A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 28

A Sudden Fit of Jealousy

Escaping is shameful, but useful.¹

The great case of the flower-picking thief, which had shaken all twenty counties of Yuan’an Commandery, was finally drawing to a close. The criminal, Du Chuan, was a thirty-one-year-old native of a noble county within the commandery. He had no wife or children; his parents had passed away when he was around ten years old. To survive, he pretended to be a boy of six or seven and joined an opera troupe. Being a little too old to begin training as a martial character, he suffered a great deal. But in those days, he had a sweetheart named Yu Lian.

            

Du Chuan spent all his meager tips on Yu Lian, who was as pure in appearance as a white jasmine flower. To earn more money, he even learned the skill of flying on water² from a sweeper-monk in the troupe. The old handyman saw that he had potential and taught him everything he knew. Du Chuan, in turn, acknowledged the old man as his godfather.

His life had been full of flavor, joy, and hope. But just days before he was to be married, Yu Lian was carried off in a small sedan chair into the home of Master Sun, becoming his tenth concubine. Du Chuan couldn’t believe it. How could the sweetheart who had been so affectionate with him suddenly become someone else’s concubine? He went to the Sun household to demand an explanation.

But it was a grand estate, and he couldn’t even get through the gate. He was beaten for his trouble, and Yu Lian never offered him a single word of explanation. He fell into a deep despair, but thanks to the old man’s care, he gradually recovered. He thought that would be the end of it. Later, Du Chuan married a farmer’s daughter and had a son.

            

Life passed in dull peace. Occasionally, he would think of Yu Lian. He was resentful, unable to let it go. To this day, he still didn’t know why she had left him—whether it had been of her own free will or by force. The others in the opera troupe all said she had been involved with Master Sun long before, but he was the only one who refused to believe it.

Later, he traveled to another county and, by a chance encounter, met Yu Lian again. By then, Master Sun was dead, and the Sun family was in chaos. Yu Lian wanted to fight the young masters of the Sun family for the inheritance, and having no one to help her, she happened upon Du Chuan. She told him that Master Sun had forced her back then, threatening to have Du Chuan beaten to death if she ever tried to see him again. That, she claimed, was why she had left without so much as a letter.

Hearing this, Du Chuan looked at Yu Lian, her face like a pear blossom drenched in rain, and his heart ached for her. He felt it was his own incompetence that had left him unable to protect her. But he had a family now; it was time to let everything go. Yet Yu Lian told him she was in trouble, that she might not even survive if no one helped her. Du Chuan decided to help her after all. One thing led to another, and their old flame was rekindled. Who could have known that this would become the greatest regret of his life?

            

Yu Lian had long since taken up with the eldest, low-born son of the family. To help this young master, she used Du Chuan. It was true she had been forced at first, but she hadn’t resisted much, half-heartedly going along with Master Sun. Having money, she couldn’t bear the loneliness and began an affair with the young master. Later, when the affair was exposed, it angered Master Sun to death. The two of them plotted to take the gold and silver and flee. So, Yu Lian used Du Chuan to secure a large number of silver banknotes, and on a rainy night, she ran away with the young master.

But the □□ wife, having lost her jewelry and a fortune in banknotes, took her anger out on Du Chuan’s family. At the time, he couldn’t face them and had gone into hiding. But the viciousness of Master Sun’s wife was beyond his imagination. His own wife was beaten to death, and his son was not spared. When he learned that his wife and son were gone, lost because of him, he went mad and slaughtered more than a dozen members of the Sun family. His heart was filled with a towering hatred for Yu Lian. He felt that if not for her, he would at least have had the second half of his life to live.

Du Chuan was a master of disguise. After the massacre, he fled to another county. He was always on the run, always searching for Yu Lian. But when he couldn’t find her to exact his revenge, he transferred his hatred onto other young women, believing that any remotely beautiful woman was promiscuous and wanton by nature. Slowly, he grew accustomed to the business of □□ women, and he took pleasure in branding them with the character for “slave.” Watching his victims struggle and beg for mercy was as thrilling as seeing Yu Lian being punished.

            

And because his body had been fundamentally injured during his quest for revenge, he was only intermittently functional, so he devised even more ways to torture his victims.

