Chapter 9 Chapter 9

Chapter 9

1

There was more traffic in and out of the Chen residence.

On several occasions, Lin Chenxin saw servants passing by outside the courtyard gate.

The outside was decked out with many exquisite red silks, making it even more festive than her own wedding day had been.

She stood at the courtyard gate, wearing her work clothes, with her sleeves rolled up and her hair tied back with a wooden hairpin, looking clean and efficient.

Seeing a servant passing by, she asked, "Why is it so lively outside today?"

The passing servant was the young woman who had previously delivered items to the courtyard.

Hearing Lin Chenxin's question, the woman stopped, glanced around, and whispered, "Tomorrow evening, the residence is throwing a birthday banquet for the Second Young Miss."

Lin Chenxin raised an eyebrow.

"Also, the Youngest Master returned today."

Lin Chenxin crossed her arms, remarking meaningfully, "Looking at all this fanfare, it doesn't seem like just a birthday banquet."

The young woman looked around to ensure no one was nearby and whispered, "After all, the Second Young Miss is twenty-one now, and the Youngest Master is of age. Tomorrow, many talented young gentlemen and graceful young ladies will be attending, so..."

With that, the woman immediately lowered her head and hurried away.

Lin Chenxin understood.

But the Youngest Master is only eighteen this year, with the college entrance exam just over a month away. Are they already in such a hurry to arrange a marriage alliance?

What is the Chen family planning?

Thinking of this, a dark glint flashed in her eyes.

Looking at the red-draped scene ahead, she let out another cold laugh.

—

In the evening, Lin Chenxin sat in the courtyard making tongcao flowers.

The four lanterns on the long corridor seemed to have eyes of their own, lighting up behind her and emitting a soft, faint red glow.

Even in their busyness, the people of the residence were quiet, but the rustling sounds still carried an unusual liveliness. However, all of that was worlds away from this remote, dimly lit courtyard.

It seemed completely excluded, to the point where 'neglected' felt like an understatement.

The sunset soon sank out of sight—no, not out of sight, but blocked by the towering walls.

Lin Chenxin looked up at the vanished afterglow ahead and said, "Isn't this wall too high?"

Chen Gujun, standing on the long corridor, also looked toward that wall.

He could look to higher and farther places, but his vision had long grown accustomed to one wall being followed by an even higher one. No amount of flourishing splendor had anything to do with him.

The wind stirred the strands of hair that had fallen beside Lin Chenxin's cheek, revealing her delicate profile.

Chen Gujun shifted his gaze and quietly watched that face for a long time.

The hand behind his back held that pure white orchid, pristine under the night sky.

Just then, some sounds came from outside.

Lin Chenxin snapped back to attention, stood up, and walked toward the courtyard entrance.

It turned out the servant delivering the meal had bumped into the Youngest Master.

The residence was too busy today, so the meal delivery was late. It was only when he ran into them that the Youngest Master learned the family now had an elder sister-in-law.

Lin Chenxin found it somewhat amusing.

This attitude of avoidance made it seem as if the Junzi Courtyard was some despised prison cell.

However, this Youngest Master unexpectedly resembled Eldest Young Master Chen somewhat.

Like a younger, more vibrant version of him.

A flicker of surprise passed through Lin Chenxin's eyes.

"Elder Sister-in-law."

The eighteen-year-old youth wore a white shirt, radiating a youthful freshness. His smiling face carried the gentleness and sunshine appropriate for his age.

Lin Chenxin's gaze lingered for a moment, taking a couple more looks at the youth.

She had seen every gloomy, aloof member of the Chen family; even the servants shared the same temperament as this place. Yet, this was the first time she had seen such a lively "living person."

But at this moment, the first thing that came to her mind was Eldest Young Master Chen.

His peculiarly lonely appearance was too deeply ingrained.

So much so that she couldn't help but start comparing him with the youth before her.

One growing strong and sturdy like a young tree, the other...

She recalled those clean, neat Buddhist scriptures.

Perhaps Eldest Young Master Chen should have been as elegant and full of character as green bamboo, but what Lin Chenxin could think of now was a flower withering alone in the proud, lonely autumn wind.

She snapped back to attention, an inexplicable surge of emotion welling up in her heart.

Not for herself, but for Eldest Young Master Chen.

Chen Gujun, Chen Gujun.

Even his name was so thin and lonely.

Her expression unchanged, she smiled and asked, "Youngest Master, what brings you here?"

While Lin Chenxin was observing him, the Youngest Master was also looking at Lin Chenxin.

He hadn't expected this elder sister-in-law to be so young, almost the same age as his sister.

Her figure standing in the middle of the moon gate was so upright. When she spoke, her chin lifted slightly, and those beautiful eyes looked at him with confidence and frankness. When she raised an eyebrow, it naturally revealed a lively vitality.

The Youngest Master's eyes brightened as he smiled and said, "I heard Eldest Brother got married, so I came specifically to see you, Elder Sister-in-law."

Lin Chenxin gazed intently at that still somewhat youthful face and returned the smile.

