Chapter 40

Chapter 40

In the side chamber of their temporary residence, Lu Shenru gazed at a box brimming with hairpins, his eyes drawn to the lilac blossom hairpin in his hand.

The long cluster, truly like blossoms on a branch in an April breeze, perfectly matched the lilac-purple gown she wore today. Pinned in her hair, it would be most fitting.

Yet he knew she wouldn't want it.

Lu Shenru lowered his lashes and placed the lilac hairpin back into the box.

Just as he did so, her light footsteps sounded from outside.

She had returned, lingering briefly outside the closed door of his chamber.

Lu Shenru remained silent, peering subtly from the corner of his eye, where her lilac-clad figure vaguely appeared outside the window.

"Has the Marquis taken his meal?" Du Lingjing's voice came from beyond the window.

The room remained as silent as before, though Chong Ping, stationed by the door, glanced at his lordship upon hearing the question.

The man sat at the table, his hand resting on the box of hairpins, his lips pressed thin. He did not respond.

He did not speak, yet his wife still waited outside for an answer.

Though neither could see the other through the window, the room and the courtyard thrummed with restless tension.

Chong Ping had no choice but to speak for his lord.

"My lady, the Marquis has already eaten."

The reply carried outside, and Du Lingjing nodded in the courtyard. Yet she did not leave, her gaze drifting toward the paper-covered window before she asked softly,

"The Marquis must be tired from having ridden back at speed. Would he like some tea?"

She asked again, unfazed by the Marquis's earlier silence—instead, her voice grew even softer.

Chong Ping couldn't help but glance at his lordship, who stiffened slightly at the tender tone.

But then he spoke in a low voice.

"Don't let her step foot in this chamber."

Chong Ping: "..."

So he would neither allow her to serve tea nor prepare his ink—refusing to let her near him at all?

With a complicated expression, Chong Ping stole a look at the Marquis, who was sulking with a darkened expression, and could only relay the response on his behalf.

"My lady needn't trouble herself. I've already prepared tea for his lordship."

He could only say this much—certainly not repeat the Marquis's exact words. But if the lady insisted on entering, could he really bar her from entering?

Uncertain, Chong Ping peeked through the door crack toward the courtyard.

Lu Shenru also looked toward the faint lilac figure outside the window.

He wondered what else she might ask him. One more question, and he might consider answering.

But she only let out a soft "Oh," before she withdrew at a measured pace.

With a snap, the man shut the box full of hairpins he had bought for her.

Chong Ping: "..."

Ignoring her questions, refusing her closeness—her leaving was hardly surprising.

Du Lingjing saw clearly that he was indeed angry, now refusing even to see her face.

Qiu Lin brewed ginger tea to ward off the chill, and Du Lingjing held the cup for a long time, lost in thought over Tingjun's earlier words.

Then, suddenly, Chong An arrived.

Chong An bowed and asked,

"My lady, may we depart now?"

Du Lingjing blinked. "Today?"

The Marquis had just dismounted less than half an hour ago. However robust his constitution, surely he needed at least half a day's rest?

Thinking he must still be busy, she suggested, "Let us leave tomorrow morning?"

She gave her answer, and Chong An accepted her answer and withdrew.

Though Du Lingjing had mostly recovered from her illness, she still felt weary. Seeing that the Marquis remained secluded in his chamber, she waited half the day without him emerging, then closed her eyes for a brief nap.

Yet no sooner had she woken than Chong An returned.

The young guard wore a strange expression as he stepped forward, repeating the earlier scene—bowing before asking once more,

"My lady, may we depart now?"

For a moment, Du Lingjing wondered if she was still half-asleep. Before she could speak, Qiu Lin blinked at Chong An.

"Has Guard An been napping too? You already asked an hour ago."

He had asked, and the lady had answered—tomorrow.

Not only Qiu Lin remembered, but Ai Ye likewise remembered. Yet Du Lingjing noticed Chong An's expression growing even more peculiar as he waited for her reply.

