Chapter 37: Seeking Shelter from the Rain

Chapter 37: Seeking Shelter from the Rain

The Su family lived in Pingyang Lane, quite a distance from the Liang residence, separated by six streets.

Upon hearing that Third Madam of the Liang family had come to visit in person, the Su family took it very seriously and quickly instructed someone to wake the sick Miss Su to come out and receive the guest.

When Ying Shi arrived, she noticed the humble appearance of the residence's front gate. She got out of the carriage with the support of Chun Lan, and inside the compound, everything seemed somewhat dilapidated and overgrown.

Soon, a slender figure appeared to greet Ying Shi.

The woman appeared not young, probably around eighteen or nineteen, an age at which she should have long been married. Her still being unmarried was in itself a rarity.

Through the curtain, Ying Shi saw the young lady wearing a headband. Despite the heavy makeup, it couldn't conceal the rashes on her face and neck, which looked quite alarming.

With a slight curve of her lips, Ying Shi apologized sincerely to Miss Su, saying, "Last night's banquet disturbed Miss Su, and it was the Liang family's fault. My grandmother and mother specifically instructed me to prepare gifts and come to apologize."

Miss Su, evidently well-bred, politely declined the apology, bowed to invite Ying Shi to sit, and called a maid to serve tea.

"This is this year's new tea, Madam, please try it."

Ying Shi picked up the tea and took a small sip, recognizing it as pre-rain Dragon Well tea.

Even in late summer, the pre-rain Dragon Well tea was preserved so fresh, indicating considerable effort had been spent.

It was then that Ying Shi realized that while the Su residence looked somewhat shabby from the outside, the interior furnishings and decorations were not lacking.

The flower hall had hibiscus-patterned windows that opened wide, and on the rosewood side table stood a Ru kiln celadon plum vase. Miss Su was wearing a silk brocade skirt with a seven-layer gauze robe, standing there with almond-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks, a pointed and delicate chin, truly a look that easily elicited sympathy.

At least, Ying Shi, who had come with many thoughts, now seeing Miss Su's appearance and demeanor, couldn't bring herself to be too harsh.

However, it was clear that Miss Su was not an easy person to deal with. Before Ying Shi could inquire, Miss Su, with considerable boldness, was also observing Ying Shi while being observed.

Miss Su seemed not to like looking directly at people, perhaps knowing she was in the wrong, and had long not dared to face people openly.

She only caught a glimpse of the Liang family's young mistress's jade arm, loosely hanging a jade bangle, as she lifted her sleeve to drink tea. Her skin was radiant with a pale glow, which even made her, a woman, momentarily stunned.

Miss Su had initially been terrified upon hearing that someone from the Liang family had come, worried that Mrs. Xiao might have been too upset and come to confront her, as she was indeed in the wrong.

But seeing that the visitor was not Mrs. Xiao but the unfamiliar Ying Shi, she felt another wave of distress.

She felt that this was an insult to the Su family.

Even though the Su family had declined, they had once been the Liang family's tutor. In the order of heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teacher, now that she was in trouble, did Xiao Qiongyu still consider herself superior? She didn't come herself, but sent a widowed Third Madam?

She did not show her emotions, but already heard Ying Shi speak in praise: "I had heard of Miss Su's father's reputation. It is said that Su Shaozhang was well-read and virtuous, loyal and upright, with outstanding literary talent. Even our family's old lady, upon hearing of Su Shaozhang's literary fame, specially hired him as a tutor for the two young masters of the family. Seeing Miss Su today, observing your speech and demeanor, it must be a family tradition, a heritage skill."

This should have been a compliment, and anyone hearing it would feel pleased. But Miss Su's eyes first showed shock, then a moment of panic and humiliation.

Ying Shi watched as her face turned red, her nails clutching the handkerchief tightly, as if she wanted to tear a hole in it. Then, Miss Su quickly calmed down.

