Ming Shu shook her head. “I just went out for a walk and got a little tired.”
Cui Zhen didn’t suspect anything, as Ming Shu’s complexion indeed looked like she was tired from walking.
Cui Zhen fidgeted, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “Why haven’t you been to the academy these days, Ming Meimei?”
Huh?
Ming Shu blinked. “I won’t be going anymore.”
Cui Zhen blurted out, “Why? Did Dong Xiu and the others speak ill of you again?”
Ming Shu paused.
As for how she came to know Cui Zhen, it was because she had once been in a hurry and took a shortcut through the woods with Tang Li to return quickly. By chance, she overheard Dong Xiu and a few other girls gossiping about her. Unable to contain her anger, she confronted them.
Unexpectedly, Dong Xiu flatly denied it, insisting Ming Shu had misheard, and even threatened to take the matter to the teacher if she didn’t apologize.
Ming Shu was nearly infuriated.
Fortunately, Cui Zhen happened to be studying nearby and had also overheard Dong Xiu and the others. He was able to testify on Ming Shu’s behalf, forcing Dong Xiu and her friends to back down.
But this had nothing to do with Dong Xiu. Ming Shu gently shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement.
“No.”
“Then… then why…”
“Brother Cui Zhen, I need to return home.” Ming Shu didn’t want to discuss it with him.
Cui Zhen felt a pang of disappointment.
His hands beneath his sleeves clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Finally, he let out a sigh. “Ming Meimei, I was actually looking for you too.”
A gentle glow spread across Cui Zhen’s face, and the smile at the corners of his lips was so tender it seemed to embrace everything.
Ming Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She asked calmly, “Looking for me?”
“I recently wrote a collection of poems and wanted Ming Meimei to take a look at it for me.”
Cui Zhen took out a poetry collection from his sleeve. The cover was blank.
Ming Shu smiled and accepted it. “Brother Cui Zhen’s poems have always been excellent.”
As she spoke, she was about to open it.
Cui Zhen cleared his throat softly. “Ming… Ming Meimei, perhaps you should read it when you return home.” His ears flushed slightly after saying this.
Ming Shu was taken aback, assuming he was just shy. She agreed, “Alright.”
After all, propriety dictated that men and women should maintain some distance. Cui Zhen only exchanged a few more words with Ming Shu before bidding farewell.
Only after Cui Zhen’s figure disappeared from sight did Ming Shu realize she felt a bit warm. She fanned herself with the poetry collection, and something fell out from within.
Tang Li crouched down to pick it up. “Miss, it’s a dried crabapple blossom.”
Ming Shu found it somewhat strange, but it wasn’t unusual for scholars to press flowers in books as a common practice.
She just hadn’t expected it to be a crabapple blossom.
In Tianlu, everyone regarded the peony as the queen of flowers, symbolizing grace and wealth.
Yet she had once said, “What’s so special about peonies? I only love crabapple blossoms!”
Before Ming Shu could ponder further, the carriage arrived.
The coachman sighed in relief upon seeing her. “Miss Cousin.”
Ming Shu handed the poetry collection to Tang Li, lifted her skirt, and stepped onto the footstool the coachman had placed before boarding the carriage.
Meanwhile, everything that had just transpired fell into a pair of dark eyes.
“Young Master?” the old man asked.
Yan Wei withdrew his gaze and replied, “What Elder Feng says is correct.”
Elder Feng stroked his long beard and laughed heartily. After a moment, he asked in return, “Young Master, do you know what I just said?”
Yan Wei picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Elder Feng said I must make a trip to Yunjing this time.”
Elder Feng shook his head with a smile. “Wrong. I said it’s time for the Young Master to marry.”
Yan Wei choked on his tea. “Elder Feng, you jest.”
Elder Feng’s expression turned serious. “According to the news we’ve received, His Majesty intends to marry imperial princesses to various regional generals to curb military power. Young Master, you must be cautious.”
