The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 118
Today was Grandmother’s birthday, and many people had come to the residence. Several groups had already entered by now. Hearing movement beneath the corridor, Sixth Young Lady Yu turned back and saw Eldest Young Master Yu leading someone in from the opposite side. They were too far apart, and that person was hidden behind her elder brother, so Sixth Young Lady Yu could not see clearly.
A guest had arrived, so she ought to make way. She stopped to one side, lowering her head. Her cloak had a row of snow-white fur at the collar, and half her face was buried in that fluffy collar. Her fair skin looked like the first handful of snow in winter.
The footsteps drew nearer. Sixth Young Lady kept her gaze straight ahead and turned aside, waiting for them to pass before her. Yet Eldest Young Master Yu stopped. After the Yu family and Wen family settled the engagement, the two likely had not yet met. Today, on Old Madam’s birthday, Young Master Wen had come to the door, so they would inevitably meet.
He had originally planned to find an opportunity for the two of them later, but unexpectedly, they had run into each other as soon as he entered, and that saved him the trouble. Afraid Wen Huai would not recognize her, Eldest Young Master Yu deliberately called out to Sixth Young Lady, “Sixth Younger Sister.”
Sixth Young Lady raised her head, confused. From the corner of her gaze, she glimpsed the person behind him, and her eyes widened in shock.
Little Brother? He had come too. Then Young Master Wen…
Her gaze searched behind him, but she did not see anyone else. Just as she was puzzled, she heard Eldest Young Master Yu say, “Since Sixth Younger Sister is here, lead Young Master Wen in first.”
Young Master Wen… Who?
There was only Little Brother beside her brother. Her gaze upon Wen Huai grew increasingly astonished. Opposite her, Wen Huai’s expression was calm. He smiled at her.
“I will have to trouble Sixth Young Lady.”
Compared with their first meeting, Wen Huai’s skin had become somewhat fairer. After serving as an official for a time, the weather-beaten air from years outside had faded, and there was a bit more scholarly elegance about him. Especially when he smiled, humble and courteous, with some bookish air.
How could such a person look like the owner of a restaurant?
Sixth Young Lady froze there.
Eldest Young Master Yu turned and went back. Only after he had walked quite far did Sixth Young Lady come back to herself. Stiffly, she turned around, not even knowing how she opened her mouth. “Young… Young Master Wen, please.”
Wen Huai slowly followed behind her.
Beneath the corridor, aside from the sound of the wind, only the footsteps of the two of them remained. The Yu family residence was not as large as the Wen family’s. After winding through the corridor and crossing the threshold, the front hall was ahead.
Just as they were about to descend through the passageway, Sixth Young Lady truly could not hold back and said softly, “You… why did you deceive me?”
Thinking of what had happened last time at Mixian Tower, her face burned red.
She had hidden and dodged, not wanting anyone to expose her identity, and had deliberately found someone familiar. How could she have expected that the “familiar server” was actually the true person himself?
The words she had spoken to him that day had now become her embarrassment alone.
He really could pretend.
Her face burned fiercely. A gust of cool wind swept over from behind, leaving several whimpering sounds by her ear. She was not sure whether he had heard clearly.
After that gust of wind passed, the person behind her suddenly said, “It was not Wen who deceived Sixth Young Lady. It was Miss Yunshuang who did not remember my name.”
The first time they met, he had already reported his family name. She simply had not taken it to heart.
She had forgotten, but he still remembered. With a whoosh, the heat on Sixth Young Lady’s face reached the roots of her ears. Her steps abruptly stopped, both embarrassed and ashamed.
Just as she did not know how to respond, she heard him remind her in a low voice, “Be careful the tea gets cold.”
She hurriedly brought him to Master Yu in the front hall. Taking advantage of Wen Huai greeting Master Yu, Sixth Young Lady quickly handed the teapot in her hands to a maid, turned around, and walked out.
Halfway along the road, she ran into a maid coming to deliver charcoal.