She twitched her lips, as if using all her strength to put on a smile of indifference: "Third Madam, you flatter me. I respect Second Master and Third Master like elder brothers. Even though Third Master passed away early, I still regard Third Madam as my own sister-in-law."

Having insulted her with a remark about her family's shamelessness, she then turned to provoke her with the death of her husband. Such terms as elder brother and sister-in-law, originally affectionate, now, because of their unclear and unspeakable relationship, sounded to Ying Shi like nothing but suggestive undertones.

With just this one sentence from her, Ying Shi knew that this Miss Su was truly capable.

At least, it was something that Xiao Qiongyu could not match now. No wonder in her previous life, she could quietly cause Xiao Qiongyu and Second Master to quarrel to the point of miscarriage without even showing her face.

Originally, Ying Shi was only speculating, guessing that the scent on Liang Zhi might just be from their intimate moments. But now, thinking about it, how could such a heavy scent remain?

It must have been deliberately left by this scheming young lady in front of me! Intentionally sowing doubt and suspicion in Xiao Qiongyu's mind, achieving her goal without direct confrontation.

Thinking this way, is Liang Zhi innocent?

Ying Shi looked deeply at Miss Su, her face gradually losing the playful attitude. She even abandoned the subtlety of veiled words and spoke directly: "As for the affairs between brothers and sisters, I, being from a different branch of the family, can't really get involved. It's just that the old lady asked me to come and see who is the shameless hussy, hiding the ugly affair of adultery, not to let everyone know. Just treat it as keeping a concubine. The Liang family isn’t short of money, and the second sister-in-law is also a generous person—there’s no need to get upset. Miss Su, isn’t that right?"

Ying Shi fired off one blunt statement after another, borderline insulting, but such straightforward words cleared the anger in her heart, leaving her feeling relieved instead.

It seemed that even the gloom and resentment from her previous life had lessened.

The color drained from Miss Su's face, her lips quivering with rage.

"You... what do you mean? What truth and lies? Brothers and sisters? I... I don’t understand. Don’t wrong me..."

Seeing her putting on a calm and clueless act, Ying Shi felt that a stiff breeze could knock her over.

The more she looked, the more familiar the scene felt.

Suddenly, she remembered what she had said when Liang Yun questioned her that morning—was I just as ridiculous as she is?

The more Ying Shi thought about it, the more ashamed she felt. She didn’t dare to dwell on it further. Once she started scolding, there was no need to hold back. She smiled, not wanting to dwell too much on the affairs of the other branch, and said, "Miss Su, you’re still too young. Things aren’t as straightforward as you imagine. Even if you use your wits to needle your sister-in-law and drive her away, there will always be others to take her place. Why stoop so low? Why not remain a noble lady instead of degrading yourself like this?"

Facing Miss Su’s pale face, Ying Shi watched the humiliation flicker in her eyes, hoping she had taken her words to heart. After this incident, Liang Zhi would probably keep his distance from her.

But Ying Shi was disappointed again.

The humiliation in Miss Su’s eyes gradually faded. Seeing Ying Shi speak so bluntly, she also dropped her pretenses and sneered, "So even the Third Madam knows she’s meddling? If this matter really needs to be addressed, it’s not your place to come. Why go out of your way?"

"Second brother—how he treats me, I know best. He promised my father to protect me. He’s more patient with me than he is with his own wife. Though I have no status, I admit it’s a raw deal to follow him. But you, Madam? How pitiful. So young and living like a widow. In a family like the Liang family, you’re probably pushed around with no one to back you up. Not as free as I am."

Ying Shi was stunned by her words.

It wasn’t true to say she wasn’t angry. Miss Su knew how to hit where it hurts. Usually gentle, her words were far from simple. The anger in Ying Shi’s chest was nearly boiling over.

But deeper than anger was disappointment.

Ying Shi couldn’t even pinpoint what she was disappointed about.

Vaguely, she felt that many of her beliefs seemed to crumble once more.

