Young widow in her boudoir

Today is the day that our clansman Shen Shuming has been invited to the Shen residence.

The old lady had Xie Rutang dress up beforehand and then arranged for them to meet in a room.

Xie Rutang did not want to dress up in front of any man other than her deceased husband, so she took the most plain dress from the closet and put it on.

Shen Shuming arrived quickly.

He was two years older than Xie Rutang, with a handsome and refined appearance. When he saw her, he would hold his breath, perhaps feeling offended, and shyly stop staring at her beautiful face.

The two had barely sat in the room for half a cup of tea when Xie Rutang's hands became so nervous they were soaked with sweat.

To ease the awkwardness, Xie Rutang suggested that the two of them go for a walk in a nearby garden.

The old lady had already arranged this garden in advance. It was a secluded place, and no one would come here, making it the perfect spot for enjoying the scenery.

The two strolled along the bamboo path, chatting about everyday things, which allowed them to get to know each other a little.

Just then, a woman's giggles came from nearby.

Xie Rutang's hand, which was holding the embroidered begonia fan, froze. When she looked up, she saw Pei Zhiheng and Su Yao walking towards them.

It turns out that Su Yao came to the Shen residence as a guest today, and the old lady specifically requested Pei Zhiheng to accompany her.

Pei Zhiheng had a cold and sharp look in his eyes, exuding the air of a noble family, with a subtle, aloof smile on his lips.

Su Yao, on the other hand, was bright and generous, smiling and talking to him.

The two were dazzling yet perfectly matched.

Pei Zhiheng, who had returned to the manor, also heard the gossip about her that had been circulating in the manor for the past two days. His phoenix eyes swept coldly over Xie Rutang.

Dressed in white, with the graceful figure of a crane and an elegant demeanor, he made the originally handsome Shen Shuming beside her appear as an ordinary mortal.

When Pei Zhiheng arrived, he saw Xie Rutang's slender, jade-like neck exposed outside her collar, its lines fair and long.

Shen Shuming said something that made her look up, smile gently with her lips parted, and lower her eyes with a delicate and shy charm that was unforgettable.

Su Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this Madam Shen?"

"And this is...?"

Su Yao looked at Shen Shuming.

Xie Rutang never expected to be caught by Pei Zhiheng and his fiancée, and was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.

For a widow to seek a surrogate child is already a shameful thing, let alone standing next to Su Yao and Pei Zhiheng, who come from wealthy families. This only deepened her feelings of helplessness and inferiority.

Xie Rutang was breathing rapidly, her fingers were curled up, and her palms were sweaty.

Shen Shuming seemed to have noticed her concerns.

He stepped forward, shielding her behind him, and spoke in a gentle, warm voice, "I am Madam Shen's distant cousin. I have come to the Shen residence today to discuss some trivial matters from our hometown."

Su Yao smiled: "I see."

I don't know if I've received a letter or not.

But Shen Shuming's answer still gave Xie Rutang some dignity, and she looked at him with gratitude.

Shen Shuming simply shook his head slightly at her, indicating that she didn't need to worry about it; it was just a small favor.

Only Pei Zhiheng knew that Shen Shuming was a member of the clan invited by the old lady.

He stood beside Su Yao, taking in the silent exchange between the two of them, watching Shen Shuming cover up the scandal between Xie Rutang and Su Yao.

Two days had passed, and Xie Rutang's beauty had only grown more captivating. The shyness she displayed today was not for him, but for Shen Shuming.

Perhaps they had heard the rumors that she was seducing the guards in the mansion.

Even in her embarrassing situation, Pei Zhiheng showed no expression.

Seeing this, Su Yao's eyes flickered slightly, and she said with a gentle and intelligent air, "Lord Pei, have you heard any gossip circulating in your household lately? Is it about my sister-in-law...?"

She paused slightly, feigning sympathy, "However, I don't believe those rumors; they're just servants making trouble out of nothing. With your character, sister-in-law, you would never flirt with a guard as the rumors suggest."

Pei Zhiheng never cast a glance at Xie Rutang again.

