"Young Master Yun,"
Seeing her hesitate and refuse to speak further, Madam Cui had a rough idea of what was going on. She turned and silently allowed her to follow inside.
When she heard that Tao Wenkan had died in Lucheng and that she had been cast aside by Madam Xu's decision, Madam Cui was so furious she could have jumped three feet into the air. She had never seen anyone so lacking in common sense—someone who wouldn't fight or compete, letting herself be slaughtered like a lamb.
"How do you still have the face to come back?"
The teacup shattered at the hem of her skirt, shards and scalding tea splashing outward. A patch of red swelling immediately appeared on the back of Shao Zhen's hand. She lowered her eyes and listened to Madam Cui's frantic cursing, long since accustomed to it.
"What am I supposed to say about you? You're truly mud that can't be plastered onto a wall—same worthless disposition as your mother." The moment Madam Cui thought of losing the Tao family as their pillar of support, her heart ached with sharp, throbbing pain.
She knew well that over the past year or so, Shaolin had leveraged this family connection to skim off plenty of benefits he otherwise couldn't have touched, and even she herself had been fawned over at banquets for the wives of officials in Pi County.
Looking at Shao Zhen, who knelt there looking utterly pathetic, she felt like she was punching a wad of cotton.
After all the trouble of raising her, was the girl destined to be nothing but a discarded piece?
She narrowed her eyes at Shao Zhen, and saw that the young woman before her had a pitifully delicate beauty. Having been married once hadn't diminished her charm—rather, it lent her an indescribable allure.
In that instant, many thoughts flashed through Madam Cui's mind. She pursed her lips, then flattened them again, and snorted coldly: "Enough, enough. Since you've come back, go rest for now. When your father returns from his duties, I'll discuss with him what's to be done with you."
Having expected to be treated harshly, Shao Zhen was rather startled to be let off so lightly. But after days of traveling, she was truly too exhausted to think further. Following the servant to the side room she once occupied, she found that in her absence, it had been abandoned and piled high with miscellaneous clutter.
The moment the door was pulled open, dust flew everywhere, choking both her and Xiaowen into uncontrollable sneezing as they turned their heads away.
The servant gave the mistress and maid a contemptuous sidelong glance, showed no intention of helping, and strode off.
Shao Zhen didn't feel angry, though. If Madam Cui had treated her kindly, she would have been uneasy instead, wondering what schemes lurked in the woman's belly.
She had assumed that once Shaoye learned of this, he would summon her for questioning.
Curiously, for two whole days, she and Xiaowen stayed in the side room as if they had been forgotten entirely.
When things are abnormal, there must be something brewing beneath. At night, lying on the bone-jutting bed, Shao Zhen tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She repeatedly dreamed the nightmare of Tao Wenkan collapsed in a pool of blood, startling awake in a cold sweat. Fortunately, she didn't wake Xiaowen, sparing the silly girl unnecessary worry on her behalf.
Sure enough, this morning, an old servant woman from Madam Cui's side knocked on the door, conveying the message that she should dress herself up properly—the master and mistress were taking her to a banquet.
In late June, Jiangnan was in the season of abundant rain. Last night, a fine drizzle had drifted down, leaving the air stuffy and damp.
Shao Zhen sensed something amiss: "May I ask, nanny, which household is hosting the feast?"
The old servant was tight-lipped, fixing her with murky eyes and urging: "Do hurry, young mistress. Don't keep the master and mistress waiting."
What was coming had finally come.
Shao Zhen exchanged a glance with Xiaowen, reading deep worry in each other's eyes. Xiaowen tried to follow her, but the old servant reached out and blocked her way. "Miss Xiaowen, be sensible. Don't forget your indenture deed is still held in the mistress's hands."
That struck right at the spine. Xiaowen's face immediately flushed purple with humiliation.
This was also the reason Shao Zhen had insisted on returning. Xiaowen had originally been bought by the steward for ten taels of silver, and it was only because she had received kindness from Shao Zhen's mother that she had defied Madam Cui to serve Shao Zhen instead.
Later, when Shao Zhen's mother fell gravely ill and gradually lost favor, the then-concubine Madam Cui took over the keys to the storehouse and began managing the household, and Xiaowen's indenture deed fell into her hands.
