Chapter 197
Chapter 197
Ji Hanyi had assumed she would feel somewhat out of place at the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence.
But that did not seem to be the case.
Everyone in the household was easy to get along with, especially the women.
Qin Fuyu would slip into Ji Hanyi’s room at night, while Madam Su often came by to make sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed. Ji Hanyi soon settled in.
Qin Fuyu was a talkative young woman, though, and was always curious about how Ji Hanyi had met Shen Si.
She confided in Ji Hanyi, “Marquis Shen looks so frightening. His face is always dark, and even his voice is cold. I would never dare marry someone like Marquis Shen.”
She continued, “You have no idea. Plenty of women in the capital admire Lord Shen, but not one of them dares approach him. One glance from him makes you feel as though you’ve committed some terrible crime. How could that not be frightening?”
Ji Hanyi smiled. She had to admit that Qin Fuyu’s description was quite accurate.
When Shen Si was not smiling, his face was undeniably handsome – but also genuinely intimidating.
Most people would indeed find it difficult to approach him of their own accord.
Moreover, Shen Si possessed an innate air of cold detachment, so no one dared take that first step lightly.
Growing even more curious, Qin Fuyu lowered her voice and asked, “Are you truly not afraid of Lord Shen?”
The warm candlelight flickered gently. Ji Hanyi thought for a moment. She knew she had always been a little afraid of Shen Si, but after spending more time with him recently, she had come to realize that although he looked intimidating, his temperament was not nearly as frightening as his appearance suggested.
She replied softly, “I used to be a little afraid of him, but I’m much better now.”
Qin Fuyu laughed. “You’re about to marry Lord Shen. Of course you’re not afraid of him anymore.”
Ji Hanyi smiled and chatted with Qin Fuyu for a while longer before going back to sleep.
Early the next morning, Madam Su took Ji Hanyi to see her bridal gown and inventory the betrothal gifts sent by the Shen Residence.
Naturally, the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence would not keep those gifts. Once Ji Hanyi married into the Shen Residence, they would all be carried there along with her.
Ji Hanyi now stood before the bridal gown.
A single glance was enough to reveal its extravagance. Every stitch in its embroidered patterns was threaded with gold, and countless pearls and gemstones adorned the fabric. Merely lifting one sleeve was enough to give her a sense of the gown’s weight.
Madam Su smiled beside her. “This bridal gown was also sent over by Marquis Shen. I heard the embroiderers rushed to finish it, working day and night for nearly two months.”
Ji Hanyi could not help feeling slightly surprised.
Shen Si had ordered someone to begin making her bridal gown so long ago?
Madam Su smiled again. “Try it on first and see if anything doesn’t fit. If so, we’ll have it altered at once. Otherwise, if we wait until the day you actually wear it, it’ll be too late.”
Ji Hanyi did as she suggested and put on the bridal gown.
She had assumed there might be a few places where it did not fit, but to her surprise, it suited her perfectly. Even the waist fit as though it had been tailored to her exact measurements.
Madam Su gazed at Ji Hanyi in that brilliant red gown. The vivid color lent her features an added touch of alluring beauty, leaving Madam Su momentarily entranced before she smiled and said, “This bridal gown fits you perfectly.”
With that, she helped Ji Hanyi remove it.
Red silk had been hung throughout the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence, and the windows had been decorated with the red characters for double happiness. Even the servants were brimming with festive cheer.
The entire household took meticulous care of Ji Hanyi. They drew her into their conversations, admired the flowers with her, and painted together beneath the spring greenery.
Qin Fuyu was especially eager to see Ji Hanyi paint. It was no difficult request. The women gathered around Ji Hanyi and watched the sheet of paper spread out before her.
With only a few strokes of her brush, Ji Hanyi brought a cluster of lifelike peonies to life on the page.
Naturally, all the women present knew something of painting, but few could paint as well as Ji Hanyi. She was clearly highly practiced, able to render any flower with effortless ease.
