CXD - 42

In the afternoon, at the study in the eastern courtyard of the Shen Mansion. Yuan Ce leaned back against his chair and rubbed his temples wearily. Due to Pei Xueqing’s probing questions, images related to his elder brother had been flashing repeatedly in his mind since returning from Tinglan Pavilion.

He had known about his elder brother’s existence since he was a child, but his brother only learned of him on the eve of his departure for the war. Three years ago, when his brother first arrived in Hexi, it seemed as though he couldn’t quite believe he truly had a twin brother. On the day they met, they stood facing each other from afar by the banks of the Ruoshui River. When his brother saw him remove the scout’s mask, revealing a face identical to his own, his eyes were filled with astonishment and wonder.

Later, while his brother commanded troops openly, Yuan Ce operated covertly, continuing to gather intelligence on the frontlines while assisting his brother in formulating strategies. In the rare moments between battles, they would meet in secret places to converse, play chess, spar, and exchange techniques. Though they had only recently met, it felt as if they had known each other for over a decade.

Naturally, they often disagreed on military strategies. His brother was gentle and conservative, while Yuan Ce was adventurous and aggressive. Amidst the dim lamplight, his brother would sigh, saying Yuan Ce didn’t value his own life. Yuan Ce would respond that since childhood, he had been taught that if he couldn’t fight with his life on the line every time, then his life held no purpose.

But his brother would counter, saying that their father wanted him to be the sharpest blade of the Shen family and the Xuan Ce Army, but he didn’t want his younger brother to become a blade. He wanted him to be a living, cherished person.

His brother would say that even though he was only born moments before him, he was still the elder brother, and as such, his word was law. Yuan Ce had to obey him.

Scene after scene flashed through his memory, ending with that rainy night in May.

Before that battle, they hadn’t seen each other for days as the frontline operations became increasingly intense, forcing them to act separately on their respective battlefields. On the night before their separation, Yuan Ce had proposed a bold plan—this battle, he would take his brother’s place on the battlefield. After prolonged warfare, their forces were worn thin, and Yuan Ce wanted to use himself as bait to annihilate the most troublesome cavalry unit of the Northern Jie tribe, thereby turning the tide of the war in one decisive move.

His brother had immediately rejected him. Their disagreement led to an uncomfortable parting. The next time they met, Yuan Ce had rushed thousands of miles through a torrential downpour, searching through mountains of corpses and rivers of blood to personally find his brother’s body.

That rainy night, he not only lost his brother but also forfeited the right to be a living, cherished person.

When he later decided to use himself as bait again, he had already become the undisputed Young General of the Xuan Ce Army. No one stood beside him anymore, telling him, “Don’t.”

…

Yuan Ce slowly opened his eyes, exhaled deeply, and lowered his gaze once more to the jade pendant on the desk.

A brother like this, and a girl who would protect even his final affairs—there was no reason left to doubt the authenticity of the situation. The owner of this jade pendant was undoubtedly Pei Xueqing.

Therefore, the imposter could only be Jiang Zhiyi.

But why did Jiang Zhiyi genuinely believe from the bottom of her heart that she had secretly pledged lifelong devotion to his brother three years ago with this jade pendant and had waited faithfully for him ever since?

Genuinely believing...

Yuan Ce mulled over these words repeatedly when suddenly there was an urgent knock on the door. Mu Xinhong burst into the study in a panic: “Young General, something major has happened!”

Yuan Ce raised his eyes: “She’s awake?”

Before leaving the mansion for the pavilion earlier today, he had instructed them to keep Jiang Zhiyi stable at all costs. If she woke up in the meantime, they were to tell her he was dead rather than admit he went to see Pei Xueqing.

“No, no, it’s not that. Mr. Li discovered that in the medical records from two months ago, after the incident with the bandits in the suburbs, the young mistress suffered not only superficial injuries but also a bump on the back of her head. Mr. Li now suspects that her blood stasis condition originates from there…”

Yuan Ce’s expression turned grave.

“Please don’t worry too much about the young mistress just yet,” Mu Xinhong quickly interjected. “After discussing with Mr. Li, we concluded that what you need to worry about now is… yourself.”

“?”

