The bright but not scorching midday sun of late autumn shone through the lattice window into the room, illuminating Commander Lu Shenyun's cold and handsome face.
He stood tall and straight, one hand resting on his embroidered spring knife. His gold-embroidered flying fish robe and black cloak accentuated his heroic bearing. After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth and asked, "What else do you know?"
"They say he and Xu Silin had a pretty fierce argument, and your benefactor ended up falling down. Gu Shaoheng took him to the clinic in a carriage." Huang Yu licked the peanut crumbs between her teeth with the tip of her tongue. "That's all, I don't know anything else..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Shenyun's cold face flickered slightly, his thin lips pursed, and the image of Shen Qingchen immediately flooded his mind.
Slender figure, seemingly frail, eyes like autumn water, eyebrows like spring mountains, gentle and warm temperament... He had seen that person nervous, calm, and focused, but he could not imagine him angry or furious, especially when facing someone as powerful and influential as himself.
What caused the argument, how it was fought, where did they get the audacity, and whether they were seriously injured?
These questions left Lu Shenyun speechless for a long time. Huang Yu looked at his increasingly cold and thoughtful face, and couldn't help but twitch her peanut-skin-covered lips, thinking to herself, "You think I can't tell how much that little concubine means to you just because you don't say anything?"
If it were just some cat or dog, what would there be to think about?
After observing his brother's expression with great interest, Huang Yu couldn't help but ask, "Are you going or not? He saved your life, and you took advantage of him. This is a good opportunity for you to pay back some of your debt. Visiting your savior is only right and natural. If people find out, it will be a good story and nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm not going."
With those two words uttered decisively, Lu Shenyun strode towards the back hall, his black boots moving with the elegance of a leopard, leaving behind only a tall and handsome figure, making Huang Yu feel as if a peanut was stuck in her throat.
There's this guy's awkwardness about him that's really frustrating to watch; I even prepared excuses for him.
Life is too short to make things so difficult for yourself.
Huang Yu was unaware that when he asked, "Does Lord Lu want to go see him?", many thoughts had already gone through Lu Shenyun's mind.
Beneath his usual cold and ruthless exterior, these thoughts were meticulous, thoughtful, and even tinged with a touch of tenderness. That touch of tenderness was called—being unkind to her.
In the Ming Dynasty, officials could make many mistakes, and they could correct them. But there was one rule that could not be easily crossed: civil officials should associate with military generals, especially those who held military power.
Although Shen Qingchen is currently only a junior official, the position of junior official is also called the heir apparent. To put it bluntly, if she doesn't make any major mistakes, doesn't offend any important figures, and is cautious, methodical, and alert, she still has a good chance of wearing a scarlet robe and becoming an official of the fourth rank or above in the future.
However, there are only so many official positions, and many people are eyeing them covetously, hoping that their competitors will make a mistake.
Unlike Song Yue, Lu Shenyun had no obligation to show concern or responsibility towards his students. He and Shen Qingchen were not related, and he was even many grades above her. If he went to visit her, it could only mean one thing: their relationship was unusual. No matter how normal or reasonable the reasons behind it might be, anyone with ulterior motives could always exploit it.
As the saying goes, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."
Although Shen Qingchen is currently only a junior scholar and not yet a prominent civil official, she has already ingratiated herself with military officers and developed close ties with the emperor's personal guards before even completing her studies. Under public scrutiny, she could easily be perceived as someone with impure motives and a desire to form cliques, which would negatively impact her reputation.
Even if this matter isn't sensationalized now, if she gets promoted based on her own abilities in the future, there's no guarantee that someone won't use it to their advantage, saying that she didn't get promoted because of her real talent, but rather because of her enviable relationship with Lu Shenyun. That wouldn't be fair to her.
Worse still, this will be a shadow that can never be erased. If she rises to a certain position in her career, she will inevitably encounter conflicts, and this will always be a weakness that can be exploited. Because no emperor would like a powerful civil official to have such close ties with his personal guards…
Besides, because of that secret letter, Lu Shenyun had already developed some rift with Xu's faction. If they knew he was getting close to Shen Qingchen, it would bring her into Xu's faction's sights too early, making things even more complicated.
A seemingly simple visit is actually more than just a visit; in this treacherous and unpredictable court, traps lurk everywhere.
He couldn't let her fall into a trap.
In the courtyard, the last blooms of summer had long since faded, and all the flowers had withered. Although the plants were bathed in sunlight, they could not conceal the desolate atmosphere.