"It's sweet of you to remember your big brother."

The young master looked surprised for a second, not picking up on the hint, and just smiled at her.

Soon, he noticed the tongcao flower in her hand and asked curiously, "What's this?"

Lin Chenxin raised an eyebrow. "A paper flower. Like it? It's yours."

She gave the newly made butterfly orchid to the young master.

Holding the flower, he was delighted, his eyes crinkling into a smile as he said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

He really was a cheerful person.

Lin Chenxin smiled warmly. "You're welcome. I just hope you can find time to come see your brother and me more."

A troubled look crossed the young master's face.

She asked casually, "What's wrong? Is that a problem?"

"Father and Mother normally don't let me come and disturb big brother. They say he's ill and needs a quiet place to recuperate."

Ill?

Ill enough to look like that?

Lin Chenxin always took the Chen family's nonsense with a grain of salt.

"How could that be? I think your brother is in good health," she said with a smile.

He shot up onto that high roof in a flash.

"Really?" The young master's face showed a hint of confusion, but then his eyes lit up. "Then I—"

Before he could finish, the middle-aged woman appeared like a ghost behind him.

"Young Master, Madam is looking for you."

Lin Chenxin looked up and met the woman's eyes.

The air fell silent.

The young master pursed his lips, hesitant.

He'd taken a real liking to this sister-in-law and was sorry he couldn't chat more with someone so close to his own age, but he dared not disobey his mother.

After a moment, he said dejectedly, "Sister-in-law, I have to go now."

As he left, he started to say something, shot a wary glance at the woman, but couldn't promise to visit again.

Lin Chenxin, however, smiled generously. "See you next time."

The young master's eyes brightened, and he left with a smile.

The middle-aged woman, meanwhile, gave Lin Chenxin a deep, scrutinizing look.

Once they were gone, the smile immediately vanished from Lin Chenxin's face.

"The Chen family is quite good at playing favorites."

Despite having similar faces, this young master was raised with such vigor and spirit.

Hmph.

She gave a cold snort and turned back, only to suddenly see Eldest Young Master Chen standing deep within the moon gate.

He stood motionless, his tall, slender figure shrouded in darkness like an eerie, ghostly silhouette.

Lin Chenxin's breath caught. After a long moment, she patted her chest over her racing heart.

"You..."

Before she could finish, he vanished.

"..."

Lin Chenxin stood there, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes.

Soon, a surge of anger rose up in her.

And here she was, feeling indignant on his behalf just moments ago.

At this thought, a fiery glint flashed in her eyes as she strode over.

Today, she was determined to cure him of his habit of scaring people and not listening!

Who could stand being startled over and over again!

But when she stormed into the courtyard, she found no one. Instead, she saw an orchid placed on the stone table.

She halted and looked up at the tightly closed study.

What did this mean? He didn't like it?

She picked up the flower, her brow slightly furrowed.

This was the flower she had put the most effort into, specially made to thank him for contributing to their shared living space.

"I worked so hard on this, and you just decide you don't like it?"

Still fuming, Lin Chenxin walked to the study door and, without a word, tossed it through the lattice window.

"Even if you don't like it, you're keeping it!"

After doing this, the frustration from being startled earlier eased considerably.

She clapped her hands together and turned to stride away.

In the quiet study, after who knows how long, a slender hand finally picked up the flower from the floor.

The tall, thin figure remained motionless, his long, hanging hair obscuring his face.

He stood there for a long time, looking at it, before finally placing the flower gently into a brush holder.

—

Lin Chenxin looked up at the dark clouds outside, her expression somewhat peculiar.

Just a few days ago, the weather had been sunny and bright. She had thought summer might arrive early, but today it had suddenly turned overcast. Even though it was already noon, the sky was as dark as dusk.

This kind of gloomy weather always gives people a sense of melancholy and oppression, like a heavy gloom was weighing on Lin Chenxin's heart too.

She sighed, picked up the watering can to water the seeds in the front yard, then headed to the back yard.

The sky was overcast; it didn't look like rain, but the wind felt unpleasant.

Lin Chenxin had been worried that weeds might steal the nutrients from the seeds, beating the flower seeds to it.

But now it seemed that wasn't a problem at all.

Forget weeds—this land was utterly lifeless, without a single sign of new life.

While watering, Lin Chenxin carefully observed the state of the soil.

She was no expert, but the soil here was neither so dry it clumped together nor so wet it left her hand dripping. By all logic, something should have grown.

Flowers and plants might seem delicate and fragile—easy to break—but their vitality is just as tenacious.

Even on sheer cliffs, small grasses can grow; there's no reason nothing should sprout here.

"Don't waste your effort."

A cool, hoarse voice sounded behind her.

Lin Chenxin, already troubled, felt a spike of irritation upon hearing this. She turned to look at Eldest Young Master Chen standing at the entrance to the back yard.

Why say such discouraging words out of the blue?

"Nothing can grow here."

Lin Chenxin looked at Eldest Young Master Chen's eerie face and those eyes devoid of any light. After a moment, her expression softened a little, and she carefully buried the seeds again.