When Shao Zhen had left Pi County for Yingdu, she had wanted to spend silver to redeem that deed, but Madam Cui had been shrewd. Knowing how deeply Shao Zhen cared for Xiaowen, and fearing she would be uncontrollable once married into the Tao household, she had refused to hand over that old contract no matter what.
Without the deed in hand, if Xiaowen ran away, Madam Cui could report her to the authorities. Once caught, she would be at her mercy, and any children she bore would also be bound to servitude.
This matter had always weighed heavily on Shao Zhen's conscience.
She patted Xiaowen's hand, signaling her to stay calm, and followed the old servant to meet with Shaoye and the others.
Seeing Shao Zhen dressed entirely in plain white, Madam Cui couldn't help but knit her brows tightly.
She had been kind enough to plan a path forward for the girl, sending over fashionable headpieces and dresses. But Shao Zhen had gone and worn no makeup at all, as if afraid people wouldn't notice she was a newly widowed woman.
Shaoye was even more furious at her lack of ambition, making no effort to hide his displeasure. He shook his sleeves in resentment before boarding the carriage.
If not for the prefect having specifically named her, unable to forget her, he would have long since thrown Shao Zhen into a nunnery to become a nun, rather than let her continue to embarrass him.
The moment he caught sight of her face—seven parts resembling his late wife—an indescribable restlessness rose in his chest.
The last shred of hope Shao Zhen had clung to finally plummeted to rock bottom when she laid eyes on the prefect's residence.
They paid no heed whatsoever to the fact that she was still in mourning, and had already begun scheming to squeeze out the last drop of her value.
Shao Zhen repeatedly wondered whether she was truly Shao Ye's own flesh and blood—for how else could there exist such a cold-hearted father in this world, one who time and again pushed his own daughter toward the fire?
Was it because her mother had betrayed him, that she, innocent as she was, had to suffer the consequences as well?
"Come now, Zhen-niang," Madam Cui said, seeing her stop in her tracks. With Shao Ye's tacit approval, she forcibly grabbed her hand and, in a place unseen, pinched and twisted her flesh with hidden force. "What are you standing there in a daze for?"
The woman's sharp fingernails sank deep into her skin, and Shao Zhen winced in pain, her brows knitting together.
She had no chance to flee. Behind her, the two Shao family guards—their arms as thick as her thighs—stood with stern brows and cold eyes, keeping watch by the carriage.
The mansion, drenched in fine rain, loomed indistinctly before her. Through the half-open door, all was pitch-black, as if a monstrous beast that devoured men without spitting out their bones lay in wait.
And so, against her will, she was dragged inside, stiffly seated at a banquet laden with delicacies and fine wine.
Flutes and strings played seductive melodies as dancers in the center of the hall, clad in flimsy attire, twisted their serpentine waists to the music, drawing the leering stares of a host of potbellied men who had no thought for the wives and daughters beside them.
The guests were all officials from the various counties under Min'an Prefecture, along with their families. The young women who had been brought along all wore timid expressions, subjected to brazen scrutiny as if they were the true dishes of this feast.
Shao Zhen could guess easily enough—this banquet was nothing but a pretext, a convenient cover for these men to curry favor with their superiors and collude in their shady dealings.
The seat of honor at the head of the table had been left empty, and a scorching gaze, sticky as a spider's silk, clung to her.
She stole a glance from the corner of her eye and saw a sallow face smiling with inscrutable meaning. Crow's feet fanned from the corners of his eyes, and dark purple pouches hung beneath them—the unmistakable marks of a man given over to wine and women.
The man half-lidded his eyes, his lips still lewdly holding a cup of wine proffered by a serving girl, yet his gaze was fixed on her with the certainty of one who had already claimed his prey.
A wave of revulsion churned in Shao Zhen's stomach, and she hastily lowered her eyes.
To say she felt no fear or panic in this den of wolves and tigers would be a lie. But with no one to turn to, she had to keep her composure. Concealed by her sleeve, she smashed a cup and grabbed a shard sharp enough to serve her purpose.
If it truly came to the point of no return… she would never let him have his way.
"County Magistrate Shao." The man finally spoke, his voice unhurried.