From the side chamber, the Marquis still did not emerge. Only the wind sent fallen leaves spiraling ghostlike across the courtyard.

Du Lingjing couldn't help but wonder, "Was he trying to make her leave with him today?"

"Then why not say so outright, instead of sending Chong An to ask repeatedly?"

She couldn't help but ask Chong An, "And if I still say we leave tomorrow?"

Chong An's face twisted further, and he murmured with a pained expression.

"Then this subordinate will return to ask again the next hour."

"The next hour?" Du Lingjing blinked. "Did the Marquis order you to ask me every hour if I refuse to leave today?"

Chong An's face crumpled like a withered gourd as he nodded repeatedly, though he glanced nervously behind him, afraid the Marquis might discover he had let slip the plan to the lady.

Luckily, the courtyard was empty.

But the wind outside grew fiercer, as if surging from the closed-door chamber where he stayed, churning heavily through the courtyard.

Du Lingjing was at a loss for words.

He wanted her to leave with him today, yet he wouldn’t come out and say it. She suggested tomorrow, but he refused.

He insisted on taking her away, yet still wouldn’t speak plainly—only having someone pester her every hour.

He wouldn’t budge unless she herself agreed to leave with him today.

Du Lingjing: "..."

If she refused again this time, would his temper flare even higher?

Just then, Qiu Lin suddenly couldn’t help muttering,

"What if the lady insists on leaving tomorrow no matter how many times she’s asked?"

Chong'an looked ready to drop to his knees, pleading with her, "Sister Qiu Lin, please don’t..."

Qiu Lin covered her mouth, fighting back a laugh.

But Du Lingjing couldn’t help thinking—if she refused every time he sent someone to ask, his anger would only pile up with each refusal. By tomorrow, all that pent-up fury would surely make him explode.

Suddenly, the image of a bloated, sulking frog in the small pond behind Mian Tower surfaced in her mind.

How could there be such a strange person in this world?

She almost laughed herself, but seeing Chong'an’s miserable expression, she held it back, just pressing a hand to her lips.

"My lady?" Chong'an was still waiting for her answer.

"Go and tell him," Du Lingjing finally spoke.

Chong'an braced himself, sure she’d refuse again, his palms sweating—until he heard her soft voice say,

"I’ve already packed my things. I’ll depart with the Marquis now."

The second the words were out, Chong'an let out a huge breath of relief, all but kowtowing to her before rushing out to report back to the chamber.

Du Lingjing couldn’t help glancing at the closed doors and windows.

They remained shut, yet inexplicably, the wind raging through the courtyard died down a little.

Within half an hour, they’d thrown everything together in no time, and they were ready to depart.

Only then did Du Lingjing see her husband emerge from the chamber. He had changed into his usual dark-patterned brocade robe, a leather belt buckled at his waist and tall boots on his feet.

His steps paused briefly in the center of the courtyard, his eyes darting toward her—but it seemed to barely graze the collar of her robe before withdrawing.

He avoided her gaze, merely turning to issue orders.

"See the lady to the carriage."

With that, he strode off without another word.

Du Lingjing was convinced there was no one in the world with a temper quite as baffling as his.

She stifled a laugh and shook her head. Just then, Tingjun hurried over after hearing the news.

The usually temperamental man was oddly polite to Tingjun. He exchanged a few words with her at the door, and only after seeing Lingjing step out did he bid Tingjun farewell and stride forward to lead his horse.

Tingjun hadn’t expected them to leave so abruptly.

Lingjing sighed in resignation, "He insists on leaving..."

Tingjun couldn’t fathom what kind of stubbornness wore Jing down like this, making her yield so helplessly. She simply found the newlywed Marquis Lu and his Lady Lu utterly amusing.

Eyes twinkling, she took her friend’s hand and said that in three days, everyone else would also set off for the capital, where they would meet again.

"Just humor the Marquis for now. Perhaps by the time you reach the capital, his anger will have faded."

