Chapter 33: Showdown

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Showdown

The boatman paddled, and the bamboo raft, carrying only the two of them, glided toward the center of the pond.

The buoyancy of the water made the raft feel unsteady underfoot. Seeing her face turn pale, Shen Tingyu instinctively tightened his grip on her hand.

"Don’t worry, the water in this pond is very shallow."

Cui Lingyao’s throat was dry with anxiety, but she forced herself to steady her voice and said with difficulty, "I’m not afraid."

The last time she fell into the water and "died," it was because the system needed an opportunity for her sudden death.

She hadn’t actually drowned in the truest sense.

But the memory of that bone-chilling cold was still deeply etched in her mind.

’If Xie Jinbai’s men are really watching from the shadows,’ Cui Lingyao thought.

’If they see that I’m not afraid of water, maybe it’ll dispel some of his suspicion.’

Shen Tingyu was very close to her, their hands still clasped together. He could naturally tell that while she claimed not to be afraid, she was actually so tense that her face and lips had turned white and her palms were sweating.

He didn’t have the heart to test her further. When the raft drifted to the center of the pond, he asked, "How many do you want?"

"Three..."

The young woman’s strained voice tugged at the listener’s heartstrings.

Shen Tingyu, still holding her hand, was about to pick the flowers when Cui Lingyao stopped him.

"I’ll do it myself."

As she spoke, she let go of her skirt hem, bent over slightly, and plucked a lotus that had drifted right in front of them.

As she was about to pick a second one, Shen Tingyu held out his hand. "Here, let me hold it for you."

The lotus blossom was quite large. Cui Lingyao didn’t hesitate to hand it to him, then decisively picked the second and third flowers herself.

In no time at all, the bamboo raft slowly returned to the shore.

Cui Lingyao decisively pulled her hand away from the man beside her and, with Zhiqiu’s help, stepped onto the bank.

Shen Tingyu silently watched her clean, decisive movements, which showed no trace of her former clinginess. There was none of the old affectation.

This brief encounter was enough to completely confirm some of the wild suspicions in his heart.

The only thing he wasn’t sure of was... whether she was truly the person he thought she might be.

Cui Lingyao never would have guessed that after just a few words, and despite her being so careful, he had already concluded that her inner self had been replaced.

’And here I thought I was hiding it so well.’

The moment her feet were on solid ground, she immediately said, "Thank you, Cousin. My mother is waiting to eat the pastries I’m making, so I’ll be heading back now."

With that, she turned to leave but was stopped by Shen Tingyu.

Cui Lingyao looked back. "Is there something else, Cousin?"

Shen Tingyu smiled slightly. "I have a few things I’d like to say."

He glanced around.

They were in a scenic pavilion, with servants waiting in twos and threes nearby.

Shen Er immediately understood and led the others away.

Even Zhiqiu left the viewing platform, waiting at a distance in the long corridor.

Cui Lingyao didn’t stop them. She was also very curious about what this cousin of hers wanted to say.

Shen Tingyu sat on a stone stool and poured two cups of the chilled tea the servants had prepared. He tapped the spot opposite him with his long, slender fingers. "Sit. Let’s talk."

...

Cui Lingyao sat down. Having been thirsty for a while, she didn’t stand on ceremony, picking up the teacup and draining it in one go.

The gesture was remarkably bold.

Shen Tingyu gave her another look, then lowered his gaze and refilled her cup, saying, "You’ve changed a lot, Cousin."

Cui Lingyao had just swallowed a mouthful of tea and choked upon hearing his words. "What do you mean by that, Cousin?"

She didn’t want to play guessing games anymore and said directly, "If you have something to say, just say it."

"...Then I’ll be direct,"

Shen Tingyu lowered his eyes, staring at the young woman’s face opposite him. He said softly, "Han Yue came to see me yesterday and asked for my help in looking into a few people. I received some news today and came specially to tell you."

Cui Lingyao knew what he was talking about. She simply hummed in acknowledgment. "Thank you for your trouble, Cousin."

