Chapter 24 Cui Huai reached out and supported Shen Yunzhi, letting her...
In her previous life, Shen Yunzhi spent the Qixi Festival with Cui Huai at Lanting Garden.
Today is the anniversary of the late Queen Consort's death.
However, the late princess was a figure of great secrecy in the prince's residence.
The King of Chu refused to allow the sacrifice, and apart from Cui Huai, no one dared to disobey; they could only pretend that nothing had happened.
Shen Yunzhi was not surprised that Cui Huai would be at Lanting Garden tonight.
Little did she know why Lin Yue had waited for her at Yunxi Courtyard to inform her of this news and lead her there.
The figure before the altar seemed no different from usual.
He stands upright like a pine tree, his back straight.
At this moment, the joss paper in the charcoal brazier was burning brightly. The firelight shone on Cui Huai's face as he slowly and methodically added joss paper to the brazier, revealing a coldness in his eyes that was more pronounced than usual.
Lanting Garden is completely out of place with the warm atmosphere of the Qixi Festival.
The same is true for the people in this place.
Although she had sensed it before, she hadn't taken it to heart.
When Cui Huai was reminiscing about his mother, he was in a vulnerable moment, which was a good opportunity to take advantage of him.
It was at Lanting Garden, before the memorial tablet of the late Princess Chu, that she took the initiative to embrace Cui Huai, whispering many comforting words in his ear. Cui Huai did not push her away, and she thought it was a sign that he had accepted her more, perhaps the truth being that he had unknowingly crossed Cui Huai's bottom line.
Dispelling the various memories of her past life that surfaced in her mind, Shen Yunzhi slowly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness."
She remained composed, her tone gentle.
Cui Huai neither turned around nor stopped what he was doing.
Only after a stack of joss paper was thrown into the charcoal brazier did he turn his head slightly, his voice colder than usual: "Lizhu was injured when she returned to the manor alone."
Shen Yunzhi and Cui Lizhu had agreed in advance to return to their respective residences later.
Therefore, they never met again after they separated.
Shen Yunzhi had indeed not heard about Cui Lizhu's injury. She had just returned to the manor and immediately came to Lanting Garden, having no time to find out about such matters. Upon hearing Cui Huai mention Cui Lizhu's injury, she was taken aback and hurriedly asked with concern, "Lizhu is injured? What happened? Why would she be injured out of nowhere? Weren't there guards from the Prince's manor disguised to protect her?"
As he asked the question, he realized in his heart that given Cui Huai's attitude, Cui Lizhu would be fine.
The reason she was brought to Lanting Garden was to confront and reprimand her.
Cui Huai had repeatedly reminded her to stay away from Cui Lizhu.
Today, she is also beyond refutation.
Cui Huai cares about his sister, and she had previously promised to treat Cui Lizhu well, but she was unaware that Cui Lizhu was injured, which was indeed a negligence.
Upon further questioning, it was learned that Cui Lizhu had sprained her ankle. Before Cui Huai could reprimand her, Shen Yunzhi first expressed her self-reflection: "It was my negligence today. I was only busy with my own affairs and did not take good care of Lizhu. I will never do it again in the future."
Cui Huai said calmly, "Miss Shen should talk less and do more."
Shen Yunzhi didn't argue with him, but patiently agreed and promised again that she wouldn't do it again.
Cui Huai remained silent, perhaps finding it inconvenient to reprimand her given her upright attitude. Taking advantage of this moment, she changed the subject and said, "Actually, I bought some candy for His Highness, Li Zhu, and the Second Young Master." As she spoke, she handed over an oil paper package, "There's peanut candy, pine nut candy, osmanthus candy... they all taste quite good."
Shen Yunzhi placed the items on the altar.
Cui Huai remained unmoved. Shen Yunzhi looked at him, hesitated, and then spoke again.
Today is the Qixi Festival.
"Although I do not know why Your Highness is alone in Lanting Garden, I hope Your Highness can be happier."
