Chapter 10. He subtly shifted his gaze, his face revealing...
No, I don't want it anymore.
Yu An felt her smile freeze, and she couldn't help but repeat in a low voice, "He doesn't want it anymore..."
Zhang Yanche smiled and said, "Brother Ji has always had high standards. He probably got used to the orchids of Jiuwan Mountain and couldn't stand the others. But if you ask me, these are very well grown."
He continued talking to himself, unaware that Yu'an's expression was anything but unusual; his mind was filled with thoughts of orchids.
Yu An looked at the orchid again, and felt a deep sigh of relief, like the setting sun falling on the bluestone bricks, shattered into pieces, yet with nowhere to vent it.
He looked down on her, and naturally, he also looked down on the things she gave him. How could they compare to the things Xu Jingshu gave him?
Let alone orchids, the memory of the sachet she gave him that day instantly brought a wave of shame to her heart, causing a dull, aching pain.
She forced back the tears welling up in her eyes and smiled, "Then I won't bother you any longer, sir. Take care."
"You're too kind, sister-in-law." Zhang Yanche nodded slightly and left.
Yu An strode back to the half-acre courtyard, her fingertips digging into her palms. The sharp pain actually cleared her muddled mind a bit. A sour feeling ran down her nose, and tears seemed about to spill from her eyes at any moment.
She raised her hand and covered her eyes with her palm, rubbing the stinging sensation into her hand, pretending nothing had happened.
Only Baozhu knew how much pain she was in at that moment.
“Girl, if you want to cry, just cry it out…” Seeing her holding it in like this, Baozhu felt bad for her too.
Yu An remained silent, while Bao Zhu said angrily, "Son-in-law, you're really something. You just gave away a gift from someone else to an outsider. That's so disrespectful to people."
Yu An smiled wryly, "Just give it away. It's not anything valuable anyway. Who wouldn't like something good right in front of them? Everyone's the same."
As she spoke, she got up and sat down in front of the embroidery frame, and began to work with the newly bought silk thread. "If he doesn't like it, he doesn't like it. I won't force him."
"girl……"
"I'm fine, you should go and rest."
As the needle and thread moved swiftly in her hands, Yu'an's heart grew calmer and calmer. Whether it was resignation and compromise, or utter despair, she gradually lost her spirit. The fickle nature of human hearts left her bewildered and unable to see clearly, only ending up hurt herself.
She knew that Ji Jinghe had forgotten what happened fourteen years ago, and she also knew about his feelings for her, but compared to all of that, the fact that Ji Jinghe's heart belonged to someone else left her feeling utterly helpless...
In the evening, Ji Jinghe returned. The two were still the same as before, neither speaking, each busy with their own things.
Yu An tried her best to focus on her needlework and not pay attention to the noises from the other side of the room until the dim light suddenly brightened and she realized that Ji Jinghe was already standing beside her.
"Try not to embroider these things at night, it's bad for your eyes."
Ji Jinghe uttered a single sentence, then turned and went into the clean room after lighting the candlestick.
But when he finished washing up and came out, Yu'an was still sitting in front of the embroidery frame, busy with her work.
Thinking of the recent quarrel between the two, Ji Jinghe didn't want to talk. He called Baozhu to make the bed, and sat on the couch, facing Yu'an.
She embroidered skillfully, showing no sign of stopping; she wasn't going to sleep.
After Baozhu left, he asked, "Are you still angry?"
The person opposite seemed to be listening but not really paying attention, as if they didn't care.
Ji Jinghe sighed silently, placed the candlestick on the small table in front of her embroidery frame, and said gently, "I've been staying in the study lately, but I've had too much official business to come back to sleep. I was just afraid of disturbing you, not because I'm angry with you."
He obtained a new roster from the Ministry of Justice. The matter concerning Xu Yun from four years ago was old news and difficult to find. However, he dared not miss any of the records, so he had to check them himself. After working on it for several days, he finally found some clues.
He hadn't been getting much rest these past few days, and he really didn't want to waste his time arguing with her over trivial matters.
Seeing that Ji Jinghe had brought her another candle, Yu An still couldn't bear to look up.
"I thought you didn't want to see me anymore..."
Her unexpected remark startled Ji Jinghe slightly.
