Chapter 2 Unable to See Through Their Thoughts

Changningfang, Chu Mansion.

Chifeng Courtyard.

In early summer, the flowers and plants in the courtyard sprout new buds and flourish.

The osmanthus tree planted in the very center, however, remained bare despite the owner's meticulous care.

The man walked with heavy steps, his clothes fluttering as he went.

Mu Geng and Uncle Chen followed behind him. Although it was already summer, they still felt a bit chilly around them.

Mu Geng cautiously began, "My lord, this sachet..."

You just got it back like that?

Is she not planning to return it to... Miss Shen?

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Xiao glanced at him sideways.

Mu Geng immediately shut up.

On the eve of the massacre of the Zhenwu Marquis's family, Uncle Chen returned to his hometown to take care of his elderly mother, while Mu Geng went to the border with Chu Xiao. Both of them escaped the calamity.

Now, only the two of them in this mansion know that the hunter whom the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chengde married six years ago is now the Duke of Zhenguo.

Uncle Chen had no idea what had just happened outside. He gave Mu Geng a look, and Mu Geng pursed his lips, not daring to say anything.

The three of them went into the main house.

Even after sitting down in the armchair, Chu Xiao still held the apricot-white sachet in his hand.

His eyes were icy, and he said in a cold voice, "Investigate today's events thoroughly."

Mu Geng naturally knew what he was referring to.

But... is there even a need to investigate this?

Didn't I see it clearly on the street just now?

Miss Shen was looking at the man next to her.

Mu Geng hesitated, then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He mustered his courage and asked, "My lord, should we investigate Miss Shen? Or the second young master of the Li family?"

Chu Xiao slowly raised his eyes and gave him a cool glance. "What do you think?"

Mu Geng chuckled awkwardly, having figured out his meaning, and said, "Yes, I will go and investigate immediately."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Only Chu Xiao and Uncle Chen remained in the room. Uncle Chen glanced at the sachet and said, "My lord, the imperial physician has not yet returned from visiting relatives. How about we have Doctor Lin from Baicaotang come over later to change your dressing?"

"No need," Chu Xiao waved his hand. "Uncle Chen, you should go ahead and get back to work."

Uncle Chen was worried about his injury. "Why don't you go to Baicaotang? Doctor Lin..."

“Uncle Chen,” Chu Xiao interrupted him, his voice low, “I know what I'm doing, don’t worry.”

"Alright," Uncle Chen sighed inwardly before bowing and leaving.

Chu Xiao was the only one left in the room.

The apricot-white sachet was still in his hand.

Holding it for a long time, it seemed as if even his fingertips were tinged with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus.

He raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing the faint embroidery patterns, his eyes unfathomable in their depths.

*

On the other side.

Andefang, Shenfu.

Wen Guiyuan.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, one can smell a faint medicinal aroma.

The maid Zifeng came out of the side room and greeted Shen Youshi, saying, "Miss, you're back."

Shen You responded, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed door of the side room, and asked, "Has Granny Zhao gone to sleep?"

“Yes,” Wisteria replied, following behind her with Green Ivy.

The three, master and servant, returned to the main house.

A young woman's boudoir always carries a faint fragrance.

On the embroidered screen, the continuous landscape painting is elegant and refined.

The carvings on the window frames and dressing table are all exquisite.

Green Ivy instructed her servants to prepare water, as the young lady was getting ready to bathe.

Zi Teng stood behind Shen You, looking at the beautiful girl in the bronze mirror, and removed the hair ornament from her hair bun.

"Miss, the medicine your nanny gave you today will be finished, but your illness isn't completely cured yet..."

Granny Zhao was originally Madam Shen's dowry maid. After Madam Shen passed away, she came to Wen Gui Courtyard to serve Shen You.

I've always treated her very well.

Shen You said, "It's alright. I'll go to Baicaotang tomorrow and ask Doctor Lin again."

