heart jolted. Had he agreed to help her?

She raised her head, her eyes brimming with a smile. “Thank you, Cousin. Thank you, Cousin. I’ll take my leave now.”

Su Zhenyue curtsied once more before departing with a smile.

Shen Ji’s eyelids twitched, and an almost imperceptible frown creased his brow.

Why did I have a moment of soft-heartedness and promise to help her?

Never mind. It’s just a small matter.

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Update tomorrow at 9 PM