Shao Ye rose, wine goblet in hand, and plastered a fawning smile on his face. "Prefect, sir."
Shao Zhen's heart sank. The next moment, the man looked past Shao Ye and fixed his gaze directly on her, smiling without a word.
Shao Ye understood his meaning all too well. He turned and ordered her, "Zhen-niang, go pour the Prefect a cup of wine. To earn his favor is a blessing you couldn't buy with several lifetimes of merit."
She did not move at once, and the atmosphere at the table instantly turned stiff. The musicians stopped playing, the music cutting off like torn silk. The guests set down their cups and turned to look at her, all wearing expressions of eager anticipation.
Shao Ye, sweating profusely under the weight of the man's palpable cold stare from above, yanked her up and threatened her in a low voice: "I think you've grown tired of living! How dare you ruin my good fortune."
"Don't think I won't leave you here!"
That final remark finally struck a chord in Shao Zhen.
She told herself it was only a toast, that she wouldn't lose a piece of flesh over it. This was no time for head-on confrontation.
Under the eyes of so many, even if the man harbored ill intentions, he wouldn't dare go too far.
No one knew better than she how to endure. After all, for the past eighteen years, that was exactly how she had survived.
Steeling herself, she walked slowly to the man's side. Across the low table, the thick stench of alcohol mixed with some foul, decaying odor drifted toward her.
A light tap of the sandalwood clappers, a gentle pluck of the silver zither—the interrupted music resumed, and the dancers stepped in time with their wooden clogs, drowning out the frantic pounding of her heart.
Shao Zhen dared not look at his face. Her hands trembling, she reached for the gold-inlaid wine pot.
Before she could touch it, the man shot out a pair of sweaty hands and wrapped them around her cool fingertips.
Those hands were crisscrossed with deep lines, dotted here and there with age spots—dry, rough, and withered.
"My sweetheart, I've finally got you!" The moment he seized her smooth, delicate hand, the Prefect flashed a lecherous grin and made to yank her into his embrace.
Had it not been for Tao Wenkan intercepting him halfway that time, this tender young beauty would already have been his bedmate.
For the past year, for reasons unknown, she would always come to mind whenever he sought his pleasures—an itch that clawed at his heart and gnawed at his bones.
Shao Zhen was horrified. With her other hand, she dug her nails into the edge of the table, struggling to wrench herself free. But the strength between man and woman was vastly unequal—his grip was like iron pincers, crushing her bones with pain.
She wanted to cry out, but she caught sight of the people around her drinking and playing drinking games, playing deaf and dumb, as if such things were nothing new.
"Zhen-niang, Zhen-niang," the man coaxed, imagining himself full of tender affection, his eyes brimming with infatuation. "Come with me, and I'll guarantee you a life of comfort and plenty for the rest of your days."
He leaned over, his parted lips nearly brushing her ear.
Shao Zhen resisted with all her might to no avail. Clenching her jaw, she was left with no choice but to press the broken porcelain shard against her own neck and cried out sharply, "Take your hands off me!"
Her entire body was trembling, but the force in her hand was no mere show.
The tip of the shard pressed firmly, and under his scrutinizing gaze, it pierced her skin, beading up with tiny droplets of blood.
Having not expected that this seemingly delicate and gentle woman would possess such fierce resolve to rather die than submit, the man cooled down somewhat. He released his grip and said in a languid tone, "Zhen-niang, why must you put yourself through this…"
"It's all of you who forced me! You refuse to let me go," she said, her face taut with tension. "If the Prefect insists on having his way, then I'll have no choice but to spill my blood right here!"
The Prefect's eyes darted about as he was about to say something to stall her, when a servant rushed in, looking flustered, and whispered into his ear, "My lord, the one from Yingdu has arrived at the gate."
Shao Zhen stared at him, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her throat. She had a premonition that perhaps this sudden turn of events was her chance to escape.
The man's eyes showed a hint of impatience, but he seemed to be wary of something. He hastily straightened his robes and fanned away the smell of wine, but before leaving, he did not forget to toss a word at her: "Zhen-niang, wait obediently for my return."
Seeing him walk away, Shao Zhen suddenly lost all her strength, opening her palm that had been cut by the shard.
