Chapter 112: People Part Ways as Easily as Flowers Fall (Part III)

"Accidentally intruded into Yun Xiangrong’s chambers?" Chuxiu had not yet reacted. "What are you talking about?"

Danxin quickly repeated herself, "Last night, the Young Marquis drank too much here. He didn't return to his private residence and instead rested in the east wing of the guest courtyard—the same room he used to stay in. Zhuying personally helped him back, but who would have thought... this morning, the Second Concubine ran over and said that when the maid from Nishang Pavilion went to assist the Eldest Miss with her morning wash, she saw the two of them... lying on the same couch."

After all, Danxin was still an unmarried girl; by the time she finished the last sentence, her face was flushed red, and she found it difficult to continue.

Chuxiu finally regained her senses and grasped the gravity of the situation. She hurriedly said to Danxin, "Quick! Help me wash and change!" With that, she scrambled off the couch and busied herself with washing, combing her hair, and changing her clothes.

Just as she finished, the faint sound of the Second Concubine Hua Wuying’s wailing drifted in from outside: "Madam! You must seek justice for us... Don't stop me, I must see the Madam!"

Danxin’s expression was a mix of nervousness and worry as she looked cautiously at Chuxiu. "Zhuying and Zhuyang are blocking the Second Concubine outside. Do you think you should avoid her?"

"Things have already reached this point, what is there to avoid?" Chuxiu was so anxious her face turned red. Just as she was about to leave, she stopped and asked Danxin, "Where is the Young Marquis now?"

"He is being held by the Eldest Miss's guards and stewards; he is still inside Nishang Pavilion," Danxin reported truthfully.

"Absurd! Do they want everyone to know about this?!" Chuxiu felt both shocked and angry. With a matter like this, instead of thinking about how to cover it up, they had guards and stewards holding him there? The second branch must be terrified that people wouldn't know their daughter's reputation had been ruined!

At this thought, Chuxiu felt a surge of distress. She turned to Danxin and said, "Let's go! Let's see what kind of trick Hua Wuying is playing!" Privately, Chuxiu refused to believe that Shen Yu would do such a thing. She knew his character; even if he were a rake, he would only pursue girls he liked, and only in a "consensual" manner. How could he have snuck into Nishang Pavilion in the middle of the night? Were Yun Xiangrong’s guards and stewards just useless?

Moreover, the distance between the guest courtyard and Nishang Pavilion was not small. One was in the outer courtyard, the other in the inner—even if one ran, it would take at least half a stick of incense!

This matter was highly suspicious! Shen Yu had definitely been framed!

As Chuxiu walked out, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Before she even reached the hanging flower arch of Zhiyan Pavilion, she saw Hua Wuying wailing and teary-eyed. Zhuying and Zhuyang were dutifully blocking her, the former with a gloomy expression, the latter looking utterly disgusted.

From a distance, Hua Wuying caught sight of the white-clad figure approaching quickly—a woman who, despite wearing no makeup, could not hide her breathtaking beauty. While she inwardly lamented that Chuxiu’s beauty was something one could never tire of seeing, she did not forget to struggle against the restraint of Zhuying and Zhuyang. Seeing she could not break free, she plopped to her knees right where she stood. "Madam! Madam! You must seek justice for me!"

"Shut up!" Chuxiu rarely had such moments of exasperation. "Are you afraid that not enough people know? If you don't care about your reputation, does Xiangrong not care either?"

Hua Wuying had not expected Chuxiu to be so sharp and severe, and she was stunned for a moment. Only then did she realize that the fairy-like woman before her was no longer the little mute maid who once served by Yun Ci’s side, but the new mistress of the Yun family—Madam Chuxiu, who could wield the power of life and death over the Yun clan with a few words.

Thinking of this, Hua Wuying immediately lowered her head in apology. "I was too impatient. Please forgive me, Madam."

Chuxiu looked down at the kneeling Hua Wuying, too lazy to even say "get up." She had never felt this angry, never! If she found out that this was a deliberate plot by the second branch to frame Shen Yu...

