Volume 1, Chapter 18: Shocking! The Aloof Gentleman Is Actually Like This?!

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Pei Jingzhu realized that what he had just said might have been too abrupt. Suddenly flustered and at a loss, he stammered, "I apologize, I shouldn't have..."

Before he could finish, he saw tears welling up in Shen Qingdai’s eyes. Her arched brows, reminiscent of distant mountains, were tinged with sorrow. Her fingertips clutched the hem of her clothes powerlessly, as if clinging to a final support. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and a single tear fell silently onto the snow.

Her reaction cut off his unfinished words. He stared at her, stunned, a boundless sense of panic and confusion rising within him. Even he himself did not notice that he seemed to have become a different person.

Pei Jingzhu truly did not know what to do. Watching her in such a state, he felt as if he, too, had been plunged into her grief.

A second tear fell.

His mind went blank. In all the sagely texts he had read, there was not a single word suggesting how he should handle such a moment.

Suddenly, steeling his heart, he reached out and gathered her into his arms, letting her lean against his shoulder, though he remained restrained and decorous, careful not to touch her more than necessary.

Pei Jingzhu patted her back gently. "If you want to cry, then cry. No one will see."

The young man's embrace radiated warmth, as if it could dispel all the gloom in her heart. Though his frame was slender and thin, it offered a boundless sense of security.

Leaning against his broad, steady shoulder, Shen Qingdai felt her vision blur with tears. She found she could no longer distinguish whether she was acting or revealing her true feelings.

Only her fingertips remained tightly clenched around his clothes.

She had thought herself strong enough, but she had not expected that, when pressed against such a steady embrace, a vast and overwhelming sense of grievance would well up within her.

She had previously mocked Pei Jingzhu for his inability to hide his emotions, yet how was she any different from him?

She had seen the emotions he failed to conceal, and he had seen the abnormality she tried to hide.

Time ticked away, passing so slowly that she felt the person beside her had grown somewhat stiff.

Shen Qingdai sniffled and gave Pei Jingzhu a light tap, signaling that she was alright now.

Pei Jingzhu took a step back. As the petite figure left his arms, he felt a momentary sense of loss, unaccustomed to the sudden emptiness.

"I have made you laugh at me..." Shen Qingdai’s voice was muffled, carrying the lingering traces of her tears.

Pei Jingzhu curled his fingers slightly, hiding his hands in his sleeves to conceal his unease and his emotions.

"It is nothing. If you do not wish to speak of it, there is no need. Do not force yourself."

Shen Qingdai looked at him with reddened eyes, speaking cautiously, "If there is a next time... I will tell you then, is that alright?"

Pei Jingzhu felt a tremor in his heart—a sensation he had never experienced before, telling him only that he wanted to protect her.

His voice deepened. "Very well."

He silently extended his hand toward her. In his palm lay a handkerchief, a deep blue fabric embroidered with a cluster of green bamboo.

Shen Qingdai lowered her gaze and took the handkerchief to wipe away the remaining tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you."

Pei Jingzhu did not speak. He took back the handkerchief she offered, folded it, and tucked it into his robes.

"Your tear stains have not yet faded; perhaps it would be best to walk for a while before returning."

Shen Qingdai nodded gently. "Alright."

By the time they returned, the poetry gathering was nearing its end, and no one noticed their absence.

Only Shen Muqing tugged at Shen Qingdai’s sleeve, sounding rather displeased. "Sister, why were you gone for so long? I felt as though I were being bullied to death by them."

Shen Qingdai flicked his forehead lightly, feeling helpless yet doting. "You silly boy. There are so many people outside who would pay dearly just to be taught by these young masters, and yet you complain after having gained such an advantage."

As the event drew to a close, people began to rise and take their leave. Pei Jingzhu was busy greeting them one by one.

Shen Qingdai smiled faintly and quietly led Shen Muqing away from the gathering.

Shen Muqing was puzzled. "Sister, why are we sneaking away?"

"If Young Master Pei does not have to see us off, he can return to his residence and rest sooner. You admire him so much; shouldn't you be considerate of him?"

Shen Muqing muttered and scratched his head; he was still young and did not yet understand these nuances of social interaction.

Shen Qingdai had not expected him to understand anyway, and she boarded the carriage on her own.

Pei Jingzhu had noticed her the moment she rose, but since she wished to leave quietly, he chose to act as if he had not seen.

It was only then that he turned his gaze toward the window, watching as the Shen family carriage slowly began to move, heading toward the city.

Suddenly, a voice came from beside him. "Brother Pei? Brother Pei?"

Pei Jingzhu tugged at the corners of his mouth, offering a perfunctory smile; he was not truly adept at smiling.

"The hour is late, Brother Luo, you should return to your residence as well. That poem you composed today was quite good; you might consider showing it to Master Chen another day."

The scholar named Luo laughed heartily. "Indeed. Then I shall head back first. You should also return soon; it will get quite cold once the sun sets. Be careful not to catch a chill."

Pei Jingzhu nodded, signaling for the scholar to go first.

With that, the Plum Garden poetry gathering came to an end.

As soon as Shen Qingdai led Shen Muqing through the side gate, she saw Xiao Lian waiting anxiously, twisting her handkerchief.

She grew cautious, instructing Pingchun to take Shen Muqing back first, while she herself pulled Xiao Lian toward a side path.

"Has something happened in the manor?"

Xiao Lian leaned in close and whispered, "Concubine Fang sent a bowl of soup to the study this morning. Not long after, the Master announced he would be spending the night in Concubine Fang's courtyard. He sent over many fine gifts and even increased her monthly allowance, saying that Concubine Fang has been working hard raising the Second Young Master."

After saying this, Xiao Lian looked around cautiously. Seeing no one, she continued, "The Mistress seems very angry. She threw a fit in her courtyard and summoned the Third Young Lady for a long talk."

Shen Qingdai nodded, deep in thought. Her feet, however, continued to move toward Fang Qiuxin's courtyard.

But she found that both Pingchun and Shen Muqing were being blocked at the gate by Old Man Shen.

Shen Qingdai stepped forward, pulling Shen Muqing along, and nodded to Old Man Shen. "Uncle Shen, is there something the matter? Muqing lives with my mother; why can he not enter?"

Old Man Shen smiled kindly. "Second Young Lady, the Master has given orders that no one is to enter this courtyard today. You and the young master should go back for now. Please set your mind at ease; it is nothing bad."

He lowered his voice. "The Master was smiling so happily today. I believe Concubine Fang is about to make a comeback."

He returned to his normal volume. "Second Young Lady, please go back now. It is windy and snowy; it would be bad if you caught a cold."

Shen Qingdai did not feel happy. She frowned, looking toward the courtyard with concern.

But since Shen Dengda had been so firm, she had no choice but to nod and lead Shen Muqing back to her own courtyard.

The more she thought about it, the more her brows furrowed. She did not understand the history between Fang Qiuxin and Shen Dengda. Whenever she asked why they had grown apart, her mother would simply dismiss it, saying she was tired.

The problem must have originated from the bowl of soup sent to the study today. But since Nanny Fang was also trapped inside that courtyard, she could find no opportunity to ask.