When Wen Zhiheng and Wen Zhiyuan returned, it was the first time they came home to no meal prepared.
“Where’s Shiyi? Where did she go?”
Madam Wen, sitting in the courtyard, asked in confusion.
“Shiyi isn’t cooking?”
Wen Zhirou hurried out from inside the house and spoke up.
“She went out again after coming back from town. Has she not returned yet?”
Wen Zhiheng took a deep breath.
“She was with you all along. Weren’t you aware she hadn’t come back?”
The second young mistress whispered softly.
“She rarely tells us when she goes out.”
Madam Wen added solemnly from the side.
“Could it be… she couldn’t bear the hardship and ran away?”
Wen Zhiheng lowered his eyes slightly, a chilling coldness filling his gaze, his hands clenching tightly.
“She wouldn’t.”
Rui’er shrank back timidly but mustered the courage to speak.
“Uncle, Sister went up the mountain carrying a basket. Could she be in danger?”
Wen Zhiheng immediately turned and strode out of the courtyard gate.
“Zhiyuan, bring the fire striker. We’re going up the mountain to find her.”
Chen Shiyi was indeed in peril.
She had stepped into a trap dug by a hunter.
The trap was deep, lined with many bamboo spikes. Fortunately, she had fallen in from the side where it had collapsed, otherwise she would have been pierced through with holes and died on the spot.
She had been quite alert before, but today, she must have been exhausted.
She tried many methods but couldn’t climb out for the time being. Still, she wasn’t anxious. She decided to sleep in the trap overnight; perhaps tomorrow, when the hunter came, he could rescue her.
The sky gradually darkened, and the forest grew quieter and quieter.
Chen Shiyi wasn’t troubled by this predicament. After all, she was accustomed to a life of being ignored.
What difference did it make where she slept?
That bed was no different—no thick quilts, no scent of cotton warmed by the sun.
Just a wooden plank.
But now, she was truly hungry.
In her drowsiness, she heard someone calling her name.
At first, Chen Shiyi didn’t believe it.
Such a thing could never happen to her.
Since childhood, no one had ever asked about her whereabouts.
She continued to sleep. Sleeping, sleeping—then she wouldn’t feel hungry anymore.
As the voice grew louder, she became clearly aware that the eldest young master had come looking for her.
She stood up abruptly and shouted out with all her might.
“I’m here…”
Soon, the eldest young master’s voice sounded nearby.
“I’m here…”
By the edge of the trap, the light of the fire drew closer, and the eldest young master’s figure came into view.
She could see sweat covering his forehead, his eyes filled with worry. Seeing her, he finally relaxed.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness, thank goodness…”
He comforted Chen Shiyi.
“Wait here. I’ll find a long enough branch to pull you up.”
Chen Shiyi adjusted the basket on her back, grabbed the branch Wen Zhiheng extended down, and with clever effort, climbed up step by step.
As she neared the opening, Wen Zhiheng reached out with his right hand and pulled her out.
Chen Shiyi sat on the ground, panting heavily—she was utterly exhausted.
Wen Zhiheng sat beside her and smiled helplessly.
“Were you scared?”
Chen Shiyi looked up.
“I was a little frightened at first. I’m afraid of dying. But later, I realized panicking wouldn’t help. At worst, I’d just sleep in the trap overnight. But I never expected you to come looking for me. I’m very happy.”
Wen Zhiheng reached out and ruffled her messy hair.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“Never mind. I’ll carry you on my back.”
After saying this, he crouched down without another word, signaling for Chen Shiyi to climb onto his back.
His back was already soaked with sweat, the scent of a man enveloping her. The spine she leaned against was scorching hot, flushing her cheeks. Not long after they started walking, the gentle swaying motion made her drowsy.
Chen Shiyi yawned softly and asked,
"Young Master, I'm so sleepy. Can I nap on your back for a while?"
"Alright."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against the side of his neck. Her warm, shallow breaths brushed against his skin, sending shivers through him.
Wen Zhiheng paused, then chuckled helplessly.
She was truly exhausted.
Along the way, she woke once.
The basket on her back was digging uncomfortably into her.
