CXD - 43

Jiang Zhiyi felt a chill run down her spine under Yuan Ce’s cold, calculating gaze. Confused and bewildered, she stared at him blankly. “What are you talking about…”

Yuan Ce shot her a sidelong glance.

She could be just as clueless as he had been. Back when she spouted nonsense he couldn’t understand, how many times had he wanted to ask, “What are you saying?” Did anyone ever stop to think about him?

Jiang Zhiyi eyed him with suspicion, his expression oddly possessed. She reached out to feel his forehead. “You’re talking nonsense—are you sick too?”

Her warm, soft hand touched his forehead, and Yuan Ce leaned into the comforting sensation, closing his eyes. He rested his head against the bedpost and exhaled deeply.

He was close to falling ill.

For so long, he had been dragged into this mess with his “widowed sister-in-law,” laboring day and night. By day, he played the role of his brother; by night, his brother visited him in dreams to converse.

When he wanted to drive her away, his brother said, “As the elder brother, I am like a father, and your sister-in-law is like a mother. Do not harm her.”

Fine, he wouldn’t drive her away. But people aren’t made of wood or grass. Spending day after day with her, inappropriate thoughts began to stir within him. Then his brother appeared again, saying, “As the elder brother, I am like a father, and your sister-in-law is like a mother. I am deeply pained by your actions.”

… What a joke—”sister-in-law like a mother.” What an unwarranted calamity.

As Yuan Ce leaned back against the bedpost, Jiang Zhiyi followed his movement, her hands alternately feeling his forehead. “You do feel a bit warm. Could you be running a fever?”

Yuan Ce cracked open an eyelid, leaning against the bedpost. Just as he was about to say no, he glanced down and saw that she had crawled out from under the quilt to check his temperature. She now knelt on the bed, leaning slightly forward. Her thin robe hung loosely open, revealing a corner of her pale yellow undergarment.

The soft, snow-white skin peeking through the gap caught Yuan Ce’s attention. His gaze lingered, and the words he meant to say slipped his mind.

“Ah… why are you suddenly hotter!” Jiang Zhiyi exclaimed in alarm, pressing her hand to his forehead.

Yuan Ce quickly averted his eyes, grabbing her wrist and gently pushing her back. “Get back under the covers.”

Jiang Zhiyi stumbled slightly, catching herself on the bed. She frowned. “… Aren’t I just showing concern for you?”

Yuan Ce turned his head away, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She hadn’t moved, seemingly upset that her kindness was met with his cold demeanor. “Take care of yourself first. Don’t you know it’s cold?”

“Oh,” Jiang Zhiyi replied, retreating under the quilt and pulling it up. “If you’re feeling unwell, you should call for a physician.”

“… I know.”

Thinking about today’s events, he had been just as much in the dark as her. Their earlier argument must have left her physically and mentally exhausted. Jiang Zhiyi softened. “Alright, alright. It was all a misunderstanding today. I won’t argue with you anymore. Let’s make peace.”

Yuan Ce, half-turned away, glanced back at her. “You slept all day and you’re not hungry?”

“Hungry—” Jiang Zhiyi started, but then suddenly realized something and glanced toward the window. “Wait, I’ve been asleep all day! What about the cemetery?”

“I had the maids go in your place.”

Early that morning, Jiang Zhiyi had woken up early. Thinking there was nothing else to do while waiting, she came to meet Yuan Ce. Near the Shen Mansion, she encountered a servant delivering a message, saying that the young master would be delayed. Looking ahead, she saw the Pei family carriage parked outside the mansion gates, which sent her storming inside in a fit of anger.

Later, after fainting in the study, Yuan Ce judged that it wasn’t suitable for her to travel today. He instructed Guyu and Xiaoman to take offerings to the cemetery on her behalf, fulfilling the ritual for her mother.

Jiang Zhiyi gazed at the darkening sky outside, her expression regretful. “How could I have slept for so long…”

“Don’t worry, your mother won’t blame you.” If anyone were to blame, it would be the person who mercilessly lit calming incense to keep her sedated all day.

Yuan Ce rose from the bed and went to the tea table, pouring himself a cup of cold tea. “Your two maidservants move slowly. Who knows when they’ll return? I’ll have someone bring dinner here. You can eat here.”