Granny Zhao was getting old and was somewhat reluctant to seek medical help. She didn't want to be seen by the family doctor, nor did she want to go to the Hundred Herbs Hall.

The medicine she's been taking these past few days was prescribed by Doctor Lin after Shen You described her condition to Baicaotang.

Upon hearing this, Zi Teng nodded in agreement as she combed her hair.

"Girl, the water is ready."

The sound of Green Ivy came from outside. Shen You stood up and went straight into the bathing room.

Inside the bathhouse, the windows were slightly ajar, and steam rose from the tub. Flower petals were scattered on the water's surface, and a towel and soap were placed on a wooden table beside it.

Shen You never liked having anyone around when she bathed. Knowing her habit, Green Ivy and Wisteria prepared everything and then bowed and left.

The girl had taken off all her clothes, revealing her fair and delicate body, which was graceful and shapely.

She had a full, snowy chest, a slender waist, and long, well-proportioned legs.

Her slender ankles stepped onto the wooden stool and fell into the water.

Enveloped in hot water, Shen You squinted comfortably, resting her hands on the edge of the tub and leaning her head down.

Her black hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her beautiful and supple shoulders and neck, which were stained with water droplets that shimmered under the candlelight in the bathing room.

Such charm is not something an unmarried woman possesses.

Shen You blinked, her gaze seemingly falling on the soap on the wooden table, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.

The sachet that Chu Xiao took...

Besides osmanthus flowers, there was also a peace charm that her grandmother had prayed for for her before she passed away.

It was something extremely precious to her.

Even though she didn't want any more entanglement with Chu Xiao, she was determined to get that sachet back.

But how can we get it back?

"This sachet is such an important item, I will keep it safe for you. Please ask Young Master Li to tell the owner to come and retrieve it herself."

The man's words on the street today echoed clearly in my mind.

Next to burst in were those exceptionally striking, almost aggressive-looking features.

Shen You pursed her lips, a sudden feeling of bitterness and annoyance rising in her heart.

During those two years in the south, she could never understand the thoughts hidden beneath his cold and stern face.

That's still true today.

She was in the teahouse at the time; he could have simply had it brought up to her.

But after saying that, he simply turned and left.

When Shen You came down, lifting her skirt, there was no trace of him on the wide street.

Why did he insist that she go get it herself?

She doesn't understand, and she doesn't want to rack her brains to guess like she used to.

Once she retrieved the sachet, there would be no further connection between her and him.

*

The next day.

The weather was sunny and the sunlight was gentle.

East Market.

A carriage rumbled in and finally stopped next to Baicaotang.

The coachman lowered the bench, and Green Ivy got off first, then turned around and stretched out her hand.

A section of the sleeve of a moon-white dress peeked out from the car door, revealing the woman's slender, white hand inside.

Shen You, supported by Green Luo, got off the carriage and looked down at the front hall of Baicaotang.

There were a few guys sorting herbs there.

Her skirt swept across the floor as she stepped inside, looking at one of the men. "Young man, is Doctor Lin here?"

When the pharmacy clerk saw it was her, he smiled and said, "Miss Shen, you've come at just the right time. Master just returned and is in the back room."

"However, he is a bit busy right now. Please wait a moment while I go in and inform him."

Shen You nodded slightly, "Thank you, young man."

"You're too kind," the waiter said cheerfully, waving his hand before turning and going into the back room.

They came back not long after.

He turned to the side and gestured for them to come in, saying, "Miss Shen, please come in. My master is inside."

Thank you.

Shen You nodded and bowed, then turned and entered the back room of the pharmacy.

The back hall was where Lin Gu usually entertained guests, and it connected to the backyard.

The sun was shining brightly today, so I dried several herbs in the backyard.

The entire back room was filled with a faint herbal fragrance, which was very soothing.

A slight noise came from the house at the end of the corridor, and a figure moved by; it must have been Lin Gu.