A moment later, hurried footsteps came from the corridor. Yue Jian rushed to Pei Zhiheng's side and said that the Crown Princess had been punished by the Empress to kneel outside the palace gate.

Pei Zhiheng's expression suddenly darkened, and without further delay, he strode away with heavy, cold steps.

Seeing this, Su Yao followed closely behind.

She is Yin Qinrong's best friend and has secretly loved Pei Zhiheng for many years. Now, she is finally going to discuss marriage with the Pei family.

Yin Qinrong broke her engagement and married the Crown Prince, which gave her the opportunity.

……

Perhaps feeling that there were too many people around, Xie Rutang and Shen Shuming went back to that room.

Tea and jade dew cakes were prepared on the table, but Xie Rutang couldn't eat even half of one, his mind elsewhere.

Seeing her dejected expression, Shen Shuming spoke first in a gentle voice, introducing himself: "I am a member of a collateral branch of the Shen family of Yuzhou. I am twenty-one years old this year and am not yet married. I have no bad habits, so Madam need not be wary of me."

"Once I have completed the task entrusted to me by the old lady, I will no longer bother her."

Once she becomes pregnant, he will secretly come to the capital and then secretly leave.

Xie Rutang listened to his frank and straightforward words, but felt embarrassed and bit her lower lip, crumpling the handkerchief into layers of wrinkles.

Her special relationship with Shen Shuming made her feel extremely sorry for her deceased husband.

She had only met him once and there was no real relationship between them yet. She would be too ashamed to face Shen Yuan's memorial tablet when she went back tonight.

If Shen Yuan were alive today, he would surely not want to see her defiled.

Even though she could tell that Shen Shuming was a person of excellent character and shouldn't give her any concerns, she still couldn't accept it.

After all, she was a married woman, and Shen Shuming was a little reserved, speaking somewhat subtly, but both of them understood what he meant.

"I will be staying at the Shen residence for half a month. I will be in your care, Madam."

Xie Rutang also bowed to him, showing perfect manners.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

Tomorrow night will be the night Shen Shuming comes to stay at her house.

Granny Rong inevitably came over again to give her another lecture.

Xie Rutang returned to her room and had Jin Yue bring her a pot of wine. She wept before Shen Yuan's memorial tablet, her eyes filled with sorrow. Through her tears, she prayed, "Yuan Lang, if you know anything in the afterlife, please protect me and help me escape this predicament. There are countless men in this world, but in my heart, there has only ever been you. I truly do not wish to be forced to share a bed with another man and spend my days with him."

The next day, it was time for Shen Shuming to come to her room.

Prior to this, there had been no movement at Su Xue Ju in the southeast.

Xie Rutang's thoughts sank.

Sure enough, Pei Zhiheng only remembered her when his body needed relief.

The rumors circulating in the manor, along with her time alone with Shen Shuming in the garden yesterday, have completely extinguished any interest he has in her.

Although this was the ending she wanted, she still longed for Pei Zhiheng to save her from her predicament. She didn't like Shen Shuming and couldn't accept other men touching her body or doing intimate things with her.

She then realized that even if she had physical contact with someone of Pei Zhiheng's noble status, he wouldn't actually develop feelings for her.

As night fell, Shen Shuming came over.

He took off his clothes, leaving him only in his undergarments.

He took off his shirt, revealing his strong, muscular chest. He had not an ounce of excess fat on his body, and he was quite a sight to behold, radiating hormones.

Just before he was about to get into bed, he heard a woman sobbing from under the covers. She was crying very sadly, so he didn't go any closer.

Xie Rutang suppressed her sobs and waited for a long time, but she didn't hear Shen Shuming make any further moves.

It turns out that Shen Shuming is an extremely gentle person.

He knew she was unwilling and couldn't accept it yet.

So he said by the bedside, "I'll come over tomorrow night."

"You don't need to feel burdened. Just rest well. I will handle the situation with the old lady. I will take all the blame and won't make things difficult for you. Just relax."

Xie Rutang's tears welled up at the corners of her eyes, hanging there, yet not falling.

She wanted to thank him, but when she slowly turned around, Shen Shuming was already gone from the room.