Not long after New Year’s Eve, Xin Yi was brought back to the Marquis Manor.
It was Shen Ru Jie who personally carried her off the carriage. The servants and maids responsible for tending and cleaning in the manor all recognized her face. As they passed by, they all bowed their heads low, not daring to look up.
This was truly outrageous.
Why was the Second Young Master carrying the former wife of the Eldest Young Master? Wasn’t this against propriety? They usually thought the youth was silent and reticent, cold and unfeeling, but they never expected him to be so bold in such matters.
No wonder the Madam hadn’t cried or made a fuss after receiving the divorce papers. She had moved out of the Marquis Manor clean and decisive. It turned out she had already gotten involved with the Second Young Master.
But the entanglements of the masters were not something lowly servants like them could casually comment on. Thus, even if they were shocked to their cores, they had to cherish their lives and not show a hint of it.
Moreover, Shen Ru Jie had never been favored in the Marquis Manor before. The servants, maids, and matrons had mostly sided with the wind, bullying him openly and covertly, giving him cold shoulders.
Who would have thought that one day he would turn things around, even suppressing the Eldest Young Master, making everyone who had bullied him tremble in fear, afraid of accidentally offending this new master.
The Second Young Master seemed far more sinister than the Eldest Young Master.
Xin Yi actually didn’t want to be carried in by him either, but at that moment, her legs were sore and weak, unable to support her at all.
In the end, it was all Shen Ru Jie’s fault for fooling around with her in the carriage. Xin Yi’s willpower was too weak, and she had been coerced and coaxed into letting him have his way. Her face hidden under the hood was flushed red and sweaty, so she could only cling tightly to the youth’s neck and bury her entire face in his embrace.
Because of this, just a few days after she was brought back to the Marquis Manor, the maids and servants in the manor had a tacit understanding of the relationship between her and Shen Ru Jie.
Even when they saw the youth emerging from her chambers with lips glistening and radiant, they could keep their eyes straight ahead without glancing sideways.
When A Ying was helping her with her hair, Xin Yi was still drowsy.
Her slender, frail figure was bundled in a loose outer robe, sitting unsteadily and looking soft and pitiable.
A Ying had something she wanted to say. After hesitating for a while, she still told her, “The Eldest Young Master came specifically to see Miss before lunch. He looked very haggard. Since you hadn’t woken up yet, this servant didn’t disturb you.”
She no longer called Shen Gui Marquis. The other maids in the manor didn’t either; they all referred to him as the Eldest Young Master.
“Oh.” Xin Yi nodded to show she understood.
She really should go see Shen Gui, taking advantage of these couple of days. Once she settled the remaining matters, she would withdraw from this Small World.
Moreover, lately Shen Ru Jie kept bringing up marriage. Once or twice she could brush it off, but as the times increased, it became harder to handle.
She still needed to leave early to avoid dragging out more troubles.
In the Capital Suburbs, the camp tent.
The north wind howled endlessly, and goose-feather snow began falling from the sky. The soldiers standing outside the tent had icy armor. Even with quilted jackets underneath, their noses and ears were frozen red, and some shivered.
“Shen Er?”
Xiao Cong Jing called him, then frowned slightly. “What have you been thinking about these past couple of days? Why are you always so absent-minded?”
Shen Ru Jie’s brows and eyes froze for a moment. His originally somewhat dazed expression immediately returned to normal. “Nothing, Your Highness. Please continue. This official is listening.”
He also knew his emotions had shown too obviously, so he added, “Just some minor family matters. Not worth Your Highness’s concern.”
Seeing he clearly didn’t want to talk about it, Xiao Cong Jing didn’t press further. He just shook his head with a sigh. “You, you… Ever since This Prince said those two bad things about that Wu family lady, you’ve become even more tight-lipped. I’ve seen men protective of their wives, but never to the excess that you are.”
Did he really think he couldn’t tell? That desolate, lost look was clearly thinking of Wu Xin Yi?
In this cold winter, with military affairs so busy, even he, a prince accustomed to luxury, had to stay in the camp tent to save the trouble of commuting back and forth.
Yet Shen Ru Jie returned to the manor every night without fail, rain or shine. Anyone could guess who it was for with their toes.
Shen Ru Jie lowered his brows and eyes, saying nothing.
Because he really was thinking of Xin Yi.
Ever since moving back to the Marquis Manor, she had inexplicably become distant. At night, she no longer took the initiative to nestle into his arms, and whenever marriage was mentioned, she would unconsciously furrow her brows, as if not enthusiastic about it at all.
He vaguely felt uneasy in his heart, always feeling that if he didn’t hold onto her tightly, she would run away from his side.
Clearly, things had been fine on New Year’s Eve night, but they changed after returning to the Marquis Manor. He couldn’t figure out the reason and could only blame it on Shen Gui.
It must be because Shen Gui had appeared before her again, so she started wavering and even regretted being with him.
He still remembered on the night of the divorce, the tears she had shed trembling for Shen Gui.
And those letters she had once written to Shen Gui: “From now on, no heart for fine nights, let the bright moon sink west of the tower,” “People have three thousand ailments in life, only lovesickness is incurable.”
The world said brocade books carried lovesickness, but what lovesickness was she sending?
About half an hour later, a soldier guarding the camp came to report that a young lady outside was looking for Shen Ru Jie.
Xiao Cong Jing perked up with interest and guessed, “What kind of young lady?”
