Сhаpter 307: Тhе Firе Моth Party 39
“Ноw did you knоw it was me аnd nоt аnоthеr girl? Аfter all, shе called you ‘Brоthеr Shen’.” Zhu Yаn teаsеd, а fаint, plауful smilе lingеring аt the сorners of hеr еyеs.
Shen Du raised аn eyеbrow, quite рlеаsеd bу hеr hint оf jealоusу. Hе nudgеd hеr dark hаir with his chin аnd sаid with a laugh:
“I gаvе the сoppеr whistle to yоu, nоt hеr. You shоuld know where mу hеаrt was аt thаt timе.”
Zhu Yаn suddеnlу felt it wаs rаther dull аnd askеd, “What haрpеnеd аfter thаt?”
“Аftеr thаt… after that, уou came to thе Ye Ting to lоok for mе.” At this роint, Shen Du’s еxpression gradually darkened. “But I didn’t know you were the girl who had been abducted by traffickers back then.”
“You came to find me whenever you had time. But you must understand, once someone enters the Ye Ting, they become a convict slave. Who would be willing to befriend a criminal?” Shen Du narrowed his eyes, pain seeping into their depths. During those past days, if not for this woman’s companionship and encouragement, he truly would have given up. He was the last of the Shen family, a convict slave with no hope of redemption—what meaning was there in living?
“I was a condemned convict slave. Yet you sought me out and stayed by my side. Even if my heart were made of stone, how could I not develop some feelings? But they were only faint stirrings. Yet even those faint stirrings brought me joy, making life in the Ye Ting feel less bitter.”
Tears fell from Zhu Yan’s eyes. She finally understood why Shen Du had always been so distant toward her.
“For a while, you didn’t come for a long time. I thought you had married.” Shen Du looked down at her, feeling as though he were holding the warm sun of autumn. Sensing the growing chill in the air, he tightened his embrace around Zhu Yan.
“But then you came again. You told me you wanted to rescue me. I knew it was impossible, yet I was still happy to hear it. How wonderful it was to have someone in this vast world who cared for me.”
“But after you left, there was no news, and you never appeared again. I thought it was just a passing whim, something you said in the heat of the moment.”
“You were just an ordinary woman, bound to marry someday. Even when you came to the Ye Ting to find me, you had to crawl through a dog hole, careful not to be discovered. How could someone like you possibly rescue me? So, thinking that way, I didn’t blame you.”
Zhu Yan had long since collapsed into Shen Du’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Shen Du patted her gently, feeling somewhat remorseful and unwilling to dwell on it further. Only then did Zhu Yan cover her face and look up, her words muffled:
“I was learning forensic examination from my master and preparing for the imperial exams. I had no time to look for you. Besides, the guards at the Ye Ting grew stricter, and I kept growing taller—I couldn’t fit through the dog hole anymore.”
Zhu Yan wept like a rain-drenched pear blossom, her eyes red and swollen, her long lashes glistening with crystal tears, her small mouth pursed in grievance.
Shen Du sighed helplessly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
So later, when Zhang Xingwei sought an imperial decree to arrange a marriage between Shen Du and the third daughter of the Zhu family, Shen Du felt murderous intent. Even when the match was switched to Liu Niang, he still didn’t know that the renowned Zhu Liuniang was the person he had been searching for.
“I didn’t even know your name.”
Knowing it would lead nowhere, he had never asked, and that had led to all those misunderstandings.
“So you threw a severed head into my bridal sedan, trying to intimidate me into running away on my own?” Zhu Yan recalled that scene and couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, you’re quite kind. You knew that any woman who married you would likely be manipulated by others. So on the wedding day, you deliberately did that to make the woman and her family withdraw from the marriage voluntarily, avoiding being dragged into trouble and losing their lives.”
Shen Du’s face stiffened. “Yet you didn’t withdraw.”"I'd like to withdraw, but I still want to keep this head on my neck," Zhu Yan placed her hand on her neck, somewhat amused. "What scared me back then wasn't that severed head, but your 'Three Delusions.' I truly felt my life had come to an end."