Shen Hetang felt this was all just the vile excuse of a wicked man. He had been deceived, had wavered, and had brought disaster upon his family. After his mind broke, instead of branding himself, he had turned to harming innocent women. Not even dying ten times over could atone for his sins.

---

The flower-picking thief, Du Chuan, was sentenced to be beheaded after half a month. Because of the heinous nature and severe impact of his crimes, the execution was to be public, to serve as a warning to others. Many of the braver townsfolk went to watch the spectacle. Miss Qian and several other victims were among them. When the villain’s head hit the ground, the common people burst into applause and cheers. Miss Qian, too, shed tears of release.

            

The next time Shen Hetang heard news of Miss Qian, it was that she had married the shopkeeper of her family’s business. It turned out the shopkeeper had always been fond of her, but before, she had been a bright moon high in the sky, untouchable. After the incident, Miss Qian’s fiancé’s family had broken off the engagement, and she had been planning to pack her things and live out her days in a nunnery. It was said that the shopkeeper had pleaded with her for a long time before she finally agreed to marry him and leave Qingyuan County together. The Qian family’s shopkeeper was an orphan, taken in by the family when he was thirteen. The ten-year-old Miss Qian had a kind heart; seeing he was too shy to eat his fill, she would always give him pastries, roast chicken, and the like. Later, when she was older and knew she had a fiancé, she had gradually distanced herself from other men.

Shen Hetang sighed. It was good fortune born from misfortune. Spending the rest of one’s life with an oil lamp and an ancient Buddha was too cruel for a young woman not yet twenty. To have someone willing to strive and change for her, to accompany her for the rest of her days—how could that not be a good ending? Perhaps everything was arranged by fate; everyone had their own destiny. And so, the sensational case of the flower-picking thief came to a clean and final close. Moreover, Jiang Chenyu had secretly introduced Miss Qian to a female tattoo artist, allowing brave flowers to bloom over an unspeakable wound.

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All of this was gossip Shen Hetang had heard from Chuntao’s lips. Chuntao was practically her mistress’s personal entertainment tabloid. There was nothing her mistress didn’t want to hear that Chuntao didn’t know. It left Shen Hetang marveling. So, the reason Chuntao wasn’t at home all day was that she was out eating melon³.

            

The mistress and maid were a very interesting pair. The mistress spent her days holed up at home, reading gazetteers of various regions, local customs, and other interesting miscellanies. She rarely saw her practicing calligraphy, painting, or doing embroidery—things other girls liked. However, when it came to the pursuit of beauty, she was quite persistent. Sometimes Shen Hetang would see her change her outfit three times in a single day, each with its own matching accessories, leaving Shen Hetang’s head spinning.

Shen Hetang teased her for being vain, but she replied that when she used to live in the same courtyard as Wu Daoyuan, she never dressed like this. At that, Shen Hetang fell silent. She used the eighty-tael reward from catching the flower-picking thief to buy Jiang Chenyu a set of pearl-and-gemstone-encrusted hairpins. Unlike the stately, magnificent styles favored by noblewomen, this was a lively, charming set of insect-themed hairpins.

There was a golden crab inlaid with rubies; a butterfly of kingfisher feathers and turquoise; a red dragonfly of agate; a cicada of gold-inlaid jade; a gilt, kingfisher-feather double-fish ornament; a katydid of pearl and orchid; a bat-head pin of coral, turquoise, and agate; and a dangling grass-insect hairpin with pearls. Eight pieces in total. Then she saw she still had a little silver left, and since she was already at it, she picked out a pair of golden shrimp, whose whiskers could tremble and sway.

            

According to the shopkeeper, this was new stock that had just arrived in the last two days, a style not yet seen on the streets, all small, exquisite, and made of genuine materials. It was only after she had spent all eighty taels that she realized she had just indulged in a bout of impulse buying⁴.

The belated sting of regret followed her all the way home. She was a thrifty, responsible child, after all. Still, though the reward money was gone, her monthly allowance was untouched. She hadn’t completely lost her mind. Looking at the small redwood box in her hand, she felt the ache lessen. Jiang Chenyu fed her and housed her; how could this possibly just be a return gift? Yes, that’s what it was. Just a return gift.