Shen You strode away, while Green Ivy stood at one end of the corridor with the shop assistant.

Lin Gu was a highly respected old doctor, and he had more rules than others. He did not like too many people to enter at the same time.

The last time Shen You came to get medicine for Granny Zhao, it was the same thing.

The pothos has gotten used to it.

As Shen You walked through the corridor and stepped onto the stairs, he spoke up.

"Dr. Lin, Shen You has come to bother me again."

A gentle summer breeze blew, and the sunlight danced in the air, but no one answered from inside.

Shen You went straight inside.

The aroma of medicine in the room grew stronger, and behind the landscape screen, there was a shadowy figure.

She subconsciously thought it was Lin Gu, so she walked around the screen and repeated it.

"Doctor Lin, Shen You is here again..."

However, before he could finish speaking, he froze on the spot.

Shen You frowned slightly and subconsciously asked, "What are you doing here?"

Standing before her was Chu Xiao, whom she had just encountered on the street yesterday.

The man had taken off his shirt, revealing his strong and muscular upper body.

On those distinctly layered textures, there are several scars, both new and old.

On the wooden table to the side, there were gauze and medicinal powder.

Shen You pursed her lips and understood.

He must have come to see Doctor Lin to change his dressing.

But with other people around, why would Doctor Lin let her in?

Just as she was wondering, she heard Chu Xiao say, "Doctor Lin, go to the inner room to get the things, and you'll be out in a bit."

The man's voice was as cold and deep as ever, without explicitly stating that he was the only one there when the waiter came in.

Upon hearing that the person waiting outside was her, he immediately instructed his waiter to bring her in.

Shen You gave a dry thank you.

The room was spacious, with large, open windows all around, making it bright and well-ventilated.

She chose a seat furthest away from him.

Chu Xiao lowered his head and used gauze to treat the wound on his body.

The two fell silent for a moment, and the surroundings were very quiet.

Shen You didn't want to have too much interaction with him, so she deliberately avoided looking in his direction.

The smell of medicine mixed with a faint scent of blood drifted into her nostrils on the gentle summer breeze.

She gently raised her eyes and caught a glimpse of the gauze in his hand, which was stained red with blood from the wound on his chest.

Shen You: ......

This person has fought on the battlefield for so many years, yet his actions in bandaging his wounds are still so rough.

She took a deep breath and looked away, but the memories of their time together flooded back into her mind.

Chu Xiao was highly skilled in martial arts, but when he went hunting in the mountains, he was fighting against wild beasts in the forest, so injuries were inevitable.

But each time, he didn't take the wound seriously.

Until the blood dried and stuck to his clothes.

Shen You couldn't bear to see him ruin his body like this, but every time she tried to help him treat his wounds, he would dodge her with his hand across his body.

He had done this action countless times.

Each time she turned to the side, her heart sank a little lower.

As time goes by, the heart becomes like duckweed floating on water, adrift and without a fixed abode.

Until the divorce papers were placed in front of her.

It's like throwing a large rock into the water, creating countless waves, and then slamming this heart heavily to the bottom.

It can no longer float.

Shen You pursed her lips and subconsciously looked up, only to be caught off guard by a pair of deep, dark black eyes.

She snapped back to her senses and forcefully suppressed the inexplicable surge of emotion welling up in her chest.

I quickly looked away.

The next moment, he said, "Li Yu is not a good man."

Shen Youxiu frowned slightly.

Li Yu? Who?

The man's voice was steady and strong as he continued, "He bought a house in the west of the city and kept a mistress who is already pregnant."

He repeated, "Li Yu is not a good man."

Shen You finally remembered.

The second son of the Imperial Censor's family who was at Bilu Pavilion yesterday seems to have this name.

Whether he has a mistress or children is none of my business.

Yesterday's meeting was not her own intention.

Whether Li Yu was good or bad, she had no intention of having any further entanglement with him.

but...