This place was not safe to linger. Ignoring the shouts of Shaoye and Madam Cui in the chaos, she lifted her weakened legs and hurried out, not daring to pause for even a moment.
The rain had grown heavier without her noticing. Cold raindrops slanted down, striking her cheeks and soaking her eyelashes.
When she had entered the estate earlier, she had made a point of memorizing the route, which now facilitated her escape.
It was the time of the banquet, and almost no one was guarding the rest of the estate.
Pat-pat-pat—heavy footsteps pounded against the stone slabs. She did not dare look back, so she could not tell if anyone was chasing her.
There probably was, she thought. She vaguely heard someone shouting at the top of their lungs, "By the Prefect's order, seize her—"
What she knew with absolute certainty was that she could not stay any longer, to be offered up by Shaoye to that old man for his humiliation.
By now, she had gradually come to understand—Shaoye's intention today was to sell her for his own advancement. There was no way he would take her back unscathed. This was a trap from the start, and she had walked in with no way out.
With Xiaowen not by her side, all she could do was save herself.
She rushed desperately toward the estate gate, until, in her haste, she collided with a solid chest and was forced to stop short.
Who was it? Who had she run into?
Shao Zhen clutched the porcelain shard tightly in her hand, raising her head in shock and terror. The moment she made out the face of the young man beneath the umbrella, large tears rolled down her cheeks unbidden.
"Save me, please save me!" She had no time to wonder why Yun Cheng was here, nor could she afford to observe the propriety between men and women. She grabbed hold of his pristine white sleeve and stammered, "Young Master Yun…"
Take me away, take me away from here…
Through the veils of rain, Yun Cheng spotted a figure sprinting toward him from afar.
Even without seeing her face clearly, he somehow recognized her as Shao Zhen. The young woman wore an ill-fitting white garment, swaying wildly in the fierce wind, making her frail frame seem all the more hollow and empty.
Only when she drew closer did he see her pale, disheveled face and her rosy-red lips.
It had only been a few days, and here she was weeping again, so frightened she could barely make a sound, pitifully begging him—no different from that dying sparrow crying out in its final throes.
"Lady Shao."
He suppressed the urge to raise his brow and the delight stirring within him, feigning that he had merely run into her by chance and knew nothing. In a calm and reassuring voice, he said, "Don't be afraid. Take your time."
His little sparrow had finally reached the end of her rope and stumbled, broken and desperate, straight into the trap he had set.
Led by Jiu Jian into a dry and clean carriage, Shao Zhen felt her wildly pounding heart gradually settle.
The carriage was filled with the same scent of pine resin that clung to Yun Cheng.
Just like the man himself—always calm and composed.
Having been rescued by him, she felt as though she had found her anchor, and suddenly the fear didn't seem so overwhelming.
Her clothes were soaked through with rain, clinging unpleasantly to her skin. She curled up and crouched in the corner, not daring to wet the seat, quietly waiting for Yun Cheng to finish his business and return.
As her thoughts drifted, she recalled that Yun Yao had once casually mentioned that Yun Cheng disliked physical contact with others.
And she had been in such a hurry just now that she had completely forgotten to avoid his taboo.
She replayed the young man's expression from a moment ago and couldn't be certain whether he had been pleased or angered.
He shouldn't be angry, right…
Inside the Prefect's residence, Yun Cheng came face to face with the Prefect, who had arrived belatedly.
Thinking of the unsightly red marks around Shao Zhen's wrist and the cut on the side of her neck, his brows lowered, and his earlier good mood evaporated entirely.
Those wounds were like holes gnawed by insects into the petals of a flower—impossible to ignore.
He had never liked his possessions being touched by others. Not even the slightest bit.
If they were sullied by some filthy hands, then one could only bear the pain of regret and discard them, or destroy them altogether.
But Shao Zhen was different. He could never part with her, which left only one option—to punish severely those who had failed to see clearly.
"Sir, you've arrived. This humble official has prepared fine wine, good food, and beauties…"
The man was bent over, but before he could finish speaking, Yun Cheng interrupted in a flat tone, "Just now, which hand did you use to touch her?"
Caught off guard by the question, the man stammered blankly, "Ah?"
