Chapter 57: Following

Chapter 57: Following

Cheng Yian followed without hesitation.

She passed through the hall leading to the Medicine Buddha Hall, took the left path, and saw a three-story pavilion ahead, which was the scripture library of Ping'an Temple. The crowd began to thin out in this area, so Cheng Yian dared not follow too closely. Pretending to be interested in the scenery, she saw He Qingyun entering a five-cornered pavilion with upturned eaves to the east of the scripture library.

Cheng Yian stood at the rear corridor of the Medicine Buddha Hall, watching from a distance. There were about five or six men of different ages, apparently gathered for a painting session, each exuding an air of elegance.

As soon as He Qingyun arrived, everyone except the man in the northern seat rose to greet him. He Qingyun returned the greetings and then took a seat to the left of the man in the northern seat. This man, around thirty years old, had a handsome, jade-like face. He Qingyun chatted with him, and their familiarity was clear. Soon, a young man to He Qingyun's right tugged him aside and whispered something, making He Qingyun laugh—a rare show of joy.

Next, He Qingyun unrolled the painting he had brought, letting everyone admire it. Some engaged in animated discussions, while others concentrated on the artwork. It was an ordinary gathering.

Cheng Yian shook her head, realizing that her past betrayal by Fan Yulin had left her overly wary.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

From the other side of the corridor, a figure emerged, clad in a flowing white robe, exuding elegance—it was none other than Fan Yulin.

Cheng Yian hadn't noticed him at first, but Ru Lan saw him immediately and stepped forward, placing herself between Fan Yulin and Cheng Yian. Fan Yulin, now more careful, halted five steps away and stood still.

On a nearby tree branch, Qiu Qing, who was on watch, already held a pebble in his hand. If Fan Yulin made any suspicious move, that pebble could take his life.

Noticing Cheng Yian's gaze fixed on the pavilion, Fan Yulin understood she was curious.

When did Fan Yulin first meet Cheng Yian?

When he was around six or seven years old.

At that time, Cheng Yian was just four, a delicate little girl who often sat alone in the alley behind the South Mansion, counting stones.

The Fan family had recently moved to the capital, and Fan Yulin's older brother was occupied with his studies, leaving him with no one to play with. So, the six-year-old Fan Yulin roamed around the neighborhood. The small households in the area often gathered near the Cheng family, hoping to receive some treats from the generous mistresses. What else could a child of that age desire but a bite to eat?

The alley behind the Cheng family was often filled with a dozen or so children playing together.

Cheng Yian, being shy, didn't like to join the crowd but still felt lonely. She often hid under the camphor tree in the corner, watching the others play. The tree was surrounded by a flower bed filled with pebbles, which she loved to count. She would count them over and over, each time getting a different number. Her big, clear eyes were fixed on the stones, stubbornly determined to get the count right.

One day, a young master noticed her and suddenly threw a pebble at her. Angry, she chased after him but tripped and fell. Fan Yulin saw this and immediately ran over to help her up, then chased after the young master and gave him a beating.

From that day on, Cheng Yian would smile at him and even asked for his name, calling him "Brother Lin."

Their innocent affection gradually deepened, and by the time he was fifteen, he had developed an uncontrollable love for her.

He knew he was out of her league, so he studied hard and finally passed the provincial examination. But then she was betrothed to Lu Xusheng.

He had planned to take the imperial examination this year, but due to the Cheng family's interference and Cui Han's meddling, his reputation was ruined, and he was disqualified from the exam.

There was no point dwelling on it now.

He and Cheng Yian were destined to be apart.

Seeing her again, he still understood her expressions perfectly. At this moment, she was glancing at the pavilion, clearly curious about the people inside.

So Fan Yulin spoke up,

"The man in the northern seat is named Li Xiangcheng, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, specializing in court paintings and serving the imperial court. This Li Qiyi is Cui Han's maternal uncle, the youngest brother of the Cui family's matriarch, Lady Li. He is a man of great taste and refinement. The man in the southern seat is a Shujishi from the Hanlin Academy, the fourth-place scholar from three years ago, hailing from a prominent family in Hunan. He is both talented and handsome, with excellent eloquence, and has been praised by the emperor. As for the man in the middle, He Qingyun, needless to say, he is your brother-in-law."

"These five men are all masters of the Great Jin Dynasty's painting scene. They formed a painting society called the 'Qingyun Society,' which only admits those of noble birth and exceptional talent."

Cheng Yian finally looked at him, frowning, "How do you know all this so well?"

Fan Yulin gave a bitter smile, "I’ve asked to join the society several times, but was always refused."

Cheng Yian had nothing to say.

She didn’t want to stay around Fan Yulin, so she turned and left.

Fan Yulin instinctively moved to follow her, "An..." The words reached his lips but were swallowed back. He watched her disappear around the corner, sighed silently a few times, and then turned towards the scripture library.

Cheng Yian bought a few baskets of steamed buns and then boarded the carriage back to the mansion. Her thoughts were all over the place on the way, sometimes worrying about Lu Xusheng, sometimes fretting over her elder sister. Cheng Yixin was capable but prone to overthinking and worry, and had visibly lost weight recently. Her temperament somewhat resembled their father’s, always keeping things to herself.

Cheng Yian decided to take on the role of the bad guy. She lifted the carriage curtain and whispered to Qiu Qing,

"Find someone trustworthy to discreetly watch my brother-in-law. Wherever he goes, whoever he meets, report every detail to me."

Cheng Yian had her reasons.

