Chapter 27: The Truth
I have to find a way to soften his heart…

Gu Yuanchen left the banquet a little earlier than even Shen Ji.

With his cool and detached personality, he had never liked occasions such as family banquets. This was especially true today, when several elders had hinted, both directly and indirectly, that he and Chang Le Princess should be a loving and harmonious couple and produce a son soon. He was thoroughly annoyed but couldn’t bring himself to refute them, so he could only offer perfunctory replies.

Unexpectedly, he happened to overhear Shen Ji asking Jialan why A Yue was absent.

It seemed like an exceedingly simple question, yet it brought Gu Yuanchen’s own suspicions to mind once more. —Although Shen Ji and A Yue had a private understanding, he didn’t know the full details of her situation.

He didn’t even know why A Yue was avoiding suspicion by staying away.

There was definitely something strange about this.

In truth, Gu Yuanchen was well aware that A Yue had nothing to do with him anymore. What she did and who she associated with was none of his business.

But, emboldened by the slight buzz from the wine, he quietly slipped away from the banquet and headed for the West Wing Courtyard.

At that moment, Su Zhenyue had just finished her lunch and was sunbathing with Tang Yuan. The little cat was a bit plumper than before, a round little ball lying by her feet. It rested its head on her shoe, letting out soft purrs.

—Su Zhenyue was in an excellent mood today. As the winter sun shone down on her, she felt that the road ahead was bright and full of hope.

Suddenly, with a creak, the door was pushed open.

Su Zhenyue was slightly surprised. The estate was holding a banquet, and all the servants had gone to celebrate the festival. Who could it be?

She looked up and was met with the sight of Gu Yuanchen striding toward her.

“What are you doing here?” The smile on Su Zhenyue’s face instantly vanished. She stood up and subconsciously glanced behind him.

There was no one else.

The little cat, shy around strangers, let out a “meow” and scurried away.

Hearing the commotion from inside the room, Nanxing hurried out. She subtly positioned herself in front of Su Zhenyue and said with a beaming smile, “If the Heir Apparent needed something, you could have just sent someone over. Why trouble yourself with a personal visit?”

Gu Yuanchen was stung by the way the mistress and servant were avoiding him like the plague. He remained silent for a moment before saying, “Relax, no one knows I’m here. You don’t have to be so scared.”

Nanxing gave a sheepish smile and muttered under her breath, “What a thing for the Heir Apparent to say… that’s not what I meant.”

Su Zhenyue, for her part, composed herself. “Is there something you need from me, Heir Apparent?”

Gu Yuanchen’s gaze swept across the courtyard, his eyes landing on the Wintersweet Tree. He got straight to the point. “What, exactly, is going on between you and Shen Ji?”

—It was at this very moment that Shen Ji arrived at the gate of the West Wing Courtyard.

Hearing that question, the first thought that entered his mind was: Gu Yuanchen has noticed the feelings between Miss Su and me, and he’s come to question her about it.

This was a matter between the two of them; how could he let a young lady face this alone?

Shen Ji decided against knocking. He prepared to push the door open and take all the responsibility upon himself.

However, just then, he heard Su Zhenyue’s reply:

“You mean Cousin Shen? There’s nothing between us.” She said it so naturally and smoothly that it didn’t sound like a lie in the slightest.

Shen Ji froze for a second, his hand halting its motion to knock.

—She denied it outright, so she must have her reasons. In that case, it would be improper for him to appear now. He couldn’t just barge in and expose her, could he? Wouldn’t that just embarrass her?

“Nothing?! Ha, you actually said there’s nothing between you!” Gu Yuanchen sneered, his voice uncharacteristically rising in volume. “A Yue, do you take me for a three-year-old? If there’s nothing, why are you wearing this bracelet? If there’s nothing, why did you personally make him a brush pouch and a hand warmer? Yesterday afternoon, you stayed in his courtyard for over two hours. This morning, you went to Qingfeng Courtyard again and stayed for nearly half an hour. And you’re telling me there’s nothing between you?!”

Hearing this, Shen Ji felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

The atmosphere between these two seemed a little strange. It didn’t feel like the discovery of a secret, but rather… something else.

