Chapter 3. Don't move around, what will it look like if someone sees you...?
Night fell completely, and palace lanterns were lit on the lakeside corridor. Yu Tan was pulled along by Li Xu all the way, and Li Xu said all sorts of nice things to her.
Li Xu clutched her handkerchief, stamped her foot anxiously, and said, "Tan'er, you really have to believe me. I truly didn't know Ji Yushang was this kind of person. I only befriended him because he was good at painting and had a good sense of humor."
Yu Tan stood still, the autumn wind rippled across the lake, and she arrived at Langyue Lake again, the place where she had fallen into the water before, almost ruining her reputation.
"Li Erniangzi, are you truly as innocent as you claim? Did you know nothing about it?"
"Tan'er, what do you mean?" Li Xu wiped away a few forced tears with her handkerchief. She spoke until her mouth was dry and she had used every trick in the book, but Yu Tan's face remained cold.
Yu Tan chuckled lightly and said coldly, "Ji Yushang is a notorious playboy in Bianjing. Do you really not know that? If what happened today happened to you, what would you do?"
Li Xu remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "It's my fault. I misjudged people. You know I haven't been in contact with many people."
"I don't know why you would want to embarrass me so much, and even try to ruin my reputation." Yu Tan walked towards the lake, the autumn wind blowing her green dress, which almost blended into the lake water.
A pair of hands were placed on her waist. Yu Tan turned around and said, "Li Er Niangzi, do you want to push me into the water again?"
"What do you mean, Tan'er? I didn't push you this afternoon. It was just too slippery here. I was just trying to help you. Look." After saying that, she let go of Li Xu's hand to demonstrate. Li Xu's toes touched the moss, and her body swayed.
She smiled at Li Xu, as if they had made up, "Actually, it's very simple for me to forgive you. I don't want any jewelry or ornaments. I just want to return everything to you."
Li Xu feigned innocence and asked in confusion, "What? It's good that you can forgive me."
Yu Tan placed her hands on Li Xu's waist and gave her a hard push, causing a huge splash to erupt on the lake.
However, this time the roles are reversed, and it's Li Xu who fell into the water.
"Help!"
"Please help me..."
Li Xu thrashed and struggled in the lake, crying out in alarm.
The lake water only reached Li Xu's shoulders; she wouldn't die.
"All our past kindness has vanished; we are no longer friends."
Yu Tan smiled at Li Xu, clapped her hands, and turned to leave.
Yu He'an is right. She is still the daughter of the Marquis's family, so she thinks she should swallow her anger and keep a low profile. When she is finally kicked out of the Marquis's family, she will suffer even more. She should take revenge now.
As soon as she turned around, she saw the Langyue Pavilion by the lake. Inside the pavilion stood a tall and slender figure. The breeze lifted his white robe, and his extraordinary demeanor was none other than her brother, Yu He'an.
Does that mean she saw the whole process of pushing the person?
She hurriedly lowered her head, glanced at her toes, and when she looked up again, Yu He'an was no longer in the pavilion.
They were too far away to see Yu He'an's expression clearly.
Yu Tan walked dejectedly to the gate of the Li residence, feeling uneasy.
Lanxin stood in front of the carriage waiting for her. The banquet had ended, leaving only three carriages. Two of them had small flags from the Marquis's mansion in front of them, and the lanterns in front of the carriages were all inscribed with the character "Jade".
After taking a bath and changing his clothes, Ji Yushang, having shaken off the smell of alcohol, selected his treasured calligraphy and painting, "Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair," and stood guard at the entrance of the Li residence, rushing to apologize before Yu Tan left.
"Young Lady Yu".
Yu Tan was startled by Ji Yushang's sudden appearance, which made her already depressed mood even worse. She glared at Ji Yushang and said angrily, "Get out of my way."
Lanxin got out of the carriage upon hearing the sound and ran to her side. "Young Master Ji, if my wife doesn't like it, please don't bother me anymore."
Ji Yushang abandoned his frivolous and dissolute manner. "I have come to apologize. I heard that Miss Yu loves to paint, so I brought my treasured painting, 'Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair,' to express my apology."
Yu Tan waved her hand: "No need."
