The maid was from Lan Pei's courtyard. Perhaps she had something to do, otherwise she wouldn't have bothered Lan Pei and Shen Yunxi at this time.
"What is it?" Lan Peixu asked.
The maid's gaze fell on Shen Yunxi. "Reporting to Madam, news came from the gatehouse that Young Master Lin requests an audience with the Sixth Miss. We don't know if she should be granted an audience."
Shen Yunxi paused, feeling a sense of helplessness and sighing in her heart. She hadn't expected Lin Chen to arrive so quickly.
Shen Yunxi originally planned to invite him over tomorrow or the day after to sit down and talk things out, but she never expected Lin Chen to come so impatiently, which is quite inconsistent with his name.
Lan Pei looked at Shen Yunxi, "Yunxi, what's wrong? Is there some misunderstanding between you two? Why do you look so helpless?"
Lin Chen's feelings were not told to Lan Pei by Shen Yunxi, because she didn't know how to express them.
Now, when Lan Pei asked her this, Shen Yunxi became even more embarrassed. "No, Mother, why would you think that? There is no misunderstanding between me and Brother Lin. I'm just a little tired today. But since Brother Lin is here, I must see him. He must know that I've returned to the manor."
"Yunxi, actually..." Lan Pei hesitated, but after meeting Shen Yunxi's gaze, she still didn't finish her sentence.
Seeing Lanpei's expression, Shen Yunxi understood everything, but didn't know what to say.
“Mother, don’t worry. I know what to do. After all, I’m not a free person right now.” Shen Yunxi said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Lan Pei naturally understood what Shen Yunxi was thinking. It was clear that because his engagement with the Emperor had not been called off, she could not give Lin Chen a reply. It seemed that Shen Yunxi also knew about Lin Chen's feelings for her. Lan Pei could only sigh, feeling even more helpless.
My daughter is great in every way, except that her love life has been a bit bumpy.
The person she once loved avoided her like the plague, and the person who secretly loved her dared not say anything or express their feelings.
Now that the engagement hasn't been called off, and she's learned that the person she's always considered a brother has feelings for her, she's truly in a dilemma. Lanpei understands that she won't give him any hope, because she herself has experienced such pain.
“Go for it. Your mother will always be on your side, no matter what decision you make,” Lampe said with a gentle smile.
“Alright.” Shen Yunxi nodded in agreement, then looked at the maid, “Take her to the reception room in my courtyard, I’ll be there right away.”
The maidservant immediately replied, "Yes, Sixth Miss."
After the maid left, Shen Yunxi looked at Lan Pei apologetically, "I originally planned to spend today talking with Mother and then go see my brother, but something else came up. Yunxi, would you mind coming to talk to Mother again tomorrow?"
Lan Pei didn't care about any of that. "It's alright. As long as you have the intention, that's enough. We've already talked quite a bit, so go and have a good talk with Lin Chen. He treats you very well, so don't hurt him. As for your brother, he's been thinking about you a lot these past few days and asked me to bring him to see you, but I didn't agree because I was worried he'd cause trouble in the palace. Alright, go find your brother after you've finished talking to Lin Chen. He misses you terribly. Come again tomorrow if you have time. If you find some free time, come and talk to me then."
"Yes, Mother, I understand." Shen Yunxi curtsied slightly.
I was going to ask my cousin when she would be back, but I'll ask her tomorrow. She's been going to get treatment and should be back soon.
In her past life, the person she loved was one of Lu Wanqing's cousins. Lu Wanqing found out about this by chance and later used that cousin to harm her, resulting in a very tragic end. Shen Yunxi didn't even dare to recall it too much.
When my cousin comes back, I will definitely protect her and make sure she has the happiness she deserves in this life. In the end, it was her fault that she ended up in such a miserable state.
Before long, Shen Yunxi returned to the courtyard and waited for Lin Chen in the front hall.
Lin Chen arrived quickly; Shen Yunxi had only been sitting down for a few breaths when Lin Chen walked in.
Tea and pastries had already been laid out in the front hall, and the maids stood guard outside, leaving Shen Yunxi and Lin Chen to talk without disturbing them.
"Yunxi," Lin Chen called softly.
"Brother Lin is here! Please sit down. This tea is something I brought back from the palace, a gift from the Empress Dowager herself. I imagine it tastes quite good," Shen Yunxi greeted him with a smile.
From this perspective alone, the two seem to have nothing wrong with each other.
Shen Yunxi sighed inwardly, but her expression remained unchanged. She smiled gently and calmly, and no one could find a single fault with her.
Seeing Shen Yunxi's reaction, Lin Chen knew that she was actually unwilling to accept the fact that he loved her, and wanted him to back down, which was a silent rejection.
But now that he's taken this step, he's naturally unwilling to give up so easily.
"Yunxi, since you already knew my feelings that day at the Lotus Festival, I wonder if you have changed your mind now? I know that your engagement with the Emperor has not been canceled, but I am unwilling to give up. Staying by your side for so many years has become a habit of mine. Yunxi, I don't ask you to agree to me immediately, but I don't want you to change your attitude towards me. You can still regard me as your brother," Lin Chen said softly.
As long as I stand by your side as your older brother, I will have the opportunity to show you my unwavering love for you.
Junxuan isn't anything special; he's good-looking, but Lin Chen isn't bad either, just not as prestigious as Junxuan. However, his feelings for Shen Yunxi are absolutely the most sincere.
Shen Yunxi simply couldn't bear to see Lin Chen lower himself like this. She couldn't reciprocate his feelings in the same way, which was extremely unfair to him. She might never be able to love another person with the same feelings she had for Junxuan.
Shen Yunxi originally thought that after remarrying, she would wholeheartedly treat her husband well, respect and love him, but such feelings would inevitably be different from her feelings for Junxuan.
A person may only love someone passionately once in their life, and she could never repay Lin Chen's deep affection.
Moreover, upon entering the palace this time, Shen Yunxi has already discerned that Junxuan's feelings for her are different, so canceling the engagement will likely not be easy.
Perhaps, in the future, she might simply shave her head and become a nun, spending her days with only the light of a lamp and the presence of Buddha—that would be the best outcome. But there's no need to tell Lin Chen these things; it's better for him to happily marry and have children.
“Brother Lin, I am unworthy of this title. It is not what I truly desire. I only wish for Brother Lin to live a long and happy life. As for me, I am truly not a good match for Brother Lin. Brother Lin need not waste his energy on me. I believe that Brother Lin will surely find a beautiful woman to accompany him by his side in the future and spend the rest of his life with him.”
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