“You… you’re spying on me?” Su Zhenyue was even more shocked. She subconsciously pulled down her sleeve to hide the specially made bracelet. How did Gu Yuanchen know?

“Spying?” Gu Yuanchen scoffed. “If I had sent people to spy on you, I wouldn’t have only found out today.”

“Then I have misunderstood. I apologize,” Su Zhenyue said, not bothering to argue with him. She took a step back and curtsied, her attitude polite yet distant. “But that aside, I don’t believe my affairs with Cousin Shen require a special report to the Heir Apparent.”

“Why not? Even if we can’t be husband and wife, I thought we could at least be like brother and sister,” Gu Yuanchen said in a strange tone.

Outside the door, Shen Ji’s pupils contracted. His mind went blank for a moment.

What did he just hear?

Mian Mian and Heir Apparent Gu… can’t be husband and wife? Be like brother and sister?

They had actually considered becoming husband and wife?

In an instant, numerous scenes flashed through Shen Ji’s mind.

His thoughts were a tangled mess. A voice in his heart seemed to scream, “Stop listening! Leave this place at once!” But his feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, completely unable to move.

He couldn’t leave. He had to know what was going on.

Su Zhenyue felt a wave of irritation. She patiently reminded him, “Didn’t we agree to keep our distance? Has the Heir Apparent forgotten?”

Things had been fine for the past two months. Why was he suddenly acting crazy today?

Gu Yuanchen shook his head, showing a rare stubbornness. “I haven’t forgotten. I’m just asking you what’s going on between you and Shen Ji.”

Su Zhenyue had not wanted to tell him, but she also wanted to cut ties cleanly and be free of this entanglement. So, she enunciated each word clearly, “Fine. Since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you. I love him, and after the national mourning period ends, I’m going to marry him.”

Nanxing gasped. “Miss!”

—Although she had vaguely suspected it, hearing it confirmed with her own ears was still a shock.

So her earlier suspicions were true. The young miss was really with Young Master Shen…

“You love him? Ha, you love him?!” Gu Yuanchen laughed as if he had heard a joke. He shook his head. “A Yue, I know you too well. You’re timid and cautious, wishing you could hide in a shell. How could you so easily give your heart to someone else? Why don’t you tell me the truth? Are you using him, or are you just acting out of spite?”

Su Zhenyue was startled and a little flustered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Gu Yuanchen didn’t miss the flicker of panic in her eyes. They had grown up together; he knew her well.

What had been mere speculation, not yet a certainty, was now clear as day. What else was there not to understand?

“Do you really not understand? Or did I hit the nail on the head? If you truly love him, and it’s a case of lovers finally getting together, I naturally wouldn’t interfere. But if you’re just using him…” Gu Yuanchen paused, then said slowly, “Marriage is not a trivial matter, A Yue. I don’t want you to decide your entire life so rashly.”

A pang of sorrow struck Su Zhenyue’s heart. Did he think she wanted this? But what other choice did she have?

What she said out loud, however, was: “What nonsense are you spouting? Cousin Shen is exceptionally talented, skilled in martial arts, and he saved my life. Of course I love him.”

No matter Gu Yuanchen’s attitude, she held firm on this point, refusing to change her story.

“Is that so? You love him so much that you’re willing to get engaged during the national mourning period?” Gu Yuanchen sneered, slowing his speech to a tone of utter certainty. “If I’m not mistaken, you were frightened by the assassination attempt that night, weren’t you? First, you cut off all contact with me. Then, you rushed to marry yourself off, eager to go to that mother-daughter pair and pledge your loyalty, to tell them you’ll never have anything to do with me again. Isn’t that right?”

Su Zhenyue’s eyes widened, her lips parted, but she couldn’t utter a rebuttal.

She hadn’t expected Gu Yuanchen to have guessed seventy or eighty percent of her thoughts.

After a few breaths, she straightened her back, her attitude resolute. “It is love. I hope the Heir Apparent will grant us his blessing.”

Gu Yuanchen immediately shot back, “Then do you dare to tell Shen Ji all of this and let him judge for himself? If it’s inconvenient for you, I can do it for you right now.”

With that, he turned as if to leave.

