The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law each harbored their own grievances, and naturally, their relationship had fallen to rock bottom.
Pei Jingnian was in no better mood. At the very least, he never stepped foot into Haitang Courtyard again.
Ningxiang Pavilion
After bringing the orchid back, Shen Yunshuang removed it from its pot and examined the roots. As expected, they had already turned brown, with signs of rot.
She scalded a pair of scissors with boiling water before carefully trimming away the diseased roots. Fortunately, she had discovered the problem early enough that some healthy roots still remained.
Watching from the side, Lürui and Xuezhi could not hide their concern.
“Miss… will this really work?”
Seeing Shen Yunshuang cut away the roots without the slightest hesitation made them anxious. The orchid looked so delicate that they feared it wouldn’t survive such drastic treatment.
Thankfully, after pruning the roots, Shen Yunshuang left the plant in a cool, shaded place to dry. Several days later, when its leaves remained a healthy bluish-green, the two maids finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Yunshuang had been confident all along. Once she saw the roots had dried sufficiently, she brought Lürui and Xuezhi with her to the garden.
The Marquis’s estate naturally employed gardeners to tend the flowers. As soon as one of them saw the young lady from the Shen family, he stepped forward with a smile.
“Miss Shen, are you looking to grow flowers?”
Shen Yunshuang smiled gently. Standing amidst the garden’s countless blossoms, her beauty outshone every flower around her.
“I’m not here to grow flowers,” she said softly. “I’m looking for some soil.”
She explained exactly what she needed before politely adding, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
At the same time, Xuezhi discreetly handed the gardener a small silver ingot.
The gardener quickly waved it away.
Miss Shen truly is kind-hearted, he thought. She treats even servants like us with such courtesy.
Shen Yunshuang knew good potting soil was easy enough to find, but her requirements were rather particular. She needed leaf mold, river sand, and even peanut shells. Gathering everything would take the gardener considerable effort.
She had no foundation or allies within the Marquis’s household. Treating others kindly could only benefit her.
Seeing that she insisted, the gardener finally accepted the reward and hurried off to gather the materials, promising that he would not disappoint her.
After giving her instructions, Shen Yunshuang did not leave immediately.
It was afternoon, and the weather was no longer unbearably hot. In the past, she had spent nearly all her time secluded in her chambers, rarely seeing the sun, which was one reason her body had grown increasingly frail.
But now she intended to nurse herself back to health.
She knew sunlight was beneficial, especially for someone like herself, who had been born with a constitutional deficiency of yang energy. Soaking up the sun could replenish her vitality and promote healthy circulation.
Besides, the scenery in the Pei family’s garden was truly beautiful.
She strolled leisurely through the garden with her maids.
Today, Shen Yunshuang wore a pale aqua ruqun, tied with a sash of the same color around her slender waist. As the breeze brushed past, the ribbon fluttered gracefully, lending her an ethereal elegance.
This was the sight that greeted Pei Jingnian.
He happened to be off duty that day. After practicing calligraphy in his study for a while, he had come out for a walk to clear his mind.
He had not expected to run into Shen Yunshuang.
He could have simply pretended not to notice her.
Instead, for reasons he himself could not explain, he found his feet carrying him toward her.
Xuezhi had sharp eyes. The moment she spotted the heir, she quietly tugged at Shen Yunshuang’s sleeve.
Turning around, Shen Yunshuang’s jeweled hairpin swayed gently, catching the surprise in her eyes.
She offered him a graceful curtsy, her etiquette impeccable.
“Cousin.”
Her voice was sweet and melodious, like the song of a golden oriole emerging from the valley.
Pei Jingnian’s Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly. His expression remained composed as he nodded.
“What brings you here?”
“I… I’m looking for some soil for the orchid.”
At the mention of the orchid, Pei Jingnian suddenly recalled what Su Wanrou had said earlier.
Almost casually, he asked,
“Is it the Spring Orchid ‘Tianyi Lotus’? Wanrou said you were very fond of it, so Mother gave it to you.”
As a man, Pei Jingnian wasn’t particularly sensitive to such subtleties. He had no intention of accusing her; he had merely brought it up as casual conversation.
But Shen Yunshuang’s face instantly turned pale.
A mist gathered in her beautiful eyes.
“Cousin… why would you say such a thing? I have never asked Aunt for anything…”
Her expression filled with panic.
It was Pei Jingnian’s turn to panic.
Her eyes were simply too beautiful, and he hated seeing them clouded with tears.
“H-Hey… don’t cry. I was only asking casually.”
Never before had Pei Jingnian appeared so flustered.
Shen Yunshuang lowered her lashes.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Did Sister-in-law tell you that? Though my family is of humble standing, I’m not someone who covets other people’s possessions. That orchid had only stayed with Aunt for a few days before it began to wither. I simply enjoy caring for flowers and couldn’t bear to see such a precious orchid die… That’s why I took it back.”
She paused, her voice trembling.
“I never imagined… that Cousin would think so poorly of me.”
Pei Jingnian had witnessed countless grand occasions in his life.
Yet he had never encountered someone like Shen Yunshuang—a delicate beauty as fragile as crystal, who could burst into tears in an instant.
He privately thought his cousin was rather delicate by nature.
Even so, he genuinely did not wish to see her cry.
Now that he had heard the whole story, he realized how inappropriate his question had been.
He immediately cupped his fists in apology.
“Cousin, I didn’t know there was more to the matter. I wronged you. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Shen Yunshuang turned slightly aside instead of accepting his salute.
Her eyes were rimmed red from crying, while her gaze had dimmed with sadness.
In a quiet voice, she said,
“I am only a dependent living under someone else’s roof. It’s only natural that Cousin would think that way of me.”
With that, she said nothing more and simply walked away.
Watching her slender figure disappear into the distance, Pei Jingnian remained rooted to the spot.
The image of her tear-filled eyes lingered in his mind, and an inexplicable irritation settled over his heart.