==Chapter 12==
The matter of Feng Wenyu and Gu Yushi calling off their engagement simply couldn’t be kept secret. By the time Gu Yushi left Jingcheng, the news had already spread throughout the capital.
Feng Residence, Mingxin Xuan.
There had been no movement from the inner chamber for quite some time. Jinshu and Shuyao waited outside, occasionally glancing inward with growing concern in their hearts.
The common folk, with little else to occupy their time, often made idle chatter about the rumors circulating among the noble families. However, since neither party had committed any obvious wrongdoing in calling off the engagement, and Gu Yushi had chosen his timing well, while people in Jingcheng occasionally gossiped about it, the rumors never reached a fever pitch.
Still, as one of the parties involved, hearing such talk was inevitably unpleasant.
Shuyao brought a stool and sat in the covered corridor, weaving a decorative tassel. Seeing that her young lady had been silent for so long, she couldn’t help but complain to Jinshu:
“Lord Gu is really something. After calling off the engagement, he just left Jingcheng. The rumors can’t reach his ears, but our young lady is the one suffering.”
Regardless of how properly Gu Yushi had handled the situation, in Jinshu and Shuyao’s eyes, his act of coming to break off the engagement made him utterly despicable!
Jinshu frowned.
Who could argue with that?
She straightened Shuyao’s silk threads for her and stood up. “I’m going to the kitchen to have them prepare a bowl of chilled fresh milk for the young lady. The weather is so hot today, and with her in low spirits, she must be terribly irritable.”
Shuyao didn’t stop her, gathering all the silk threads to herself.
“Alright, you go. I’ll keep watch here.”
By the time Jinshu returned with the chilled fresh milk in a food box, the sun was already high in the sky. Noticing that the bedroom door remained closed, she paused in surprise before turning to Shuyao:
“The young lady still hasn’t gotten up?”
Shuyao also smiled wryly. “No.”
Jinshu’s expression shifted slightly. While the young lady did occasionally sleep in, it wasn’t a common occurrence. After all, she had so much to learn—from various skills to the intricacies of social etiquette. On the first and fifteenth of each month, she would rise early to pay respects to her mother, and with the frequent social engagements she attended, though still unmarried, the young lady kept quite busy.
Now, with noon approaching and the young lady still not awake, this was truly unusual.
Jinshu could wait no longer. Handing the food box to Shuyao, who had also come over, she frowned and said, “I’m going in to check on her. We can’t let the young lady dwell on those trivial matters.”
With that, Jinshu didn’t hesitate any longer. She gently pushed the door open.
The Shilang Manor pampered its young lady, and the furnishings and decorations in Mingxin Xuan were all exquisite. Passing the screen, she found the young lady completely concealed behind deep green bed curtains. Lifting the curtains, Jinshu saw the young lady with her Dai Mei tightly furrowed, a faint sweat glistening on her forehead. Startled, she forgot all about whether she might wake the young lady:
“Young lady!”
Was she having a nightmare?
Jinshu’s legs went weak. Instinctively, she almost turned to tell Shuyao to fetch the mistress and call for a physician.
But the next moment, she heard a faint sound from the bed. Jinshu quickly turned back to see the young lady murmur indistinctly, gradually opening her eyes, though her Dai Mei remained tightly knit.
Relieved to see her awake, Jinshu let out a heavy sigh and wiped her face.
“Young lady, you’re finally awake! What happened? Should we call for a physician?”
Feng Wenyu lay there, staring blankly at Jinshu.
She seemed to have had a very long dream, so long that she now struggled to distinguish between dream and reality. It took a while for her eyes to gradually focus. Subconsciously, she grabbed Jinshu’s hand, stopping her from hastily fetching a physician. Her throat felt dry, and when she tried to speak, discomfort washed over her.
She let out a dry cough.
Shuyao swiftly brought a cup of warm water, equally startled by the scene: “Miss, please drink.”
