Volume 1 Chapter 3: The Fiancé
Zhang Huaijin lowered his head, gazing at the small figure almost cradled in his arms. The bitter, pungent scent of medicine clung to her, and her thick eyelashes trembled, yet she stubbornly refused to look up at him.
Suddenly, memories flooded his mind—of the little girl dressed in red tugging at his sleeve, coquettishly sharing tales of delicious food and beautiful sights, wanting nothing more than to cling to him every moment.
The girl was naturally composed, revealing her spoiled and willful side only in the presence of those she trusted intimately.
An emptiness settled in Zhang Huaijin’s heart, followed by a sudden unease. How had only a month passed, yet his little girl would no longer spare him so much as a glance?
Abruptly, he reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her head up until he saw his own reflection in her clear, dark eyes. Only then did his inner turmoil ease somewhat.
Shi Zhao struggled to free herself from Zhang Huaijin’s grasp, but to no avail. Resigned, she stopped evading and met his gaze squarely, speaking each word with deliberate clarity.
“I do not know. All I know is that the person I trusted and loved abandoned me when I needed him most.”
When she knelt helplessly in the Empress Dowager’s palace, when she endured cruel torment, and even earlier when Yu Xuanyao fought over her residence, clothes, and jewelry, he never stood by her side.
The accusation and sorrow burning in Shi Zhao’s eyes made Zhang Huaijin’s gaze flicker. The lingering scent of medicinal herbs in the carriage confirmed that his little girl was hurt, yet he still gritted his teeth and said harshly,
“You think you can stay long in the Wen’an Marquis’s residence relying solely on their mercy? If it weren’t for the great favor they owe me, why would they treat you like their own daughter?”
It was only because Yu Siyu had shielded the residence from disaster this time that the Wen’an Marquis’s family was grateful and truly acknowledged Yu Siyu as their unrelated second daughter.
Zhang Huaijin’s frustration was palpable. “Siyu, this is such a great opportunity for you. Why don’t you go back to the residence and let them see your wounds? What use is the clinic? How can you be so thoughtless?”
Shi Zhao listened in stunned silence, hardly able to believe Zhang Huaijin’s thoughts.
Her anger swelled until it nearly burst forth.
She had sincerely treated the Wen’an Marquis’s family as her own. If they did not regard her as family, she would never stoop to acting like a lapdog for them.
She was willing to suffer on behalf of the residence that had raised her for years, but that did not mean they could cast her aside without consulting her.
The fact that the Wen’an Marquis’s family’s first thought in times of trouble was to make her take the blame showed that they never truly considered her family.
Why should she sacrifice her reputation, even her life, to beg for such cheap apologies from them?
Zhang Huaijin schemed at every turn but never asked what she wanted, nor did he consider her safety.
Shi Zhao stared intently at the man she had loved for years, her eyes reddening. “If I die in the inner prison, what will you, Young Master Zhang, do?”
Zhang Huaijin furrowed his brows and replied with authority, “No matter what, the inner prison must uphold the dignity of the Wen’an Marquis’s family and my Zhang family. They won’t take your life. If you lack such resolve, how will you ever become the matriarch of the Zhang family?”
Shi Zhao’s body trembled with rage. The wounds she bore were inflicted because of Zhang Huaijin’s close friend, the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince deemed her an impostor unworthy of the Zhang family. Had she stayed in the inner prison a few days longer, she would have truly died there.
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Looking at the seemingly upright gentleman before her, Shi Zhao suddenly felt she had never truly understood him.
Her heart, which once raced wildly at the approach of the one she loved, suddenly calmed in that moment. Shi Zhao no longer wished to argue with Zhang Huaijin.
It was pointless.
“I know you’re angry, but you will understand me someday.”
Zhang Huaijin stared at the girl’s haggard face, reaching out to gently wipe the dirt from Shi Zhao’s cheek, but she turned away.
His hand paused, and he said no more, turning to leave the carriage. He called back the servants standing at a distance and instructed them, “Take good care of the Second Miss, and drive to the Wen’an Marquis’s residence.”
Then Zhang Huaijin cast one last glance at the carriage before departing.
After Lady Lan climbed aboard, barely settled, she anxiously said, “Miss, you are so badly hurt. How can Master be so cold-hearted as to forbid going to the clinic?”
