The more Cui Yunchu spoke, the angrier she became. Her anger soon gave way to grievance, and her voice began to choke with sobs.
Shen Xiabai furrowed his brows tightly, a rare hint of unnaturalness appearing on his face. Do not exaggerate.
He had only grabbed her for a moment; was it really that serious?
I told you that day, you saved me once, and I brought you down from halfway up the mountain. We are even.
Cui Yunchu's eyes brimmed with tears, making her look pitiable and delicate like a fragile willow in the wind. Shen Xiabai only glanced at her before immediately turning his head away.
And you certainly do not need to put on an act in front of me.
Shen Xiabai had witnessed firsthand Cui Yunchu's scheming and manipulation towards Prince An and the Crown Prince. Towards a repeat offender like her, Shen Xiabai felt an instinctive resistance from the bottom of his heart.
Cui Yunchu parted her lips slightly, as if finding it utterly unbelievable. You say I am putting on an act?
Shen Xiabai kept a cold face and remained silent.
Cui Yunchu was infuriated. She did like to act, turning a five-point feeling into a ten, but the pain was real, and her tears were not fake.
Fine, come with me. She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the nearby woods.
Shen Xiabai froze for a moment and tried to shake off her hand. But using a little force was useless, and he feared that using too much would make her cry and cling to him even tighter. After a moment of hesitation, he had already been pulled deep into the woods by her.
It was secluded here. No one would come, nor would any palace servants pass by.
Shen Xiabai's tone was poor. What tricks are you trying to play now?
He kept his head turned aside, seemingly unwilling to look at Cui Yunchu.
Mustering her courage, Cui Yunchu forcefully pushed his head to make him turn around. Shen, take a good look.
With that, she directly rolled up her sleeve.
Before Shen Xiabai could recover from the shock of having his head pushed, a small section of a pale, jade-like arm covered in dark bruises came into view.
It was precisely where he had grabbed her earlier. A ring of dark purple handprints was clearly visible, and beneath the bruised fingerprints, a scratch had just scabbed over, the skin around the wound flushed red.
The injury contrasted sharply with the pristine whiteness of her wrist, striking the senses.
Shen Xiabai's expression first went blank, then turned red, until his face and ears were completely flushed. Looking somewhat flustered and angry, he said, You are a young lady, how can you casually roll up your clothes in front of a man?
Cui Yunchu paid his words no mind. I am showing you whether I am faking it or not. Lord Shen, have you seen clearly? If not, come closer and see if I am just putting on a show.
Cui Yunchu held up her arm, almost shoving it right into Shen Xiabai's face.
Shen Xiabai's face alternated between red and pale as he retreated again and again.
As the woman's wrist drew near, a fragrance washed over him. It was strong but not pungent, likely a type of scented balm, complementing that slender, snowy-white skin...
In truth, the scented balm was not that unpleasant, nor was it as vulgar as he had imagined.
A hint of panic and disarray flickered in Shen Xiabai's eyes. It was a feeling he had never experienced since entering the royal court, not even when facing the Emperor's repeated probings.
What lady of noble upbringing would roll up her sleeves and shove her arm into a man's face?
Cui Yunchu, you... truly have none of the elegance of a noble lady.
Cui Yunchu retorted, I told you, this lady right here is a noble lady.
Shen Xiabai's facial expressions had not changed as much in his entire life as they had in half a quarter of an hour with Cui Yunchu. With a look of shock and anger, he asked, Who are you calling 'this lady'?
Looking at his darkened face, Cui Yunchu did not provoke him any further. You did not believe me. Other than this, how else was I supposed to prove it to you?
I said I was in pain, that I was injured, and you said I was putting on a show. What about now? Are you still going to say that?
Shen Xiabai's gaze uncontrollably swept toward her rolled-up sleeve, then immediately darted away. After a long moment, he finally spat out a single word, Delicate.
How could that little injury of hers hurt so much as to make her shed tears?
When he returned from the bottom of the cliff that day, there was barely a patch of good skin left on his back, yet he had not made a fuss or cried to the heavens over a mere tug like she did.
Cui Yunchu curled her lip. I am a girl. Is it not perfectly natural for me to be delicate?
Shen Xiabai was speechless. He actually had no way to refute that.
Cui Yunchu continued, Women are born to bear too much. If we are not raised to be a bit more delicate and instead act like men all day, then what use are men?