After moistening her throat, Feng Wenyu finally felt somewhat better and became aware of her surroundings. Frowning her Dai Mei, she seemed to weigh her words:
“I’m fine.”
Both Jinshu and Shuyao wore expressions of disbelief.
Feng Wenyu caught a glimpse of herself in the bronze mirror and realized she couldn’t convince anyone. She pursed her lips: “I just had a dream and got a bit frightened.”
The scenes in the dream were too absurd.
She had actually dreamed that she and Gu Yushi were already married. The details of the dream still lingered vividly in her mind: on their wedding day, she wore a green Feng Guan and Xia Pei, secretly lifting the Brocade Curtain to peek outside. The man, dressed in red, sat spiritedly on horseback, exuding an indescribable air of triumph and pride. Even someone as reserved as him had radiated an aura of elegance and arrogance at that moment.
Even the intimate details of their wedding night were dreamt with startling clarity.
Heavens.
Feng Wenyu covered her burning cheeks.
Had she gone mad?
Had she read too many romance novels lately? But those positions and details in the dream couldn’t possibly be explained by mere novels.
The more she recalled, the more ashamed and flustered she became. Her cheeks flushed hotly, the warmth spreading down to her earlobes. Her fair skin turned pink, the blush visible even through her undergarments.
But she and Gu Yushi had already called off their engagement. Why would she still dream of him?
Could she still be holding onto feelings for Gu Yushi?
It wasn’t impossible—after all, such long-standing emotions weren’t easily severed.
Once fully awake, Feng Wenyu embarrassedly covered her face and collapsed back onto the bed. Thank heavens no one knew what she had dreamed, or she would never be able to face anyone again.
She despised people who couldn’t make clean breaks.
She refused to become like that.
Feng Wenyu resolved not to tell anyone what she had dreamed. Otherwise, how could she ever hold her head high in front of Gu Yushi again?
Jinshu and Shuyao were alarmed by her behavior and anxiously asked:
“Miss, what’s really wrong with you? Are you truly alright?”
Feng Wenyu covered her face with one hand and tugged at Jinshu’s sleeve with the other, mumbling vaguely: “I’m fine, I just had a dream. Don’t disturb Mother.”
No one knows a child better than their mother, and vice versa.
She understood her mother well. Regarding the broken engagement, her mother already felt deeply regretful and guilty. She didn’t want to trouble her mother further with her own matters.
If her mother knew she had dreamed of Gu Yushi, she would surely think Feng Wenyu couldn’t let go of him, increasing her guilt and unease.
Jinshu carefully observed her mistress’s complexion. Seeing that Feng Wenyu had regained clarity and her face was gradually becoming rosy—almost excessively so—she hesitantly relaxed:
“Then this servant will assist Miss in rising and washing up.”
Feng Wenyu didn’t refuse.
She even requested cold water for washing. The cool cloth pressed against her face refreshed her entirely, finally covering up the embarrassing images in her mind.
Only then did Jinshu bring out the chilled milk, somewhat regretfully noting:
“It’s no longer cold.”
Feng Wenyu waved her hand, acknowledging she had overslept: “Mother says it’s bad for a woman’s health to indulge in cold things. This is just right.”
Even so, Feng Wenyu didn’t dare drink directly. She first took a bite of pastry before finishing the bowl of chilled fresh milk, finally becoming fully awake.
Perhaps dreaming of Gu Yushi had prompted Feng Wenyu to ask:
“Has Gu Yushi left Jingcheng?”
Jinshu glanced at her, as if gauging her mood before replying: “Yes, word came that the Imperial Envoy’s party set off by water route early this morning.”
Feng Wenyu felt uncomfortable under such scrutiny.
She wasn’t some golden Buddha statue in the main hall whose feelings could be severed at will. No matter how decisive she was, she still needed some time.
Feng Wenyu had lunch alone in the courtyard. After the meal, she asked:
“What is Mother doing?”
Shuyao knew a bit about it: “I heard Madam has been quite busy lately. She went out this morning and hasn’t returned to the residence yet.”