Chen Shiyi wanted to get down and walk on her own, but Wen Zhiheng wouldn't allow it.
He slightly arched his back, allowing her to lean more comfortably against him.
Chen Shiyi's voice was slightly hoarse.
"Young Master, you're so good to me."
Wen Zhiheng chuckled softly.
"What's this? You've taken on my responsibilities, helped me care for my family. Without you on this journey, they might not have survived until now."
"Ah? Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel quite capable."
"You are, of course, the most capable."
"Hehe…"
"Are you still angry with me?"
"Huh?"
"That means you're not angry."
"I'm not angry, really. When I'm angry, it's not like this."
By the time they returned to the courtyard, it was already very late. Someone had reheated the leftover food from the morning, and everyone had already gone to bed.
Wen Zhiheng and Chen Shiyi drank some of the leftover porridge.
No one in the courtyard took Chen Shiyi seriously.
She was their servant, a maid. No one would spare a thought for a maid's life.
The things she did were simply what she was supposed to do.
Lying on the wooden bed, she thought about it all night before finally reaching this conclusion.
It seemed only the Young Master cared a little about her.
If she hadn't accidentally seen him bathing by the stream, vigorously scrubbing his neck and repeatedly sniffing his own scent, she would have always believed the Young Master was the one who treated her best.
Suddenly, she wondered why she had worked so hard before, bustling about every day without rest.
Oh, right. She was afraid the Young Master would kill her.
Yes, she did it to survive.
Early the next morning, she got up and went to the mountain again to gather Chicken Nest Grass. She also picked a large handful of white flowers. On one slope, there were purple starry branches growing together, which looked quite beautiful.
Returning to the courtyard, she collected the herbs she had gathered the day before. The porridge she had simmered over a low fire in the morning was ready, and she drank a few mouthfuls.
"Where did you pick these flowers? They're quite pretty."
The Second Young Mistress happily took the flowers she was holding.
Seeing this, Chen Shiyi stepped in front of her, snatched the flowers back, and walked out the door with her basket on her back.
"Shiyi, what are you doing? Is this how you treat your masters? Leave the flowers here."
Chen Shiyi paid no mind to their shouts, which grew hoarse behind her.
When she reached the town, she sold the Chicken Nest Grass for over sixty coins. With twenty of them, she bought a box of pear cloud cake slices from Wu's Pastry Shop.
In Flower Street Alley, she finally waited for Nanzhi.
Nanzhi looked at Chen Shiyi in confusion.
"Didn't I tell you not to come again?"
Chen Shiyi handed the flowers she was holding to Nanzhi.
"Last time I heard you say you were waiting for some flower to bloom. I don't know what kind of flower it was, but I thought, since Nanzhi likes flowers, I'd pick this one and bring it to you."
Nanzhi looked at the flower in her hand, her eyes twitching.
Her companions beside her were doubled over with laughter.
"Nanzhi, someone brought you flowers, and they're gardenias too."
Chen Shiyi wondered if she had done something wrong.
Nanzhi's expression was clearly unpleasant.
Chen Shiyi then handed the pear cloud pastry slices to Nanzhi.
"From Wu's Pastry Shop, freshly made."
At that moment, the people nearby looked at Chen Shiyi with strange expressions. Everyone stopped laughing, their disdainful eyes tinged with a hint of envy.
Nanzhi finally smiled.
"You little girl, you're so poor yourself, yet you're willing to spend a fortune on pear cloud pastry slices for me."
Chen Shiyi's lips curved upward.
"Nanzhi gave me a chance to earn a living, so I should repay you. I'll go now, but I'll come see you when I have time."
Nanzhi watched Chen Shiyi's retreating figure, her eyes misting over.
"I still don't even know her name."
The bright petals in her arms, dewy and glistening under the sunlight, seemed to glow.
She brought the flower to her nose and sniffed.
"The flower actually smells quite nice."
Chen Shiyi exchanged the remaining copper coins for old rice and slowly made her way home.
Along the road, she faintly sensed someone following her.
She thought to herself, with neither wealth nor looks to speak of, surely no one would try to rob her?