The moment Jiang Chenyu opened the box, the expression on her face was a little spectacular. She looked up, confirmed the look of anticipation in Shen Hetang’s eyes, and then picked up a pearl-and-agate dragonfly hairpin. She placed it in her hair and found it was quite spirited.

            

“Why be so extravagant?” Eighty taels. She had probably been ripped off.

“I thought they were very distinctive, different from other hairpins, so I bought them all. It was the only set in the shop, and the owner said this little crab symbolizes wealth coming from all eight directions. How fitting for you!” The more Shen Hetang spoke, the brighter her eyes grew. She tried each one in Jiang Chenyu’s hair. They were indeed all vivid and full of a unique charm.

Gradually, Jiang Chenyu grew fond of the hair ornaments, turning them over and over in her hands.

            

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Before dark, Chuntao went to Jiang Chenyu’s study to deliver some grapes and remarked casually, “Miss, Old Jiang made a big sale today. Said some good-looking fool bought that set of jewelry the shop could never get rid of. Bought the entire set, too, for the high price of eighty taels.”

The words had barely left her mouth when her eyes fell upon the familiar redwood box on the table. She stood dumbfounded for a long moment, then squatted in a corner and couldn’t stop laughing.

“What’s so funny? At least someone gives me gifts. Do you have anyone?” Jiang Chenyu took a hairpin and slowly waved it in front of Chuntao’s face, instantly silencing her laughter.

            

“I let you run around outside all day, and you can’t even pick a suitable husband for yourself. Are you waiting for me to pick one for you? That wouldn’t be impossible, you know. You’re not young anymore!”

“Miss, please don’t tease me. At worst, I’ll just forget all about the Young Master being played for a sucker,” Chuntao whined, drawing out her words coquettishly.

“Why did you drag Xiao San⁵ to the City God Temple again today?”

            

“Mm. They say today is a good day for praying to the gods and worshipping Buddha!”

“That little monthly allowance you earn—it’s all gone to line the temples’ coffers, hasn’t it?” Jiang Chenyu closed her account book.

Chuntao said nothing, her lips pressed tightly together.

            

“But Jiang Ning looks like a fortunate person. She will return safely. When she does, I’ll have her pay you back double.”

“I don’t want silver, I just want her to come back safely!” Chuntao said wistfully.

“Are you giving her your entire dowry? Never mind. It wouldn’t be a problem for her to provide for you in your old age!”

            

“Miss, weren’t you the one who was going to take care of me for a lifetime? Why are you pawning me off on someone else?”

“Heh… Are Old Jiang and Xiao San doing all right?”

“Uncle Jiang seems to be in good spirits, just misses his son and daughter,” Chuntao replied.

            

“Ai, I’ve wronged them somewhat! You should go see them more often when you have time,” Jiang Chenyu said, a trace of guilt in her heart.

“How could it be your fault, Miss? I think Uncle Jiang is in very high spirits. Otherwise, how would he have the mind to go slaughter a fat sheep⁶?” Seeing her mistress’s spirits dip, she quickly tried to console her.

“You… you keep this to yourself!” Jiang Chenyu glared at Chuntao, her beautiful eyes radiating authority.

            

“Yes, Miss. I don’t know anything!” Chuntao said with a sweet smile, thinking that her mistress spoiled the Young Master far too much. Sooner or later, she’d turn him into a profligate!

That set of hairpins was part of the old stock from when the Duobao Pavilion first opened. Though they looked new, they were two or three years old. It was all thanks to Old Jiang’s meticulous care that they still looked brand new. The Duobao Pavilion wasn’t her real business; it was just a place for her and Jiang Ning to meet and discuss matters. Selling a few pieces of jewelry was just a front. Although the materials were genuine, they were all scraps. Together, they were worth thirty-odd taels at most. The most valuable pieces were the pair of shrimp.

But at this moment, the more she looked at these things, the more pleasing they were to her eye. The more she looked, the more she delighted in them.

            

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Life passed peacefully. There had been no stir from next door for a long time, and there were no major cases in Qingyuan County. The sweltering summer heat dissipated as golden autumn arrived. Jiang Chenyu finally stopped parading around in her cool tube tops and shorts. And she, too, could finally, justifiably, switch to sleeping in long-sleeved, long-panted nightclothes.

