He Yi has always been a person who acts on her impulses. At this moment, she took Qingju and headed towards the Prince Ning's mansion. About half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
The tall, vermilion gate was tightly closed, with several soldiers standing at the entrance. After being informed, He Yi, carrying green oranges and a food box, was led by several maids through the courtyard to Jiang Shu's boudoir.
Inside the room, Jiang Shu stood by the window, a scroll of the Zhuangzi lying open in front of her, yet she hadn't touched it for a long time. She wore an elegant white dress, her black hair casually tied up, and the soft sunlight shone on her. She looked so frail that a gust of wind could blow her away.
In the morning, Princess Ning had already come to talk to her about marriage. At this moment, Jiang Shu was upset, and her eyes seemed to be shrouded in an unyielding sorrow.
Looking at her from a distance, she appeared to be nothing more than a walking corpse.
"elder sister?"
He Yi followed the maid forward, and seeing Jiang Shu so haggard in the room, her heart ached with sorrow. Hearing the sound, Jiang Shu slowly turned around, and seeing that it was He Yi, a faint light appeared in her eyes.
Her lips curved slightly involuntarily, a faint smile appearing on her lips that was almost fleeting.
"Heyi, you're here? Come, come, have a seat."
Jiang Shu's voice was as light as a feather, but it carried an inescapable weariness and sadness.
"It's been quite a while since I last visited you. I've been incredibly busy lately, managing several shops and haven't had a moment to spare. I'd love to tell you I wanted to come see you sooner, but please don't blame me, sister."
He Yi sat down gracefully and looked at Jiang Shu, who only smiled faintly.
She gestured for Qingju to place the food box on the table, and then opened it herself. "I brought some newly made pastries from Tianxiangfang for you, sister. These pastries are all made by me recently, according to ancient recipes. They are perfect in color, aroma and taste. Sister, would you like to try them and see if they suit your taste?"
The delicate pastry box was opened, and a rich aroma instantly filled the room, seemingly dispelling the almost solidified chill in the air.
Jiang Shu's gaze fell on the exquisite pastries, but her eyes seemed to show little emotion.
She simply nodded politely, "Thank you for your trouble, little sister. It looks very good."
He Yi sighed inwardly. She knew why Jiang Shu was in a bad mood. It goes without saying that any mother would be happy to introduce her daughter to a man she had only met once and then prepare to marry him off so quickly.
Seeing that Jiang Shu's spirits had dropped significantly, He Yi didn't mind. Instead, she personally took a piece of horseshoe pastry and brought it to Jiang Shu's lips, saying, "Sister Shu, try this. This horseshoe pastry is extremely delicious."
Jiang Shu saw He Yi bring the food to her mouth and, unable to refuse such hospitality, picked it up, took a small bite, and then habitually chewed slowly.
After eating the cake, she nodded blankly to He Yi and said, "It's really very good, sister. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
It was almost like reciting a text. Looking at Jiang Shu's appearance, He Yi knew what had tormented Jiang Shu to the point of being like this. After thinking for a long time, He Yi cautiously spoke.
“Sister Shu’er, I didn’t just come to see you. Today I… today I…” He Yi hesitated, but after thinking about it carefully, she couldn’t let Jiang Shu continue to be deceived by that scumbag.
She finally gritted her teeth and continued, "Today at Tianxiangfang, I seemed to... see Gao Tanhua."
Jiang Shu, who had just been holding pastries, trembled slightly for a moment before quickly regaining her composure: "Oh? It's nothing. Didn't you say your pastries are the most unique? What? Is he buying pastries too?"
"yes!"
He Yi analyzed Jiang Shu's inner thoughts while carefully observing Jiang Shu's expression.
Finally, he couldn't help but blurt it out, "However, Gao Dekai didn't come alone today. He, he, he... he seems to be accompanied by a girl..."
At this point, He Yi mustered her courage again, gritted her teeth, and said, "I saw the two of them whispering sweet nothings to each other... they seemed quite intimate."
He Yi stopped there, unable to continue describing the disgusting scenes and details that made him feel nauseous. He believed that the exceptionally intelligent Jiang Shu would soon understand.
To He Yi's surprise, Jiang Shu did not show any expression of shock or anger on her face, and there was not even a trace of being provoked in her eyes.
Upon hearing all this, Jiang Shu was slightly taken aback and simply lowered her eyes.
Then, with an almost numb calm, she said, "Is that so? Let him be. It's common for men to have multiple wives and concubines! Besides, we're not married. It's Gao Dekai's freedom to be with whomever he wants."
Alas! There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart.
[It turns out that the female protagonist in this story was also a pitiful victim of feudal ethics and manipulation.]
[The villainous female supporting character: Sister! Wake up!]
Jiang Shu's reaction weighed heavily on He Yi's heart, and she hurriedly grabbed Jiang Shu's hand.
“Sister Shu’er! How can this be something so ordinary? That Gao Dekai, I don’t think he’s a good person! He’s not sincere towards you! I heard him say it with my own ears behind the counter today…”
He Yi didn't know whether she should say what came next or keep it to herself.
But in the end, she swallowed all those words back; she simply couldn't bring herself to say such vile things to the innocent Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu suddenly slowly raised her eyes and looked at He Yi.
Da Jueheyi's large eyes were filled with worry for himself and anger towards Gao Dekai. At this moment, Jiang Shu's empty eyes finally showed a slight fluctuation.
Jiang Shu subtly withdrew her hand, patted He Yi's shoulder as if comforting a naive child: "Sister, I understand your feelings. But in this world, especially in matters of marriage, how can everything go as planned? Parents' orders, matchmaker's words..."
"Besides, my mother said that this third-ranked scholar is about my age, and with my father's help, he'll definitely have a bright future. With that kind of security, I'm satisfied. As for whether he's sincere or not, that's just nonsense."
At this point, He Yi saw Jiang Shu laugh self-deprecatingly.
"I'm already very happy as long as I'm not sent to a political marriage. As for whether the intentions are sincere or not, does it really matter? It doesn't matter who I marry."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Heyi was completely stunned.
“But…” He Yi looked at Jiang Shu angrily, but actually wanted to say a few more words.
Jiang Shu has been thoroughly brainwashed.
She couldn't resist the combined pressures of family and society.
"Alright, Heyi."
Jiang Shu interrupted coldly, her tone revealing obvious weariness, "Let's not talk about Gao Dekai or his marriage anymore. Let's talk about you. You manage several properties now and also take care of the household. It must be very hard work. Young Master Zheng... how has he been lately?"
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