Chapter 19 Who Designed Whom
He Huan knew very little about Xie Minyue's situation and couldn't judge whether Xie San's appearance was related to her for the time being. After lunch, she suddenly felt uneasy and could only send Bai Miao to Shen's house to find Zi Lan on one hand, and order Zhang Bo to Qing Song Guan to investigate the situation on the other hand.
An hour later, Bai Rou returned with a bitter face, complaining: "Miss, Zilan said that even if Master Shen didn't go to Qing Song Temple, even if I broke down the door of the Shen family, you still can't see Master Shen. She also said...". She quietly raised her eyes and looked at He Huan, whispering: "She also said that if Miss is not afraid of a futile effort, she can continue to make trouble, but she cannot accompany her."
"Is this what she said to you in person?" He Huan smiled instead of getting angry.
Baizhi's eyes remained expressionless, her lips pursed as she nodded slightly.
"Did you tell her what I taught you?" He Huan asked.
Bai Ruo nodded again and replied in a low voice, "She said that Miss doesn't need to worry about the Shen family's affairs. At this moment, Nian Xi young master is being taken care of by Old Lady Shen, and apart from two wet nurses, only she and Si Zhu can enter the young master's room. Even outside the house, Master Shen has already arranged for someone to guard it closely."
"Xie San, since he can wear Shen family's servant clothes..." He Huan stopped abruptly. She believed in Shen Jinglu, that's why she sent her mother and brother to Qing Song Guan, she shouldn't doubt his ability to take good care of their son.
Bai Miao glanced at He Huan and thought to herself: Isn't Xie San already been taken away by Lin the captain? This morning, they were supposed to report Xie San for planning to steal from the Shen family, she didn't understand why Master hadn't followed the plan.
He Huan waved her hand thoughtfully, indicating to Bai Miao that she wanted to be alone for a while. She was only worried that Xie San would bring harm to the Shen family and feared that her son would encounter an accident, but she had forgotten that with Shen Jinglun around, she didn't need to worry at all.
Bai Rong curtsied to the master and mistress, turned around to leave, but stopped in her tracks again. She hesitated for a moment before stammering: "Miss, Zilan told me that when Master Shen went to Qing Song Guan, he personally took two things with him - one was your portrait, Miss, and the other was your bamboo flute..."
"Alright, you go down first." He Huan pushed Bai Mou out of the house, closed the door and leaned against it, feeling his head buzzing with a loud ringing sound.
They had just gotten married, and she was trying to get close to Shen Jinglun. She deliberately took out the bamboo flute and asked him for guidance. He taught her some techniques and told her to practice alone more often. However, she pretended not to understand and continued to ask him to demonstrate every day. One day, when he was in a bad mood, he irritably asked her why she kept asking him to demonstrate when she already knew how to play.
At that moment, Lin Xiyan's He Huan was both shy and annoyed, and said angrily that he was her husband, and she only wanted to stay in the same room with her own husband. After finishing speaking, she turned around and wanted to leave, but accidentally knocked over the pen holder on the table with the bamboo flute in her hand. Shen Jinglu gave up the precious books on the table and hurriedly went to rescue the painting paper on the edge of the table. Lin Xiyan saw that it was an unfinished fine brushwork painting, and she was standing under the corridor blowing the flute in the painting.
After that day, neither of them mentioned the little episode again. However, she could clearly feel that when he was reading and writing, he no longer shut her out, and sometimes even found excuses to take her out. When they walked together, even if there was nothing to say, he would slow down his pace, almost walking shoulder to shoulder with her. As for the painting, after he finished it, he personally framed it and placed it in his study room.
Thinking of the past, He Huan raised her head to look at the roof, trying not to let tears fall. From her decision to marry Shen Jinglin to her pregnancy with their child, all her efforts were not because she liked him, but for survival. To put it bluntly, she was just using him, striving to win his heart, not out of love, but only to firmly grasp the position of Mrs. Shen.
