Shen Weizhen noticed that A Chun had been looking up at him, her mouth slightly agape as if she had seen something extraordinary.
But there was no time to ask her now. He knew that if they were discovered by the servants in the dead of night, with him and his sister here, it would be troublesome.
According to propriety, she should not have sneaked out of her courtyard late at night.
That was just one reason.
If they alarmed Old Ancestor, Madam Li, and others, the maidservants around A Chun would at the very least receive dozens of lashes and would not receive their monthly allowance this month. In more severe cases, even she would be fined her allowance. How much money had she received since entering the mansion? The paper she had just used for copying books was not of good quality either.
Fortunately, it was him here tonight.
Shen Weizhen carried the lantern outside. The young servant had already reached the doorway and, upon seeing him, was startled. He immediately bowed: "Young Master."
Madam Li managed the household with a strict set of rules. Even though Tingxuexuan was unoccupied and built over water, every night, a servant would come to patrol—first, to prevent fires, and second, to avoid damage to furniture and utensils by rats late at night.
Normally, no one would come here. Today, as he passed by, the servant caught a glimpse of faint light inside. Thinking he had stumbled upon a secret rendezvous between maids and servants, he harbored some mischievous intent, hoping to catch a pair of illicit lovers. Little did he expect that the one who emerged would be the dignified and proper Young Master. Instantly, his legs went weak, and his soul seemed to flee to the heavens.
Although he had never had the honor of serving in Renshoutang, he knew that this Young Master was strict in managing his subordinates. He did not mistreat servants, but if they made a mistake, there was absolutely no room for leniency—they would be dismissed immediately and never used again.
"The moonlight is quite lovely tonight. I was here admiring it," Shen Weizhen said calmly. "If there is nothing else, you may leave."
The servant hurriedly apologized for disturbing the Young Master's refined mood. How dare he look inside the room? With the master's permission, he immediately fled with his tail between his legs, fearing he might anger his lord.
After the servant left, Shen Weizhen closed the door and returned the Mingwa Lantern to A Chun. "It's getting late. You should go back and rest. The girls' school has strict classes, and you have to wake up at mao hour tomorrow."
A Chun was still staring at his face. Even though the light source had moved away, she remained dazed. Though she could no longer see clearly, her mind could still recall the fleeting glimpse she had just caught—her brother's extraordinary beauty.
"What? Did a mere servant frighten you into a daze?" Shen Weizhen reached out and waved his hand in front of her eyes. Realizing she couldn't see, he withdrew his hand and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
A Chun said, "Brother, you are truly handsome."
Shen Weizhen frowned. "It's merely a superficial appearance."
A Chun readily agreed. "Brother, your superficial appearance is truly handsome."
Shen Weizhen smiled briefly, then straightened his expression and scolded her. "You must not say such things carelessly. One cannot judge a person by their appearance; you should not judge people based on looks."
He noticed that A Chun often spoke to him without restraint. If she were younger, he could still excuse it as "children's words carry no harm." But now, it gave him a headache.
However, there had been too many headaches tonight, and this was just one more.
Shen Weizhen consoled himself this way.
"Why not?" A Chun asked curiously. "Is it not allowed even as praise? When you first met Miss Meng, didn't you also praise her as breathtakingly beautiful?"
In the darkness, she heard Shen Weizhen's tone suddenly turn cold. "Jinghui."
A Chun said, "What is it?"
"If you don't return soon," Shen Weizhen said, "I'm afraid the maid who attends to you during the night will discover you're missing."
A Chun suddenly remembered this and immediately stood up. "I'll leave right away."
She couldn't hold things in her mind—when there was something important to do, she would forget the previous matter.
As soon as Shen Weizhen mentioned possibly implicating the night-watch maid, A Chun forgot the question she hadn't gotten an answer to.
A few days earlier, she had received several bolts of Tianshui Azure silk. If Shen Weizhen and Miss Meng's marriage negotiations could continue, A Chun could then gift that silk to Shen Weizhen, so he could give it to Miss Meng—this would also be a way to repay her brother.
Now A Chun had already forgotten all of this.
Fortunately, nothing happened that night—no disturbances. Shen Weizhen escorted her back to her courtyard, coolly and indifferently saying it was "so you wouldn't stumble and get hurt, alarming Old Ancestor."
A Chun was still happy. She knew Shen Weizhen was someone who liked to use "propriety" as an excuse—he must care about her.
At parting, Shen Weizhen also asked her a strange question: "Have you had any contact with Jichang recently?"
A Chun answered honestly: "Recently, Fifth Aunt came to the residence and brought gifts. Second Brother gave me the gift he received, and I had my maid give Second Brother the new pouch I made as a return gift—why do you ask?"
Shen Weizhen said: "It's nothing. Go back now."
A Chun didn't know why Shen Weizhen was asking these things. She only knew that the next day was the day for the girls' school.
She was going to suffer through her studies.
The next day, A Chun got up early. Now that she had morning classes, she no longer needed to pay respects to Old Ancestor; the old lady, showing consideration for A Chun, sent another maid over named Dongxue, who was quite knowledgeable in poetry and literature, to accompany A Chun in her studies at the girls' school.