“You—” Su Zhenyue panicked, terrified he would actually go and tell Shen Ji right now. She quickly called out to stop him, “Don’t…”

The time wasn’t right. She truly didn’t dare let Shen Ji know so rashly.

Gu Yuanchen paused his steps, then advanced on her. “You don’t dare, do you? Because you have a guilty conscience. You’re taking advantage of the fact that Shen Ji is new here and doesn’t know the situation, tricking him into…”

“Enough! Say no more!” A wave of weariness, intertwined with frustration, suddenly washed over Su Zhenyue. She closed her eyes, feeling as if she were throwing caution to the wind. “Why must you force me like this? Yes, you’re right. I don’t love him. I’m using him. So what? I’m a coward, I’m afraid of death, and I want to use him to escape all of this sooner. Is that not allowed?”

“Of course not! There are other ways…”

“What other ways? You tell me. Go on, tell me right now.” Su Zhenyue cut him off, her eyes reddening as her voice grew softer. “I’m begging you. I really don’t want to die again.”

Gu Yuanchen didn’t answer, only clenching his jaw. Because aside from “I’ll have people protect you,” he couldn’t offer any useful solutions at the moment.

There had been no new developments regarding the assassination attempt.

It wasn’t just her; even he was worried there might be a next time. Otherwise, why would he have stationed four skilled men to guard the West Wing Courtyard in shifts?

A Yue didn’t dare gamble with her life and was powerless to resist. Perhaps marrying to escape was the best solution she could think of. He didn’t mean to blame her; he just couldn’t bear to see her throw her life away over this.

He owed her too much.

After a long silence, Gu Yuanchen asked hoarsely, “How do you know this method will even work?”

Su Zhenyue didn’t mention her dream, only saying, “If this method doesn’t work, then all I can do is die.”

—Though she said this, if it really didn’t work, she wouldn’t just wait for death. Besides, judging from the dream, it should be effective.

By settling the marriage first, she could at least avoid being betrothed by imperial decree. If she didn’t run into Yuan Ye, Nanxing’s life could be saved.

“Aren’t you afraid Shen Ji will find out you’re using him?” Gu Yuanchen pressed.

“If no one goes running their mouth to him, he probably won’t find out, right?” Su Zhenyue said, a little uncertainly, then added, “In any case, I’ve wronged him in this matter. I’ll repay him in the future.”

However, Gu Yuanchen’s words today had also served as a reminder. Although the Marquis and Old Madam Wen had strictly forbidden the servants from discussing the matter of her near-engagement to Gu Yuanchen, and had only told outsiders that their relationship was like that of a brother and sister, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t gossip and let it slip to Shen Ji.

If that person added fuel to the fire, and Shen Ji started overthinking things, it would be troublesome.

The best way was for her to find a suitable opportunity to tell him herself beforehand. She would downplay it, making it seem as trivial as possible. Then, even if Shen Ji was a little unhappy, if she tried her best to coax him, it probably wouldn’t be a big issue.

He had always been very good to her.

Hmm, perhaps I could also make a real lover’s knot.

At this thought, Su Zhenyue sighed. Softening her tone slightly, she pleaded in a half-negotiating, half-begging manner, “Heir Apparent, for the sake of our past acquaintance, please stop meddling in my affairs, alright?”

She really didn’t want any more complications.

Has she come to see me as a monster to be avoided at all costs? A sharp pain pierced Gu Yuanchen’s chest. His lips tightened into a thin line as he said in a low voice, “Fine. I was being nosy.”

He spoke these words with immense bitterness.

Su Zhenyue, however, let out a sigh of relief. “I hope you mean what you say.”

Gu Yuanchen gave a bitter smile and turned to leave. But the moment he opened the door, he froze. “Brother Shen…”

Su Zhenyue’s heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong. She turned her head and saw Shen Ji standing at the doorway, his face grim, his gaze dark and unreadable.

———

Shen Ji was not a fool; on the contrary, he was a very perceptive person.

When he heard the words “Even if we can’t be husband and wife, I thought we could at least be like brother and sister,” he had already guessed some of it.

Combined with Gu Yuanchen’s subsequent words, the doubts that had been buried in his heart connected in an instant, and the truth, pieced together, appeared before him.

