When Chen Xi was fifteen, the Marquis of Dingyang's family sent a matchmaker to propose marriage on behalf of their heir.
Madam Chen was delighted and invited the matchmaker to speak in the side chamber. Gu Jinzhao also thought it was a good match. After discussing it with Third Master Chen, she came to talk with Chen Xi. "...Tomorrow, your father will invite the heir to visit under the pretense of conversation. You can hide behind the curtains and take a look at him. How does that sound?"
Chen Xi felt a bit embarrassed: "Wouldn't that be too..."
Gu Jinzhao smiled reassuringly: "What's the harm in that? I remember when my younger sister was getting engaged, all us sisters hid behind the curtains to see what the young man looked like. You must get a good look—if you don't like him, we can still discuss it."
Chen Xi knew her mother meant well.
Her birth mother had passed away when she was five, and her memories of her were faint. Gu Jinzhao had raised her, and though nominally her stepmother, she was more like an elder sister. She had taught Chen Xi everything—what clothes to wear, what jewelry to pair.
"Then I'll take a look tomorrow," Chen Xi said.
Her maidservant was also pleased and wanted to dress her up that evening. Chen Xi shook her head. "Nanny, even if I go to see him, he won't see me!"
"You're still young, what do you know?" The nanny chuckled, holding up a gold-woven floral jacket. "This was made for you by Madam this year. The pattern is lovely, and with your fair skin and tall frame, you'd look good in anything."
But Chen Xi stared blankly at the mirror.
"Nanny, everyone says I look like my mother. Do I really?"
Slender, bright phoenix eyes, a delicate chin, and pale lips. Though not unattractive, she lacked the soft charm of Chen Zhao.
The nanny replied, "Very much so. Though your late mother resembled your maternal grandmother more. You take after Third Master more."
Chen Xi fell silent again, lost in thought as she gazed at her reflection.
The nanny took out a green tassel jeweled knot inlaid with yellow tourmaline from the jewelry box. "I've heard the heir of the Marquis of Dingyang is exceptionally talented and handsome. He's secured a position at the Five Cities Garrison Command—not your typical idle noble heir... Our Fourth Young Miss is elegant and refined. Bright colors will suit you best." She fastened the jeweled knot, and indeed, it complemented Chen Xi beautifully.
"How good can he be..." Chen Xi murmured. "Can he compare to Seventh Brother or Ninth Brother?"
The nanny didn't understand, but Chen Xi smiled and said no more.
A young Third Scholar—only her father could rival Seventh Brother.
She had adored Seventh Brother since childhood. He was gentle, wise, and incorruptible in office. She had always been proud of him, and he treated her well—after all, they were full siblings.
But Ninth Brother... Chen Xi wasn't sure how to describe him.
She found him utterly inscrutable, too complex.
"Speaking of which, Ninth Young Master will be returning soon," the nanny said cheerfully. "You used to play with him all the time when you were little. Back then, his illness hadn't yet healed, and you'd even share your toys with him... Though now that he's returning from Shaanxi, his status will be quite different."
Chen Xi couldn't quite recall those childhood days.
Only fragments remained—sitting on her mother's Arhat bed, the two of them huddled close eating chestnuts while her mother watched them fondly.Chen Xi wanted to take the largest piece to eat, but Chen Xuanyue patted her hand and said, "You've already eaten so much. What if you get indigestion?"
Then he added, "Not very ladylike."
By then, Chen Xi was probably old enough to understand some things. Being told she ate too much made her face flush with embarrassment. She defended herself, "It's because Mother's pastries are delicious."
Chen Xuanyue seemed unwilling to argue with her and casually replied, "Fine, fine, eat as much as you want. Pretend I never said anything."
Chen Xi still remembered her mother scolding him about something, though she couldn’t recall the exact words. The next day, Chen Xuanyue gave her a little trinket as an apology.
As a child, she had really enjoyed playing with Chen Xuanyue, even though he didn’t pay much attention to her. She just liked sticking to him.
Once, while he was reading some books her mother had given him, she went over to ask him to play.
Chen Xuanyue said to the nanny taking care of him, "Take the Fourth Young Miss to play in the courtyard outside." Perhaps feeling that brushing her off like this wasn’t quite right, he added, "The wintersweet flowers outside are blooming. Ask the nanny to pick some for you, and you can put them in the Prunus vase in your study."
She listened carefully and picked many half-bloomed wintersweet branches—a large bundle with a delicate fragrance.
The next day, when her mother saw them, she smiled and said, "We don’t have wintersweet planted in our courtyard. Where did you cut these from? They smell so lovely."
She remembered quickly answering, "Ninth Brother gave them to me!"
Her mother then teased Chen Xuanyue, "Why didn’t you cut a bunch for me too?"
Chen Xuanyue was always especially patient with their mother. He smiled and said, "It wasn’t me who gave them to her—she picked them herself!" Despite saying this, the next day he sent a bunch of wintersweet to their mother.
She remembered feeling inexplicably upset when she saw that, though she didn’t know why.
For several days, she ignored him.
Chen Xuanyue noticed on his own and the next day brought her a basket of her favorite pyramid-shaped candies. Seeing she was still sulking and silent, he said, "Why are you acting like a child, throwing tantrums over nothing?"