But what about him? She didn't realize until after she transformed from Lin Xiyue to He Huan that her feelings for him were far inferior to his for her.
He Huan bit her lower lip, her hands clenched the clothes at her chest. A few days ago, she had seen herself finally escaping suffering and entering happiness, but heaven had played a cruel joke on her. If she were still Lin Xiyu, she would have a husband, a son, and the ability to protect her mother and younger brother; what about now?
"No! Everything is still salvageable, I shouldn't give up." He Huan muttered to herself, "Rather than being heartbroken, it's better to think of a way to return to their side. He and I still have a future, after all, I am who I am, whether my appearance is Lin Xiyue or He Huan, what does it matter?"
At the same time, in the wing room of Qing Song Guan, Shen Jinglu stared blankly at the portrait on the shelf. In the portrait, Lin Xiyin held a bamboo flute, wore a lake-green cheongsam, and stood elegantly under a blooming apricot tree. Pink petals danced in the wind, some falling on her shoulders, others flying into the nearby lake, stirring up ripples. Although it was only a side face, he seemed to see her smile.
He had long discovered that she loved to laugh. When they first got married, she was always careful around him, being reserved all the time, but she couldn't hide her true nature. As soon as he turned his head, he could see her radiant smile, and sometimes he couldn't help but wonder how she had developed a cheerful personality after losing her father at the age of ten and taking care of her younger brother and weak mother.
He had long known that she had deliberately arranged their first "accidental encounter"; he was very clear that she did not like him as much as other women, and she wanted to marry him just for the Lin family. Her tenderness and courtesy towards him, as well as her little tricks, were all for her mother and brother. To her, he was just a tool.
Shen Jingxian smiled self-deprecatingly and gently touched the bamboo flute on the table with his long fingers. He couldn't bear to bury it with her, as it was something she often held in her hands. She must not have known that he had investigated her early on, and before she decided to marry him, he had already made up his mind to marry her, so from the start, it was he who chose her.
Shen Jinglun picked up the bamboo flute, slowly stroking its emerald green body. As far as he knew, after her father's death, the mother and three children had a very hard time, but she still demanded herself with the standard of a noble lady. Reading, writing, needlework, music, although she was not proficient in any of them, none were neglected.
In her daily life, she is elegant and refined in her attire, and dignified in her demeanor. She has always planned to use her own marriage to secure a smooth and peaceful life for her mother and younger brother, and has been implementing this plan step by step. He guessed that three years ago, if the Lin family hadn't encountered such a huge change, she would have chosen a practical and unassuming family, quietly paving the way for her younger brother.
Shen Jingxian's hands tightly grasped the bamboo flute, his self-mocking smile had long since faded away, leaving only sorrow in his eyes. He wanted to put down the flute, but couldn't bear to part with it. He chose her because she wasn't an ignorant young girl; she knew that marriage was just a fair exchange. In the capital, he had seen all sorts of beauties, but he had to admit that her beauty went beyond her flawless features.
He had always thought that getting married would mean having another woman in his life, which would be inconvenient but also have its advantages. Until one morning, he opened his eyes to see her beside him, and suddenly felt uncomfortable.
He had always woken up very early, a habit that had been with him for a long time. At that moment, it was not yet bright enough outside, and he couldn't see her clearly at all, but he saw her peaceful sleeping face. Her eyelashes were very long, her nose was small and delicate yet high-bridged, her lips were like fresh flowers in the morning dew, and when she smiled wholeheartedly, there would be two shallow dimples on her tender cheeks.
He didn't know how long he had been staring, until she opened her eyes and he came back to himself. He was about to get up and dress, but instead caught sight of her smile after a moment's confusion. Her smile was perfectly formed, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised and her eyes slightly curved, so that no one could say she didn't look good when she smiled. But he noticed that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and there were no dimples on her cheeks. This smile was just a courtesy she had to bestow on her husband.