The maid looked at her expression and asked in surprise, “Why is the Young Lady’s face so red?” Reacting, she looked toward the hall behind Sixth Young Lady and teased, “Has Second Young Master Wen come?”
Sixth Young Lady blushed and glared at her. She did not answer. Touching her burning cheek, she fled back to her courtyard as if escaping and never came out again.
—
During the national mourning period, birthday banquets were not suitable to be held grandly. Those who came to the door were all relatives or close connections of the Yu family. Fourth Young Lady’s fiancé, Young Master Chen, also came.
Perhaps because he had heard Fourth Young Lady speak of past events, the moment he saw Wen Huai, he was exceptionally warm. After exchanging pleasantries with Old Madam and the Yu couple, the two sat together. Young Master Chen first expressed his gratitude to Wen Huai, then spoke of the bond between himself and the Fourth Young Lady.
Young Master Chen and Fourth Young Lady had been childhood sweethearts. Only because the former Crown Prince Zhou Yan had sent him to the Hejian Prefecture region had he stayed there for five or six years. Later, when former Crown Prince Zhou Yan weakened the feudal powers of Hexi and Hebei, all the evidence he controlled had been provided by Young Master Chen.
Only after the two old princes fell from power was he able to return to the Eastern Capital. By the time he returned, Fourth Young Lady had long since married.
The matter involving former Crown Prince Zhou Yan had implicated too many people. The Chen family had finally managed to extricate themselves and were just preparing to choose a marriage for Young Master Chen when Fourth Young Lady Yu returned.
After hearing about the Li family’s matter, Young Master Chen was both angry and heartbroken. He did not mind that the Fourth Young Lady had already married. The very next day, he sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.
When speaking of the two children, Young Master Chen’s thinking was quite clear. “If the children come to the Eastern Capital and grow up beside their mother, then whether in education or future prospects, it will be better than staying in Fengcheng. The children are surnamed Li, and in the future, they will still be flesh and blood of the Li family. Even if Young Master Li does not want to let them go, Master Li and Old Madam Li should be able to think it through.”
Judging from his meaning, he intended to bring the children to the Chen family. Wen Huai was astonished. “Old Madam Chen agreed?”
Young Master Chen smiled. “Whether she agrees or not still depends on my determination.”
Planning lies with man; success lies with Heaven. If one sincerely sought a matter, what could not be done?
Back then, Fourth Young Lady’s case had pierced Wen Huai’s heart like a thorn. Now, seeing that she could have such a happy ending, he finally let it go completely.
Hearing him mention Hejian Prefecture, Wen Huai inevitably asked a few more questions. “Does Young Master Chen still have news of the situation in Hexi and Hebei?”
Knowing he was worried about Commander Xie, Young Master Chen did not conceal anything and told him about the situation in Hexi and Hebei.
“Once the two princes entered prison, the border became even more chaotic. Officials cover the sky with one hand. The wealthy are rich enough to drip oil, while the poor starve to death. However, with Commander Xie going this time, I believe he will surely gain something.”
It was still early before the feast. Seeing that the wind outside had lessened somewhat, Young Master Chen suggested going out for a walk.
“Because our two families are old friends, I come here often and am somewhat more familiar than Young Master Wen. I can be your guide. In the rear courtyard, there is a maple tree planted by the Yu family’s ancestors. It is said to be over a hundred years old. These few days, its red leaves are at their richest. Is Young Master Wen interested in viewing it?”
Wen Huai thanked him and followed Young Master Chen to the rear courtyard.
There were many young ladies in the Yu family, and those who came today were all family. Aside from Young Master Chen and Wen Huai, who had not yet married, the rest were already the Yu family’s sons-in-law. At this time, they were all accompanying their wives and children beside Old Madam, chatting.
The wind was indeed not as strong as it had been earlier. When they reached the maple courtyard and lifted their heads, they saw a towering maple tree rising past the green tiles of the roof. Its lush branches and leaves were red and yellow together, taking up most of the courtyard. Beneath the tree, the blue stone bricks were also covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves.
