"Milord, you're hurting me."
Neither Tao Wenkan nor Shao Zhen knew that Yun Cheng had seen her half a year ago.
At that time, he had gone to the training grounds to discuss matters with Tao Wenkan and had spotted the two of them from afar.
The young woman wore a light purple jacket, her back to him, raising a hand to wipe the sweat from Tao Wenkan's brow with a handkerchief.
He heard Tao Wenkan address her affectionately as Zhen-niang, drawing her soft hand to his face and telling her that the weather was so scorching hot that she needn't have braved the blazing sun to make this trip.
Her voice was sweet and mellifluous, as if carrying the murmur of spring waters, dispelling much of the summer heat: "It's no trouble. I wanted to come see you."
From his angle, he could just make out the scattered glints reflected in Shao Zhen's eyes as she gazed at her husband with gentle, devoted attention.
And those delicate lips of hers, parting and closing as she spoke.
"You don't return home until the beginning of the you hour each day. I have nothing to do at home…"
As for the words that followed, Yun Cheng could no longer hear them.
Because beneath the wall where flower shadows swayed, Tao Wenkan raised a hand to press the back of her head and bent down, kissing her with impatient urgency.
"Mmm, milord…" Shao Zhen's resistance was soft and feeble, silenced by his sealing kiss.
At this moment, his gentleman's upbringing told Yun Cheng he should turn away, but for no discernible reason, it seemed an invisible force pinned him firmly in place.
If the two of them had no qualms about their behavior, why should he, hidden in the shadows, not look directly?
And so he watched steadily as Shao Zhen was kissed step by step backward by Tao Wenkan, helpless little moans escaping from her moist red lips.
If the young woman moments ago had been a curled-up flower bud, now her cheeks were flushed pink, her brows and eyes carrying a charm somewhere between maiden and married woman—the petals had fully unfurled, revealing the brilliant stamen within.
Beautiful enough to make one look twice.
At that moment, Yun Cheng's hand hidden in his sleeve clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
He thought he was a little jealous of Tao Wenkan—jealous that he could defy everything to marry Shao Zhen.
Jealous that he could have a wife whose heart and eyes were filled entirely with him, who fussed over his comfort and poured out her affections to him.
As for himself, he could only follow his father's example, marry a woman of equal standing from a prestigious family according to the clan's plans, each taking what they needed, and live out a lonely life.
Why should Tao Wenkan—inferior to him in every way—be the one to win a loving heart?
The baser nature hidden in the marrow of his bones burst through his shell, tearing open a dark, gaping hole.
He indulged in the thought: if he were to appear before this couple so lost in their kiss, what would Shao Zhen's reaction be?
Her face would flush even redder, wouldn't it? She might even be startled into a daze.
Then she would never dare to be intimate with Tao Wenkan in public again.
At the thought of that scene, he curved his lips in deep satisfaction.
But Yun Cheng quickly came to his senses, realizing he had nearly lost his composure over an ordinary woman—how utterly beneath him.
Just as he was thinking this, the scene before him suddenly shifted.
Shao Zhen, who should have been in Tao Wenkan's arms, appeared out of nowhere in his own embrace, looking up at him with teasing, inviting eyes. The fragrance of tea flowers drifted like mist and clouds, just like the young woman's eyes, veiled in watery haze.
She was in full bloom—even more so than in Tao Wenkan's arms.
"Zhen-niang." He gazed at her slightly furrowed brow from close range, bewitched by her enchanting appearance, calling to her in Tao Wenkan's tone.
Shao Zhen seemed to have melted into a pool of water, answering him in a daze: "Milord."
"Shao Zhen, what did you call me?" This unexpected form of address easily set his entire being ablaze, his reason crumbling inch by inch as his grip on her wrist tightened.
"Milord," she parted her lips, revealing the tip of a bright red tongue, and chided him, "you're hurting me."
…
The water clock dripped on, urging one to wake. The moment Yun Cheng opened his eyes and gathered his thoughts, he could clearly sense that sticky dampness without even lifting the blanket.
As a man, he naturally knew what it was.
