Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Ji Hanyi had been reading *The Goings-On Outside Widow Li’s Door*.
Shen Si raised a brow, then looked at Ji Hanyi sleeping soundly beside him, unsure what to make of it.
He recalled what Shen Changling had told him about that night. Ji Hanyi had driven her hairpin into the horse to break free from Wei Wu. For someone as delicate as she was, the fact that she could remain so calm in such circumstances was remarkable.
Perhaps she was not as weak as her mother had been, as he had always assumed. That reassured him. He wished he could protect her innocence forever, but he also wanted her to be capable of protecting herself. After all, he could not be at her side every moment.
Silently, he returned the book to its place. If reading such stories helped Ji Hanyi put the ordeal behind her, he would not mind her reading more of them.
Shen Si left early the next morning, while Ji Hanyi slept until the sun was high.
Lying down for too long had begun to make her uncomfortable, so she decided to get up and walk around. She was not badly injured. The place where she had fallen from the horse had been grassy, and she had always considered herself reasonably healthy. In truth, she had suffered few wounds.
Rongchun hurried to help her wash and dress. While Ji Hanyi recuperated, only two senior maids and one nanny were permitted in the inner room.
Nanny Fang had been Shen Si’s wet nurse, so her status in the courtyard was naturally different from that of the other servants. Yet she was mild-tempered and took the greatest care of Ji Hanyi.
Nanny Fang agreed that walking would do her good, as long as she took only a few steps around the courtyard. With her attendants’ approval, Ji Hanyi felt even more certain it was a good idea.
She looked up at the clear sky. The morning was bright and cloudless, the lush branches of the trees spreading against an expanse of blue. The sight eased her heart a little.
Her mother’s letter arrived at noon. Every line was steeped in grief over Gu Yan’s injuries. The entire Gu Family was devastated, and her maternal grandmother had fainted from sorrow.
Her Eldest Maternal Aunt was nearly beside herself and had lost consciousness several times as well.
For the Gu Family, this was yet another crushing blow after five years.
Ji Hanyi sat at her desk and lifted her brush several times, but could find no words of comfort. In the end, she could only tell her mother not to worry too much.
That afternoon, the doctor came to examine her again. There was no longer anything seriously wrong with her. A few more medicines to replenish her vitality and blood would help her recover faster.
Two more days passed. Ji Hanyi’s injuries had nearly healed, and the tiny cuts on her fingers had faded to faint marks. Before long, even those would disappear entirely.
The Hibiscus Skin-Renewing Salve truly was remarkably effective.
Ji Hanyi deliberately rose earlier that morning. She had been back for several days without paying her respects to her mother-in-law, and she thought it was time she did so.
Shen Si, however, held her by the waist, rolled over, and pinned her beneath him.
After two or three days of rest, her face was rosy and lovely once more. One glance at her showed that she had been raised with exquisite care in the sheltered luxury of the inner chambers. Yet she had survived a terrible calamity, and that narrow escape had revealed a resilience in her nature.
He studied her closely: her fine brows like crescent moons over the mountains, her eyes brimming with tenderness. Then he lowered his head and kissed her cherry-red lips.
Shen Si allowed himself only a brief taste before lifting his head.
His gaze darkened. He pressed himself a little more firmly against Ji Hanyi’s soft body.
Heat flooded her cheeks. She braced her hands against his chest and stared at the loosened front of his white robe. His chest was firm, its hard, austere lines carrying a distinctly enticing appeal.
Ji Hanyi went still. Why did her thoughts keep straying in that direction lately…?
Shen Si’s hand lingered at her waist, then brushed seemingly by accident across her lower abdomen. His deep black eyes never left her. Ji Hanyi squeezed her eyes shut and silently reminded herself that all sensual beauty was emptiness.
Seeing her suddenly close her eyes, Shen Si raised a brow. Did she think she could escape simply by refusing to look?
His lips curved. Sooner or later, she would be unable to resist.
Once a person had tasted such sweetness, he would crave it constantly-just as Shen Si did.
He had no intention of doing anything now. He still wanted Ji Hanyi to rest for a few more days. Instead, he lifted her from the bed, settled her on his lap, and personally ordered a maid to bring her silk stockings.
Ji Hanyi watched in a daze as Shen Si cradled her foot in his palm. The tips of her ears reddened.
She had never imagined that a man who seemed so aloof in ordinary life would do such things for her.
He was the first man ever to attend to her this way.
The maids nearby took in the scene and tactfully retreated to a corner.
Shen Si glanced at Ji Hanyi’s astonished expression. He could not understand why she was so surprised. To him, this was an intimate pleasure between husband and wife, one that allowed him to work his way, step by step, into her heart.
And he was more than willing to do it.
