Chapter 13
Chapter 13
The instant Ji Hanyi’s gaze met those eyes, her heart trembled. The step she had taken forward instinctively retreated.
She had never expected to encounter Shen Si here.
Shen Si said nothing. No matter how obsequiously the shopkeeper bowed and scraped beside him, he did not spare the man a single glance.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his perpetually icy face betraying no emotion. His figure alone was elegant as pine and jade, reducing everyone around him to mere dirt by comparison.
Ji Hanyi knew Shen Si was cold by nature — so cold that he seemed devoid of emotion, affection, or even personal likes and dislikes. Countless people tried to curry favor with him, but no one ever succeeded. He kept everyone at an unbridgeable distance.
Within a few steps, the two met on the narrow staircase.
After their eyes had met that first time, Shen Si’s cool gaze never fell upon her again.
She moved to the edge of the stairs. His refined, cool fragrance swept over her, but he continued forward without slowing.
Countless thoughts flashed through Ji Hanyi’s mind at that moment. Had he seen her letter? Would a man like him have been too indifferent even to glance at it? Or would he have simply cast it aside after reading it?
After all, the difference between them was as vast as that between the clouds and the mud. The meager bond they had shared in their youth was likely not worth mentioning in his eyes.
Her gaze followed his approaching figure. In the end, she could not stop herself from calling out, “Lord Shen…”
The moment she spoke, she was momentarily dazed, remembering that she had called him Brother Shen when they were children.
The year her father sat the Palace Graduate examination, Former Chief Grand Secretary Shen had served as the chief examiner. The successful candidates who became Palace Graduates that year naturally acknowledged Former Chief Grand Secretary Shen as their teacher.
Her father had placed as the Third-Ranked Palace Graduate that year. The Former Chief Grand Secretary thought highly of him, and he became the most valued of all his students.
Ji Hanyi vaguely remembered following her father to the Shen Residence as a child to visit the Former Chief Grand Secretary. She had always been unable to resist going to Shen Si’s side, for she had never seen anyone so beautiful.
Though his face was always cold and he never paid her any attention, he had never driven her away when she followed him into his study and watched him practice calligraphy.
Her earliest memories of him dated back to when she was seven and Shen Si was eleven.
Her father later told her that she was the only person Shen Si had never thrown out of his study.
Her memories of him were fragmented. Shen Si was a favored son of heaven, born to stand in the eyes of the world, and she had only met him a handful of times.
As a child, she had not understood the meaning of noble status. She had thought he was no different from an older boy who lived next door. Only after growing up had she come to understand.
Shen Si did not pause for even a moment. The personal attendant at his side took one look at his expression and knew the Marquis had no intention of acknowledging her.
There were countless people eager to meet the Marquis. This woman was most likely another fool who had read too many romantic tales and now dreamed that the Marquis would take a fancy to her, allowing her to rise above her station overnight through love at first sight.
Every woman with a modicum of beauty thought herself special.
Tsk. A fool’s dream.
Ji Hanyi stared blankly as his retreating figure disappeared around the corner. After all these years, he remained as unapproachable as ever, unwilling to spare her even a glance.
Perhaps he had forgotten her long ago.
After a brief pause, she told herself that he might be busy and have no time to attend to her. She silently turned and descended the stairs.
With her gaze lowered as she left, she did not see Shen Si reach the landing and glance aside. His cool eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of the hibiscus embroidery on her clothes.
Ji Hanyi did not leave. She sat quietly inside her carriage and waited.
She did not know how long she remained there. By the time the hand warmer in her grasp had begun to cool, the sky outside was growing dark, and some of the shops along the city’s busiest street had already lit their lamps.
Hearing Ji Hanyi’s soft coughing, Rongchun could not help whispering, “Perhaps Lord Shen left by another exit.”
Ji Hanyi’s fingertips stiffened slightly.
That was true. Baoshan Tower had several rear exits. A man like Shen Si, who never allowed strangers near, naturally would not take a crowded route.
Perhaps he had left long ago, while she continued clinging to a sliver of hope and waiting for another chance to see him.
Her fingertips had already grown cold. She murmured, “Let’s wait a little longer.”
Shen Si was the only person she could think of. She could only hope that he still remembered even the smallest fraction of the bond they had shared in their youth.
A cold breeze rose, stirring the hem of Shen Si’s robe as he stood in the covered corridor. He quietly looked down at the carriage below. A light glowed inside, outlining the woman’s lovely profile against the window.
A dense, unfathomable emotion pooled in the depths of his pitch-black eyes, nearly imperceptible beneath the darkening sky.
His personal attendant Wen’an stood beside him, holding a long case containing a painting — a new work by Master Shilan. Following his master’s gaze, he looked down and saw nothing but an utterly ordinary carriage. He truly could not understand why his master would devote so much attention to it.
