Chapter 49: She Almost Fell for His Act

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: She Almost Fell for His Act

Cui Lingyao nodded again. "Exactly."

That was her assessment as well.

The corners of Shen Tingyu’s eyes curved as he smiled.

"In that case, when you go to the Zhao Family tomorrow, no matter who you see, just act as if you’re meeting them for the first time. Whatever happens, remain composed."

At this, he looked at her steadily and added in a soft voice, "I will be by your side the entire time."

"..."

The light in his eyes was a little dazzling. Cui Lingyao avoided his gaze, lowering her eyes to take a sip from her teacup before saying, "Alright, I’ll remember."

Shen Tingyu continued to watch the young woman across from him.

With his mother gravely ill, she was dressed in simple, plain clothes—an apricot-colored ruqun, with only a jade hairpin in her hair. Her slender fingers held the white porcelain teacup, her nails a clean, healthy pink, unpainted with the dye favored by noble ladies.

It was the same face, yet in the past, he had done everything to avoid Pei Shuyao.

But now, he found the young woman before him so beautiful he couldn’t look away.

His throat suddenly felt dry. Shen Tingyu raised his arm and drained his cup of tea, then asked her, "Are you upset with me for revealing our situation to my mother so rashly?"

Yesterday, they had agreed to take three days to think it over.

But after just one night, his mother summoned her, and he had rushed over ahead of time.

And when she saw him waiting for her at the entrance to Shaoguang Courtyard, she had made her choice on the spot.

He hadn’t been a gentleman. He gave her no chance to back out, turning around and confirming their feelings for each other right in front of an elder.

Now, their situation could no longer be concealed.

Cui Lingyao did feel things were moving a bit too fast, but she wouldn’t go so far as to blame him.

She was just curious. "Why did your mother suddenly want to see me?"

In the past, when Pei Shuyao was chasing after Shen Tingyu, Madam Liu had detested her but never went as far as summoning her for a private lecture.

Since she had entered this body, she had been much more proper and well-behaved.

So what had made Madam Liu lose her composure?

"Could it be that she found out about us plucking flowers together from a boat on the Lotus Pond yesterday?"

If it were only that, it still wouldn’t be enough to warrant a special warning.

After all, Madam Liu prided herself on her status and never bickered with the younger generation, especially not with a guest in her own home.

Across from her, Shen Tingyu’s expression faltered. "Yesterday afternoon, Mother sent for me to come to Shaoguang Courtyard."

Cui Lingyao froze. "You..."

"I didn’t say anything about what’s between us,"

Shen Tingyu quickly explained. "It’s just that Mother brought up my marriage, and I politely refused."

"Oh,"

Cui Lingyao blinked, looking half-convinced. "Then how did you refuse?"

...

An odd silence fell over the tea room.

Shen Tingyu hesitated for a few moments, but not wanting to lie, he confessed, "I said that I already have someone in my heart."

’He already has someone in his heart.’

’A mother knows her son best. No one knew better than Madam Liu just how... uninvolved... her son was with women.’

’So if he had a "someone in his heart," after a process of elimination, she must have concluded it was his "cousin"—her.’

’And driven by the principle of "better to strike the wrong person than let the right one escape," she had summoned her for a warning.’

Cui Lingyao slowly raised her eyes and looked at the man across from her.

’With his intelligence, could he really not have anticipated what his mother would do after he said that?’

’—Could it be that everything today went exactly as he expected?’

’This is...’

Cui Lingyao’s feelings were complicated.

She wasn’t angry about being schemed against.

After all, even without Madam Liu’s interference, she had already made her choice.

Xie Jinbai had dared to barge into her boudoir at night, shamelessly and brazenly taking advantage of her. This made it even more crucial that she not reveal her true identity.

Marrying Shen Tingyu was her best option at the moment.

She should even be thanking Shen Tingyu for being willing to sacrifice his own marriage to help her.

Right now, Cui Lingyao simply felt that his shy, youthful act—the way his ears would turn red at the drop of a hat—was all a performance.

’The good-tempered, innocent young man was a persona he deliberately constructed just for her.’

Cui Lingyao seethed internally.

’She... she had almost fallen for his act.’

’To think she’d actually believed he was some easy-to-bully noble young master.’

’Of course!’

’No one who can make it in the political arena is ever a simple character!’

Even someone as brilliant as Shen Tingyu couldn’t possibly guess what was running through her mind right now.

He said gently, "Since Mother already knows, we shouldn’t delay. When my grandfather and father return, I will go speak with them."

Cui Lingyao stared at him and asked, "Speak about what?"

Shen Tingyu’s eyelashes fluttered. He lowered his gaze, avoiding her eyes. "...About our marriage."

His voice was much softer, but in the quiet tea room, it was still clearly audible.

’There he goes again.’

’Just mentioning marriage, and his ears are turning red again.’

But Cui Lingyao found that even knowing it was probably an act, she quite enjoyed seeing him like this.

She blinked and played along. "Will they agree?"

"They will,"

When it came to serious matters, Shen Tingyu’s expression turned solemn. "As long as you don’t back out, there will be no complications with our marriage."

He was the one who decided whom he would marry.

The only possible snag would be if she had a change of heart and no longer wanted his ’help’.

The marriage was, after all, a stopgap measure she might decide to abandon.

Neither of them spoke again.

The tea room was silent, save for the faint, delicate aroma of tea drifting on the rising steam.

It was a silence that, surprisingly, neither found uncomfortable.

After the pot of tea was finished, Shen Tingyu looked at the young woman across from him and suggested, "Shall we play a couple of games?"

"No, thank you,"

Cui Lingyao declined, her expression downcast. "I don’t feel like using my brain right now."

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Shen Tingyu frowned slightly and reached out to take her wrist.

"I’m not unwell."

Cui Lingyao raised her hand to pull away but was a step too late. He grasped her wrist firmly.

"Be good. You mustn’t hide an illness for fear of treatment. This body was poisoned with seductive powder just a few days ago. There might be lingering effects."

The seductive powder was so potent that it had killed Pei Shuyao instantly.

She had managed to survive it, but who knew if it had caused some lasting damage.

His three fingers rested on her wrist.

’Quite domineering of him.’

Cui Lingyao was out of options. She rested her chin on one hand, laid the other on the tea table, and watched with great interest as he focused on taking her pulse.

He continued like this for almost half an hour.

Cui Lingyao’s hand was getting sore. She couldn’t help but flex her wrist, only to have him press it back down.

She frowned. "Are you done yet?"

"The other hand."

!!!

Cui Lingyao’s eyes went wide. "Is there really something wrong with my body?"

"Seductive powder is typically used on men. The drug severely damages one’s vital energy. For a young woman..."

Shen Tingyu paused, then said, "The other hand."

Cui Lingyao: "..."

She obediently offered him her right hand.

The diagnosis this time was shorter.

After only the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Shen Tingyu withdrew his hand and said, "You need restorative nourishment."

’Four words, clean and concise, without any of the pedantic jargon of contemporary old physicians.’

Cui Lingyao tapped her fingertips on the table in dissatisfaction. "What exactly is wrong with my body? Tell me the details!"

She didn’t feel unwell in the slightest.

"..."

Shen Tingyu glanced up at her, pursed his lips, and said, "Kidney qi deficiency."

Again, it was just three words, and he said nothing more.

But Cui Lingyao understood his unspoken meaning.

Her expression went blank, and then her cheeks flushed red.