At that moment, his heart was pierced, and he suddenly thought that she was under him to please her mother and brother, not because she liked him or wanted to be close to him. For her, it didn't matter if it was him or another man. He knew this in his heart, but if she had cared about him even a little bit, she wouldn't have said that she would arrange for others to serve him just less than a month after their wedding.
He rarely lost control, he had long learned to keep his emotions in check, but that day, he angrily kissed her, tore off the belt of her cheongsam, and ripped her camisole. She neither responded nor resisted, just letting him take what he wanted. He grew even angrier, suspecting that even at such a moment, she was still thinking about her mother and brother.
"Look at me." He commanded in a low voice. His anger didn't subside until he saw himself in her eyes.
"Please me." He knew he had scared her, and she would never understand why he was angry. He closed his eyes to feel her warm lips brush against his cheek, embracing her fragrant soft body, eager to become one with her.
"Don't think about anything else, just think that I'm your man, your only reliance." He whispered in her ear.
Recalling the past, Shen Jinglun's eyes were slightly red, her dark pupils staring intently at Lin Xiyue's portrait, as if she wanted to relive her every smile and frown through the painting.
"Grandpa." Wen Zhu called out softly from outside the door.
Shen Jinglun hastily put the bamboo flute into the brocade box, took a deep breath to suppress the mist in his eyes, and asked in a low voice: "What's the matter?"
Wen Zhu heard the unusual tone in his master's voice and didn't dare to enter rashly, so he replied in a low voice: "Young Master, an old servant from the He family has arrived, saying that he is delivering something for his family's aunt."
"Got it." Shen Jinglin's voice had returned to its usual calmness and indifference.
"Wen Zhuo stiffened his scalp and said: 'Old master, that old servant is inquiring about the wife of our family's relatives and the young uncle.'"
After a brief silence, Shen Jinglin opened the door and called in an attendant. Upon learning that Zhang Bo was only probing into the daily life of Da Han Shi and Lin Nuoyan, he asked in a low voice: "Is everything ready for the family matter?"
The housekeeper replied in a low voice: "It's tonight." He paused for a moment, then added: "Just now, news came from home that Miss He sent her maid to find Zilan again. This time, Zilan has made it clear that she won't go."
"She is indeed loyal and devoted."
Guan Shi did not dare to accept Shen Jinglun's words and lowered his head, saying: "Master, that person claims to be 'Xie San', could he have something to do with the Yong'an Marquis Manor?"
Shen Jinglun didn't answer, only instructing the servant that no matter what happened, he must ensure the safety of his grandmother and Shen Nianxue.
Guan Shi deeply understood Shen Jinglun's emphasis on his son and didn't dare to slack off, personally riding a horse back to the Shen residence to guard Shen Nianxue. When he arrived at the Shen residence, Zhang Bo's ox cart had just creaked to a stop in front of the He family gate.
He was delighted to learn that he had returned, and hastily invited him into the house, asking: "Are Auntie and Cousin all right?" As soon as the words fell, he hurriedly added: "And where is Aunt? Is she getting used to living with Zhang Shu at Qing Song Guan?"
Zhang Bo, after being beaten by He Huan, did not dare to be slow again and respectfully replied: "Replying to the young lady, Auntie is doing well, but she said that the food at the nunnery is very plain. Also, she asked me to tell the young lady that if there's anything going on at home, you can send someone to deliver a message to her."
He didn't show any joy or refusal, but in his heart, he was actually very pleased. It seemed that the last time Shen Jinglun personally helped Wei Shi read the letter, Wei Shi felt that this method could get close to him.
Zhang Bo saw that the master was not speaking, so he continued: "Young Miss, I originally wanted to kowtow and pay my respects to Lady Lin, but the people in the courtyard said that the small courtyard where Lady Lin and Young Master Shen live is taken care of by the servants of the Shen family, and even their food and tea are prepared by the Shen family."
He Huan nodded and asked a few more trivial matters about the Qing Song Temple, just as he was about to order Zhang Bo to withdraw. Suddenly, Zhang Bo said: "Young lady, there is one more thing, I don't know if it's important."