For Ji Hanyi, plants and flowers were the easiest subjects to paint, and painting them only added to the fun. Several young girls and boys crowded around her, clamoring excitedly for her to paint flowers and butterflies, or candied hawthorn skewers, each fighting to have Ji Hanyi paint theirs first.
The scene quickly grew lively. Ji Hanyi painted a small picture for each of them, adding an inscription and stamping each one with her seal. The youngsters received them as though they were priceless treasures and immediately began comparing whose was the prettiest.
Their antics drew another round of laughter from the onlookers.
Madam Tan, the Madam of the Marquis’s Second Branch at the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence, watched Ji Hanyi surrounded by three or four of the younger generation and could not help saying to Madam Su, “Before this, although I knew Miss Ji had won our mother-in-law’s favor, I didn’t think there was anything particularly remarkable about her. But now that I’ve seen more of her, she really is a delightful young woman. More importantly, she has such a genuinely good temperament. She’s composed and knows exactly how to conduct herself. She doesn’t act aloof or think she’s turned into a phoenix simply because she’s about to marry into the Shen Family.”
Madam Su lowered her voice. “That’s not quite fair. When Lord Ji was still around, Miss Ji had already gained a modest reputation in the capital. She was simply so discreet that she never sought the limelight. But look at her today. Painting comes as naturally to her as breathing, and she speaks softly and unhurriedly. Her manners are impeccable.
“I wouldn’t say she’s marrying above her station, either. The girl was raised extremely well. If nothing had happened to Lord Ji, she would have been a fitting match for the Shen Family, even if only just.
“Even I find myself fond of a girl like her, especially when she’s so beautiful. It’s easy enough to understand why Marquis Shen likes her.”
Madam Tan looked at Ji Hanyi again. She was plucking a flower for Qin Fuyu and pinning it in her hair, while two daughters-in-law stood nearby, chatting and laughing. Though Madam Tan could not hear what they were saying, Miss Ji truly was easygoing and composed. Everything about her was natural and unstudied, making others instinctively want to draw closer to her.
She nodded. “It is just as you said, Sister-in-law.”
–
Two days passed like this at the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence. The wedding was the very next day, and Ji Hanyi could not help feeling nervous. When she lay down for her afternoon nap, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She lay there restlessly for a long while. She did not even know what she was thinking about; sleep simply would not come.
Then she thought about how she was getting married without her mother by her side. Although she knew Shen Si had made these arrangements with her best interests in mind, she still could not help feeling a little regretful.
But just as Ji Hanyi was thinking this, the outer door opened. A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and her mother walked in.
Madam Gu’s face was streaked with tears. The moment she saw Ji Hanyi reclining on the large, cushioned daybed, she hurried over and pulled her into her arms.
Ji Hanyi was too stunned to react at first. It was only when she found herself nestled in her mother’s embrace and breathed in that familiar scent that she realized her mother had truly come.
Then she heard Madam Gu choke out softly, “Marquis Shen sent someone to bring me here. He said you would surely be happy to have me beside you when you married.”
Ji Hanyi had never imagined Shen Si would arrange even this so thoughtfully.
As Madam Gu spoke, she raised her head and looked at Ji Hanyi’s lovely, unadorned face. Tears welled in her eyes again. “Marquis Shen is a truly good man, Hanyi. This time, you chose the right person.”
Ji Hanyi paused. She knew she had never chosen the wrong person.
Shen Si might have been aloof ever since childhood, but he was a man of excellent character. That was why she trusted him so deeply.
It was still early, so Madam Gu took Ji Hanyi’s hand and began advising her on how she should conduct herself after joining the Shen Family. In truth, Madam Gu did not have much experience herself, as she had never had parents-in-law to serve.
Fortunately, Madam Su soon came over. She had plenty of experience, and by the time they finished talking, night had already fallen.
That night, Ji Hanyi tossed and turned again. Every time she remembered that her wedding was tomorrow, her heart began pounding furiously, though she did not even know what thoughts were running through her mind.