Chapter 5 Outsider: You Are Not Allowed to Step Inside Even One Step

Chapter 5: Outsider—You Are Not Allowed a Single Step Inside

Cui Mei was not one to swallow such an insult, seeing the young servant pressed so close to Jiang Yueyi. No sooner had she finished scolding than she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

The young servant caught the slap squarely, his face instantly turned red. He knelt and kowtowed, begging for mercy, but even while begging, he kept blocking the doorway, clearly unwilling to let Jiang Yueyi enter.

Initially, Jiang Yueyi had only been testing the waters, not truly determined to go inside. After all, Xing An was Qi Hao's man, undoubtedly loyal to him, and whatever Qi Hao was up to was none of her concern—she could let Xing An be. But the servant's repeated obstructions stirred an inexplicable anger within her.

At this, Qing Lan saw that Jiang Yueyi looked displeased and said, "Xing An was panicking like that just now, and now you won't let the mistress in. What exactly are you two up to? Don't tell me I hit the mark—that you're up to something shameful."

The young servant was pressed speechless by Qing Lan, only repeatedly muttering, "I wouldn't dare."

"Then I must go in and see for myself," Jiang Yueyi said, her expression composed. This time, she did not even glance at the servant but straightened her back and walked past him inside.

The servant dared not physically block her, and with Cui Mei and Qing Lan restraining him, he could only watch helplessly as Jiang Yueyi entered.

Inside, everything was still as she remembered from her last visit, only now Qi Hao was absent. One half of the window by the desk was open, and on the long table below sat a celadon long-necked vase holding a single branch of peach blossoms, vivid and full of life—something that hadn't been there before.

In Jiang Yueyi's memory, Qi Hao appeared pale and frail, handsome but overly thin, dull and lifeless without a hint of vitality or color. The branch of peach blossoms seemed utterly incongruous with him.

Seeing the peach blossoms, Jiang Yueyi even froze for a moment, wondering if she had come to the wrong place.

The young servant who followed her inside interrupted her thoughts: "Mistress, have mercy—there's really nothing in here. It's just that the master is used to keeping people out. If you say we're up to no good, how would we dare?"

Jiang Yueyi ignored him.

Because of that branch of peach blossoms, she took a longer look around the study.

It was bright and spotless. A thought struck Jiang Yueyi. She recalled the dim, dark room every night, the secrets that could not be spoken, mixed with the damp, lustful scent that filled the air, wrapping around her and holding her immobile.

Jiang Yueyi swayed slightly, forcing herself to come back to her senses.

Suppressing the inappropriate thoughts, she walked forward.

The young servant watched her intently, but by now Jiang Yueyi no longer cared.

On the desk lay a blank sheet of rice paper. Qi Hao's desk was not particularly tidy; scattered wantonly around were many sheets he had written or painted on, sloppy and unrestrained. Jiang Yueyi glanced sideways at them but quickly averted her eyes, not delving further or reaching out to examine them.

"Let's go," she said to Qing Lan and Cui Mei.

The servant received this as a reprieve and respectfully saw Jiang Yueyi and her attendants out of the study, finally breathing a sigh of relief and resuming his post at the door.

Only after Jiang Yueyi had walked deep into the inner courtyard did Qing Lan speak: "What secrets does the master keep in his study that they would be so nervous?"

Thinking of the two servants today, Jiang Yueyi smiled slightly but said, "Let him do as he pleases."

***

A few days after the ancestral rites, continuous rain began, dripping endlessly day and night, spreading an unbearable dampness both inside and out.

Fragrant incense was always burning in Jiang Yueyi's room, its cool, dry scent providing some relief. Since she couldn't go anywhere, Jiang Yueyi often leaned on the soft couch to read, sometimes for the entire day, sometimes drifting off to sleep halfway through.

Among her sisters back home, she had always been the most well-read. The Jiang family, though only of moderate standing, was nonetheless a scholarly household. Jiang Yueyi had started her education early. In her earliest memories, it was her mother who taught her to read. Strangely enough, her mother's face had become blurry over time—she could only recall a vague outline—yet the scenes from her childhood remained vivid.

Later, her mother passed away, and as she grew older, she started attending school with her other sisters.

Jiang Yueyi had no mother, and her father was reluctant to remarry. Though outwardly she was under her grandmother's care, only Concubine Gu looked after her. At school, there were always gossiping girls who sneered that Jiang Yueyi was raised by a concubine, that her household lacked a proper mistress, and that she would never be fit for polite society.

Soon enough, her grandmother heard the rumors and severely punished those sisters. Even so, the remarks left an indelible scar on Jiang Yueyi's heart.