But when he saw the red marks that still marred Ji Hanyi’s white-jade ankle, the anger lodged in his chest refused to dissipate.
Fortunately, he would always be able to obtain justice for her.
After they finished washing and dressing, Shen Si walked over to Ji Hanyi, who was seated before her dressing table, and said quietly, “I will wait and go with you.”
Ji Hanyi stared at him in surprise. “It is more important for you to report for duty, Marquis.”
Shen Si sat beside her and merely said, “It does not matter.”
She studied his expression, but his features remained as impassive as ever. She told the maids to keep her adornments simple. Since she had only just recovered, an understated appearance would be more pleasing.
Once she was ready, she and Shen Si went together to Old Madam Shen’s quarters.
Shen Si held Ji Hanyi’s hand as they walked side by side. He did not speak. A pale strip of dawn showed on the horizon, and Ji Hanyi could not help glancing at him. His expression had already returned to its usual stern aloofness.
He truly was an entirely different man in bed and out of it.
When they arrived to pay their respects, the old madam’s room was once again crowded. All the younger members of the Second Branch were present. At the sight of Shen Si and Ji Hanyi, they rose to greet them.
Ji Hanyi was still unaccustomed to having so many people bow to her. The young ladies were one thing, but Madam Cui was older than she was. Shen Si, long used to it, merely acknowledged them with an emotionless murmur.
Madam Bai came over with a beaming smile, took Ji Hanyi by the hand, and led her to a seat, all the while asking solicitously after her health. Ji Hanyi hastened to exchange pleasantries. “Thank you for asking, Sister-in-law. I have almost fully recovered.”
Madam Bai glanced at Shen Si standing to one side, then back at Ji Hanyi. Suddenly, she was no longer quite certain what to think.
Old Madam Shen gave Ji Hanyi an indifferent look. Her complexion was rosy, no different from before. Without addressing her, the old madam said to Shen Si, “You should go to court.”
Shen Si gave a quiet acknowledgment. Before leaving, he glanced at Ji Hanyi, who was seated and speaking with Madam Bai, then said to his mother, “Hanyi has only just recovered from a serious illness. If she falls short in any way, I ask that Mother be understanding.”
Old Madam Shen’s face stiffened. She had not even done anything yet, and already he was saying such things. Just what place did his mother hold in his heart?
Was this how shamelessly he intended to favor his wife?
Ji Hanyi had come to pay her respects today, and he had accompanied her. Old Madam Shen knew exactly what her son was thinking. He was afraid she would make things difficult for Ji Hanyi.
Madam Bai smilingly smoothed things over. “Go on, Fifth Younger Brother. I will take good care of our sister-in-law here.”
Shen Si nodded and finally departed.
As soon as he left, Old Madam Shen was about to dismiss everyone and keep Ji Hanyi behind when Madam Bai exclaimed, “Sister-in-law, what happened to your hand? It looks injured.”
Ji Hanyi gently withdrew her hand from Madam Bai’s grasp and smiled. “Do not worry, Sister-in-law. I fell on the steps when I went to the temple to pray for blessings. It is nothing serious.”
Madam Bai sighed. “You have such a delicate constitution. You must be more careful when you walk from now on.”
Then she added, “If I recall correctly, there is still a box of Hibiscus Salve in the storeroom from a previous imperial reward. I will have someone send it to you later.”
Old Madam Shen’s gaze fixed on Ji Hanyi’s hand. With displeasure written across her face, she said, “You must watch where you are going. If you become pregnant in the future, will you still walk about so carelessly?”
Ji Hanyi accepted the rebuke, lowering her eyes and appearing perfectly meek and obedient.
The sight left Old Madam Shen feeling as though she had punched a wad of cotton-utterly powerless.
Still, Ji Hanyi was her own daughter-in-law. Could she truly berate her harshly in front of outsiders? Old Madam Shen rubbed her aching brow and said, “Hanyi, stay. Everyone else may leave.”
Madam Bai froze, then quickly assumed an expression that suggested she dared not say another word. She ushered the younger generation outside.
The moment she left the courtyard, a smile appeared on her face, and she sauntered away at leisure.
Old Madam Shen glared coldly at Ji Hanyi, her expression terrible. “How did you really injure your hand?”
Ji Hanyi paused at the question, then answered with composed care, “I merely fell.”
Old Madam Shen sneered. “You fell? Would a mere fall have stirred up all those rumors in the residence?”
Ji Hanyi had not left her courtyard these past two days and had heard nothing of any rumors. “What rumors?”
Old Madam Shen’s stare turned glacial. “What rumors do you think? Do you not know what you have done?!”
With that, she hurled the teacup in her hand at Ji Hanyi’s feet and shouted furiously, “If I were you, how would I still have the face to come back?!”