“Will you join me for dinner?” Jiang Zhiyi asked, batting her eyes.

Yuan Ce glanced out the window. For the past quarter hour, Mu Xinhong had been pacing anxiously back and forth in the corridor, visibly troubled by their precarious situation and deeply disheartened by the Young General lingering in the boudoir.

“I can’t eat alone. I need someone to keep me company!” Seeing his silence, Jiang Zhiyi added.

Through the window, Yuan Ce’s gaze met Mu Xinhong’s. The latter’s eyes were filled with anxiety, his hands clasped together as if praying fervently, silently urging him to hurry up and discuss urgent matters—before it was too late!

Yuan Ce opened his mouth: “Of course I’ll keep you company. Why wouldn’t I?”

Mu Xinhong: “….”

That’s it. We’re doomed. How could we not be?

Late in the hour of Xu, in the study, Mu Xinhong and Li Dafeng sat opposite each other on the reclining couch, playing their nineteenth game of chess that night. Never before had they seen such a prolonged dinner.

What kind of dinner was this? Had they gone to dig winter bamboo shoots from the fields, or catch carp from the river?

Back on the frontier, in this amount of time, the Young General could have finished twenty dinners.

With this much time, he could have shot two hundred arrows, ridden thirty laps around the field, and rehearsed ten military formations…

Mu Xinhong, staring at the chaotic chessboard before him, placed a piece and glanced out the window.

Qingsong, who had been attending nearby, was so troubled that he couldn’t eat his dinner. On one hand, he was deeply shaken by the matter involving Miss Pei and the eldest master—previously, when it was rumored that the young mistress and the eldest master had a secret relationship, at least he knew they were acquainted. But as for Miss Pei and the eldest master, he didn’t even know when they had ever spoken!

On the other hand, he was worried about their current situation—if the young master’s true identity were exposed… There was a saying: “To die beneath the peony flower is to be a romantic ghost.” If the young master was willing to die at the hands of the young mistress, at least he could be a romantic ghost. But Qingsong himself would neither gain romance nor keep his life!

Just as Qingsong and Mu Xinhong were anxiously fretting, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Yuan Ce pushed open the study door with force.

Mu Xinhong leapt up from the couch as if his backside were on fire.

“… Young General, you’ve finally come! Has the young mistress returned?” Mu Xinhong glanced out the window, spotting the two personal maidservants of the young mistress heading toward the bathhouse. His eyes widened in disbelief. “The young mistress is staying overnight tonight?”

“I arranged it,” Yuan Ce sat down in the chair. “What of it?”

“…”

“Young General, pressing matters take precedence over romantic entanglements!” Mu Xinhong quickly closed the window and gestured toward Li Dafeng, who was calmly sipping tea. “Mr. Li said that after the young mistress’s blood stasis was treated last time, it has been slowly dissipating. However, there’s no telling when it will completely vanish. It’s possible she might wake up one day with her memory suddenly clear…”

“So, isn’t keeping her here the safest option?”

Mu Xinhong froze.

Yuan Ce turned to look at Li Dafeng.

Li Dafeng: “Are you asking me to do something against medical ethics again?”

“If we don’t use medicine to eliminate the blood stasis soon, will it harm her body?”

“No, just make sure she doesn’t suffer another bump or injury.”

“Then today, pretend you haven’t discovered anything. When returning the medical records to the Marquis’s residence, say that everything is normal and her body is fine.”

Li Dafeng sighed.

Seeing that Yuan Ce had a plan, Mu Xinhong immediately rallied: “Mr. Li, thank you for your assistance!”

Li Dafeng: “I’m used to it.”

He had spent half a year nursing near-dead men back to life, only for this ruthless commander to kill them off moments later. Those prisoners sent to the military camp’s torture chambers—this ruthless commander would beat them near death, then send them to Li Dafeng to heal. Once healed, they’d be beaten near death again. As a physician, being saddled with such a young general was truly unfortunate.

After giving instructions to Li Dafeng, Yuan Ce pointed at Mu Xinhong: “Go find out where Lord Yong’en is and arrange for an escort to bring him back to the capital as soon as possible.”

“Understood!”

