Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A major incident shook Shangjing. Lu Yuan had left the capital on official business and was nearly caught in an ambush. Fortunately, the eldest son of the Song Family received word in time to rescue him, and he escaped without serious harm. The Emperor was furious, ordering a thorough investigation into the matter. After comforting Lu Yuan, he bestowed generous rewards upon the Song Family.

My brother, however, was angry with me. He was upset that I, a young lady, had galloped out to the outskirts of the capital and risked my life. I clung to him, apologizing and repenting until he finally let out a cold snort and let the matter drop. Only then did he ask how I knew there was an ambush at Shili Pavilion.

I shook my head and lowered my eyes. “I didn’t know. I dreamt it. I dreamt that you were covered in blood.”

It was true. If I hadn’t intervened with my foreknowledge, my brother would have been brought back covered in blood at this very moment-to the point where even the imperial physicians would have said to prepare a coffin. Seeing him alive and well now was truly wonderful.

He reached out and tapped my head. “Silly girl, I’m perfectly fine.” Whether he believed me or not, he stopped questioning me and turned the conversation toward Lu Yuan.

As Lu Yuan was the Emperor’s only younger brother and still young, everyone in Shangjing referred to him as the Young Prince.

I had never seen my brother hold anyone in such high regard. My brother, Song Zhizhang, was naturally conceited, yet he praised Lu Yuan to the heavens, the words “Young Prince” never leaving his lips. I grew tired of hearing it. Just then, a servant arrived to report that the Young Prince had come to express his gratitude for the rescue. My brother was so delighted he forgot all about me and hurried to the main hall.

I took the opportunity to return to my room for a good afternoon nap. When I woke up, I remembered the plum blossoms should be in bloom. I called Xiao Mian to accompany me to snap off a few branches, but halfway there, we ran into Song Ying and… Lu Yuan.

Song Ying was cradling two branches of plum blossoms in her arms when her foot somehow twisted, and she began to fall toward Lu Yuan. This time, he didn’t even bother to reach out a hand. He stepped aside with a slight movement, and Song Ying hit nothing but air, tumbling to the ground.

I turned to leave, but the sharp-eyed Lu Yuan called out to me. His brow was furrowed with impatience, and a cold sneer played on his lips. “Can the maids in your household not even walk properly?”

Song Ying had been looking up at Lu Yuan with tearful eyes, but her expression turned mortified at his words. He actually took her for a servant-and said it right in front of me. The Young Prince had always been distant from women, and his words were notoriously biting.

I wasn’t offended by his rudeness and replied lazily, “Indeed. The young ladies of our house tend to get weak in the knees and lose their footing whenever they see a handsome young man.” I was referring to my own ‘slip’ last time. Lu Yuan’s eyes widened slightly, looking at me in disbelief, as if he were at a loss for how to handle such blatant flippancy. Eventually, he just snorted coldly and looked away.

Xiao Mian went to help Song Ying up. As Song Ying passed by me, she paused. I turned to her and asked softly, “Aren’t you fond of Shen Guichi?”

She flinched, an awkward look crossing her face. “It was merely an accidental rescue; I wouldn’t dare harbor other intentions,” she said. Looking at her watery eyes, I found it ironic. Once Shen Guichi achieved success, she would probably kneel before our parents and cry about how she had only meant to help him but had fallen deeply in love, begging for their blessing.

Song Ying left in embarrassment, leaving only Lu Yuan. I didn’t know how he had wandered over here. He tilted his chin up slightly and questioned me, “That day at Shili Pavilion-setting aside where you got your information-why would a sheltered daughter of a noble house ride out there? What was your motive?”

When he looked down at me like that, he carried a hint of the dark, dangerous aura of the Regent Prince from my past life.

Thinking it over, the only excuse that would work was that of a young girl’s infatuation.

I replied casually, “I told you, I simply admire you. If you’re in trouble, of course I’m going to help. By the way, were the lanterns’ festival dumplings good that day?”

