Chapter 40: A Gesture of Goodwill

Chapter 40: A Gesture of Goodwill

At the end of summer, the rains grew heavier and more frequent.

In the morning, the sun blazed fiercely, and the sky was a scorching blue, like a steamer. By noon, it suddenly started to rain outside.

The rain tapped on the dark tiles, trickling down the eaves, creating a soothing rhythm.

Ying Shi sat in her courtyard for a long time, feeling conflicted.

Deciding whether to go or not was tough.

If she went, it would be inappropriate and might attract unwanted attention. But if she just sent a maid to visit, it would be meaningless, as the maid might not even get close to the Duke's residence. If his illness was because of her... and considering his recent care for her, it would seem very cold-hearted of her not to go.

After much deliberation, Ying Shi decided to ask Gui Niang to prepare some soup.

She looked at the incessant rain outside and said, "When the rain stops, I'll take it to the Duke's courtyard."

Ying Shi had expected Gui Niang to dissuade her, perhaps with some discouraging words about propriety between men and women. But to her surprise, Gui Niang didn't raise any objections. Instead, she looked pleased, thinking that Ying Shi had truly grown up and was now more thoughtful in her actions.

The small kitchen was set up early, stocked with all the essentials. Ying Shi rarely ate in the main kitchen anymore, except when she needed something specific. Most of the time, the four of them managed in the small kitchen.

Gui Niang, hearing Ying Shi's words, comforted her, "It's high time. The Duke has been a great help to us lately. Just think about the last time when we couldn't find you. The rain was even heavier than today, and the Duke went out in his court robes, wading through the rain to look for you. Later, when you were dangerously ill, which of the masters in the mansion came to help? It was the Duke who brought the doctor overnight and even fed you medicine..."

"That time you pushed Madame Wei, I was nearly scared out of my wits! She's your mother-in-law, and you, a tiger reincarnated, didn't hold back at all! I was so scared for days, sweating all over. Such a big incident would have been trouble in any household. Filial piety is a heavy burden. If Madame Wei had wanted to make things difficult for you, you would have handed her the perfect opportunity! But later, Madame Wei didn't punish you. I think it must have been the Duke who intervened. I am deeply grateful to the Duke. He is the master, and it's absolutely right for you to show him kindness... Coincidentally, we bought a pair of fresh pigeons this morning. Let's kill them and make some soup." Gui Niang rambled on.

Ying Shi felt something was off. It took her a while to suddenly realize.

She spun around, her voice sharp with surprise, "What?"

"What did you say? He... fed me... medicine?"

"Oh my goodness!"

...

The rain continued to drizzle without stopping. When it finally lightened a bit, Gui Niang had finished preparing the soup.

The pigeon soup, simmered to perfection over two hours, was poured into a large porcelain pot. Xiang Yao carried the pot, while Chun Lan held an umbrella for her. Ying Shi followed a step behind.

Deep down, Ying Shi knew Liang Yun might not even touch the soup.

But whether he drank it or not, sending it over was a gesture of goodwill.

Gui Niang was right. Winning Liang Yun's favor was far simpler than dealing with Madame Wei, and the rewards were greater.

Look, she had made many mistakes recently, but he hadn't punished her or reported her to others. That was the way it was...

The main courtyard sat at the heart of the Duke's estate. Ying Shi had never set foot there before.

That day, she also knew the rules. She only walked through the covered corridor and stopped at the east corner gate, not stepping inside.

Ying Shi's eyes landed on the bedroom corridor, a scene of utter chaos. From a distance, she could see several maids kneeling on the corridor, crying and sobbing. Zhang Ping was in a heated argument, his face flushed with anger, though it was unclear what they had done wrong.

Ying Shi frowned, convinced they were intentionally disrupting the patient's peace to make such a racket.

Zhang Ping was so engrossed in his argument that he didn't even notice Ying Shi's arrival.

Chun Lan and Xiang Yao, Ying Shi's maids, had never seen such a scene before. The three of them stood at the east corner gate, momentarily at a loss. Ying Shi didn't say much. She shook the rain off her oil-paper umbrella and called over a young servant standing by the pavilion, asking, "I’ve heard the Duke is unwell. Has there been any improvement?"

Ying Shi asked offhandedly, and the servant replied politely, but his words were hollow, "Thank you for your concern, Third Madam. The Duke is doing fine now."

Judging by the flurry of activity inside, it didn’t seem like everything was fine.

But if he said everything was fine, then it must be fine. Ying Shi didn’t press further, just telling Xiang Yao behind her to take the soup over.

The servant guided Xiang Yao and Chun Lan into the courtyard to set down the soup pot, while Ying Shi stopped under the corridor to rest and look around.

This was her first time in the main courtyard. Liang Yun’s residence, every brick and tile, mirrored the man himself—gray walls and dark tiles, devoid of color, radiating a stark sense of desolation.

The courtyard paths were lined with rocks, a stark contrast to the lush, flower-filled courtyards found elsewhere. Here, there were no vibrant or warm plants, just pines and bamboos, casting a cold, somber green.

The pines and cypresses twisted around the rocks and eaves, reaching upward. The tranquil pool and water corridor echoed with the constant patter of rain.

Ying Shi smoothed her sleeves. The two maids seemed to be taking their time inside, and after waiting without seeing them, she reopened her umbrella and strolled back along the corridor, taking in the view.

The rain poured harder, and her jade-colored gauze skirt swayed gently as she walked along the corridor. She stepped carefully along the wall, avoiding the wind and rain sweeping in from the side.

After waiting for what felt like forever, Ying Shi suddenly caught the faint sound of a zither.