But muscles have memories. Even dressed so properly, she had no reason to give up her pillow. After falling asleep, she would still wrap her arms around Jiang Chenyu’s soft, slender waist. In a half-dreaming state, her fingers would subconsciously creep upward, only to snatch back in fright.

She would tell herself silently, I’m just curious, that’s all. I definitely don’t have any bad habits. I have them too, but in terms of shape, size, and feel, they’re worlds apart. I’m just purely curious. It’s really not my fault. Sometimes I feel like it’s Jiang Chenyu who rubs up against me.

            

She had a thing for pretty faces, her resistance to good-looking people a little low. She felt she was in a very dangerous place lately. Maybe it would be better if they separated for a while?

That was definitely not the feel of cloth just now. The realization jolted her awake in a cold sweat. Her gaze passed through the latticed bedframe to the pale light of dawn outside. Her neatly combed hair, after a night of tossing and turning, was slightly messy. A few strands stuck to her forehead, a barely-there sensation that was nevertheless an itch upon her heart, just like her mood at that moment. Perhaps it was time to separate for a while.

Jiang Chenyu had felt that Ah Tang was a bit off recently. First, he moved into the study. He didn’t say much, only that the yamen was conducting year-end performance reviews and he had to memorize all the old cases and the procedures for adjudicating them. Jiang Chenyu found this waste of the bailiffs’ time quite baffling. Of course, this was all just nonsense Shen Hetang had made up. She just wanted to sleep separately.

            

Slowly, she also began to resist Jiang Chenyu’s intimacy. She rarely held her, and when Jiang Chenyu pounced, she would block her with her hands. A month passed, then two. Gradually, Jiang Chenyu sensed her distance. She didn’t know why Shen Hetang suddenly disliked her. Had he remembered something? Or did he truly have a sweetheart from before, like that otherworldly sister?

For the past couple of days, her mind had been racing with wild thoughts. Her little face had thinned, making her eyes seem even more bewitching, but her expression was always unhappy. Shen Hetang had been leaving early and coming home late, doing her best to avoid her, even skipping their late-night meal.

What could she do? A girl of fifteen or sixteen was delicate and tender, like a flower bud. Even a dog would want to nuzzle up to her. Besides feeling that her own inclinations were heading in the wrong direction, Shen Hetang also felt like she was committing a crime, like a big grey wolf lusting after a little white rabbit. When she saw the girl today and noticed how thin she’d become, she couldn’t bear it. Resigned, she took her to the night market again, ate sweet dumplings, and bought silk flowers. Jiang Chenyu’s mood instantly went from cloudy to clear.

            

She thought he had a change of heart, but who knew that the very next day he would move into the yamen, and even take that Black Horse who was always competing with her for favor. At that, Jiang Chenyu exploded with anger. In her heart, she put a demerit next to both Shen Hetang and that Big Long Face. She held grudges. She was not to be trifled with. That person and that horse had better watch their backs!

---

The days at the yamen passed slowly. There was nothing to do all day. Today, a round of drinks; tomorrow, a gathering of three or five, and she was dragged to a brothel. The shock instantly sobered her up. She grabbed Big Long Face and fled, her colleagues all laughing behind her, mocking her for being afraid of her wife. She paid them no mind.

A fake can never be real, but if the family finds out, what if they kick me out? I have a fledgling’s attachment to the Jiang Manor; I don’t want to be swept out the door just yet!

            

It was now the eleventh or twelfth month. She had been a matrilocal husband for over half a year. In the month since she had moved into the yamen, with one person missing by her side, her heart had become much emptier. Occasionally, she would dream of that figure, but the dreams were disordered, just two or three fragments she couldn’t piece together.

The gatehouse in early winter was freezing cold. Back in her room, there was no piping-hot stove, no delicious late-night snack, and certainly no soft, comfortable pillow to hold. Her memory was a tangled mess, her life was a cold pot on a cold stove, and her feelings were something she dared not touch.

