Chapter 106: Misunderstanding
Gao Chang smiled broadly as he spoke to Chen Xuanqing, "...There's a lake just ahead. You can go there to clear your head in the breeze!" He led him onto the stone path.
The Ji family was among the wealthiest in Tongzhou, and the western courtyard was exquisitely maintained. A crescent-shaped lake, weeping willows dipping into the water, and a winding pavilion flanked by lotus flowers—though the weather had grown colder, a few withered lotus pods still stood alone in the lake, lending a unique charm to the scene.
Chen Xuanqing paused on the pavilion, gazing at a locust tree in the distance. It seemed to stretch from the eastern courtyard. After the End of Heat solar term, most of the tree's leaves had fallen, revealing its dark branches. His father often told him that scholarship was not the hardest thing—what was truly difficult was experiencing life. He advised him not to be arrogant about his learning but to remain humble.
At first, he hadn’t understood. These things came easily to him, so there was nothing to be proud of. But now, he was beginning to grasp his father’s meaning.
Just like these withered lotus pods, there was a profound beauty in their desolation, something that the full bloom of summer could never match.
Jinchao and Qingpu were also walking along the lakeside pavilion toward the eastern courtyard. Jinchao was explaining how to make osmanthus cake to Qingpu, "...Heat fish gelatin powder and powdered sugar, mix them well, then add osmanthus flowers and goji berries. If you like, you can also add hawthorn..." She had only gotten halfway when Qingpu, listening intently, suddenly noticed a figure standing on the pavilion. The lake was shrouded in mist, and the person wore a plain blue straight robe, his silhouette tall and slender, his dark hair tied up with a sandalwood hairpin. He looked almost ethereal, as if he might vanish with the wind.
Jinchao immediately recognized him as Chen Xuanqing. Back when she had liked him, she had thought his youthful thinness made him pitiable and had even sent him a large box of tonics—another foolish act, of course. But for a woman lost in love, how could she have known whether it was foolish or not?
There was only one path along the pavilion. If she continued forward, she would inevitably run into Chen Xuanqing. If she turned back, it would only seem more suspicious. Since her heart was clear, why should she care? Jinchao made up her mind and walked straight ahead.
Qingpu, however, grew nervous at the sight of Chen Xuanqing. The Eldest Miss had once been so infatuated with him—she thought it was improper. She wasn’t sure if her mistress still felt that way now... Seeing Jinchao stride forward without hesitation, Qingpu grew anxious and whispered, "Miss... perhaps we should turn back? Running into the Seventh Young Master Chen like this isn’t good..."
Jinchao glanced at Qingpu and immediately understood her thoughts. She smiled faintly. "We’re just passing through. It’s nothing."
Gao Chang, standing beside Chen Xuanqing, had sharp eyes and spotted Gu Jinzhao approaching. He quickly bowed. "Cousin is here too!"
Chen Xuanqing turned at the sound of footsteps and saw Gu Jinzhao. His brow furrowed.
It wasn’t unreasonable for him to be suspicious—when Gu Jinzhao had liked him, was there anything she hadn’t done? She had once followed him from a flower banquet all the way to the Imperial Academy. Fortunately, no one else had seen, or else he would have ruined her reputation and been forced to marry her... Could she be following him now too? Otherwise, why would she be here when she should have been dining in the East Side Room?At this thought, Chen Xuanqing felt a chill in his heart. Marrying Gu Jinzhao... he'd rather be struck down by a sword!
He said softly, "You go ahead first. I need to speak with the young mistress for a moment." This was directed at Gao Chang.
He had to make things clear and sever Gu Jinzhao's feelings for him. Her kind of affection... was something he absolutely couldn't bear!
Gao Chang was momentarily stunned—what did the Seventh Young Master Chen mean by this? But since Qingpu was also present, they wouldn't be completely alone. So he obeyed Chen Xuanqing's words and retreated to a distance to keep watch.
Jinchao looked up at him. "What did you wish to say, Seventh Young Master Chen?"
Chen Xuanqing sighed and spoke coolly, "Young Mistress Gu, the boundaries between men and women are as weighty as mountains. You mustn't act this way in the future. Don't write me letters or send me gifts either. I've been betrothed since childhood—it's impossible for me to return your affections." His words were tactful, sparing Jinchao's dignity.
Raised with strict discipline, he knew a gentleman should be modest and courteous. But Gu Jinzhao had truly pushed him to his limits. Otherwise, he would never be so discourteous to a woman.
Remembering how Gu Jinzhao had once sent him a letter through someone else, even asking if he had read Tales of the Trimmed Lamp , Chen Xuanqing felt even more irritated. Though his scholarship in the Eight-legged essay wasn't the best, he was still the top candidate in the northern metropolitan examination, born into a proper scholarly family. And yet, she had the audacity to taint him with Tales of the Trimmed Lamp , such a vulgar and frivolous novel from the streets!
Letters? Jinchao didn't even remember this matter. Only when Chen Xuanqing mentioned it did she vaguely recall. Thinking back carefully, she couldn't help but smile bitterly.
In the past, she had secretly sent letters to Chen Xuanqing every month, mostly trivial matters from the inner chambers. Back then, she had been too embarrassed to express her admiration openly, always hinting at it subtly.