Twisted logic, Shen Xiabai finally managed to force out after holding his tongue for a long time.
Cui Yunchu scoffed coldly. Say what you will. I am delicate, I am weak, and I am afraid of pain. I am a girl, and this is how I should be.
Cui Yunchu rubbed the injury on her arm, her eyes still a little red.
Shen Xiabai's gaze kept darting away. Whether it fell on her arm or her beautiful, flower-like face, it only lingered for a split second before shifting away immediately, as if he had been burned by fire.
If it hurts, then rest peacefully. Why are you running around?
I did not go to your backyard, so mind your own business, Cui Yunchu snorted coldly. You little ingrate, you dared to abandon me and forget my kindness. I will remember this for the rest of my life.
Looking at her arrogant and domineering appearance, the inexplicable, complex emotions in Shen Xiabai's heart faded significantly.
He let out a cold chuckle and said nothing.
If he had truly abandoned her with murderous intent, she would have been devoured clean by wild beasts long ago and would never have survived until Prince An found her.
Then remember it.
Cui Yunchu nodded. She turned around to leave without saying another word. Shen Xiabai subconsciously reached out his hand, only to immediately pull it back. Wait.
Cui Yunchu stopped in her tracks and looked back. What? Have you not grabbed me enough?
...Where is Shen Zilan?
Cui Yunchu thought she had misheard. What did you say?
Where is Shen Zilan?
Cui Yunchu rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. My vast fortune is lost. Do you know where it is?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Shen Xiabai replied, How would I know about your things?
His surname is Shen, he is your nephew, not mine. How would I know? Cui Yunchu glared at Shen Xiabai as if looking at a lunatic.
For some reason, perhaps because he was used to Cui Yunchu's temper, Shen Xiabai did not pull a long face. Instead, he maintained the same calm tone as before. He said he was coming to find you.
Cui Yunchu spun around and slapped her hand over Shen Xiabai's mouth, her beautiful face mere inches away from his. You can eat whatever you want, but you cannot just say whatever you want! Do you want to get me killed?
How long was I cursed at over the incident with Young Master Wang, and now you are starting to spout nonsense again, aren't you?
The woman's palm was fragrant and soft against his lips, causing Shen Xiabai's brain to short-circuit for a moment.
Today, he had truly been shocked by Cui Yunchu's unexpected actions time and time again. After recovering his senses slightly, he immediately swatted away Cui Yunchu's wrist.
His face turned pale, whether from anger or embarrassment. You...
How could a young lady repeatedly overstep the bounds of propriety?
Do you have even the slightest bit of modesty and manners?
Cui Yunchu smiled dismissively. So what? I cannot get married anyway, so it is not like I am taking a loss.
Besides, weren't you the one spouting nonsense first? Who is Shen Zilan? He is Chen Miaohe's fiancé, the younger sister of my former prospective marriage partner. Have you ever considered how others would gossip about me if what you just said got out?
Cui Yunchu threw her hands up. "Do you want me to tell you what they will say? They will say I am a seductive temptress, refusing to change my ways, and that in just a few short days, I have already hooked up with my prospective fiance's future brother-in-law. They will act just like they did back when they cried out in injustice for Zhao Yujie..."
"I will become the target of everyone's scorn, even if... I never did any of those things."
Cui Yunchu stood there, her head slightly tilted, looking at some unknown point in the distance. A continuous breeze blew past, fluttering her dress and the fallen leaves on the ground, creating an indescribable sense of bleak desolation.
Shen Xiabai could even sense a trace of sorrow and disdain for the mundane world radiating from her.
This time, he neither refuted her nor spoke a word.
Cui Yunchu suddenly turned her head and gave him a breathtakingly radiant smile. "Lord Shen, are you also going to join their ranks and attack a weak woman like me?"
Silence spread through the woods, leaving only the faint rustle of the wind lingering around their ears.
Shen Xiabai lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "It is getting late. If we do not go now, the wedding will be over."
Cui Yunchu let out a gasp. "I completely forgot!"
With that, she hurried away in a frantic rush. However, at the edge of the woods, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Curling her fingertips slightly, she cast a glance back into the forest.
The emotions in her eyes were indiscernible, but a smile suddenly crept onto the corners of her lips.
The first lesson her Concubine Mother had taught her back then was how to read people's expressions and gauge their moods.
Panic, a guilty conscience, remorse, fluster...
She withdrew her gaze and murmured, "He did not bring his blade today."
