Chapter 20: The Refined Lady and the Beautiful, Delicate Wife

Xinyi tactfully closed her mouth, offering him only a brief "take care on your way."

Then, she saw the light in the young man's eyes dim rapidly, and his footsteps faltered. Though he remained cold-faced and silent, he made no move to leave. He looked a bit like he was sulking or being petulant with her.

The final result was that they all headed out together. Lü Yuan had realized that if Xinyi wasn't brought along, even if Shen Rujie were to go, he would be unwilling and sour-faced the entire time.

Thus, two carriages traveled one after the other toward their destination. Shen Rujie naturally insisted on sitting next to Xinyi, while Lü Yuan took a separate carriage for herself. With A'ying not accompanying them, the two of them were alone inside.

Xinyi turned her head away, reached out to lift the curtain adorned with thick tassels, and pretended to look at the scenery outside. Yet, that gaze remained fixed upon her face—burning, obsessive, and impossible to ignore.

Xinyi finally couldn't help but turn back, glaring at him in annoyance. "What exactly do you want? You’ve been staring at me the entire way!"

Her voice was soft, and she deliberately lowered it for fear of being overheard. Combined with her beautiful and graceful features, it didn't look like anger at all, but rather like she was acting spoiled.

The young man’s dark eyes held repressed, surging emotions. He knew she might be angry, but he still said, "Xinyi, I want to hold you."

That face was truly too handsome; a girl could simply not withstand such sweet talk. Take Xinyi, for instance—she felt that if she looked at this villain for two more seconds, she wouldn't be able to keep up her act. On the surface, she maintained a reserved air of "What are you talking about? Don't you know any shame?" but in reality, she could barely stop herself from climbing onto his lap.

*Endure, just endure it! Lust is a blade hanging over one's head!*

*You must stay clear-headed, Xinyi!*

And so, she spent the rest of the journey reciting the Tao Te Ching to herself, stubbornly holding out until it was time to leave the carriage. When she lifted the curtain, she refused his help, insisting on getting down herself. As a result, her body betrayed her, she nearly tripped, and she ended up being caught by him anyway.

Xinyi: "..."

Shen Rujie set her down and was about to speak to her, but a young woman came forward from the courtyard entrance nearby. After exchanging a few smiles with Lü Yuan, she looked toward the two of them with a shy expression.

Xinyi glanced over as well. The young girl looked quite spirited, with two small fangs visible when she smiled. She must have been introduced by Lü Yuan earlier, for as soon as she met Xinyi’s gaze, she smiled and said, "Miss Wu."

Then, her eyes swept past her to the young man at her side. This time, she blushed and stammered, "S-Second Young Master Shen."

Miss Gu, whose given name was Gu Si, was the youngest in her family with older siblings, and it was easy to see she had grown up cherished. Such a girl, when facing the object of her affection, might be shy at first, but would soon become bold once she got to know them.

Sure enough, before long, she was hovering around Shen Rujie, asking endless questions. How to control the horse, how to pull the reins, what to do if one wanted to change direction or turn around... she was very enthusiastic.

Shen Rujie’s expression was not particularly good, and his tone was perfunctory and cold, answering only the most essential questions. In just over ten minutes, he had furrowed his brows more than twenty times, to the point that even Xinyi, resting off to the side, found it hard to watch.

The most egregious part was when Gu Si, looking embarrassed as she clutched her skirt and struggled to climb onto the horse, he didn't even make a gesture to offer a hand.

Xinyi: "..."

*Just bury him. This unromantic personality is beyond saving.* But honestly, if not for the sake of completing the mission, she probably wouldn't have actively approached someone with Shen Rujie’s temperament either.

The System retorted cheekily, "I wouldn't say he's unromantic. Didn't he untie your sash just a few nights ago?"

"..."

Over there, as soon as Gu Si climbed onto the horse, Shen Rujie turned and walked away, completely ignoring Lü Yuan’s desperate hints. Unfortunately, just as he was about to walk toward Xinyi, she stood up and walked past him to check on the two girls struggling with their horses. She seemed not to notice the young man’s suddenly frozen figure.

"Are you alright, Miss Gu?" Xinyi walked over and asked with a smile to the girl who couldn't even grip the reins steadily.

Gu Si was already embarrassed, and this concern made her blush even more. She nodded immediately. "I'm fine, Miss Wu. A'yuan is very good at riding, and she'll stay by my side to help me with the reins. And... and Young Master Shen just taught me, too. I'm sure I'll learn if I take it slowly."

Although she could see that Shen Rujie had absolutely no interest in her—he was so cold and beautiful that it bordered on sharp—she had only ever seen him from afar at a poetry gathering.