Originally, she had been secretly proud of her cleverness, thinking that today’s incident would lead to Liang Zhi being punished and restrained for a while. The old lady in the mansion would probably not be able to hide it for long, and the chances of the two meeting in the future would diminish.

She didn’t know how the two had gotten involved, but seeing less of each other would likely weaken their bond.

If Xiao Qiongyu’s child could be born, it would be for the best. Ying Shi felt she had done what she could, and at least she had a clear conscience about what would happen next.

But now—Ying Shi realized belatedly that everything she had done was actually useless.

She thought she might have saved a life that hadn’t existed in her previous life, allowing the second sister-in-law to have her own child in this one. She thought Xiao Qiongyu must be happy.

But she had missed a crucial point: in such a marriage, was having a child really a good thing?

In her previous life, after Xiao Qiongyu had learned the truth of her misplaced affection, had she still hoped for a child?

Perhaps she had truly been wrong. She shouldn’t have assumed that, just because she had lived one more life than Xiao Qiongyu and seen more heartless men, she could arrogantly interfere in others’ lives with her own ideas.

Ying Shi sighed. For some reason, she felt somewhat moved by the Miss Su in front of her.

Wasn’t it true? A single word can wake the dreamer.

She revealed a malicious smile and didn’t hold back in mutual harm: "Then I wish you and Second Master a lifetime of happiness and may you have children soon. The Liang family still has no children. If you’re lucky, you might join the Liang household by next year. Since you and Second Master are so in love, how can you stand being apart every day? Living together, I’d have to call you 'little sister-in-law' as proper etiquette."

Isn’t it great to have a few more troublemakers stirring up the Liang household’s mess?

Miss Su’s calm facade cracked, her sharp eyes locked on Ying Shi like a snake’s.

Seeing this, Ying Shi knew she’d never accept being a concubine.

Of course, everyone has their ambitions. But for a girl from a respectable family to chase after another woman’s husband is just shameful.

Ying Shi didn’t say anything else, just had the gifts delivered and left for home.

On the way back, she was deep in thought, suddenly realizing many truths.

When it comes to love, women always bear the brunt of the pain.

Why?

Because men, no matter what, always stay detached. They don’t invest much emotionally, so they’re never truly hurt.

Liang Ji is like that, and so is Liang Zhi.

Even though he grew up with his wife, Liang Zhi still pursued other women. They’ll even make excuses for their actions, always justifying their wrongdoings.

Reborn, she felt trapped in a prison she couldn’t escape.

But now, Ying Shi realized what trapped her was her own heart, bound by society’s rules.

She cared too much about the rules. Soft-hearted people always suffer more than the heartless.

Living happily isn’t hard; just ignore your conscience and live carefree.

After all, she’d already done enough for the Liang family in her past life, having been a widow for six years.

In this life, she owes the Liang family nothing at all.

...

On the way back, the carriage wheels rumbled.

Outside, the rain started to fall.

Late summer rain always comes suddenly, as if the sky had sprung a leak, with lightning and thunder, the clear sky quickly turning dark.

With such a storm, no one dared to stay outside. The coachman quickly drove the carriage to the nearest rain shelter and stopped. Soon, a heavy downpour followed.

The sky darkened as the clouds gathered, the horizon tinged with a faint, dark red. The wind and rain swayed the bamboo curtains all around.

Even though Ying Shi was well protected by Xiang Yao, the wind and rain from all directions still left her hair with fine, misty droplets of water.

Ying Shi lifted her wet skirt and stepped into the rain shelter. The memory of falling ill from the rain last time was still vivid. She didn’t dare to be careless this time. As soon as she entered, she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows and used a clean cloth to wipe the moisture from her skin.

Ying Shi usually preferred simple and elegant colors. Even at the old lady’s birthday celebration yesterday, she wore only a light green dress. Today, however, she was unusually dressed in a water-red blouse and skirt, paired with a light blue gauze shawl. Her hair was styled in a hanging bun, adorned with two pearl flowers, and a strand of black hair tied with red strings on both sides.

