Chapter 16 Quarrel “Shen Jichen, you’re as heartless as ever.”…

Chapter 16: An Argument

"Shen Jichen, you're still so heartless..."

Shen Jichen's gaze deepened. He spoke coolly over his shoulder, "You all go in first."

Han Zixian followed his line of sight, startled. He glanced at Shen Jichen twice, said nothing, and then turned to motion to his colleagues of similar age behind him, "Let's go in first."

Yue Rongrong feigned nonchalance as she passed a private room, stealing a glance inside. She had seen Young Master Luo once before at Yizhan Jiangnan and vaguely remembered his appearance. As she pondered, a guest inside looked up and noticed her. Flustered, she quickened her pace, turning around a pillar only to collide abruptly with a solid chest. The person steadied her by the shoulders, and she stammered an apology, "I'm sorry..." Looking up, she met Shen Jichen's calm gaze and froze in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Shen Jichen lifted his eyes to glance at the private room, confirming it was occupied by a group of older men, before coolly asking, "That's my question for you. You should be at the manor at this hour."

Yue Rongrong flushed, replying offhandedly, "I was hungry, so I came out to eat."

Shen Jichen watched her quietly, his stare making her increasingly uneasy. At first, she could meet his gaze boldly, but eventually, she succumbed to his overwhelming presence and lowered her head. "Alright, I'm here to find someone."

Shen Jichen's expression remained indifferent, but his eyes clearly demanded a full explanation, insisting she come clean.

Yue Rongrong had always felt that Shen Jichen's presence was a hundred times more intimidating when he was silent. After a moment's thought, she decided that since they had run into each other, perhaps it was fate—maybe he could help. But given their history, she wasn’t sure if he would. After hesitating, she finally explained her purpose, seeing no other option.

When he heard she was looking for Young Master Luo, Shen Jichen's expression darkened slightly. But upon learning it was for Zhen Xi's sake, the coldness in his eyes faded, replaced by a hint of interest. "Oh? Are they together?"

Yue Rongrong mumbled an ambiguous response. When she looked up, she saw Shen Jichen glancing down at the menu in his hand. While she was explaining, he had led her into a private room, where a young servant girl—barely of age—immediately attended to them. The servant girl kept stealing glances at her, as if trying to figure out her relationship with Shen Jichen, making Yue Rongrong feel uneasy.

"Maybe I should just go..."

Shen Jichen looked up, his cool gaze fixed on her. "Weren't you hungry?"

Before Yue Rongrong could respond, he recited a few dish names to the servant girl. Yue Rongrong was stunned—they were all dishes she once loved. Flustered, she watched as Shen Jichen's slender, pale fingers rested on the edge of the menu, tapping lightly. Even while ordering, he exuded an elegance and nobility that was unmistakable. Her eyes unconsciously drifted to his face, where warm sunlight streaming through the window illuminated his clear, refined features. She had always loved staring at his face, finding it endlessly pleasing.

Just then, the servant girl's cheerful voice snapped her back to reality. Yue Rongrong met Shen Jichen's dark gaze and realized she had been staring. Flustered, she picked up her teacup to drink, trying to hide her embarrassment, but her ears still burned hot.

Shen Jichen seemed to be in a relatively good mood today and said slowly, "There's no need to go to such lengths for this matter."

Yue Rongrong looked up in confusion, pondering his words twice. "You're willing to help me?" This was exactly what she wanted! But she found it hard to believe and blurted out, "Why?"

Shen Jichen gave her a look as if she were foolish and said coldly, "Young Master Luo is also my friend."

Yue Rongrong paused, her expression stiffening. Was he implying he was worried Young Master Luo would be deceived? What was there to deceive him about? A faint anger rose within her, but Zhen Xi's situation was more pressing. Stiffly, she said, "Thank you."

Shen Jichen's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he responded silently, taking a sip of tea. He picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of crispy fried peony petal on her plate, saying coldly, "Eat first."

Yue Rongrong didn’t know what had upset him again, but she no longer felt like coaxing him—nor did he need her to. Remembering she was asking for a favor, she decided to be polite and repeated, "Thank you," before lowering her head to eat quietly.

A wave of bitterness threatened to overwhelm her. Shen Jichen's face turned cold, his grip tightened on his chopsticks.

Just then, an elderly but robust voice rang out, "Piao Yao?"

Shen Jichen noticed Yue Rongrong's face pale instantly before he looked up and rose to his feet, nodding with a hint of respect. "Uncle Chu."

Uncle Chu looked at Shen Jichen with a kindly smile. "Having a meal here?" He then noticed Yue Rongrong standing behind him, head lowered, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. "And this is...?"

Yue Rongrong never expected to be entangled with Shen Jichen again, let alone interact with his social circle. Her heart pounded wildly, and she was about to flee when Shen Jichen gently took her arm, guiding her forward. His deep voice was unusually gentle, "Rong Rong, this is Uncle Chu."

