Chapter 25: Peace of Mind. Can We Get Married Sooner?

After Ping An left with the food box, Su Zhenyue changed into fresh clothes and had Nanxing help her style her hair into a chic chignon.

Though she wore no makeup, her brows were like kingfisher feathers and her skin like white snow, making her seem like a celestial being.

Nanxing gazed at the beauty in the mirror, hesitating to speak. Finally, she asked tentatively, “Miss, are you sure you don’t need to treat the blister on your hand?”

“It’s not necessary.” Su Zhenyue shook her head, not telling Nanxing that she had left it there on purpose.

—She rarely cooked, and when she was making the congee that morning, she had accidentally scalded the back of her hand. Rinsing it with cold water should have been enough, but on a whim, she had done nothing and let it be.

Sure enough, it had now formed a blister. Against her fair skin and delicate hands, it looked even more alarming.

After examining her reflection, Su Zhenyue stood up. “I have to go out for a while.”

Nanxing nodded without asking any questions.

Su Zhenyue left her room and made her way toward Qingfeng Courtyard.

From a distance, she spotted a familiar figure.

It was Gu Yuanchen.

Unwilling to have any more dealings with him, Su Zhenyue ducked aside to hide without a second thought.

Only when his figure had disappeared from sight did she slowly emerge and continue on her way. A few steps later, she pushed open the gate to Qingfeng Courtyard.

—What she didn’t know was that not long after she went in, Gu Yuanchen doubled back, his gaze heavy as he stared in the direction of Qingfeng Courtyard.

As he had thought. He hadn’t guessed wrong.

Gu Yuanchen closed his eyes, his thoughts a complex tangle.

After leaving Qingfeng Courtyard earlier, he hadn’t gone far. Instead, he had gone to question the guards on duty near the West Wing Courtyard, trying to subtly inquire about the interactions between the two. Unexpectedly, he had witnessed the scene of A-Yue entering Qingfeng Courtyard.

No amount of prior speculation could compare to the shock of seeing it with his own eyes.

So, A-Yue and Shen Ji…

And A-Yue was even the more proactive one.

When Shen Ji had been in front of him just now, his attitude had been natural and his responses appropriate. He likely didn’t know that he and A-Yue had almost been betrothed.

Wait, that wasn’t right. A-Yue had suffered a great calamity and had barely escaped with her life. With her personality, would she really indulge in matters of love so quickly?

He feared there was more to this than met the eye.

A guess in Gu Yuanchen’s mind grew clearer and clearer. Just as he was hesitating over whether to seek further confirmation, his servant Xiao Wu suddenly ran over, panting, “Heir Apparent.”

“What is it?”

“Someone from the palace has arrived. The Marquis asks that you go over at once.”

Gu Yuanchen frowned, displeased, but he couldn’t ignore an envoy from the palace. He could only temporarily suppress the doubts in his heart and go to receive the palace messenger.

But he was determined to get to the bottom of A-Yue’s affairs.

He knew they had already drawn a clear line between them, and he shouldn’t meddle in her business anymore. Yet he had always believed that he bore a responsibility for A-Yue.

…

In Qingfeng Courtyard, Ping An was eating pine nuts.

Hearing the gate open, he looked up and saw Su Zhenyue. His eyes lit up, and he immediately broke into a smile. “Miss Su!”

“Mm,” Su Zhenyue smiled back. “Where is your young master?”

Just as she finished speaking, Shen Ji’s voice sounded. “Here.”

As he spoke, his tall, slender figure appeared at the study’s entrance.

A smile instantly bloomed in Su Zhenyue’s eyes. “Cousin, I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

“No.” A slight itch bloomed in Shen Ji’s chest, but his expression showed little change. “I tried the congee. It was very good.”

“I’m glad you liked it. I spent a long time cooking it. Oh, right, I have something else for you.” Su Zhenyue glanced at Ping An, who was not far away, feeling a little shy.

Shen Ji understood. “Let’s talk in the Warm Pavilion.”

He was curious, and a hint of anticipation stirred within him. Every time she came to see him, she always had an overt reason. What could it be this time?

It was very warm in the pavilion, so Shen Ji went straight to open a window.

When he turned back, he saw that Su Zhenyue had, at some point, moved a few steps closer. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her watery eyes sparkled. In her open palm lay a pale yellow object.

“I just made this. I wanted to give it to you, Cousin,” the young lady said, her voice soft and her eyes full of expectation.