Lingjing doubted it.

This time, his rage burned hotter than ever.

Yet as for why he was angry, she still felt she hadn’t quite figured it out.

She sighed; Tingjun’s lips curled. "Don’t fret. Think it through—you’ll figure him out."

Lingjing was about to say more when someone else approached from behind.

"Liulang, Uncle Hui."

She turned, oblivious to the fact that not far behind her, Lu Shenru was also staring intently at Jiang Shi’s Liulang.

"Leaving already? You just got better yesterday," Jiang Fengchuan asked.

Lingjing replied, "The Marquis has urgent business—no time to delay."

His gaze swept from Lingjing to the man’s furrowed brow not far behind her.

Unbothered, he smirked.

"Then let the Marquis go ahead. Ditching the carriage will speed things up."

Before his words fully faded, Uncle Hui tugged at his sleeve. "Sixth Master..."

Jiang Fengchuan ignored the warning and instead directed his question to Lingjing.

"What’s your take, sister-in-law?"

As he asked, whether it was Lu Shenru, Hu Tingjun, or Uncle Hui, everyone turned their eyes to Lingjing.

The wind whipped harsher at the door, and the open fields stretched endlessly, no bamboo in sight.

But the man behind her, who had left and returned this time—Lingjing knew he had come solely for her.

Her voice barely carried on the wind, "I also have matters to attend to in the capital, so I’ll take my leave first."

The wind snatched her words, but her choice was clear.

The man at the horse stole a few more glances at her, while nearby, Jiang Fengchuan ducked his head with a quiet laugh.

"So you’re really leaving us, sister-in-law."

Those words carried an unusual implication.

Hu Tingjun stiffened slightly beside her, and sure enough, she noticed her friend's expression dim slightly.

However, it was Uncle Hui who suddenly spoke up. "Sixth Master spoke out of turn. The lady was never previously married. Using such terms would invite gossip."

As a servant, it wasn’t his place to speak so bluntly to his master, but he did so openly in front of everyone.

His words cut off the previous conversation, and Jiang Fengchuan paused, just as someone else arrived from behind.

Mr. Liao and Lord Hong were both ill, so it was Feng Xiang, youngest of the Feng brothers, and Du Zhanming, dispatched from Baoding Academy to assist, who came instead.

Everyone had gathered to see Du Lingjing off, but the instant Du Zhanming caught sight of Lu Shenru, he scurried over to pay respects to his brother-in-law the marquis.

The marquis’s demeanor softened at once at the sight of his young brother-in-law. After exchanging a few words and learning that he was also returning to the academy, Lu Shenru said, "Go take your leave of your sister."

Zhan Ming dashed straight to Du Lingjing.

Meanwhile, Du Lingjing was speaking to Feng Xiang. "It will be some time before I can return to Qingzhou. You may visit me at the Guilin Pavilion outside the capital, and we can discuss the collection further."

Feng Xiang reddened but nodded assent. Just then, Zhan Ming rushed over. "The marquis asked me to say goodbye to you as well."

At this, Du Lingjing’s gaze flicked to the marquis. This time, at last, he didn’t avoid her gaze.

Though his expression remained closed-off—positively stormy—his expression warmed when he turned to Zhan Ming.

"..."

How skilled he was at concealing his temper in front of others. Yet with her alone, he was relentlessly exacting, demanding this and that.

As the day grew late, the gathering at last permitted the couple’s departure without further delay.

The marquis rode at the vanguard, while his marchioness followed at a stately pace by carriage.

The farewell party gradually dispersed, until only Jiang Fengchuan remained rooted there. Even after the carriage had vanished from sight, he remained.

Uncle Hui approached worriedly, but before he could urge him to leave, Jiang Fengchuan spoke.

"How eager Uncle Hui is to champion her. Now I’m not even allowed to call her sister-in-law."

His voice, typically dripping with irony, now rang hollow, frostbitten by the wind, and plummeted.