The address "Rong Rong" struck her like a thunderbolt, followed by a wave of panic. She didn’t understand what Shen Jichen was thinking or what he was trying to do. She could only stammer, "Uncle Chu," her voice almost trembling.

Uncle Chu, being experienced, sensed the situation and smiled kindly. "I won’t disturb you two. Piao Yao, send my regards to your family."

Shen Jichen smiled reservedly. "Certainly."

After Uncle Chu left, Shen Jichen explained, "The Chu family and ours have been close for generations."

Seeing Yue Rongrong standing silently with her head down, one hand gripping her other arm tightly, he frowned slightly. "Are you unhappy? Or are you afraid?"

Yue Rongrong's shoulders trembled uncontrollably as terrifying memories instantly seized her. Her lips turned pale, and Shen Jichen noticed her distress. When he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, she jerked away. Shen Jichen froze.

After a long moment, Yue Rongrong registered his somber expression. A restless irritation welled up inside her—she wanted to be angry, to shout at him not to drag her into his world! But in the end, she restrained herself and asked stiffly, "What about Young Master Luo?"

Shen Jichen's hands clenched inside his sleeves. After a pause, he said coldly, "He's next door."

Yue Rongrong almost immediately walked out of the room as if fleeing a monster. It was a while before Shen Jichen followed.

As he stepped out, he saw Yue Rongrong hesitating at the door, unsure whether to enter or leave. His face darkened, and he strode over, pushing the door open. Yue Rongrong cleverly dodged to the side, peering in. Sure enough, Young Master Luo stood up in surprise, and all the other young masters in the room rose as well.

Yue Rongrong was unsurprised—Shen Jichen had always been the center of attention wherever he went.

But now she had no mind to dwell on Shen Jichen. She stared fixedly at the elegant and composed young lady beside Young Master Luo. The lady exchanged a few familiar words with Shen Jichen before he stepped out, closing the door on the others' attempts to keep him.

As he emerged, he saw Yue Rongrong's troubled expression. He pulled her back into their private room and asked, "See clearly?"

"What is that young lady's relationship with Young Master Luo?" Yue Rongrong demanded.

Shen Jichen met her gaze steadily. "His fiancée."

Yue Rongrong's brows furrowed, anger flashing in her eyes. She turned to leave, but Shen Jichen grabbed her arm. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to tell Zhen Xi!"

Shen Jichen scoffed coldly. "How do you know she isn’t already aware?"

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. Yue Rongrong halted abruptly, chilled to the bone. She turned slowly to face Shen Jichen, her cold gaze like a sharp blade slicing through his heart.

Mockery dripping from her voice as a faint smile touched her lips. "Are you saying Zhen Xi is vain, that she knowingly insists on being with Young Master Luo despite his engagement, just for the sake of privileged treatment? Marquis Shen, you overestimate yourselves."

Something in her words struck a nerve. Shen Jichen could no longer maintain his composure. He scoffed coldly, "The fact is, she does crave that vanity. Not everyone is as proud as you are."

Yue Rongrong didn’t want to speak to him further when a loud voice called out, "Piao Yao!" She turned and came face to face with He Minxuan and Zheng Xuchao. All three froze.

He Minxuan stared in disbelief. "Are you two arguing?" In his mind, Piao Yao and Yue Rongrong should have been eternal strangers. Even if they met again, Piao Yao should have reduced Yue Rongrong to dust—yet here they were, quarreling?

The question snapped Yue Rongrong back to her senses. She said calmly, "I wouldn’t dare."

Shen Jichen's pupils constricted sharply. Suppressing his anger, he ordered in a deep voice, "Minxuan, send someone to Brocade Pavilion to fetch that embroiderer named Zhen Xi!"

Yue Rongrong whirled around, disbelief and anger flashing in her eyes. Shen Jichen's gaze was equally icy. Neither would yield.

He Minxuan was slow to react and asked a foolish question, "What should I say when I get there?"

Shen Jichen's patience seemed to have reached its limit. He raged, "You don’t need to say anything!"

He Minxuan left immediately.

Shen Jichen's face was cold, his words cutting. "Don’t you want her to know the truth? Empty words might not convince her. Seeing it for herself would be better."

Yue Rongrong's nails dug into her palms, biting her lip until it turned white. She said with difficulty and resentment, "Shen Jichen, you're still so heartless."

Shen Jichen, having reached the peak of his anger, replied bone-chillingly, "Likewise."

Zheng Xuchao had slipped into the room at some point, sat down, poured himself tea into a new cup, and decided he wasn’t leaving.

Author's Note:

----------------------

Little Zheng: The show's about to start! Found a good seat, got my melon seeds and tea ready.

It's been so quiet lately... (Brr, so cold, don’t even need air conditioning anymore) Wuwuwu X﹏X...