She slowly looked in the direction of the sound, which seemed to be coming from... the study?

On a rainy day, with the master still ill, and the servants hiding from the rain, who could have such refined interest?

The faint sound of the zither was intermittent, almost inaudible amidst the wind and rain.

Ying Shi suddenly became curious and took a few steps towards the western path. However, as she approached, the sound of the zither suddenly disappeared.

Ying Shi stood still for a while, still not hearing the zither continue. She sighed and looked around, only to be startled by the surroundings.

Just a wall away from the front courtyard, this place presented a completely different scene.

The corridors were flanked by vast stretches of weeping cypresses and banana trees, their tall, dark blue canopies blocking out the sky. The branches swayed in the wind, as if concealing shadowy figures within.

The icy, drizzling rain, combined with the overcast and sunless day, left not a single person in sight.

Ying Shi couldn’t shake the feeling that something might leap out from behind the branches at any moment.

Though Liang Yun was quite handsome, his courtyard was filled with cypresses and banana trees—hardly the kind of trees that living people would favor... It felt as though he was inviting ghosts to make their home here.

The icy wind behind her crept into her back, making Ying Shi feel the hairs on her neck stand on end, as if she were being watched from the shadows.

...Ying Shi gulped, so terrified that she could barely grip her umbrella, and hurriedly ran back.

But she hadn’t paid attention to the path when she came, and now, with the two side corridors, she couldn’t immediately recall which way she had entered. In her panic, Ying Shi picked a path that seemed familiar and bolted.

Suddenly, as her skirt brushed past, the slightly ajar door in the corridor creaked open with a bone-chilling sound—

Behind the door, an expressionless face appeared.

Liang Yun’s gaze locked onto her, as if he’d been peering through the crack for ages.

His expression was utterly unlike his usual self. Today, he seemed very strange, very strange... as if he had no reservations, his dark, cold eyes unblinkingly fixed on her.

Ying Shi sensed something was amiss, but then she remembered he was still ill. When someone is sick, how could they be the same as usual? When she had a fever last time, she cried and made a fuss, and it was said she even refused to take medicine.

The more Ying Shi thought about it, the more her face flushed, and she felt a genuine sense of gratitude toward Liang Yun.

She halted, let out a startled "Ah," and swiftly masked the panic on her face.

A graceful young girl walked down the corridor. She was delicate and beautiful, sixteen years old, with a fair and lovely face, her skin as smooth as egg white, her eyes and brows already showing a striking allure.

"I heard you're not feeling well, so I came especially to visit you," Ying Shi said, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the embroidery on her skirt. She glanced up and met his gaze through the door, then quickly averted her eyes in panic.

"Are you feeling any better? I made some soup for you, spent the whole afternoon on it. Would you like to try some?" Her lips trembled, revealing small, pearly teeth.

Liang Yun opened the door wider, letting in a sliver of daylight.

The bright daylight illuminated his face.

His usually calm and gentle face was now red-eyed and gloomy.

His brows were furrowed, pressed low. His face was stiff, lips pursed, jaw clenched, expressionless.

Ying Shi had never seen him like this before. A woman's intuition is usually spot-on, and her eyelids kept twitching, especially as Liang Yun opened the door wider.

"Come in," Ying Shi heard the man inside say to her.

His voice was low and hoarse, as if it rumbled from deep within his chest.

It was like a venomous snake hissing at her from behind the door.

But Ying Shi didn't notice. Hearing his strange tone, she thought he was just angry.

Remembering what she had seen earlier and his promise from yesterday, she thought he couldn't be angry with her.

Ying Shi, thinking she was clever, smiled playfully, "Don't be mad. I just saw Zhang Ping yelling at them."

Later, Ying Shi would repeatedly recall the events of that day.

She always wished she could slap herself in frustration.

Liang Yun's odd behavior was so obvious! Why couldn't she see it!

Ultimately, it was because Ying Shi never saw Liang Yun as a threat.

After all, such a noble man, what was there to fear except him tattling or secretly hitting her?

...

So, even with the door slightly ajar and Liang Yun close by, Ying Shi foolishly squeezed in.

Inside was dim, and Ying Shi, just coming from outside, was met with darkness. The room felt hot, stuffy, and heavy with fragrance.

It took a while for her eyes to adjust and see the scene inside.

A qin with broken strings lay on the floor.

Ying Shi belatedly looked up and saw that he was dressed very loosely today, even half-dressed, his hair and clothes somewhat disheveled.

And his breath was heavy, scorching, falling on her cheeks from above.

Ying Shi blinked and slowly turned back, "Um... I suddenly remembered I have something to do..."

"Elder brother, I think I should leave now..."

Her hand had just touched the door frame when a large hand from behind clamped down on her arm.

Ying Shi's gasp was swallowed in her throat, and the wind and rain from outside rushed in through the slightly ajar door, lifting her skirt.

In front of her was the cold wind and rain, while behind her was a searing wall.

The warm, soft figure in his hand seemed to melt into a pool of water, slipping through his fingers with the slightest release.

Compulsively, he held her tightly under his arm, pressing her against his chest.

"Why leave?" He nuzzled into her soft cheek, his nose lingering and rubbing against her smooth forehead.

"Why leave?!"

Outside the window, the drooping cypress swayed, forming curtains of emerald green, their shadows dancing.

The girl's vibrant skirt trailed on the ground, like a fully blossomed flower.

Her cool fingers, like a silk thread, slid into his burning palm.

Dream and reality had long since blurred.

Liang Yun suddenly closed his eyes, and with a sharp "snap," the string of the zither broke completely.