Looking down at her, his fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly. When Yu'an looked up at him, her eyes reflected the dim candlelight, like pools of spring water, filled with a stubborn refusal to yield amidst her grievances. She had looked at people with that same gaze countless times.
He shouldn't have explained, but he still came. Even the moment she asked his question, he had already prepared the answer in his heart. After all, they were husband and wife, and they would respect each other for life no matter what.
But the moment she reached out and grabbed his sleeve, his gaze suddenly froze.
The face before him, bearing a resemblance to Chu Xingjian, seemed to constantly remind him not to forget anything or pretend anything.
He subtly shifted his gaze, the slight smile on his face vanishing instantly.
"What are you thinking about all day..."
Ji Jinghe turned around, stood in front of the clothes rack and took off his clothes. It was as if in an instant, the aura around him changed.
Yu An looked at the figure not far away, put away the needle, thread and candlestick in her hand, and then began to disassemble her hairpins.
After the lights were turned off, the two lay down side by side, and even after a long time, they both knew that the other was still awake.
"In a few days, it will be Mother's birthday. You will inevitably be working hard, but please take care of your health."
A calm, unhurried voice rang out, so close it seemed to be right next to her ear, its cold tone softened by a touch of warmth, as if bestowing upon her a sense of safety.
Yu An felt dazed and hesitated for a few moments, but still chose to respond with silence.
The couple lived their lives in this ordinary way. Ji Jinghe no longer stayed in the study. He would return home on time every day after his shift. If he was late, he would send someone to inform her in advance so that she would not have to wait for him to eat.
Sometimes when she was unsure about something, he would offer a few words of advice, which made her feel much less troubled.
Before they knew it, it was the 28th, and Yu'an's busy days began. Ji Jinghe was tied up with official duties and could only return before the evening banquet. Chu Xingjian was also busy, so she simply asked her brother Chu Zhuo'an to bring gifts to offer her congratulations.
Yu'an stood at the entrance of the hall to greet the guests, and in the meantime, she also had to deal with the problems raised by the servants. After half a day, she didn't even have time to drink water, and her feet ached. Taking an extra step felt like being hit by a dull knife.
Baozhu told her to go to the backyard to rest for a while, but guests kept coming, and she dared not slack off. As a new bride, she was already in a bad position because of what had happened before, and if she were to get gossiped about today, who knew how people would criticize her behind her back.
While waiting for the guests to arrive, she bent down and rubbed her legs. Suddenly, Ji Jinghe's voice came from behind her, which startled her.
"Go back and rest, I'll take care of things here." He had returned so early for some reason, and had even changed his clothes.
Yu An hesitated, then Ji Jinghe added, "Mother won't say much. Just come back when the banquet starts."
Having heard Ji Jinghe's words, she wasn't stupid, so she went back to rest.
Once her feet were sore and walking wasn't so painful anymore, she went to Wanfang Courtyard. There she happened to run into the wife of an official, who was having a good chat with her. As soon as she saw her, the wife grabbed her and wouldn't let her leave.
“Look at Qiulan’s new daughter-in-law. She looks like she knows how to manage a household, just like her mother-in-law. If she has another son or daughter in the future, it will be perfect.” The madam held her hand tightly and started talking to herself, which made Yu’an, who didn’t recognize people, a little unable to cope.
She was Ji's mother's cousin. After getting married, her family moved to the capital to do business. More than ten years later, she still had a slight southern accent, and her way of speaking was particularly interesting. Even her everyday trivialities were fascinating to listen to. What had just caused everyone to burst into laughter was her doing.
Shen Qiulan: "This is Aunt Lin, whom I told you about."
Yu An understood, forced a smile, and called out to her. Then she stood beside Shen Qiulan to serve her.
"Jinghe is back?"
"Yes, he's watching over the main hall, so he told me to come over here first." As she spoke, Yu'an placed the newly brought tea next to Shen Qiulan and handed the old tea to a servant.
After chatting for a while longer, Aunt Lin casually remarked, "My Qiaoyan has also prepared some gifts for her aunt, waiting for you to take a look."
As she spoke, Lin Qiaoyan stepped forward with a gift box, smiling at Ji's mother and Yu'an.
This was the person Shen Qiulan had chosen for Ji Jinghe. While not exactly a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she was certainly a stunningly beautiful girl from a modest family. With bright, expressive eyes and a refined, elegant demeanor, she was even more attractive than Ji Jinghe. Ji Jinghe certainly didn't dislike her.