The maple grove at the Yang family estate last time likely did not contain a single tree like this.
Those before planted trees so those after could enjoy the shade. Because the Yu family could not bear to part with this maple tree, several generations had never moved residences.
When the house was damaged, they repaired it and continued living there. Even though there were many people in the family, they had never moved. Several young ladies were all squeezed into one courtyard, right next to the maple courtyard.
The two stood beneath the maple tree for a while when they heard several footsteps.
Wen Huai turned back and saw Fourth Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady walking out from the moon gate at the side.
Perhaps not expecting Wen Huai to be there as well, Sixth Young Lady froze. Her steps paused there, and just as she was hesitating whether to turn around and avoid them, Fourth Young Lady grabbed her wrist and pulled her over together.
Last time, when Fourth Young Lady left Fengcheng, Wen Huai had not hesitated to chase all the way to the city gate, swearing to seek justice for her. At that time, the Fourth Young Lady had been destitute and haggard.
Meeting again now, her spirits were much better. A smile rested on her face. Compared to how she had been in Fengcheng, she seemed like another person.
The Fourth Young Lady greeted him first. “Young Master Wen.”
Wen Huai returned the courtesy. “Fourth Young Lady.”
The two asked after each other’s recent circumstances and then chatted about some matters in Fengcheng. Only then did Fourth Young Lady smile and say, “I truly had not expected that my Yu family would have such fate with Young Master Wen.”
She turned and glanced at Sixth Young Lady hiding behind her, then smiled and said to Wen Huai, “In the future, I will have to trouble Young Master Wen to look after my younger sister.”
Wen Huai nodded. “I will.”
Fourth Young Lady gave the maid before her a look. The maid hurried forward and handed the bundle in her hands to Young Master Chen. “Young Lady said the weather has turned cold, so she made a pair of knee warmers for Young Master. She hopes Young Master will not dislike them.”
Young Master Chen smiled and reached out to take them. His gaze turned toward the Fourth Young Lady, and his face revealed some bashfulness. One could see he was very happy. “Many thanks to the Fourth Young Lady. How could I dislike them?”
They were both fiancés, yet the Sixth Young Lady behind them was empty-handed. Sixth Young Lady subconsciously raised her head. Wen Huai’s gaze was resting on the pair of knee warmers in Young Master Chen’s hands.
Though she had known he would come today, she had not remembered this matter for a moment and had not prepared anything. Embarrassed, she pinched her fingers and retreated to the side.
Fourth Young Lady and Young Master Chen had things to say, so Wen Huai also tactfully turned away. The two of them walked one behind the other toward the inner side.
Sixth Young Lady heard someone following behind her. In her heart, she mostly knew who it was. But when she turned and her gaze met Wen Huai’s, her heart still jumped. She hurriedly withdrew her eyes, lowered her head, and said softly, “I will give it to you next time.”
“Mm?”
Sixth Young Lady’s face reddened slightly. “I did not prepare a gift.”
“There is no need to care about such things.”
The maple tree blocked Young Master Chen and Fourth Young Lady. From this side, one could not see the outside, and from that side, one also could not see the inside. Sixth Young Lady stopped walking. Her plain-colored long skirt reached her ankles, the hem covering most of her shoes and revealing only a delicate shoe tip.
The two were silent for a while.
Wen Huai moved first, walking two steps toward her. The distance between them suddenly narrowed. Sixth Young Lady’s breathing tightened. Her head lowered, and her toes could not help gripping the ground as she tried hard not to step back.
Two steps away, Wen Huai stopped and reached out to hand her a small square box. “For you.”
Sixth Young Lady froze. Looking at the box suddenly delivered beneath her eyes, she felt even more ashamed and stammered, “Young Master need not be so courteous either…”
“It is nothing valuable.”
It was perfectly normal for unmarried couples to give each other things. She could not refuse the other party’s gift simply because she had not prepared one herself. “Many thanks, Young Master Wen.”
