Сhарter 15: He Wоuld Вe Hеartbrokеn
Оutsidе thе Drunkеn Sрring Tеrrасе, a gilded сarriage pullеd аwaу, its hооvеs sрlashing thrоugh рuddlеs and kicking uр mud.
Insidе the сarriage, Рrincе Xuan reсlined аgainst еmbrоidered сushions, his frame gаunt, his еуеs swollen аnd rеd frоm еxcеssive indulgеnce. Whеn he smiled, it sеemed аs though skin was merеlу strеtching оvеr bone.
“This girl wаs quite gооd—that slendеr waist, that fаcе… muсh mоre sеnsible than thе previоus оnеs…”
The attendant oppоsitе him bowed and flattеrеd, “Those lоwbоrn wretches are fortunate just to serve Your Highness for a moment.”
Prince Xuan let out a loud laugh, then cursed with another vulgar phrase.
He lifted the carriage curtain, intending to continue his crude banter, when his gaze suddenly halted.
Through the curtain of rain, a carriage slowly passed on the opposite street. A gust of wind lifted a corner of its curtain, revealing the cold, breathtakingly beautiful face of a young woman.
Prince Xuan’s lewd words caught in his throat as he stared at that face for a moment.
“Whose family does she belong to?” He licked his chapped lips. “What a face—clean, delicate… tsk, much more pleasing to look at than those filthy goods.”
The attendant beside him followed his gaze and replied softly, “Your Highness, that is the second young lady of the Shen family, named Shen Mingshu.”
“Shen Mingshu…” Prince Xuan murmured softly, then grinned.
He remembered.
Qiyin Pavilion.
Qing He stood by the window, looking outside, but all he saw were rain-soaked streets and dense, wet mist—no sign of the person they were waiting for.
“The second young lady probably won’t come.”
Qing He had waited for a long time, growing more anxious and distressed with each passing moment.
The suppressed emotions in his heart these past days seemed to ignite, flaring up abruptly.
The second young lady simply didn’t care about his master!
For her sake, his master had pushed aside important matters with the Fourth Prince, clearing an entire evening just to accompany her to watch a play!
And what about her? She didn’t even bother to come!
Just like before, after all!
Right now, the second young lady was probably with Xiao Zheng! How could she possibly remember his master!
He knew it—it was always like this. If his master and Xiao Zheng both fell into the water, the second young lady would definitely save Xiao Zheng first!
She might even take the chance to kick his master while he was down!
Jiang Xun leaned against a sandalwood armchair to one side, quietly lowering his gaze.
He had been deluding himself.
His fingertips traced the rim of the teacup. Outside the window, distant thunder rumbled, casting his handsome, refined profile in an increasingly cold light.
The carriage jolted abruptly less than two streets away from Qiyin Pavilion. The axle emitted a strange creak before tilting heavily, rocking the carriage and nearly throwing its occupants out.
The coachman cried out in alarm, “Oh no! The axle has broken!”
Shen Mingshu lifted the carriage curtain to look. The rain was not light—fine, dense, and urgent. In the distance, the soaring eaves of Qiyin Pavilion were faintly visible.
It wasn’t far now.
Waiting for the carriage to be repaired would take who knew how long.
She frowned, tightly wrapping the pastry box and the wooden box containing the cloud-lacquered brush inside her cloak. “We’ll walk.”
Chun Xing hurriedly opened an umbrella, while Xiao Tang shielded the hem of her skirt.
Wind carrying dampness rushed against her face. The embroidered shoes on her feet were already soaked through by the rain, growing heavy.
Shen Mingshu held the wrapped pastry box close to her chest, the cloak pulled tightly around her, yet it still couldn’t stop the rain from slipping from her hairline into her neck, sending waves of chill through her.
Chun Xing held the umbrella, but the rain was too heavy. With each gust of wind, the umbrella tilted off course.
Raindrops continuously struck Shen Mingshu’s cheek and shoulders.
