Li Mingrou’s face turned pale at the words, and she remained frozen in place long after Ji Hanyi had departed.
Rong Chun followed at Ji Hanyi’s side. Hearing what the Young Madam had just said, she felt a slight sense of relief.
However, she couldn’t help but speak up in concern, “What if she goes to the Eldest Young Master to complain again?”
It wouldn’t be the first time. Li Mingrou appeared gentle and dignified, but behind the scenes, she was prone to striking first with false accusations. Unfortunately, the Eldest Young Master always favored her and had never once believed the Young Madam.
Ji Hanyi had already planned to discuss the divorce agreement with Xie Yuheng within the next couple of days. Even if Li Mingrou did speak to him, it no longer mattered.
She and Xie Yuheng were perhaps never meant to walk the same path.
She pulled her fox-fur cloak tighter around her and said softly, “Don’t worry. Let’s head back first.”
The bluestone path was damp. As her skirt swept across it, a faint trail of color reflected in the scattered puddles.
As they passed a bamboo grove, low voices drifted from ahead. “Did you see how she didn’t dare say a word this morning? She could only grit her teeth and swallow her resentment.”
“When she first married in, she brought such a shabby dowry—only two trunks. Yuheng was the only one willing to marry her.”
A sigh followed. “It’s a pity. Yuheng and Mingrou were such a perfect match, but she had to force her way in.”
Ji Hanyi’s footsteps halted.
A slightly younger voice chimed in, “That may be so, but I actually pity her.”
“Back when the Ji family was still around, how glorious were they? Even the Xie family couldn’t compare. Who would have thought that overnight…”
Another faint chuckle rose. “Why pity her? This is all fate.”
“Why do you think my Eldest Sister-in-law won’t let her help manage the household? Isn’t it because she’s afraid she’ll take things to support her sickly mother? Her maternal family has declined as well. If she were allowed to manage the house, wouldn’t she just send everything to outsiders?”
“Eldest Sister-in-law has always been on guard against her.”
The voices gradually faded, dissolving into the sparse leaves of the cold winter.
Rong Chun turned to look at Ji Hanyi in a daze.
Those voices were instantly recognizable as the Second Madam and the wife of the second branch’s son.
Ji Hanyi stood where she was, looking up at the falling withered leaves. She reached out to catch the drifting light snow and let out a long, white breath of air.
It was nothing but irony.
***
That night, Ji Hanyi sat in a side room behind the courtyard, writing a letter.
This room served as her usual study. Xie Yuheng never allowed her into his study in the courtyard. Even though he often stayed in the study in the front yard, the one in the inner courtyard was also forbidden to her.
Ji Hanyi knew that the case files Xie Yuheng handled were complex and that his study shouldn’t be easily accessed, so she had fixed up a room in the row of side rooms behind the courtyard.
This place was next to the storehouse and few people came here. Ji Hanyi was someone who enjoyed peace and quiet. Since she didn’t have to manage the household, she spent all her free time here unless Xie Yuheng returned.
The dim yellow candlelight wasn’t bright, but it was enough to illuminate her desk.
Ji Hanyi sat upright, spreading out the letter paper before picking up her brush to write.
The Ji family was gone, and she couldn’t stay with her maternal family for long. After the divorce, she had to arrange a path for herself.
As she finished the final stroke, Ji Hanyi looked at the words on the paper and reached out to stroke the white cat in her lap.
The white cat was a stray she had picked up. Since Xie Yuheng disliked it, she never brought it before him and kept it here instead.
Rong Chun came over to help her put the letter away and heard Ji Hanyi whisper, “Let’s make it as quick as possible.”
Rong Chun nodded hastily.
Ji Hanyi then opened a half-finished scroll beside her and lowered her head to continue painting.
When Xie Yuheng returned, his body carried the damp chill of the winter night. When he entered, the main room was empty and felt somewhat desolate.
He remembered that in the past, whenever he returned, Ji Hanyi would quickly come over to help him change his clothes and hand him a bowl of warm soup she had brewed.