In the span of a single breath, Yun Cheng had already lost all patience.
He needed to hurry back to the carriage, comfort Shao Zhen, stay by her side, and apply medicine to her wounds.
Therefore, in the next instant, a snow-white blade flashed so fast it left afterimages. With the man's pig-like shriek, both his wrists were severed cleanly at the roots, blood gushing forth.
The man's vision blurred from the pain as he collapsed to his knees, writhing and squirming like a worm with its tail cut off.
Yun Cheng stepped back in time, his snow-white robes remaining spotless.
Without a glance at the prefect, he walked around him and entered the banquet hall, where the revelers remained oblivious to what had happened outside, still immersed in wine and merriment.
Jiu Jian also revealed genuine disgust as he grabbed the collar of the man who had already fainted from pain, lifting him like a chick and tossing him into the room.
The impact of the fall jolted the prefect back into agonizing consciousness. Looking down at his severed hands, he dared not scream again this time. With tears and snot streaming down his face, he crawled toward Yun Cheng on his belly: "Spare me, sir—"
Jiu Jian held his sword before the man's eyes, frightening him into swallowing the blood mixed with saliva in his mouth, falling silent as a cicada in winter.
The splattering crimson silenced the once-jovial banquet with startling speed.
The horrifying scene rendered everyone speechless; the faint-hearted simply rolled their eyes and fainted from fright.
Though they did not know Yun Cheng's identity, the young lord who stepped slowly across the threshold appeared to all present like a jade-faced Yama come to claim their souls.
That was the prefect of Min'an—a local tyrant—and this man had wounded him without a second thought!
Madam Cui hastily burrowed into Shaoye's arms, trembling violently. Shaoye appeared composed, but in truth, his soul had already fled to who knows where. Whether it was their imagination or not, the young lord's gaze swept lightly over them and paused briefly, as if laden with hidden meaning.
Jiu Jian retrieved a token from his waist and announced, "The Vice Director of the Secretariat has come on imperial orders to conduct an investigation. All officials present shall affix their fingerprints to the registry. Any who refuse shall be executed on the spot."
It was over. Everything was over.
Shaoye abruptly shoved Madam Cui aside and prostrated himself on the ground, murmuring, "Everything is finished."
The highest-ranking official they could ordinarily curry favor with was none other than the prefect. Now that a fourth-rank Vice Director of the Secretariat had descended from the capital Yingdu, how could their shady dealings possibly be concealed any longer?!
Having waited for some time, Shao Zhen couldn't help but grow anxious.
Whenever she was nervous, she would unconsciously dig her nails into her palms. But before her fingertips could press down, she felt a searing pain. In her haste to escape earlier, she hadn't noticed how much it hurt; now that she had calmed down, she realized the wound was quite deep.
When Yun Cheng lifted the curtain, what he saw was the young woman crouched in the corner, lifting her palm-sized face, with fresh tear tracks layered over dried ones on her cheeks.
Her drenched clothing clung to her like gathered, delicate flower petals, outlining her graceful figure.
She was obediently waiting for his return. At that thought, the blood in his veins—already boiling from the killing—stirred even more restlessly.
Needless to say, Shao Zhen knew she must have given him the wrong impression.
In truth, she wasn't fond of crying. When Madam Cui had first begun tormenting her, she had wept day and night. But when she realized her tears couldn't earn a single shred of pity and instead only made the woman bully her even worse, she learned to press her lips together and swallow back her useless tears, choosing to endure in silence.
Just now, facing the prefect, she hadn't cried either.
Yet every time she encountered Yun Cheng—whether by coincidence or fate—she seemed to be in tears.
Seeing Yun Cheng's gaze lower to her outstretched palm, Shao Zhen instinctively curled her fingers and covered it lightly over her knee.
The young lord entered, bringing with him the damp air from outside, making the already cramped carriage feel even more confined: "Miss Shao, come sit up."
Only after receiving his permission did she slowly shift to the other side and sit down tentatively.
After all, it was high summer—even with the heavy rain, the air was stiflingly hot and suffocating.
The two of them squeezed together, their clothes brushing against each other, silently striking sparks in the confined space.
