Chapter 28: A Way Out. Is Cousin Angry With Me?

The young lady’s gaze was pitiable, her clear eyes filled with nothing but his reflection. “Cousin—”

Her face was snow-white, her voice soft and light, tinged with a faint, timid unease.

The scene in the study from yesterday instantly surfaced in his mind.

Shen Ji was dazed for a moment, but only a moment. He quickly hardened his heart again.

What was the point of thinking about that? All that had happened before was simply because he had been too trusting and allowed her to fool him.

Shen Ji pulled his sleeve free, his expression impassive. “I am not worthy of being called ‘Cousin’ by Miss Su. Ping An, see the guest out.”

“Ah?” The clueless Ping An was a little dumbfounded. “What did you say, Young Master?”

Wait, this is Miss Su. What on earth happened? Is he really going to be this merciless?

Su Zhenyue’s heart lurched in panic, and her eyes reddened slightly. “Is Cousin angry with me? You don’t want to see me anymore?”

Shen Ji did not answer. He walked straight into the courtyard and only urged Ping An again, “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear what I just said? See the guest out.”

He didn’t want to see her.

Because the moment he saw her, he would be reminded of his own foolishness.

He would not be soft-hearted toward her again.

“Oh, alright.” Although Ping An didn’t know the whole story and had a good impression of Miss Su, he ultimately knew who his real master was and could distinguish between who was close and who was not. So he scratched his head and looked at Su Zhenyue with a troubled expression. “Miss Su, you see…”

“I understand.” Not wanting to make things difficult for him, Su Zhenyue did not press further. She just composed herself and asked from the doorway, “Did Cousin not return all night?”

“Ah, the Young Master drank too much yesterday and rested at the Third Young Master’s place,” Ping An figured this was something he could answer.

Su Zhenyue nodded. “I see. Well, did he drink any hangover soup? Will he have a headache?”

She remembered her father being like this.

Before Ping An could reply, his young master’s cold voice rang out, “Ping An, come pour some water.”

“Coming,” Ping An answered, about to head over.

Standing in the courtyard, Shen Ji added another sentence, “Close the gate.”

Hangover soup? As if she cares so much about me. She’s still acting, even now.

Ping An gave a sheepish smile, looking quite embarrassed. “My apologies, Miss Su.”

With a creak, the main gate of Qingfeng Courtyard was shut.

Su Zhenyue stood at the entrance, her face pale and her heart filled with a vast emptiness.

She told herself that it was actually alright. At least he hadn’t hit or scolded her, nor had he spread rumors everywhere that she had shamelessly seduced him.

He was just ignoring her.

Su Zhenyue stood outside the gate for a while, feeling as if the world was empty, and her heart was empty too, with nothing to hold onto.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally returned to the West Wing Courtyard.

Inside the study of Qingfeng Courtyard.

Ping An brought in the tea, his manner extremely respectful. “Young Master, the tea you asked for.”

The fragrance of the tea curled upwards, mingling with the steam.

Shen Ji only glanced at it. “Just leave it there for now.”

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Ping An asked in a low voice, “Young Master, how exactly did Miss Su offend you? Weren’t you still… yesterday…”

“Ping An, you’re talking a bit too much.”

“Alright, I won’t ask then.” Ping An made a zipping motion over his lips and said no more.

At this moment, Shen Ji’s face showed little emotion, but his heart was anything but calm.

The moment he entered the study, he smelled the distinct, crisp fragrance of wintersweet. In the celadon vase on the desk, the pale yellow wintersweet blossoms were still in bloom.

She had sent them over several days ago.

The pen pouch she had made by hand was placed neatly on the desk. He had put it in the drawer yesterday, but after Gu Yuanchen left, he had taken it out again.

An inexplicable wave of irritation washed over Shen Ji, and he tossed it directly into the drawer.

However, before the drawer was closed, he saw the hand warmer of the same color, as well as the ruyi knot she had just given him yesterday.

The sight of them made Shen Ji even more annoyed.

He had wanted to return them all, but on second thought, wouldn’t that mean having to deal with her one more time?

What if she refused to take them back, crying and pulling at him? It would be even more troublesome.

Forget it. Out of sight, out of mind.

Shen Ji simply found a lock and locked the drawer.

He pressed his temples and picked up a book to read.