At least she had Big Long Face to keep her company. But without the meticulous care of the Jiang Manor, his black coat had lost its sheen. After running away from home with Shen Hetang, he finally remembered Jiang Chenyu’s good points. Although Big Long Face liked to frighten her and never gave her a pleasant look, the horse also missed Jiang Chenyu’s soybeans, salt blocks, corn, apples, and carrots.

            

Who knew that after following Shen Hetang out, she wouldn’t even notice the life of luxury he had been living before? Even the green grass had turned to dry hay. Big Long Face blamed Shen Hetang for the lack of fresh grass in winter, too. It was all her fault for making a fuss over nothing.

Right now, Big Long Face was like a child who believes that whoever has milk is the mother⁷. He found Shen Hetang more and more displeasing, either baring his teeth at her or giving her a look of disdain, letting her figure it out for herself.

No one at the yamen went near Shen Hetang’s horse, afraid of asking for trouble. The horse looked too fierce and never gave anyone a kind glance. It would kick its hooves at anyone who tried to approach.

            

The horse was used to a varied diet, especially apples and carrots. Its belated affection for Jiang Chenyu was built entirely on the silver she spent.

Master and horse, one staring blankly at the sky by day, the other at the moon by night, were both struggling to adapt to a life without their fairy’s offerings.

Jiang Chenyu didn’t know that her status in Big Long Face’s heart was rising higher and higher, all thanks to the contrast provided by his current companion. She didn’t know what kind of spineless, tail-wagging, begging horse would greet her next time.

            

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Ever since Shen Hetang had moved to the yamen for no reason, Jiang Chenyu had been in a daze for days. He had clearly taken her to the night market, so why had he run so far away? The look in his eyes that night didn’t seem like he had grown tired of her. And the excuse he gave was so flimsy—that the yamen had been unstable lately and needed more hands on guard. The yamen, unstable? Who was he trying to fool?

Having been downcast for a few days, Jiang Chenyu had nowhere to vent her frustrations. So she started making trouble for Wu Daoyuan’s shops, deliberately finding a batch of goods prone to problems and selling them to him.

Sitting in her study, Jiang Chenyu counted Wu Daoyuan’s shops in her mind and muttered to herself, “I’ll give you seven more chances. If all of Wu Daoyuan’s shops are gone and you still haven’t figured it out, don’t blame me for being heartless… Hmph…!”

            

She grumbled to herself in the study, her peach-blossom eyes filled with stubbornness and hurt.

Wu Daoyuan had no idea that his entire fortune had become a part of a young couple’s game. The most important thing Jiang Chenyu’s maternal grandfather had left her was not those dozen or so shops, but a lifetime of business experience. She was only five or six at the time, but her grandfather would take her with him when he went out to do business.

Though young, she could clearly understand what her grandfather meant. Over time, she had memorized all sorts of strategies and procedures until they were second nature.

            

Her grandfather saw that she was naturally brilliant, a talent who would surpass her teacher, and was overjoyed. But he also worried that he wouldn’t live to see his granddaughter grow up. A tree that stands out in the forest will be blown down by the wind.⁸ He carefully taught her to hide her light and bide her time⁹, to grow up safely. Because not only was his granddaughter intelligent, she was also exceptionally beautiful, which could easily make her a target.

But what her grandfather didn’t know was that six months earlier, the not-yet-eleven-year-old Jiang Chenyu had already paid Jiang Ning to scout out locations and routes. She had sent Jiang Ning to a neighboring county to procure a batch of defective goods from an official kiln. She taught Jiang Ning to find the official in charge of the matter; if he had elderly or children in his family, that was the place to start, to leave the official with a good impression.

Jiang Ning was a clever girl who understood with a single hint. She quickly found the official’s young son and chased away the beggars who were bullying him, getting injured herself in the process. As a matter of course, she was invited into their home as a guest. She then said that she just ran a small business selling trinkets, and because she’d rescued the boy, the pearl flowers she was planning to sell had all been crushed.

            

Hearing this, the official gave Jiang Ning a few taels of silver. But Jiang Ning refused, saying she wouldn’t accept handouts; she had to rely on her own two hands to support her younger brother. The official, hearing her speak with such integrity, quickly said he had a batch of goods that could sell for a good price and could spare some for her. What he didn’t know was that Jiang Ning was carrying a hundred taels on her. In the end, Jiang Ning made off with five cartloads of blue-and-white porcelain bowls—nearly a third of the stock, all taken away by a half-grown child.

