After nightfall, Shen Qingyao curled up in bed but couldn’t fall asleep no matter what she tried.
Ever since leaving the Nanzhao royal court, her mind had been in turmoil, overwhelmed by self-doubt. The only thing she was grateful for was that after the banquet, Lu Zhao accompanied Shen Yushu and was retained by the King of Nanzhao. They must have had some confidential matters between the two countries to discuss, so Lu Zhao didn’t return with Shen Qingyao.
Not having to face Lu Zhao temporarily gave her some breathing room. Shen Qingyao buried her head under the covers like an ostrich in denial. But habits are terrifying things indeed, and Shen Qingyao turned over again, finding the other end of the bed empty. With Lu Zhao present, she felt uncomfortable, yet in his absence, she felt just as uneasy.
Shen Qingyao sighed heavily. Just as she was about to sit up, she heard a faint sound outside the door.
It was deep into the night; apart from a few servants on duty in the courtyard, the only person who would come at this hour was one. Shen Qingyao froze in place, then quickly lay back down, turned over to face inward, and tightly closed her eyes. When Lu Zhao entered, all he saw was a ‘soundly sleeping’ figure.
Shen Qingyao kept her eyes tightly shut, though her heart was beating wildly with excitement. When Lu Zhao stood by the bed after entering, she could sense his gaze must be on her. She stiffened all over but refused to turn back.
Lu Zhao looked at her for a long time, then sighed quietly and turned to the side room to wash up.
After a while, Lu Zhao returned with a hint of dampness on him. Shen Qingyao hadn’t moved from her position; she felt a corner of the blanket being lifted, and the person with a faint cold fragrance and comforting warmth lay down beside her. Normally, Shen Qingyao would have already snuggled into his embrace, but this time she lay still.
Both knew the other hadn’t been asleep. Lu Zhao seemed unsure of what had transpired, but neither said a word.
After a moment, a pair of hands encircled Shen Qingyao’s waist. Lu Zhao pulled her into his arms from behind, holding her tightly against him. Shen Qingyao quietly opened her eyes.
“Yaoyao,” Lu Zhao seemed to call her, almost as if to himself. In that single name lay a multitude of emotions. Lu Zhao’s eyes darkened slightly; despite holding her in his arms, he felt as if he couldn’t grasp her. It was a feeling reminiscent of six years ago when he returned from Xiling to find that his little girl had already forgotten him. He felt a sense of helplessness.
Feeling the increasing strength around her waist, as if he wanted to embed her into his embrace, Shen Qingyao felt her nose tingle. She almost softened, ready to indulge herself in Lu Zhao’s tenderness, but she bit her lip and remained motionless.
Shen Qingyao had no idea how she managed to fall asleep that night. When she finally opened her eyes again, Lu Zhao was already gone.
For a moment, she felt disoriented. She reached out and felt the bedding was cold; it seemed Lu Zhao had left a long time ago. After a while, Shen Qingyao croaked out a call for Cui Qiao to come in.
“Where’s Elder Brother Lu Zhao?”
“Young Master? He left before dawn, saying he went with Eldest Young Master to the palace to discuss matters.”
Cui Qiao frowned as she handed Shen Qingyao a towel to wipe her hands. “Miss, why do you look so pale? Should I call a doctor?”
Cui Qiao was worried; ever since Shen Qingyao returned last night, she hadn’t seemed herself. She had slept the whole night, yet she looked even more haggard now.
Shen Qingyao shook her head, uninterested in seeing a doctor. Her poor state wasn’t solely due to illness; a doctor could heal physical ailments but not matters of the heart.
“Miss…” Cui Qiao looked at Shen Qingyao, hesitating to speak. Cui Qiao knew well that she couldn’t persuade her Miss, so she decided not to waste her breath.
Setting down the handkerchief in her hand, Cui Qiao helped Shen Qingyao off the bed and changed the subject, “Why don’t I accompany Miss for a walk? Just now, I heard the servants outside saying there’s a flower fair in Nanzhao today, quite lively. Going out to see exotic flowers and plants might lift our spirits! Perhaps, we’ll recover without needing medicine?”
*Pfft* Shen Qingyao smiled softly and lowered her head. Recovering without medicine seemed rather difficult.
But Cui Qiao was right. It wasn’t good to keep herself locked up in the room all the time. Apart from love, she had many other things in life. She couldn’t afford to be depressed over such trivial matters. Even though she didn’t particularly enjoy flower appreciation, she nodded in agreement.
