Chapter 344: Chapter 343: You Really Drew It Just Because I Told You To?
In the study, the scent of incense wafted gently.
Everything had its answer.
Shen Hua held her breath, her delicate brows furrowed, but she spoke no more.
The hand stroking her hair paused as the man’s voice carried an impatient tenderness: "Why not ask any further?"
"To stay alive."
The girl rattled off one rationale after another: "Sometimes, it’s better to play dumb. Otherwise, knowing too much could get your mouth permanently shut."
Saying so, she lifted her gaze, looking eagerly at Cui Yun.
The next instant, the girl intent on survival asked.
"So, the Crown Prince isn’t of Imperial blood, is that right? The Empress really had an affair? Impressive!"
Her eyes lively, she continued: "Did the official family send assassins after you because you stumbled upon such a scandal?"
"Even the cat wasn’t spared! First Buhuo, then the poisonous insects, they’re after your life, no, clearly after mine!"
"I thought so! No wonder at the pear garden that time Buhuo appeared, I wasn’t affected. Doctor Ni once said if you’re stricken once, you will not be again."
"That dog of an Emperor, what a venomous heart he has!"
"But why did Miss Wei of the Wei Family also fall victim to Buhuo later on? Disappeared for a night."
Without waiting for Cui Yun to reply, she found the answer herself.
"I understand now! The Third Prince returned to Shengjing, at such an age naturally he should marry. The Emperor doesn’t want to be bothered, yet fears leaving a blot on his reputation! The pursuit of marriage mustn’t be too low, nor too high; hence such an event occured, keeping the social standing intact while also dishing out enough humiliation."
"This father is really stirring up quite the storm."
Shen Hua reached a conclusion: "He orchestrated this entire play himself, what kind of Emperor is he? He might as well start writing and illustrating storybooks!"
Cui Yun silently listened to her finish then couldn’t resist a stifled chuckle.
Shen Hua glanced at him with a softened tone: "Did I say something wrong?"
He bent down, his breath intimate as he whispered low: "You should attend the opera less."
Shen Hua was not quite comfortable with this intimacy.
She created distance between them. Glancing at the bright, clear sky outside, her gaze uncertain as she tried to shatter the enchanting moment that made her ears burn: "Why did you return so early today?"
"Not busy."
The girl nodded, then sat up straight with a serious expression.
"There’s something I need to discuss with you."
Cui Yun leaned against the desk, hooked his foot around, and with the grating sound of a chair scraping the ground, the girl was moved along with the yellow pear wood chair towards him. He clasped Shen Hua’s delicate and fragile nape while the other hand possessively supported her waist, drawing her closer to his body.
His eyes slightly lifted: "Go on."
Shen Hua was compelled to stand. Unsteady, she leaned forward, her fingertips instinctively climbing onto his shoulder. Just as she was about to let go, the hand at her waist tightened its grip, and the words caught in her throat came out as a fierce but feeble protest: "You can’t always be so hands-on, my brother still doesn’t know. If he finds out—"
Before she could finish, his lips pressed against hers, grazing the corners in a deliberate back-and-forth.
He said, "I can’t do that."
Cui Yun tested Shen Hua’s reaction, then held her as they both sat down on the yellow pear wood chair, not allowing her to pull back.
Shen Hua’s health had been improving, still, she was far too thin, almost weightless. Breaths coming softly, her cheeks flushed noticeably, and her eyes misted over.
She felt this shouldn’t be, yet... she liked that Cui Yun treated her this way.
She was done for, she was improper.
Once again, a brush pen was put into her hand.
Cui Yun took out fresh Xuan paper. His voice was gentle, yet what he said was unspeakable.
"Your painting skills are not bad. How about you also paint that brother from the Xu Family for me to see?"
Shen Hua seldom heard Cui Yun praise her!
The girl’s round, dark eyes blinked upon hearing this.
"My painting is naturally good, do I need your praise? But there is one thing I still can’t match up to the Marquis: at least the girls of Shengjing wouldn’t trip over themselves to buy it."
She actually didn’t have much of an impression of the Xu Family brother anymore. After the Xu Family moved away from Fengzhou, she never saw him again.
Yicui has always been carefree and untroubled.
As long as the fruit trees of the Xu Family are still there, who cares if the Xu Family themselves are gone or not.
Based on the impressions in her memory, she finally began to paint.
But before she could even sketch the outline, her wrist was seized by someone behind her.
Cui Yun said with an air of amusement: "I told you to paint, but you really started, huh?"
————
East Courtyard.
After seeing Cui Xuan, Xue Shuyue forced a smile all the way. She had just returned to the West Garden but, as if by some evil spirit’s doing, ended up in Shen Hua’s East Courtyard.
She witnessed Cui Yun sending Shen Hua back.
Standing felt wrong, so did sitting. Then she heard the girl say with an expressionless face and a tone of forlorn resentment as she crossed the threshold.
"I miss my wheelchair."
She was tired of walking. The wheelchair was more convenient, sitting and enjoying being pushed was enough.
Xue Shuyue: ...
She hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.
"Cousin."
Cui Yun’s gaze, as always, didn’t linger on her for even a moment. He just responded faintly and went on to give meticulous instructions to Shen Hua.
"Your health has just improved, you need to walk more. Even if you don’t go out, walking around in the courtyards of Marquis Mansion is also good. You can let Rong accompany you, she’s quite lazy too."
"I have to go out for a while, so I won’t come over for dinner."
Xue Shuyue had never seen Cui Yun like this before, and even after he walked away, she still hadn’t snapped back to reality.
Inside the room, Yicui served tea, which she accepted, but her eyes occasionally drifted over to Shen Hua, sitting slumped.
Xue Shuyue sighed deeply: "You’re really lucky, to be valued by cousin like this."
These words sounded harsh to Shen Hua’s ears.
Even some of Xue Shuyue’s views, she still did not accept to this day.
"If he values me, that’s because he has discerning eyes to see my worth."
Xue Shuyue’s eyes darkened.
"The Dowager summoned me over today. She has matched me with a potential marriage partner."
She was the handkerchief-sworn granddaughter of Dowager Cui. With her family fallen on hard times and her parents both deceased, the old lady, seeing her loneliness, settled her in the mansion.
The Dowager Cui naturally took Xue Shuyue’s marriage to heart as well.
Shen Hua understood, and she cut right to the heart of the matter: "You look down on him?"
"The man is an Advanced Scholar, true, and his family has a decent standing in Shengjing, but he was born a bastard."
"The Dowager said he is progressive, down-to-earth, different from those young masters who fish for fame and reputation; his current official position, although low, is all earned by himself. But how could I marry a bastard?"
Having been in Marquis Mansion for years, she had become used to a life of luxury, her tastes became discerning; she would rather be Cui Yun’s concubine.
But the Dowager is a shrewd person.
——Put your thoughts away, you think I can’t see them? Over the years, you haven’t caught his attention in the slightest.
——Shuyue, your grandmother was a proud woman. Back then, despite her family’s objections, she insisted on marrying your grandfather. Everyone was against it, but your grandfather treated her consistently well for ten years, and they’ve led a thriving life.
——One should not be shallow in life.
Xue Shuyue: "I’m not so young anymore, but if I don’t get married, I can’t just become an old maid. My heart is dead, cousin, I’ve given up on climbing higher, but I’m still somewhat reluctant to settle for that gentleman. Do you think I should accept?"
After listening, Shen Hua lazily yawned: "It’s not such a big deal."
"If you look down on him, perhaps he doesn’t look up to you either."
Upon hearing this, Xue Shuyue was annoyed but also felt there was some truth to it.