Because of that "long-term plan," Shao Zhen was practically swept along in a daze as he brought her to a nearby residence.
Yun Cheng said this was a house he had temporarily rented for convenience's sake, and she nodded in acknowledgment.
In truth, he needn't have explained so much to her—she wouldn't have asked anyway. She knew her place.
She was no one to Yun Cheng; he had no obligation to report his every move to her in such detail.
Outside, Jiu Jian, whose hearing was exceptionally sharp, wore a look of utter numbness. How had he never noticed before that his young master possessed such a talent—smoothly spinning lies without so much as a flush of the face, boldly passing off his own property as a rental?
Before she descended from the carriage, the young master retrieved a robe from the drawer of a wooden case beside him and handed it to her. A hint of playful awkwardness flickered across his cool, jade-like features. "There's still a stretch of path before we reach the door. Why not put this on, Miss Shao?"
Shao Zhen was initially puzzled, but when she looked down, a wave of scorching embarrassment rushed straight to her head.
Her thin white dress, soaked through by the rain, had become faintly translucent, revealing the plain-colored undergarment beneath—along with the two slender straps tied in delicate knots at her shoulders.
He—why hadn't he said so sooner!
She nearly bit her tongue, but saw that the young master had already turned his back with perfect propriety. Left with no choice, she awkwardly slipped her arms into the oversized robe before speaking softly, "Young Master Yun, I'm ready."
She thought wildly that perhaps Yun Cheng had only just noticed the impropriety himself.
The rain fell endlessly, like embroidery needles. Perhaps not expecting him to return with another person, the servant boy who hurried over had only prepared one umbrella. His face showed his dilemma, and he assumed he was surely in for a scolding.
To his surprise, Yun Cheng was exceptionally good-tempered. He took the oil-paper umbrella, opened it, and with the most natural ease invited her to move closer.
Standing under the same umbrella as him, Shao Zhen felt a measure of unease and shyness.
Now that she was standing, she realized the robe was far too long—it nearly brushed her ankles. She had to gather the hem carefully as she walked, lest she step into a puddle and splash mud onto the fabric. Worse still, the robe had clearly been perfumed, carrying a faint scent of pine resin that gave her the inexplicable illusion of being wrapped in Yun Cheng's embrace.
This absurd thought made Shao Zhen cough, turning her head aside, which successfully drew Yun Cheng's attention.
"What's wrong?"
The flush on Shao Zhen's cheeks had yet to fade. She guiltily told him it was nothing.
She could clearly feel that guard's strange gaze, as if it might bore two holes through her back.
Yun Cheng, however, did not immediately look away. Seeing the young woman wearing his clothes—as if she now bore his mark—a faint smile lingered in his eyes.
Taking advantage of the moment when she wasn't looking, he glanced back at Jiu Jian.
The authority in that single look made Jiu Jian snap his face away, pretending to be extremely busy surveying their surroundings.
Throughout the walk, she kept her eyes fixed on her own shoe tips, trying her best not to stand too close to him. Little did she know that the young master had tilted the umbrella toward her, rain dripping down the ribs of the canopy as half his shoulder and much of his back grew soaked.
Yun Cheng said he still had matters to attend to and would come discuss things with her later.
Shao Zhen naturally wouldn't stop him from going out. She was settled into a side chamber, where an elderly maidservant soon brought dry, clean clothes and prepared hot water for her.
The maidservant moved with steady, capable steps. Apart from a brief flicker of surprise upon first seeing her—which she quickly masked—her expression returned to calm composure, her gaze straight ahead. There was something about her quiet, unassuming bearing that vaguely reminded Shao Zhen of Yun Cheng.
But the thought passed quickly, and Shao Zhen didn't dwell on it.
She washed away the dampness that had seeped into her very bones, soaking in the warm bath until her skin flushed a faint pink before reluctantly rising to dress.
Yun Cheng was exceptionally meticulous—he had even thought of the small detail that her medicine needed reapplying after washing, and had instructed the maidservant to apply it fresh for her.
Shao Zhen thanked her softly, and the woman replied with due respect, "You're too kind, miss. This is this servant's duty."
Unaccustomed to being treated with such courtesy and deference, Shao Zhen smiled with a touch of awkwardness.
As if perceiving her thoughts, the woman rose and said, "This servant will keep watch outside the door. If miss has any need, simply ring the golden bell beside the bed curtain."
And so she was left alone in the spacious room.
Shao Zhen let the medicine on her palms and neck dry as she thought to herself—Yun Cheng had helped her so much, and she had no idea how she could ever repay him.
She could only pray that the merciful Buddha would bless him with safety and success, and that he and that young lady Shen Li would soon find their happy ending.
A young master with such a kind heart as his deserved good fortune in return.
She lowered her hands, and her gaze unconsciously drifted to the robe draped over the clothing rack. She felt as though she had been steeped through with that pine fragrance carrying the weight of frost and snow, so thoroughly that it even seemed to overpower her original tea-flower scent. The two fragrances intertwined until they were inseparable, creating an indescribably strange aroma.
Why did such jumbled, nonsensical thoughts keep springing into her mind today?
Shao Zhen thought for a moment, then attributed it to having encountered too many things lately—her nerves were bound to be a bit restless.
In any case, her mind was occupied with matters, and lying on the couch she could not sleep, waiting anxiously for Yun Cheng to return.
She was far too curious about what "making a long-term plan" meant in his words.
Surely her request must have put him in a difficult position, for even someone as clever as Yun Cheng could not come to a decision right away.