Beyond that, she had only heard Lü Yuan complain about his terrible personality; she hadn't expected him to be so unapproachable. Gu Si felt a bit discouraged, wondering if she should continue to offer her enthusiasm to a cold response. After all, she was a girl, and being too proactive wasn't proper.

But after thinking about it, she secretly cheered herself up: *It doesn't matter. Except for Xinyi, Shen Rujie seems to treat everyone that way; it’s not just me.*

Perhaps because the dew was heavy last night, the ground felt slightly damp underfoot, and the wind carried the crisp scent of grass. Xinyi encouraged her in a gentle tone, "You're doing great. Being this brave on your first try is already remarkable."

Gu Si was stunned. She hadn't expected the warmest words she heard today to come from Xinyi. The woman stood there, slightly lifting her delicate face; her dark hair was like water, her hairpins simple and elegant, looking like a celestial being stepping out of a painting.

*So beautiful! So gentle!*

And why did she smile so beautifully? Those eyes were like autumn water, filled with untold emotions, like mist-locked pavilions after the rain. Gu Si’s heart suddenly began to pound—even more joyfully than when she was with Shen Rujie earlier. She thought she vaguely understood why Shen Rujie liked Miss Wu so much; if she were him, she would like her too.

***

After chatting with Gu Si for a while, Xinyi found an excuse to leave the crowd, giving them some space. Having nothing to do, she asked Gu Si’s maid for some fish food and hid in a pavilion to feed the fish. This was a new hobby she had discovered lately; if no one bothered her, she could spend half an hour doing it.

The System was confused. "Host, you just left like that? Are you really going to watch them develop feelings?"

Xinyi’s expression remained indifferent; she curled her lips in a light smile. "They won't develop anything. At most, Shen Rujie will sulk in a cold fury, thinking I don't care about him, or he might think I'm trying to set them up to get rid of his pestering."

She had indeed acted that way—completely indifferent, not jealous at all, as if she were happy to see this match come to fruition. She slowly scattered the handful of fish food and estimated the time.

She said to the System in a betting tone, "Want to bet? He’ll come to confront me immediately. Because that string has been stretched to its limit."

The System didn't know if it should believe her, because the young man seemed genuinely angry. When the host left earlier, he didn't follow her as usual; he didn't even look up at her, his expression cold. So, it was skeptical.

But not long after, Shen Rujie really did come.

Seeing him approach, Xinyi’s watery eyes widened slightly, feigning surprise and disbelief. "Why are you here, A'jie? Didn't I tell you to teach Miss Gu how to ride properly?"

She frowned, acting as if she disapproved, putting on the air of a gentle elder lecturing a younger one. "You cannot always be so cold-faced, and you must not be impatient with young ladies, or no girl will dare to like you in the future."

"Then does Xinyi like me?"

The young man’s eyes were cold and sharp, his lips curling in a mocking sneer. "I am obedient to Xinyi in all things, docile and well-behaved. Yet, you are still desperate to get rid of me, aren't you?"

Faced with such an interrogation, Xinyi couldn't help but let her eyes redden. "I only wish for your well-being. Miss Gu... she is a good girl."

This was the truth. But wanting to continue provoking him was also the truth.

Shen Rujie was indeed even angrier; he moved closer and grabbed her wrist. He was clearly the one overstepping and being rude, yet he acted as if he were the one suffering great grievances. "What kind of girl I like, does Xinyi truly not know? Or are you deliberately playing dumb, trying to push me toward other women!"

Xinyi tried hard to break free but couldn't. She was shy and panicked. "What are you doing, A'jie? I am your sister-in-law. Even if I have separated from your brother, I was once your sister-in-law!"

She bit her lip, her eyes red, looking weak and frail. "A'jie, I am your sister-in-law. We cannot do this."

The young man was so angry he laughed, leaning in closer. He no longer pretended to be obedient as before; his dark eyes held a wicked smile. "So, in the end, you still haven't forgotten Shen Gui? Does my brother know I’ve kissed you? Does he know I’ve touched you? Not just that day at the teahouse, but also on the bed in your room... Xinyi, only husband and wife can kiss like that."

"Stop it!"

The woman before him looked panicked, ashamed, and tearful. "Stop it, A'jie, I beg you, stop it."

Shen Rujie’s chest was full of jealousy as he glared at her pained struggle—she wanted neither to remember nor to admit it. His sanity was burning away, especially when he saw her crying and struggling to escape his grip, trembling as she took a few steps back, trying to run out of the pavilion.

