22 – She-Wolf
Listening to their conversation, he was reminded of his past life.
Yes, his Qiu’er had given him chances in their previous life, but he had missed them all, which was why in the end she wouldn’t even let him touch her corpse.
Actually, not all memories of his Qiu’er from their past life were painful. He had accompanied her while she practiced swordsmanship, she had joined him on border patrols, and they had chatted about daily life like an ordinary married couple. Sometimes she would do needlework while he reviewed official documents.
But every time after intimacy, his Qiu’er would drink a bowl of birth control soup. He had never stopped her, though he hadn’t wanted her to drink it since the second time. He never intervened. In his previous life, he had made the same mistake as the Marquis of Yong’an – they wouldn’t admit their faults, thus hurting those who loved them most and missing the most precious treasures in the world.
Actually, Qiu’er’s perspective was probably similar to Old Madam Shen’s. Neither was willing to become unrecognizable while competing for a man’s affection. But he hadn’t taken any concubines in his previous life either – from beginning to end, he had only had Shen Qiu. Why hadn’t his Qiu’er been willing to fight for his heart?
After Shen Qiu and Old Madam Shen left the garden, Ye Chen caught up with them. When Shen Qiu saw it was Ye Chen, her face immediately lit up with a smile as she approached him asking, “Where have you been all day?”
Ye Chen smiled and whispered, “Does this mean Qiu’er missed me?”
Shen Qiu glared at him without responding. Ye Chen chuckled, then said to Old Madam Shen, “Grandmother, I’ve come to take Qiu’er home. Is everything finished here?”
Old Madam Shen smiled, “Nothing more needs doing.”
Shen Qiu said, “Xiao Hang is examining Second Sister. Should we wait for him?”
Ye Chen told Old Madam Shen, “Would you please inform Xiao Hang that we’ve left first and he can return on his own later?”
After bidding farewell to Old Madam Shen, he left with Shen Qiu.
On their way home, the two sat in the carriage. Ye Chen kept his head lowered, lost in thought. Shen Qiu watched as his frown deepened, then knelt before him, looking up to ask, “Husband, what’s wrong?”
Seeing Shen Qiu before him, Ye Chen immediately pulled her into his embrace and murmured as if to himself, “If I hadn’t come to my senses on our wedding day, or if my realization had come too late, Qiu’er, would you have forgiven me? Before I came to understand, would you have tried to change me?”
Shen Qiu didn’t understand what he meant by “realization coming too late.”
After thinking for a moment, she said, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. You know I’m not very clever.”
“Well, to put it simply – for the Shen family’s sake, I wouldn’t leave you. For my own happiness, I would try to win your heart. But if you never responded, I would give up after several attempts.”
Ye Chen quickly asked, “What response? What counts as a response?”
Shen Qiu laughed, “Of course, an apology and genuine concern!”
“An apology shows attitude – that you recognize your mistake and are willing to change. Concern is the most straightforward expression of love, isn’t it? Just like how you treat me now – thinking of me in every small matter, considering everything for my sake!”
Ye Chen’s heart ached sharply. So in their previous life, his Qiu’er had been waiting for nothing more than an “I’m sorry,” nothing more than a “don’t drink that anymore,” yet he had never said those words.
Ye Chen held Shen Qiu tightly, not daring to relax his embrace in the slightest. So happiness had been so close to him all along.Until the carriage stopped at the Duke Manor’s entrance, Ming Yue called from outside, “My Lord, My Lady, we’re home!”
Only then did Ye Chen release Shen Qiu, then tightly grasped her hand as they returned together to Cherishing Autumn Pavilion.
After dinner, upon returning from the Hall of Glory and Majesty, both had washed up. Ye Chen was drying Shen Qiu’s hair with a cotton cloth when he said, “You have so much hair, and it’s so long. Wearing it coiled up every day – doesn’t your scalp hurt?”
Shen Qiu smiled, “It was uncomfortable at first, but now it’s fine. Yun Niang usually does the simplest style for me, so it doesn’t pull on my hair.”
“That’s good,” Ye Chen said. “By the way, tomorrow have Yun Niang style it for going out. I’m taking you somewhere.”
“Where?” Shen Qiu looked at him.
Ye Chen tapped her nose. “It’s a secret. You’ll find out tomorrow.”
The next morning during breakfast, Ye Chen informed his grandparents they wouldn’t be back for lunch and not to wait for them.
Ye Chen brought Shen Qiu out, followed by Ming Yue, Xing Er, and Mu Qing. Mu Qing tried several times to speak with Ming Yue, but she consistently ignored and avoided him.
They exited through the southern city gate, different from Shen Qiu’s usual northern route.
After about an hour’s travel, hawkers’ cries could be heard outside: “Come see! Prime slaves here! This one eats little but works hard, and this one…”
Puzzled by the shouting, Shen Qiu lifted the carriage curtain to look. Both sides of the road were lined with various cages containing bound people – men, women, children, elderly – all clearly priced. Strong adults commanded the highest prices, the elderly the lowest.
Shen Qiu quickly withdrew her head. She couldn’t bear the sight – though she had killed before and kept servants, she’d never witnessed such scenes. Her heart clenched painfully.
Feeling her tremble, Ye Chen squeezed her hand. “It’s alright. We’ll just buy one and leave.”
Shen Qiu forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just… surprised. I’ve never seen this before.”
Ye Chen held her close as the carriage stopped. Mu Qing’s voice came through: “Young Master, My Lady, we’ve arrived.”
When they alighted, the scene had changed completely. Before them stood a mountain cave, the path reduced to muddy quagmire with barely any footing. Ye Chen frowned deeply.
Mu Qing hurriedly explained, “It rained last night. The path is rather difficult.”
Without further hesitation, Ye Chen stepped into the mud, then turned to carry Shen Qiu. “Put me down,” she said.
“There’s no clean footing. Let me carry you to keep your shoes clean,” he insisted.
When Shen Qiu tried to jump down, Ye Chen warned, “If you jump, I’ll kiss you right now.”
Though easily capable of jumping free, Shen Qiu didn’t want to be kissed before everyone, so she allowed Ye Chen to carry her into the cave.
Stopping before an iron cage, Ye Chen said, “We’re here. Qiu’er, what do you think of this child? Shall we buy her?”
By the cave’s torchlight, Shen Qiu examined the cage’s occupant: messy hair piled atop her head, only one sleeve remaining on her upper garment, trousers reduced to tatters below the knees. She appeared about eleven or twelve years old, her eyes fixed on them like a predator watching prey.Shen Qiu looked into those eyes and thought of the wolf she had encountered in the northwestern wasteland.
Shen Qiu swallowed hard and jumped down from Ye Chen’s back. Well, she had carried him all this way for nothing.
Standing outside the iron fence, Shen Qiu rested her hands on the bars and gazed tenderly at the child inside. So thin and small—how much suffering must she have endured for her eyes to become like that?