Lu Shenyun returned to his room, took off his cloak and suede wristbands, tossed them onto the armchair, and stood silently out the window.
This favor, however, is difficult to repay.
There was always a natural barrier between him and that person.
Two days later, several camphor wood chests sent from the south were carried into the Song residence.
Song Yue opened the box, inside were several winter clothes, some shoes and socks, as well as smoked meat, preserved duck and other local specialties from his hometown, all sent by his parents through a third party.
As a Grand Secretary, Song Yue should have had no shortage of food and clothing, yet these things were sent to him every year, heavy with his parents' longing and love.
Before these things arrived, he had already received a letter from his parents. The handwriting on the letter was different; it turned out to be a joint letter from his mother and father.
His mother still told him to take good care of himself, not to overwork himself, to rest early at night, and to eat more nutritious meals. After giving her instructions, all her words were summed up in one sentence: I dare not ask Heaven for my son's safety, because my son carries the safety of many more people on his shoulders. I only pray that my son's ambitions will be fulfilled and that he will not have lived a life in vain.
His father's words were not as emotional as his mother's; they were brief and to the point, maintaining his usual style of reserved expression of deep feeling:
My son, never forget that you have a family behind you.
Song Yue gently touched the winter robes, his emotions subtly churning. The flickering candlelight illuminated his features, making them appear cool and refined, as if sculpted and polished.
These two benefactors, though not his biological parents, were more like parents to him than to others. In the case that year, several people lay dead in pools of blood, including his closest relatives. Prefect Song and his wife secretly adopted him, the son of a "disgraced official."
This is a story from the past, and a secret, which unfortunately came to the attention of Zhou Shiping.
From then on, it became a haunting nightmare.
Shen Qingchen's foot injury had almost healed, and after finishing his recuperation, he returned to the Hanlin Academy.
When her classmates saw her arrive, they all greeted her with concern. Gu Shaoheng was the first to greet her and even cleared the way for her.
When Xu Silin first saw Shen Qingchen, he recalled the touch from that day. His feelings were somewhat complicated. There was relief at seeing her return safely, satisfaction at finally meeting someone he had been waiting for, and a restless unease about facing the truth.
His various feelings were reflected on his face; his eyebrows and eyes remained handsome, but his expression was complex, and his eyes were deep and somewhat vacant.
When Shen Qingchen passed by him, their eyes met, and after a moment of deep gaze, he looked to the side first.
Her gaze was calm and open, which made him seem somewhat uneasy.
After the afternoon session, the junior scholars gradually left.
Shen Qingchen kept Gu Shaoheng behind and asked him what he had learned in the past two days so she could catch up on her notes. Gu Shaoheng was naturally happy and patiently explained everything to her.
Not long after they started talking, Xu Silin began clearing the room. He walked up to them and patted Gu Shaoheng on the shoulder, saying, "Go outside first. I have something to say to her."
Gu Shaoheng looked bewildered and said unwillingly, "Just say what you have to say. What can't I hear? Qingchen's affairs are my affairs. Besides, I have to help him with his studies. I can't afford to waste a moment."
"Shaoheng." Shen Qingchen put down his pen and looked at him gently, "Why don't you go out and wait for me first? I'll come find you later, okay?"
She knew what Xu Silin wanted to say; these kinds of things were always better kept to themselves. Now that he was suspicious and wanted to confront her, there was no way to avoid it.
Seeing that Shen Qingchen had spoken, Gu Shaoheng was unwilling, but he still obediently stood up. "Alright then, I'll wait for you outside. If anything happens, just call me loudly." As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Silin. "I won't let those treacherous villains bully you again."
Xu Silin listened to these words without expression, his heart unmoved. He no longer cared about anyone else.
Qingchen nodded. "Okay."
After Gu Shaoheng left, only the two of them remained in the quiet hall. Xu Silin sat down facing Shen Qingchen, and after a moment of silence, their eyes finally met.
"I'm sorry." His eyes were fixed on her, his dark pupils seemingly frozen, with only a little white showing on his lower eyelids.
Qingchen was taken aback.
"That day I grabbed your hand, causing you to tumble down the stairs... and I didn't even stop you. Whether it was intentional or not, you can judge for yourself; I don't need to say more." His tone was indifferent, his eyebrows and eyes still somewhat cold and unruly, but a trace of sincerity could be caught in his gaze.
Qingchen's eyelashes fluttered, and she said softly, "That day I was drunk and spoke ill of your background, so I was also at fault."
Xu Silin nodded, then suddenly asked, "Are you a woman?"
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