When Qiu Shuang saw Dongxue, she was genuinely startled—Dongxue had previously worked at Renshoutang. Shen Weizhen saw she was clever and skilled at serving with brush and ink. Since Old Ancestor liked hand-copied Buddhist scriptures for offerings, he sent Dongxue to serve Old Ancestor.
Why would Old Ancestor be willing to give her to Cangchunwu?
With Old Ancestor and the eldest master showing such regard, although Madam Li didn't come, the treatment due to Cangchunwu was never lacking… Could this cousin really just be a distant relative?
Qiu Shuang didn't dare to think further.
A Chun was overjoyed.
The girls' school she attended was called Lanzhang Hall, located in the same mountain near the outskirts of the city as Shen Weizhen's academy. Now that four young ladies from the residence were going to study, each was assigned a carriage. On the way to Lanzhang Hall, Dongxue explained in detail what would be taught at the girls' school that day, so A Chun could prepare in advance and avoid being caught off guard if questioned by the teacher.
A Chun held her small hand-warmer incense burner, admiringly asking: "How do you know all this?"
"Master Xiang specifically instructed me yesterday," Dongxue said seriously. "There is a teacher at Lanzhang Hall who was her close friend in their youth, and she will be instructing you today. Master Xiang emphasized that you must study diligently beforehand, so as not to disgrace her reputation."
A Chun wanted to go to school even less.
While the carriages of the four young ladies from Shenfu were still bumping along the road, Shen Weizhen had already arrived early at the academy.
He had his own set routine: early to bed, early to rise. After getting up, he would practice a set of martial arts or swordplay in the courtyard, bathe, have breakfast, then ride to the academy. Because he rose early, when Shen Weizhen arrived at the classroom, there were often no other students yet, allowing him to read quietly.
Today was different.
Zhang Jian was actually there too.
This man had grand ambitions and heroic spirit but a casual temperament. Like Shen Weizhen, he didn't live at the academy but rode back and forth daily. He was often late—why had he come so early today?
Unusual occurrences must have hidden reasons.
Shen Weizhen smiled and greeted him, exchanging a few pleasantries before returning to his studies. His mind was calm and cautious, and he soon became fully absorbed, leaving only Zhang Jian secretly anxious beside him.
In truth, Zhang Jian had already begun to admire Shen Weizhen long before the scorpion incident.
Zhang Jian was two years older than Shen Weizhen. When they had taken the Provincial Examination together, Shen Weizhen had stunned everyone by achieving the top score as the Jieyuan, while Zhang Jian had failed. To make matters worse, Zhang Jian’s father was a strict disciplinarian who tolerated no mistakes from his children. On the day the results were announced, Zhang Jian was beaten half to death by his father, who then praised Shen Weizhen endlessly, leaving Zhang Jian seething with resentment.
Young and proud, especially since Shen Weizhen was the kind of "privileged scion of a noble family" Zhang Jian most despised. In the academy, their teacher had always favored Shen Weizhen, leaving Zhang Jian perpetually overshadowed.
He had assumed they would have no further interaction. With Shen Weizhen’s literary talent, he was sure to pass the imperial examination with flying colors the following year. But fate had other plans—Shen Weizhen’s father passed away unexpectedly, forcing him to suspend his studies and observe the mourning period.
When Shen Weizhen returned, he became Zhang Jian’s classmate once more.
This time, however, Zhang Jian regarded Shen Weizhen with newfound respect.
While Shen Weizhen was still in mourning, Shenfu had been thrown into turmoil.
In recent years, the Shen family had struggled with dwindling descendants, and with Shen Shiru’s passing, matters grew worse. The major stewards overseeing Shenfu’s businesses—shops, farmlands, and estates—began to stir, growing restless and secretly plotting to seize control.
Unbeknownst to them, Shen Weizhen had already planted informants among them, uncovering their schemes. He skillfully sowed distrust among them, causing internal divisions. Within half a year, the stewards grew suspicious of one another, resorting to sabotage. Only one survived, resigning voluntarily, only to drown accidentally in a small stream on his way home.
Those with insight knew Shenfu was behind it, but neither the coroner’s examination nor the official investigation could find any evidence linking the incident to Shenfu. Instead, they uncovered years of embezzlement and misappropriation of Shenfu’s assets by these stewards.
According to the law, their families should have been severely punished. However, Shen Weizhen sent someone to plead for leniency, stating that his late father had always been benevolent and forgiving. These stewards had served Shenfu diligently in life, and now that they were gone, their widows and orphans were pitiable. He argued that their families should not suffer for their crimes and begged for mercy.
Word of this spread quickly, and soon, the streets and alleys were filled with praise for Shen Weizhen’s compassion and righteousness, which they said matched his father’s.
Madam Zhang recounted this story to her children, with two purposes in mind: first, to warn her daughter against developing any romantic feelings for Shen Weizhen, as he was cunning and not to be trusted; second, to caution Zhang Jian against offending him.
Zhang Jian disagreed with his mother.
