After Qingchen left, the warm, intense, and tense atmosphere in the room vanished, leaving only a cold and desolate feeling.
The wind and rain blew in through the wide-open door, causing the bed curtains to flutter wildly, the pages of the books on the desk to rustle, and the papers not held down by the paperweights to fall to the floor like snowflakes.
Song Yue frowned, grabbed the coat the servants brought him, draped it over his back, and closed the door. Then he squatted down and picked up the scattered papers one by one.
After tidying up, he sat down at his desk and opened the official documents.
The wick had burned too long, and before Song Yue could trim it, the candle fell over. Red candle wax splattered onto the white paper, a glaring, blood-red stain.
After some more tidying up, he was finally able to start dealing with official business. But after looking at the documents for a while, he found that he couldn't concentrate.
It just won't sink.
The girl's tear-streaked face, her trembling hands and feet, her sorrowful and resolute back... filled his mind, lingering and haunting him.
It really didn't have to be like this.
Originally, she could have just stayed in Yunnan.
But in the end, she was too outstanding and was summoned back ahead of schedule. He was powerless to stop the emperor's decree.
Song Yue frowned, rubbed his temples, and felt a headache coming on.
...
The rain stopped after nightfall.
A visitor arrived at the Song residence; it was Zhao Qiran.
Zhao Qiran entered Song Yue's study and saw his wet clothes on the floor. He asked, "Did you get caught in the rain?"
"Um."
"It wasn't raining when you left, so how come you got soaked?"
"It's nothing." He didn't intend to continue. "What did you want to see me about?"
"I've got you covered for the thing you urgently asked me to do." Zhao Qiran plopped down in his armchair. "The mysterious person over there should be fine, right? What if they change their mind at the last minute?"
"She doesn't dare."
"Can't you just tell me who that person is?" Zhao Qiran remained curious.
"It's not the right time yet."
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Zhao Qiran nodded. “If you ask me, that old fox Xu Yan is too cunning. Let’s call Qingchen over and discuss it together. He’s so smart…”
"No need."
"Very well," Zhao Qiran sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with the two of you. You are his teacher, the smartest person in the Ming Dynasty. If you say it's unnecessary, then it's unnecessary."
Completely bewildered, he shook his head and said, "But I suddenly remembered something... Next year, Grand Secretary Zhang and others in the cabinet will retire, and two people will have to fill their places in the cabinet. I think Shen Qingchen has a good chance. If you have any grudges against him, can't you put them aside for now? If we support him in entering the cabinet, he will be grateful to us, preventing him from being won over by Xu Yan. If they turn from friends to enemies, it will be a huge disadvantage for us."
“This is not what you need to focus on right now,” Song Yue said. “From now on, you don’t need to concern yourself with her affairs, and you are not allowed to have any contact with her. You don’t need to invite her to any gatherings or banquets. From now on, she has nothing to do with our faction.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiran frowned immediately, pursed his lips, and said, "Why should I? You have a grudge against him, but we don't. I think he's a good person and I'm willing to associate with him. Why can't we see him? I don't agree to this."
Song Yue frowned as she looked at him. "Zhao Qiran."
Having spent so much time together, the two of them had developed a tacit understanding. He would say what he wanted to say directly, and his wishes and commands were all condensed into those three words.
Zhao Qiran stood up abruptly, clicked his tongue, and said, "Got it! You're the boss, whatever you say goes, I'll listen to you! I'm leaving!"
"Indeed..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiran did not turn around, but slammed the door and left.
Song Yue lowered his head and sighed softly.
It's not Zhao Qiran's fault; if he wanted to protect her, it was because he hadn't explained things clearly to Zhao Qiran.
For those of his school of thought, no one is exempt from sacrifice for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, and no one should be protected, including himself. However, this time he wanted to be selfish; he had to sever his ties with Qingchen and prevent her from getting involved.
Zhao Qiran is right. Next year, two senior cabinet members will retire due to their advanced age, and someone will inevitably need to fill the vacancy in the cabinet. Her chances are very high.
