Chapter 127
Chapter 127
Shen Changling had just left the Ministry of War and was on his way to the South City Tavern for drinks with several close friends. He planned to return to the military camp that afternoon, but to his surprise, he ran into Ji Hanyi.
Although Ji Hanyi wore a veiled hat, she stood out from everyone around her even at a distance. A single glance was enough to draw his gaze, and when he looked more carefully, she seemed extraordinarily familiar.
He took a few steps closer to get a better look. Sure enough, she was the very person who had occupied his thoughts day and night of late.
He had never thought of Ji Hanyi that way before. When they were children, he had merely found her exceptionally adorable, like a soft ball of white dough.
But ever since seeing her again as she was now and hearing from his mother that she was divorced, an inexplicable itch had begun to stir in his heart from time to time. It was like a stone tossed into a lake, sending ripples spreading for miles.
He thought of her when he closed his eyes at night, while drilling his troops, and even in the middle of chatting with his closest comrades.
The thoughts never lingered long or ran particularly deep. They came in fleeting moments, her face suddenly surfacing in his mind, followed by what his mother had told him. Whatever the case, he could no longer forget her.
It was as though he had fallen under a spell. He kept thinking about how the Ji Hanyi he had bullied as a child was now divorced and had no one by her side.
Just moments ago, as Shen Changling walked down the street with his friends, one of them had mentioned taking another concubine, boasting that she had a willowy figure and was remarkably beautiful. When the man said he would bring her by that afternoon for them to see, Ji Hanyi’s image had immediately appeared in Shen Changling’s mind.
Who could possibly compare to his Cousin Yi?
And then, just as he was thinking of her, he turned and spotted someone who resembled her. Another look confirmed that it truly was the woman who had filled his thoughts day and night.
He promptly abandoned his friends. Worried that they might also notice the beauty, he vigorously urged them into the tavern, then hurried over to her.
Memories from childhood flooded back, especially the times he had teased her. Warmth surged through his heart, and he wished he could appear before her at once.
When Ji Hanyi saw Shen Changling coming her way, she instinctively turned away.
After meeting First Madam Shen the last time, Ji Hanyi had realized who Shen Changling was. She still retained a vague impression of him, though it was limited to that one time he had bullied her.
Shen Changling had later tried every possible way to approach her and apologize, but Ji Hanyi had continued avoiding him. She had treated him like some terrifying scourge and managed never to meet him again.
Even now, she could not be certain whom Shen Changling was approaching, but his gaze seemed fixed on her. They had only met once, so surely he could not recognize her.
She clung to that hope, only for a bright, youthful voice to call from behind her, “Cousin Yi.”
The words made Ji Hanyi’s heart lurch. He had called out to her so brazenly in the middle of the street, and she had only just gotten divorced. If anyone overheard him, what would they think? She could not afford to have any unsavory rumors spread about her.
There was nothing between her and Shen Changling, so why was he calling her Cousin Yi?
She quickly turned back and said in an urgent whisper to the conspicuous figure in official robes, “Don’t call me that.”
Shen Changling froze at the apparent displeasure in her voice. He lowered his gaze to the face beneath Ji Hanyi’s thin veil, and the hazy sight of her upturned features, blurred like misty rain, left him staring blankly once again.
A strange feeling welled up inside him. She had been so soft and gentle as a child, and now even her unhappy voice sounded sweet and tender. She truly had not changed much at all.
He could even vaguely make out her bright black eyes glaring at him through the veil. Unable to help himself, he broke into a broad, white-toothed grin.
Ji Hanyi had long since been left with only a hazy impression of Shen Changling. She had no idea what sort of temperament he had now, much less what he wanted with her.
Then he suddenly smiled. His handsome face had a wild edge, his expression full of untamed recklessness. Tall to begin with, he wore a saber at his waist, with an official badge and jade pendant hanging from his belt. Dressed as a military officer – and one who held an official post at that – he was impossible to miss.
Ji Hanyi took another step back. “Why did you call me?”
Shen Changling chuckled again.
He did not know why he had stopped her. He had simply wanted to.
Ji Hanyi was so petite and delicate that Shen Changling had to bend slightly to speak to her. He had never liked lowering himself before women, yet this time, he was more than happy to lean down and talk to her.
His gaze rested on her thin gauze veil. “Do you remember me?”
Of course she had some impression of him – the Third Young Master of the Shen Residence, First Madam Shen’s younger legitimate son.
But Ji Hanyi shook her head. “No.”
Shen Changling was actually pleased to hear that. It meant she surely did not remember any of the rotten things he had done as a boy either.
He hastily introduced himself, then added, “I’m a year older than you. I haven’t married yet.”
The words had slipped out before he could stop them. Even Shen Changling froze after saying them. Why had he blurted that out?
Then again, he truly was unmarried, and his mother was still choosing a bride for him. What was wrong with saying so?
Ji Hanyi glanced at Shen Changling. His last comment had come completely out of nowhere, and she could not tell what he meant by it. With the matter at the Military Patrol Office still on her mind, she gave a distracted murmur of acknowledgment.
Shen Changling, however, felt thoroughly content. She was unbetrothed, and he was unmarried. What was wrong with approaching a young lady and talking to her?
There was nothing to hide. He could do so openly and honorably.
He promptly asked, “In a few days, the young ladies in my family are holding a poetry gathering. I heard my mother mention inviting Miss Gu.
“Aren’t you staying with Gu Family now? Will you come?”
Ji Hanyi’s thoughts shifted at his words.
If Shen Family planned to invite Miss Gu, they must mean Third Younger Sister. Given Shen Family’s present standing, everyone close to them was of no mean status. For a poetry gathering among young ladies in the inner courtyard, they would not normally invite anyone they did not consider worth befriending.
This gathering was most likely being held for Third Younger Sister again. There was no way Ji Hanyi could attend.
She looked up at Shen Changling and shook her head. “I have too many things to deal with lately. I won’t be going.”
Shen Changling hurriedly asked, “What do you have to do? It’s only a bit of entertainment. It won’t take up much of your time.”
Ji Hanyi shook her head again. “Besides, I’m not good at those things.”
Shen Changling was disappointed, but he let the matter drop and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Ji Hanyi was wondering how to send Shen Changling on his way when Shopkeeper Ming came running back, drenched in sweat. The moment he saw her, he exclaimed, “Miss, those people have gone too far! They said the case was closed and refused to do anything more. They even threw me out and said that if I kept making trouble, they’d arrest me for causing a disturbance!”
Ji Hanyi’s heart tightened. She had waited there specifically for an answer, never expecting the Military Patrol Office to handle the matter so perfunctorily.
Yet in truth, she had been somewhat prepared for this. She was no one important, and this was only a minor case. As far as the Military Patrol Office was concerned, arresting and punishing those two scoundrels meant they had already done their duty. They could not be bothered to ask who had put the men up to it, let alone investigate.
She had merely clung to a sliver of hope.
Standing beside her, Shen Changling heard Shopkeeper Ming’s words and asked, “Who’s been giving you trouble?”