"Thank you, Young Master Yun, for saving me," she said, swallowing hard as she broke the delicate silence. "How—how did you come to be here?"
The moment the question left her lips, Shao Zhen realized how presumptuous it was. What right did she have to inquire about his whereabouts?
Yun Cheng, however, answered without hesitation: "I came on imperial orders to investigate a case of bribery among the officials of Min'an Prefecture."
So that's it, Shao Zhen thought. He was traveling incognito—no wonder he drove such an unremarkable and cramped carriage.
The conversation seemed to reach its end there. Their reunion at the prefect's residence had truly caught her off guard.
She was so disheveled and humiliated, utterly ashamed to face him.
She lowered her head, but heard a soft rustling from his side.
"Your hands and neck must hurt quite a bit, don't they?" The young lord's voice, like jade striking gold, made her look up. Shao Zhen saw him open a white jade medicine jar.
Unexpectedly, he noticed her injury. She was genuinely flattered and wanted to say, "I can handle it myself."
However, Yun Cheng's tone left no room for argument: "Give me your hand."
"Both of your hands are injured, so it may be inconvenient."
His voice was lower than usual, carrying an indescribable allure—like the lofty moon descending from the heavens to become within reach. No mortal could resist the moon falling into their embrace, so Shao Zhen's body moved faster than her mind, and she obediently extended her hand.
She didn't dare confirm whether she had misremembered—perhaps he wasn't actually that averse to physical contact. Otherwise, why would he deign to help her apply the ointment?
He dipped his fingertip into the salve, then leaned in, closing the distance between them.
It wasn't until the man's damp, warm breath drifted over and brushed against her cheek that she realized something was amiss.
But unlike the prefect, although his proximity made her uneasy, she didn't seem to resist it.
Too close—close enough that she could see his thick, fan-like lashes casting a shadow over his eyelids, making his eye sockets appear deep, his gaze upon her wound seemingly full of affection.
Close enough that she once again caught that cool scent of pine on him, seemingly mingled with a trace of blood, washed faint by the rain.
Had Shao Zhen not been sensitive to smells, she wouldn't have noticed it at all.
So when he said he would deal with the prefect, what exactly did he mean by "deal with"?
She stole a glance at his profile, unable to imagine someone as pure and refined as Yun Cheng—a gentleman of unblemished character—with blood on his hands.
She was undoubtedly lost in thought.
When the cool ointment, warmed by the man's body heat, touched her wound, Shao Zhen shuddered, like a startled bird, abruptly snapping back to her senses.
"Is the pressure too heavy?" Yun Cheng lifted his eyes and saw her once again worrying her lip with her teeth, the small, delicate lip bead bitten to a rosy, glistening red. His pupils gradually darkened.
"It's—it's fine." The young woman shook her head emphatically to prove she wasn't lying.
The gentleman's movements were impossibly gentle, like a weightless feather brushing past, stirring a subtle, hidden itch—but Shao Zhen couldn't say so aloud, so she simply endured it in silence.
This strange reaction, aside from with Yun Cheng, she had only ever felt in her interactions with Tao Wenkan.
But how could Yun Cheng be compared to Tao Wenkan? She was utterly baffled.
Despite her denial, Yun Cheng made his movements even lighter, treating her as a fragile treasure.
In his line of sight, the deep red wound on her pale neck looked especially horrifying.
He had truly underestimated the young woman. Had he arrived a step later, she might have been forced to seriously harm herself.
"I'm sorry…" He had been careless in his planning, nearly causing a disaster.
The apology came out of nowhere, leaving Shao Zhen momentarily stunned.
Seeing her bewildered expression, as if she hadn't understood, Yun Cheng repeated, "I'm sorry. I came too late."
This clearly wasn't his fault—the danger she faced today was all because of Shaoye and that lecherous prefect. Yet the moment her grievance was seen, it was as if a spring thunderclap resounded, and the wounds that had long since healed began to ache faintly again.
It felt like thousands of fine needles pricking her eyes and the tip of her nose, making Shao Zhen's heart ache and swell with emotion.
He then applied medicine to both of her palms, and unavoidably caught sight of the finger marks left by another man on her wrist. His breathing grew heavier.