Shen Du narrowed his eyes and gently stroked Zhu Yan's back: "I recognized you the moment you lifted the bridal veil. You were the woman who came to the Ye Court. But how could you be the sixth daughter of the Zhu family? It's also strange—your third sister eloped at the last moment. Jing Lin couldn't find your information and only told me that the Zhu family's third daughter had two younger sisters at home."
Even if they had investigated, they wouldn't have discovered Zhu Yan had been to the Ye Court, so the outcome would have been the same.
"At that time, I decided to scare you off, because I knew you were merely a pawn in this marriage. Once you were no longer useful, death would be your only fate. I was afraid I couldn't protect you, but you didn't understand my intentions. Even the 'Three Delusions' couldn't frighten you away."
Thinking back, it made sense. At the time, if Zhu Yan had been scared into breaking off the engagement, it could have been explained away. But she wasn't frightened off—she endured the bloody scene and stubbornly became Madam Shen.
"So you're saying it's my fault?"
Shen Du naturally didn't dare blame her, so he changed the subject: "Speaking of which, if it weren't for Xu Zhaorong, I'd probably still be in the Ye Court."
Zhu Yan shook her head: "No, that wouldn't have happened. I would have saved you."
Shen Du laughed: "If I waited for you to save me, would I have to wait until my hair turned white? How could I marry you then?"
Well...
Zhu Yan's cheeks flushed pink as she muttered, "Then we'd just become a white-haired couple."
This woman was truly adorable.
"But I don't want that. I don't want to wait until my hair turns white to be with you. Now, I only regret not finding you sooner, so we could have been together earlier."
When a serious person spoke sweet words, it was especially embarrassing. Zhu Yan pushed him away, but Shen Du caught her hand and kissed it:
"When I saw how well you performed in the case, I suspected your method of saving me was this—clearing my name."
But Zhu Yan had no idea how treacherous the court could be. The Shen family's extermination involved deep complexities—how could a wrongful conviction be overturned so easily?
"Even though I knew overturning the case was as difficult as reaching the heavens, I still wanted to try."
Shen Du tightened his grip on Zhu Yan's hand: "I knew of your determination, which made me want you to withdraw even more. Even if it meant never acknowledging each other for a lifetime, even if you hated me forever, it would be better than watching you get caught in the whirlpool and die young."
Zhu Yan burst out laughing and deliberately said, "You wish! I just want to solve cases, I enjoy solving cases. It's not for you."
"It's all the same!" Shen Du didn't mind at all. What worried him now wasn't this: "But in the end, you still got involved. It was my carelessness. I thought I was strong enough to protect you—I was too greedy."
Zhu Yan cupped his face: "Since you know your greed caused trouble, make up for it properly."
"Alright, how do you want me to make up for it?" Shen Du raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with amusement.
Zhu Yan immediately felt annoyed and glared at him. She took out the copper whistle and examined it carefully, puzzled: "When did you realize I was the girl who was kidnapped by traffickers?"
Shen Du scoffed, not hiding his sarcasm: "So you do know you were foolish enough to get kidnapped."
Zhu Yan felt both embarrassed and indignant, ignoring him.
Not daring to say more, Shen Du obediently answered: "It was when you took out the copper whistle—I recognized it then."
Zhu Yan pieced things together and realized something startling: "You recognized me as the woman from the Ye Court on our wedding day but didn't acknowledge me—fine. Then later, when you saw the copper whistle and realized I was the kidnapped girl, you still didn't acknowledge me."
Zhu Yan felt somewhat frustrated.She rubbed the copper whistle in her palm. Well done, Shen Du.
With that thought, she jabbed the copper whistle hard, venting her frustration.
Shen Du, worried she might hurt her hand, snatched the whistle away and tucked it out of her reach. He then took her hand and held it before his eyes, that pitiful, aggrieved look surfacing once more in his gaze:
"If you don’t have even a little affection for me, what use is there in telling you?"
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