==Chapter Four==
Again.
Feng Wenyu’s tense body suddenly went slack. She felt weak, yet not surprised.
There was always one who remained silent, making even an argument between them a luxury.
Even lying down, he still held her wrist captive, not loosening his grip in the slightest.
Feng Wenyu’s nose tingled with unshed tears, yet she found it somewhat laughable.
Who would have thought this would be their closest contact in nearly two years.
The medicine dragged her into dreams, while someone lay wide awake. Gu Yushi opened his eyes in the darkness, his lips curling in self-mockery—mutual disgust.
So in her eyes, they had reached the point of mutual disgust?
The position of the Gu family’s matriarch, his wife—was it truly so unbearable to her?
She was the one who broke her promise, so why did she wear such an aggrieved expression?
Once she fell asleep, he turned over and, unseen, reached out to touch her forehead, only releasing his grip when he confirmed her fever had subsided.
Although Feng Wenyu’s fever had broken, the potent prescription from Physician Li still left her bedridden for many days before she gradually recovered.
On the very day she could barely rise from her bed, the side gate of the Gu residence was knocked upon.
Jinshu went to answer it and returned with a face full of shock and uncertainty, whispering in a hushed tone:
“Madam, it’s… Young Master Shen.”
Feng Wenyu’s eyes snapped upward in disbelief. “How could he come?”
No sooner had she spoken than her Dai Mei furrowed involuntarily, and she coughed softly. Remembering Shen Jingchen’s delicate health, she forced herself to rise from the bed and instructed:
“Invite him in.”
Her face still bore an unhealthy pallor. With the autumn chill in the air, Shuyao draped a heavy Crane Cloak over her shoulders, fearing she might catch cold again. The Crane Cloak was an imperial gift—Lao Ye, held in high regard by the Emperor, often received such honors, and all such items were sent to the main courtyard. With no other women in the household, Feng Wenyu managed both the rear and front courtyards.
Clutching the Crane Cloak, Feng Wenyu walked to the outer chamber. She had not done her makeup—a breach of etiquette, but in her current state, she had no mind for such formalities.
Footsteps echoed from outside. Feng Wenyu looked up to see the person following Jinshu inside.
Dressed in a light, plain-colored robe, he stopped a short distance from Feng Wenyu. In stillness, he resembled jade osmanthus from the moon palace—aloof and pristine, untouchable. Yet a closer look revealed how frail his frame was, his complexion scarcely better than Feng Wenyu’s, who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Seeing the once-noble young master reduced to this state, Feng Wenyu fell silent. Rubbing her aching temples, she sighed:
“It rained not long ago, and the weather is still chilly. Why have you come out?”
Shen Jingchen remained standing where he was. Apart from that initial, careful glance at Feng Wenyu when he entered, he kept his eyes lowered, his gaze restrained. “I heard you were ill.”
Having received no news of her for some time, the next thing he heard was that she was bedridden.
After restraining himself for days, Shen Jingchen finally knocked on the Gu residence’s door.
Feng Wenyu invited him to sit and called for Jinshu to serve tea and pastries. Aware of Shen Jingchen’s current circumstances, she noticed his thin frame but refrained from probing too deeply, wary of reopening old wounds. She said:
“It’s been a long time since I last saw you. Since you’re here, it saves me a trip later.”
Though she said this, she actually didn’t approve of Shen Jingchen’s visit. His health was already poor, and if he caught an illness, it would only add to her worries.
The household was managed by Feng Wenyu, but she never restricted Gu Yushi from learning about the affairs within the estate. She understood better than anyone that there were two masters in this household.
Meanwhile, as the two were seated and conversing, Mu Fan was pacing back and forth at the palace gates. The moment he saw Lao Ye emerge from the palace, he nervously reported the news.
Gu Yushi froze in place, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness.
Mu Fan held his breath, not daring to make a sound, and silently led over a horse.
Someone mounted the horse and sped back toward the estate.
At that moment, in the Gu residence, Shen Jingchen knew he shouldn’t stay long. Upon learning that Feng Wenyu’s condition had improved, he rose to take his leave.
Feng Wenyu did not stop him.
She glanced at the untouched cup of tea beside Shen Jingchen and stood to see him out:
“The road to the southern city is long. How did you get here?”
Shen Jingchen paused but said nothing.
Feng Wenyu immediately understood and felt another headache coming on. “I’ll have a carriage prepared to take you back.”
Walking from the southern city to the Gu residence would take nearly two hours on foot.
She wondered what time he had set out to arrive at the Gu residence before noon.
Feng Wenyu turned to instruct Jinshu to prepare the carriage, but Shen Jingchen, unwilling to trouble her, instinctively reached out to stop her. However, as soon as he raised his hand, he seemed to remember something, frowned, and quickly withdrew it.
In that brief pause, Feng Wenyu noticed something amiss. Her expression changed abruptly:
“Your hand—!”
Shen Jingchen’s face shifted slightly, and he denied it outright: “I’m fine.”
But Feng Wenyu had already grasped his sleeve and saw the swollen, reddened state of his knuckles. She was suddenly stunned.
Feng Wenyu felt a wave of dizziness.
His hand… had been ruined?
Shen Jingchen knew he could no longer hide it. He stopped resisting, but seeing Feng Wenyu’s shocked expression, he couldn’t help but lower his eyes silently.
Feng Wenyu snapped back to reality and couldn’t help exclaiming, “How dare they—!”
She cut herself off, realizing she had spoken pointlessly. What wouldn’t they dare? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent Shen Jingchen to the Imperial Music Academy in the first place.