Shi Zhao lowered her eyes and tied a handkerchief around her right wrist to conceal the wounds. She spoke softly, “Lady Lan, let’s follow Zhang Huaijin’s wishes. I cannot afford to waste my strength quarreling with him now.”
It wasn’t that Zhang Huaijin was cold-hearted; he simply hadn’t noticed her injuries at all.
Shi Zhao shook her head and corrected Lady Lan, “Lady Lan, when did Zhang Huaijin become my fiancé?”
Lady Lan was taken aback. “Second Miss, what nonsense are you speaking?”
Shi Zhao smiled faintly. The arranged betrothal to the Zhang family’s eldest son had been with the Wen’an Marquis’s legitimate second daughter, never her.
And she no longer wished to marry.
At the gates of the Wen’an Marquis’s residence, Shi Zhao barely steadied herself before being swept into an embrace.
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife exclaimed repeatedly, “Siyu! My son! You’ve finally returned!”
The rich fragrance was intoxicating, but Shi Zhao quickly regained clarity.
She struggled free from the woman’s arms and, supported by Lady Lan, bowed politely. “I am Shi Zhao, greetings, Madam Wen’an.”
The woman’s body stiffened, tears spilling from her beautiful eyes. She clutched her chest and croaked, “Siyu, how could you wound your mother’s heart so? I know I have wronged you. What face do I have to live?”
“Mother!”
Two sharp voices rang out as Yu Siwen strode to the door, catching the Wen’an Marquis’s wife and glaring fiercely.
“Yu Siyu! What did you say to Mother? She lies awake every night, terrified and worried for your safety. Even if she is not your birth mother, you must not hurt her so!”
“Elder sister, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”
Leaning on the Wen’an Marquis’s wife, the plump young girl spoke with a sobbing voice, filled with guilt. “If I hadn’t been careless, none of this would have happened…”
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife hurriedly embraced Yu Xuanyao, lightly patting her back in a seemingly reproachful yet tender manner. “Don’t speak such foolishness! My darling, it’s all mother’s fault!”
Witnessing this tearful mother-daughter scene, Yu Siwen’s heart ached, and his anger toward Shi Zhao only deepened.
He pulled Shi Zhao roughly aside and whispered into her ear,
“Yu Siyu, you have enjoyed many years of comfort in the residence. This time you bore the punishment for the family. We will repay you doubly in the future. There is no need to say such things to retaliate against us. Don’t be so willful.”
Shi Zhao sighed helplessly.
What merit had she ever possessed to be willful before them?
“Siwen, please don’t say any more.”
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife was overwhelmed with grief. “Siyu, tonight you will sleep in the same courtyard as me. I will have the doctor prescribe a nourishing tonic. It’s only been a month—how have you become so thin?”
Shi Zhao’s expression was indifferent. She said softly, “Madam, I want to live in Grandmother’s Rong’en Hall. I miss her.”
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife’s breath caught, recalling the stern old lady. Her swollen eyes betrayed a trace of discomfort.
“The old madam loved you most, but she passed away long ago. Siyu, don’t be too saddened. You just returned from the inner prison…”
Impatience suddenly surged within Shi Zhao. All the concern now lavished on her by the Wen’an Marquis’s wife irritated her greatly.
She spoke bluntly, “Before Grandmother died, she instructed that one granddaughter recite sutras in the Buddha Hall for a year. In the month I was gone, did anyone go?”
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife immediately fell silent, no one daring to answer.
Yu Xuanyao’s eyes darted away, clinging to the Wen’an Marquis’s wife like a kitten seeking comfort.
The Wen’an Marquis’s wife, like a mother hen, drew Yu Xuanyao closer, casting a pained, conflicted glance at her two daughters before finally relenting.
“Xuanyao and the other girls are frail, and the small Buddha Hall in Rong’en Hall is bitterly cold. How could they bear it? Siyu, you are dutiful but must also take care of yourself.”
Her words, in fact, granted Shi Zhao permission to stay in Rong’en Hall.
Shi Zhao tugged at the corner of her mouth, finding the entire situation somewhat ironic.
Though they spoke as one family, when it came to real choices, she was the only one ever sacrificed.