Chapter 15: A Strange Feeling

The strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.

All around was quiet.

The strange feeling in Shen Ji’s heart grew stronger and stronger.

He inadvertently raised his eyes and happened to meet a pair of pupils as clear as autumn waters, their gaze rippling with charm.

Their eyes met. The young lady did not shy away; instead, she graced him with a gentle smile. “Cousin.”

Shen Ji’s eyelids twitched. Pointing at the bracelet, he asked, “May I take it apart?”

“Of course, you can,” Su Zhenyue answered without a moment’s hesitation, appearing very agreeable.

Shen Ji’s hands moved swiftly. Before long, he had disassembled the extravagantly designed bracelet into scattered pieces.

The bracelet’s problem was not complicated and could be explained in a few words.

Shen Ji simply pointed it out to her. “It’s an issue with the craftsmanship. The person who made this bracelet must have been focused only on its appearance and overlooked this part. Have someone re-polish this area, making it just a little bit thinner, and it will be fine.”

“So that’s how it is.” A look of sudden realization appeared on Su Zhenyue’s face, her eyes sparkling with light. “Thank you so much, Cousin. I’ll have someone alter it right away.”

“Mm.”

Su Zhenyue hesitated for a moment, then raised her left hand, revealing her fair wrist and the matching bracelet on it. “Is this one the same for the same reason?”

Shen Ji’s gaze lowered slightly, not looking at her wrist. “Take it off and let me see.”

“Alright.” Su Zhenyue deftly removed the bracelet and placed it in Shen Ji’s hand.

Fearing that touching his palm twice in a row would seem too deliberate, she made no small gestures this time.

When Shen Ji reached out to take it, the bracelet still carried her body heat. He composed himself, ignoring the strange feeling in his heart. He took it apart for a closer look, then quickly reassembled it and handed it back to her. “It’s the same reason.”

“I understand now. Thank you, Cousin,” the young lady said with a sincere expression and a radiant smile.

Shen Ji’s face remained largely expressionless. “It’s a small matter.”

“Well, I’ll be heading back now?” Su Zhenyue reckoned they had spent a fair amount of time together today, and he seemed a bit unenthusiastic at the moment. She extended her index finger and pointed toward the door.

“Alright.”

Su Zhenyue curtsied and departed gracefully.

Ping An saw her at the entrance and let out a soft “Huh?” “Miss Su, I knew you hadn’t left yet.”

“That’s right, but I’m leaving now. Goodbye.” Su Zhenyue smiled, gave him a nod, and walked away quickly.

Back in Qingfeng Courtyard, Shen Ji clasped his hands behind his back and closed his eyes for a moment.

Perhaps she was just grateful to him. Seeing that his attitude was decent and that he was relatively close by, she just frequently sought his help.

No need to overthink it.

…

The afternoon sun was still mild, but by dusk, a north wind had suddenly kicked up, and the sky had darkened. In the latter half of the night, it even began to snow.

The snow stopped early the next morning, leaving the courtyard a vast expanse of white.

Being young, Doukou was exceptionally excited. “Miss, it’s snowing.”

“Yes, it’s snowing.” Su Zhenyue stood by the window, gazing in the direction of Qingfeng Courtyard. “I wonder if Cousin Shen has anything to keep warm.”

Out of both sentiment and reason, she felt she should show some appropriate concern.

“He probably does, right?” Doukou wasn’t too sure either. “The Old Madam has always looked after Young Master Shen, so she must have ordered people to prepare things for him long ago.”

“That’s true.”

Despite saying this, a quarter of an hour later, Su Zhenyue still had someone send her own hand warmer and a newly made hand muff to Shen Ji.

“Are you really sending them?” Doukou was a little hesitant.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to run the errand, but mainly because these weren’t particularly rare items; he probably already had them. If they were rejected, she was afraid it would be embarrassing for her mistress.

“Could this be a pretense?” Su Zhenyue chuckled lightly. “He’s helped me so much; it’s only right to send these things. What if he happens to have a use for them?”

—She had just visited yesterday, so she wouldn’t go in person this time. She understood the principle of alternating tension and relaxation.

“Yes.” Doukou asked no more questions and, after receiving her orders, headed for Qingfeng Courtyard.

From a distance, she saw the young servant named Ping An building a snowman at the entrance, which was already beginning to take shape.

Looking up and seeing Doukou, Ping An let out a soft “Huh?” “What brings you here?”

—Qingfeng Courtyard and the West Wing Courtyard were not far apart, and the two had run into each other several times over the past month, so they naturally recognized one another.

Doukou sniffled and answered truthfully, “My mistress sent me.”

“Alright, follow me.” Ping An abandoned his snowman and led Doukou into the courtyard. “Young Master, Miss Su…”

He had only spoken a few words when Shen Ji’s figure appeared at the study door. He was dressed in a fur robe with a large cloak draped over it. He glanced at Doukou and asked, “What is it?”

Doesn’t Miss Su always come in person? Why did she send someone else this time?

This was not the first time Doukou had seen Young Master Shen, but seeing him so suddenly now, she couldn’t help but be awed by his looks and bearing. She couldn’t resist comparing Young Master Shen to the Heir Apparent in her mind.

The Heir Apparent was aloof and noble, while Young Master Shen was dashing and handsome. For a moment, she really couldn’t decide who was better.