But perhaps because of the drinking last night, he couldn’t focus on it at all.

This was a rare occurrence for him.

Shen Ji didn’t like to force himself, so he put down the book. “Ping An!”

“Coming!” Ping An answered, jogging over. “What are your orders, Young Master?”

“Has she left?” Shen Ji asked, feigning nonchalance.

“Are you talking about Miss Su? She has already left.”

Shen Ji let out a soft snort, his expression unreadable, and said nothing more.

Ping An scratched his head, having no idea what his young master was up to.

…

It had been a while since Su Zhenyue returned to the West Wing Courtyard.

She held a cup of hot tea, staring blankly into space.

Shen Ji was unwilling to pay her any mind, and she had no good ideas for the time being.

But she had been working on Shen Ji for over two months and had even seen a glimmer of hope. She was truly unwilling to give up just like that.

“Miss, don’t be too anxious. Perhaps there’s another way,” Nanxing advised gently from the side. “Look, nothing has happened these past two months, right? Maybe that person won’t make things difficult for us anymore?”

She didn’t dare to say the Grand Princess’s name directly, referring to her only as “that person.”

Su Zhenyue forced a smile, thinking to herself that in that long dream, she had thought the same. Back then, filled with fear and a sliver of wishful thinking, she had holed up in the West Wing Courtyard every day, refusing to go out. And what had that gotten her?

It had gotten her an imperial decree for a bestowed marriage right after the national mourning period ended.

The thought of Yuan Ye, of life in Shu, sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.

No, she absolutely could not just sit and wait for her doom. She could not walk the old path from her dream.

If Shen Ji was unwilling to see her, then she would find a way to convey her apology first.

Who said a face-to-face apology was the only way?

Su Zhenyue appeared gentle on the outside, but she had an unyielding spirit. Having made up her mind, she downed the cup of tea in one gulp.

Then she spread out paper, ground ink, and got busy.

The wintersweet in the courtyard was still blooming. Su Zhenyue went into the yard, cut a few more branches, trimmed them carefully, and, holding the wintersweet and the fruits of her labor, headed for Qingfeng Courtyard once more.

This time, she didn’t go straight in but knocked on the door. “Knock, knock, knock.”

After a moment, Ping An’s head peeked out from behind the door. “Miss Su?”

“Has your young master’s anger subsided?” Su Zhenyue asked softly.

Ping An shook his head. “No.”

Although the Young Master didn’t say anything, he knew. Just now, when he went to tend to the Hibiscus mutabilis cuttings, the Young Master wouldn’t let him.

To take his anger out on the hibiscus cuttings, just how furious must he be?

Su Zhenyue lowered her gaze to the porcelain vase in her hands. “Ping An, could you help me give this to Cousin?”

Ping An looked troubled, hesitating before shaking his head.

He thought Miss Su was very nice, but his young master was the best in the world. Since the Young Master had given an order, he couldn’t possibly defy it for Miss Su’s sake.

An idea sparked in Su Zhenyue’s mind. “Then, I’ll just leave it at the door and go. You can say you saw it and brought it for Cousin to look at, is that alright? Whether he accepts it or not will be up to him. What do you think?”

Ping An thought for a moment. “That… seems okay, I guess.”

Although he didn’t know why the Young Master was angry, he also hoped the two could reconcile. So, he wanted to try and get Miss Su a chance.

“Thank you.” Su Zhenyue smiled gently, placed the items on the ground by the door, and left.

Shen Ji faintly heard the commotion and asked, “Ping An, what are you doing?”

“Young Master, someone left this at our door,” Ping An replied, then carried the porcelain vase with the wintersweet into the study.

The moment he saw the wintersweet, Shen Ji’s brows furrowed.

With just one glance, he guessed whose handiwork this was.

Using the same old trick again?

Shen Ji’s expression darkened slightly. “Take it out. Don’t just pick up random things from the doorway in the future.”

“Oh.” Ping An quickly complied, then explained, “I wasn’t just picking it up, I brought it for you to inspect, Young Master.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted, and he let out a soft “Yi?” “Young Master, there seems to be writing in this vase!”

Besides the wintersweet, there was a folded piece of paper in the vase, placed at the mouth. Half of it was visible, and one could faintly see characters on the paper.

Shen Ji lowered his eyelids. “Don’t mind it. Take it out with the rest. Put it back where you found it.”