She feared hurting Concubine Gu's feelings and never mentioned it in front of her. After all, her grandmother had already punished the culprits—it was water under the bridge. Concubine Gu had always treated her well, almost like her own daughter. If Jiang Yueyi showed any distress, it would only make Concubine Gu feel she had let her down.

Jiang Yueyi had no other recourse but to study even harder in secret. She was the most diligent in class, and after school, she never relaxed. She pushed herself to read as much as possible, striving to become more cultured and wise than anyone else.

Fortunately, she was not lacking in talent, so she never brought shame to herself or Concubine Gu.

Finally, even after her grandmother's death, no one dared to call her petty or shallow.

It was because of her reputation in the capital as a refined lady that after Wang Shi interfered with her engagement to Qi Hao, Feng Shi personally came to restore the match.

The book in her hands was like a lifeline for a drowning person, a cup of water for someone dying of thirst.

A slight movement on her lap stirred Jiang Yueyi from her nap. She realized Zi Zhu was gently pulling the book from her lap and covering her with a thin blanket.

At some point, the rain outside had stopped. Sunlight was beginning to break through the thick clouds, carrying the warmth of early summer. If not for the dripping water from the eaves, Jiang Yueyi might have thought the past few days of rain were just a dream.

She sat up and rubbed her shoulders, took the book back from Zi Zhu, and was about to continue reading when Xing An's voice came from outside: "Mistress, the master requests your presence in the study."

Jiang Yueyi was somewhat surprised, but after a moment's thought, she roughly understood what this was about.

She rose, straightened her clothes, adjusted the hairpin that had slipped to one side, and headed out with Qing Lan.

Xing An was waiting outside. Seeing Jiang Yueyi come out so quickly, his previously tense face immediately broke into a sycophantic smile. Even though it was a short walk, he kept urging her forward.

The more he did so, the more uneasy Jiang Yueyi grew.

When she reached the study, she left Qing Lan outside and entered alone to see Qi Hao.

Strangely enough, since the day she had seen that branch of peach blossoms in the celadon vase here, her eyes now instinctively sought that spot as she entered.

But to her slight disappointment, the spot was empty today—the peach blossoms and celadon vase were gone.

That day, Qi Hao's desk had been a mess, but today it was neatly arranged, not a single scrap of paper in sight.

Qi Hao didn't notice her subtle glance. He was always at his desk, but today he was standing. Only when Jiang Yueyi's footsteps drew near did he turn around, his gaze sweeping faintly over her fair face. "You came here that day?"

Jiang Yueyi frowned, but quickly relaxed. She met Qi Hao's indifferent expression with one equally cool—nothing like a newlywed couple.

Before coming, she had anticipated that Qi Hao would confront her about her unauthorized entry into his study. Yet deep down, she had harbored a faint, irrational hope—so absurd she found it laughable herself. Since marrying, she had repeatedly acted out of character, as if trying to prove something to herself.

She couldn't even admit to herself the thought she had just had: that perhaps Qi Hao had called her for something other than that incident.

But unfortunately, Qi Hao was indeed here about that.

A chill crept over Jiang Yueyi, but her expression grew even more composed, proper, and dignified. She nodded slightly at Qi Hao.

Seeing her so obedient, Qi Hao remained unmoved. He cleared his throat slightly and said, "It was the servants' fault for not explaining clearly. Don't let it happen again—my study has never allowed outsiders in."

Outsider? A dull pain struck Jiang Yueyi's heart like a bell. She bit her lip and glanced outside, but she couldn't see Xing An or the others from here.

"It wasn't their fault," Jiang Yueyi said, taking a deep breath. "They tried to stop me. I insisted on entering."

At this, Qi Hao suddenly laughed. When he laughed, his pale lips parted to reveal neat, white teeth. It was actually quite beautiful, like spring rain melting ice—capable of thawing the frost of deep winter—but he rarely laughed, at least Jiang Yueyi had almost never seen it.

He said, "Yueyi, you don't have to do this."

In truth, no one here was foolish. Qi Hao had deliberately shifted the blame onto the servants just to give Jiang Yueyi an easy way out.

But Jiang Yueyi did not accept this favor.

She did not need Qi Hao to give her a beating and then a treat; even if Qi Hao meant no harm, she could not accept this handout.

"Just say what you have to say, sir," Jiang Yueyi said with a smile. "Once you make it clear, I'll understand. Otherwise, if I ever offend you out of ignorance and make Xing An and the others suffer for it, that wouldn't be right."

Qi Hao let out a soft sigh, shook his head, and said, "Alright. I had it wrong earlier. Sorry."

He paused for a moment, the room so silent that even the sound of a petal falling outside the window could almost be heard, before he continued, "From now on, you are not allowed to enter the study unless I am inside."