The joss paper burned out, leaving only faint, scattered embers in the charcoal brazier. Cui Huai picked up another stack of joss paper he had prepared beforehand and, as before, slowly and deliberately threw it into the charcoal brazier: "Today is the anniversary of my mother's death."
Shen Yunzhi thought he wouldn't mention it, which is why she showed some concern for Cui Huai.
I never expected to receive such a reply.
She stood there stunned, as if she had never expected such a thing to happen.
Cui Huai said, "Come here."
Shen Yunzhi barely came to her senses. Unable to pretend to be stupid, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk back to his side as instructed.
“Since you’re here, I might as well burn some paper money for my mother.” Cui Huai handed over the joss paper. “Indeed, no one else has come to visit her in recent years.”
Shen Yunzhi felt a chill run down her spine.
Based on her intuition and her familiarity with Cui Huai from their past life, she sensed a subtle, dark aura about him.
The late Princess Consort of Chu seemed to have a profound influence on Cui Huai… Knowing too little about Cui Huai’s birth mother, Shen Yunzhi ultimately dared not speak rashly. She glanced at the memorial tablet placed before the altar, took the joss paper, and obediently burned paper money for the late Princess Consort of Chu.
After the joss paper was burned, fortunately Cui Huai did not intend to keep her any longer.
Shen Yunzhi then used the excuse of visiting Cui Lizhu to leave Lanting Garden without lingering any longer.
...
Shen Yunzhi, after leaving Lanting Garden, did indeed go to visit Cui Lizhu.
As Cui Huai said, Cui Lizhu sprained her ankle, but the injury was not serious; she just needed to stay still for a while.
Getting injured is never a happy thing.
Shen Yunzhi gave her the candy she had bought and coaxed her for a while. Only after the maids and servants in the room were dismissed did Shen Yunzhi whisper in Cui Lizhu's ear, "Lizhu, is today really the anniversary of the death of the late Princess Chu?"
Choi Yeo-joo was taken aback, nearly choking on a mouthful of candy: "How did you know?!"
Shen Yunzhi did not hide anything: "It was His Highness who said it."
She briefly recounted what had happened at Lanting Garden to Cui Lizhu. Before she could probe further, Cui Lizhu said displeasedly, "It's just a memorial service for the late Queen. I also burned paper money for the late Queen, so what? You don't need to be so sentimental about such things."
Shen Yunzhi gave an awkward smile.
However, after hearing what Cui Lizhu said, she felt relieved and then shared about her meeting with Huo Ming that day.
Choi Yeo-joo always claimed she wasn't interested, but in reality, she was most curious about these things.
So they listened with great interest for a short while, the two of them whispering the most private things that a young girl like her would say.
Shen Yunzhi coaxed Cui Lizhu to sleep before returning to Yunxi Courtyard.
As she walked under the eaves, she saw the exceptionally cute rabbit lantern that Huo Ming had bought for her, and her mood improved slightly.
She was probably overthinking things. Although Cui Huai was acting a little strangely today, his words and actions weren't particularly odd. It was probably just because of the anniversary of the late Princess Chu's death, so there was no need to be too suspicious or scare herself unnecessarily.
Shen Yunzhi took the lantern and carried it into the house.
She didn't go out with Cui Lizhu on Qixi Festival. Cui Huai must know who she went to see.
She was overreacting.
After Qixi Festival, the Ghost Festival is just around the corner. These days, Shen Yunzhi has been staying in Yunxi Courtyard, diligently making lotus lanterns, folding paper ingots from tin foil, and preparing for other ancestral worship ceremonies for her parents and brothers. Huo Ming, knowing her family situation, arranged to accompany her to release the lanterns.
July 15th.
As the setting sun cast its last rays upon the world, Shen Yunzhi changed into plain clothes, paid respects to her relatives with her aunt, and then left the palace alone.
Night had already fallen near the riverbank where the sacrificial lanterns were being released.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Huo Ming's voice rang out from outside. He then lifted the curtain and helped her down from the carriage.
Shen Yunzhi carried the sacrificial lantern and walked onto the embankment.