The man realized he had misjudged her. She wasn’t some pitiful child on the verge of starvation, but a formidable youth.

Though the porcelain bowls were numerous and conspicuous, they weren’t valuable and would shatter with a single touch, so no one coveted them. By the time Jiang Ning returned with the cart, she had already sold more than half of them. The cart had been hired on the spot. Though Jiang Ning had only brought seven or eight other half-grown children with her, those street urchins were by no means easy to handle. Inside, they were as fierce as wolf cubs and as cunning as foxes. Knowing they could earn a lot of silver on this trip, they all worked with all their might.

            

And there was a reason Jiang Ning could be the leader of this group of children. She was naturally strong and had a fierce temper. No matter what schemes you had in mind, she’d beat you up first and talk later. Her position in the alleys had always been stable. This time, leading everyone to wealth and prosperity, her little brothers were all the more convinced of her leadership.

This founding of their fortune was, one might say, without any danger or mishap. With meticulous planning and bold action, their teamwork was seamless.

When all the porcelain was sold, one hundred taels had become six hundred. Jiang Chenyu provided the capital, the ideas, and the connections, taking a sixty-percent share. Jiang Ning provided the manpower and effort, taking forty percent. In truth, Jiang Ning later had her own capital, but out of gratitude for Jiang Chenyu’s kindness to her father, she always took the smaller share.

            

After deducting twenty taels for each of the brothers and the cost of the cart and horses, four hundred and thirty taels remained. Jiang Chenyu took two hundred and fifty, and Jiang Ning was left with one hundred and eighty. Just like that, their first venture was a resounding success. Everyone was satisfied, and a strong foundation was laid for the merchant caravan to come.

The reason Jiang Chenyu never told her grandfather about this was that she was afraid he would worry. In her grandfather’s eyes, she wanted to be an obedient child. A child who was too precocious could make adults feel uneasy.

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Shen Hetang, who hadn’t been home in a long time, was on her rest day today. She planned to go back and see the little girl, wondering how she had been lately. She hadn’t made a big fuss when she moved out, so the neighbors probably didn’t know.

            

But as she approached the corner, she saw a young man in front of her gate, blocking a young lady’s path. The two were talking about something. Slowly, she saw the man grab the young lady’s hand and try to get closer, as if to kiss her. Shen Hetang wondered which family’s little lovebirds had run off to her doorstep to flirt. Before she could take two more steps, she realized the young lady was Jiang Chenyu.

Her lazy eyes instantly turned sharp. She strode forward and kicked the man aside.

“Who are you? How can you be so rude?” The young master, Zhang Qiming, clutched his side where he’d been kicked, his face contorting with a grimace.

            

“Where did this lecher¹⁰ come from? Daring to accost a respectable woman in broad daylight! You must have the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard. Come with me to the yamen,” Shen Hetang said, making a move to apprehend him.

“Wait, who are you? This is the little lady who was once betrothed to me. What business is it of yours if I talk to her?” Seeing the newcomer’s aggressive demeanor, Zhang Qiming grew timid, but with a beauty present, he still managed a weak retort.

“Betrothed to you? She is my wife, with whom I have bowed to heaven and earth. Tell me, is it any of my business or not?” She had thought Jiang Chenyu was being bullied, but it turned out to be an ex-fiancé.

            

“Is what this person said true?” Shen Hetang raised her eyes to Jiang Chenyu.

“It’s not entirely untrue. He didn’t do anything. Why don’t you let Zhang-jia gege go?” Jiang Chenyu said, seemingly trying to get Zhang Qiming off the hook.

“Zhang-jia gege?” I’ve only been gone a month, and it feels like my home has been stolen. A sense of grievance welled up in her too. She loosened her grip on Zhang Qiming’s arm, an inscrutable emotion in her eyes as she met Jiang Chenyu’s gaze.

            

“Yes. He’s from a family that was an old acquaintance of my grandfather’s. Shouldn’t I call him older brother?” Jiang Chenyu turned her face away, not looking at her any longer.

