The voice was not shouted loudly, yet Xie Xuanyi was jolted with shock, breaking out in a sudden, cold sweat across his back.
This was the ancient era, and having physical contact with an unfamiliar young woman was inherently not quite in accordance with traditional propriety.
Xie Xuanyi had never seen Shen Shixin display such a furious temper before.
The traditionally unconstrained and free-spirited young master—perhaps no longer to be called a young master strode over with large strides and delivered a slap straight across Xie Xuanyi’s cheek.
Before Xie Xuanyi could even organize his thoughts, he was struck by the sudden turn of events, leaving his vision somewhat dizzying.
The injuries from the previous few days had not yet fully healed, and taking another blow today made the burning pain on his face feel as though it wasn’t just on his skin, but rather like a red-hot branding iron trying to pierce through his flesh and sear straight into his bones.
Shen Shixin did not press his anger further upon Song Yingli, merely signaling her with a glance to leave quickly.
Song Yingli watched the unexpected turn of events unfold right before her eyes, the smile on her face freezing. Before a word of “thank you” could pass her lips, she saw Xie Xuanyi’s thin chest heave violently.
She opened her mouth, but her eye rims reddened first, and in the end, without uttering a single word, she retreated a few steps in utter disbelief, covered her mouth, and ran off.
Xie Xuanyi maintained the posture of having his face forced to the side by the impact, only to be grabbed by the chin by the enraged man and forced back around.
Shen Shixin was much taller than him. Standing close by, if he wanted to make eye contact, Xie Xuanyi had to tilt his head upward just to see the other’s eyes.
Yet the chin being forcibly lifted at that moment happened to expose the disheveled locks of hair and the swollen, reddish marks at his temples to the blazing sunlight.
Dignity and humiliation were like a bowl of fishy, bitter medicine, condensed within Shen Shixin’s pitch-dark pupils.
He blinked very slowly, realizing belatedly that the source of the fishy taste was inside his mouth.
It seemed the impact just then had bitten the inside of his cheek, and a rich, metallic smell of blood spread through the air, making him feel almost nauseous.
“Speak, what were you and that Miss Song doing?”
The hand gripping his chin gradually tightened, the sharp, aching soreness spreading step by step. The lowered eyes he always maintained surged with pain.
The other released his grip, and he seized the opportunity to explain: “It was simply that Miss Song was mischievous, became trapped in a tree, and this commoner feared Miss Song’s delicate body might suffer harm, which is why I impulsively offered a helping hand.”
Little did he know that Shen Shixin would greet his explanation with a contemptuous smirk, as if unable to take a single word in.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting.”
The spot where they stood happened to be a blind spot of the covered corridor. From the front courtyard came the innocent laughter of young masters from time to time, yet none of it had anything to do with Xie Xuanyi at that moment.
He looked at the handsome man before him, his heart plunging as though sinking into an ice cellar. Yet every single word and phrase uttered by the other felt like sharp awls piercing his eardrums, dripping with blood yet leaving no room for escape.
“Song Yingli’s father serves as the Junior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. If you manage to hook up with her, I’m afraid your father’s position could climb a bit higher.”
Shen Shixin leaned lazily against a vermilion pillar, seemingly having recovered from his earlier explosive rage, though his gaze was colder than usual.
“I couldn’t tell, Xie Xuanyi, your capacity for shamelessness has reached such a degree.”
Listening to Shen Shixin’s unvarnished speculation, Xie Xuanyi drew a long, slow breath, even his fingertips trembling continuously.
Who would have thought that Shen Shixin would abruptly twist his words, curving his lips instead into a smile, “Let me guess, what else did your father ask you to do? Hook up with Zhao Er?”
Xie Xuanyi jerked his head up, instinctively offering a denial once more: “I didn’t…”
He had never thought of doing such a thing.