By the time she finally reached the entrance of Qiyin Pavilion, most of her clothes were damp with rainwater.She raised a hand to smooth her hair, water droplets sliding from her fingertips, but her eyes held only urgency as she hurriedly rushed upstairs.
Just as she stepped onto the stairs, her feet slipped on the wet surface. She stumbled and let out a soft gasp, “Ah—”
A sharp pain shot through her ankle. She immediately grabbed the railing to steady herself.
“Miss!” Chun Xing cried out, rushing to support her.
Shen Mingshu bit her lip against the pain and shook her head to stop her. She pulled the pastry box from her embrace and carefully handed it to Xiao Tang.
“Hurry upstairs and give this to Elder Brother.”
She was already late, she feared.
What if Jiang Xun grew impatient and left first!
In the private room.
Pot after pot of tea had gone cold.
Jiang Xun still sat by the window.
Qing He paced back and forth beside him a couple of steps before finally speaking up, “Sir, you should stop waiting. The time has long passed. The Second Miss probably… probably never intended to come.”
Before his words faded, a light, urgent knock sounded at the door.
Qing He paused, immediately turning his head.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, the Second Miss’s maid, Chun Xing.”
Hearing it was Chun Xing, Qing He’s expression softened slightly. He strode forward and opened the door.
Outside, Chun Xing’s skirt was soaked through. She spoke in a slightly flustered, low voice, “The Miss will be here shortly. She asked me to bring this up first.”
“This is pastry our Miss made herself.”
Qing He pressed his lips together and stepped aside to let her in.
But when the food box was opened, revealing the delicate pieces of osmanthus cake inside, his face instantly darkened again.
The frustration he had suppressed until now finally snapped. He blurted out, “Why is it osmanthus again?”
“Does the Second Miss not know that Sir cannot eat osmanthus?”
“Every time he eats osmanthus, he breaks out in rashes. Last time, after just a few bites, he suffered for three days and nights, needing medicine twice before he recovered!”
He had watched his master grow up and knew all the hardships he had endured in secret.
Was it easy to become the top scholar at seventeen?
That was earned through relentless day-and-night study since childhood!
The Second Miss was young. For so many years, it had been his master handling all the affairs of the Shen household! And he still had to plan and scheme for the Second Miss—wasn’t that hardship too?
How much had his master done for the Second Miss behind the scenes? Did the Second Miss even know?
Why couldn’t she be a little kinder to him, even just a little?
Bringing gifts without even knowing what he could or couldn’t eat!
“Qing He, silence!” Jiang Xun frowned, his voice low and stern. “Go back and receive twenty strokes!”
“Elder Brother…”
Just as his words fell, an extremely faint voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Jiang Xun immediately turned his head to see Shen Mingshu standing at the entrance, draped in a soaked cloak, her peach-blossom eyes reddened by the cold wind.
She stood in the lamplight, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to fall from sheer distress.
“Elder Brother, I didn’t know you couldn’t eat osmanthus. I truly didn’t know you would get rashes. I’m sorry, I should have asked you beforehand. I’m really sorry…”
She wanted to be good to Jiang Xun, but she had ended up harming him again. Why was she so foolish? Why did she always mess things up…
The more Shen Mingshu thought about it, the more remorseful she felt. The mist in her eyes grew thicker. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Really, I didn’t mean to…”
She tightened her arms and suddenly remembered the box she was clutching tightly. She hurriedly opened it and explained anxiously.
“This is for you. I was late today because I went to buy this brush.”
“The brush seller was rushing back to Jiangnan. I chased after him for a long time before catching up. That’s why I was late…”
Jiang Xun looked at her.The girl’s eyes were red at the corners, her lips bitten pale. Her eyelashes were damp from the rain, and a faint flush of cold and tension colored her cheeks.
Yet her eyes remained clear, shimmering with moisture.
Perhaps because she was so cold, her hands trembled uncontrollably, but she still held the brush steadily.
Jiang Xun felt as if his heart had been seized and twisted mercilessly, the pain so intense it stole his breath.
It made him want to kneel down and tear out his heart to show her.
He was truly heartbroken.
Truly, utterly heartbroken.