Seeing her in a daze, Ping An nudged her. “My young master is asking you a question.”

“Oh, oh.” Doukou snapped back to her senses, held up the hand warmer and hand muff, and answered honestly, “Replying to Young Master Shen, it’s snowing and the weather is cold. My mistress was worried and sent me to deliver this hand warmer and hand muff for you to ward off the cold.”

At this point, she hesitated. Looking at the young master’s attire, he didn’t seem like someone who would be cold. It looked like this trip was for nothing.

Ping An muttered under his breath, “Miss Su has gotten it wrong. How could my young master lack things to keep warm?”

Doukou felt a little embarrassed.

Shen Ji, however, asked, “Where is your mistress?”

Could she have caught a chill from the sudden snow? Is that why she thought to send him things to keep warm?

Doukou was a bit baffled. “My mistress is at home.”

“Is she alright?”

“She’s fine. No, wait, she’s not fine, she had me send these.”

“Mm.” Shen Ji gave a noncommittal grunt, his eyes glancing at the items she held. The hand warmer was one thing, but his gaze fell uncontrollably on the sea-blue hand muff.

The hand muff was probably newly made. The fabric was brand new, the embroidery exquisite, and it was trimmed with fluffy white fur on both sides.

Shen Ji recalled something, and his heart stirred. “Let me see the hand muff.”

Doukou quickly handed it over.

Shen Ji took it casually. It was about a foot long, and he couldn’t tell what it was filled with, but it was thick without losing its softness.

Just as he had guessed, there was a pattern embroidered inside the hand muff with hidden thread.

It was a crane.

One would never see it without looking carefully.

Shen Ji’s eyelids jumped, and his fingers unconsciously tightened their grip, as if what he had discovered was not a crane, but a secret.

Doukou said in a clear voice, “Young Master Shen, my mistress made this herself. She has always been grateful for your kindness.”

“Mm.” Shen Ji lowered his eyes, a hard-to-ignore strange feeling in his heart—a little sour, a little tight.

Even with all the books he had read, he found it difficult to accurately analyze his current mood.

Seeing the little maid’s uneasy expression, her gaze darting between him and the hand muff, Shen Ji ultimately did not return it. He only said politely, “Thank you for your trouble in making this trip. I will accept these items. Please convey my thanks to your mistress.”

Doukou was both surprised and delighted. “No trouble, no trouble at all. Rest assured, Young Master Shen, I will be sure to pass on the message.”

Her mission accomplished, she left happily.

Ping An had a look of utter confusion. “Young Master, don’t you not use these things? You didn’t use the ones Old Madam Wen sent over. And the hand muff, didn’t you say that only children…”

Shen Ji shot him a glance. “Ping An, you’re talking a bit too much.”

“Oh…” Ping An immediately fell silent.

Shen Ji turned and walked toward the study.

After a few steps, he paused and said, “I’ve helped her a few times, and she is grateful. If I insist on not accepting, I’m afraid she will feel uneasy.”

These words were for Ping An to hear, and also for himself.

Ping An had a sudden realization. So that was why.

Shen Ji gently stroked the crane inside the hand muff.

In truth, he had accepted the hand muff mostly because of this “crane.” He couldn’t let her keep a hand muff embroidered with his character, could he?

This hand muff, whether she gave it to someone else or kept it for herself, would be inappropriate.

It was better to leave it with him for now.

…

Upon learning that Shen Ji had accepted the hand muff and the hand warmer, Su Zhenyue was quite surprised. “He accepted them?”

“Mhm.” Doukou nodded emphatically. “That Ping An said, ‘Miss Su has gotten it wrong. How could my young master lack things to keep warm?’ I really thought Young Master Shen wouldn’t accept them.”

She mimicked Ping An’s speech perfectly and then described the scene in detail.

Tang Yuan meowed and meowed.

Su Zhenyue said nothing, gently stroking the cat’s head, her heart thumping.

Shen Ji didn’t lack things to keep warm, but he still accepted them. And he had specifically asked Doukou about her.

Did this mean her efforts these past days were starting to pay off?

Perhaps she could test the waters a little more?

…

After the first snow, the days grew colder and colder.

The bracelets that had been sent to the jewelry shop for re-polishing were brought back. Su Zhenyue fitted them with the short arrows, and their firing range was now much greater.

At the same time, the new winter clothes made for her by the Jing An Marquis Estate were delivered.

On this day, Su Zhenyue deliberately changed into her new clothes, took her hand muff, and held a Chiseled Flower Hand Warmer as she made her way to Qingfeng Courtyard.

The snow on the ground had long since melted, but the sky was still gray and showed no signs of clearing.

Shen Ji was drinking tea by the stove in the Warm Pavilion. When he heard that Miss Su had come to visit, he subconsciously looked outside.

His eyes immediately landed on the bright splash of color in the courtyard.

She, who usually wore elegant and simple colors, was today dressed in a Begonia Red Brocade Sable Fur Coat, which suited her surprisingly well. With her skin like ice and jade, her spirit pure and her bones graceful, she looked like a fairy from a painting.

Shen Ji was slightly taken aback and abruptly averted his gaze.

Unexpectedly, the corner of his eye caught sight of the hand muff she was holding.

Sea-blue, with a fluffy white trim.

Wait, wasn’t that identical to the one she had given him?