These things have nothing to do with Chu Xiao.

Shen You looked up at him, her voice cold, "My relationship with Young Master Li is none of your concern, Duke Zhenguo."

Since you've already divorced, don't interfere in each other's affairs.

“Chen You”.

Chu Xiao stopped what he was doing, his eyes fixed on her, his voice even deeper than before.

The large hand that had been casually resting on his knee clenched into a fist, as if trying to suppress the emotions surging from his eyes.

However, before he could continue speaking, Shen You stood up, came to his side, and extended his hand.

He said expressionlessly, "Please, Duke Zhenguo, return my sachet to me."

The girl's hands were like white jade and tender shoots.

With the palm facing up, it is soft and delicate.

Chu Xiao looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I didn't bring the sachet with me, so I can't return it today."

"you..."

Shen You pursed her lips, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart.

My gaze fell upon the shirt he had taken off and placed to the side, and there was a pear-yellow handkerchief on it.

A few osmanthus flowers were embroidered in the lower right corner.

It stood out particularly against the man's dark robes.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

This handkerchief looks quite familiar.

A long arm reached out from the side, holding a handkerchief and handing it to her, "This is what you left behind."

"Now, it can be considered returned to its rightful owner."

Four years ago, after signing the divorce papers, Shen You didn't hesitate for a moment. She told Green Ivy and Wisteria to pack their things and leave immediately.

Perhaps because they left in a hurry, they left behind some insignificant little items.

For example, her handkerchief, her comb, and her wooden hairpin...

This pear-yellow handkerchief was brought from the Chengde Marquis's residence by Shen You when she married him. It was made of the finest material, smooth and soft.

Now, it was held in the man's large, calloused hand, the contrast between roughness and smoothness striking.

Shen You looked away, no longer looking, and did not reach out to take it.

He said coldly, "I don't want the handkerchief anymore. Please, Duke Zhenguo, throw it away."

During her two years in the south, the courtyard was filled with traces of her life. She couldn't remember how many things she took with her, nor how many things she left behind.

Today there are handkerchiefs, tomorrow there may be combs, and the day after tomorrow there may be other things.

She didn't want to get too involved with Chu Xiao.

Apart from the sachet, nothing else matters.

Moreover, in those four years, she must have bought countless new handkerchiefs.

There's no need to be so fixated on the one he has.

Another unspoken silence fell between them until footsteps were heard.

When Lin Gu came out from the inner room and saw Shen Youshi, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Miss Shen has arrived?"

His gaze then darted between Chu Xiao and Shen You, and he casually asked, "Do you two know each other?"

Shen You turned around and looked at the kind-faced old man with a white beard in front of him. He nodded slightly and did not answer his question, but said gently, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Doctor Lin."

"The medicine you prescribed before, Zhao Mama has finished drinking, but she is not completely cured yet and would like to ask you for some more medicine."

Lin Gu chuckled, "The young lady is so kind to the old woman."

"That prescription is mainly for gentle tonification, so it will indeed be slower. I'll get some more today and you can take it on time to get better."

"Thank you, Doctor Lin," Shen You said, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"Miss Shen, please wait a moment while I find the prescription."

After saying that, he rummaged through the shelves next to him and soon found the prescription.

"This is it. Miss Shen, just take the prescription to the shop assistant to get the medicine."

"Thank you, Doctor Lin," Shen You said, taking the prescription, nodding slightly, and then turning to leave.

She didn't look at Chu Xiao again.

The girl's skirt swayed slightly, brushing against the summer breeze, releasing a faint fragrance of osmanthus into the air.

Behind her, the man's dark eyes, like those of a hawk, were fixed on her back, his expression unfathomable.

Until that moon-white figure disappeared down the corridor.

He looked away, and heard the sound of Lin Gu jumping up and down.

"Your Excellency! How many times have I told you, the wound cannot be treated like this!"