After being soaked by the rain, the color of her dress and sleeves deepened, a striking red like rouge, highlighting the exposed, white, delicate arm that glowed softly in the dim light.

Hearing a noise behind the stone screen, Ying Shi turned and saw a master and servant standing behind the stone table, their clothes and hair damp, likely seeking shelter from the rain.

The man had a jade belt hook at his waist, broad shoulders, and a cold, handsome face with clear, distant eyes.

Sometimes it’s just like that—the more you dread seeing someone, the more likely they are to show up.

Ying Shi couldn’t figure out where this connection between her and him came from. This place wasn’t even near the main road. She had deliberately taken a quiet shortcut to get home early, passing inns and shops with flags flapping in the wind. There were plenty of places to take cover from the rain, yet she ended up running into Liang Yun here.

Just this morning, she had been tearful and full of regret, finally managing to persuade him to let her off the hook. And now, here she was, strutting around without a hint of sadness or regret...

If Liang Yun asked why she had come here, wouldn’t it just be to send her back to think about her mistakes? How should she answer?

As Ying Shi thought about it, a gust of wind carrying rain blew right into her face. The cold rain hit her face, making her nose tingle uncontrollably. She sneezed twice in succession.

Ying Shi quickly covered her nose with her hand.

Liang Yun tilted his head slightly and pointed to the stone bench beside him.

Ying Shi immediately understood—that spot was sheltered from the wind and rain.

She lifted her skirt and sat down slowly beside Liang Yun.

Whenever Liang Yun went out, Zhang Ping always prepared an extra set of clean clothes for him, just in case. Unexpectedly, it came in handy today.

Zhang Ping, following Liang Yun’s orders, brought the robe to Ying Shi. Her delicate, dark eyes looked like a pair of black agates. She took the oversized robe with her fair, pink fingers, feeling a little shy. "Can I really... wear my brother's clothes?"

Liang Yun said, "If you want to catch another cold, then don’t wear it."

Ying Shi blinked. Of course, she wouldn’t stand on ceremony—she wanted to stay healthy. After some polite hesitation, she took the robe and quickly draped it over herself.

But once she put it on, it looked pretty ridiculous. Ying Shi was petite, with narrow shoulders, and now she was wrapped in a man's dark blue cloak, looking like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes.

Especially the cuffs and hem, which dragged on the ground by nearly four inches. She accidentally stepped on the hem with her foot.

Realizing this, Ying Shi quickly hiked the robe up to her knees.

This time, she was clever. Instead of playing dumb with Liang Yun, she proactively explained why she had come here, subtly showing her genuine intention to change: "Mother asked me to go and apologize. Today, I went to the Su family first, and tomorrow morning I'll go to the Song family, then the Liu family..."

She was truly fragile. Even though she hadn’t been caught in much rain, and now she was wrapped in a thick man’s robe, sitting in the sheltered corner of the pavilion, she still gradually developed a nasal tone, her nose red as if smeared with rouge.

Dewdrops misted her brows and eyes, like a hazy, enchanting sea of flowers.

The girl was like soft jade, her body giving off a sweet, watery scent that drifted straight into his chest.

Liang Yun’s breath caught for a moment. He tilted his head slightly and gave a soft 'hmm,' deciding not to dwell on her little tricks.

With such a fragile constitution, if she caught a cold from a bit of rain, who would dare to send her out?

He said, "It will rain again tomorrow. In the future, just send someone else for such matters."

Ying Shi also responded with a nasal tone, softly agreeing, then secretly glanced at him.

Seeing his cold expression, she felt a bit of fear in her heart—though not much.

Ying Shi noticed that in the past, he would treat her gently, calling her "sister-in-law."

But recently, perhaps because he knew about the things she had done, he often addressed her without a name, as if impatient.

There was no helping it—her secrets were in the hands of someone powerful, a patriarch of a prominent family.

So, whenever there was the slightest change in his mood, Ying Shi couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Ying Shi, seeing his cold demeanor, softly probed, "Brother, you’re not still upset with me, right?"