As though the world had emptied, his injuries still raw, he stood stubbornly in the biting wind, refusing to move despite the pain. Uncle Hui fretted, buffeting the worst gusts with his own body while holding his hand.

"Sixth Master, this fixation serves no one. She is wed now—Marchioness Lu by title. Had she happiness, it would content the third master’s spirit."

"But what about my brother? The physicians swore he had a year or more in him. Had I carried him to the capital for the exams, it would’ve been in time. Why slip away before my return?"

He spoke of his brother’s passing. "Now she has a new husband. Does his memory still claim any corner of her heart?"

Uncle Hui remained rooted in place, sighing heavily.

"It’s my fault. I ought never have revealed the third master’s last hours to you. This old servant overstepped..."

Jiang Fengchuan gave a faint smile. "Truth outs, with or without your tongue."

His voice grew quieter as he thought of the departed.

"Only she remains ignorant—by my brother’s design."

*

The carriage rolled northward.

Where the road was flat, their progress was swift and untroubled. But their mountain shortcut grew rough.

Du Lingjing, her convalescence still fresh, winced at each jolt.

At her first grimace, the man halted the carriage.

She lifted the curtain to look at him. He didn’t speak, but his eyes clinically inventoried her pallor.

Then he ordered Ruan Gong, the driver, to step down and called to his side, "Chong Ping, take over for the marchioness."

Du Lingjing was startled.

Chong Ping commanded the marquis’s personal guard. Not only did all the household’s guards answer to him, but even visiting regional commanders treated him with more respect than their own superiors.

Her discomfort hardly warranted the guard captain’s service.

She couldn’t help saying, "Steward Ruan suffices perfectly. There’s no need to trouble Guard Ping."

The moment she spoke, her words drew thunder to his brow.

Her utterance thickened the air between them.

Chong An melted into the background—this time, it was his brother caught between the marquis and his wife. Nothing to do with him.

Chong Ping, ever sharper than his oafish brother, stepped forward before Du Lingjing could say another word.

"The ascent ahead proves treacherous. Steward Ruan might struggle. To serve the marchioness is privilege enough."

He swiftly replaced Ruan Gong.

But Du Lingjing knew Chong Ping was merely smoothing things over. She knew this road—no precipice warranted such caution.

Plainly, his lordship’s exacting standards were at play, demanding Chong Ping drive her.

Even after Chong Ping took his seat, the man’s expression remained stern.

Du Lingjing hovered between vexation and bemusement, momentarily forgetting her earlier discomfort.

True to his reputation, Chong Ping handled the horses far better than Ruan Gong, guiding the carriage smoothly down the mountain. At the foot, they stopped at a teahouse to rest.

Inside, Qiu Lin heard the teahouse used locally sourced spring water and mentioned it to Du Lingjing.

Pleased by this, Du Lingjing personally poured tea for Chong Ping and had Ai Ye deliver it.

To her surprise, Chong Ping refused. "The marchioness is too kind. Driving for you is my duty."

Even if it was his duty, a cup of tea was hardly excessive.

Yet Chong Ping repeatedly declined, not daring to accept.

Chong An had already vanished again. Silence filled the teahouse. Du Lingjing glanced at the marquis, who sipped his tea with perfect composure.

She sighed inwardly.

The entire marquisate moved at his whim.

But suddenly, the words of Chong Ping echoed in her ears—he had said she was "too polite." Earlier in Baoding, his final remark to Tingjun was also about her being "so polite with each other" toward him. After that, he had ignored her completely.

The tea brewed with spring water in the teahouse filled the air with its rich fragrance, wafting around everyone, its aroma touching their noses and fingertips.

Du Lingjing held her teacup, sat quietly, deep in thought.

Before long, the tea was finished, and it was time to continue the journey.

Yet, after stealing a glance at the marquis, Du Lingjing suddenly called for Ruan Gong.

"Go and settle the tea bill. I was the one who wanted the spring water—I can’t keep letting the marquis pay for everything."