I spoke with apparent sincerity, but I saw a flicker of unease cross Lu Yuan’s brow. Still, he coldly spat out two words: “They were terrible.” After a long silence, as if fearing I was too deeply in love with him, he added, “This Prince has always been fastidious. You should give up while you’re ahead.”

I looked down at his legs. They appeared long and sturdy, not at all like the lame leg he had in my previous life. A crippled prince-it wasn’t just that it looked unsightly when he walked; it was simply unbearable to see it happen to someone like Lu Yuan, a man so defined by his pride. I let out a long, relieved breath, only to hear him lower his eyes and whisper, “Thank you.”

Surprised, I looked up, but Lu Yuan was already sneering. “One thing at a time. Don’t think for a second that I’ll actually like you.”

I nodded, suppressing a smile.

That was my cue to leave. I moved past Lu Yuan and walked a few paces forward before my feet stopped of their own accord. Shen Guichi was standing not far away, his gaze colder than the snow. He suddenly gave a soft laugh, his eyes dark and heavy. “I truly thought you didn’t like me, but it turns out you only have eyes for the powerful and noble.”

Lu Yuan’s voice came from behind me: “Who are you?”

Shen Guichi didn’t flinch. He looked past me to meet Lu Yuan’s gaze, a hint of mockery playing on his lips as he said slowly, “Song Yanshu’s fiancé.”

“You have a fiancé?”

I turned back to look at Lu Yuan. The Young Prince’s face had indeed darkened. His narrow eyes fixed on me with a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Song Yanshu, you certainly are something.” The way he said my name sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth. Thin snow settled on his shoulders as he locked eyes with Shen Guichi for reasons I couldn’t fathom. The atmosphere was as taut as a drawn bowstring. Lu Yuan let out a cold snort, shot me one last glare, and turned to leave. With that aura of his, one would think he was heading off to a battlefield.

I rubbed my temples, a headache blooming. I probably shouldn’t have come out to pick plum blossoms today.

With Shen Guichi still standing before me, my head throbbed even more. He added another remark, his eyes masking a sense of forced endurance. “As long as the engagement hasn’t been broken for a full day, you are still the future wife of the Shen Family. You should mind your conduct.”

I almost laughed. Was this engagement only a shackle for women and not for men? The business between him and Song Ying had happened while we were still engaged, after all. In this freezing weather, Shen Guichi was still wearing a thin, padded coat with cuffs so worn the cotton batting was peeking through. Standing there in his thin green robes, he truly looked the part of the impoverished yet noble scholar.

I asked, “Did the Song Family not send you a winter coat?”

Shen Guichi replied, “I am a guest at the Song Manor, not a beggar looking for handouts. No matter how pathetic my own clothes are, I cannot accept such charity.”

I grit my teeth as memories of the past flooded back. I reached out and gave him a shove. “What are you acting so high and mighty for? Who has the time to go out of their way to insult your precious dignity? Why do you take yourself so seriously? Would you only be happy if Song Ying personally sewed a coat and handed it to you? Would that be the only way you’d feel respected? The Song Family has never done you wrong.”

I continued, “Shen Guichi, dignity is something you give yourself, not something others bestow upon you. If it truly makes your conscience uneasy to accept it, then fine-it’s not a gift. Consider it a debt you owe me.”

Even as I shoved and scolded him, he didn’t get angry. He caught the hand I used to push him and pressed it against his chest. He looked down at me. “Song Yanshu, you really hate me.”

I said, “No.”

I didn’t hate him. I loathed him. I loathed how my once-burning affection had been buried under ice and snow. Shen Guichi suddenly explained, “I didn’t take her medicine, nor have I been associating with her.”

I blinked, only then realizing he was talking about Song Ying.

He said calmly, “I don’t like her type, Song Yanshu.”

I looked up at him in surprise but pulled my hand back. I shook my head. “That has nothing to do with me. The engagement will be broken regardless.”

Shen Guichi took half a step back, making the contrast between us even more apparent. My white fox-fur cloak and his tattered clothes were utterly mismatched. He let out a self-deprecating laugh, as if he were seeking his own humiliation. When he spoke, his single word felt as heavy as a mountain. “Fine.”