“Mr. Li said the injury wasn’t critical, and she hasn’t experienced any discomfort over the past two months. The blood stasis hasn’t caused any real harm to her body. But Mr. Li reviewed numerous texts today and found that in similar cases, many patients who sustained injuries to this area developed amnesia. After fainting, some forgot who they were or didn’t recognize their families, while others had jumbled memories, mistaking dreams or fabrications for reality, and spoke nonsense upon waking…”

“After informing Mr. Li about the young mistress’s condition when she awoke in the camp after being attacked by bandits and considering Miss Pei’s revelations today, Mr. Li strongly suspects—or rather, has nearly confirmed—that the supposed private affair between the young mistress and the eldest master is entirely a product of her delusions caused by the head injury!”

Yuan Ce slowly rose from his seat.

Beside him, Qingsong, standing in for the emotionless master, widened his eyes in shock.

The last time the three of them were this tense in this study was when they learned about Jiang Zhiyi and Shen Yuan Ce’s illicit relationship.

If the study had thoughts of its own, it might have choked at this point, wondering why it had to endure so much drama.

Yuan Ce stood motionless in front of his chair, glancing down at the jade pendant on the desk and then raising his head toward the western chamber where Jiang Zhiyi lay.

… Although this explanation sounded absurd, everything suddenly made sense.

Jiang Zhiyi’s relationship with his brother was false, but due to her delusions, she believed it to be true. That’s why, in front of him, her emotions—her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—all appeared genuine, without a trace of deceit.

And Jiang Zhiyi’s abrupt shift from ordering him around to calling him “Brother A Ce” began after she fainted from being frightened by the bandits. So that day, it wasn’t just fear—it was a head injury.

Unfortunately, the camp physician couldn’t perform a thorough examination, and relying solely on pulse-taking, they lacked the skill of someone like Mr. Li, so the injury went unnoticed.

Moreover, the maidservant currently attending Jiang Zhiyi was new this year and knew nothing of her past from three years ago. This led her to believe everything Jiang Zhiyi said.

Everyone, including him, had unwittingly entered a fabricated story that never existed.

Yuan Ce slowly lifted his eyelids and spoke in a calm voice: “So—she and my brother weren’t really involved? She just hit her head?”

“Yes, Young General! What a mess this has been, causing harm…”

Before Mu Xinhong could finish saying “not shallow,” he looked up and suddenly noticed Yuan Ce’s lips curling into a smile.

“…?”

Mu Xinhong urgently reminded him: “Young General, haven’t you realized the crux of the matter? Sooner or later, the young mistress’s blood stasis will dissipate, and when she regains her senses, how will she view your actions during this time? She might figure out that you’re not the eldest master!”

“She just hit her head,” Yuan Ce sat back in his chair, leaning against it as he nodded, seemingly oblivious to Mu Xinhong’s sweat-drenched forehead. He lightly stroked the armrest and smiled, “She just hit her head—”

Mu Xinhong hesitated, turning to look at Qingsong: “… Did I explain poorly? Do you understand?”

Qingsong trembled nervously: “I understand. Given the young mistress’s ties to the royal family, she won’t side with the master. If she reports you, we’ll all be done for…”

Exactly! Isn’t that the truth? Mu Xinhong smacked his thigh in frustration and glanced back at Yuan Ce.

But Yuan Ce continued to smile silently, his face completely free of gloom, basking in unprecedented delight, almost giddy with joy.

“…………”

Mu Xinhong and Qingsong exchanged a slow glance—

The Young General’s brain must have gone bad too.

At dusk, inside the western chamber. Yuan Ce sat by the bedside, gazing down at the peacefully sleeping figure.

The calming incense had burned out hours ago, and it wouldn’t be long before she woke up.

Mr. Li’s diagnosis was likely correct. Now, only one final question remained—

If her mistaken belief stemmed from jumbled memories, where exactly did those memories come from?

Yuan Ce narrowed his eyes, contemplating how to uncover this mystery.

After resting all day, the person on the bed had regained her rosy complexion, her jet-black lashes quietly covering her closed eyes. However, her brows were still slightly furrowed, and her lips drooped, as if she were still angry with him.

Yuan Ce reached out and used his thumb to smooth the crease between her brows.

Beneath his hand, her eyes fluttered open.

As their eyes met, Yuan Ce’s hand, which had been resting on her brow, paused. He looked into Jiang Zhiyi’s still-dazed and confused gaze, seeing that she appeared utterly disoriented, as if she didn’t know where she was. A sense of caution arose in him.

Li Dafeng had said her blood stasis condition had improved compared to before, which explained why she’d recently been doubting herself due to forgetting past events. Could it be that today’s emotional turmoil and surge of blood flow had restored her memory?

