The front courtyard of Qingyun Temple.
A ginkgo tree, so thick it would take three people to embrace it, stood quietly. Its branches and leaves spread out like an umbrella canopy, shading nearly half the courtyard. The bark on its trunk was deeply grooved and cracked like dragon scales, whispering the profound history of a thousand years.
Beneath the tree hung countless colored ribbons and wooden plaques.
Red, yellow, green, and blue... ribbons of all colors fluttered gently in the autumn breeze, resembling captive clouds. The wooden plaques were engraved with dense, tiny characters; some ink had faded to a pale brown, while others still gleamed with the moisture of fresh ink.
"May my parents be healthy and safe."
"Praying for an early marriage."
"Hoping to pass the imperial examinations."
"Praying for peace in our home."
Every word and sentence carried the simplest wishes of mortal beings. The most common prayers were for marriage, hence the tree was also known as the "Tree of Destiny." Whether it was truly magical or not, no one knew, but people loved coming here to pray for a good match.
Qingyun Temple never consecrated these ribbons and plaques—the Daoist priests said that sincerity itself brings miracles, so why rely on external objects? Yet, the pilgrims remained persistent. Some even went out of their way to the Great Xiangguo Temple to have high monks bless their items, then trekked all the way back, carefully tying this "double blessing" onto the branches.
At this moment, Shen Mingxuan was standing beneath this tree laden with worldly attachments.
He was dressed immaculately today. His sky-blue long gown shimmered with a gentle luster under the sunlight filtering through the leaves. With his tall, straight posture and handsome features, standing there, he truly looked the part of a "brilliant young talent."
That is, if one could ignore the expression on his face that looked as though he were marching toward his execution.
According to the arrangement, he was naturally supposed to attend today's matchmaking meeting alone. His younger sister and brother-in-law had "escorted" him here, and having completed their mission, they logically should have left by now.
But those two—
Shen Mingxuan glanced out of the corner of his eye toward a spot not far away.
Pei Cijing and Shen Ninghuan were snuggled together in the shade of an old locust tree.
The two were standing extremely close, their heads leaned together as they whispered some secret words. A smile played on Pei Cijing's lips, while Shen Ninghuan tilted her head slightly, her earrings swaying and catching the fragmented light.
That would have been fine on its own.
But as they spoke, their gazes would occasionally and incredibly naturally drift over in his direction.
That look in their eyes...
Shen Mingxuan gritted his teeth.
They were clearly spying on him!
Were they afraid he would desert at the last minute and stand the girl up again?
Was he, Shen Mingxuan, really that kind of person?!
...Alright, last time he actually was.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the annoyance of being secretly monitored. Forget it. The most important thing right now was to figure out how to face the young lady later.
According to his father, this Miss Gu hailed from the Gu family of Shu, a daughter from the maternal family of Jiang Tian's mother. She had just come of age this year and possessed both excellent character and looks. When he stood her up last time, she had waited in the teahouse all day without getting angry. Instead, she sent a message through the Jiang family, saying, "If there was an emergency, we can reschedule."
Such generosity.
She was likely not a petty person.
He just needed to sincerely apologize, and this breach of etiquette would probably be forgiven.
Shen Mingxuan steadied his nerves and silently rehearsed in his mind: When she arrives, I will first bow formally and apologize. My attitude must be sincere, and my words earnest. Then... we will follow the standard procedure. Exchange a few pleasantries, ask about her family, talk a bit about my own situation, and finally, politely see her off.
After returning home, I will tell Father, "Miss Gu is wonderful, but your son is unworthy of her. We simply are not meant to be."
Yes!
That's exactly what I'll do.
While his mind raced with these thoughts, the pair of "monitors" not far away had their own schemes.
Pei Cijing leaned close to Shen Ninghuan's ear, lowering his voice, his tone full of the amusement of someone watching a good show. "My wife, I have a feeling... my brother-in-law is in for a disaster today."
His warm breath brushed against her ear. Shen Ninghuan turned her face slightly but didn't pull away, only asking softly, "Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Pei Cijing blinked. "A matchmaking meeting is a huge deal. He dared to stand her up last time, leaving a young lady waiting in a teahouse for a whole day—who could tolerate that? If I were that girl, the moment we met today, I'd give him a swift kick first."
Shen Ninghuan pursed her lips into a smile. She actually knew some inside information.
Jiang Tian had told her in private that this cousin, Gu Ruoli, grew up in her ancestral home in Shu. The women of Shu did not share the gentle and docile temperament of capital ladies.
In Jiang Tian's exact words: "Everyone knows the culture over there. They are incredibly fiery."
But she deliberately chose not to agree with Pei Cijing.
"Husband, you are mistaken," Shen Ninghuan raised her eyes slightly, a flash of mischief in her gaze. "Since the young lady is willing to overlook his past slight and give him another chance, she must be a truly magnanimous and reasonable person. As long as my brother apologizes sincerely and treats her well, he should... be perfectly fine."
Pei Cijing raised an eyebrow.
Looking at his wife's feigned seriousness, though a smile hid in the depths of her eyes, he instantly understood—she was deliberately taking the opposite stance to tease him.