No wonder a young lady like her was living on an estate in the suburbs. No wonder the powerful figure she had offended could dispatch sworn assassins. No wonder she was in such a hurry to marry him. No wonder Gu Yuanchen was so concerned about her affairs…

So everything, absolutely everything, had a reason.

Especially when she personally said, “Yes, you’re right. I don’t love him. I’m using him.” That sentence shattered Shen Ji’s last shred of illusion.

The so-called innocent, infatuated maiden was all his own delusion.

She had merely been putting on a few acts for him to achieve her goals.

What love? What gratitude? What unease?

It was all just exploitation.

And this was only what he had overheard by chance. Who knew how many more secrets she had that he hadn’t heard.

Shen Ji sympathized with her background and understood her difficulties, but that didn’t mean he was willing to be used, to be played like a fiddle in her hands.

She truly took him for a fool.

How laughable. Truly laughable. To think that he, Shen Ji, prided himself on his intelligence, only to be duped by a young woman. And he had even been thinking that her love was so deep, he could not let her down.

A surge of anger rose in Shen Ji’s heart. Along with the fury, there seemed to be something else, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

He didn’t try to analyze what it was.

At this moment, his expression was uglier than it had ever been. The hands clasped behind his back had unknowingly clenched into tight fists, the knuckles turning a faint, bluish-white.

It was the first time Su Zhenyue had seen such an expression on Shen Ji’s face. In an instant, her heart was seized by panic.

It was the kind of panic that comes when things spiral completely out of one’s control.

He heard. He must have heard!

“Cousin…” Su Zhenyue’s face was pale. Forgetting everything else, she walked quickly toward him.

Shen Ji’s gaze roamed over her face, inch by inch. His eyes were dark, deep and inscrutable. His tone was strange. “My apologies. I came uninvited, at an inopportune time.”

Then, he glanced at Gu Yuanchen before turning decisively to leave.

Su Zhenyue grew even more frantic, a single thought consuming her mind: No, I can’t let him leave like this!

She practically ran after him. However, as she reached the doorway, she was stopped by Gu Yuanchen.

Gu Yuanchen grabbed her arm, his grip so strong she couldn’t move. “A Yue, where are you going?!”

“Let go of me! I have to catch up to him and explain things clearly,” Su Zhenyue said urgently, but he blocked her way. In her desperation, she tried to pry his fingers off.

“Explain what? That we were almost married in the past? That you were forced to deceive and use him? Do you think he’ll happily accept that after hearing it? A Yue, perhaps this is fate. Perhaps heaven itself does not approve of you doing this…”

Shen Ji’s steps faltered for a moment, but he walked on without looking back.

Watching Shen Ji’s back disappear from sight, Su Zhenyue had no more patience for Gu Yuanchen’s rambling. She pinched his arm hard, and as he froze in surprise, she wrenched herself free.

Tossing a “My business is none of your concern, just stay away from me” over her shoulder, Su Zhenyue hurried after him.

“Cousin!”

Just before Shen Ji reached Qingfeng Courtyard, Su Zhenyue finally blocked his path.

She was still catching her breath, her cheeks flushed, her clear, watery eyes filled with panic. “Cousin, listen to me. Just now, I… I…”

—The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. In a flash of insight, Su Zhenyue suddenly realized: she had no idea how much Shen Ji had overheard from outside the door.

She was afraid that if she explained too much, she would only make things worse.

“You want to say that you have your reasons, is that it?” Shen Ji’s long, narrow eyes were dark and intense as he stared at her. He was smiling, but the smile was exceptionally cold.

Su Zhenyue’s heart lurched. She hesitated before nodding. “Yes, I have my reasons, and I can explain. I… I was just speaking rashly. I was so annoyed by him that I…”

Shen Ji smiled faintly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “So, you’re not using me? You truly love me?”

Su Zhenyue felt extremely guilty, but at this moment, she could only bite the bullet and admit it. “Yes.”

“Why do you love me?” Shen Ji’s tone softened slightly, as if he were simply curious. “We haven’t known each other for very long.”