Liang Yun did not respond.

"The more I thought about it today, the worse I felt. You were right to scold me, brother. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes... I ruined grandmother’s birthday and upset you..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Liang Yun remained silent, his nose filled with her warm, sweet scent, making him feel uncomfortably warm.

If it weren’t for the pouring rain, he would’ve left long ago to escape.

When he not only didn’t respond but also turned his head away, as if he didn’t want to hear her, Ying Shi became even more frightened.

She was afraid Liang Yun would bring up old issues again. If he found out she’d gone to yell at another girl today, and so harshly...

Ying Shi didn’t dare think about it. She fumbled in her sleeve and pulled out a sachet she’d kept for ages.

She’d planned to use this to make him feel guilty at the worst moment. Even in the tense situation this morning, she hadn’t used it to guilt him. Now, seeing his silence, her eyelids twitched anxiously.

She couldn’t wait any longer.

Liang Yun noticed Ying Shi looking down, fiddling with something in her sleeve. He waited quietly.

The sachet was wet, making its narrow opening even tighter. Ying Shi tried several times to get it out but couldn’t. Finally, she gave up and openly took out the peach-pink sachet and its contents.

"I’ve always forgotten to give this back to you, brother. If I hadn’t found it this morning, I might’ve forgotten it entirely..." Ying Shi deliberately held back from saying what it was.

Instead, she slowly and gracefully opened the sachet in front of him, her delicate fingers reaching in to carefully pull out its contents.

Her slow, graceful movements left Liang Yun with an unusual dryness in his throat.

The item was small, and as soon as it fell out of the sachet, she cupped it in her palm, careful not to let him see. It was quite endearing.

Taking advantage of Zhang Ping and her maid talking with their backs turned, Ying Shi boldly extended her hand towards Liang Yun, her soft pink fingers daringly touching the back of his hand.

Liang Yun slightly held his breath, tilting his nose back, unwilling to be led by the nose like a fool.

His voice was hoarse as he frowned and asked, "What is it?"

Ying Shi's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she hesitated but stubbornly refused to answer. She slowly opened her clenched fist to reveal a jade thumb ring lying alone in her pink palm.

That was—Liang Yun's usually calm eyes flickered with emotion.

"Brother, when you treated my illness that day, how could you give your personal token to someone else? Luckily, I found it in time..." Ying Shi's eyes curved as she tried various ways to please him.

Liang Yun, who despised cunning and clever people the most, found himself helplessly surrendering to this little fox who always played tricks in front of him.

His voice was low and husky, "What did you exchange for it?"

Ying Shi timely furrowed her brows and said gloomily, "Just a pair of earrings..."

A pair of earrings.

Liang Yun's mind raced, recalling all the past moments he had shared with her.

Back then, to avoid suspicion, he had tried his best not to look at her.

But now, looking back, he clearly remembered every detail of their time together.

He remembered her hair styled in a bun, the dresses she wore.

He remembered the warm breath from her nose as she dozed on his back.

His stiffness when her earrings brushed his cheek.

Liang Yun's clenched hand revealed prominent bones and veins.

She asked again, her voice tinged with worry, "I just remembered this now. Brother, you wouldn't think I have ulterior motives and am deliberately trying to please you, would you?"

Liang Yun's jaw clenched, his voice rough and dry, "No. I said I don't blame you. You're still young, and it's commendable to correct your mistakes."

Ying Shi gazed at him with eyes blessed by heaven, yet she remained unaware of her own beauty. Her long lashes veiled the spring rain in her eyes, and her rosy lips parted slowly, her voice filled with sorrow, "Actually, those earrings were given to me by Liang Ji. But even without them, I still have other things of his to remember him by. Still, nothing compares to the importance of the one thing that belongs to you, brother..."

Thunder cracked across the sky, as if tearing open the Milky Way.

In the sudden silence, something in Liang Yun's heart began to shatter bit by bit.