Shen Shixin narrowed his eyes, still maintaining a posture of “I know everything.” “Didn’t you? You tried so hard to catch his attention today, and you still claim you didn’t? Xie Xuanyi, you really know how to throw all your pride away.”
Never expecting Shen Shixin to say such a thing, Xie Xuanyi found his train of thought momentarily derailed.
Realizing that Shen Shixin’s idea of “catching attention” referred to him being scolded by the tutor during class, Xie Xuanyi felt even the strength to mock himself drain away entirely.
For the very first time, he summoned the courage to raise his eyes, staring fixedly at Shen Shixin, and asked him with a pleading undertone: “You’ve always believed I’m that kind of person, haven’t you?”
The other gave a cold snort, pulling no punches: “Why speak of belief, Xie Xuanyi? You have always been someone so base and low down to your very bones.”
“Even if this young master looks down on you, don’t even dream of climbing up to high branches. Today there is a Song Yingli, tomorrow there will be a Li Yingli or a Fang Yingli. If this young master catches you tangling with people again, I’ll definitely have someone break your legs.”
Xie Xuanyi had rarely heard such rude and brutal words, and his frame swayed unsteadily. He figured the other must have been driven out of his mind by anger to say such things.
“Shen Shixin, do you truly not have even the slightest…”
Did he truly not have even a shred of fondness for him?
Before the words could leave his lips, they were interrupted by an incoming arrival, causing both of their actions to pause simultaneously.
A person dressed in short servant attire ran over, realizing belatedly that he had interrupted at the wrong time. Panicking, he wiped the sweat from his brow and panted, “Young Master, this servant was ordered to fetch the young master back to the estate.”
Shen Shixin’s impatience was palpable: “Mother is urging again? Go back and tell her this young master will return on his own shortly.”
The servant swallowed hard, steeling himself as he spoke: “N—Not the Madam, it is the Old Madame who sent this servant to invite the Young Master to the Second Master’s estate, saying it is to, to partake in a simple meal.”
Hearing that it was his grandmother, Shen Shixin’s brows relaxed somewhat, and he said to Xie Xuanyi, “Today, out of regard for my grandmother, this young master will not argue with you further. If there is a next time, this young master means what he says.”
Seemingly sensing the low-pressure aura radiating from Shen Shixin, the servant shrank into himself like a quail the entire way back, not daring to draw a single heavy breath—a sight that inexplicably irritated Shen Shixin even further.
He was reminded of Xie Xuanyi, who had behaved just as timidly like a quail upon seeing him, yet was infinitely more pleasing to the eye than this servant.
The carriage was built high and grand, requiring a small stool just to climb aboard. Inside, purple-red curtains hung down, their ingot patterns possessing a delicate, glossy texture; though understated, one could tell at a glance that the quality was extraordinary.
Pedestrians hurried back and forth along the street, and upon catching sight of such grand pageantry, they inevitably guessed which noble household it belonged to and what manner of beauty could possibly be worthy of such splendor.
Shen Shixin gazed down as well at the purple silk hanging low.
Xie Xuanyi had fair skin and usually wore light green tones, which always gave him a sickly air that inexplicably drew aversion; if he were to wear fabric like this, he thought, it would probably look exceptionally pleasing as well.
Realizing whose image had crossed his mind, Shen Shixin suddenly let out a mocking chuckle.
What difference was there between him and a servant? Why would he suddenly daydream about him did he even deserve to wear such fabric?
Out of the corner of his eye, the servant noticed his master alternating between frowning and smiling, growing even more panic-stricken inside. He could only close his eyes and pray to keep his head attached to his neck; if he couldn’t survive, he at least wanted to leave behind an intact corpse.
Master and servant, harboring entirely different thoughts, were worlds apart.
Upon entering the estate, the moment Shen Shixin caught sight of Old Madame Shen, his face blossomed into a wide smile as he invited her to be seated.
It was rare for Shen Shixin to show such gentleness, obediently taking a seat beside the old madame and smiling: “Isn’t Grandmother recuperating at the old ancestral residence? Why have you returned so early?”
