She hoped she was wrong!
She hoped this was just her imagination!
Zhou Shaojin silently repeated this in her heart.
Cui Huan chatted with her idly: “Second Cousin Miss, are you doing embroidery work again? Everyone said the pair of kang screens you embroidered for our young miss last time were excellent. Second Cousin Miss, why did you think to embroider kang screens for our young miss? Does Luoyang use heated beds? Can’t they sleep in regular beds?”
She would be accompanying Cheng Jia when she married out. She wanted to know what the Li family was like even more than Cheng Jia did.
Zhou Shaojin talked with her: “I’ve never been to Luoyang, so I don’t know what it’s like there. But I’ve heard that north of the Yellow River everyone sleeps on heated beds—I don’t know if that’s true. After you go with Cousin Jia, when you have time you might write letters back so the servants at home can also learn about it…”
Cui Huan listened and couldn’t help but wonder inwardly.
The weather was so cool—why was the Second Cousin Miss’s forehead beading with fine sweat?
She was about to ask when Chun Wan came running over breathlessly: “Se-Second Young Miss, I got the vest!” As she finished speaking, as if afraid Zhou Shaojin wouldn’t believe her, she shook the vest in her hands for Zhou Shaojin to see.
Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly.
Cui Huan found this even stranger.
Why was the Second Cousin Miss’s smile so forced?
Could she be feeling unwell?
Cui Huan felt she should show some concern. But before she could, Zhou Shaojin had already walked ahead: “Don’t keep Cousin Jia waiting anxiously.”
That was true.
Cheng Jia had a quick temper and was most impatient about waiting for people.
Cui Huan could only keep her words to herself and hurried forward with Zhou Shaojin.
In the blink of an eye, they saw the artificial Taihu stone mountain.
Moss-covered bluestone slabs wound upward, with white wildflowers swaying alongside them, full of rustic charm.
Zhou Shaojin’s face turned pale.
She still remembered that in her previous life, when she and Cheng Jia walked up, she had nearly slipped on the moss.
Had they reached that cave again?
Zhou Shaojin never dared to think about those details.
She only felt that all her limbs had begun to ache faintly.
She walked up step by step. With each step, it was as if she were treading on knife points—a lingering, slicing pain.
The cave was dark and gloomy. Damp air rushed toward them.
Someone was sitting on the bluestone slab at the cave entrance, clutching his chest and moaning.
The afternoon autumn sunlight was blocked by towering trees, so one could only make out the silhouette of a man.
Chun Wan made no sound, her hand tightly gripping her handkerchief.
But Cui Huan was greatly alarmed. She walked forward in two quick steps and called out, “Who’s there?”
The man raised his head, his handsome features barely visible.
“It-it’s Xu eldest young master!” Cui Huan sighed with relief and stepped forward to curtsy.
Cheng Xu reeked of alcohol. He sat there blankly like a clay statue, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Cui Huan took a few more steps forward and said gently, “Xu eldest young master, why are you sitting here alone? Where are your attendants?”
Cheng Xu looked at her with a dull expression.
Cui Huan sighed and turned to Zhou Shaojin, saying, “Second Cousin Miss, Xu eldest young master has had too much to drink. He’s probably afraid of losing composure in front of the elders, so he’s hiding here alone. Would you like to stay here and watch over Xu eldest young master? I’ll go find Huanxi.”
Inexplicably, Zhou Shaojin wanted to laugh.
In her previous life, it had been the same.
Cheng Jia had jumped up and down saying to Cheng Xu, “Why are you here?” After saying this, like Cui Huan, she had thought Cheng Xu had drunk too much and was hiding here, and asked Zhou Shaojin to watch over him while she went to find Cheng Xu’s personal servant.
What had she done then?
She had foolishly walked over.
Then Cheng Xu had grabbed and embraced her in one motion…
Cheng Jia had screamed and struck at Cheng Xu, trying to pull him off her… But Cheng Xu wouldn’t let go no matter what, letting her cry, letting her beg for mercy, letting her curse…
In this life, the person leading her here had changed to Cui Huan.
Yet the mistress and servant had said the same words and done the same things.
Zhou Shaojin only found it laughable.
She slowly walked toward Cheng Xu.
Her heart felt as if it were soaking in ice water, cold from her heart to her fingertips.
Cheng Xu grabbed her hand in one motion.
A stench of alcohol assaulted her.
Zhou Shaojin’s stomach turned, and she retched with a loud sound.
“Second Cousin Miss!” Cui Huan, who hadn’t gone far, ran back worriedly.
But before she could get close, Cheng Xu had already pulled Zhou Shaojin into his arms, mumbling, “You’re Shaojin, I know, you’re Shaojin…”
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t frightened senseless like in her previous life. Instead, she used all her strength and pushed him away with disgust.
Even so, her wrist was still gripped tightly in Cheng Xu’s grasp, and she couldn’t break free no matter how she struggled.
Chun Wan rushed forward and stood between Cheng Xu and Zhou Shaojin.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin feel a piercing pain in her wrist as if it were about to snap.
Her eyes immediately reddened, and she said hoarsely, “Cheng Xu, do you know what you’re doing or not?”
Having lived two lives, this question had circled in her heart for a long time, and she had never found an answer.
Cheng Xu’s movements paused.
Someone rushed in and landed a punch on Cheng Xu’s face, shouting, “Scum!”
Cheng Xu staggered backward but still refused to release Zhou Shaojin’s hand, nearly causing Zhou Shaojin to fall into his arms.
The newcomer’s eyes and hands were quick—he caught Zhou Shaojin in his arms and kicked Cheng Xu.
Cheng Xu cried out and clutched his chest, finally releasing Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt half her body had gone numb. She couldn’t help but huddle into the newcomer’s embrace and called out, “Ji Ying.”