“Yes.” Ping An agreed and immediately did as he was told.

However, just as he took a few steps back with the vase, he was called to a halt. “Wait!”

Ping An stopped, a look of confusion on his face. “Young Master?”

Shen Ji was silent for a few seconds before saying coolly, “A young lady’s personal writings should not be left outside. Leave that note here; I will handle it.”

He wasn’t going to read what she wrote. It was just that if the note contained something unsuitable for others to see, leaving it at the door where it could be seen by passersby would be terrible.

“Yes.” Ping An did as he was told, placing the written paper on the Young Master’s desk before leaving with the vase.

He understood now. The Young Master mentioned “a young lady’s personal writings,” so he knew it was from Miss Su. But he still had him put the flowers back.

He was still holding a grudge against Miss Su.

Shen Ji had not intended to read the contents of the paper.

Whatever she wrote had nothing to do with him.

But the note lay on his desk, and he could see it from the corner of his eye without even turning his head.

It was exceptionally conspicuous.

Fine, just a glance. It’s not a big deal.

He wouldn’t be swayed by it.

Shen Ji opened the note. Reading ten lines at a glance, his brows knitted even tighter.

It was a sincere letter of apology. The letter itself was rather ordinary, mainly emphasizing her admiration and regret toward him. The only unique part was at the end, where two small figures were drawn in an extremely simple style.

Although their features were incomplete, one could tell it was a man and a woman. The little female figure had teary eyes, and next to it were two lines of small characters: “Cousin, I was wrong. Please don’t be angry with me.”

Shen Ji sneered and casually tossed the distinctive apology letter aside.

Admiration? Apology?

So she’s being honest this time? Not talking about love and adoration anymore?

Did he need her apology?

Beating around the bush, utterly meaningless.

…

Su Zhenyue had not gone far; she lingered outside Qingfeng Courtyard.

After a while, she returned to the gate and saw the familiar vase and the flowers inside placed back where she had left them. A chill shot through her heart.

Was this a rejection?

Looking closer, she saw that the note that had been in the vase was gone.

Su Zhenyue’s eyes instantly lit up. Did this… did this mean there was still a chance?

A sliver of hope involuntarily bloomed in her heart.

Just then, Ping An came out of the courtyard. Su Zhenyue hurriedly asked, “Ping An, what did Cousin say about the wintersweet?”

She had chosen wintersweet because that day in the Warm Pavilion, when he had promised to marry her, he had taken the initiative to ask her to cut two branches for him. She thought that sending wintersweet might stir up some old memories.

“Don’t mention it. The Young Master told me to put it back where I found it,” Ping An sighed.

“Then, the paper in the vase…”

“The Young Master said a young lady’s personal writings should not be left outside, and that he would handle it,” Ping An recounted from memory.

Su Zhenyue was taken aback. “Then how did he handle it?”

Ping An shook his head. “That I don’t know. The Young Master didn’t say.”

Su Zhenyue frowned, once again unsure.

“Miss Su, why don’t you tell me what you and the Young Master are fighting about? I can help you come up with some ideas,” Ping An suggested enthusiastically. “My young master is a very good person. I’ve never seen him this angry before. Of course, I’m not saying you’re not a good person, Miss Su. I know you’re a good person too. It’s just… is there some kind of misunderstanding between you two?”

Su Zhenyue remained silent, only shaking her head.

She knew Ping An meant well, but how could she possibly explain the details?

She was afraid that if she told him, even Ping An would turn against her.

Ping An was in a difficult position. “Well, if you’re not willing to say, Miss Su, how can I help you if I don’t know anything?”

“It’s alright, you’ve already helped me a lot.” Su Zhenyue pulled at the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile at him. “Ping An, thank you. I’ll think of another way.”

“Alright then.”

Su Zhenyue took the porcelain vase with the wintersweet back with her.

The wintersweet’s fragrance was faint and elegant, but she was in no mood to appreciate it. She just worried about what to do.

At this point, the only thing she could console herself with was that at least Shen Ji hadn’t returned all the things she had given him before.

This left her with a little bit of hope.

The next morning, Su Zhenyue went to the Plum Garden and cut a few branches of red plum blossoms, arranging them in a white porcelain vase.

Red plums in a white vase, it was a beautiful sight.

