Сhарtеr 155: Unwilling to Mаrrу
Тhе nеxt day.
Еаrly in the mоrning, Zhu Yan reсеivеd nеws thаt hеr third sister, Zhu Cаiwei, had come to thе Shеn residеncе tо visit Наn Shiyuаn.
Тhis wаs оnlу naturаl—after all, thеу werе two peоple in lоve who hаd bееn араrt fоr a long timе, аnd longing wаs bоund tо arisе.
Aftеr еscorting Zhu Саiwei tо Han Shiyuаn’s courtyаrd, Zhu Yаn withdrеw. Bеfore she соuld еven саtсh hеr brеаth, a sеrvаnt cаme tо repоrt that Рrinсеss Yong’аn hаd sеnt gifts tо Han Shiyuаn.
Zhu Yan’s heart sank as shе recallеd Princеss Yong’аn’s рreviоus words. It seemed the princess truly refused to give up.
But after all, she was Princess Yong’an, with her status firmly established, while her third sister was merely the daughter of a low-ranking official.
There was simply no comparison. If they were to take this matter seriously, it was unlikely to bring any benefit.
At this thought, Zhu Yan began to worry about her third sister’s situation.
She waited anxiously at the gate until her third sister was about to leave before deciding to step forward and share her concerns.
“Are you leaving already, Third Sister? Why not stay a little longer?” Zhu Yan said tactfully, trying to appear as normal as possible.
Zhu Caiwei was filled with sorrow. Having been separated from Han Shiyuan for so long, she had visibly lost weight, a clear sign that her days had not been easy.
“As long as the Brocade Workshop case remains unresolved, I worry about his situation every day. Even when I’m with him, my heart is uneasy.”
Seeing the worry on Zhu Caiwei’s face, Zhu Yan pursed her lips. Several times she tried to speak, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her about Princess Yong’an sending gifts to Han Shiyuan.
After a long while, Zhu Yan sighed helplessly. “Third Sister, sometimes many things cannot be forced. There are already so many disappointments in this world—you must learn to let go.”
“Some things are meant to be encountered but not sought, meant to be encountered but not kept, meant to be encountered but not possessed.”
“That’s easy to say, but who can truly do it? Let time take its course. Once this case is resolved, everything will be fine,” Zhu Caiwei said, looking at Zhu Yan as if she hadn’t fully grasped the meaning behind her words. “Little Sister, we’re counting on you and Shen Du for this case.”
“Don’t worry, Third Sister. Even if this case has nothing to do with Han Shiyuan, Shen Du and I will investigate it thoroughly.”
Only then did Zhu Caiwei nod in relief and turn to leave. Watching her retreating figure, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but feel another wave of worry.
She had already hinted tactfully, but she didn’t know if her third sister understood the underlying meaning. Filled with helplessness, Zhu Yan turned to leave.
But as soon as she turned around, she suddenly saw a tall, imposing figure standing behind her and nearly collided with him.
Recognizing the person, Zhu Yan angrily placed her hands on her hips and scolded loudly, “Are you a ghost? Why do you walk without making a sound? When did you get here?”
Shen Du remained completely unfazed by Zhu Yan’s reprimands. Instead, he looked at her with slight disdain and said, “I’ve been here for a while. I truly admire you—with only three months left to live, you can still sympathize with the person who pushed you into a marriage substitution. I wonder what exactly is going on in your head?”
Shen Du’s words were truly infuriating. After hearing them, Zhu Yan’s face turned ashen, and the corners of her lips twitched uncontrollably."Who asked you to meddle so much? Third Sister and Third Brother-in-law are truly in love, a bond witnessed by heaven and earth. Do you think I married you because I liked you? I was forced into it back then. If I had someone I loved, I would have eloped with him and never married you."
Hearing Zhu Yan's words, Shen Du's face darkened completely. He grabbed her wrist and demanded, "Say that again!"
Zhu Yan's heart trembled. Looking at Shen Du's gloomy expression, fear welled up inside her, but since the words were already spoken, being afraid was useless.
"I... I meant that I married you entirely out of helplessness. Don't think too highly of yourself."
Shen Du moved closer, one hand gripping her wrist while the other wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace. He lowered his head and asked, "Is that so? Then I'd like to know who you like. Is he better than me?"
"You! You're just a madman!"
Suddenly being so close to Shen Du, Zhu Yan grew frightened and struggled, but his grip showed no sign of loosening.
In her panic, Zhu Yan bit Shen Du's hand. Only then did he let go in pain, coldly scolding, "Are you a dog? Why do you bite anyone you see?"
"You deserved it. Who told you to provoke me first?" Zhu Yan retorted angrily before turning and running into the mansion.
Watching Zhu Yan's retreating figure, Shen Du lowered his head to look at the bite mark on the back of his hand.
The neat, delicate teeth marks were still faintly red. The pain had already subsided, but instead, a hint of sweetness stirred in his heart.
He shook his head with a light laugh. For some reason, seeing Zhu Yan like this gave him an inexplicable sense of joy.
Throughout the day, Shen Du was in high spirits, a faint smile lingering at the corners of his lips—a rare sight in the eyes of everyone.
The usually cold and icy Great Pavilion Commander was actually smiling, and had been smiling all day. What could have happened?
No one knew. As Zhu Yan would describe it, it was utterly baffling.
As evening fell, Jing Lin presented an invitation to Shen Du. Seeing its contents, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
Princess Yong'an was hosting a family banquet at her mansion and had invited him. Well, since he couldn't refuse, he might as well bring Zhu Yan along.
When he arrived at the room, Zhu Yan was still sulking. She pouted as she read through the case files in her hands. Though she knew Shen Du had arrived, she paid him no attention.
Shen Du pretended to be aloof as he approached and sat beside her, speaking softly, "It's already this late, and you're still sorting through case files. Aren't you hungry?"
Shen Du was actually concerned about whether she was hungry? Zhu Yan was puzzled, frowning as she looked at him as if he were a stranger. "What are you scheming?"
Shen Du stiffened. What could he possibly be scheming?
"What, are you afraid I'll have the cook poison your food?"
"Poisoning is unlikely." Zhu Yan looked up, sitting straight as she said, "Who knows if you'll retaliate because I bit you? I still remember the agony of that stomachache last time."
"That was your own fault." Shen Du replied matter-of-factly, standing up and looking at Zhu Yan. "Princess Yong'an sent an invitation. She's hosting a family banquet at Prince Ying's mansion and invited me. If you're hungry, come with me."
Zhu Yan lowered her gaze in thought. She had no intention of going at first, but then she suddenly recalled the scene at Ming Sheng Temple when she saw Princess Yong'an conversing with the Grand Princess.Moreover, all clues now point to Princess Yong'an. If she follows Shen Du to seize this opportunity, there might be some unexpected discoveries.
"Alright. I'm hungry anyway, so I'll go with you." Zhu Yan spoke with a tone of resignation. Shen Du curled the corner of his mouth, silently acknowledging Zhu Yan's little act.
Without a word, he lifted the corner of his lips and led Zhu Yan away from the Shen residence.
OpenNovel