One and Only

Chapter 14: Who Bewitches Whom (2)

Zhou Shengchen, however, didn’t seem to mind at all. He simply moved her aside and instead took her hand, saying, “No need to walk too fast. They’ll wait for us.” Since they were walking uphill, he naturally held her hand a little tighter to guide her.

At first, her heart raced nervously, but after twenty minutes of climbing the mountain path, she was already slightly out of breath.

By the time they reached the entrance of the old estate, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.

“Tired?” He let go of her hand.

Shi Yi smiled faintly.

It was still a grand estate, but it seemed slightly warmer than the previous one they had visited. She remembered that place—the endless drizzle, the damp old-fashioned floor tiles, the pavilions and towers shrouded in rain, even her mother’s tone had been gloomy.

But here, sunlight overflowed.

The courtyard was deep, with an unfathomable number of sections, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. As they walked, sunlight often streamed through the stone and brick carvings, casting strange shapes on the ground. Walking side by side, she couldn’t help but whisper, “I like it here.”

It felt like such a place could halt the passage of time.

He smiled without responding.

In the end, they were still late.

Zhou Wenxing gave her a faint, knowing smile, as if her scheme had succeeded. The only downside was that the two of them had walked until their legs and feet ached.

She saw his mother again, as well as the uncle he had mentioned before—the one temporarily managing the Zhou family’s affairs on his behalf. There were many other elders, but he didn’t introduce them to her one by one. In the end, what unsettled her the most was that she only exchanged brief greetings with these people before they were seated at separate tables.

Only she and Zhou Shengchen sat at a table by themselves.

Zhou Shengchen, perhaps considering the presence of over a dozen tables of strangers, deliberately instructed someone to bring a screen to partially enclose their seating area. Aside from Uncle Lin, there were two other men who appeared to be stewards standing by to attend to them—no one else.

He noticed her discomfort.

Casually handing his suit jacket to Uncle Lin, he took a warm, damp towel and wiped his hands while explaining, “Actually, the main purpose of today is for you to sample the dishes. The elders are just taking this rare opportunity to gather and catch up. Keeping them separate allows them to eat in peace.” Shi Yi nodded and glanced at the three men standing nearby.

Understanding, he dismissed all three to go eat, leaving only him and her.

The dishes served one after another were all quite fresh.

Snowy Night Peach Blossoms, Lotus Seed Pod Fish Maw, Camel Hump Soup, Eight Trigrams Yam—she found them all quite delicious. What she enjoyed even more was that Zhou Shengchen was familiar with each dish. With no one else around, he personally introduced them to her: “The fish maw needs to be fried and soaked for twelve hours until soft. Then, it’s expanded at 180 degrees Celsius before being soaked again at a low temperature. After that, it’s seasoned with premium broth and simmered for one minute…” He explained in great detail.

Shi Yi suddenly laughed. “Can you make this dish?”

“Not at all. My cooking skills are terrible,” he admitted with a smile. “Actually, I wouldn’t even call it ‘cooking skills.’”

“Then how do you know so much about it?”

“When selecting dishes before, the chefs would explain them in detail. After hearing it, I just remembered.”

“Oh,” she said, holding her chopsticks and turning to look out the window, stifling a laugh.

If she didn’t know him well, she might have thought he was showing off his ability to remember everything after hearing it once.

People with high intelligence who didn’t bother to hide it were truly a little infuriating.

Her gaze drifted back.

Zhou Shengchen was looking at her.

Beyond the screen, it was so quiet it seemed as if no one was there.The two of them inexplicably locked eyes for a moment before he suddenly gave a light cough. "So, what do you think of these dishes?"

Shi Yi hummed in agreement.

The dishes couldn't have been more exquisite—utterly flawless. Most importantly, he had just mentioned that he had personally selected them. That reason alone was more than enough. She had no additional comments whatsoever.

They were staying in a private courtyard, with their rooms right next to each other.

Perhaps due to his request, the interior was furnished with all the comforts of modern amenities. Apart from the ancient charm of the surroundings outside the walls, it felt like she had checked into a private hotel. Shortly after she entered her room and finished showering, the room phone unexpectedly rang.

Despite being just a wall apart, he still went through the trouble of calling to say goodnight.

Shi Yi suppressed a smile and remarked, "What a coincidence. If you had called ten minutes earlier, I would still have been in the shower."

Before he could respond, a faint commotion arose outside the window.

It was distant, and she couldn’t make out the details.

He seemed to have heard it too but politely explained, "I need to hang up for now."

"Alright."

The call ended abruptly.

Soon after, hurried footsteps ascended the stairs.

The wooden steps and floorboards couldn’t muffle the sound of rapid movement. Then came the sound of the neighboring room’s door opening. Shi Yi hesitated for a few seconds, her hand on the doorknob, before finally opening her door. She saw Uncle Lin already descending the stairs, while Zhou Shengchen’s back was just at the stairwell. Hearing her emerge, he turned slightly. "There’s a minor issue. You should rest first."

His expression seemed slightly different.

Shi Yi had barely nodded when he hurried away.