“Fine. Since he’s the older brother from an old acquaintance’s family, you must have been childhood sweethearts. So why did he become an ex-fiancé?” Shen Hetang’s eyes bored into the two of them. That’s right. With Jiang Chenyu’s looks, how could she not have had suitors? Why would she randomly grab someone off the street to marry?

Hearing Shen Hetang’s question, Zhang Qiming became uncomfortable. He lowered his head slightly and stood up.

            

“Zhang-jia gege married someone else in the spring. So now, he has nothing to do with me. Husband, don’t let your imagination run wild,” Jiang Chenyu said with frankness, her tone light and casual, as if she held neither of them in any regard.

So I was the only one who thought we were a heaven-sent match, living in torment every day. It turns out I was just the next best thing? In that short moment, Shen Hetang’s mind instantly concocted a drama of a woman betrayed by her lover, turning around to marry another in her grief.

“She is already married. Do not come and bother her again in the future. Otherwise, I will not let you off,” she said. Her heart felt tight, but she didn’t act like a husband catching his wife in an affair, losing all reason. She didn’t seem to have that right.

            

Jiang Chenyu stepped forward and grabbed Shen Hetang’s sleeve. Seeing he was unhappy, she said nothing, merely following him obediently back into the courtyard.

Before entering the gate, she turned her head and said one more thing to the man: “Zhang-jia gege, the fate between you and me is over. From now on, let us both live our lives in peace.” Her melodious voice was like a hook, dangling before Zhang Qiming.

Previously, Zhang Qiming had never seen Jiang Chenyu. He hadn’t known his fiancée was so bewitching, especially that figure that made it impossible to look away. Why had he thrown away the moon to pick up a stone? He was green with regret. Looking at the beauty with her love-filled eyes and honey-sweet voice, Zhang Qiming’s lust made him bold. Shameless words tumbled from his mouth: “Chenyu-meimei, it was all my fault before. If you give me a chance, I’ll go back and divorce that shrew. You kick out this brute, and I promise I will welcome you through my door with a grand wedding.”

            

Hearing Zhang Qiming’s mad words, Shen Hetang’s hand gripping Jiang Chenyu’s tightened. She turned, her gaze falling coldly upon him. “Are you incapable of understanding human speech?”

Jiang Chenyu’s wrist hurt from the grip, but she didn’t dare make a sound, because she felt a frost descend around Shen Hetang, colder than the early winter air.

Shen Hetang thought that if she weren’t wearing a bailiff’s uniform, this shameless man trying to be a homewrecker¹¹ would have, at the very least, ended up with a black eye and a bloody nose. A harmonious society had truly saved him. Although the Great Qian Dynasty had liberal attitudes and encouraged widows and divorced women to remarry to increase the population and stabilize society, a brazen rogue who tried to steal a man’s wife right in front of him would still be sentenced to be drowned in a pig cage¹². This Young Master Zhang didn’t look like a fool. He must have been truly bewitched by beauty.

            

It was only then that Zhang Qiming noticed Shen Hetang was wearing an official’s uniform. A little frightened by his glare, he quickly retreated a few steps, then fled, casting one last, unwilling look at Jiang Chenyu’s back.

“Zhuzi, close the gate,” Shen Hetang shouted to the servant as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, telling him to lock it.

Jiang Chenyu followed silently behind him, looking at the pale nape of his neck, feeling a little sheepish. But then another thought came: he had left without a word for a month. A little anger was what he deserved. She couldn’t soften, couldn’t feel sorry for him. She would let him suffer on his own.

            

Shen Hetang dragged her into the room, slid the bolt on the door with one hand, and pulled her directly to the bed. The canopy bed had long been fitted with new, embroidered orange curtains. The thick drapes, made of brocade, were embroidered with different floral patterns on each of the four sides, depicting four different mythological stories. They were interesting and elegant, and even double-sided, with different embroidery on the inside and out.

Because the bed was so large, she used to feel it was very empty when she slept inside, so she had specially commissioned a seamstress to make them, choosing a color that would look warm in winter. During the day, when the curtains were drawn back, they formed eight arched valances, tied with red silk ribbons to let the sunlight in.

Today was overcast, a bit like Shen Hetang’s mood. The room was dimly lit. Pushed by him, Jiang Chenyu half-lay on the thick bedding.

