Chapter 40: You May Call Me by My Name

Otherwise, you should be clamoring for the Shen household to drag Nanny Su back!

Shen Yuan watched as he hung his head and walked a few steps forward, then paused and looked back.

"If you truly can restore justice for Grandmother, don't forget to boast of my contribution in front of her."

"Naturally."

Shen Lang’s lips moved as if he wanted to say more. In the end, he held back and walked out of the garden with hesitation.

Watching his retreating figure, a thought stirred in Shen Yuan’s heart. She suddenly remembered that when they were young, Grandmother had loved him dearly. Even the pastries and fresh fruits often bestowed by the Empress Dowager were handed to the two of them to share, while Shen Yi was always left out.

Perhaps that was the reason Shen Lang was willing to help.

"Didn't argue with your second brother today?"

A clear, gentle voice came from near her ear. Shen Yuan turned around abruptly. Pei Ji’s figure appeared right before her eyes!

She subconsciously looked down. His legs were perfectly fine—not one less, exactly two!

Pei Ji lowered his gaze, following hers, and asked with a lazy, emphasized tone, "What are you looking at?"

Shen Yuan averted her gaze and replied coldly, "I thought you were pushing a wheelchair. I didn't expect you to have actually met a miracle doctor."

He gave a helpless smile. "You know well that was all a ruse."

If he hadn't set up a trap, how would Shen Wanning have agreed to call off the engagement? Pei Ji did not want Shen Yuan to bear the infamy, so he had to find a way to make Shen Wanning step back voluntarily.

"But it is true that you want me to be the substitute bride."

Shen Yuan did not want to look at him. She brushed past him, her voice tinged with melancholy. Back in Qingzhou City, she was Jiang Yao, who had changed her name. Now, in the capital, she would be the new bride taking Shen Wanning’s place. It seemed... she had never truly been Shen Yuan.

Sensing the loneliness in her words, Pei Ji was terrified she would misunderstand, so he hurriedly explained, "I will never let you be a substitute bride!"

Shen Yuan gave a mocking laugh. "Does the Commander have a better solution?"

She stared into those focused, dark eyes. Their depth held a sense of earnestness that did not seem like a lie. Shen Yuan was startled by that gaze, and her heart trembled slightly. She had not looked into Pei Ji’s eyes for a long time. Those flickering pupils were like a pure, bottomless pool—impossible to dodge, impossible to escape.

Just like before.

Whenever Pei Ji would call out "Yaoyao" in his low, mellow voice, she would be left defenseless.

But Jiang Yao had already died on Mount Jiuyang.

She died in that year when she was most despised and most trampled upon. Shen Yuan struggled to shake off the memories of the past.

"What is wrong?"

Pei Ji’s voice pulled Shen Yuan back to reality. She stared blankly at the man before her, dazed for a moment.

"I will personally propose the cancellation of the engagement to the Shen household and dissolve the betrothal between the Pei and Shen families. Between you and me, there will never be a substitute marriage. In the future, I will marry you openly and honorably!"

The determination in his eyes was scorching. Shen Yuan lowered her gaze, a bleak, distant smile playing on her lips. "Between us lie two lives. Becoming husband and wife would be a joke, and it would only be mutual torment."

Pei Ji gripped her slender wrist. He narrowed his eyes, his expression obscure and intense, with a surge of forcefulness. "Mutual torment is better than a lifetime of regret!"

Shen Yuan remained silent and pulled her hand away.

Exiting the northern suburban garden, the carriage Pei Ji had arranged had been waiting for a long time. Shen Yuan hesitated and did not board it. Suddenly, a plain but exquisite carriage approached. The curtain lifted, revealing the face of Lu Chengyuan.

"Long time no see. Would you like to come up?"

He smiled, his brows and eyes gentle, like the warm sunlight of early spring. Shen Yuan did not want to take Pei Ji’s carriage and was worrying about how to get back; her eyes lit up when she saw Lu Chengyuan!

"Yes!"

The carriage was somewhat narrow, but fortunately, both were slender, so it did not feel crowded inside.

After the wheels began to turn, Lu Chengyuan took a few warm jujube cakes from a side compartment and asked with a light smile, "Would you like some?"

"Thank you, Brother Lu."

Shen Yuan took a jujube cake and took a small bite. The taste was the same as it had always been. But now, she no longer liked sweets.

"Why are you here?" Shen Yuan asked. The northern suburbs were remote; few people ever traveled through this area.

Lu Chengyuan answered with a soft smile, "The Emperor wants to build an imperial villa near the northern suburbs to house the foreign envoys coming to pay tribute next year. I came here specifically to inspect the surrounding situation."

When mentioning the Emperor, his expression did not change in the slightest, as if he bore no grudge for the punishment he had received years ago.

Shen Yuan lowered her eyes and said to herself, "I came here to meet an old acquaintance."

Lu Chengyuan glanced at the receding garden. He had been familiar with the various estates and mansions in the capital since he was young, and he recognized that it belonged to Pei Ji. However, out of respect for her privacy, he did not ask further.

The journey back to the Shen residence was not short, taking about an hour.

The carriage was silent. Shen Yuan felt a bit uneasy and stole a glance at Lu Chengyuan beside her. His features were soft, and he was still wearing his court attire, likely having come straight from the palace after the morning court session. The vermilion robes made his posture look upright, and his jade-crowned hair made him appear gentle and dignified.

Since she was a child, Shen Yuan had known that Lu Chengyuan possessed a maturity beyond his years and was destined to achieve great things when he grew up. Now, in this capital, too many pavilions and terraces were built by his hand. The word "excellent" was not enough to encompass him. If it were not for this, why would the Emperor have endured the pain of losing a son and kept him alive?

"You asked me about Old Madam Luo last time. Is there some hidden secret?" Lu Chengyuan inquired. Even though Shen Yuan had brushed it off with a single sentence, he had sensed that something was wrong.

"Although Grandmother was ill, Nanny Su, who served her, said that Grandmother’s death was not caused by her ailment." Shen Yuan did not disclose the intricate details.

Lu Chengyuan guessed that she intended to uncover the cause of Old Madam Luo’s death. As the situation of the Shen family members surfaced in his mind, he realized this would likely not be an easy task.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Since it is a domestic matter of the Shen household, I won't trouble you, Brother Lu."

Lu Chengyuan smiled at her again. "Calling me Brother Lu is too distant. I am not much older than you; just call me by my name as you did when we were young."

He paused slightly when he said "name." He must have remembered that besides calling him by his name, Shen Yuan had also given him a nickname.

Lu Yuanyuan.

Lu Chengyuan could not help but chuckle; thinking of it now, it still sounded quite natural.

"Or, you can call me by my nickname, that is fine too."

Shen Yuan’s cheeks flushed suddenly, and she explained with embarrassment, "I was ignorant back then and gave you a random nickname. I’m glad you and Mother Wang didn't mind."

"My mother and I both think 'Yuanyuan' sounds quite pleasant, and the meaning is good as well."

"That’s good."

The carriage was filled with laughter, and the atmosphere eased. Mentioning their childhood, both felt a sense of inexplicable closeness, as if they had returned to their innocent days.

Shen Yuan felt a wave of nostalgia and wanted to talk about more childhood anecdotes, but the carriage had already arrived at the gates of the Shen residence.

"I’ve arrived. Thank you for bringing me back."

Shen Yuan nimbly jumped off the carriage and waved to Lu Chengyuan inside the window.

Lu Chengyuan nodded slightly. Not knowing what he was thinking, he suddenly asked in a low voice, "I heard that the marriage between the Shen and Pei families has encountered changes?"