Chapter 154
Chapter 154
The moment Ji Hanyi saw Shen Si, her heart trembled.
The wing where her mother was staying was nowhere near Shen Si’s quarters. She had never imagined he would be waiting for her here.
Shen Si had changed into a dark green robe. Tall and elegant, he looked as aloof and distinguished as ever, without a trace of last night’s drenched disarray.
At the sight of him, Ji Hanyi instinctively took a step back. She lowered her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes, and could only hope he had forgotten everything that happened last night.
It would be best if he had forgotten it all.
Shen Si’s eyes shifted slightly when he saw her retreat. Looking down at her, he asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Ji Hanyi felt her face heat up instantly. She stared at him in a daze, only to find his gaze dark and as inscrutable as ever. She could not tell what he meant by the question – or whether he had truly forgotten last night and was merely asking in passing.
Not wanting to reveal her embarrassment, Ji Hanyi did her best to remain composed. She averted her gaze and nodded. “I slept well.”
Shen Si gave a quiet hum, then fixed her with a penetrating look. “I’ll be waiting for your answer to what I said last night.”
Ji Hanyi parted her lips. So Shen Si did remember. He remembered saying he wanted to marry her…
Then what about everything that happened afterward?
Ji Hanyi hardly dared to think about it.
Her thoughts in turmoil, she nodded vaguely. “All right.”
Seeing how distracted she was and how she refused to meet his eyes, Shen Si’s lips curved in a faint, silent laugh.
In truth, Shen Si regretted what he had done. He had frightened her last night for the sake of his own selfish desires.
He had never meant to scare her, but in that moment, his body’s instincts had gone beyond his control.
He knew she had been frightened and flustered. She had kept pushing him away and trying to evade him. Though it left a dull ache in his heart, everything had happened so suddenly that it was only natural for her to be unwilling.
She probably did not like him in the first place.
But Shen Si was very patient.
He stepped closer to Ji Hanyi and looked down at her fair face. Wisps of hair framed her lowered features, and her brows and eyes seemed veiled in mist. The sight sent heat coursing through him, inevitably reminding him of the softness of her lips last night.
His heart burned. In a hoarse voice, he said, “I’ve had breakfast prepared. Eat before you leave.”
“I’ve also had another carriage readied for you. After a full night of rain, the roads will be muddy. Your carriage has smaller wheels, so it won’t travel well, and the ride will be rough.”
Only then did Ji Hanyi hurriedly look up. “It will be fine. We can simply travel more slowly.”
Shen Si gazed deeply at her. “Hanyi, if you agree, you will be my wife in the future, and I will be your husband. It will be only right for me to take care of you. It is what I ought to do.”
Ji Hanyi listened in a daze. The words “your husband” left her momentarily lost and at a loss for how to respond.
It seemed Xie Yuheng had once said the same thing – that he was her husband and would never let her suffer.
She looked at Shen Si and, without knowing why, suddenly asked, “What if I don’t agree?”
Shen Si pressed his lips together, then gave a faint, bitter smile. “If Hanyi is unwilling to help me, then I can only accept the imperially decreed marriage.”
His words filled Ji Hanyi with guilt once more. She lowered her head, not knowing what else to say.
Shen Si did not remain before her for long. He knew he could not press her too hard right now. If he did, she would panic, and it might have the opposite effect.
He took a step back and looked down at Ji Hanyi. “Hanyi, just give me your decision in two days.”
“I’ve arranged for guards to escort your carriage. There’s no need to rush on the road. Take your time going back, and if you need anything, go to the neighboring courtyard and find Wen’an.”
After Shen Si finished speaking, he took another look at Ji Hanyi’s faintly trembling lashes. His gaze drifted across her lips, which seemed slightly reddened. Remembering the sweetness of her mouth the night before, his Adam’s apple bobbed before he finally turned and left.
Not long after Shen Si departed, a young novice monk arrived with their meal. Though it was still light vegetarian temple fare with no meat, the spread was surprisingly plentiful and tasted excellent.
When they went outside, there was indeed a carriage waiting for them. As soon as Ji Hanyi approached, a sword-bearing guard stepped forward and invited them to board.
Madam Gu was still somewhat uneasy at the sight, but after a few words of reassurance from Ji Hanyi, she finally relaxed.
Since Shen Si had already made all the arrangements, Ji Hanyi thought there was nothing wrong with accepting a safe and comfortable ride back.
They returned to the courtyard without incident. Madam Gu promptly told Chunju to gather their belongings so they could continue their journey, but Ji Hanyi stopped her mother and asked the maid to wait outside.
Seeing the unusually serious look on Ji Hanyi’s face, Madam Gu sat down in a chair and asked anxiously, “Hanyi, has something happened?”
Ji Hanyi sat beside her mother and shook her head. After thinking for a moment, she told her what Shen Si had said the previous night.
As she spoke, Ji Hanyi looked at her mother. “I was only able to escape the Xie Family because Lord Shen helped me. Without him, I might never have gotten away from the Xie Family for the rest of my life.”
“Later, when someone threw filth at my shop, Lord Shen helped me again. He saw that justice was done, recovered my losses, and punished the wrongdoers.”
“The medicine you’re taking now is extremely precious and effective. Lord Shen gave me that as well.”
“I’ve always remembered everything Lord Shen has done for me, but I’ve never had any way to repay him. Although Lord Shen didn’t insist that I agree, I still feel indebted to him. This is the only way I can help him.”
Ji Hanyi lowered her head slightly, her eyes fixed on the tips of her shoes as she said softly, “Lord Shen gave me two days to consider it. I want to think it through carefully during these two days.”
“I also know that if I agree, I may spend the rest of my life in the Shen Family. I have no idea what I might encounter in the future. It may be a life worlds apart from the one I would have in Wei County.”
“I… I may say yes… but I’m still uneasy.”
Madam Gu understood what Ji Hanyi meant. She had never expected Shen Si to consider marrying her daughter as a means of rejecting an imperially decreed marriage. If Ji Hanyi agreed, His Majesty the Emperor was bound to be displeased. What if he took his anger out on her?
And Ji Hanyi had already been divorced once. Even if she successfully married into the Shen Family, what sort of attitude would the rest of the Shen Family have toward her?
Marrying Shen Si meant entering one of the most prominent noble households in the capital. The matters she would have to face and navigate there would be far more complicated than they appeared on the surface.
These concerns truly required careful thought, and Madam Gu could see how torn Ji Hanyi was.
She knew Ji Hanyi understood all of this, but her daughter remembered every kindness shown to her and wanted to repay it.
Madam Gu could not make the decision for her daughter. She gently took Ji Hanyi’s hand, her soft fingers tightening with rare firmness, and said quietly, “When your father was alive, he often said that when you faced a hardship everyone else avoided, the kindness of someone who was still willing to help you was the greatest kindness of all.”
“Your father was always a free spirit. If he wanted to do something, he did it. He stayed true to himself and lived with a clear conscience.”
“But ever since you were little, your father also told you to live the life you wanted. He took you riding, taught you to read, and brought you to banquets so you could see more of the world, follow your heart, and live freely.”
“I understand why you’re torn. No matter what decision you make, I will never think you’ve done anything wrong.”
“I only hope that once you’ve made your decision, you won’t regret it.”