In such an unfamiliar environment, she found it hard to fall asleep immediately.

Especially with the inexplicable late-night clamor, her unease only grew. Fortunately, Zhou Shengchen soon returned to the courtyard. Hearing his voice drift up from below, she quietly moved to the window and looked down.

Under the moonlight, he stood facing five or six men dressed in black, one of whom was the steward who had appeared during the tasting earlier. Their voices were too low for her to catch the specifics, but she saw him wave them off, and the group dispersed.

The courtyard was left with only him.

Two young women responsible for daily meals and housekeeping, who lived on the first floor, asked about the timing of breakfast the next morning. He simply said "as usual," murmured something else, then headed upstairs. Shi Yi stepped away from the window just as a knock sounded at her door.

Opening it, she found Zhou Shengchen leaning against the doorframe, his left elbow propped casually. He smiled. "I’m back. Just wanted to let you know." She leaned against the door in turn. "Was it something serious?"

He paused briefly. "One of my pregnant sisters-in-law, whom you met last time, accidentally fell. She might go into premature labor."

Her heart skipped a beat, not expecting such news, and she pressed for more details.

It was strange, though—why would a man like him be handling such a matter? It didn’t quite add up.

But since he hadn’t shared the full story, she didn’t pry further. After all, she wasn’t even his fiancée yet, and even if she were, truly becoming part of this family would likely take a long time.

As they spoke, the young maid Liansui came upstairs carrying a cup of tea. After offering a slight bow to both of them, she placed the tea in Shi Yi’s room. Once Liansui had left, Zhou Shengchen explained, "This is water steeped with lotus seed hearts. Drinking a little can help you sleep, but don’t have too much. If you wake up thirsty at night, it can also soothe your throat."No wonder there was a faint fragrance of lotus seeds.

Shi Yi's heart softened, and she nodded again. Just as she was about to look up to bid him goodnight, he suddenly lowered his head. The distance was so close that she could even feel the tip of his nose brushing against hers, gently grazing but not pressing further.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Goodnight kiss, may I?" He tilted his head slightly.

Shi Yi whispered a soft "yes."

The two were so close they could feel each other's breath.

What if she hadn’t agreed? What would he have done?

Her mind in a daze, she closed her eyes and felt something soft touch her lips.

"Are you okay?" He lightly touched her face with his fingers.

It was burning hot.

His fingers slid down to her lips, already slightly swollen.

Shi Yi gently avoided his touch and let out an almost inaudible "mm."

Now she finally understood the difference. Zhou Shengchen must have studied very seriously how to kiss. Faced with such a research-minded man, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Perhaps because of the mountain's tranquility, she woke up the next day more than half an hour later than usual.

Zhou Shengchen wasn’t there. She ate breakfast alone in the small hall, leisurely. Both Liansui and Lianrong treated her with great respect, even a bit cautiously. She couldn’t help but smile. "Have you two eaten breakfast yet? If not, go ahead. No need to keep me company."

"We’ve eaten," said Liansui, the younger of the two, grinning mischievously. "Miss Shi Yi probably doesn’t know, but since the young master prepared for the engagement, breakfast here has been served at five in the morning. So, aside from you, everyone else in the household has already eaten." She lowered her head with a smile and continued eating her purple glutinous rice and lotus seed porridge.

He hadn’t mentioned this breakfast rule to her, simply letting her wake naturally and enjoy a quiet meal. Shi Yi held her spoon, taking a sip. The purple glutinous rice was just right, the lotus seeds sweet.

But none of it compared to the intoxicating thoughtfulness he had shown.

Originally, the morning’s plan was for him to accompany her to the temple for prayers.

She waited patiently until half past ten, but Zhou Shengchen still hadn’t appeared. She took out the book she had brought for entertainment and flipped through it to pass the time. The clock’s hands moved slowly. Just as she was engrossed in reading, the pendulum’s chime suddenly rang out—a deep, rhythmic sound that continued until the eleventh strike before silence returned.

Eleven already?

She looked out the window, but Zhou Shengchen still hadn’t returned. Down in the courtyard, Liansui seemed to be waiting anxiously for the young master, pacing back and forth. Suddenly, a figure slipped in—it was the older Lianrong.

The floor wasn’t high, and the girls’ voices soon carried upstairs.

Lianrong sighed. "It’s getting more complicated. The child is gone."

Liansui gasped. "Gone?"

"Yes. They say it’s because her birth date was inauspicious—she brought bad luck."

"What bad luck? Last night, that woman with the Tang surname, relying on her pregnancy, provoked her first. Why bring up such a thing in front of everyone? Mentioning her broken engagement? If it hadn’t been called off, maybe our little young master would already be born by now. Who would dare mock her like—" The voices abruptly stopped.

Clearly, one of them remembered Shi Yi was upstairs, and the conversation quickly ended.Shi Yi briefly pondered these words, shocked by the death of the child after the premature birth. She still remembered Tang Xiaofu, who had suddenly barged in while they were eating by Jinshan Temple.

The identity of the "she" who had supposedly brought misfortune upon Tang Xiaofu in this topic was something Shi Yi couldn't guess.

