Chapter 21: Jiang Yao, Oh Jiang Yao
Madam Pei trembled as she withdrew her hand, which had numbed from the pain, folding it into her sleeve. She looked at Pei Ji with a mix of shock and heartache, yet her voice remained stubborn: “Jiang Yao was brought back by me, so naturally I have the right to send her away! Her fate lies in my hands; whatever I say goes!”
Pei Ji turned his face slightly, ignoring the finger marks on his cheek, and persistently asked, “Is Xue Zhao’s death connected to you or not?”
Madam Pei averted her gaze and ultimately gave no answer.
From this, Pei Ji could already suspect a few things.
He looked at Madam Pei deeply, a complex tide of emotions finally surfacing in his eyes.
---
At the Shen Residence, by the pavilion in the heart of the lake.
Shen Wannin stared into the curtain of rain, initially hoping to spend more time with Pei Ji.
Unexpectedly, she received news that he had already left.
“Pei Ji really doesn’t care about Wan Ning at all. Even if he’s leaving, how could he not bother to say a word?”
Shen Lang spoke sincerely for her sake.
Though Governor Pei was a man coveted by the noble ladies of the capital, if he wished to marry Wan Ning, he could not afford to be so indifferent and distant!
Shen Yi, knowing Pei Ji’s character, said calmly, “Perhaps the governor had urgent matters.”
“Maybe the governor doesn’t want to marry me after all…”
Shen Wannin gazed into the faint sparks flickering in the brazier, her eyes filled with a profound resignation.
She lifted her gaze to her two elder brothers, her voice hoarse: “Sister just left, and the governor got up and left as well, without even a word to me…”
“Wan Ning, don’t overthink it. The governor has always been like this. Have you ever seen any woman in the capital catch his eye? If it weren’t for Father’s wishes, I certainly wouldn’t agree to you being with him!” Shen Lang, unable to bear seeing Shen Wannin cry, felt each tear beat upon his heart like a drum.
“Precisely because of that, why would the governor bring sister back to Autumn Water Garden?”
Shen Wannin’s tears flowed uncontrollably; her sobs rang in Shen Yi and Shen Lang’s ears, stirring a pang of sympathy.
She gasped for breath, her crying almost uncontrollable: “If sister truly admired the governor, she could have competed with me fairly. But she secretly seduced him behind my back—how am I supposed to guard against that? You both know I’m not one to cling on endlessly. Even if I gave Governor Pei to sister, it wouldn’t matter. I could marry Elder Brother Chengyuan instead…”
“Nonsense! How could you marry that crippled Lu Chengyuan?” Shen Lang immediately stood up, both angry and heartbroken as he looked at her.
Noticing his tone might have been too harsh, he softened and patiently said, “I told you, no matter what Shen Yuan wants to compete with you over, I will stand firmly by your side. You are a blessed person; you must never marry a cripple like Lu Chengyuan! Don’t say such things again!”
Shen Wannin was pleased with Shen Lang’s mood.
She whispered, “I won’t say such things again. Second brother, please don’t call Brother Lu a cripple anymore. He is sister’s future husband and also our family!”
Family?
Upon hearing those words, Shen Yi and Shen Lang were both taken aback.
They had vigorously opposed Wan Ning’s idea of marrying Lu Chengyuan but had not paused to consider whether Shen Yuan truly wished to marry someone like Lu Chengyuan.
The sister they had once loved and protected so dearly—could she really be marrying a man without prospects and with a physical impairment?
---
Shen Lang remained silent for a long time.
Without Pei Ji, this gathering over wine had lost all meaning.
After the gathering dispersed, Shen Lang walked through the persistent rain under his umbrella. Unintentionally, he found himself at Autumn Water Garden.
Autumn Water Garden was the most secluded and tranquil courtyard in the Shen Residence—without the elaborate bonsai or shaded groves.
Compared to Shen Wannin’s Splendid Garden, it was like heaven and earth apart.
In his childhood, the sister he often secretly sought out in the Splendid Garden was Shen Yuan.
Behind the veil of rain, Shen Lang looked into the courtyard.
He couldn’t help but recall Shen Wannin’s words: “He is sister’s future husband and also our family.”
Why was it that when he first heard Shen Yuan might marry Lu Chengyuan, he immediately thought they were well matched?
But when Wan Ning mentioned it, he felt compelled to stop her?
---
“Second Young Master, is there something you need?” Liu Yan stood on the corridor, having noticed Shen Lang had been standing here for nearly the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
He neither spoke nor entered but simply stood there, lost in thought.
The call brought Shen Lang back to reality.
He looked a little uneasy: “I… I was just passing by and taking a walk.”
Autumn Water Garden lay six pavilions and two gardens away from the lake pavilion—it was quite careless to stumble upon it by chance.
Liu Yan returned and reported to Shen Yuan, finding Shen Lang’s behavior strange.
“Perhaps Shen Wannin has said something bad about me again, and he’s pondering how to confront me.”
Shen Yuan didn’t even bother to glance his way.
In Shen Lang’s heart, she was no different from a beggar on the street—dirty, lowly, and impure!
---
At the Pei Residence.
In the study, shifting shadows cast Pei Ji’s stern figure onto the wall, exuding an oppressive aura.
“Xue Zhao was beaten to death while protecting Jiang Yao.”
“At that time, Jiang Yao was already several months pregnant!”
“Ultimately, the child was lost.”
“Governor, please accept my condolences.”
Song Lin reported the information he had gathered regarding Xue Zhao, mentioning Jiang Yao alongside it.
---
That name haunted Pei Ji’s soul countless times—the name that scorched his heart into unrest every time it came to mind!
Pei Ji felt as if his heart was being pierced by something sharp, then slowly and painfully flayed, flesh and blood torn apart until his very life seemed to be slipping away.
“Governor, Aunt Jiang is probably no longer alive. No matter how sorrowful you are, you must take care of yourself!”
Noticing the redness at the corner of his eye, Song Lin too felt sorrow.
Who could have imagined that once Pei Ji was so arrogant and unyielding, yet in the end, he willingly became a servant beneath Aunt Jiang’s skirts?
If that child had survived, perhaps it would be two years old by now!
Pei Ji’s brows were heavy with grief, a nameless ache surging in his chest. He rose and left the study without a word.
---
Autumn Water Garden.
The early winter wind drifted into the room, causing Shen Yuan to involuntarily shrink her shoulders.
Seeing this, Liu Yan hurried to lower the window lattice.
But just as she approached the window, she caught sight of a figure standing in the courtyard and nearly cried out in surprise!
“G-Governor Pei?”
Liu Yan thought she must be mistaken, rubbing her eyes carefully to confirm it was indeed Pei Ji standing there.
In the dead of night, why was he trespassing at the Shen Residence?
Hearing the noise, Shen Yuan put down the embroidered pouch she was working on and looked toward him across the window.
“Who cares if he’s Governor Pei! If he doesn’t apologize, I’ll chase him away!”
Liu Yan found a large broom somewhere and, with fierce determination, was ready to drive Pei Ji off.
“Liu Yan, you should step back,” Shen Yuan said calmly.
“But Miss…”
“This is our territory. What else could he be trying to do?”
“That’s true.”
Liu Yan lowered the broom warily. As she brushed past Pei Ji, she noticed he hadn’t once looked at her.
Compared to his usual haughty demeanor, Pei Ji’s eyes were red-rimmed, and his normally clear gaze was now troubled and restless.
He stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Shen Yuan as if he wanted to merge her very being into himself.
Only after closing the door behind him, sealing out the darkness, did Pei Ji swallow hard, his voice hoarse: “Jiang Yao.”