Chapter 295: Interception
After returning to Osmanthus Hall, Jinchao only drank a bowl of soup, unable to stomach anything else.
Holding a candlestick, she leaned against the heated bed table and read a copy of Commentary on the Water Classic . Caifu brought over a plate of freshly steamed red date and pine nut cakes.
As expected, Third Master Chen did not return. Gu Jinzhao waited until she was utterly exhausted and fell asleep against the pillow.
When she woke, she found a cloak draped over her back. Thinking Third Master Chen had returned, she looked around eagerly. However, Yuzhu quickly entered and said, "...Madam, it's too cold to sleep here. You should rest in bed. If Third Master returns, this servant will wake you."
Gu Jinzhao was disappointed.
The candle in the holder had nearly burned out, and the silence outside made the night feel even more desolate.
After a moment of silence, Gu Jinzhao finally went to bed.
No one slept well that night.
Yu Wanxue removed her hairpin to trim the wick, the hand warmer in her arms already cold. When she saw Chen Xuanqing return, she hurried over with a smile to help him remove his cloak, saying softly, "You're back so late. The food I kept for you must have gone cold..."
She noticed something was off about Chen Xuanqing's expression. His hair was damp from melted snow, the edges of his cloak crusted with ice, and his handsome face was pale from the cold.
Unable to hold back, Yu Wanxue asked, "You... where have you been? Weren't you supposed to be teaching the Fourth Young Lady the qin?"
Chen Xuanqing gently pushed her away and removed the cloak himself.
His father had told him to leave, but he hadn't gone far. He saw his father emerge with a cold expression and leave by carriage. He didn't know where his father had gone or what had happened between him and Gu Jinzhao. He hadn't stepped foot into Osmanthus Hall—Gu Jinzhao probably least wanted to see him right now.
"Did you go to Mother and ask her to persuade me?" Chen Xuanqing asked her.
Yu Wanxue hesitated before nodding. Could it be... Chen Xuanqing was displeased that she had spoken to someone else? She smiled and explained, "This concubine noticed you've been unhappy lately and thought you might have something on your mind... but didn't wish to share it with me."
After a long pause, Chen Xuanqing finally gave a faint smile. "I do have something on my mind."
Yu Wanxue sighed in relief. "After the New Year, you'll be leaving for your post. If you speak your mind, this concubine won't have to worry about you..."
Originally, he wouldn't have been leaving for his post so soon.
It would have been better to complete three years as a Compiler in the Imperial Academy before being transferred to a magistrate position. But his father had informed him early that he would be reassigned after the New Year... In truth, his father had been guarding against him for a long time. Chen Xuanqing suddenly seemed lost in thought...
Meanwhile, Yu Wanxue gazed up at Chen Xuanqing.
She still believed he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Even in disarray, his noble bearing remained unmistakable.
What she truly hoped was that Chen Xuanqing would leave her with a child before his departure. Just like her elder sister-in-law, who could raise her child even while her husband was away. She longed for a child of Chen Xuanqing's.
With a smile, Yu Wanxue said, "Today, Second Sister-in-law brought Zheng Ge'er to ask for a red envelope. This concubine casually gave him two silver bullions, but he refused—he insisted they be wrapped in red paper... Zheng Ge'er takes after Second Sister-in-law, fair and delicate, throwing tantrums in the most adorable way." She chattered on about the amusing incidents at Madam Chen's place, while Chen Xuanqing listened in silence.Yu Wanxue should have been the type of girl he liked best—gentle, moving, and strictly adhering to propriety. He felt that if not for Gu Jinzhao, he would have surely liked Yu Wanxue. He had always been indifferent by nature, but Gu Jinzhao was too dazzling, too vivid. Though she did things that annoyed him, she left a deep mark in his heart. Now that Gu Jinzhao had become what she was, the contrast between past and present made him... unable to let go.
Chen Xuanqing suddenly interrupted Yu Wanxue: "...It's too late. Let's sleep first."
Yu Wanxue was taken aback but secretly pleased. She called for a maid to bring hot water for washing up, and the two lay down on the wormwood bed.
The maid's movements gradually quieted, but Yu Wanxue could still sense Chen Xuanqing's steady breathing. She knew he wasn't asleep.
She turned her head, seeing only his profile in the darkness. He seemed even more silent and preoccupied than usual.
Yu Wanxue heard her own voice: "Xuanqing, did Mother say something to you?"
It was the first time she had called him 'Xuanqing.' She had always wanted to address him this way, but when she finally did, she startled herself.
Chen Xuanqing turned his head but couldn't see anything clearly either.
He didn’t seem angry... Yu Wanxue smiled softly: "Your name is so lovely. Did your father choose it?"
After a long silence, she finally heard Chen Xuanqing reply: "...No." Then he fell quiet again.
Even Yu Wanxue, simple as she was, understood he didn’t want to talk. She whispered, "Then rest well. Tomorrow, I’ll go early to pay respects to Mother and clarify things." She thought Chen Xuanqing was upset because of her words. "Mother is reasonable. She won’t say anything."
To her surprise, Chen Xuanqing suddenly growled in a low voice, "Shut up!"
Before she could react, he flipped over and pinned her down, gripping her chin coldly. "From now on, you are not to speak a word about me to her. Understood?" She had no idea what trouble he had caused, but who could she blame?