Ji Yushang said, "If Miss Yu doesn't like this painting, I will bring other paintings in the future. I will come every day and change them every day. Eventually, I will be able to find a painting that you like."
"Ji Yushang, no matter how beautiful the painting is, once it's been painted by your hands, I'll only find it disgusting and repulsive." Yu Tan stormed towards the carriage.
Ji Yushang was taken aback, but his smile remained unchanged. "May Lady Yu have a safe journey."
With Lanxin's help, she boarded the carriage, but before she could even step onto it, the carriage shaft broke with a loud crash, and the two wheels rolled away to the left and right, completely ruined.
Ji Yushang unfolded his folding fan and laughed, "It seems that fate has sent me on my way."
"No need." Yu Tan had no intention of getting entangled with him any further. The carriage was broken, so she could just ask the Li family to arrange another one. Just as she turned to walk back, she heard that familiar voice again.
Sure enough, nothing good ever comes from running into Ji Yushang. Ji Yushang was able to get involved with her entirely because of his persistent and clingy nature.
She glared fiercely at Ji Yushang, not caring whether Yu He'an blamed her or not, and quickly ran towards another carriage belonging to the Yu family, lifting the hem of her skirt.
"My lady." Changming put down the low stool, and Yutan had just stepped into the carriage.
Because of the misunderstanding, the two sat quietly in the carriage, neither of them speaking for a while. Suddenly, there was a jolt, and Yu Tan lost her balance and swayed to the side. Ji Yushang took the opportunity to catch her, and his warm and soft body was in his arms, and the fragrance of night-blooming cereus filled his nose.
Never before had Yu Tan been so close to a man. She pretended to struggle, but he wrapped one arm around her waist and braced the other against the carriage window. If they opened the window, the outside world would be a bustling city, and their close embrace would be exposed to the world.
Yu Tan placed her hand on his chest, her pleading voice tinged with tears: "Please, don't open the window. I'll do whatever you want."
Yu Tan rubbed her arms. She had figured out the pattern; she needed to complete a specific plot.
However, the male characters in the plot are not important. "Ji Yushang" can be replaced, just as she was able to take advantage of the loophole to enter Yu He'an's room and get into his carriage.
Yu Tan gently pushed open the carriage door, and Yu He sat by the window, propping his head up as if he were dozing.
"Brother."
Yu He'an opened his eyes halfway, his light-colored pupils unfocused, and a layer of mist in his eyes. He looked very different from usual, appearing somewhat dazed. In just a moment, the mist in his eyes faded.
It turned out that he wasn't waiting to teach her a lesson on purpose; it was just that Yuhe was asleep, and Changming was worried about disturbing her, so he didn't drive the horse or the carriage.
"Brother, my carriage broke down. I'd like to go back to the manor with you," she explained softly. Worried that Yu He'an wouldn't believe her, she opened the carriage window for him to see.
Outside the carriage window, two servants were carrying palace lanterns, while Ji Yushang was repairing the carriage with tools he had somehow acquired, pushing back two wheels that had rolled away.
Lanxin sat in the carriage, and Changming cracked his whip to drive back to the mansion.
The carriage was eerily quiet. Yu Tan fiddled with the silk thread on her sleeve, hesitated for a long time, and then tentatively asked, "Brother, did you see me push Li Erniangzi into the water?"
Yu He'an responded with a "Mm".
"She pushed me into the water first this afternoon, and when I was about to go back to the manor, she pretended to provoke me again. I was just returning the favor." Yu Tan's voice became less and less confident as she spoke, but she still insisted that she was right.
Master Fu said: "His heart holds a myriad of valleys, and he faces the long night with a smile." (1)
She didn't hear a word she said.
Yu He'an opened his eyes: "What's done is done."
However, this matter was not handled cleverly enough. He had already informed Madam Li about it that evening, and the Li family would give the Marquis's family an explanation. The punishment for Li Xu would only be more severe.
Yu He'an's attitude was clear: he disapproved of her actions, but he wouldn't criticize her.
As long as she doesn't cause any major trouble, Yu He'an can turn a blind eye.
Yu Tan lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement, turning her face to the side.
After a long silence, Yu He'an suddenly opened his eyes, stared at her, and said, word by word, "Ji Yushang is a dissolute and frivolous man, born into a merchant family."