Huo Ming walked quietly alongside her, also carrying several sacrificial lamps.
A large number of people gathered on the riverbank to release lanterns for the festival. The cries of mourning for their loved ones rose and fell, adding to the sorrow of those who lingered on the riverbank. Shen Yunzhi stopped only when she found a quiet spot. She squatted down, picked up a lotus lantern, and gently placed it into the river with her lips tightly pressed together.
One lotus lantern after another floated on the river, drifting downstream, and gradually merged with the sacrificial lanterns.
Shen Yunzhi watched quietly, unable to look away for a long time.
Seeing that she was in a very low mood, Huo Ming gently comforted her, saying, "The deceased is gone, Miss Shen, please accept my condolences."
Shen Yunzhi tilted her head: "Young Master Huo is also one."
She couldn't help but recall the life she had when her parents and brothers were still alive.
Her father taught her to read and write, her mother often made her pastries, and her brother often brought her snacks from the market after school...
Separated by two lifetimes, those peaceful and happy childhood days seem exceptionally distant.
Since her parents and brother's accident, her life has been turned upside down, and in just a few years she has experienced the full spectrum of human emotions.
Even protecting oneself requires exerting all one's strength.
Then I recalled my past life and the events of this life—it all felt like a dream.
In the end, only one thought remained.
Since she was able to live a second life, there must truly be an afterlife. Her parents and her brothers must have lived different lives as well.
If that's the case, it doesn't seem so bad.
According to custom, it is not advisable to stay outside too long at night during the Ghost Festival.
After releasing the sacrificial lanterns, Shen Yunzhi and Huo Ming left the riverbank and prepared to return to their respective residences.
Before she could walk back to the carriage, a group of men in black suddenly sprang out from the shadows and headed straight for Shen Yunzhi.
Huo Ming, skilled in martial arts and quick-witted, immediately shielded her behind him, and the two guards her aunt had arranged for her also drew their swords to protect her.
However, these men in black had already prepared a countermeasure.
Half of the men in black surrounded Huo Ming, leaving him unable to attend to Shen Yunzhi for the time being. Two guards from the Prince's Mansion were also entangled in the situation.
Two men in black approached Shen Yunzhi step by step.
But in a short time, she realized that these men in black had no intention of harming them or taking her life.
Even though the man in black was holding a sword, he was clearly very cautious in his actions, appearing rather restrained.
Therefore, it was necessary to arrange so many people to keep Huo Ming occupied.
Shen Yunzhi instantly remembered a name. She raised her hand to press down on the sleeve of her other arm, and without hesitation, she took off running, displaying extreme panic and fear. Before long, she seemed to be running blindly, disappearing directly into a nearby grove of trees.
The men in black chasing Shen Yunzhi looked at each other in bewilderment.
They were only ordered to restrain the others and then tie up Shen Yunzhi, but now the others have escaped into the woods...
But we can't give up until we catch them.
After a brief hesitation, the two men in black quickly chased after the person into the woods to search for them.
...
In a secluded, dark place, Cui Huai placed a lotus-shaped sacrificial lamp, engraved with his mother's name, into the river. His profile was hidden in the darkness, his eyes unfathomable, his brows downcast. After standing silently on the riverbank for a moment, he turned and walked into the woods, preparing to return through the same grove he had come from.
Halfway there, some noise came from ahead.
The sound of a short arrow piercing the air is not unfamiliar.
Cui Huai did not stop walking; his expression remained unchanged as he continued forward.
Just as Shen Yunzhi bumped into him in a panic, two men in black came after her, one of whom held a long sword that was stained with a dark color.
A faint smell of blood mingled with a light, sweet fragrance of a young girl in the air.
Cui Huai reached out and supported the young woman who had collapsed in front of him, letting her fall weakly against his chest.
"Help……"
Her faint cry for help was what she left behind before she fainted; she didn't even have time to recognize him.
My palm felt a dampness when it touched her arm.
Blood soaked through his sleeves, leaving them wet.
Cui Huai's expression suddenly turned serious.
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Author's note: There's more around midnight [Let me see].
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