Probably more social engagements and banquets.
Since Mother hadn’t summoned her, it meant her presence wasn’t required. Feng Wenyu didn’t dwell on it.
Jinshu brought water for her to wash hands, saying: “The Eldest Young Lady sent a letter, asking you to visit the Prince’s residence these two days.”
Feng Wenyu instantly felt her scalp prickle.
If asked who she feared most, it would undoubtedly be her elder sister.
While everyone in the residence spoiled her, only her elder sister saw through something and had strictly disciplined her since childhood. All her studies had to be reviewed by her elder sister. But deep down, she knew that however strict her sister might be, when it came to affection, her sister loved her no less than anyone else.
This invitation to the Prince’s residence was partly out of concern for her, and partly to show support.
Just a marriage proposal from the Gu family – broken off is broken off! Who would dare gossip about their Feng family’s young lady!
But Feng Wenyu didn’t want to go to the Prince’s residence. She knew her visit would inevitably trouble her elder sister, who had just given birth and was still in confinement. She didn’t want her sister exerting herself.
Feng Wenyu frowned:
“Have Mother send word to Elder Sister, telling her not to trouble herself with my affairs. Taking care of her health is what matters most.”
After some thought, Feng Wenyu felt she should personally tell Mother, so she instructed: “When Mother returns to the residence, remember to have someone inform me.”
By evening, learning that her mother had returned, Feng Wenyu didn’t delay and went straight to the main courtyard. But upon entering, she saw her mother looking upset, which surprised her.
Mother was usually calm and steady, rarely so angered by anyone.
Feng Wenyu vaguely guessed that perhaps her mother’s anger might be related to her.
Entering the hall, Feng Wenyu studied her mother’s expression before tentatively asking: “What’s wrong, Mother? Who has upset you?”
Seeing her, Zhou Yueyu suppressed her emotions. Although she didn’t want to worry her younger daughter, keeping some matters hidden wasn’t good either.
In Jingcheng’s social circles, knowing the truth would at least help her daughter understand which families could become close friends and which could only maintain superficial relationships.
Zhou Yueyu composed herself before saying: “Do you know whose banquet I attended today?”
Feng Wenyu poured her a cup of tea and shook her head in response.
Remembering the banquet events, Zhou Yueyu’s expression darkened further: “The Li family.”
Information about the Li family immediately surfaced in Feng Wenyu’s mind – the head served as Imperial Censor, same third-rank official as her father. She vaguely recalled the Li family had an unmarried young master.
Feng Wenyu thought she might have figured out her mother’s purpose for attending the banquet today. And the outcome was also quite evident.
Although Lord Li was an official in the capital, he hailed from a prominent family in Qilu—the very heartland of Confucian and Mencian traditions, a true scholarly lineage. She had met the Li family’s young lady before and found it impossible to get along with her. Miss Li’s mind was entirely preoccupied with serving her husband and raising children. Despite coming from a scholarly family, she firmly believed that “a woman’s lack of talent is her virtue,” which Feng Wenyu found particularly stifling.
Perhaps in the eyes of the Li family, her previous broken engagement was an indelible stain.
Seeing that her mother was still upset, Feng Wenyu deliberately covered her nose and said, “No wonder I noticed a stale, musty odor clinging to Mother since she returned today.”
Zhou Yueyu couldn’t help but laugh:
“You, with that clever tongue of yours—never willing to let anyone off lightly.”
Only when Feng Wenyu saw her mother smile did she lower her hand from her nose. Tipping her chin up slightly, she sniffed lightly, “Well, they made you unhappy. They deserved it.”
Zhou Yueyu took in her daughter’s deliberate attempt to cheer her up. While comforted, she couldn’t help but sigh.
She had been too hasty.
Their family had only just withdrawn from the previous marriage arrangement. To start matchmaking for A-Yu so soon was bound to invite criticism from others.
Thinking this, Zhou Yueyu asked hesitantly,
“A-Yu, would you like to spend some time at your maternal grandmother’s house?”