Old Madame Shen’s personal given name was Yuzhu, and before marrying into the Shen family, she had also been a legitimate daughter of the Wei family. The Wei family was a renowned military lineage, boasting successive generations of stalwart iron-clad warriors and elite military commanders; even many of the daughters had trained in martial arts from a young age, possessing extraordinary combat prowess and earning illustrious military renown. It was only due to the dwindling numbers of descendants in later generations that Wei Yuzhu’s two older brothers fell consecutively in battle, leaving behind only her and a younger brother, and to this day the Wei family still rarely produced heirs.
Missing her maternal family, the old madame had frequently resided at the Wei estate in recent years to recuperate, and no one within the Shen household dared to raise objections.
“I simply missed my good grandson,” Old Madame Shen looked at her grandson, her eyes curving into deep smiles. Though deep wrinkles lined the corners of her eyes, they failed to mar a beauty’s countenance. “Xin’er ah, how have you been faring lately? Has your studies been delayed?”
Shen Shixin followed the old madame’s lead: “Grandson wouldn’t dare. Everything is well in the estate, and today’s autumn examination did not disappoint the teachings of the master and our elders—I achieved the Jia tier.”
Hearing of her grandson’s excellence, the old madame’s smile grew even more gratified. She took Shen Shixin’s hand and gently patted the back of his hand: “Good, good, good. With this, Grandmother can rest easy.”
The conversation reached this point, yet abruptly took a turn.
“Since Xin’er is so exceptionally talented, I imagine you catch the eye of many young maidens.”
Realizing what Wei Yuzhu intended to bring up, Shen Shixin’s smile faded somewhat, and he quietly withdrew his hand: “Grandmother jests.”
“What jesting, Xin’er must not sell himself short,” the old madame voiced her dissatisfaction, pulling over a young maiden who had just stepped into the front hall to sit beside her. “Xin’er, do you find this young Miss Wu to your liking?”
Shen Shixin remained silent, quietly observing the so-called Miss Wu mentioned by the old madame.
Miss Wu, as her name implied, was indeed delicate and demure, yet seemingly unable to withstand the weight of his gaze, she blushed crimson and shyly ducked behind the old madame’s back.
Old Madame Shen appeared to genuinely favor Wu Xian’s girlish demureness, her eyes brimming with satisfaction as she took the young girl’s wrist and looked her up and down.
The jade bracelets on her wrists struck together with a tinkling chime, a sound that only served to make Shen Shixin grow increasingly restless, though out of respect for his elder, he refrained from speaking bluntly.
Shen Shixin took a symbolic sip of tea: “Grandmother, Miss Wu appears not yet to have reached the age of coming-of-age, while grandson is already twenty-two. I imagine it’s hardly a suitable match.”
He had zero interest in young girls.
People were coming and going outside the door one after another as maids and servants arrived to lay out the dishes.
Gazing at the appetizing array of dishes set upon the rosewood table, Shen Shixin found his appetite completely gone.
“This child, speaking such callous words,” the old madame glared at him, though affection for her grandson won out in the end. “Miss Wu has admired you for a long time; how can you simply brush her off with a casual mismatch? Spend more time interacting with her, and we can discuss it later if it truly proves unsuitable.”
Holding white jade chopsticks, Shen Shixin took a couple of bites of steamed mandarin fish before looking toward Wu Xian. Wu Xian seemed to sense his cold detachment, secretly reddening her eyes as she wiped away tears with a pitiful, delicate posture.
He suddenly lost his appetite entirely, an inexplicable irritation lingering and refusing to dissipate in his heart.
“Then let Grandmother arrange it as she sees fit. Grandson still has coursework to attend to, so I’ll boldly excuse myself.”
He stood up, offered a perfunctory salute, and walked out independently without waiting for the old madame to grant permission.