Lin Qiaoyan opened the box. "There are many Buddhist scriptures. It doesn't matter if you only spend a short time on it, but if you continue like this, you will inevitably get tired. I specially asked someone to make this kind of mixed-hair brush. It can hold more ink and can also reduce the strain on your arm, so that Auntie's hand will hurt less."
Mother Ji picked it up and examined it for a moment, then smiled and said, "Judging from the workmanship, it must have taken a lot of effort. Qiaoyan is very thoughtful."
"This child has been wanting to meet Yin Ge's wife for a long time, and he's been talking about it at home. Today he finally got to meet her," said Aunt Lin.
Yu An was stunned for a moment before realizing that "Yin Ge'er" referred to Ji Jinghe.
One of the ladies seated at the lower level spoke up again, clamoring for Yu'an's gift to be brought out as well, seemingly trying to stir up trouble and compare it with Lin Qiaoyan's.
Shen Qiulan waved her hand, signaling someone to bring the items over.
Everyone craned their necks to look, but when they opened the box, it contained only a pen.
A sense of unease welled up in Yu'an's heart, and she pursed her lips tightly, forcing a smile, "Your daughter-in-law and Miss Lin have the same idea. This is a pen that we usually use at home, which is not as precious as Miss Lin's. I hope Mother-in-law will not find it offensive."
Her relationship with Shen Qiulan was already delicate, and the fact that their gifts clashed made her seem even less thoughtful, even less so than other people's in-laws.
This not only embarrassed Yu An, but also made Shen Qiulan lose face.
The room fell silent for a moment. Most of the women present were reluctant to speak until Shen Qiulan reacted.
In front of everyone, Shen Qiulan couldn't afford to lose her temper, so she could only force a relieved smile. Just as she was about to speak, the lady of the duke spoke up.
"This pen looks different from the usual ones."
Madam Ji held the brush in her hand and weighed it in her hand. She found it light and nimble and couldn't help but ask, "How did you manage to make the brush so light and heavy?"
"The outer layer is decorated with rosewood, and the inner layer is inlaid with bamboo core to reduce weight," Yu An answered truthfully.
Reducing weight without affecting penmanship—she'd heard of the technique of using wood on the outside and bamboo on the inside before, but this was the first time she'd encountered it.
"The pen is so light, it feels like you're not holding it at all," Madam Ji smiled and handed the pen to the nanny standing beside her.
This action meant that they accepted it directly.
"You're thoughtful too," Shen Qiulan said with a smile. The misunderstanding, which had been a close call, was thus resolved without serious consequences.
The old Marquis of the Ji family passed away from illness at a young age when Ji Jinghe was only twelve years old. Ji's mother single-handedly supported the Marquis's mansion with her son and daughter. Now that her son has become successful, it can be said that the clouds have parted and the moon is shining.
She has been doing this for ten years without fail. Fine lines are visible between her brows and eyes, but her eyes are clear and bright, revealing a discerning understanding of the world, and she remains calm and composed.
Everyone in the capital knew that today's birthday banquet was not only a reward for her bringing glory to her family, but also a celebration of Ji Jinghe's achievements.
Shen Qiulan's current situation is something many people envy.
This attracted people like Aunt Lin who were always looking for an opportunity to climb the social ladder. People weren't surprised; at most, they felt sorry for poor Yu'an, and regretted not having a connection with the Ji family.
“Qiaoyan doesn’t come to my house often. Since that’s the case, let Yu’an show her around the house and let her chat with her cousin-in-law for a while. She can come back after the banquet starts,” Shen Qiulan said to Aunt Lin.
Seeing Shen Qiulan's signal, Yu'an readily agreed and left with Lin Qiaoyan.
As soon as they left Wanfang Hall, Lin Qiaoyan couldn't hide her feelings. She pretended to be familiar with Yu'an and took her arm, as if the two had known each other for a long time.
"My cousin-in-law, your dress is so beautiful. I wonder where you got it made?"
Yu An suppressed her awkwardness and replied with a smile, "This was made for me by my mother before she passed away."
"This is wonderful. The fabric looks just like the one Miss Xu is wearing."
Yuan:......