In her previous life, Fan Yulin had treated her very well, always accommodating her. Just when she thought his heart was entirely hers, he secretly kept a mistress on the side. She wasn’t necessarily assuming the worst about He Qingyun, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

She had taken the medicine, undergone the treatment, why wasn’t it working?

Could it be that he no longer liked her elder sister?

Find out the truth, clear up any doubts, and live in peace.

If there’s any trickery, discover it early; it’s for the elder sister’s good.

Cheng Yian hoped she was just being paranoid. After all, in her previous life until her rebirth, she had never heard of any issues between her elder sister and brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, He Qingyun was sitting with some friends, talking about paintings. They complimented him on how much his painting had improved, and he came back to the mansion feeling great. When he walked into the main hall, he saw Cheng Yixin sitting at the desk, lost in thought, looking a bit down. His smile faded,

"Xin’er, what’s wrong?"

Cheng Yixin had already noticed him but remained seated, just offering a tired smile, "It’s nothing. Tomorrow we’re going to the palace for the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration. I’m just thinking if the birthday gift is appropriate."

He Qingyun first went to the copper basin to wash his hands, then came to sit beside her, facing her, and said gently,

"Don’t worry, the Empress Dowager loves paintings that are both beautiful and grand. My painting should suit her taste. We don’t need to stand out; we just need to avoid any mistakes."

Since the He family was allied with the Cheng family, they naturally remained neutral.

Cheng Yixin replied with little enthusiasm.

Soon, Cui Jie’er heard her dad was back and ran over to hug He Qingyun. He Qingyun took the child into the east chamber, "Come, let Daddy see the painting you made."

Cheng Yixin watched his graceful figure, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.

From the consultation until now, three full months had passed, and there was still no significant improvement.

Was it not cured, or was there another reason?

At this moment, her trusted Nanny Chen came in, glanced towards the east chamber, and asked Cheng Yixin in a low voice,

"There’s only one dose left. Should I brew it today?"

Apart from Nanny Chen, Cheng Yixin had not told anyone about this. The prescription was kept by Nanny Chen, and she personally brewed the medicine, telling the maids it was for her own health, so no one suspected anything.

Cheng Yixin, who always saw things through to the end, said calmly, "Brew it."

He Qingyun spent some time drawing with the child and then had a meal together before going to the west chamber to personally take care of the child. Cuijie'er, the child, was very mischievous; at three years old, she could grab anything and loved to jump on the bed. Cheng Yixin, worried she might fall, had a small, enclosed bed frame made for her to play on.

After putting the child to sleep, He Qingyun returned to the west chamber and immediately noticed a bowl of dark medicine on the desk.

His expression darkened, but he didn’t immediately drink it. Instead, he removed his outer robe and hung it on the screen, then slowly sat down behind the desk, staring at the medicine without moving.

Cheng Yixin sat sideways to him, looking at the account books. She noticed his movements out of the corner of her eye but remained silent.

In the past, the couple shared everything, but now, this issue had driven a wedge between them.

At first, He Qingyun was cooperative, but over time, he grew frustrated.

This, of course, included the shame and frustration of failing to meet his wife's expectations.

He Qingyun quietly reached out and grasped the bowl. Seeing his hesitation, Cheng Yixin suddenly spoke in a resigned tone,

"Never mind, if you don’t want to drink it, don’t." She managed a weak smile.

He Qingyun could tell her smile was strained.

He felt torn.

He truly didn’t want to drink it, but he couldn’t bear to let his wife down.

After hesitating for a moment, he picked up the bowl and downed it in one gulp.

Cheng Yixin watched his throat bob as he swallowed the medicine, her emotions mixed as she smiled,

"This will be the last time..."

He Qingyun paused, finished drinking, and wiped the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

Once a refined nobleman, he was now stripped of his dignity.

Tears welled up in Cheng Yixin’s eyes once more. She felt regretful. If she had stayed silent from the start, they wouldn’t have reached this point. Many couples in their thirties or forties sleep in separate rooms, with the husband sleeping in the concubine’s room and the wife living her own life.

There is no perfect marriage in the world.

She had been too fixated on perfection.

This was still better than him having a mistress outside.

Cheng Yixin suddenly smiled, relieved, "Qingyun, let’s not bother with these things anymore, let’s live a good life."

He Qingyun’s face froze, consumed by overwhelming guilt.

"I’m sorry, Yixin..."

Cheng Yixin shook her head vigorously. Having decided to let go, she felt an immense sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"No, I think this is good. It’s getting late, let’s rest."

Cheng Yixin went to the bed first. He Qingyun went to bathe, this time taking longer than usual. Cheng Yixin didn’t wait for him, nor did she need to. She closed her eyes first.

She single-handedly managed all the affairs of the He family, big and small. Cheng Yixin was usually very busy. She was naturally capable, less willing to delegate than Cheng Yian. She didn’t trust others with this matter, had to inquire about that matter, handled everything personally, and as the matron of the family, she also had to deal with the affairs of the He clan. There was no choice, as she was the daughter of Cheng Mingyu, and the clan trusted her more than her father-in-law and He Qingyun.

By the end of the day, she was utterly exhausted.

Half-asleep, she felt a hand caressing her body. Cheng Yixin immediately woke up. Soon, his body pressed against hers, his lips gently kissing her shoulder. Cheng Yixin’s back stiffened, and the thoughts in her heart were stirred again.

This wasn’t the first time.

Knowing what he wanted to do, Cheng Yixin this time pressed him down, turned around to break free from his grasp, and smiled charmingly at her husband in the dark,

"I’m tired, let’s sleep."

He Qingyun looked at her, fell silent, and gradually sank into pain.