Unfortunately, she hadn't taken more than a few steps down the stairs before her arm was grabbed again, and she was pinned firmly against the cold stone wall of the rockery. She struggled with deep humiliation, only to hear footsteps approaching—it was a maid sent by Gu Si looking for her.

Shen Rujie leaned close to her stiff, trembling body, looking at her pleading eyes, and smiled gently. "Beg me?"

His tone was laced with threats—truly malicious. "If Xinyi doesn't beg me, she will see us entangled here."

Xinyi looked at him in disbelief, her dark lashes trembling incessantly, and a tear of anger fell. But hearing those light footsteps getting closer, her heart was filled with anxiety, and she finally had to surrender. "I beg..."

The rest of her words were suddenly blocked by his lips, turning into small whimpers. Her body was pulled into the young man’s strong arms, and with a gentle turn, they were moved to the other side of the rockery.

The little maid searched the pavilion once, and not seeing Miss Wu, she felt puzzled but left. Thinking there were other places on the estate to wander, she assumed Xinyi had gone for a stroll after feeding the fish, so she didn't linger and turned to leave.

Behind the hidden rockery, Xinyi had been kissed until she lost her senses. At first, she tried to push him away with her hands, but later, she could only whimper, her watery eyes unfocused, her body softening in his arms, and all she could hear was the ambiguous sound of their closeness.

...

When Lü Yuan and the others saw Shen Rujie again, it was half an hour later. The young man’s expression was no longer cold, and the hostility between his brows had dissipated significantly. However, one thing was very strange: there was a small cut on his lip, and his naturally red, thin lips seemed even more alluring.

Just as Lü Yuan was about to ask if he had seen Xinyi, the young man spoke first. "Xinyi suddenly felt unwell and has gone to the carriage to rest. She asked me to apologize to you both on her behalf and hopes to visit another day to make amends."

His tone was still not what one would call gentle, but one could hear a faint smile, as if Xinyi hadn't been suffering from an illness as he claimed, but was rather a woman who had just recovered from a great sickness. This made Lü Yuan look at him twice. But since the young man had said so, she thought of Miss Wu’s health and did not insist on keeping them. She only offered a few thoughtful words of concern before they left, urging him to take good care of Miss Wu.

***

Days passed, and the end of the year was approaching. The capital was decorated with lanterns and red silk, and the streets were bustling no matter the time.

Shen Rujie had moved back into her room. Although they still slept with a screen between them, Xinyi’s attitude had softened. This was specifically shown by her not struggling when he held her. Sometimes, when he was persistent, she would be pinned to the desk or the bed for a kiss. Over time, Shen Rujie’s kissing skills had improved by leaps and bounds. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, she would even murmur dazedly, *Just do it.*

*Making him take cold showers all the time—I don't know if I'm torturing A'jie or myself.*

During this time, Shen Gui had invited her out four times, and Xinyi hadn't agreed to any of them, but she hadn't been idle either. Every time the Marquis's servant came, she would have him take back a letter, filled with sentimental and melancholy verses. At first, it was "Hearing of your divided heart, I come to make a final break," and later, "The beauty is not yet old, but the favor has already ceased; leaning against the incense burner, I sit until dawn."

She just kept him dangling, giving him a little hope, letting him ponder and ruminate in the deep, sleepless nights. The more he thought about it, the more he would be unable to forget this "ex-wife," Xinyi. He would believe she still loved him, that her heart was deeply tied to him, and that it was only a woman's pride that prevented her from bowing her head easily.

Finally, on this day, Xinyi felt the time was right. The Marquis's servant came to look for her again, but this time, it wasn't to invite her to the Marquis's mansion. It seemed that after being rejected many times, Shen Gui had learned his lesson. He invited Xinyi to a restaurant for tea.

The System warned her, "Don't go, Host. Shen Gui is going to drug you."

Xinyi sat in front of the mirror, examining her delicate and beautiful face, and chuckled with satisfaction. "Of course I'm going. Why else would I have been fishing for him for so long? I’m not just bored."

It was good that after waiting so long, that idiot Shen Gui was finally making a move. Before leaving the mansion, she specifically instructed A'ying, "When A'jie returns, tell him to wait for me in a private room at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and say I want to eat the new pastries they have."

A'ying nodded obediently. She looked at the woman’s face, which was three parts more beautiful than a lotus, and her outfit, which resembled a small Guanyin—especially the simple white dress, dark hair, and the single cinnabar dot between her brows.

Then, she hesitated and said, "Miss, do you really not need me to accompany you?"

Xinyi pulled her cloak tighter and smiled softly. "No need."