“And you—” Yuan Ce pointed at Qingsong, “ask the Lady of the house about the procedures for the three letters and six rites. Have her arrange everything in the shortest time possible.”

“Yes, sir!”

Qingsong and Mu Xinhong responded faster than they thought, but after answering, they both froze, slowly looking up at Yuan Ce: “… Are you planning to…?”

Yuan Ce: “Didn’t I say that once she regains her senses, she’ll go to her royal uncle to report me?”

Since she holds Shen family’s biggest secret, she shouldn’t leave the Shen mansion.

Before she regains her memory, finish what needs to be done. Then see whether her husband-to-be or her royal uncle is more important to her.

Emerging from the steamy bathhouse, Jiang Zhiyi, after applying moisturizer and nail oil, returned to the western chamber enveloped in fragrance. As soon as she entered, she saw that Yuan Ce had also finished bathing and was casually dressed in loungewear, waiting for her by the bedside.

Guyu and Xiaoman exchanged glances and giggled quietly behind their hands.

True to the saying, “a little quarrel adds spice to affection.” Today’s Young General Shen seemed like a completely different person. First, he voluntarily arranged for the young mistress to stay after dinner, and now he couldn’t bear to be apart from her for even a moment.

Jiang Zhiyi was surprised as well, tilting her head to look at him. “Why are you here again?”

“Not welcome?” Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just that you seem strange today…” Jiang Zhiyi recalled how during dinner, he had been serving her dishes and peeling shrimp for her. The last time he accompanied her shopping, he clearly looked down on doing such servant-like tasks. “Did you do something to wrong me? Or—are you asking for my help with something?”

Yuan Ce studied her for a moment, then dismissed the two maidservants: “Leave.”

Guyu and Xiaoman obediently retreated, closing the door behind them.

Jiang Zhiyi frowned curiously, pointing a finger at him. “You’re up to something. You definitely have something on your mind.”

“What are you standing so far away for?” Yuan Ce tilted his head. “Come here.”

Jiang Zhiyi, clad in a thin nightgown, approached. Just as she was about to sit on the edge of the bed, he lifted his chin: “Sit here.”

Jiang Zhiyi followed his gaze downward, seeing his knees, and hesitated, raising her eyes: “Where… where?”

“Exactly where you’re thinking.”

“…”

“I wasn’t thinking!”

“Then I was. Is that alright?”

Jiang Zhiyi shifted her gaze, her eyes flickering: “What… what were you thinking?”

Yuan Ce grew impatient with words. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap.

Like a light cloud, Jiang Zhiyi landed softly on his lap. Unbalanced, her body swayed, and she instinctively clung to his neck.

Their faces mere inches apart, Jiang Zhiyi’s breath caught. Her face flushed as she loosened her grip slightly and leaned back.

Yuan Ce pressed a hand against her lower back, pulling her closer, while raising the other to guide her loosened arm back around his neck.

Jiang Zhiyi’s breathing stopped entirely as she stared at him intently.

“Have we sat like this before?” Yuan Ce asked.

“How… how did you bring up the past again?” Jiang Zhiyi glanced at him, trying to recall. “I can’t remember!”

Good. It seems her delusions hadn’t reached this point yet.

After wandering down so many wrong paths, today he would block this noisy little peach blossom for his brother, granting him peace and quiet in the afterlife. Before complications arose, he would secure the greatest potential threat to the Shen family, eliminating future trouble.

“What exactly are you…”

“Aren’t you asking if I need something from you?”

Jiang Zhiyi huffed, turning her head away: “I knew it! Nothing good comes without a reason. You must want me to do something for you today!”

“Yes,” Yuan Ce nodded. “I want to ask for your hand in marriage.”

Jiang Zhiyi froze in utter shock, her nose, eyes, eyebrows, and entire expression pausing as she blinked slowly at nothingness. Hesitantly turning back, she seemed unable to believe her ears: “… What did you say?”

“I said—I want to ask for your hand in marriage.” Yuan Ce repeated slowly.

It was as if a New Year’s firecracker had exploded in her ear. Jiang Zhiyi’s mind buzzed with fireworks as she stammered: “Marriage… marriage means—”

Yuan Ce lifted his head, meeting her eyes: “It means, Jiang Zhiyi, will you marry me, Yuan Ce, as your husband?”