Sixth Young Lady reached out to take it. Her fingertips accidentally brushed his palm. Her heart jumped, and she pulled her hand back too quickly. The box fell to the ground.
“I am sorry.” Sixth Young Lady panicked and quickly apologized.
“No matter.”
Wen Huai crouched first and picked it up. This time, he did not hand it directly to her. He leaned down and gently held Sixth Young Lady’s wrist.
Before Sixth Young Lady could react, he said in a low voice, “Open your hand.”
Though his hand was separated from her wrist by several layers of fabric, this was still the first time a man had held her like this. Her heart pounded wildly. Yet she actually obediently listened and opened her palm.
Wen Huai placed the box in her palm.
His fingertips still touched her. Her palm felt hot and itchy, and Sixth Young Lady forgot to react for a moment.
Wen Huai lifted his eyes and looked at her red cheeks. Worried she would drop it again, his hand curled around her five fingers and gently wrapped them closed. “Hold it tight.”
The scalding temperature covered her hand. The unfamiliar touch made the tip of her heart tremble inexplicably, and Sixth Young Lady hurriedly tried to pull away.
Wen Huai did not let go, so Sixth Young Lady stiffened and did not dare move.
The stalemate lasted no more than two breaths, yet her heartbeat seemed to have reached her throat. Just as the redness climbed again to the roots of her ears, she heard him say, “Next time you want to eat clams, just come over.”
—
Even after he had been gone for a long while, the heat on Sixth Young Lady’s face had still not faded.
The Fourth Young Lady came over and saw the small box in her hand. Curious, she teased, “What did Young Master Wen give Younger Sister?”
Sixth Young Lady also did not know. Only then did the soul that had been stolen away return to her. In front of the Fourth Young Lady, she opened the box.
In all her life, she had never seen such a large black pearl. It must be a black pearl from the Southern Sea.
Sixth Young Lady froze. This was called not valuable?
How could the Yu family’s foundation compare to the Wen family’s? Even if she sold all her own possessions, she could not give a return gift of equal value.
Out of gratitude, aside from a pair of knee warmers, she also embroidered a pouch for him and several silk handkerchiefs. By the day she finished them, the Beginning of Winter had already passed.
The first snow of the Eastern Capital fell, and Sixth Young Lady’s things happened to arrive in Wen Huai’s hands.
The young servant handed the items to Wen Huai, breathing out a white puff of air, and smiled. “Sixth Young Lady had someone bring them over. Young Master should not be cold this winter either.”
Wen Huai came in from outside with a face full of spring breeze. Wen Shuse was sitting inside, calculating accounts. Glancing at the bundle in his hand, then looking at the spring color on his face, she did not need to guess to know who had sent the things.
Fortunes turn with time. In the past, when she and her husband had been affectionate, he had suffered quite a bit. Now it was her turn. “Elder Brother has become much fairer recently.”
Perhaps it was because a man adorns himself for the one who delights him, but compared to before, that face was not only fairer, it had also become increasingly pleasing to the eye. He must have applied quite a bit of snow-skin cream.
Wen Shuse placed the account book in her hand on the table for him. “You calculate the rest. I will go outside for a walk.”
Seeing that she had come to the study again, Wen Huai could not help calling out, “Ancestor, can you toss yourself around a little less?”
He supported her up from the official’s hat chair. “The wind outside is strong. Just walk around inside the room.”
Wen Shuse was already more than four months pregnant. On ordinary days, when a thick cloak covered her, nothing could be seen. Now that the cloak had been removed, the slight swelling of her lower abdomen could vaguely be made out.
After the morning sickness passed, she felt much more relaxed, and her former energy had returned. Yet now, unable to stay idle at home, she insisted on coming over to help Wen Huai check accounts.
Ever since she became pregnant, whether she went to the Xie family or the Wen family, wherever she went, everyone served her like an ancestor. Influenced by those around him, even he subconsciously treated her like an ancestor.
