Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang saw through the curtain that the Second Master was actually sitting inside.

Pei Zhiheng's face was hidden in the dim candlelight, making it impossible to see clearly. Like a god, he sat there silently, creating a silent pressure that made people feel suffocated.

Without even thinking, it was clear that Pei Zhiheng had overheard her conversation with the old lady.

Perhaps the old lady had discussed this matter with him beforehand, which led to this outcome.

Such a private matter as borrowing seed from a member of one's clan...

Xie Rutang clutched her skirt tightly in embarrassment.

She never had any dignity in the Shen family.

Xie Rutang stared intently at the tall figure.

The man inside was drinking tea, holding a cup of "Spring Whispers in Snow" in his hands. The tea was light and clear, with thin white steam rising. Behind the chair, a lapis lazuli incense burner with double beast rings was burning agarwood, the fragrant mist floating in gold, filling the room with luxurious splendor.

He gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid of his teapot. His hands were pale, slender, and pleasing to the eye. He made no other movements.

She had long known that he was the living Yama of the capital, cold-hearted and indifferent.

She shouldn't have been disappointed.

Obviously...

However, his previous contact, the warm breath on her neck, and his deep, magnetic voice when he kissed her made her heart race, which led her to have fantasies.

Now the Crown Prince and Yin Qinrong have returned to the capital.

He could no longer have any contact with her and had to draw a clear line between them.

Xie Rutang curled her fingers and finally looked away.

Xie Rutang turned around and met the old lady's shrewd and intimidating eyes.

The rules, etiquette, and patriarchal authority of her aristocratic family weighed heavily on her shoulders, forcing her to submit.

After a long while, Xie Rutang slowly lowered her eyes and said, "...Yes."

Xie Rutang was a person who was good at seizing opportunities and adapting to changing circumstances.

She was a widow, and even after leaving the Shen family, countless powerful and influential people outside were secretly coveting her.

Moreover, her stepmother, though seemingly virtuous, is actually vicious and might turn around and force her to become a rich man's concubine in exchange for benefits.

She would have been better off getting pregnant with Shen Yuan's "posthumous child" and securing her position in the Shen household through the child.

But in this lifetime, I will never be able to have love again.

The woman's beautiful figure seemed to feel lonely, as the lamplight fell from the side, casting a soft silhouette of her shoulders and neck.

Xie Rutang bowed her head and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. There are still a few troublesome servants in my courtyard waiting to be disciplined, so I won't disturb Mother's peace and quiet any longer."

Seeing this, the old lady snorted coldly, feeling even more displeased, and began to suspect her eldest daughter-in-law of the most malicious intentions.

Xie Rutang was stunningly beautiful and widowed at a young age. Despite her gentle and obedient appearance, she might be inherently promiscuous. Finding a member of her clan to conceive for her might actually fulfill her desires.

Xie Rutang seems like someone who's prone to fickleness; we absolutely must be wary of him.

Thinking this way, the old lady felt a surge of resentment in her heart.

Through the curtain, Pei Zhiheng could see the woman in the main house with her delicate eyebrows like distant green jade, and her figure as graceful as smoke, like a secluded orchid in a valley.

After Xie Rutang took her leave from the old lady, she slipped through the curtain and left Shou'an Hall, and the room returned to calm.

……

The old lady is already searching for reliable members of the Shen clan.

An ordinary afternoon.

Xie Rutang sat upright before the pear wood table, wearing a plain white dress with orchid embroidery, without any makeup, her black hair loosely tied up with only a jade hairpin.

She bowed her head and sat at the table, her slender fingers holding the pen steadily, quietly copying the "Admonitions for Women" spread out on the table, word by word.

Fearing that her young and beautiful appearance might lead to fickleness and infidelity, her mother-in-law specifically ordered her to copy classic texts on female virtues every day to calm her mind and remember that the husband is the head of the household.

The morning sunlight cast a soft silhouette on her.

Even as her wrists ached unbearably from writing, Xie Rutang never complained. By the time she had finished copying the "Admonitions for Women" several times, it was already afternoon.

Jin Yue was worried that she would get bored staying in the house, so she suggested that she go to the garden to relax and clear her mind.