Su Zhenyue used a ready-made excuse. “Although we haven’t known each other long, you saved my life, Cousin, and… and you gave me a weapon for self-defense. You’re also skilled in both literature and martial arts, with an extraordinary bearing…”

“Good things come to those who wait, and a good match is never too late. Since it’s true love, let’s wait a few more years. We’ll keep this matter a secret for now and discuss marriage in three to five years. How about it?” Shen Ji’s gaze was sharp, fixed on her eyes as if trying to see through her pretense.

Su Zhenyue’s eyes went wide.

What? Keep it a secret? Wait another three to five years? How could that be?

She couldn’t even wait three to five months, a month at most.

Su Zhenyue knew that to appease him right now, the best thing to do would be to agree at once. But she was afraid he would actually do it. Her expression froze, her eyelashes trembled, and she said dryly, “But… but, Cousin, we already agreed today…”

“I’ve changed my mind. Can’t I?” Shen Ji felt a wave of disappointment. He cut her off, his eyes cold, not a trace of a smile left on his face. “Miss Su, do you think everyone else is a fool? That they’d willingly let you use them?”

Even now, not a single word of truth? Did she really think he was that easy to fool?

Hearing this, Su Zhenyue’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach. “No, that’s not it, Cousin, I…”

She was actually quick-witted and usually had a sharp mind, but she was in the wrong this time. Panic, guilt, and regret all swirled together, throwing her thoughts into chaos.

Shen Ji didn’t look at her again and strode away.

This time, Su Zhenyue didn’t chase after him. She just stood there, stunned.

In the span of half a day, her emotions had swung from a great high to a deep low. She had thought she was seeing the light, that she could successfully change her fate. She never expected something like this to happen, especially when she was completely unprepared.

Su Zhenyue knew very well that Shen Ji, who seemed warm-hearted, easygoing, and approachable, was actually quite proud and self-assured at his core. The main reason he had been willing to be with her was because he had been moved by the “genuine emotion” she had shown that night when she was privately making offerings.

—He had been the one to bring up their engagement the very next day after that night.

Now, to suddenly learn that her so-called love was fake… how could a man as proud as him tolerate such deception?

What should she do? What should she do?

“Miss…” Nanxing came running out. Seeing Su Zhenyue’s pale face, she quickly took her hand, only to find it terrifyingly cold. “Miss!”

Seeing her, Su Zhenyue barely managed to pull herself together, her eyes red as she murmured, “Nanxing…”

Nanxing asked cautiously, “Was what the Heir Apparent said true? Your feelings for the young cousin are really…”

Su Zhenyue seemed not to hear her, just muttering to herself, “Tell me, how can I fix this? How can I fix this?”

Seeing her state, Nanxing quickly said, “Miss, let’s go back first. It’s cold out here. We can talk it over when we get back.”

Su Zhenyue didn’t know how she got back to the West Wing Courtyard.

By the time she came to her senses, Gu Yuanchen was gone.

The little cat, Tang Yuan, was pouncing around her feet, meowing insistently.

Su Zhenyue was distraught and in no mood to pay it any mind, her thoughts solely focused on a way to salvage the situation. Unfortunately, even her thinking was sluggish at the moment.

Sincerely apologize and explain the truth?

Cry and play the victim, shower him with kindness?

Deny everything and force him to honor their agreement?

No, none of those would work.

Su Zhenyue’s heart was frantic and lost. Only after drinking two cups of hot tea that Nanxing handed her did she calm down a little, and some color returned to her face.

Fine. First, she would apologize, then plead. No matter what, she had to win his forgiveness and get through this.

There was only a month left until the end of the national mourning period. She had no other choice.

Su Zhenyue took a deep breath and had Nanxing bring hot water. She washed her face again and tidied herself up, once more becoming the clean and elegant Miss Su she usually was.

Steeling herself, she headed to Qingfeng Courtyard again.

However, when she arrived, she found Qingfeng Courtyard completely empty.

———

At this moment, Shen Ji was drinking with the Third Young Master, Gu Yuanwei.

He rarely drank, as he needed to keep a clear head at all times—he hated the feeling of losing control.

But this time, when faced with Third Young Master Gu’s invitation, Shen Ji had agreed without hesitation.

Perhaps he needed the help of wine to numb himself, just for a little while.