But it was clear that the person who had once been engaged to that "she" was Zhou Shengchen.

Her first thought was of the fiancée she'd heard about in Xi'an. But she quickly dismissed this possibility. According to Lian Sui's words, if that "she" hadn't broken off the engagement with Zhou Shengchen, she would have already had the chance to bear a child. Time-wise, this must have been something from the more distant past.

So, was there someone else?

What stories had he lived through in his twenty-eight years? She knew nothing about them.

The refined, unflappable Zhou Shengchen she saw now, who seemed indifferent to romantic affairs—what kind of past did he really have? It was like a puzzle; the more she learned, the less she understood.

Shi Yi, you must be patient and take your time to understand him.

In the afternoon, Zhou Shengchen returned belatedly. Today he wore a dark blue shirt and black trousers, his entire outfit in muted tones, with only the cufflinks emitting a faint silver-gray gleam. He quietly sat down beside her, loosened his cufflinks, and let out a soft sigh.

"Are we picking up my parents this afternoon?" She poured him a glass of water.

"There might be some changes," he seemed to be considering his words carefully. "Something has happened at home—to be precise, there's been a funeral. It's not appropriate to hold a wedding celebration so soon."

Shi Yi suddenly understood.

This reasoning made sense, so she nodded without pressing further.

Seeing her lack of surprise, Zhou Shengchen guessed something: "Did you hear it from Lian Sui and the others?"

She stuck out her tongue slightly and whispered, "I overheard it. Please don't blame them."

A faint smile flickered in his eyes. "This estate has 68 courtyards and 1,118 rooms. There are many people here, and it's quite chaotic. So—" He paused, and Shi Yi looked at him curiously. "So?"

"So, gossip is inevitable—some true, some false. Just let it pass; don't think too much about it."

She laughed. "Got it. That's how big families are always portrayed in TV dramas."

Though she understood the abrupt cancellation of the engagement, she still had to explain it to her parents.

The two of them roughly discussed how to phrase it.

Zhou Shengchen called her parents and sincerely apologized, briefly explaining the situation. Fortunately, it was only an engagement. Her mother also felt that holding a celebration while the other family was mourning was inappropriate and somewhat inauspicious, so she quickly accepted it and canceled their travel plans.

However, her mother couldn't help but voice some dissatisfaction. From start to finish, Zhou Shengchen's mother hadn't offered any polite explanation, showing no sign of courtesy befitting future in-laws. Shi Yi laughed it off vaguely, explaining that his mother was too grief-stricken by the sudden funeral to attend to formalities on their side.

"Shi Yi," her mother's voice carried a hint of heartache, "I don’t need you to marry into some grand family. If you feel uncomfortable in such a household, it’s not too late to reconsider. Honestly, you young people treat marriage and divorce like child’s play—let alone an engagement. You still have plenty of time to think it through. Though I quite like that young man, I don’t want you to always feel inferior to others."

"Got it, got it," she joked with a laugh. "I'll slowly establish my status—women's rights above all."Her mother was amused and reminded her not to neglect courtesy, advising her to visit the prematurely born relative.

The reminder made her recall that she should indeed visit Tang Xiaofu, as she had at least met this sister-in-law once. However, when she asked Zhou Shengchen, he explained that the person had already left Zhenjiang, leaving Shi Yi with no choice but to drop the matter.

Zhou Shengchen had unexpectedly altered his plans, preparing to send her back to Shanghai the next day.

That afternoon, he left to handle the remaining affairs. Shortly after his departure, Zhou Wenxing suddenly arrived, saying she had been instructed by her brother to accompany Shi Yi for a stroll. Shi Yi, already intrigued by the vast and intricate old-style architecture, was naturally happy to wander around.

These traditional Jiangnan residences were all connected by long corridors, with courtyards nestled closely together.

Unlike the grand estates of the northwest, where each courtyard had clearly defined entrance and exit gates, rigid and orderly.

"My eldest brother said I must take you to one particular place," Zhou Wenxing said with a grin, revealing a sharp little canine tooth that made her look utterly adorable. Shi Yi couldn’t guess: "What place? The ancestral hall?"

Zhou Wenxing burst into laughter. "That kind of place isn’t usually easy to visit, and there’s nothing fun about it anyway. I won’t tell you now—you’ll find out when we get there."

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding plants gradually gave way to bamboo.

The bamboo wasn’t dense enough to be called a grove, but accompanied by the sound of water and a gentle breeze, it created a refreshing atmosphere. Passing through a narrow gate, the bamboo grew even thicker, and in the distance, they could see a three-story old building standing quietly.

"There, that’s the library," Zhou Wenxing told her. "My eldest brother said you once asked him about old-style libraries, so he guessed you’d like this place."

A wind rustled through the bamboo leaves, creating a soft, whispering sound.

She remembered asking him at Qinglong Temple whether he had ever visited those old-fashioned libraries with their wooden shelves and countless scrolls. At the time, he had seemed not to understand, merely smiling faintly and vaguely mentioning that the places he frequented had wooden shelves filled with experimental equipment.

She never imagined such a place truly existed here.

(End of Chapter)