Shen Jingchen lowered his gaze, his voice still calm and detached, as if the injured person were not him. He said coolly:
“I no longer need to write with a brush. This way, it might keep them quiet for a while.”
He had long given up hope of achieving fame, and his hands were only useful for playing the zither to amuse others. If they were ruined, so be it.
Feng Wenyu’s hand trembled as she clutched his sleeve. Suddenly, someone strode in from outside, and the scene that met his eyes was this: his wife holding the sleeve of another man, the two standing face to face, the man’s gaze—no matter how concealed—undeniably present.
What a picture of tender affection!
Gu Yushi stared straight at the scene, his breath catching for a moment, his heart as if gripped by a tight fist. He remained frozen in the act of lifting the bead curtain, his knuckles turning pale. His gaze fixed unwaveringly on Feng Wenyu’s hand clutching the man’s sleeve. Emotions surged in his eyes before gradually settling into calm. His icy voice cut through the air:
“Everyone, out!”
Mu Fan immediately halted, not daring to lift his head.
Feng Wenyu stared in astonishment as Gu Yushi barged in. Following his gaze, she realized her hand still rested on Shen Jingchen’s sleeve. Instantly releasing it, she frowned slightly:
“Gu Yushi—”
With no outsiders present, Gu Yushi closed his eyes briefly, his lips curling in self-mockery and scorn: “Feng Wenyu.”
His tone halted her words, making her lift her eyes to him. His oppressive aura loomed like storm clouds, suffocatingly heavy. Without even glancing at Shen Jingchen, his gaze fixed solely on Feng Wenyu as turbulent emotions raged within him:
“Are you so desperate to leave the Gu residence? Since divorce negotiations failed, you’d openly invite someone into our home?!”
To let this entertainer cross our threshold—without even the slightest attempt at discretion.
Not sparing me a shred of dignity—what exactly are you trying to achieve? To force me into agreeing to divorce?
Do you cherish this entertainer so deeply?
Countless humiliating thoughts converged into one blatant accusation.
Feng Wenyu’s mind went blank. Gu Yushi had always been composed and restrained—except on their wedding day, she’d never seen him so unhinged. This very fact made his behavior all the more unbelievable.
What was he saying…
His words slowly penetrated her consciousness, leaving no room for misunderstanding. Her heart felt abruptly constricted, tethered to a heavy stone plummeting into deep waters, making each breath a struggle.
In his eyes, did she and Shen Jingchen share an illicit relationship?
This realization weighed heavily on her breathing. Raising her head, her voice emerged faint and unanchored as she grasped for words:
“…Have you gone mad?”
Shen Jingchen’s heart sank, recognizing he’d caused this turmoil. He stepped forward: “Lord Gu misunderstands—”
Before he could finish, Gu Yushi abruptly turned toward him. Unlike his pressurized questioning of Feng Wenyu, his gaze toward Shen Jingchen carried an icy sharpness that left no doubt about his disgust:
“Matters between her and me require no third party’s interference. Linyu Gongzi ought to know his place.”
Gu Yushi seldom revealed emotions openly, yet this marked the first time he’d displayed such undisguised loathing toward anyone. When had affairs between him and Feng Wenyu ever needed external explanation?
Who could discern whether a third party’s words aimed to clarify or to incite?
He’d addressed him as Linyu Gongzi.
His stage name at the Imperial Music Academy.
Shen Jingchen fell silent, immediately realizing Gu Yushi had likely long been aware of his existence.
Once suspicion takes root, if not promptly resolved, it accumulates over time, eventually festering into an incurable malady.
Shen Jingchen understood perfectly—in this situation, no amount of explanation could dispel Gu Yushi’s doubts.
Only one person could calm Gu Yushi now.
And his own interjection would only pour oil on the flames.
Feng Wenyu stared unblinkingly at Gu Yushi. After twelve years of marriage, she knew well the pride concealed beneath his calm exterior. That he’d lose composure before Shen Jingchen proved how firmly he believed she and Shen Jingchen shared an affair.
She took a deep breath, finding it absurd:
“We’ve known each other for fifteen years. In your eyes, am I really so fickle?”
Gu Yushi equally found it ludicrous: “Are you suggesting I’m falsely accusing you despite witnessing it myself?”
Feng Wenyu numbly closed her eyes.
It seemed this had become their pattern these past two years—inevitably, one would retreat into silence, neither properly addressing the other’s questions.
He had already pronounced her guilty.
Feng Wenyu felt utterly drained, and could only ask him wearily: “Since you believe I’ve been involved in an illicit affair with another man, why not give me the divorce papers?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Yushi felt a sense of confirmation—as if he had expected this all along.
Her goal was indeed divorce.
Gu Yushi stared fixedly at the woman. Her brows and eyes carried an indescribable weariness and numbness, and his heart sank little by little.
During these two years of mutual resentment, it wasn’t only Feng Wenyu who felt exhausted.
“Before we married, I promised you everything—and I have fulfilled it all.”
No concubines, no divorcing his wife, no keeping mistresses outside, protecting her for a lifetime.
Even during these two years, as their affection changed, externally he protected her reputation, and internally he provided her with wealth and comfort.
He didn’t know how the two of them had ended up like this.
Were they disgusted with each other now?
Gu Yushi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. He heard himself say:
“If divorce is what you insist on, I will grant it to you.”
The surroundings fell silent, making his words especially clear.
Shen Jingchen was speechless.
Feng Wenyu’s fingertips trembled. She suddenly turned her head away, and a single tear silently fell from the corner of her eye, disappearing into her collar.