He was just about to ask in a low voice which gate their carriage should be brought to when his master strode away, heading toward another rear exit.
Wen’an hurried after him. His lord had always preferred peace and quiet, so every place he frequented either had a private entrance specially set aside for him or had everyone cleared out well in advance. Wen’an also instructed the attendants waiting nearby to hurry and see that the carriage was properly parked.
Ji Hanyi waited until nightfall, but Shen Si never returned.
Her worries weighed on her heart like snow piling ever heavier upon a branch. After a long silence, she finally ordered the carriage to leave.
Of course. A man like him had long since passed beyond her reach.
The carriage slowly made its way toward the Xie Residence. Seeing Ji Hanyi with her head bowed and buried against her knees, Rongchun said sorrowfully, “You’ve done all you could, Madam.”
Ji Hanyi merely stared blankly at the floor. No matter what happened, she knew she had to keep going.
When they arrived at the Xie Residence, a young servant at the front gate came over to position the carriage step and said quietly, “Young Madam, Eldest Master returned just moments ago.”
Ji Hanyi gave a faint nod. She had long since stopped feeling anything where Xie Yuheng was concerned.
The courtyard was brightly lit. It seemed Xie Yuheng was inside.
She drew a deep breath and removed her cloak as she walked into the room.
A maid brought over hot water. Ji Hanyi soaked her icy hands in the copper basin, and warmth gradually returned to her body.
Upon entering the inner chamber, she found Xie Yuheng seated in the small sitting area, his head lowered over a book. When he saw her come in, he closed it, set it aside, and turned his gaze upon her face.
Perhaps warmed by the heat inside the room, her exceptionally fair cheeks were tinged with a faint blush. Her features naturally held a hint of sultry allure. Though she usually dressed plainly, the slightest touch of color made her dazzling.
He had always disliked her petty temperament, yet whenever they shared a bed, those eyes of hers never failed to entice him beyond all self-control.
It suddenly occurred to him that he had been so busy lately, it had been a long time since they were last intimate.
Then he recalled what his mother had said that morning, as well as how he had misjudged Ji Hanyi last night. His expression softened, and his voice held less of its former aloofness. “Where did you go?”
Ji Hanyi paused. Xie Yuheng had never cared where she went before. He rarely asked about her affairs, just as he disliked her asking too much about his.
Continuing farther inside, she replied simply, “I went to see Mother.”
“You haven’t been back in a long time. You should visit her,” Xie Yuheng said.
After a pause, he added, “The next time I’m free, I’ll accompany you to see your mother.”
Ji Hanyi stopped just as she lifted the curtain. She turned to study Xie Yuheng’s expression and found his dark eyes fixed upon her. It did not seem as though he had spoken casually.
In their three years of marriage, he had never once visited her mother.
She did not know why he was acting this way today, but she no longer wished to puzzle over his intentions. She only murmured an acknowledgment, lowered her head, and went behind the curtain to retrieve the Divorce Agreement she had prepared long ago.
It was rare to catch Xie Yuheng at home. Ji Hanyi knew that if she did not tell him now, there was no telling when she would have another chance.
Afraid he might leave again, she was just about to turn around when Xie Yuheng lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
He walked up to Ji Hanyi, studied her expression, and asked quietly, “Is your cold any better?”
Ji Hanyi froze for a moment, then nodded. “Much better.”
She took a step back and glanced at Rongchun, signaling for her to take all the maids out of the room.
Once she had given the instruction, Ji Hanyi looked at Xie Yuheng. “Eldest Master…”
Xie Yuheng arched a brow as he watched the maids leave, then turned back to meet Ji Hanyi’s gaze. By candlelight, her eyes seemed forever brimming with a pool of water, making her appear innocent and delicate.
He pressed his lips together. The expression that had just softened gradually turned cold again as he frowned at her. “Hanyi, what your cousin did was against the law. Whatever punishment he receives, I will not help you.”
“You don’t have to beg me.”
Ji Hanyi gave a bitter smile. She remembered the first year of their marriage, when her maternal grandmother had sent a letter asking her to bring Xie Yuheng along to visit her mother. He had refused in this same cold tone.
After that, she had never asked him again. She had learned that once Xie Yuheng decided he did not wish to do something, no amount of pleading would change his mind.
Drawing a quiet breath, Ji Hanyi gently shook her head and looked at him. “That isn’t what I want to discuss with you.”
With that, she held out the Divorce Agreement to him. “Let’s divorce.”
“I’ve already drawn up the Divorce Agreement. I originally intended to give it to you yesterday.”
She calmly met Xie Yuheng’s gaze. “It won’t take much of your time. Once you’ve signed and sealed it, I’ll submit it to the authorities.”