Xie Rutang readily agreed.

After all, once she conceives another man's child, she will no longer be a free woman.

We arrived at the Ink Garden of the Shen family mansion.

Here, bamboo mats hang from the windows, a winding bridge spans the green hills, and moss soaks into the stones, creating a serene and tranquil garden.

Unfortunately, the summer heat and humidity caused many mosquitoes to bite Xie Rutang and his servant Jin Yue.

Before they could find a place to cool off and rest, a huge wild bee suddenly appeared from nowhere, buzzing and fluttering its wings, hovering directly towards Xie Rutang's face.

Xie Rutang was so shocked that she froze on the spot, only knowing to use the fan in her hand to cover her face, but her slender wrists were still exposed.

At the critical moment, a figure in blue quickly stepped out from the depths of the willow shade; it was Shen Wen.

It turned out that Shen Wen and his page happened to be passing by.

With lightning speed, he used his sleeve to precisely fan the wild bee away, driving it towards a distant flowerbed.

Jin Yue quickly helped Xie Rutang, who was frightened, to her feet.

After a series of thrilling events.

Shen Wen turned slightly to the side, keeping a distance from her, and said in a calm tone, "Sister-in-law, are you feeling unwell anywhere? Wild bees in the garden are quite vigorous in the height of summer. In the future, when you visit the garden, you might as well have your maid prepare some insect repellent balm to carry with you."

Since her elder brother Shen Yuan passed away, her sister-in-law has become a widow.

Seeing this, Shen Wen couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She was the only widowed woman in the household, and he would do his best to help her whenever she encountered difficulties.

Xie Rutang was still shaken; her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her slender neck drooped slightly. "I'm so grateful that the wild bee didn't sting me..."

Shen Wen nodded. "It's good that my sister-in-law is alright."

The two always adhered to proper etiquette and propriety, maintaining a distance of about a foot between them, and their words and actions were frank and open.

But this scene was witnessed by a maid hiding behind an old jujube tree not far away. She was hidden in the shade and saw everything clearly, from the rescue to the conversation between the two.

This maid's name is Tao Lü. She is Ye Wanyu's personal maid and usually helps Ye Wanyu inspect the various courtyards and manage the servants.

Looking at the scene of Master Shen and Xie Rutang standing together and talking.

Anger flashed in her eyes, she stomped her foot, and went back to Yunyue Courtyard to tell Ye Wanyu.

……

Night fell.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, its gentle light soft, and thin clouds drift slowly across the glazed eaves.

Hearing that Qin Yao had left the mansion tonight, Xie Rutang brought Jin Yue to the garden to catch fireflies.

Jin Yue is a servant girl born into the household and is only fourteen years old this year. She has been working as a maid in the mansion for many years, and Xie Rutang does not want her playful nature to be suppressed.

Jin Yue noticed that she wasn't very happy, so she winked and said, "Tonight I'm going to catch lots and lots of fireflies for you, Madam, and make you the most beautiful firefly lantern!"

Xie Rutang actually laughed.

Like a fleeting ephemera under the moon, its blooming period is extremely short, yet it happened to fall right into Jin Yue's eyes, making her forget to wave the fan in her hand.

Jin Yue stared at her intently, "Madam, you are so beautiful."

That night, Xie Rutang caught many fireflies and put them in a cage.

She found a thin rope and tied the bamboo gauze firefly cage to a bamboo pole. Inside the thin gauze cage, tiny fireflies floated gently, like crushed stars.

Suddenly a strong wind arose, the knot in the rope came loose, and the firefly cage, as light as silk gauze, was blown into a nearby courtyard.

That place was Pei Zhiheng's library in the Shen residence, a four-story building. It was always quiet and secluded, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter at will; it was his exclusive private space.

Jin Yue felt a pang of heartache and wanted to go and pick them up. Most of those fireflies were picked up by the Madam, and it was such a waste to lose them like this.

Xie Rutang gazed at the other side of the courtyard wall, shook her head, and said, "Never mind, Jinyue, we don't need that firefly cage."

"Let's go back."

As a widow, she didn't want to attract gossip.