He believed Shen Weizhen had done nothing wrong. With Shen Shiru gone and his uncles proving useless, if Shen Weizhen hadn’t stepped up to take charge and decisively removed these corrupt stewards, who knew how much worse things could have become? No matter how wealthy Shenfu was, it couldn’t withstand such parasites.
In times of crisis, establishing authority was essential. Only after wielding an iron fist could one extend benevolence, ensuring the stability of a family or a place.
When Shen Weizhen returned to the academy and took responsibility for the scorpion incident, even after being bitten, Zhang Jian’s desire to befriend him grew stronger.
Especially after meeting Shen Weizhen’s fairy-like younger sister, Zhang Jian was certain: this was a friend he was determined to make.
Yet Shen Weizhen treated him exactly as before. Days had passed, and no matter how Zhang Jian probed, Shen Weizhen never once invited him to visit Shenfu for a casual gathering.
Zhang Jian begged his mother to send an invitation to Shenfu, asking the Shen family’s young ladies to come to their home to admire the osmanthus blossoms. Unexpectedly, only two of the young ladies arrived—the one he most wished to see, Shen Jinghui, was not among them.
He asked his younger sister to inquire, and she returned with word that one of the two young ladies was ill, while the other was studying with her female tutor and could not easily go out.
Zhang Jian was so anxious he scratched his head and ears, yet he could not ask which one was ill and which was studying. That day in the bamboo grove, he had caught only a fleeting glimpse of Shen Jinghui, but he had noticed her delicate, slender frame, perhaps indicating some frailty or ailment.
Finally, yesterday he heard that all four Shen sisters would be attending the girls’ school. Zhang Jian spent the entire day distracted. It was his first time experiencing the pangs of youthful infatuation; usually quick with words, he now dared not speak of it to anyone, fearing it might harm the reputation of the Shen family’s young ladies.
With Shen Weizhen, it was even harder to broach the subject. How could he directly say, “Yuanjing, I wish to marry your sister—what do you think?”
—Shen Weizhen might smile and say his sister was still young and the family wished to keep her at home a few more years, dismissing him with a few words. Then, a month later, Zhang Jian might “accidentally” fall to his death, beyond cure; or perhaps “carelessly” drown, only to be fished out of the water bloated and floating.
Although Shen Weizhen likely would not treat an official’s son this way—but what if he did?
Zhang Jian did not want to gamble on it.
He waited restlessly until classes ended, frequently glancing at Shen Weizhen. Shen Weizhen’s attendant Ye Qing was slow in packing up, so Zhang Jian told his own attendant to pack slowly as well; if the other side sped up, so would he.
Just as everything was packed and Shen Weizhen rose to leave, Zhang Jian pinched his attendant’s ear and urged him in a low voice to hurry. At the same time, he lifted the hem of his robe and hurried over, calling out to Shen Weizhen, “Brother Yuanjing.”
Shen Weizhen stopped and smiled. “Ah, it’s Shaofan.”
“Today, the teacher lectured on ‘Rituals as the Foundation for Nurturing People.’ I have a few points I don’t understand and would like to seek your guidance, Brother Yuanjing,” Zhang Jian said, clasping his hands. “Might we walk together and discuss them on the way?”
Shen Weizhen paused. “I should not decline, but my sisters are attending the girls’ school for the first time today, and I still need to fetch them—”
“No trouble at all,” Zhang Jian hastily interrupted, grinning. “I’ll accompany Brother Yuanjing there.”
Shen Weizhen did not refuse again.
Outside Lanzhang Hall, A Chun had just stepped onto the carriage with Dongxue’s assistance and had not yet lifted the curtain to enter when she heard the sound of hoofbeats. Surprised and delighted, she turned and saw Shen Weizhen still some distance away. She jumped down from the carriage and happily hurried forward. “Brother!”
Shen Weizhen also spotted her from afar.
Today she was dressed even more simply, in a willow-green skirt, wearing only a pair of white jade hairpins with twin butterflies. She quickened her pace to his horse, her face flushed, eagerly looking up at him. “My head aches from studying today, but seeing you now, I feel refreshed at once.”
Shen Weizhen sighed helplessly, knowing she had not noticed Zhang Jian.
He did not dismount, glancing at Dongxue instead. The latter immediately stepped forward to help A Chun back.
“Shaofan will be accompanying us today,” Shen Weizhen said. “If there is anything, you can tell me during evening greetings.”
Having learned from the last incident, A Chun promptly bowed to Zhang Jian this time and, with Dongxue’s support, climbed back into the carriage.
She did not see Zhang Jian, but the other three young ladies did.
Shen Zongshu and Shen Xiangmei both glanced once before lowering the curtain, but Shen Linying, being young and naturally curious, looked a few moments longer. She felt that her eldest brother's friend carried himself with an imposing air and was quite handsome—a different kind of handsome from her eldest brother.
Zhang Jian stared dazedly at A Chun's carriage. Only when Shen Weizhen rode past him on horseback did he snap out of it, as if waking from a dream, and hurried after him: "Brother Yuanjing!"
Shen Weizhen did not look back. He frowned slightly, piecing together Zhang Jian's recent behavior, and realized the issue.
—Last time, Zhang Jian had fallen for his sister at first sight.