If it truly was a setup, she would not be lenient with Hua Wuying! Even if it meant Yun Xiangrong’s reputation was ruined, she would never force Shen Yu to marry her!

At this very moment, these were the true thoughts in Chuxiu’s mind. However, even she did not realize that her reaction upon hearing the news was far too extreme, and she had already lost her usual calm and steady judgment.

Hua Wuying naturally noticed Chuxiu’s coldness and anomaly; even while kneeling, she could feel the gaze falling upon her head like a blade. She gritted her teeth and was about to look up at Chuxiu, only to hear the mistress coldly utter four words: "To Nishang Pavilion." With that, she flashed past her, leaving only the glimpse of a white skirt hem.

***

Hua Wuying hurriedly stood up and followed behind Chuxiu, Danxin, Zhuying, and Zhuyang, rushing toward Nishang Pavilion where Yun Xiangrong lived. She knew that in the eyes of these servants from Zhiyan Pavilion, she was not considered a master of the Yun household at all; they didn't even let her walk in front, forcing her to stare at the backs of Zhuying and the others.

But for the sake of her only daughter, Yun Xiangrong, Hua Wuying decided to endure it.

When the group arrived at Nishang Pavilion, the garden seemed calm, but as they approached the small courtyard of the maiden's chambers, Chuxiu saw a row of guards standing at the door, each with a stern expression.

"Greetings, Madam. Greetings, Second Concubine." The guards knelt in unison to report.

Chuxiu cast a wide glance; there were at least a dozen people guarding the place... The more people who knew, the worse it was for Shen Yu. Chuxiu gave the guards no pleasant look and only commanded, "Move!" As she spoke, she walked through the gate and entered.

The guards stepped aside, and Zhuying, Zhuyang, Danxin, and the Second Concubine followed suit.

Chuxiu had expected Shen Yu to be either hungover, remorseful, or causing a scene. To her surprise, Shen Yu was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, fully dressed, one hand tapping lightly on the stone surface, as if he were either killing time or contemplating something.

Facing the rising morning sun, Chuxiu saw his lake-blue robes shimmering with a subtle luster, likely from the gold thread embroidered in the inner lining. His profile was sharp and distinct, his high-bridged nose and deeply furrowed brows like undulating mountain ranges. Set against his sea-colored clothing, he brought to mind towering mountains and the vast ocean.

In that instant, as Chuxiu paused to look at him, she suddenly felt he had changed overnight. Or perhaps, he had already become mature and steady, and she had simply failed to notice it before, or had deliberately ignored it.

But it was undeniable that the Shen Yu before her made Chuxiu feel surprised, and brought with it a suffocating heartache. She had always longed to see his maturity, but... not under these circumstances.

"Madam!" Hua Wuying, following behind, noticed Chuxiu stop and called out with dissatisfaction. The sound, which pulled Chuxiu back to reality, also made Shen Yu look over.

That look... Chuxiu’s heart tightened. She felt there were too many unspoken emotions in Shen Yu’s eyes, and at this moment, she couldn't grasp a single bit of what he was feeling. The words she had prepared on the way died in her throat when faced with his expression.

Finally, it was Shen Yu who stood up from the stone stool. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Chuxiu, and said in a low voice, "Last night, I was drunk and reckless, accidentally intruding into the Eldest Miss's boudoir... Whatever punishment you choose, I have no complaints."

He admitted it so readily! There was no way to plead for him now! Chuxiu thought for a moment and could only turn to ask Hua Wuying, "Second Concubine, where is Xiangrong?"

Hua Wuying looked around blankly and stammered, unable to answer.

"She is inside," Shen Yu replied.

Chuxiu looked at Hua Wuying. "Second Concubine, go in and keep Xiangrong company first." After she spoke, seeing Hua Wuying hesitate, she shot her a cold glance. Hua Wuying didn't dare say another word and hurried into the room to find Yun Xiangrong.