Just like yesterday, she wrote another letter and placed it carefully at the mouth of the vase.

Since Shen Ji is worried about a young lady’s personal writings being left out and will handle it himself, he should at least read it, right?

Ping An was the first to discover the red plums left at the door. Guessing they were from Miss Su, he didn’t dare to act on his own and once again took them to the Young Master for inspection.

Shen Ji merely lifted his eyelids. “Take it away.”

“Young Master, there’s writing in here too,” Ping An reminded him softly.

Only then did Shen Ji take a serious look. Seeing it was another letter of apology, he was so exasperated he almost laughed.

She was just repeating the same words over and over. She sincerely admitted her mistake, felt she had wronged him, and hoped he would be magnanimous and forgive her transgression.

And then what?

What use were these apologies to him? Was an apology all he wanted?

Ping An whispered from the side, “Young Master, what do you think…”

Shen Ji directly took out a fire-starter and burned the paper, along with all those annoying words, to ashes.

Ping An was startled. He moved his lips but said nothing.

When he saw Su Zhenyue again, Ping An couldn’t help but say, “Miss Su, why don’t you… just let it go for now. Wait a while, until the Young Master has completely cooled down, then you can come find him again?”

Su Zhenyue’s heart skipped a beat. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing really happened. It’s just that the letter you put in the white porcelain vase… the Young Master burned it after reading it…” Ping An’s voice grew quieter.

Su Zhenyue’s expression changed slightly. “Burned it?”

“Mhm.” Ping An nodded hesitantly, then sincerely advised, “Why don’t you wait a while longer? Maybe by then…”

“Ping An, how long is ‘a while’?”

“Ten days to half a month?” Ping An scratched his head. “Or maybe two or three months?”

He couldn’t bear to see Miss Su’s disappointment, so he thought for a moment and added, “The main thing is I don’t know what this is all about, so I can’t really estimate.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Su Zhenyue’s heart sank lower and lower. She forced a smile and left with the white porcelain vase of red plums.

It was already the twelfth lunar month. Another ten days or half a month would be fine, but if it was another two or three months, that would be disastrous.

She couldn’t wait that long.

Her mind heavy with worries, Su Zhenyue walked forward step by step, not even noticing the person she was about to walk into.

It was the other person who called out to her with a smile, “A Yue.”

“Ah?” Su Zhenyue subconsciously looked up and saw the Fourth Young Master, Gu Yuanjing, not far away.

In this cold weather, he was dressed in a thick cloak, holding an exquisite hand stove. His face was slightly pale, and there was no servant boy following him.

Although his features were similar to the Third Young Master’s, one was robust and the other sickly; no one would ever mistake them for each other.

Su Zhenyue composed herself. “So it is the Fourth Young Master.”

“Why aren’t you calling me Fourth Brother anymore?” Gu Yuanjing smiled. “What were you thinking about? You were so lost in thought you didn’t even see me standing right here?”

Su Zhenyue smiled, glanced down at the red plums in her arms, and replied casually, “It’s nothing. I just think the plum blossoms smell quite nice.”

Gu Yuanjing was still some distance away from her and didn’t approach. He just closed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Mmm, they do smell nice. But comparatively, I prefer the scent of wintersweet.”

“Wintersweet?”

“Yes. Although both defy the frost and snow, red plums are more suited for paintings. But when it comes to a crisp, cold fragrance, wintersweet is still superior,” Gu Yuanjing said with a smile.

Su Zhenyue had things on her mind and was in no mood for a detailed discussion with him. She just smiled. “What Fourth Brother says makes sense. Unfortunately, I have something to attend to right now, so I can only seek your guidance another day.”

“Alright, you go on and take care of your business,” Gu Yuanjing said with an excellent attitude.

After bidding farewell to Gu Yuanjing, Su Zhenyue continued west. The white porcelain vase in her arms was heavy, just like her heart at this moment.

It had been two days, and Shen Ji still refused to see her. He had even burned her letter of apology.

It seemed this path was very likely a dead end.

Of course, perhaps with her persistent efforts, he might see her sincerity and forgive her. But given the current situation, getting him to fulfill their agreement and get engaged to her as soon as the national mourning period was over would be very difficult.

She couldn’t bet her life and future on Shen Ji alone.

Perhaps she needed to think of another way out.