Seeing that she did not respond, Lin Qiaoyan seized the opportunity and said, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, Miss Xu is the only daughter of Xu Yun's family. I heard that she has been ill recently, and I heard that my cousin often goes to visit her."
"Before the Xu family's downfall, my aunt had chosen a daughter from the Xu family to marry my cousin. I never expected this... Sister, I don't know, but I heard that some time ago someone in the court impeached Lord Chu, who is suspected of framing the former Grand Secretary Xu Yun. I don't know if it's true or not."
She brought it up casually, and just as Yu'an was about to retort, she quickly changed the subject: "Sister, please don't be offended. I was just mentioning it casually. Cousin naturally believes in Lord Chu."
Inside the covered walkway, the two women, mistress and servant, walked side by side. Lin Qiaoyan glanced back at her maid, who instantly understood and made an excuse to leave.
The two strolled slowly through the garden of the mansion. If it weren't for Shen Qiulan's wishes, Yu'an would have liked to leave at any time. She didn't even have the mind to pretend to be polite to Lin Qiaoyan.
Lin Qiaoyan had her own agenda; otherwise, she wouldn't have provoked Yu An. She secretly examined Yu An's clothes, her eyes darkening slightly.
"I wonder if my sister will be able to tolerate me in the future..."
Lin Qiaoyan uttered a casual remark, attempting to probe Yu An's bottom line. Yu An stopped and looked at her, only to see Lin Qiaoyan immediately break into a smile, as if the words had never been spoken and were none of her business.
"Sister, you are the daughter of the Grand Secretary, so naturally you won't hold it against me, right?" Lin Qiaoyan took her hand and smiled, "Aunt intends to give me to my cousin as a concubine. You shouldn't be angry, and you'll treat me well, right?"
A sweet face, a tender and affectionate tone, yet she utters the most arrogant words.
Yu An was unaware that her own decline had given her such confidence, whether it was from Shen Qiulan or Ji Jinghe.
A smug smile spread across his face, tinged with a hint of maniacal madness. Yu An didn't want to get entangled with him, so she turned and walked towards the front hall. Noticing that the other person wasn't following, she gradually steadied her steps once she was out of sight.
The front hall, where Ji Jinghe entertains guests, was just ahead. She preferred to stand aside and smile obsequiously at strangers rather than spend a moment longer with people like Shen Qiulan.
Baozhu followed behind Yu'an. Just as she was about to reach out to help him down the steps, a child suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bumped hard into Yu'an's lower back.
His body instantly lost its balance, his steps became erratic, and before he could react, he fell straight down the three or five low bluestone steps.
She slammed her wrist against the edge of the stone steps, the silver bracelet clanging loudly, attracting the attention of many passersby.
Baozhu quickly helped the person up, "Miss, are you alright?"
With the help of the pearl, Yu An slowly stood up from the ground. As soon as she put her right foot down, she felt a sharp pain.
She readjusted for a moment, then tried to exert herself again. When she felt a little better, she looked down and noticed the black marks left by her clothes rubbing against the ground. They were quite conspicuous under her moon-white robe.
"Is your sister alright?"
As if she had anticipated this, Lin Qiaoyan feigned concern and stepped forward to help her, a faint smile playing on her lips, which made Yu An feel uncomfortable.
She forcefully shook off the hand, then smiled and said, "Your ambitions are sky-high, but your fate is as thin as paper. Since you want to come, then come. How about you try to win me over? If you ask me, instead of arguing with me, you should go see your cousin more often. You know your cousin has someone else in his heart, don't you?"
I thought she was so clever, but it turns out she's just someone who resorts to underhanded tricks behind people's backs. Now that her shameful act has been exposed, she won't be able to escape the consequences.
Baozhu helped Yu'an walk slowly towards the front hall, muttering under her breath, "They really are from a small, humble family. I've heard that the Lin family only made their fortune by selling things through the Ji family..."
"It's probably because her mother-in-law promised her something that she had no more worries. If it were a small matter in the household, she would let it go, but today I will never let it go."
Yu An bent down and patted the black mark, but nothing changed.
Whether it's wear and tear or just surface stains, it's still a waste.
Yu An secretly tapped Baozhu's hand with her fingertip and whispered, "The old way."
Baozhu received the order and then left.
In the distance, the tall figure standing on the pavilion darkened his gaze. After he could no longer see the two figures, he quietly turned his gaze back.
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