Chuxiu waved at Zhuying and the others, and Zhuying led Danxin and Zhuyang away from the courtyard, leaving space for the two of them to speak alone.

Seeing that everyone who should leave had left, Chuxiu looked at Shen Yu and asked earnestly, "Was it truly an accident? Or..."

"It was intentional," Shen Yu answered before she could finish. "Isn't this exactly what the second branch wanted?"

"Young Marquis, why..." Chuxiu felt her throat go dry. Because of his words "intentional," the rest of her questions couldn't be asked.

Shen Yu said, "You asked me to stay for dinner yesterday—wasn't that what you wanted to talk about?"

Chuxiu’s eyes grew hot, and she lowered her head in shame.

Shen Yu smiled. "Actually, I'm glad you didn't say it. At least it lets me know that I am still quite important to you, aren't I?"

"Then why did you let yourself 'fall for it'?" Chuxiu asked in a low voice.

Shen Yu didn't answer directly. "Do you know why we were so hungover last night? Because out of the eight dishes at dinner, the two I like most had been drugged. I hadn't touched them initially, but in the end, you served them to me, and I ate them."

Chuxiu was shocked. "You mean..."

Shen Yu’s face was cold. "You need to watch the servants in Zhiyan Pavilion. I never thought the second branch would have such capabilities; they actually managed to infiltrate the kitchen."

Hearing this, Chuxiu didn't know how to express her indignation. She could only clench her hands tightly, her voice choked with sobs. "Just because I served you food, you ate it even though you knew it was drugged?"

This time, Shen Yu shook his head. "Don't cry. I didn't do it for that."

He thought for a moment and finally admitted, "I studied medicine from a young age. I saw through those drugs long ago; they were useless to me... But I pretended to be drunk so Zhuying would help me to the guest courtyard, wanting to see what kind of trick they were playing... Who knew that in the middle of the night, Yun Xiangrong would sneak in to find me, claiming she had a way to send me out of the city and back to Jingzhou."

"What way?" Chuxiu’s heart tightened, and she blurted out the question.

"Yun Xiangrong asked me to pretend to be drunk, break into her boudoir at night, and then be forced into marriage by the Second Concubine. That way, my secret departure from Yanlan City would have a legitimate excuse—'fleeing a marriage,'" Shen Yu replied.

With these few words from Shen Yu, Chuxiu understood his meaning.

The world knew Shen Yu was a rake, and naturally, Prince Mu knew as well. If Shen Yu were forced into marriage by the Yun household and fled Yanlan City as a result, the reason would be very plausible and consistent with his character. At the very least, no fault could be found on the surface.

Moreover, in the eyes of the public, the Yun clan valued reputation above all else. The Old Madam would never deliberately ruin the Eldest Miss Yun Xiangrong's reputation just to help an outsider escape! Prince Mu would likely think the same; even if he were suspicious, he couldn't prove it.

If Shen Yu truly succeeded in "fleeing the marriage," Prince Mu would have to swallow this bitter pill. He could never openly send people to capture Shen Yu and bring him back, as that would make it appear he was interfering in the Yun family's domestic affairs. At most, Prince Mu would act as a peacemaker to soothe the Yun family’s emotions.

But the final result of this would be: to make the act convincing, after Shen Yu fled back to Jingzhou, the Yun family would inevitably pressure the Wenchang Marquis's estate, or even "wail" before Prince Mu, demanding that Shen Yu marry Yun Xiangrong in a proper, formal wedding. If this final step were missing, the play would be too fake. Prince Mu would surely guess that the Yun family and Shen Yu were colluding, and he might even suspect that the Yun family and the Wenchang Marquis's estate had defected to the Fourth Prince together.

To complete the ruse, it seemed that Shen Yu marrying Yun Xiangrong was only a matter of time.

Analyzing it this way, Chuxiu felt both shocked and awed. If the idea of "fleeing the marriage" really came from Yun Xiangrong, then she could only say that she had previously underestimated this Eldest Miss of the Yun household!