He suddenly felt that he had been too lenient with that old man—he wanted to turn back immediately and add a few more cuts.
If that man was so fond of seizing young women, he ought to have his filthy eyes gouged out and his useless flesh chopped off.
Following his gaze, Shao Zhen quickly explained, "There's nothing wrong here. My skin is just thin, so it easily leaves marks."
Sometimes even a simple scratch would briefly show red marks.
It didn't hurt or itch—it just looked frightening, and would naturally fade after half a day.
Yun Cheng hummed in acknowledgment, then withdrew his hands shortly after, his throat feeling a bit dry.
This was the first time he had been this close to her. That bold fragrance of camellia flowers seeped deep into his throat, giving him a slight dizziness born of satisfaction.
Once the dizziness passed, a voice in his heart clamored: Not enough. Far from enough.
On the day he resolved to accept her, he had taken that scented handkerchief back out of its box. At this very moment, it was neatly folded and tucked into the inner pocket of his robe, pressed against his chest, warmed by his body heat.
Throughout the journey following her to Pi County, watching her from afar without being able to approach, he would take out the handkerchief and inhale its scent, filling the emptiness in his heart just a little.
He had even considered deliberately revealing the handkerchief for her to see right now, but he knew she was timid by nature yet vigilant. He had only just earned her trust—if she discovered the wanton frivolity hidden beneath his skin, she would surely be frightened away.
The sparrow had already stepped into the net, pecking at the grain. He still needed to silently pull the string and drop the net to completely ensnare her, cutting off any path of retreat.
He then said, "Where does Lady Shao live? I'll have someone escort you back. This ointment not only relieves pain and soothes the skin, but also removes scars. Remember to apply it twice daily… That prefect has committed many misdeeds and has already been arrested and imprisoned by me. Lady Shao need not worry about him seeking revenge against you."
Hearing him mention the Shao family, Shao Zhen felt as if she had been dragged back into an icy pit, her heart pounding wildly.
Today she had ruined Shaoye's plans and made an enemy of him. Returning to the Shao residence would be like walking straight into a tiger's den. Even if she could temporarily maintain peace, that couple would find other ways to "sell" her at a marked price to someone.
She didn't want to go back.
She never wanted to fall into that helpless predicament of being at someone else's mercy again.
But Xiaowen was still held at the residence. If they couldn't find her, they would surely use Xiaowen as bait to lure her out. Besides, her documents and travel money were all in her bundle…
Shao Zhen's head burned with frantic thoughts until she finally realized that the only person who could help her escape this predicament happened to be right before her eyes.
She couldn't help but recall Tao Wenkan's original entrustment, and judging by today's circumstances, Yun Cheng was truly a warm-hearted and chivalrous young man. This dispelled her last lingering concerns, so… asking Yun Cheng for help shouldn't be considered an overly forward request, should it?
Whether he was willing to agree or not, it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Opportunities don't wait—once missed, they may never come again. If she let this moment slip by, she might not find a way to reach Yun Cheng again.
This bold thought surfaced in her mind, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Young Master Yun!" Shao Zhen made as if to kneel, but the young man, as if having anticipated her move, swiftly caught her by both arms.
At this moment, he adhered strictly to the propriety of maintaining distance between men and women, supporting her lightly without actually touching her.
"Lady Shao, given my friendship with Brother Tao, if you have something to say, speak directly. There's no need to lower yourself. As long as it's within my power, I will certainly help."
Hearing this, she felt a secret joy, but quickly calmed herself.
Shaoye and Madam Cui were difficult to deal with, and their ties to her were as unbreakable as bone connected to sinew. Tao Wenkan had also once intended to sever her from her past, but the hardest thing in this world to handle was family matters—even her husband Tao Wenkan had failed to do so.
Yun Cheng was, after all, an outsider. What method could he possibly use to completely rescue her from this quagmire?
Seeing her furrow her brows in distress, Yun Cheng still had no intention of telling her that Shaoye was already in over his head.
After a moment of hesitation, Shao Zhen finally chose to lay out all her troubles without reservation.
After all, he was a man of wide experience and broad vision—surely he would have better ideas than she did.
Yun Cheng pretended to ponder, then said with an air of indifference, "This matter will require careful deliberation."