The physician had instructed that she could not sit for too long and must not be exposed to wind. After helping her up and handing her to Aunt Qing, he finally let out a breath. “It is enough for you to manage Young Master Cui’s account books. You do not need to worry about my affairs.”
It was a very ordinary sentence, yet somehow, it poked at her sadness. He saw her standing there, the corners of her mouth pressing down, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Fine. All of you dislike me now.”
Wen Huai: …
When had he disliked her?
“Elder Brother is only bullying me because my husband is not here.”
There it was again. Wen Huai’s head ached terribly. Before pregnancy, she had been a perfectly straightforward younger sister. After becoming pregnant, she suddenly turned into a petty little bag. He could not help saying, with a headache, “Can you not be so delicate…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the tears in Wen Shuse’s eyes were about to fall. Wen Huai instantly panicked. “Ancestor, just say it directly. What do you want to do?”
Seeing a good moment, Wen Shuse stopped. “I want to build a snowman. Do not tell Grandmother.”
“No!”
“Then I am going to cry.”
“Wen Shuse, do you have any reason at all…”
Why did she only catch him to torment him?
“This life is too boring. If Husband were here, he would definitely agree. Now we, poor mother and child, are left behind, with Eldest Uncle not dear and Second Uncle not loving us…”
“Fine. I will build it. Whatever kind you want, Brother can build it for you.” Wen Huai set the items on the wooden desk and looked weakly at the little actress before him. “This is my greatest concession. Do not push your luck.”
Thus, beneath the first snow of the Eastern Capital, Wen Shuse finally had her first snowman.
After putting on a crown woven from dry grass, she stepped back a few steps. At a glance, the shape truly resembled someone.
Wen Huai’s heart moved. He looked toward the young lady beneath the corridor behind him who had been directing him for half a day, and the resentment vanished in a puff of smoke.
That Commander Xie had been gone for four months and still had no news.
But as long as the official ship that had gone to Hexi and Hebei was not withdrawn, that meant the person was still there and had not met with an accident. His identity in the shadows likely had not yet reached the time to be revealed.
Wen Huai rolled a snowball from the snow, walked to Wen Shuse’s side, first padded her palm with a silk handkerchief, then placed the snowball on it. “If it is too cold, throw it away.”
Wen Shuse did not answer. Her gaze looked toward the snowman in the distance, her eyes red. “Thank you, Brother.”
She was mad with missing him.
Wen Huai inhaled deeply, shook the snow from his body, and gritted his teeth. “If he does not come back soon, I will go mad too.”
Only near the New Year did Wen Shuse receive Xie Shao’s second letter.
The person who delivered the letter was travel-worn. By the time he reached the Eastern Capital, the old wounds on his body had already scabbed over, while the new wounds were still bleeding.
The mountains were high and the Emperor far away, and moreover, this was a new emperor who had only just ascended the throne. After dominating one region for too long, people began to think that place had truly become their own, and they wanted to play the local emperor.
The court’s men could not enter. Even if they entered, they would be penned in one place. Either they would be corrupted by temptation, or they would be blocked outside, forever unable to see what they truly wanted to see. In order to find evidence, Xie Shao had not followed the official ship. He had taken a hidden route.
The officials of Hexi and Hebei were not fools either. Once the official ship arrived and they did not see him, they would certainly grow suspicious.
On the surface, there was still an identity placed there. To some extent, they would have misgivings and would not dare act against him. But since he himself had chosen not to use that identity, how could the other side be polite? It likely suited their wishes exactly.
If he died in secret, who would know?
After learning that Xie Shao had reached the pass, any messenger coming out of Hexi and Hebei would be stopped. This trip out had not been easy.
The letter had been written by Xie Shao two months ago. The messenger, on New Year’s Eve, finally delivered that letter of safety into Wen Shuse’s hands.
“Young Madam, rest assured. Master said that before he completes what he promised Young Madam, nothing will happen to him.”