Afu's news struck Shen Xuan like a bolt from the blue, making him tremble. He staggered, gripping the edge of the table. The pent-up anxiety of the past two days erupted in his mind like a volcano.
He felt suffocated, his heart aching as if his internal organs were about to shatter.
Seeing Shen Xuan's state, Madam Li didn't linger, bidding him farewell and leaving in haste. It wasn't appropriate for an outsider to interfere in such matters.
"Afu, you can go out for now too," Shen Xuan's voice was weak and hoarse, a stark contrast to his usual gentle and clear tone.
Afu saw Shen Xuan's dim eyes, his gaze unfocused, tears streaming down his face as he stood frozen. He was terrified and at a loss, having never seen his young master like this, as if his soul had departed.
He dared not object, retreating to the door. He cast a worried glance at Shen Xuan, and seeing no further movement, he left.
With Afu gone, Shen Xuan could finally shed his outer shell and release his vulnerability. He couldn't hold on any longer.
He slumped to the ground, leaning against the table leg, curling himself into a ball like a hedgehog.
His tightly clenched lips couldn't suppress the guttural cries escaping his throat.
Why had this happened? Everything had been fine just a few days ago.
I had just started to love you, why would you do this to me? Why!
The overwhelming emotions battered him. His limbs went numb, his tightly clenched fists slowly loosened. He had no strength left.
Women were truly all the same. He had thought she would be an exception. His carefully considered decision, the brave first step he had taken, had ultimately been wrong.
The sobs within the room gradually weakened and eventually faded.
Shen Xuan slowly raised his hand, removing the white jade hairpin from his hair. He held it in his palm. It was cool, yet beautiful. The white jade was flawless, crystal clear. It was a pity it wasn't suited for him.
He shouldn't have harbored any hope. He should have been accustomed to this since childhood. He was never going to be the lucky one.
Shen Xuan placed the white jade hairpin back into its box and slowly closed the lid. He wiped away his tears. Since she had gone to the brothel behind his back, he didn't need to show his sadness to her and become a laughingstock.
As Lu Yu entered, Afu rushed over angrily, intending to speak up for his young master and demand justice.
"Afu!"
Afu was about to speak when Shen Xuan, emerging from the room, interrupted him.
Shen Xuan's eyes were still red and swollen. They weren't clearly visible in the courtyard, but once he entered the room and lit a candle, they became starkly apparent.
Lu Yu stared at Shen Xuan's eyes.
Shen Xuan seemed to know what Lu Yu wanted to ask. Before Lu Yu could inquire, he spoke first, "Yesterday, I did a lot of embroidery with Madam Li next door, and I did more today. My eyes are tired and a bit swollen."
"Then you should rest more. You don't need to worry about anything or do things you don't like. I can support you."
Hearing this, Shen Xuan's nose stung, and his eyes involuntarily reddened again. He hastily lowered his gaze, avoiding Lu Yu's eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, wife. I will be more careful in the future."
Perhaps it was because he knew in advance, but he could even smell the scent of cosmetics on Lu Yu.
Lying in bed, Shen Xuan had so many questions. Was it because I wasn't proactive enough? But I was already quite proactive yesterday. Why did you still go to the brothel to find other men? We just got married, and we haven't consummated our marriage yet, and you're already going to brothels like this. Where do you place me?
Countless words wanted to burst out, but he couldn't speak them. He didn't want her to know that he already knew about this.
Tears fell onto the pillow like pearls from a broken string.
Lu Yu also couldn't sleep. She had sensed that the atmosphere was off since entering the house today.
Afu's angry yet hesitant expression, Shen Xuan's distant behavior and inexplicably swollen eyes, the white jade hairpin removed from his head – all these told her that something had definitely happened during the day.
He told her his eyes were swollen from too much embroidery yesterday, but she had carefully observed him when she woke up this morning, and his eyes had been perfectly fine, with no puffiness at all.
Now he was lying with his back to her. Could it be that he...
If he had cried because of this, wouldn't that mean he cared about me!
At this thought, Lu Yu's suppressed emotions reignited. Perhaps he truly liked her, not just out of gratitude.
On the same bed, separated by a thin line, their emotions were vastly different.
Lu Yu was too agitated to sleep, planning to ask Afu about it tomorrow. Shen Xuan was too sad to sleep, unsure of what the future held.
That night, they weren't the only ones who couldn't sleep. Gu Yitong was also completely sleepless.
Today, Gu Yitong saw that Lu Yu was still listless and hung the "Closed" sign early. She took Lu Yu to the brothel to have some food and watch the performances.
However, they encountered an unexpected delight.
Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the performances today were exceptionally lively and exciting.
Lu Yu was in a bad mood and had no interest in watching the show. She drank several cups of wine in silence, and Gu Yitong quickly stepped forward to stop her.
The performances here were spectacular, with dancing, singing, zither playing, and flute music, all combined into a beautiful spectacle.
Gu Yitong watched, mesmerized. Lu Yu, affected by the wine and the constant sounds of laughter, chatter, and music, felt her head swell. She greeted Gu Yitong and went out for some fresh air.
When she returned, she saw Gu Yitong grabbing the hand of a brothel patron. The patron tried to break free, but Gu Yitong's grip was too strong. A crowd had gathered, ready to watch the spectacle.
What was going on?
Lu Yu was startled, her drunkenness instantly vanishing. She pushed through the crowd and hurried forward.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yu whispered to Gu Yitong, leaning close.
She believed Gu Yitong wouldn't publicly embarrass a man for no reason.
Gu Yitong seemed not to hear, as if in a trance. She stared at the face of the man before her, repeating one sentence: "You are Yi'er, you are Yi'er."
The man being held was Mu Xiang, whom Gu Yitong had saved that day but who had left in a hurry.
He had kept his head down that day, and Gu Yitong hadn't seen his face clearly. Today, upon hearing Mu Xiang's name announced, she had looked towards the stage out of curiosity, only to discover that he looked so much like her brother...
In that moment, it was as if everything became clear. Why he had clearly called out her name that day; why he had hurriedly avoided her, afraid to look up; why he had named himself Mu Xiang.
Yi'er was most skilled at the zither in his childhood. He always liked to play his newly learned pieces for her, and what made him happiest was her praise.
Seeing his playing now was like instantly returning to those happy childhood days.