Yan Wei twirled the teacup between his fingers. “I understand.”
Old Feng said nothing more. The young master had always been a man of his own plans since childhood.
Old Feng had once served as a strategist in the Yan residence. Unfortunately, after General Yan died in battle, Yan Wei made the decision to have him leave the estate and operate in secret to ensure Old Feng’s safety.
Duan Cang arranged for Old Feng to be escorted back discreetly. To avoid suspicion, Yan Wei remained seated for a while longer.
Gazing out the window, the image of Ming Shu smiling at the fair-skinned scholar seemed to linger before his eyes.
Yan Wei tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice before slowly stopping. “Duan Cang, investigate that scholar.”
“Yes.”
After returning to the estate, Ming Shu changed out of her clothes. After bathing and freshening up, she lay on the low couch, too tired to move.
Tang Li brought over a small box of ointment. “Miss, this servant didn’t mean to…”
Looking at Ming Shu’s hand now, it was already red and swollen, appearing alarming against her jade-like skin.
Ming Shu replied weakly, “Applying the ointment will help it heal quickly.”
Although the incident had nearly escalated, it did allow Ming Shu to glean a bit of information from the burly man.
The Emperor was recalling all regional garrison generals, so her cousin should be returning to the capital soon.
What about her?
Ming Shu’s long, butterfly-wing-like eyelashes fluttered, concealing the complexity in her eyes.
She had likely resigned herself to fate.
Ming Shu muttered, “Forget it. If I can’t get married, then so be it. At worst, I’ll become a nun at Qingyu Convent.”
But she hadn’t even tasted the vexing sweetness of love yet!
Tang Li only saw Ming Shu’s lips moving but couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“What is Miss saying?”
Ming Shu lifted one leg and crossed it over the other, raising her chin slightly. “I said I’ll find you a handsome young man to marry you off tomorrow.”
Tang Li’s round face lit up with a smile. After all, they had grown up together as mistress and servant, and their tastes were quite similar.
“Then Miss must find this servant someone with good character and good looks!”
Looking at that face, she was sure she could eat an extra bowl of rice!
Ming Shu glared back at her. “Aren’t you ashamed, you little imp?”
She was planning to become a nun at Qingyu Convent, yet this little maid wanted to marry a handsome young man—wasn’t that just twisting the knife in her heart?
Ming Shu clutched her chest in distress. “Little Tang Li, you’ve wounded your mistress’s heart…”
Tang Li rubbed her hands together.
She opened her mouth, and after a long pause, her voice came out softly. “Then why doesn’t Miss find one too?”
Ming Shu’s heart was utterly shattered.
“Couldn’t you just comfort me by saying I don’t need to marry?”
“Well, that won’t do. This servant hasn’t even held a man’s hand before. I’ve heard they’re very warm,” Tang Li whispered.
Ming Shu suddenly turned her head.
“What about those storybooks of yours?”
“Why is Miss asking about that?”
Ming Shu wiggled her toes. “I want to read them.”
Tang Li stood up happily, as if delighted to share something good. “Wait a moment, Miss.”
Tang Li went to her room and brought back a box of storybooks, her eyes bright and her voice hushed.
“These are treasures this servant has kept for a long time. Miss has definitely never read them.”
Ever since Ming Shu had taken a storybook to the academy and been caught by her teacher, who scolded her with a pained heart, she had never read one again.
Now, seeing the familiar covers, she couldn’t help but feel a tingling curiosity.
Ming Shu nodded. If she were to become a nun at Qingyu Convent, she would definitely bring several boxes of storybooks with her.
Ming Shu flipped through them and picked up one with many dog-eared pages. The cover read: The Fragrance of Pear Blossoms.
Ming Shu clicked her tongue. How oddly elegant.
But after reading the beginning, it turned out to be about warfare. Based on Ming Shu’s understanding of Tang Li, it definitely wouldn’t be a proper book.
Sure enough, after just flipping a few more pages, Ming Shu’s hand paused.