Yuan Ce tested the waters by staring at her and asking, “Awake?”

The next moment, a pale hand slowly rose and swiftly slapped his hand away from her cheek with a sharp smack .

Yuan Ce hesitated, glancing at the hand that had just been slapped, then turned back to Jiang Zhiyi. Her eyes were blazing with anger, looking at him as though he were some unforgivable heartbreaker. He turned his head away and chuckled softly.

Jiang Zhiyi blinked blankly. “…You’re still laughing? I’ve already fainted from your antics, and you have the audacity to laugh?!”

Yuan Ce turned his back to her, as if he hadn’t felt such satisfaction in ages, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.

Jiang Zhiyi was both stunned and suspicious, her anger rising uncontrollably. She sat up from the bed. “Shen Yuance, don’t push your luck too far!”

Yuan Ce reined in his laughter and turned back to her. “Why are you using my full name?”

“Because I’m angry—!”

“Call me something else.”

“?”

Yuan Ce tilted his chin. “Four words.”

Jiang Zhiyi paused, realizing what those four words were, and laughed in frustration. “I’ve already fainted because of you. Do you even have the face to listen if I called out to you?”

“So you fainted because of me?” Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Think again.”

“…”

Jiang Zhiyi fell silent, unconsciously pursing her lips and lightly licking them. Her cheeks reddened suspiciously as she pulled the quilt higher and shrank toward the corner of the bed. “You—you can’t explain yourself, so you’re trying to drug me with sweet talk!”

Yuan Ce turned his head away and chuckled again.

“What are you laughing about…? If you don’t explain now, I’m leaving!” Jiang Zhiyi angrily threw off the quilt and prepared to get out of bed.

Yuan Ce quickly stopped her. “It’s not that I won’t explain—it’s that I truly can’t. Earlier today, Miss Pei suddenly came to the mansion and claimed that the jade pendant you gave me belongs to her. She even showed me the other half of the pendant. I wanted to ask you about this.”

“Are you trying to turn the tables on me again?” Jiang Zhiyi pointed a finger at him. “Forget it this time. Not even the heavens can make this my fault. I gave you that jade pendant three years ago. How would I know why there’s suddenly another half?”

“And I’ve been far away in Hexi for the past three years. How would I know?”

The two silently stared each other down when suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. “Master, a matron from the Pei household has arrived. She says she’s Miss Pei’s wet nurse and wishes to speak with you and the young mistress. Shall I let her in?”

Jiang Zhiyi was taken aback.

A flicker of surprise passed through Yuan Ce’s eyes. Reflecting on Pei Xueqing’s words at the pavilion earlier, he paused, then said, “Let her in.”

A matron in her forties entered the room with polite humility. Approaching the bedside, she bowed to both of them. “It’s late, and I apologize for disturbing the young mistress and Young General Shen. I’ve come to explain a few things.”

“My young mistress has recently fallen ill with a rare delusional disorder. Due to Young General Shen’s resemblance to her deceased beloved, she refuses to believe they are forever separated. In her delusions, she imagines Young General Shen is that person and believes she shares some past connection with him. This is why she has repeatedly disturbed Young General Shen, causing misunderstandings with the young mistress.”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes widened in shock. “Such a thing exists…?” She pondered over the words, then turned to Yuan Ce. “So you really didn’t know…”

Yuan Ce glanced at the matron.

Pei Xueqing hadn’t discussed this with him, but after returning home, she must have realized he might encounter trouble with Jiang Zhiyi because of her earlier actions. Worried that his identity might be exposed, she sent her trusted wet nurse to fabricate a half-true, half-false explanation.

Meeting the matron’s suggestive glance, Yuan Ce nodded at Jiang Zhiyi. “Yes, I didn’t know.”

“Then… what about the jade pendant?”

The matron nodded. “Perhaps my young mistress saw the young mistress’s jade pendant somewhere and had someone replicate it.”

Yuan Ce quickly added, “When I repaired the jade, I had a craftsman examine it. It’s possible the design leaked out then.”

Jiang Zhiyi racked her brain, never expecting the situation to stem from such a reason. Recalling Pei Xueqing’s strange behavior shortly after her jade pendant shattered, the timeline matched perfectly.

Looking at the wet nurse, who was impeccably polite and dignified—a respected figure in the chancellor’s household—she didn’t seem like someone who would lie about such matters. Besides, who would falsely claim to have a delusional illness?