Shen Ji’s expression shifted slightly. “Is this… a lover’s knot?”

A token of love?

“No, it’s a ruyi knot,” Su Zhenyue corrected.

“Oh.” Shen Ji was a little surprised but was gracious about it. “A ruyi knot is very nice too.”

“I just learned how to make this ruyi knot. If Cousin doesn’t like it, then never mind…” Su Zhenyue said, making a motion as if to put it away.

“I didn’t say I don’t like it.” Shen Ji instinctively stopped her, and suddenly noticed the prominent blister on the back of her hand. His gaze hardened. “What happened to your hand?”

“It’s—it’s nothing.” Su Zhenyue looked somewhat flustered and tried to hide her hand in her sleeve.

But she didn’t succeed.

Because Shen Ji had caught her fingers.

His movement, though gentle, was extremely firm, allowing her no escape.

Although the two had, by a stretch, come to a mutual understanding, they rarely overstepped any boundaries in their interactions. It was only after the fact that Shen Ji realized: at this moment, he was holding her hand.

The young lady’s fingers were warm, and he could faintly feel the pulse beating beneath her skin.

They were standing a little close, and the air seemed to have grown thick.

But the current situation left him no room for other thoughts.

The blister wasn’t large, but it was a flaw on a piece of white jade, far too conspicuous. Shen Ji guessed its origin almost instantly. “You were scalded while making the congee?”

Su Zhenyue let out a soft “mm,” and as if afraid he would worry, she whispered, “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt. It’ll go away soon.”

Looking up into Shen Ji’s somber gaze, she appeared a little guilty and a little vexed. Her voice grew even lower. “Alright, it actually hurts a little. Just a tiny bit, I barely noticed.”

At this, she tugged gently at his sleeve with her other hand. “Don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry…”

“I know, you’re just worried about me. Right?” Su Zhenyue blinked, her voice as if coated in honey. “Cousin, can we get married sooner?”

“What?” Shen Ji didn’t react for a moment. He saw the young lady seem to regret her slip of the tongue, a brilliant blush spreading across her jade-like cheeks, even tinting the tips of her ears red.

He was momentarily, and rarely, stunned. “Say that again, I didn’t hear you clearly.”

The young lady’s cheeks were so red they looked as if they might bleed. She shot him a quick glance before lowering her eyes. “I said, can we get married as soon as the national mourning period is over?”

Her voice was very low, the corners of her eyes and brows revealing just the right amount of infatuation and shyness.

Although Shen Ji knew she was deeply devoted to him, he couldn’t help but feel a jolt in his heart. He raised an eyebrow slightly, his words coming out very slowly. “This eager to marry me?”

Su Zhenyue didn’t speak, only looking at him quietly.

Endless affection was all contained in her blush and her eyes.

Shen Ji mused, “Marriage is not a trivial matter. It requires the three letters and six rites. It cannot be rushed.”

It wasn’t as if they had done something improper during the national mourning period that needed to be covered up. Why the hurry?

“Then can we get engaged?” Su Zhenyue asked, settling for the next best thing.

—She hadn’t expected to be able to marry him right after the mourning period ended anyway.

Shen Ji’s brow twitched, slightly puzzled. “We can, but why not wait until after the exam results are announced?”

“Because I’m scared,” Su Zhenyue had a ready reply. “Cousin is so wonderful. If I don’t secure you in advance, what if someone else snatches you away?”

Shen Ji let out a soft chuckle, finding her, with her baseless worries, to be both pitiful and adorable. He teased her deliberately, “Oh? So you don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust myself. I’m afraid I’m dreaming. You have no idea, these past few days, I’ve felt like I’m in a dream.”

“Rest assured, it’s not a dream.” Shen Ji didn’t continue this topic. He carefully examined the blister on her hand. “The blister isn’t large. It probably doesn’t need to be popped and should heal on its own. Be careful with it for the next few days, and don’t bump it.”

“Oh, I know.” Su Zhenyue’s interest waned, her head drooping, unable to hide her disappointment.

Shen Ji saw it all and sighed inwardly, ultimately taking pity on her deep affection.

Fine. Since he had already decided to marry her in the future, what was the harm in giving her some peace of mind?

With this thought, he cleared his throat and said nonchalantly, “Actually, if you’re really that anxious, it’s not entirely out of the question.”

Muah muah muah muah [heart] [green heart] [green heart] [orange heart] [orange heart] [cyan heart] [blue heart] [purple heart] [pink heart]