"Oh?" Pei Cijing drew out the syllable, a glint in his eyes. "Are you so certain, my wife? Then... how about we make a bet?"
"Bet on what?" Shen Ninghuan asked with interest.
"Let's bet on whether my brother-in-law will get beaten up today." Pei Cijing's smile deepened. "If he comes out unscathed, I lose. Tomorrow, I will... write two extra essays on the classics and two extra policy papers."
Shen Ninghuan's eyes flickered.
Write four extra essays?
This wager made it sound like he was the one taking a loss.
But on second thought, she understood her husband's "calculation"—writing more essays meant two more opportunities for her to grade them, which meant two more chances for him to claim his "rewards." This man had truly exhausted his wits just for those little "rewards."
"And what if you win?" she asked.
"If I win..." Pei Cijing leaned even closer, his voice low and laced with a smile, "I want three 'messy paper immunity passes'."
Shen Ninghuan couldn't help but laugh.
Just as she thought.
Three immunity passes meant that even if he wrote a bad essay, smudged the ink, or made typos, he would still get his "reward" as usual. She could hear the clicking of his abacus loud and clear.
She looked up at him.
Pei Cijing was gazing at her eagerly. His eyes, which were usually so nonchalant, now held an unmistakable anticipation, along with a trace of barely noticeable exhaustion. These past few days, he really had been studying desperately, writing policy essay after policy essay until thin calluses had formed on his wrists.
Never mind.
Seeing how hard he was working.
"Alright," Shen Ninghuan nodded gently, her lips curving into a tender smile. "I accept this bet."
Pei Cijing's eyes lit up.
The two shared a smile, and with perfect tacit understanding, they simultaneously extended their pinky fingers, hooking them together in the air and pressing their thumbs against each other.
"Pinky swear, sealed with a stamp." Pei Cijing chuckled softly. "The bet is on. Whoever goes back on their word is a puppy."
Shen Ninghuan glared at him playfully with a smile. "Who would go back on their word?"
...
Beneath the tree, Shen Mingxuan had been standing for so long that his legs were growing numb.
The young lady was taking her time.
He could only stand there awkwardly, his gaze having nowhere to rest, until it involuntarily drifted once again toward the couple not far away—Pei Cijing said something unknown, causing Shen Ninghuan to laugh and lightly punch him. He took the opportunity to grasp her hand, their fingers intertwining as they leaned even closer together.
Shen Mingxuan: "..."
He silently looked away, suddenly feeling an inexplicable, cloyingly sweet taste flooding his mouth.
It was sickeningly sweet.
In broad daylight, under the clear blue sky... couldn't they spare a thought for the feelings of a lonely bachelor like him?
Right now, he only hoped that Miss Gu would show up soon, so they could get this over with, go home early, escape this awkward situation, and... escape the couple behind him who were constantly radiating an aura of sickening affection.
Just as he was staring a hole through the distance, a figure in plain white slowly turned the corner of the corridor near the moon gate and appeared in his line of sight.
The woman wore a moon-white top, a plain white long skirt, and a sheer half-sleeve overlay. Her hair was styled simply, held by a single silver hairpin. Her attire was plain and unadorned, yet the aloof and upright aura she carried made her instantly recognizable in a crowd.
She seemed to be holding something in her hands. With unhurried steps, she walked toward the Tree of Destiny.
Shen Mingxuan's spirits lifted.
He narrowed his eyes and observed her carefully. Her features were delicate and her expression indifferent, bearing a seventy or eighty percent resemblance to the portrait his father had shown him yesterday.
Yes, it was her.
Gu Ruoli!
Shen Mingxuan took a deep breath, smoothed out his already impeccable collar, forced the most proper and sincere smile onto his face, and quickly stepped forward to meet her.
He stopped in front of her, cupped his hands, bowed, and gave a standard formal greeting.
"Miss Gu," he began, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. "I am Shen Mingxuan. I was incredibly rude during our last appointment at the teahouse, leaving you waiting all day. I have come specifically to apologize today, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Having said that, he maintained his bowing posture, waiting for a response.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Complete silence.
Only the autumn breeze blew past the Tree of Destiny, rustling the colorful ribbons and wooden plaques, which clinked softly against each other.
Feeling puzzled, Shen Mingxuan raised his eyes slightly.
He saw Gu Ruoli standing quietly, her gaze resting on his face, but she wasn't looking at his eyes. Her sight trailed from his forehead, swept past his brow, glided down the bridge of his nose, and finally stopped at his...
Adam's apple?
Shen Mingxuan's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He sensed a trace of murderous intent. Wasn't she supposed to be a magnanimous lady? What was she planning to do?
Gu Ruoli's gaze shifted slightly with the movement.
Then, she slowly spoke. Her voice was very light and faint, like the morning mist in the mountains.
"Young Master Shen, do you know..."
She paused.
"...that in Shuzhou, standing a lady up earns you a knife!"
The moment her words fell, before Shen Mingxuan could even react, a blade was pressed against his throat. He had absolutely no desire to test the sharpness of this blade with his own body.
A gentle breeze brushed past.
The loose strands of his hair blew against the blade and were instantly sliced in two...