He just hoped that everything would go well for her.
Song Yue shook his head. His head ached even more, a pain so deep it felt like it was tearing him in two.
After running out of Song Yue's room, Qingchen went straight to the gate of the Song residence.
When the servants in the manor saw that Lady Shen didn't have any rain gear, they ran up to her and offered it to her, but she refused to take it.
The lanterns at the main gate of the Song residence were already lit. After she walked out of the Song residence numbly, the carriage that had been parked on the street drove towards her.
A small lamp hung from the carriage, illuminating the dark street.
Lu Shenyun got off the carriage, jogged to her side, and used his sleeve to shield her head from the rain. "Get in the carriage, I'll take you home."
When it was time to leave, he saw her get into Song Yue's carriage at the gate of Daming, so he followed her here and has been waiting outside the gate ever since.
He knew that the Song family would send a carriage to take her home. He hadn't planned anything, but the weather was bad today, and he was a little worried. Even if he just followed quietly, as long as he saw her get home safely, that would be enough.
Unexpectedly, she came out alone, without anyone to see her off or a carriage.
Qingchen took a breath and looked at Lu Shenyun, who was dressed in a black robe. "You should get in the car. I just want to walk in the rain."
"...The rain is too heavy, it's hard to walk."
The weather was gloomy, night had fallen, and the streets were dark with rain. How could I find my way?
She sniffed. "Okay, I want to go." With that, she took a step and walked away from the umbrella that Lu Shenyun had held up for her with his sleeve.
Lu Shenyun instinctively chased after her and covered her head again, saying, "Then I'll go with you."
The coachman from the Lu residence quickly spurred his horse to follow. Seeing this, he wanted to speak up to remind them, but hesitated and then kept quiet. When they went out to pick up Lord Lu earlier today, Madam Lu had specifically instructed him to make sure the young master didn't get wet in the rain.
Last year, the young master had a fever for two months straight. Although he was lucky enough to survive, he was left with some health problems. Since then, whenever he catches a chill, he will inevitably fall ill, sometimes for three to five days, and often for seven or eight days.
Even though the young master knew perfectly well that this was the case, he still insisted on getting soaked in the rain with this refined gentleman...
"Go away, don't follow me anymore." Qingchen said as he walked with his head down, "It's my own path, I don't need you to accompany me every time."
Lu Shenyun was even more stubborn than her. She knew that he would not listen to her kind words, so she simply said something harsh.
He didn't understand. She needed this rain, needed to be completely soaked, to sever all ties with the past. He couldn't stop her, no matter how.
Lu Shenyun pursed his lips, his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes revealing determination. "I can accompany you."
Even if he can't be with her, he can do it if he wants to. No matter what path she takes or where she goes.
Having failed to persuade him, Qingchen quickened her pace, but he caught up in just two steps. In terms of stamina, how could she possibly match him, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
"What good is it to stay with me? It's useless. Absolutely useless!" Qingchen said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't understand that I need this rain, I need a space to be alone, you don't understand what I need."
Lu Shenyun didn't say anything, silently letting her vent, but still covered her head with his sleeve.
Seeing his silent and persistent expression, Qingchen thought of Song Yue again, and her heart became even more uneasy. "You only know how to be good to me, but it's useless, useless! I can't repay you!"
She's not a short-tempered person; she can usually stay calm, but she couldn't today.
After a moment of silence, Lu Shenyun lowered his eyelids and said, "I don't need anything in return. You don't need to think that way, you don't need to feel burdened."
Perhaps it's not that he doesn't need it, but that he never dares to think about it, and simply buries it deep within himself.
Qingchen looked at him, suddenly shook her head, and stubbornly continued walking forward.
Lu Shenyun continued to follow silently.
"Lu Shenyun, get in the car. I promise, everything will be fine after today. I have to walk this part of the journey myself."
This path leads further and further away from Song Yue, until eventually she can no longer see him. Once this path is completed, everything from the past will vanish into thin air, dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
"Did you ask him about that?" Ever since he saw her walk out alone, he knew what had happened. He was conflicted and finally couldn't help but ask.