He had always been indifferent to such matters, and being fastidious about cleanliness, it was no wonder he still had no chamber attendant to this day. Unless absolutely necessary, he would simply let it pass, and it would naturally subside within moments.
He squeezed his eyes shut fiercely, pressing his fingers against his aching brow, and called out: "Jiu Jian, prepare water."
Jiu Jian, waiting outside, had no idea why his master would want a bath upon waking, but his master always had his reasons for everything, so he turned to make the arrangements.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought his master's voice sounded a bit hoarse. Could he have caught a chill?
Jiu Jian looked up at the cloudless sky. These past few days had been nothing but clear, sunny weather—it shouldn't be possible.
After bathing and feeling refreshed once more, Yun Cheng finally calmed himself to analyze this absurd dream.
But the moment he closed his eyes, Shao Zhen's tear-moistened gaze and flushed cheeks floated before him… That feeling of losing control threatened to return.
They say dreams reflect the deepest thoughts of one's heart. He now had no choice but to believe it.
He had indeed seen Shao Zhen long ago, but that fleeting glimpse had been like dew and lightning—too quick for him to grasp the emotions in his heart.
Because of this, he didn't think he harbored any feelings for her. As time passed, he even nearly forgot she existed—until Tao Wenkan personally brought her before him and asked him to look after her.
Had it not been for that dream—half true, half false, half real, half illusory—he might never have realized he had developed desire for her. That desire had been lying dormant in the depths of his heart, so well-hidden that even he had been deceived.
So that was it. Fortunately, it was only desire he felt for her.
Then everything would be simple.
From childhood to the present day, he was no stranger to the word "desire." Yun Wenhu's earnest teachings still echoed in his ears: a gentleman must face his desires head-on, control them, and uphold righteousness and self-restraint in order to walk far.
There were only two ways to control desire. One was to possess her. The other was to eliminate her.
The former was clearly not within his consideration, so only the latter remained.
In the end, this was entirely his fault. He had made the mistake of agreeing to that request from the very beginning, and then step by step, he had gone further astray, inviting all sorts of unnecessary trouble.
It was just unfortunate that Shao Zhen had such ill luck, running into a rotten man like him.
Yun Cheng did feel a measure of guilt in his heart, but if he hadn't stepped in to save her from Wang Jing that day, she would have lost her life long ago. With that, debts of gratitude and grievance were settled—she owed him nothing now.
He reached his decision in short order, yet for some reason, he couldn't feel relieved.
He tried to set aside thoughts of Shao Zhen for the time being. Before dealing with her, he needed to teach his dear little sister a lesson.
Summoned to Qingyan Study by Jiu Jian early in the morning, Yun Yao wasn't particularly surprised. Under the banner of her elder brother's authority, Yun Cheng had more than once taken it upon himself to discipline her in Sui Shi's stead.
As it happened, she had heard the news of Shao Zhen coming to deliver gifts yesterday, and she planned to take the opportunity to probe his reaction on Zhen-niang's behalf.
The moment she stepped into the outer courtyard, she keenly sensed something amiss.
She stealthily made faces at Jiu Jian, but the man was nothing if not loyal—he kept his face taut, offering her not a single hint. Yun Yao responded with a roll of her eyes.
Yun Cheng wore a plain white wide-sleeved robe. He must have just bathed and changed, his body still carrying the damp mist of water.
Yun Yao sometimes genuinely suspected he had been a young lady in his past life—otherwise, what ordinary man would painstakingly wash himself several times a day without fail?
She wondered which young woman in the future would be able to tolerate such a quirk of his.
Before she could even ask, "May I ask what business you have with me, brother?" she heard him coldly bark: "Yun Yao, have I been spoiling you too much lately?"
Being scolded out of nowhere, Yun Yao's face fell. "Yun Cheng, what's wrong with you? Why are you throwing a fit?"
"Is that the attitude you should have when speaking to your elder brother?"
Yun Yao pressed her lips together, casting a sidelong glance at his expressionless face.
