Chapter 78: That Is a Matter for the Future

"By the way," Gao Xueluo suddenly remembered something and said, "A few days ago, Liu Yuli came to see me."

Shen Nanyuan couldn’t help but smile at these words. With an intrigued arch of her brow, she asked, "Why did he seek you out? But then again, you two are betrothed. It’s not so surprising for him to visit you."

“Oh, come now.” Gao Xueluo waved her hands quickly. "Neither of us cares for this engagement, and he didn’t come for me at all."

She blinked and deliberately drew out her words, "Someone wanted to find out about your injury from me."

Shen Nanyuan’s expression shifted slightly. She frowned, lifting her gaze to look at Gao Xueluo.

“He hardly knows you—why would he be concerned about your wounds? It’s not hard to guess who put him up to it. When Liu Yuli came to ask, he looked utterly reluctant, so I teased him a little. He couldn’t retort, and I was so amused by it."

Gao Xueluo looked immensely pleased with herself. She lifted her chin and continued, "Just thinking about how stifled he looked still makes me want to laugh."

Shen Nanyuan tilted her head, "You two seem like a pair of bickering lovers."

"Who would want to be bickering lovers with him?" Gao Xueluo snorted softly. "Thank goodness it’s only an engagement and no date has been set. I’m still hoping for some unexpected turn of events to break it off."

She truly seemed unwilling to marry Liu Yuli.

Shen Nanyuan set the tea before her, urging her to drink and calm her temper. Gao Xueluo took a small sip, then continued, "But tell me, why would Jun Ci want to know about your injuries? He never cared about such things before. I remember one year when you had a terrible fever, he didn’t even ask after you."

"If Jun Ci had to ask Liu Yuli to inquire, it must mean he couldn’t find anyone else who knew your situation. Do you suppose he’s starting to like you again?"

Gao Xueluo pursed her lips. "I hope not. It would be terribly off-putting. When you liked him, he couldn’t be bothered with you; now that you don’t, he’s suddenly eager to draw near."

Shen Nanyuan placed a piece of pastry gently in her mouth, nodding indifferently. "Let him do as he pleases. I have no desire for any connection with him."

She had noticed for some time now that Jun Ci seemed different from before. Every time she saw him, the feeling only grew stronger. The first time they met, his face was full of disdain; he avoided her as if she were poisonous. Yet, as time passed and their paths crossed again, his gaze sometimes lingered on her with a focus that astonished her. When she looked back at him, he would hastily avert his eyes, as if afraid his intentions would be discovered.

She had her suspicions before, but after hearing Gao Xueluo’s words, it became clear—Jun Ci seemed to have developed feelings for her.

Jun Ci, who in the original story loved Lin Yan with unwavering devotion, now seemed to care for the very person he once despised?

Shen Nanyuan found it all rather absurd.

Perhaps the original Shen Nanyuan would have been delighted, thinking her years of unrequited affection had finally borne fruit. But she was not that same person. She was no longer the Shen Nanyuan whose heart and eyes held only him.

So she could never reciprocate Jun Ci’s feelings.

Gao Xueluo, who had always harbored a deep bias against Jun Ci, snorted again. "Everyone in the capital calls Jun Ci upright and refined, but I don’t see it. Liu Yuli is his friend, and that alone speaks volumes about his character."

Shen Nanyuan couldn’t help but laugh. "Why are you so hard on Liu Yuli? He and Jun Ci may be close, but I think Liu Yuli is quite decent."

"He’s just good at pretending, that’s why you think well of him. You’ve been fooled," Gao Xueluo huffed. "When he came to the Gao household, he acted all cultured before my parents, but when alone with me, he only mocked and taunted. He said everyone in the capital calls me well-bred and learned, but I’m nothing of the sort. It drove me mad!"

"And everyone says he’s idle and frivolous—they’re absolutely right."

Gao Xueluo, having held back for so long, chattered on with fierce indignation. Shen Nanyuan thought that if Liu Yuli were present, the two of them might well come to blows.

"If I marry into his family, it’ll be chaos from the start. He’d do better to break off the engagement now. That way, we’d both be free sooner rather than later."

Gao Xueluo had tried to break it off herself, but to no avail, so now all her hopes rested on Liu Yuli.

Shen Nanyuan paused for a moment, then said, "But even if your engagement with him is broken, your parents may arrange another—perhaps with someone even less agreeable than Liu Yuli."

Gao Xueluo’s words faltered. She frowned and thought for a moment. "That’s a problem for another day."

Shen Nanyuan sighed softly and shook her head. She thought well of Liu Yuli and knew that he would become a man of great promise, but since Gao Xueluo didn’t care for him, there was nothing more to say.

The days slipped by quietly. Since her injury, Shen Nanyuan hadn’t left the Duke’s residence. With careful tending, her wounds healed swiftly. Her arm was treated with many scar-removing ointments, and the marks faded away.

During her convalescence, the Prime Minister’s wife, for attempting to harm Meng Chuyue and injuring the Princess of Yong’an, was imprisoned for several days. After receiving fifty strokes with the rod, she was released, her life spared in consideration of her rank. The entire capital buzzed with talk of the scandal, from one end of the city to the other. The Prime Minister’s legitimate daughter, upon hearing of her mother’s punishment, fell gravely ill and was said to have taken a turn for the worse.

In these days, Meng Chuyue took over the matters of the Prime Minister’s household, but would frequently visit Shen Nanyuan at the Duke’s estate. Thanks to this, Shen Nanyuan’s wounds healed completely.

At first, Shen Nanyuan had been unsettled by how much Xiao Yan had changed. Yet, throughout her convalescence, he remained as docile and gentle as ever, and she gradually grew at ease.

In the blink of an eye, May arrived. Shen Yi had been at the front for over half a year, winning back several cities and establishing a formidable reputation. By Shen Nanyuan’s calculations, he would return triumphantly in just over four months.

That meant four more months of peace. Once Shen Yi returned, the true story would begin.

His Majesty’s health had suddenly declined, the court was fraught with anxiety, and the struggle among the princes intensified day by day.

At the same time, the day when Xiao Yan would return to the palace was drawing near.

Shen Nanyuan now felt a measure of confidence—when the time came, Xiao Yan would surely spare the Duke’s household.