            

“Ah Tang… what are you doing?” Shen Hetang leaned over her, one hand propped on the bed beside her, her eyes looking at her with a hint of malice.

Jiang Chenyu didn’t dare meet his gaze. She struggled, pushing at his chest. Shen Hetang felt a knot of frustration in her heart. She wanted to demand a clear explanation about that Young Master Zhang, but seeing her evasive and resistant, her blood pressure started to rise. And the girl’s hands were restless, constantly pushing against her chest.

She raised her body slightly, not letting her touch, then pulled a red silk ribbon from the canopy curtains. She grabbed Jiang Chenyu’s pale, delicate wrists and bound them together with two crossed loops before she felt it was safe.

            

Jiang Chenyu’s heart was already pounding. Seeing him tie her up in just a few moves, a mist formed in her electrifying, bright eyes. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, looking at her defiantly.

“You feel wronged? Let’s hear it. What’s the deal with that Young Master Zhang?” They must have met while I was away. Otherwise, why would the man try to kiss her right away?

“What, I shouldn’t feel wronged? You even remembered to come back? If you’d come back a year later, you might have been able to happily become a father¹³!” How dare he turn the tables on her? He was the one who had abandoned her without a word, and now he was back, blaming her.

            

Shen Hetang had never seen Jiang Chenyu so sharp-tongued. For a moment, it was novel. And second, she was indeed in the wrong and couldn’t say anything. But no matter what, she just couldn’t accept coming home to find that the little white rabbit in her house had almost been snatched away by the neighbor’s dog.

She wasn’t sure if she liked her, or if she even dared to like her. But the thought of her becoming another man’s wife, sleeping with someone else at night—suddenly, it felt as if half her heart had been hollowed out, as if her life had lost all direction. And she wanted to beat to death the man who would take her place, holding her as she slept. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

It must be because they were stuck together all day. She had come to see this pretty little girl as her private property. It was her possessiveness acting up.

            

“That man has a wife. Why are you thinking about a scumbag like that?” Seeing her emotions fluctuate, she softened her tone, and the hand on her waist loosened its grip.

“Is there any use in me thinking about you? At least he genuinely admires me. I couldn’t bear to hurt his feelings too much, so naturally, I had to speak to him kindly and make things clear!”

“That’s called lingering affection!” She wanted to speak to that man kindly?

            

Jiang Chenyu turned her face away, refusing to look at him. That seductive face of his was too close. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up the act…!

Seeing Jiang Chenyu so obstinate, so unwilling to even speak to her, Shen Hetang’s mind was in a bit of a mess. She reached out her long fingers and pinched her chin, turning her face back.

“…Ah… Let go of me!” She had been bent over for a while and was a little uncomfortable. And… her heart was about to pound out of her chest…

            

“Besides, how do you know it’s useless to think about me?” The fingers on her chin rubbed lightly against her parting, cherry-pink lower lip.

To call it an argument, the atmosphere was a bit too cloying and ambiguous. To call it flirting, it seemed a bit too stiff and intense. The atmosphere was strange, yet it seemed to be pushing them forward.

Her shimmering, watery eyes, her powdered cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, her moist and soft petal-like lips, her slightly messy hair that, far from ruining her beauty, added a touch of allure.

            

Her waist, which could be encircled by a single hand, was set between the undulating curves of her body, and when held by an arm, it was particularly dazzling.

Sometimes, once reason runs out the door, it’s a little difficult to get it back.

“Ah Tang, let go… my back hurts!” After a moment’s standoff, she began to yield.

            

But Shen Hetang still felt that tightness in her chest. As for the reason, she couldn’t tell. They had been talking for a while and had gotten nowhere.

She reached out, hooked the red silk ribbon, and pulled her up. With a turn, she pressed her against the carved, latticed bedframe.

The light in the room was dim, but she could still clearly see those peach-blossom eyes looking at her, nervous and helpless.

            

Feeling a pang of guilt, she covered those limpid eyes with her hand, tilted her head, and lightly bit the lower lip she had just caressed.

The half-drawn canopy curtain happened to conceal their intimate actions, revealing only the clothes outside and an arm that would sometimes tighten its grip, and sometimes relax to a caress.

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