Jinchao also smiled. "Seventh Young Master Chen, what do you mean by this? What must I not do in the future?" As for writing letters or sending gifts, she had long stopped doing such things. She didn’t know what Seventh Young Master Chen had imagined to speak to her like this.
Chen Xuanqing stiffened—how could she be so obtuse!
His voice turned colder. "Don’t tell me you followed me out... otherwise, you should still be inside. I’ll let bygones be bygones regarding your past actions, but Eldest Miss Gu must also uphold her dignity. If a young lady lacks restraint, no one will ever like her..."
So he had misunderstood and thought she had followed him out!
Jinchao found this both infuriating and amusing. She was considering how to tactfully explain that she no longer had such feelings when Gao Chang's voice rang out again from a distance, unusually loud—clearly a warning. "Third Young Master! Young Master An, greetings!"
Jinchao turned to look. Ji Yun and An Songhuai were walking toward them, chatting and laughing.
When An Songhuai saw Gu Jinzhao glance back, his heartbeat quickened. He coughed and straightened his posture, trying to appear as gentle and refined as possible while speaking to Ji Yun. Earlier, he had persuaded Ji Yun to take a walk, and when they passed the East Side Room, he had peeked through the lattice window but hadn’t seen Gu Jinzhao. Disappointed, he had even lost interest in the stroll Ji Yun had suggested.
...Who would have thought the young mistress of the Gu family would be here!
When Ji Yun saw Gu Jinzhao, he smiled and asked, "Cousin, didn’t you return to the Eastern Dwelling? Why are you still here? And you’ve even run into Seventh Young Master Chen..."Jinchao smiled lightly and said, "I'm in mourning and cannot attend the banquet, so I thought I might as well gather some osmanthus flowers to make osmanthus honey." She unfolded the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, revealing a cluster of pale yellow osmanthus blossoms.
Chen Xuanqing's heart skipped a beat. She said she was in mourning?
Was that why she couldn't attend the banquet?
Only then did Chen Xuanqing notice the small piece of hemp cloth on her chest. Gu Jinzhao was dressed so plainly that the mourning cloth was hardly noticeable. He hadn’t seen it until now. So, Gu Jinzhao had skipped the banquet because she was in mourning and had been picking osmanthus flowers afterward. She hadn’t followed him out at all, yet he had been so presumptuous, telling her not to follow him anymore...
Chen Xuanqing pressed his lips together, feeling the warmth of the alcohol he had just drunk rising to his face again.
An Songhuai grinned and said, "I didn’t expect the young lady of the Gu family to know how to make osmanthus honey. I wonder if I might have the honor of tasting it?"
Hearing An Songhuai's words, Ji Yun jabbed him sharply in the side. What kind of talk was that? Though usually carefree, he had never been so improper before. Truly, infatuation had addled his brains.
Jinchao was momentarily taken aback. What did An Songhuai mean by that? She looked up and saw him smiling broadly. Maintaining her composure, she replied, "...Of course, you may."
An Songhuai was overjoyed. "Then... then I’ll trouble the young lady of the Gu family. Perhaps I could visit the Ji family after you’ve finished making it..."
He gazed at Gu Jinzhao, but she only smiled without responding. An Songhuai froze, his mind suddenly blank. He must have lost his senses—what was he saying? He was already betrothed. Did he mean to ruin the girl’s reputation?
"I was only joking. Please don’t take it to heart," An Songhuai stammered.
Gu Jinzhao smiled. "Of course not. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now." She curtsied and left. She had no desire to linger, unwilling to see Chen Xuanqing again and finding An Songhuai’s excessive enthusiasm rather awkward.
An Songhuai watched Gu Jinzhao’s retreating figure with a sense of loss. Ji Yun said coldly, "Listen here! My cousin is someone my grandmother dotes on dearly. Don’t you dare behave like this again, or my grandmother won’t let you off!" Moreover, he suspected that his grandmother might be considering a match between his cousin and his second brother. Naturally, he had to keep an eye on his future sister-in-law—what if someone else got ideas?
An Songhuai, knowing he was in the wrong, remained silent.
Chen Xuanqing looked at An Songhuai, unsure of what he was feeling. Did he want to say that Gu Jinzhao wasn’t worth liking, or that she liked him instead? But the earlier incident had indeed been his own fault...
Gu Jinzhao hadn’t even glanced at him when she left just now. This time, when she saw him, she hadn’t shown any unusual behavior either... To the point where he was beginning to wonder if she no longer liked him.
After a moment’s thought, Chen Xuanqing asked Ji Yun quietly, "...May I ask what mourning the young lady of the Gu family is observing?"
It was rare for him to inquire about anything, so Ji Yun didn’t hide the truth. "My cousin’s mother passed away two months ago. Since her father is still alive, she observes the lesser mourning period... I think it’s been hard on her. She’s grown much thinner and doesn’t smile as often as before."Her mother had just passed away, which was why she was avoiding the banquet. Yet he had mistaken it for stalking and even humiliated her...
Chen Xuanqing's birth mother, Jiang Shi, had also passed away the year before last, so he deeply understood the pain of losing a mother.
Thinking of this, Chen Xuanqing felt a pang of guilt. No matter how rude Gu Jinzhao had been in the past, he shouldn't have criticized her at such a time—she was grieving after all. And she hadn't been trying to follow him; she was merely picking osmanthus flowers.
P.S.:
Second update, finally kept my promise~~ Feel free to toss a vote my way if you have one~
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