Chen Xi thought to herself that she was a child, so why was he scolding her like an adult?
But she wasn’t angry with him anymore.
Yet it wasn’t just that—he wasn’t like this with their mother. She remembered when banditry became frequent in the southwest, Chen Xuanyue seriously analyzed the situation with their mother: "Although the northwest and southwest have been unstable these years, the northwest is home to horse-riding tribes—they’re naturally fierce and skilled in battle, which is why they’ve never been fully eradicated. But the southwest is just plagued by natural disasters and poverty. The bandits there are nothing but a disorganized rabble—once the court cracks down, they’ll have no way out."
Their mother countered, "But the southwest has its share of extraordinary fighters. Look at how many people from there serve under Marquis Changxing—they can’t all be rabble, can they?"
Chen Xuanyue shook his head. "The men under Marquis Changxing are exceptional talents, not refugees."
Chen Xi had always thought of Ninth Brother as just someone in her life—an older brother who was a little impatient with her.
But it seemed there was much about him she didn’t understand, as if he were wrapped in layers of mystery.
He seemed to know many things she didn’t. Their worlds didn’t overlap—they were truly far apart.
His impatience with her was only natural. Who would value someone who understood nothing?
Later, he went to Shaanxi… and they didn’t see each other for several years.I heard he would arrive tomorrow as well.
Chen Xi picked up the gold-woven garment and thought it looked too extravagant. "Nanny, please bring me that plain pink satin jacket instead."
The nanny hesitated. "Wouldn't that be too plain…"
"Plain is fine," Chen Xi smiled. "I'm still young and can't carry off gold-woven fabrics."
The next day, her father indeed invited the Heir of the Marquis of Dingyang for a conversation.
Chen Xi secretly hid behind a screen to observe.
Everyone probably knew what this so-called "conversation" really was—a chance for the young lady to be inspected. The heir appeared somewhat awkward.
In recent years, her father's influence at court had been unparalleled, and the emperor held him in high regard, granting him an exceptional status. The Marquis of Dingyang's family wasn't the most distinguished among the noble houses, but it was barely on par with the status of Third Master Chen's eldest legitimate daughter.
This marriage was also crucial for the Marquis of Dingyang's family.
Chen Xi watched for a long time but felt disappointed.
He was handsome enough, but when her father tested his knowledge, he couldn't answer the more difficult questions. Or perhaps he could have, but facing such an uncommon and powerful minister, he was too nervous. When he failed to answer, he grew even more flustered, his face turning red. Her father merely smiled and comforted him, even inviting him to stay for lunch.
Later, when her mother asked her father how the inspection had gone, he replied, "Still young, but he can be refined. His family background and temperament are both good."
Meaning he was considering it…
Chen Xi found her meal even harder to swallow after hearing this.
Gu Jinzhao asked for her opinion, but Chen Xi only said, "There's nothing particularly special about him."
Gu Jinzhao smiled knowingly. "The men around you—your father, your seventh brother, your ninth brother—are all too outstanding. It makes choosing a husband difficult for you. Don't worry, I'll find someone you like. If you disagree, I won't let you marry him."
But Chen Xi thought that whether she agreed or not wasn't up to her mother. If her father gave the order, she would have to marry.
In the afternoon, Chen Xuanyue returned. He had distinguished himself in battle in Shaanxi and was awaiting an audience with the emperor in the Northern Metropolitan Region for an official appointment. This time, he came back with a changed status, and several of his brothers went to greet him.
Chen Xi sat in the side chamber, chatting with Gu Jinzhao. Outside Osmanthus Hall, the atmosphere gradually grew lively.
Chen Xuanyue entered, surrounded by people.
Chen Xi couldn't help but stand up, finally catching sight of him as he stepped inside. He looked very different from a few years ago—darker, more handsome, and sturdier, exuding a mature and steady presence. Chen Xuanan and the others standing beside him seemed like nothing more than frail young scholars in comparison.
The aura of someone who had been on the battlefield was indeed extraordinary.
Amid the crowd, he stood with a cheerful smile.
He knelt and kowtowed to his father and mother.
That evening, at Sandalwood Mountain Courtyard, their grandmother held a banquet to welcome him home. After dinner, Chen Xi, finding the room too noisy and stuffy, stepped out for a walk along the lotus pond. As she reached the pond's edge, she noticed fish surfacing in the water and thought to herself, "No wonder it's so muggy—it might rain soon."
She watched intently for a while until someone called her name. Turning around, she was surprised to see Chen Xuanyue.
He smiled and said, "Haven't seen you in years—you've grown into a young lady now. That outfit suits you well."
Chen Xi saw him standing not far from her and, hearing his sudden compliment, felt as though she had received some incredible reward. Her heart immediately began to pound, and her face grew warm.
She didn't understand why.Chen Xuanyue walked up to her. "Mother told me you're going to marry the Heir of the Marquis of Dingyang?"
Chen Xi caught a faint scent from him. She seemed to only reach his shoulder height, making her feel even more awkward. She stammered, "It's... it's not settled yet."
"You're already this old, and you're still shy?" he asked with a smile.
It was a kind remark.
Chen Xi found herself even more speechless. She grabbed her maid's hand and was about to leave.
She didn't know why she had to avoid him, but she knew she must. Yet even after running far away, her heartbeat refused to slow down.
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