Volume 1, Chapter 7: Calling to Call Off the Engagement

Song Shuning applied the silver needles to Shen Qiyuan. After two quarters of an hour, he drifted into a peaceful sleep, leaving her standing there drenched in sweat.

The divine doctor truly lived up to the name; he certainly had his ways. She had followed the techniques she remembered the original owner seeing the doctor perform, and to her surprise, they had actually worked on Shen Qiyuan.

When his personal guards saw that their master was sleeping calmly—his skin still flushed, but the protruding veins on his hands and forehead now gone—their gazes toward Song Shuning shifted. Even the guard who had pulled Mo Feng aside for questioning earlier stepped forward to apologize. "Miss Song, please forgive Mo Yun for judging by appearances earlier. Please do not take it to heart."

Song Shuning waved a hand. "It is fine. You were merely concerned for your master." She glanced back at the sleeping Shen Qiyuan. "The needles will retract on their own when the time is up. Once they do, just pull them out; he should be able to make it through the night."

Mo Feng nodded, his demeanor no longer as cold as before. "Very well. I shall see you home."

Song Shuning quickly declined. "Could someone else take me instead?"

Mo Yun volunteered immediately. "I will take Miss Song. You are from the household of the newly appointed General Weiyuan, correct? I know that area well; I will see you back."

Song Shuning nodded. "I am obliged." As long as she wasn't being carried, anyone would do!

Mo Yun muttered a polite response, then scooped her up and leaped directly onto the roof.

Song Shuning: "..." Are you sure this is an escort and not an abduction? I really could do without this!

The next day.

Shen Qiyuan opened his eyes to bright daylight. As he adjusted to the light, he felt the thin quilt covering him and looked down at his own hands. Previously, when he woke, his body would be icy, his hands wrinkled from being soaked in cold water, and his frame bloated. His morning state was always the most unsightly.

But today, there was no chilling sensation from an ice bath. His hands were warm and pale, free of any water-logged wrinkles or swelling.

He sat up. Mo Feng, keeping watch outside, heard the movement and entered. A rare hint of a smile touched his usually indifferent face. "Master, you are awake."

Shen Qiyuan rubbed his brow. "Did I have an episode last night?"

Mo Feng nodded excitedly. "Indeed. It seems Miss Song did not deceive us. After she needled you, you drifted into a natural sleep. Once the needles retracted, I pulled them out, and you have slept soundly ever since. This is the first peaceful rest you have had in ten years."

Shen Qiyuan narrowed his eyes. It was true; he even remembered having a dream. He stood up. "If this continues, the token of gratitude I offered yesterday will be insufficient."

Mo Feng immediately asked, "Shall I prepare a new gift to be sent to General Weiyuan’s estate?"

Shen Qiyuan shook his head. "Wait and see what she requires later, then we shall send it."

The Song family had just arrived in the capital and needed connections; he would see if she dared to ask him for anything. If a person had desires, they could be utilized. If they were truly selfless, he would have to consider whether they were of any use at all.

***

General Weiyuan’s estate.

Song Shuning hadn't returned until nearly four in the morning, and it was already late morning when she finally opened her eyes. Someone knocked on her door, and she called out before going to open it, finding Song Shujun standing outside.

Seeing her disheveled state, Shujun smiled as she stepped in. "Why are you only waking up now?" She placed the buns and porridge she brought on the table. "Mother made breakfast; I brought you some."

Shuning thanked her and went to find her clothes. Staring at the complex layers, she hit a snag and turned to Shujun for help. Shujun walked over, amused. "You don't even know how to dress yourself?"

Shuning muttered, "When I was with my master, I wore clothes that were easy to move in—trousers and padded winter gear. I’ve never worn anything this cumbersome."

"Mother spent almost all our savings on new clothes for us, and you’re complaining about them," Shujun teased, tapping her nose. "This outfit alone costs several taels of silver."

Shuning’s eyes widened. "That expensive?"

"Indeed. So you cannot complain about the complexity. Come, let me teach you."

Shuning focused intently; she couldn't ask for help every day, after all. Once Shujun finished teaching her, she said, "The Lin family may come by soon. Get dressed, wash up, and come out after you have eaten."

Shuning agreed and went to the washroom. While sitting at the dressing table, she looked at her waist-length hair and felt another headache. In the past, she had kept her hair short to save time, but how was she supposed to handle this thick mane? She combed it out and, following the original owner’s memories, haphazardly twisted it into two small buns, securing them with ribbons before running off to eat.

After a few bites of porridge and a mushroom-and-pork bun, the savory juices exploded in her mouth. Shuning closed her eyes in satisfaction. "So delicious!" Her mother might be timid, but her cooking was superb.

After breakfast, Shuning handed her bowl to a maid and headed to the main hall, where Lady Xiao and Shujun were already seated. Shuning greeted her mother, who asked with a smile, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Recalling the events of the middle of the night, Shuning twitched her mouth and nodded. "Quite well."

Shujun laughed. "What do you mean 'quite well'? You were sleeping so soundly you were talking in your sleep. I heard voices coming from your room in the dead of night, but when I knocked, there was no sound."

Shuning: "!!!" Sister, you have a habit of eavesdropping!

"Haha... my master always said I talk in my sleep, but I never believed it. Turns out it's true..." Shuning forced a laugh.

Just then, the gatekeeper announced that the Marchioness of Dingyuan had arrived. The sisters fell silent. Lady Xiao stood up nervously. "Quickly, bring her in."

A moment later, a well-preserved woman with an air of arrogance entered, supported by a maid. She wore dark purple brocade embroidered with patterns, her head adorned with gold hairpins. Her opulent and ostentatious appearance made Lady Xiao, dressed in simple white with silver pins, look like a servant girl—no, even her own maid looked more relaxed than Lady Xiao.

The Marchioness glanced at Lady Xiao with a flicker of barely concealed disdain. When her husband had arranged this marriage, she had been opposed to it. They were noble peers; how could she allow her son to marry the daughter of a fifth-rank military officer?

The scandal from yesterday, while unpleasant, had resulted in the rumors between her son and Miss Jiang, and the outcome was favorable. Her son deserved a refined lady from a prominent official’s family. With that thought, she wore a smile as Lady Xiao approached to pay her respects. The Marchioness returned the gesture perfunctorily. "I assume Lady Song knows why I am here. Since the children are not fated for each other, it is best to annul the engagement and allow them to find their true matches. Wouldn't you agree?"

Lady Xiao froze. Thinking of her husband’s instructions, she could only nod. "Yes... it seems our Shujun and the young master are not fated."

Satisfied by this, the Marchioness raised an eyebrow. She turned to take Shujun’s hand, saying softly, "You are a good child, it is just that you and our Xuan are not meant to be. In the future, you will surely find a man even better than Xuan and marry into a family even more prestigious than ours."

Shujun bowed slightly. "I thank you for your kind words, Marchioness."