"I don't believe it."

She said it without the slightest hesitation.

Chen Gujun stood under the eaves, his expression calm. His pitch-black eyes held no particular emotion in response to her words.

After all, it wouldn't be long before she realized that doing these things was utterly meaningless.

This place was a graveyard for dry bones. Seeds couldn't take root here, and no flowers would bloom.

Even people would gradually have their vitality drained away.

He looked at Lin Chenxin's face, so focused and earnest, then turned his gaze away.

"Chen Gujun."

He stopped in his tracks, the sound of chains abruptly ceasing.

Lin Chenxin, squatting on the ground, said, "Come here."

Chen Gujun turned back, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard.

Lin Chenxin was no longer afraid of him.

Lifting her chin, she said, "We planted these flowers together, so you should do your part."

Then she added,

"Maybe it's because of your cold, indifferent attitude that the seeds here won't grow. Flowers and plants can hear sounds, and they can sense people's emotions too."

Chen Gujun didn't speak, only stared at her unblinkingly with those deep, dark eyes.

"When the flowers bloom, they'll be the flowers you grew," she said.

Perhaps it was because Lin Chenxin's eyes were too bright.

Chen Gujun stood there for a long, long time without leaving.

Even though he found Lin Chenxin's words utterly absurd.

Lin Chenxin had no intention of cutting all ties with Eldest Young Master Chen.

Compared to him staying in dark places all day, suddenly appearing to scare people, she thought it would be better if he joined her in trying to work on this wasteland.

Moreover, Lin Chenxin felt that apart from looking a bit eerie, he was actually far less dangerous or frightening than his appearance suggested.

That gloomy, sinister demeanor was just from lack of sunlight. More sun exposure would fix it.

Lin Chenxin thought this was no problem at all.

She stood up, walked straight over to Eldest Young Master Chen, and handed him the watering can she was holding.

"Go on."

This was the first time she had actively gotten so close to him.

The significant height difference indeed brought a considerable sense of pressure.

Lin Chenxin's heart still held some trepidation.

But she steadied her heartbeat and held out the watering can.

"Here."

Chen Gujun didn't move, only looked down at her, his eyelashes slightly lowered.

Lin Chenxin looked up, meeting those eyes. With a surge of courage from who-knows-where, she directly took his hand, intending to place the watering can into it.

But the moment she touched him, the person who had been standing motionless suddenly reacted extremely strongly, avoiding her action.

His face instantly turned cold.

Lin Chenxin was stunned. By the time she processed what happened, he was already gone.

"Hey!"

The gloomy sound of chains grew fainter, soon followed by a "bang" as the study door closed.

Lin Chenxin looked down at her hand, murmuring, "It was just touching a hand. Was such a big reaction really necessary?"

But his hand was so cold.

Lin Chenxin frowned, standing in place for a long time without leaving, lost in thought.

—

In the evening, the Chen residence was brightly lit. The mansion, with its carved railings and painted pillars, was filled with a festive atmosphere of lanterns and decorations, picturesque as a poem or painting.

In the distance, Lin Chenxin could hear the laughter of the guests.

Yet no one had come with a message, not even a single lantern was lit here.

It was as if this place, along with the people within it, had been utterly forsaken.

She stood in the courtyard, looking toward the study with only two red lanterns.

"Don't you feel wronged?"

Inside, there was only cold silence.

She frowned. "Aren't you angry?"

She didn’t know why Chen Gujun was in shackles or why he was even "imprisoned" here.

Such treatment was befitting a sinner for the ages.

But how great a mistake could one person make?

During her time here, she always felt Chen Gujun seemed to bear something—those runes were like indelible curses.

After meeting the young master, her suspicion was confirmed.

The Chen family could provide so well for the second young lady and the young master, yet they made Chen Gujun live in a place devoid of light.

The world wasn't fair.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes burning with anger—furious both on Chen Gujun's behalf and at her own confinement.

Seeing no movement from the study, she clenched her fist and turned to leave.

Not long after, the study door swung open without a breeze, and a long shadow cast by the lantern fell on the ground, facing the direction Lin Chenxin had gone.

With each moon gate Lin Chenxin passed through, the world grew brighter.

When she reached the outermost moon gate, the lanterns flickering along the corridor across the lake and rockery shone brighter than the stars in the night sky.

For some reason, Lin Chenxin stopped.

She stood in the darkness, drawing a clear line between herself and the brightly lit scene ahead.

It wasn’t that she dared not take the final step, nor was it the timid feeling of nearing home after a long absence.

She simply felt a sudden surge of anger, mixed with a touch of bitter irony.

Suddenly, a lantern flickered on above her head.

She looked up at the old, worn-out lantern above the moon gate. Its light, barely brighter than a candle’s flame, gently enveloped her, casting a small halo on the ground.

She turned back to look at Eldest Young Master Chen standing deep in the darkness.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

She had originally planned to make a dramatic, comeback-style entrance like a protagonist.

But now, this light illuminated her feet, adding a touch of silent warmth and a strangely pitiful, blustering bravado.