Stepping out the door into the night breeze, Shen Shixin abruptly felt a wave of regret wash over him.
He wasn’t someone who disregarded family affection or lacked basic etiquette; on the contrary, the Shen family placed great emphasis on cultivating traditional etiquette in their descendants, and his usual conduct was decent enough. Why had he acted so recklessly today, even directly contradicting the grandmother who had always doted on him?
Shen Shixin drew in a deep breath.
“Young Master Shen, if you ask me, your standards are simply too high.”
Inside the Yuxiang House, Young Master Xiao downed cups of wine one after another, his face flushed a bright crimson.
Shen Shixin somewhat regretted coming here to find his friend.
He had never visited such a place before.
Frightening a few lightly-clad maidens away with a cold glare, Shen Shixin sat beside Xiao Jun shrouded in a freezing, piercing chill, which displeased the other and prompted him to start picking apart Shen Shixin’s flaws.
Xiao Jun, acting out of a fondness for delicate beauty, draped an arm around the pink-robed beauty’s slender waist, drinking heavily cup after cup in a thoroughly debauched, playboy posture.
“Even Wu’s young miss fails to catch your eye—what kind of woman could possibly catch the eye of you, Young Master Shen?”
At this point, the drunkard logic of Xiao Jun somehow managed to circle back and rationalize itself. He mumbled incoherently, cradling the pink-robed beauty’s face to plant a kiss, and chuckled idiotically: “That’s right, the guy doesn’t even appreciate the number one beauty in town, let alone know how to cherish a jade maiden better let your young master dote on you instead…”
Watching his friend indulge in dissipation while remaining untainted himself, Shen Shixin simply poured himself wine and drank alone.
Yet, having drunk too much alcohol, Xiao Jun inexplicably caught some odd whim, looking toward Shen Shixin with a wicked grin: “Hey, since Young Master Shen cares neither for the Wu family miss nor for flower maidens, could it be you have no interest in women at all, but prefer men instead?”
Upon reaching this conclusion, he grew all the more certain, waving over two delicate young male attendants with a wave of his hand and a flurry of winking and grinning: “Serve Young Master Shen well.”
Regardless of what standards Yuxiang House used to select people, these two attendants looked quite different, yet both carried an immature, delicate beauty. Though their frames were slightly larger than a young maiden’s, they retained a pleasing, alluring charm.
Seeing the two genuinely blushing and crowding closer, Shen Shixin’s face darkened instantly. With a swift kick to the small wine table where Xiao Jun had been drinking, the porcelain bowl of grapes shattered as the fruit scattered across the floor in a flurry of rolling spheres.
The two attendants turned pale with fright, stepping back a few paces in terror, while Xiao Jun sobered up considerably, blurting out in a hurry: “Shixin, don’t get angry—if I had known you disliked it, I wouldn’t have called them over, right?”
Yet the other refused to listen to a word, throwing on his outer robe and striding rapidly away.
The servants waiting outside saw Shen Shixin stride out and hurried to give chase, but failed to match his speed and were quickly left far behind.
The night was already deep. Xie Xuanyi had just finished explaining the Analects to the little maidservants; lingering doubts remained among them, yet each wore an expression of intense excitement.
A-jian’s eyes sparkled as she offered unreserved praise: “Master, you understand so much!”
Meeting such an ardent gaze, he felt rather ill at ease and waved a hand: “It’s getting too late today, shall we discuss other chapters tomorrow night?”
The little maidservants dispersed with smiles. The smile on Xie Xuanyi’s face gradually faded as well; he shed his outer robe and blew out the candle.
A single flicker of bright light remained upon the wick, slowly vanishing into the veil of night, leaving a strange, exotic fragrance lingering faintly in the air.
Out of the shadows, a gloomy, sunken voice abruptly sounded.
“Xie Xuanyi, the tutor was right.”
“Are you incapable of remembering what others have said, or do you deliberately choose to forget?”