No matter when he returned, that figure was always there.
However, Xie Yuheng only frowned slightly and didn’t ask any questions. A nanny approached and whispered, “The Young Madam is in the back room. Should I go call her?”
Xie Yuheng simply changed his clothes and didn’t speak, clearly indicating it wasn’t necessary. The old woman tactfully withdrew.
When Xie Yuheng stepped out of the room, an attendant came over to drape a cloak over him. As he walked toward the study, he saw a medicine pot gurgling with steam by the door. The scent of herbs spread, filling the courtyard with a faint, bitter aroma.
The young maid squatting nearby to decoct the medicine noticed Xie Yuheng’s downward gaze and quickly stood up. “I am brewing medicine for the Young Madam’s cold.”
Xie Yuheng recalled hearing Ji Hanyi cough lightly a few days ago. It had already been two or three days since then.
He had also heard from the housekeeper that she had called for a physician, so it must have been a cold.
In his memory, Ji Hanyi never seemed to get sick. On the other hand, Mingrou’s health was always poor, and she fell ill every few days.
He pursed his lips, said nothing, and continued walking.
By the time Ji Hanyi returned from the back of the courtyard, it was already late. She had been absorbed in her painting, and since she didn’t particularly care whether Xie Yuheng returned to the room or not, she was much later than usual.
Returning to the main house, the room was still empty. Seeing the dim candlelight, Ji Hanyi knew Xie Yuheng hadn’t come back.
However, the maid at the door followed behind her and whispered, “The Eldest Young Master is back.”
Ji Hanyi paused.
The maid added quickly, “He is in the study.”
Ji Hanyi turned to look toward the nearby pavilion. Looking past the heavy shadows of the night, she saw the pavilion windows brightly lit, with two silhouettes reflected against them.
She could recognize the other figure at a single glance.
She lowered her eyes.
The study she was never allowed to enter was a place Li Mingrou could walk into at will.
Ji Hanyi merely nodded and turned to enter the house.
Xie Yuheng rarely came back to sleep. She didn’t know why he was in the courtyard study today, but she assumed it was for Li Mingrou’s sake.
She was still coughing a bit at night. She thought that even if Xie Yuheng did return to the main room, he would likely leave again.
He was a light sleeper and couldn’t stand even the slightest noise.
However, she did want to wait for him so she could tell him about the divorce agreement as soon as possible.
The maid followed her in and whispered again, “I just brought the tonic soup to the Eldest Young Master, but he sent it back. It’s still hot.”
“Would you like some, Young Madam?”
Ji Hanyi entered the inner room and sat on a soft chair.
She held her hands over the charcoal brazier. The warm yellow light danced on her cheeks, but her expression remained unreadable.
Ji Hanyi had forgotten to tell the maids not to brew tonic soup for Xie Yuheng anymore. He had indeed said he didn’t like it before; she had only done it because she felt sorry for how hard he worked at night.
Every time the soup was sent back, she couldn’t bear to let it go to waste and would drink it herself.
Ji Hanyi rubbed her brow and looked up at the maid. “You girls drink the soup.”
She added, “There’s no need to brew it anymore.”
The maid was stunned, thinking she had misheard. She looked at Ji Hanyi and asked uncertainly, “Really? No more brewing?”
Ji Hanyi nodded and dismissed her, then relaxed her shoulders.
Rong Chun brought over a bowl of medicine, saying with heartache, “I wonder how long it will take for your cold to get better.”
“Who would have thought a single illness would last this long?”
Ji Hanyi took the bowl without a word. The bitter liquid made her frown in discomfort, and she felt a slight headache coming on.
Before she could finish the medicine, a soft, concerned voice reached her ears: “Cousin-in-law.”
Ji Hanyi looked up and saw Xie Yuheng and Li Mingrou walking in together.
Xie Yuheng walked slightly behind Li Mingrou, as if silently protecting her.