He knew very well how much Song Yue held in her heart.
He was her teacher, her friend, someone who had taught her, helped her, and even owed her a favor. They were inseparable, sharing everything; their relationship was something he could only envy.
He could only watch from afar.
Qingchen stopped and stared blankly ahead. "I asked."
What did he say?
"...It's not a personal relationship." Qingchen turned to look at her and said without hesitation, "The relationship between Teacher and Consort Zheng is not a personal relationship."
"oh."
Then why are you crying?
Qingchen continued, "It was Consort Zheng who asked him for help. It was about the Fifth Prince, and it wasn't convenient to discuss it in the palace, so they arranged to meet outside the palace. That's all. My teacher... didn't agree. That's all."
Did she know that she, the top student in the second-tier class, was somewhat incoherent?
Through the misty rain, Lu Shenyun nodded. "That's good. I knew Huang Yu was making a fuss over nothing."
"...Hopefully, no one else knows about this." Qingchen's eyelashes trembled slightly. "Could you speak to Lord Huang about it again?"
“Okay.” He replied quickly, raising his hand to wipe his eyes, which were blurred by the rain. “He won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
Qingchen forced a smile, then lowered her head again, "Thank you..."
The rain fell steadily, a soft, continuous drizzle that seemed endless. Her shoulders, soaked by the rain, appeared even thinner, her face pale, and her lips bloodless.
"Would you like to get in the car?" Lu Shenyun couldn't help but ask.
Qingchen looked at him; he was soaked to the bone and looked rather disheveled. The coachman following behind them maintained a worried expression.
"Mmm." She nodded gently.
This world has always been so helpless, things never go as planned.
Those who like someone see deep affection as a bond, while those who don't like someone are persistent in their companionship.
She showed her best side to Song Yue, but her worst side to Lu Shenyun.
She never realized that she was so selfish.
“Lu Shenyun,” Qingchen took a deep breath, “Let’s get in the car.”
...
The carriage arrived at Qingchen's residence and stopped.
Lu Shenyun helped Qingchen out of the carriage and into the umbrella held up by the servant.
Qingchen walked silently without saying a word. Lu Shenyun took the umbrella and said to the servant, "Please, make a bowl of ginger soup for Lord Shen."
The servant left, and he followed Qingchen through the hanging flower gate and up the corridor.
He was taken home; he should have left then.
But the rain today was so unusual that he didn't want to leave.
He wouldn't leave unless she told him to. He reasoned with himself that he could at least see her finish the ginger soup and get rid of the cold before he could feel at ease.
As Lu Shenyun walked, he couldn't help but think that perhaps the aloof and unconventional person he usually was wasn't him at all. The shameless and persistent person he was now was the real him.
Taking advantage of her low spirits and her sadness, he selfishly stayed by her side, hoping that even for just a moment, she would suddenly realize how good he was.
When they reached the doorway, Qingchen stopped and turned to look at him, just in time to see a strand of rainwater sliding down his hair.
"Lu Shenyun, I need to change my clothes."
He nodded, his gentle eyelashes fluttering, and said softly, "Then I'll wait for you outside."
After speaking, he closed the umbrella.
"You're soaked more than I am, you should go home. I don't think I have any suitable clothes for you in my house."
“It’s alright,” he insisted. “I’m a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, getting a little rain is nothing to me… Go inside and change.”
"Lu Shenyun." Qingchen raised his head, paused for a moment, and then grabbed his wrist. "Come in."
He was slightly stunned and hadn't reacted yet when she led him into the house, where she closed the door behind her.
His brow furrowed slightly, and his heart began to beat faster.
Suddenly, she hugged him.
"Lu Shenyun, if you hate me like this, just push me away."
He remained silent, standing motionless.
Her chin rested on his shoulder, and two lines of tears slid down Qingchen's cheeks.
She wanted to try it out and see what the difference was between hugging him and hugging Song Yue.
The result is that they are different.
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