Her expression didn’t change.

It seemed she wasn’t the least bit opposed to the idea of getting married soon.

Shen Tingyu’s lips tightened slightly as he recounted everything he had discovered in detail.

In addition to the two men, Wu and Sun, that Mrs. Shen had mentioned earlier...

...there were several other candidates proposed by the Heir’s wife, all of whom Shen Tingyu had also investigated thoroughly.

Cui Lingyao had never considered marrying any of these men, so she listened with little interest.

Not until he mentioned the second legitimate son of the Marquis Zhongyong’s family did her eyes snap up. "Wang Zifu?"

The surroundings fell silent.

Shen Tingyu paused, a flicker in his eyes as he looked at her. "Cousin, you know the name of the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion’s second legitimate son."

"...I’ve been in the Capital City for a while, so I’ve heard him mentioned,"

Cui Lingyao cleared her throat and said calmly, "They say he was born frail and has a weak constitution."

It was unclear whether Shen Tingyu believed her or not. He nodded. "Correct. Wang Zifu is twenty-two. His older brother and younger brother are both already married. Only he remains unwed."

It was precisely because of this that she, a mere young lady cousin of the Duke Mansion, could be considered for a marriage discussion with a legitimate son of a Marquis Mansion.

In fact, Mrs. Shen hadn’t even looked favorably upon Wang Zifu.

He wasn’t even mentioned during their conversation this morning.

But Cui Lingyao felt a pleasant surprise.

This Wang Zifu was a cousin from her maternal aunt’s side of the family.

They had known each other since childhood, so Cui Lingyao had a good understanding of his character.

His constitution was poor, and the family fortune was managed by his older and younger brothers, so there was no pressure on him to bring glory to the family, nor to carry on the family line. That was why he was unwilling to marry, lest he hold back some other family’s daughter.

’Doesn’t that make him a perfect match for me?’

’We could have a marriage of convenience. I wouldn’t have to fulfill the real duties of a wife, and he wouldn’t have to worry about holding some other girl back.’

’Once we’re married, the elders in both our families will be at ease.’

’It’s the perfect solution for everyone.’

Her thoughts were written all over her face. Shen Tingyu saw right through her and asked, his lips pursed, "Cousin, does this mean you’re satisfied with Wang Zifu’s circumstances? You find him suitable as a husband?"

Cui Lingyao: "..."

She neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, she turned her face away to avoid his gaze and said, "Thank you for your help, Cousin. But as for who I choose as my husband, that is no longer your concern."

’How blunt.’

Shen Tingyu stared at her face, as if trying to see through this physical shell to her true self.

The man’s gaze was so searing that Cui Lingyao felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

"If this is all you wanted to say, Cousin, then I’ll be leaving."

She was about to stand and leave when she heard the person opposite her say, "You’ve changed so drastically, Cousin. It truly makes one wonder."

Cui Lingyao’s body suddenly stiffened. She looked up and glared at him. "What do you mean?"

’Has he seen through me already, before Xie Jinbai has even found me out?’

’Impossible.’

’This is an ordinary ancient world. Gods and ghosts only exist in books.’

’No matter how bad I am at acting or hiding my emotions, we’ve only met twice.’

’Even if he noticed something was off and thought I’d changed, he couldn’t possibly jump so naturally to the conclusion of a soul possessing a body.’

Yet, she was so nervous that she instinctively glanced around.

"Don’t be afraid,"

Shen Tingyu soothed her softly. "This place is open, there’s nowhere for anyone to hide. As long as you don’t scream, no one will hear us."

The underlying meaning of his words was enough to give Cui Lingyao goosebumps.

Shen Tingyu looked into her stunned, almond-shaped eyes and smiled faintly. "I only found out last night. Several elite Yulin Guards infiltrated the Shen Family residence, just to... watch your courtyard."

As if perplexed, he leaned forward slightly, tilting his head as he asked her, "Tell me, why would Xie Jinbai’s men be watching you?"