She waited until dusk had fully settled before her door was finally knocked upon by a maidservant.
Shao Zhen followed the woman to the main hall, only to see the octagonal table laden with an abundance of fine dishes. Upon seeing her, Yun Cheng gave a slight nod.
Though he had already guessed she would change out of that ill-fitting outer robe, he could not help but feel a trace of regret: "After all the fuss of the past half day, Lady Shao must be hungry. Please, have something to eat first."
Perhaps infected by his calm and composed demeanor, and faced with that table of dishes alluring in color, aroma, and taste, she found her appetite stirred.
Seeing her hesitate without picking up her chopsticks, the young gentleman turned his face and asked, "Is it not to your liking?"
"No, it's not that," Shao Zhen said, once again marveling at his thoughtfulness—knowing she was still in mourning for Tao Wenkan and could not eat meat, he had prepared only light and suitable vegetarian dishes. "Thank you, Young Master Yun."
Though her words were incomplete, seeing the pain that crept into her eyes, how could Yun Cheng not guess who she was grieving for?
Yun Cheng's lips curved downward slightly. He could not help but regret—why had it not been he who met her first?
They say the dead hold the greatest claim. With Tao Wenkan gone, the deep memories etched into the young woman's heart were all of loving and sweet moments from the past, while the occasional unhappiness had all dissolved into smoke and clouds.
He did not know how much patience and time it would take to completely replace the other man and overwrite his influence on Shao Zhen.
Tsk, troublesome. The evil fire of jealousy burned in his chest, and the food in his mouth suddenly lost all flavor.
Neither of them was particularly talkative, and they finished the meal in near silence. In the lull while the servants cleared the dishes, Shao Zhen could no longer contain her questions. "Has Young Master Yun thought of a way to handle this?"
Yun Cheng looked at her and said, "Mm. Ransoming the maidservant by your side would be easy enough. Borrowing my official status, I expect your father will have to show some consideration."
He was, of course, lying. If he wished, he could make Shaoye, Madam Cui, Shaolin, and that whole loathsome lot disappear from this world at once. But if he did that, how could he make Shao Zhen seek his protection?
By the candlelight, the young woman stared with bright, glittering eyes, her clear pupils reflecting his figure drawing quietly closer.
"The difficult part is you, Lady Shao. Your birth father is an official, while you are a commoner. Even if you took your maidservant and fled Ruzhou to hide, he could always track you down with the travel permits stamped by the government."
"Furthermore, the world is heading toward chaos. As a widow, you might evade this prefect today, but what if you encounter other vicious and ruthless brigands in the future? What would you do then?"
He laid out her concerns thread by thread, precisely the worries that plagued Shao Zhen.
The young gentleman paused briefly. "I have indeed thought of an idea, but…"
"If you truly can help me escape this predicament, Shao Zhen would be endlessly grateful. I would serve you as a beast of burden to repay your kindness." Hearing the opening in his words, Shao Zhen spoke eagerly and joyfully.
Yun Cheng's eyes curved upward at the corners. This was precisely Shao Zhen's virtue.
The young woman was pure-hearted and honest, a person of genuine sincerity who was unwilling to accept favors without cause. Even though he had not asked for any recompense, she was already rushing to have him name his terms.
And this was exactly what he had been waiting for.
"I am not lacking in servants or attendants."
He suddenly shifted the conversation, lowering his jet-black eyes like obsidian, within which seemed to hide two whirlpools capable of drawing in a person's very soul. "Lady Shao, if you wish to sever ties with the Shao family and seek a place of refuge, why not marry me?"
"Once you become a woman of the Yun household, you can escape them with full justification."
Just as she had once chosen to marry Tao Wenkan, but with a difference—because he was cold-blooded and indifferent, and would never show mercy to those who sought to bully her. He would build a high wall around her, protecting her from any further harm.
If the Tao family could not raise her well, then it was his turn to do so.
What did he say?
Shao Zhen suspected her ears were playing tricks on her. Why would Yun Cheng, without any reason, propose to marry her?
Were they not discussing how she could escape the Shao family? How had the conversation drifted to marriage?
As if struck on the head by a boulder, her mind went blank. She tightened her throat, trying to find her voice. "Young Master Yun, you—"
Yun Cheng could see she was stunned, for the young woman's lashes trembled uneasily, like a young beast that knew nothing, being lured step by step into his private territory.
And he would not wait for her to come to her senses. Half-sighing, he said, "I know this may seem abrupt, but please believe me, Lady Shao—I am not joking."
"No, no, no," Shao Zhen's heart was in turmoil, and she murmured softly, "It's all my fault. This is ultimately my own family matter. I should not have troubled you."
"Why not?" The young woman shook her head in bewilderment, inadvertently voicing her innermost thoughts.
This statement struck her far more profoundly than when Tao Wenkan had once offered to marry her.
"Young Master Yun, you needn't make such a sacrifice for my sake. I—I'll think of other ways myself." She tried to find a way out for him.
But Yun Cheng showed not the slightest appreciation for her efforts, severing all her conjectures as he called her name with gentle persuasion: "Shao Zhen, raise your head and look at me."
At this point, every step he had calculated, every scheme he had devised—how could he possibly let her go so easily?
Every favor he had bestowed was meticulously tallied in his heart; however much he had given, that much he would exact from her in return.
Shao Zhen, her slender arm gripped in his grasp, had no choice but to obediently tilt her head up.
The aloof young man who had rescued her from distress in the daylight had completely transformed, radiating an aggressiveness she found impossible to withstand.