Chapter 343: Chapter 343: You Actually Drew It When I Told You To?
Inside the study, the incense smoke curled up.
All the answers are now clear.
Shen Hua held her breath, her delicate eyebrows knitted slightly, yet she said no more.
The hand that stroked her hair paused, and the man’s voice bore a semblance of impatience with a gentle indifference: "Why don’t you ask anymore?"
"For survival."
The girl spoke one rationale after another: "Sometimes, you just have to play dumb. Otherwise, knowing too much might get you silenced."
As she said this, she looked up, her eyes eagerly fixed on Cui Yun.
The next instant, the girl who needed to survive asked.
"So, the Crown Prince is not of the Imperial Family’s bloodline, is he? The Empress really had an affair? Impressive!"
Her eyes danced with cunning: "The official family sent assassins after you, was it because you stumbled upon such a disgraceful affair?"
"To the point of not even sparing a cat! First, it was Buhuo, then poisoning with a gu, they are after your life, no, plainly after mine!"
"I wondered! No wonder I was unharmed when Buhuo appeared in the pear garden; Doctor Ni had said once affected, one would not succumb again."
"That damned Emperor, what a malicious heart!"
"But why did Miss Wei of the Wei Family also get affected by Buhuo afterward? Disappeared for a whole night."
Without waiting for Cui Yun to reply, she found the answer herself.
"I understand now! The Third Prince returned to Shengjing, and at such an age, naturally, he must marry. The Emperor is unwilling to concern himself, yet he fears leaving behind a blemish! Fearing a match that was either too low or too high, hence such an incident occurred, a family status is established, and the disgrace is enough."
"This father has played his part quite with flourish."
Shen Hua reached a conclusion: "Self-directed and self-acted in a drama, what kind of Emperor is he, fit only to go write picture books!"
Cui Yun listened silently to her finish, unable to hold back a muffled chuckle.
Shen Hua glanced at him, her tone softening: "Did I say something wrong?"
He bent down, his breathing entwining intimately, whispering lowly: "Attend fewer operas."
Shen Hua was not quite accustomed to this kind of intimacy.
She pulled away from him. Glancing at the bright sky outside, her gaze wandered restlessly, trying to shatter the enticing warmth that made her ears burn: "Why did you return so early today?"
"Not busy."
The girl nodded and then sat up straight, her expression dead serious.
"There’s something I need to discuss with you."
Cui Yun leaned back against the desk, hooked his foot and with a screeching noise, the yellow pear wood chair slid across the floor, bringing the girl sitting on it closer to him; he gripped Shen Hua’s slender, fragile neck, while his other hand possessively held her waist, pulling her body towards him.
His eyes slightly upturned: "You tell me."
Shen Hua was forced to stand. Her body unsteady, she leaned forward, her fingertips instinctively grasping his shoulder. She was just about to let go when the hand around her waist tightened its grip, and the words stuck in her throat came out as a fierce but not very forceful statement: "You can’t always be so touchy, my brother doesn’t even know. If he finds out—"
Before she could finish, his lips approached. Rubbing against the corner of her lips. Grinding repeatedly.
He said, "I can’t do that."
Cui Yun tested Shen Hua’s reaction, his passionate tongue probing further, not allowing her to retreat. When she could no longer bear it, her legs grew weak and slumped downwards, he then held her and sat her back down on the yellow pear wood chair.
Shen Hua was recovering nicely, but she was still too thin. So light as if weightless. She panted softly, a noticeable blush spreading, her eyes misting with a layer of water.
She thought this shouldn’t be so, yet she... liked that Cui Yun treated her this way.
She was done for, she wasn’t proper.
A brush pen was stuffed into her hand once again.
Cui Yun took out new Xuan paper. His voice was gentle, but what he said was far from gentle.
"Your painting skills are not bad. Why not paint that Brother Xu for me to see?"
Shen Hua was rarely praised by Cui Yun!
The girl, upon hearing this, batted her dark, silky eyes.
"My painting skills are naturally good, do I need your praise? But still, there is one thing that can’t compare to the Marquis, at least the ladies of Shengjing won’t be scrambling to rush for it."
She actually had little impression left of the Xu Family’s brother. After the Xu Family moved away from Fengzhou, she never saw them again.
The girl was always carefree and untroubled.
As long as the Xu Family’s fruit trees were still there, who cared if the Xu Family stayed or left.
Based on the impression in her memory, she finally began to paint.
But before she could even sketch the outline, her wrist was grabbed by someone behind her.
Cui Yun laughed and said, "I told you to paint, and you really started painting?"
————
East Courtyard.
After seeing Madam Cui Xuan, Xue Shuyue forced a smile all the way. She had just returned to West Garden, but as if possessed by spirits, she ended up in Shen Hua’s East Courtyard.
She witnessed Cui Yun sending Shen Hua back.
It wasn’t right for her to stand or to sit. Then she heard the girl, expressionlessly crossing the threshold, murmur with quiet resentment.
"I miss my wheelchair."
She was tired from walking. The wheelchair was more convenient; you could just sit and enjoy the ride.
Xue Shuyue: ...
She hurried forward to pay her respects.
"Cousin."
Cui Yun’s gaze, as always, hardly lingered on her for a moment. He responded with a mere nod and then carefully admonished Shen Hua.
"You’ve just recovered, you should walk more. Even if it’s just strolling within the inner courtyards of Marquis Mansion, it’s good. You can let Rong accompany you; she’s also quite lazy."
"I have to lay off the door; I won’t join you for the evening meal."
Xue Shuyue had never seen Cui Yun act like this before; even after he left, she hadn’t snapped back to reality.
Yicui served tea inside the room; she took it, but her gaze intermittently fell on Shen Hua, who was slouched in her seat.
Xue Shuyue sighed deeply, "You’re really fortunate, to be valued by cousin like this."
These words sounded harsh to Shen Hua’s ears.
Even some of Xue Shuyue’s viewpoints, Shen Hua had not accepted to this day.
"He values me because he has an eye for talent."
Xue Shuyue’s eyes darkened.
"The Dowager called me over today. She found a marriage match for me."
She was the favorite granddaughter of Dowager Cui, raised by the side of her handkerchief. After her family declined and her elders passed away, Dowager Cui took pity on her solitude and thus arranged for her to stay at the mansion.
The Dowager naturally took Xue Shuyue’s marriage to heart as well.
Shen Hua understood immediately, straightforwardly asking, "Don’t you fancy him?"
"He is an Advanced Scholar, and his family has a decent ranking in Shengjing, but he is of bastard birth."
"The Dowager says he is ambitious, reliable, and unlike those fame-seeking frivolous young masters, he has earned his current position on his own. But how could I marry a bastard?"
Having lived in the Marquis Mansion for years, she had been treated with utmost honor, and her standards had risen; she would rather be a concubine to Cui Yun.
But the Dowager was shrewd.
——Reign in your ambitions, do you think I can’t see it? All these years and he hasn’t paid you any attention.
——Shuyue, your grandmother was a strong-willed person. Despite her family’s opposition, she insisted on marrying your grandfather. Nobody looked favorably upon it, but your grandfather treated her the same for ten years, and their life prospered because of it.
——One should not live with too superficial a perspective.
Xue Shuyue: "I’m not young anymore, but if I don’t marry out, I can’t just become an old maiden. I guess I’ve given up hope; I won’t pursue my cousin anymore. But as for that young master, I’m somewhat unwilling. What do you think I should do?"
After hearing this, Shen Hua yawned indifferently, "It’s not a big deal."
"If you don’t fancy him, he might not be interested in you either."
Xue Shuyue felt annoyed upon hearing this, but also thought it made sense.