That soldier was still a tender youth of thirteen or fourteen. Hearing the prince ask that, the image of the woman’s stunning beauty flashed in his mind, and he couldn’t help blushing and stammering, “V-Very, very beautiful.”
The young soldier continued, “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful. She’s like a fairy from heaven.”
Before he finished speaking, Shen Ru Jie eagerly lifted the tent flap and went out. Even his back figure revealed intense emotions.
Xiao Cong Jing was also extremely curious about this Wu family Little Lady, so as soon as Shen Ru Jie went out, he followed to watch the excitement.
The result nearly made his eyes sore.
He saw that youth, usually as cold as ice and frost with blood on his sword, tightly embracing a woman draped in a fox-fur cloak. Before Xiao Cong Jing could see the face under the hood, the youth was already humming and cupping her face to kiss her. “I missed you, Xin Yi. I’ve been thinking of you all day.”
Xiao Cong Jing and the attendants beside him awkwardly turned away, coughing once.
This finally startled the woman into some shy annoyance. She forcefully pushed away the embrace that restrained her.
Then she wiped the moisture from her lips and looked over.
She wore a light cyan dress, with minimal makeup and simple hairpins. Her beauty was such that anyone who looked would be dazed, unable to shift their gaze for a long time.
Xiao Cong Jing’s finger fiddling with his ring paused for a moment. His first reaction was: No wonder.
Warm, fragrant, soft jade. It melted one’s bones.
The youth couldn’t pass the beauty test.
No wonder even Shen Ru Jie, that ice block who never knew how to cherish the fairer sex, could be melted by her. He protected her like she was something precious whenever she was mentioned.
Xin Yi gave him a soft, graceful smile and called out, “Your Highness.”
It was as if she had long known his identity; there was no tension or surprise in her eyes.
Xiao Cong Jing raised a brow and smiled too. “I’ve long heard of the Wu Little Lady’s fame.”
Unfortunately, the two didn’t have a chance to talk, because as soon as Shen Ru Jie saw him, he frowned. After casually making a couple of perfunctory remarks, he pulled the woman’s slender hand and headed outside the camp tent.
About a quarter of an hour later, he returned carrying a food box. A bit of laughter appeared in his dark eyes, making him look less sharp and frightening.
The soldiers guarding the tent had originally been quite fearful of this youth devil god, thinking he was not only ghostly in movement but also profoundly scheming.
If one accidentally offended him, they wouldn’t even know how they died.
But today, the youth’s mood seemed extremely good. The soldier boldly tried to get close. “Lord Shen, who was that lady just now?”
“My wife.”
Thinking of something, the youth’s expression softened. “She will soon be my wife.”
Hearing this, the soldier looked envious, feeling he hadn’t guessed wrong. “The Madam is so good to you! One look and you can tell she cares a lot about you, or she wouldn’t brave the snow to deliver food.”
And so gentle and beautiful, she must be a noble lady from some great family.
Thus, the soldiers in the camp strangely discovered that the usually stern-faced Lord Shen was in a great mood all day.
This good mood lasted until Shen Ru Jie returned to the Marquis Manor late at night and heard the maid’s report.
Lately, he had too many things to do for the Seventh Prince, so besides A Ying, he had left another maid by Xin Yi’s side to tend to her daily needs.
That night, as soon as he returned and sat in the pavilion to remove his cloak for a cup of hot tea to warm himself, he heard the maid come to report.
This was also one of the things he had instructed: keep an eye on Shen Gui and don’t let him approach Xin Yi.
“The Madam took the initiative to mention the Eldest Young Master today, saying she wanted to talk with him. This servant couldn’t stop her and could only accompany her to the Eldest Young Master’s current separate courtyard…”
Shen Ru Jie’s hand holding the teacup stiffened, and then he asked coldly, “What was said?”
The maid seemed hesitant to say, but after stammering for a long time, she still answered truthfully. “The Eldest Young Master said… he said… that the Madam was once his official wife. How could she betray him like this?”
Blood surged in Shen Ru Jie’s chest, and murderous intent arose. “What else?”
The maid buried her head even lower, trembling and not daring to look up. “He… he even shed tears, saying it was he who had wronged the Madam before and begging the Madam to pity him once, not to be angry anymore…”
She paused here, as if it was hard to speak of. “Then he suddenly yanked the Madam into his arms and bit… bit her neck.”
The cup in Shen Ru Jie’s hand shattered completely. Porcelain shards pierced into his palm, and bright red blood instantly flowed out in winding trails.
It looked shocking, like several thin red-eyed snakes.
The maid dropped to her knees with a thud, kowtowing and shaking in terror, scared out of her wits. “Young Master, don’t be angry! It was this servant’s failure to stop the Madam. It definitely won’t happen next time!”
The night was deep, and the falling snow in the courtyard had quieted.
Xin Yi was jolted awake. She had been sleeping soundly with incense lit when suddenly she felt someone press down on her, kissing and biting a couple times before prying her legs apart.
She suddenly moaned, then was awakened by the familiar swelling pain. Opening her eyes, she saw the youth in his dark robe neatly moving on top of her. Her mind blanked for a moment.
He had woken her up just like this, without even undressing.
Xin Yi breathed rapidly, tears uncontrollably welling in her eyes.
The youth rubbed against her increasingly hot cheek, weakly pleading humbly with her. “Tonight’s wind and snow are especially fierce. I should have rested in the camp tent, but because I missed Xin Yi too much, I rode back. Wu family Little Lady, shouldn’t you reward me?”