"Do you think I would slander you?" The anger that had been suppressed since he woke up finally found an outlet. Yun Cheng raised one brow, a twisted sense of satisfaction rising in his chest. "You don't actually think you've been hiding your little excursions to meet people in secret very well, do you?"
At this, Yun Yao's expression shifted. She hadn't expected that he had quietly sent someone to tail her long ago.
She had always been careful enough—deliberately ducking into noisy, crowded places to change out of the clothes she'd worn when leaving the manor before going to meet that person. Even her personal maidservant knew nothing, believing she was simply absorbed in a storytelling performance in a private room at the teahouse and didn't dare disturb her. Little did she know, she had already slipped away.
Even though Yun Cheng had caught hold of her secret, she was never one to be easily manipulated. She composed herself at once, and her peripheral vision happened to catch the opened food box on the desk.
Who had sent those camellia pastries and cold soup? How could she not guess?
Following her gaze, Yun Cheng's eyelashes trembled slightly.
In his momentary confusion from that absurd dream, he had forgotten to have Jiu Jian dispose of the food.
But this oversight had already been caught by Yun Yao's sharp eyes. If he got up to hide it now, it would only be like covering his ears while stealing a bell—so he remained still and composed instead.
When Yun Yao turned her face back, a mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips.
So she was the innocent fish caught in the crossfire.
"I did indeed secretly meet with a man outside, which is improper—"
Yun Cheng was quite satisfied with her prompt admission. As long as Yun Yao promised not to see that person again, he could pretend nothing had happened and not bring the matter before Yun Wenhu.
However, the young woman paused, then suddenly shifted her tone. "But that's still better than you, brother, pining after a married woman, isn't it?"
"Why don't you come with me right now to see Grandfather and let him judge which of us has done something more disgraceful?"
Yun Yao stared unflinchingly into his dark, fathomless eyes, her expression defiant.
If they were really going to settle accounts, neither of them would walk away clean!
She watched Yun Cheng closely, yet she couldn't detect a single crack or hint of mockery on his face. Truly, he had worn that mask of cold aloofness for so long that not even great storms could shake the black-hearted core buried beneath that skin.
"Fine," he relented, without the slightest hesitation. "That works—I can also discuss your marriage with the Shen family with Grandfather while we're at it."
Though he had declined the marriage alliance with Shen Li, the Shen and Yun families both had many sons and daughters. If they wanted to forge a marriage tie, picking out two more suitable candidates would hardly be difficult.
Sacrificing a marriage for the sake of family interests was nothing out of the ordinary among the great aristocratic houses.
His tone was neither heavy nor light, yet it doused Yun Yao's rising indignation like a bucket of cold water.
Yun Yao had only spoken up in a momentary fit of temper. If this truly escalated to Yun Wenhu, given how much the old man valued Yun Cheng, how could she possibly come out on top?
She absolutely could not marry some Shen family member she had never met, forced to spend her days with him as a miserable, mismatched couple.
Besides, she already had a future husband in mind—no one else would do but him.
The young lady's dark, glossy eyes darted about cleverly, and she bent with the wind: "Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have talked back to you. For the next while, I'll stay in the manor and attend to Mother without leaving her side."
As if. She'd do it again next time.
Yun Cheng watched her fingers twisting together on her lap and knew her submission was merely born of intimidation.
"The reason I'm helping Shao Zhen is because Tao Wenkan entrusted me with it. Do you hear me clearly?"
Yun Yao blinked at him with exaggerated obedience. "I'll sew my mouth shut."
Pah, pah, pah. What a sanctimonious hypocrite. Daring to act but not to own it—what kind of man was that?
"You may leave." Finally, those words fell from his jade lips. Yun Yao, who had long grown weary of his reprimands, quietly breathed a sigh of relief and made her escape.
Once the door was shut, light and shadow were sealed outside. Yun Cheng's face sank into the darkness, his deep brow bones growing ever more pronounced, like the stark, forbidding mountain ridges of deep winter—utterly devoid of human warmth.
Even Yun Yao had noticed how differently he treated Shao Zhen.
He stared into the distance, thinking: setting aside her plan, it seemed this matter should be settled sooner rather than later.