Zhao Shen said, “Yao Ruolan refuses to return, so he went to the Silk and Satin Shop and caused a scene.”
Ji Yunshu couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.
Well, it was difficult for the male protagonist to maintain any semblance of rationality when it came to matters involving the female protagonist.
She blinked and asked, “The matter isn’t over yet, is it?”
Jingzhe glanced at Zhao Shen. Seeing Zhao Shen give a subtle nod, he explained in detail, “The men we sent to follow the Second Young Master said that after he discovered Miss Yao at the Silk and Satin Shop, he had a courtyard purchased. It seems he intends to settle Miss Yao there, but Miss Yao is unwilling. The two of them have parted on bad terms several times.”
He paused here, his tone becoming somewhat delicate. “Today, he saw Miss Yao with a stranger, which is what started the commotion. Miss Yao was very angry and told the Second Young Master to stop interfering with her life.”
As expected, the male supporting character had made his appearance.
“Does my second brother intend to build a Golden House to Hide a Beauty for Miss Yao and keep her as an Outside Chamber?” Ji Yunshu said, her eyes wide. “That’s actually a good idea.”
Jingzhe was somewhat speechless. Was his Madam being serious?
A woman kept outside by a man was called an Outside Chamber if one wanted to be polite, but to put it bluntly, she was a Plaything.
To his surprise, Zhao Shen also nodded. “It is indeed a good idea. Unfortunately, Miss Yao will not be willing.”
Jingzhe thought to himself: No respectable girl would be willing to accept such a thing.
Yao Ruolan was still rational for the time being, so she naturally refused.
She had once believed that her childhood bond and mutual affection with Zhao Heng could overcome anything. If her cousin didn’t have a marriage contract, he would surely marry her.
Therefore, after Ji Yunshu married Zhao Shen, even though Yao Ruolan had been shamed by being caught in the act of adultery in public, she still felt a flicker of joy in her heart. From then on, her cousin would belong to her alone.
But the cruel reality eventually made her realize the Gap of the Young Master of the Marquis’s Household.
Ji Yunshu’s words had made her understand even more clearly that while Zhao Heng might love her, he would never give up his status, position, or reputation for her. Even without Ji Yunshu, he would still marry another Noble Daughter from a Prestigious Family.
And because of the Empress Dowager’s Imperial Decree, she didn’t even have the qualifications to be a concubine.
Having stayed in the Marquis’s residence for so many years, only ever moving between the small spaces of the inner courtyard, her eyes and heart had been filled only with her cousin.
But in truth, she had also followed her family when she was young when they were Exiled to the Northwest; she had seen a broader world. The deaths of her family members one after another in that place of exile had taught her that no one in this world is indispensable for survival.
When she heard her cousin suggest she live in a courtyard outside, her heart broke, but it also cleared her mind.
Her cousin only wanted her to be a Golden Canary, but that wasn’t what she wanted.
Inside a Private Room of the restaurant.
Yao Ruolan looked at Zhao Heng sitting opposite her, her eyes filled with determination. “Cousin, Young Master Cen is magnanimous and did not take offense at your rudeness today, but I hope you won’t come again.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng’s expression changed instantly. He stood up and said agitatedly, “What do you mean by that? Is your refusal to come back with me because of that man named Cen? He’s nothing more than a low-life Illegitimate Son of the Cen family…”
“Cousin,” Yao Ruolan interrupted him before he could finish. “You look down on an Illegitimate Son, but if you keep me as an Outside Chamber, what would I be? And what would our children be in the future?”
It was as if Zhao Heng’s throat had been seized; he fell silent.
After a moment of silence in the Private Room, Zhao Heng spoke again. “This is only temporary. You know I’m doing this to protect you.”
Yao Ruolan looked directly into his eyes and said seriously, “I know. But by treating me this way, it’s destined that whoever marries you will never be able to tolerate me. Cousin, it is I who am not worthy of you. This is my fate, and I accept it.”
“I don’t accept it,” Zhao Heng said flatly.
Yao Ruolan’s resolute words made him realize that she truly didn’t want him anymore.
But how could that be allowed?
From childhood to adulthood, his father’s heart had been entirely on his elder brother, showing him no concern at all. His mother appeared gentle on the surface, but in private, she was extremely strict with him. Because he was inferior to his brother in every way, he was constantly criticized for the slightest mistake.
In all his years, only his cousin truly cared for him and adored him. She would coax him into happiness when he was scolded by his mother and comfort him when he was ignored by his father.
He wanted to follow his mother’s instructions to marry a Noble Daughter from a Prestigious Family who could help him secure the title of the Marquis’s residence, or even greater Power and Influence.
But all of this was so that he could be with his cousin openly and protect her properly. If he lost her, what would be the point of everything he was doing?
Zhao Heng’s eyes turned bloodshot. He took a few steps toward Yao Ruolan and grabbed her shoulders with both hands. “I was wrong, Lan’er. The only person I want to marry is you. Just wait for me a little longer, alright?”
Hearing his pleading words, the defenses Yao Ruolan had worked so hard to build collapsed in an instant.
In the end, she still loved him.
She threw herself into Zhao Heng’s arms, sobbing. “You only bully me because you know I like you.”
Zhao Heng held her tightly and said softly, “I’ve wronged you. Don’t be angry with me, otherwise, I really won’t know what to do.”
“Cousin, I can’t bear to leave you either,” Yao Ruolan whispered.
As they spoke, they began to kiss.
In the adjacent Private Room, Ji Yunshu was watching intently through a hole in the wall when she was suddenly pulled back. A painting then dropped down, covering the hole used for peeking.
Ji Yunshu was very dissatisfied with the person in the Wheelchair behind her. “What are you doing?”
Seeing her indignant look, Zhao Shen said with a dark face, “One should not look at what is improper.”
Ji Yunshu naturally knew that peeping was wrong, but it was rare to encounter such a “live broadcast.” Since the parties involved weren’t afraid of being caught, she felt she might as well watch.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. It wasn’t even as intense as our wedding night…”
Ji Yunshu grumbled under her breath, but ultimately felt too embarrassed to continue peeking in front of Zhao Shen. She walked over to the table, sat down, and poured herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves.
Upon learning that Yao Ruolan had arranged to meet Zhao Heng at the restaurant, Ji Yunshu couldn’t help but encourage Zhao Shen to come out and watch the scene with her. Staying in the residence all the time was far too boring, and she also wanted to see how the two of them would develop.
“How did they make up so easily? Yao Ruolan is far too spineless.”
Was that the point?
Zhao Shen really didn’t know what to say to her and could only turn to the main topic. “It seems you were right. Yao Ruolan’s position in Zhao Heng’s heart is extraordinary. He likely doesn’t intend to marry anyone else.”
Ji Yunshu disagreed. “But the problem between him and Yao Ruolan hasn’t been solved. He just told her to wait for him. Wait for what?”
She had thought Yao Ruolan might be a bit more clear-headed, but after Zhao Heng said a few sweet words without making any real promises, she was already pacified.
As expected, one couldn’t place too much hope in a tragic novel female protagonist. Then again, if she could forgive having her heart and kidneys cut out and her entire family wiped out, what did a small matter like status matter?
She still didn’t understand the true thoughts of someone with a Love-Obsessed Mind.
Zhao Shen also didn’t understand the point of the two of them being so entangled. He only heard Ji Yunshu suddenly ask him, “If you were Zhao Heng, with your beloved cousin on one side and your status and future on the other, which would you choose?”