She couldn't even hide from Ji Yushang.
Yu Tan nodded and said, "I understand, brother."
Suddenly the carriage jolted and tilted to her side.
She was thrown off the cushion, and then a heavy object crashed down on her.
She cried out in pain as she was hit, the pleasant scent of cedar filling her nostrils.
Yu He'an fell down, landing heavily on top of her, forcing them to press tightly together.
The lamp was thrown off the table and came crashing down on her. She was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly.
Warm breath sprayed on her ear, along with Yu He'an's suppressed cries of pain.
To ensure stability, the lamp was cast entirely in bronze, making it quite heavy; being hit by it would certainly be extremely painful.
Unable to see Yu He'an's condition, she asked anxiously, "Brother, are you injured?"
Yu He'an's Adam's apple bobbed as he squeezed out two words, "It's nothing."
Even so, she didn't believe it.
She groped down Yu He'an's arm, and as soon as she touched his wrist, she felt the still-warm lamp oil. Further down…
Yu He'an's right hand was covered in lamp oil.
Yu Tan's voice trembled slightly with anxiety: "Brother, your hand..."
Yu He'an lowered his voice: "Don't move around, what will it look like if someone sees you like that?"
The carriage door swayed precariously, almost opening, and the noise of the night market outside drifted in. If someone saw them like this…
Ignoring the pain, Yu He'an quickly propped himself up and left, swiftly closing the door behind him.
In the past, she could have boldly refuted Yu He'an, saying that they fell together because of the carriage's bumps, and that since they were siblings, no one could say anything. But now, she could only shut her mouth. Her vision couldn't penetrate the darkness, and she couldn't see Yu He'an's injuries.
"Brother, I... I'm worried about your injury."
"It's okay, come out when you're ready." Yu He got up and left briskly, pushing open the car door, and the light from the lantern hanging on the corner of the hood shone in.
She can see clearly now.
Yu He'an's fingers curled slightly, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably. A large red patch appeared on the back of her fair hand, with several large blisters in the center. The edges where she had touched the skin were broken. She helplessly rubbed her fingertips.
"What happened?" Yu He'an's voice was normal, as if he really hadn't been injured at all.
Changming replied, "My lord, there was a bloody person lying on the road, which startled the horses and almost caused the carriage to overturn."
Yu Tan straightened her clothes, stepped off the carriage, and was immediately hit by the pungent smell of blood. She covered her mouth and nose and looked up. The man was huddled at the bottom of the alley. His robes were stained with blood and could not be seen. His hair ornament had fallen off and his hair was hanging down to cover his face.
This is a back alley of a teahouse. The man was beaten like this and left here. He must have offended a powerful person and committed a serious crime.
Changming carried a palace lantern, and Yuhe'an stepped forward and knelt down to examine the injured man.
Yu Tan beckoned Lan Xin over, pointed to the teahouse, and whispered, "Lan Xin, go and fetch a pot of cool water."
"Yes." Lanxin jogged to the teahouse, and returned in less than a quarter of an hour with a pot of cold water. "Wife, here's the cold water you wanted."
Yu Tan carried the cool water to Yu He'an's side. He had been in this position for almost a quarter of an hour, neither moving nor speaking, as if he was caught in a dilemma.
Yu Tan called softly, "Brother."
"Hmm?" Yu He'an frowned and looked up at her.
"Rinsing your hand with cool water will make it feel better."
She squatted down in front of Yu He'an, holding his right hand. The kettle was tilted slightly, and a thin stream of water poured out from the spout, hitting the back of his burned hand. Yu He'an suddenly pulled his hand away, and the kettle smashed straight into the unconscious man's face.
The kettle fell, splashing water all over the man's face, washing away the blood and revealing a pale, handsome face. The movement revealed a long neck with a scar the size of a fingernail on his Adam's apple.
The story repeatedly mentions how the female lead, Zhao Qiuci, kisses this scar again and again when she is moved by emotions.
The man, who was half-dead, was awakened by the kettle and opened his eyes groggily.
Yu Tan's heart pounded wildly. The male lead, Shen Wujiu, was not supposed to appear for another year, so why was he already in Bianjing?
A note from the author:
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