Jiang Zhiyi: “So that’s how it is…”

“My young mistress is unwell and doesn’t understand her own irrational actions. Please forgive her, young mistress. She suddenly developed a high fever today and couldn’t come in person. Allow me to apologize on her behalf.” The matron bowed deeply.

Coming to her senses, Jiang Zhiyi quickly gestured for her to rise. “Since it’s all a misunderstanding, no harm done. I don’t blame her. But regarding Miss Pei’s current condition, has a physician seen her?”

“The young mistress can rest assured. After today’s ordeal, she should regain clarity.”

Jiang Zhiyi recalled her earlier exchanges with Pei Xueqing in the study.

“But I think I said some harsh things to her today,” Jiang Zhiyi murmured to Yuan Ce. “Did I make her sick? If I’d known, I would’ve only scolded you…”

Yuan Ce: “…”

“The young mistress needn’t worry. When someone harbors unresolved emotions for too long without release, it can manifest as illness. Your words today may have awakened her. Perhaps this fever is a good thing.”

“I understand the pain of losing a loved one forever. She must have been suffering deeply to develop such an illness…” Jiang Zhiyi muttered absentmindedly, recalling something. She asked Yuan Ce, “Military Physician Li is highly skilled. Should we invite him to see her?”

Yuan Ce glanced at the matron.

“Thank you for your kindness, young mistress, but this matter shouldn’t be publicized. We won’t involve other physicians. If the young mistress and Young General Shen could help keep this secret, this humble servant would be eternally grateful…”

“What kind of talk is this? Of course, we’ll keep it confidential.” Jiang Zhiyi thought for a moment. “In that case, if your young mistress wishes to see me, I’ll visit her. I’ve had similar experiences and might be able to console her.”

“Thank you, young mistress. I’ll return to care for my young mistress now.” The matron exchanged a glance with Yuan Ce before retreating.

Left alone in the room, Jiang Zhiyi reflected on Pei Xueqing’s plight, forgetting her anger toward Yuan Ce. She mumbled to herself, “How could such a thing happen…”

“That’s enough. Stop thinking about it.” Yuan Ce interrupted her.

Jiang Zhiyi looked up. “How can you be so heartless?”

“I’m heartless?”

“Even if it’s just a story, it’s touching. And it’s happening right before our eyes. How can you remain indifferent? To love someone so deeply that even after their death, you imagine being with them—how profound must that love be? Isn’t it moving?”

It was all lies, and Yuan Ce was about to dispel her unnecessary sentiments when he suddenly paused. “…To love someone so much that you imagine being with them?”

“Yes, isn’t that what Miss Pei did?”

Whether Miss Pei did or not, he didn’t know.

But Miss Jiang seemed to understand this phenomenon well.

Mu Xinhong’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind—

The supposed affair between the young mistress and the eldest master is nothing but a delusion caused by her head injury!

Regardless, delusions always have a root cause. Memories could be jumbled, but they couldn’t appear out of thin air. If she had such a detailed story in her mind…

“If you liked someone, would you imagine things like this?” Yuan Ce fixed his gaze on her.

Jiang Zhiyi looked at him, bewildered.

“The person I like is right in front of me. Even though we just had a fight today…” Jiang Zhiyi snorted. “But do I need to imagine anything?”

“What if the person you liked didn’t like you back—or worse, had someone else they fancied? And what if they treated you terribly? Would you start imagining things?”

“Not liking me is one thing, but who dares treat me badly?” Jiang Zhiyi frowned. “Your assumption doesn’t hold water!”

Why didn’t it? His brother had treated her exactly like that.

Based on his brother’s true nature, perhaps he hadn’t intentionally offended her in the past. But to maintain his guise as a dissolute noble, his actions had to be excessively outrageous.

But Jiang Zhiyi didn’t know this. If she secretly liked his brother, it was plausible that she imagined a story—where they pretended to be enemies in public but were secretly close—to indulge in daydreams.

And it wasn’t just imagining a romantic relationship; she even imagined his brother kissing her…

What nonsense about the lush spring grass and flying kites, the kite getting stuck in a tree, one turning their head while the other lowered theirs… Unbearable to witness.

“Jiang Zhiyi, quite the vivid imagination?” Yuan Ce narrowed his eyes, arms crossed, looking at her coolly. “Your beautiful dream ends today.”