The surroundings were eerily quiet. All Meng Zhao could hear was the thunderous beating of his heart. The two drew closer and closer, their breaths mingling. In this hazy, ambiguous atmosphere, Meng Zhao was momentarily lost in his eyes, which were brimming with desire. Her hands, which had been pushing him away, unconsciously relaxed, and her fingertips gently caressed his firm chest, wanting to feel more deeply the heart that beat for her.
With a crisp "crack," the charcoal in the stove suddenly exploded, the unexpected sound jolting Meng Zhao awake. Her reason returned instantly, and she hurriedly clenched her fists, shoving the person in front of her with all her might. But the chest beneath her hands was as hard as iron and did not budge. Instead, Shen Qinghe moved even closer.
Meng Zhao was forced to press herself tightly against the back of the chair. This carved armchair was not like a soft couch, and the openwork wood carvings on the backrest made her back ache. She couldn't help but complain, "Move aside, my back is hurting."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghe stepped back slightly, but still maintained the posture of encircling her in front of him.
After calming down a bit, Meng Zhao looked up and stared directly into Shen Qinghe's deep eyes, and said softly, "I'll assume you can distinguish between dependence and liking, but Shen Qinghe, with your intelligence, you can't be unaware of what kind of situation we'll face if we're together, can you?"
Shen Qinghe's eyes darkened, and Meng Zhao continued, "If I agree to marry you today, how will we explain to our godmother? How will we explain to Qingze and Qingyu that I, the woman who once married her eldest son, am now marrying her second son? How will we explain to them that their former sister-in-law has now become their second sister-in-law?"
Shen Qinghe's hands rested on the armrests of the round-backed chair, his knuckles slightly white. After Meng Zhao had waited for a long time, he finally spoke, "You don't need to worry about this matter. I will explain to Mother myself that it was I who had desires and seduced you. Mother has always been reasonable and will never blame you. She will only blame me, but I am not afraid. From the day I realized my feelings, I was prepared to face everything. As for Qingze and Qingyu, you can rest assured. They are the children you raised and are the most discerning of right and wrong. If you can return to the Shen family, they will only be happy."
Meng Zhao could see the pain in his eyes, but there were still some things she had to say. "Even if they don't say anything, what about others? Have you ever thought about how much gossip would circulate if our affair were to get back to Shenjia Village? Would they say that you disrespected your elder brother and fell in love with your sister-in-law, or that I was unruly and seduced my brother-in-law?"
Qingze and Qingyu still have to go to the academy. If the children there hear about this, will they ask them why their eldest and second sisters-in-law are the same person? How are they supposed to answer such a question?
Now that you are in officialdom, you will inevitably clash with those who disagree with you in the future. If someone were to impeach you in court, accusing you of coveting your brother's wife and being unfilial and unrighteous, how would you defend yourself?
Besides, people's hearts are fickle. Your godmother values your future the most. Even if she doesn't say anything at first, once this matter affects your reputation, do you think she won't resent me in the long run?
Shen Qinghe, have you really thought this through? For your own selfish desires, you're letting your family affairs become gossip fodder and turning this affection into a weapon to attack you?
Can you really bear the consequences of incest between an uncle and his sister-in-law?
Meng Zhao's words struck Shen Qinghe's heart like a heavy hammer. His gaze gradually dimmed, and his tall figure slowly retreated to his seat. The candlelight cast a flickering shadow on his sharply defined profile.
After a long silence, Shen Qinghe finally spoke, his voice low and firm: "After my elder brother passed away, you observed three years of mourning for him. There was nothing improper or improper between us. You are no longer a member of the Shen family. Now you are just a widow remarrying. Everything is reasonable. Even if someone wants to cause trouble, I, Shen Qinghe, am never afraid of gossip."
Meng Zhao sneered upon hearing this, "You believe that, I believe that, but will others believe it? Besides, even if you can shut others up, what about your older brother? When you meet your older brother in the afterlife, how will you explain it to him?"
Shen Qing stared intently at Meng Zhao, his dark eyes swirling with complex emotions: "You don't need to use this to pressure me. You know whether you have a relationship with my elder brother or not, and my elder brother knows it too. I'm not afraid of my elder brother."
Meng Zhao was startled, realizing she had said the wrong thing. Not wanting to dwell on the matter, she changed her tune and said, "You're not afraid of the rumors, but can I be? I, Meng Zhao, have always acted with integrity and uprightness. I don't want this to affect my reputation, is that alright?"
Shen Qinghe gave a bitter smile, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes, "In the end, it's because you have no feelings for me. If you liked me too, you certainly wouldn't be afraid of these things."
"Enough!" Meng Zhao suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, and raised his hand to rub his temples. "If your love means making me disregard human ethics, endure gossip and worldly attacks with you, then isn't your love a little too selfish?"
Under the candlelight, Shen Qinghe's face turned pale instantly, and the pain in his eyes softened Meng Zhao's heart. She softened her voice and said, "Qinghe, I don't mean to belittle your feelings. Any sincere feelings in this world deserve respect. But besides feelings, we have many other things to consider. Since we are in this mortal world, we have to abide by its rules."
Shen Qing knew that Meng Zhao was right, but he couldn't suppress the obsession in his chest. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was hoarse: "I want to know, are you really indifferent to me, or are you just afraid of what people will say?"
Meng Zhao sighed, "Why do you insist that I explain it so clearly?"
"I need to know!" Shen Qinghe suddenly raised his voice.
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