Yu Wanxue was frightened—she had never seen Chen Xuanqing lose his composure like this! She looked at him with hurt and innocence, murmuring, "...Alright, I won’t say anything." Unable to help herself, she added softly, "You could have just told me properly... I would have understood..."
She felt his grip loosen as he quickly lay back down.
He said nothing more, but Yu Wanxue heard his suppressed breaths. She reached out to touch his face, but Chen Xuanqing turned away. Still, her fingers brushed against something cold and wet on his cheek.
This time, Yu Wanxue truly didn’t dare speak again.
Chen Xuanqing... was crying?
Caifu brought in a teacup filled with water and several wintersweet buds, some already blooming. She poured the water into a bronze basin, filling the room with floral fragrance. Yet Gu Jinzhao stared blankly at the rising steam. She quickly washed her hands, dried them, and asked the old maidservant from the outer courtyard who had come to report: "Third Master went out last night and hasn’t returned yet?"
The maidservant confirmed: "...Third Master left by carriage at the end of the Hour of the Rooster, accompanied by Chen the guard and Hu Jin."
"When Third Master returns, inform me immediately." Gu Jinzhao rewarded the maidservant with a box of dragon beard candy and dismissed her.After paying respects to Madam Chen and returning, Yu Wanxue was already waiting for her. Yuzhu brought over Jinchao's sewing basket, which contained an unfinished baby swaddle. Gu Jinzhao noticed the embroidered pattern of cranes and deer celebrating spring, recalling how the pine tree in the design had been sketched by Third Master Chen... At the time, she had complained that his drawing was unattractive, saying there weren't enough pine needles. Third Master Chen had merely laughed and explained it was a Mongolian pine, capable of withstanding extreme cold.
Yu Wanxue, troubled by Chen Xuanqing's unusual behavior the previous night, wanted to ask Gu Jinzhao what exactly had happened to him.
But seeing Gu Jinzhao begin embroidering the swaddle, she found it difficult to broach the subject. By noon, when Jinchao invited her to stay for lunch, she still hadn't found the right moment to ask. Perhaps it was better not to bring it up at all. In the end, she returned home after a hearty meal.
In the afternoon, Chen Xuanyue came to play for a while. Gu Jinzhao forced herself to keep him company. Surprisingly, the child was well-behaved and didn't pester her. He proudly showed her a fluffy, pale-yellow chick, eagerly awaiting her praise: "I hatched it myself!"
Mama Song explained with a smile, "I asked the kitchen steward to fetch it. The Ninth Young Master even made a bamboo crate last night to keep it in."
Gu Jinzhao watched as he played with the chick, but she couldn't muster the energy to engage with him.
Later, when she visited Madam Chen again, the old lady noticed something was amiss. Taking her hand, Madam Chen asked, "Jinchao, why do you look so pale with dark circles under your eyes? Did you not sleep well last night?"
Madam Qin said softly, "I heard Third Master didn't return home last night. Perhaps Third Sister-in-law waited up too long for him."
Madam Chen frowned deeply. "Lao San didn't come back last night? Why didn't anyone inform me?" Normally, when Third Master Chen was occupied with official duties, he would send word. But it wasn't yet time for the Grand Secretariat sessions—where could he have gone? Moreover, since Gu Jinzhao had married into the Chen family, Third Master Chen had never stayed out all night before.
Not wanting to leave room for gossip, Gu Jinzhao smiled faintly and said, "I was up late last night working on the baby swaddle. Third Master did return yesterday afternoon. He mentioned having urgent business, but I forgot to tell you."
Wang Shi also chimed in, "Mother! Don't you trust Third Master? He's not like Sixth Master, who's so unreliable."
Madam Chen sighed. "A mother knows her son best. I can tell he's been preoccupied lately." She patted Gu Jinzhao's hand. "Lao San is stubborn—once he sets his mind on something, it's hard to change. He's also reserved and keeps his thoughts to himself. But you're understanding. If he clams up, try to draw him out!"
The other daughters-in-law laughed, but Gu Jinzhao only managed a faint smile.
Madam Chen's words startled her. At his core, Third Master Chen truly was like that—unyielding in his convictions and reticent about his thoughts... If he had decided she was at fault, would he really never change his mind?
A wave of panic washed over her.
What if he never returned? She had to clarify things with him!
Upon returning, Jinchao didn't wait for the maids from the outer courtyard to report. Instead, she changed into a satin-lined jacket and went to the outer study with two maids to wait for him.
Shuyan invited her to sit inside, but Gu Jinzhao declined. If Third Master Chen didn't want to see her, he might avoid her if he knew she was inside. Shuyan then brought out a stool. "Madam, please sit here. I'll fetch a brazier for you."Gu Jinzhao shook her head: "No need! You can go in."
Shuyan said helplessly, "Madam, this makes things difficult for me! You're with child—if you stand outside too long and catch a chill, I’d be at great fault. Otherwise, the third master has a gray squirrel fur cloak. Shall I fetch it for you?"
Caifu stepped forward and urged Shuyan to go inside. Gu Jinzhao glanced at the sky. It had snowed the night before, but now it was clear—it likely wouldn’t snow again. She only needed to wait and intercept him to make things clear.
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