“Wow! Miss, look over there! The flower that person is holding is actually green?! And that one there! It’s black!” Cui Qiao held onto Shen Qingyao and could clearly feel Shen Qingyao’s lack of enthusiasm, so she tried even harder to make excited expressions to cheer Shen Qingyao up. “I was thinking earlier, it’s almost July, what flowers could there be to enjoy? Now I see how narrow-minded I was. The Southern Frontier is indeed different from the capital!”
Shen Qingyao let Cui Qiao lead her along. She smiled at the words, “One in the south, one in the north, of course they’re different, right?”
The streets were bustling with crowds, clearly indicating the flower fair was quite grand and lively. Shen Qingyao absentmindedly brushed the petals of a plant in front of her.
“Eh? Madam? Is that you?” Suddenly, a small voice came from behind. Shen Qingyao turned to look, and the speaker was a girl who seemed familiar, though she couldn’t place where she had seen her.
Seeing Shen Qingyao’s confusion, the girl smiled slightly and said, “Madam doesn’t remember me? Back in Lingnan City, Madam and another young lady helped me out.”
Shen Qingyao then remembered her as the silver shop owner they had rescued from Secretary Huang.
“It’s you. What are you doing here? Is someone troubling you in Lingnan again?”
The girl shook her head repeatedly, “No, no! Not at all! Not long after that time, Secretary Huang was arrested, and no one has troubled me since. I am here…” She lowered her head shyly, blushing, and whispered after a while, “I came with my husband. He’s a businessman from Nanzhao…” The girl laughed, her face almost overflowing with happiness.
Shen Qingyao was taken aback. She hadn’t expected the girl to be married already, but she smiled in response, “It’s great for lovers to be together.”
As she spoke, there was a hint of sentimentality in her tone, even surprising herself.
“Hehe, I found out later that you’re the wife of Governor of Lingnan! They say the new Governor is handsome and capable, Madam is indeed fortunate!”
Shen Qingyao’s smile faded slightly, not mentioning that her fortune might soon change.
Watching this, Cui Qiao felt increasingly uneasy. While she didn’t know what had happened between Miss and Young Master, it was obvious to everyone that they had quarreled. Afraid the girl might say something to upset her Miss further, Cui Qiao quickly intervened, “Lady, I think someone over there is calling you. Isn’t that for you?”
Following the girl’s gaze, Shen Qingyao saw a tall man waving towards them not far away. The girl blushed upon seeing him and turned back to Shen Qingyao, “Madam, my husband is calling me. I should go now! Thank you for last time.” With that, she turned to leave but came back after a few steps, “Oh right, this is for you!”
The girl picked a bunch of pure white and tender flowers from the basket on her arm and handed it to Shen Qingyao. She softly said, “These flowers symbolize love in Nanzhao. After picking them, if you take good care and manage to make them bloom in a vase, the beloved who sees them will surely have a lasting relationship. Madam, take it back and nurture it with the Lord!'”
Shen Qingyao hesitated for a moment, looking at the tightly clustered flower buds. Lu Zhao’s face flashed in her mind. She curled her fingers, as if to refuse.
However, the girl insisted and stuffed the flowers into her hand without further explanation, the girl’s face bright with a smile. “Please take it, Madam!”
With that, the girl turned and ran off without looking back.
As Shen Qingyao watched the girl disappear into the distance, she couldn’t help but feel joyous as the girl rushed into the arms of the man.
—A lasting relationship?
Shen Qingyao’s expression became complex. Could this substitute also last? She and the original were ultimately different. Would Lu Zhao discover the truth one day? Could they really last like this?
“Miss…” Cui Qiao’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Seeing Shen Qingyao’s unusual expression, she was convinced that the two had quarreled, and couldn’t help but ask worriedly.
“Just throw it away,” Shen Qingyao suddenly lost interest in strolling around, and handed the flowers to Cui Qiao, ready to leave. Cui Qiao hesitated, looking at her several times, but seeing no sign of reversal, Cui Qiao reluctantly reached out to take the flowers. However, Shen Qingyao withdrew her hand.
“Forget it, let’s keep it for now,” she said, supplementing somewhat guiltily, “I just think these flowers are quite beautiful.”
“Yes, I understand, Miss…” Cui Qiao couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t expose anything, feeling somewhat relieved.
Shen Qingyao knew from Cuiqiao’s expression what Cui Qiao was thinking. She pursed her lips, thinking to herself, What do you really know? She just didn’t want to waste someone else’s heartfelt gesture.
Yet, on her way returning to the inn, she carefully protected the flowers, ensuring they remained undamaged.
Thanks for the chapter!!!!