Chapter Forty-Nine: Her Heart Belongs to Another

What on earth is he up to? Is there something wrong with him? This left Shen Nanyuan feeling inexplicably bewildered. She glanced back in confusion, “Is that man out of his mind or something?”

Qingrui hurriedly whispered, “Miss, you must be careful with your words. This is not the Duke of Zhenguo’s estate. If anyone overhears, it won’t be good.”

“…Alright, I know,” Shen Nanyuan muttered as she walked into the tent.

She thought the matter would end there, but as soon as she sat down, she heard Xiao Yan’s low, slightly vexed voice from outside. His dark eyes were unreadable and tinged with impatience.

“I can’t tell what he’s thinking. Miss, it’s best if you keep your distance from him.”

It was the first time Shen Nanyuan had seen such hostility from Xiao Yan. Even when he’d been beaten and bruised by Shen Jinyu, when he first arrived at Shaohua Courtyard, he’d always managed to conceal his animosity. She was a little surprised.

“So even you think that man surnamed Jun isn’t a good person,” she said.

Qingrui stamped her foot. “Miss!”

Shen Nanyuan pursed her lips. “Alright, I know, I won’t say it anymore.”

But Jun Ci did seem different today compared to the past, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what had changed. There was something odd about him.

—

“Sir, Miss Lin requests your presence by the woods near the stream. She says she has something to discuss with you.”

Upon hearing this, Jun Ci felt a faint sense of helplessness rising within him. He wasn’t sure when it began, but whenever others mentioned Lin Yan, he felt a mounting pressure that left him at a loss.

He replied lightly, “I understand.”

Suddenly, the image of Shen Nanyuan’s frowning face as she glanced at him flashed through his mind—her gaze utterly devoid of feeling, only impatience in her eyes. His heart tightened as if gripped by an unseen hand, and he found himself fleeing in haste.

Jun Ci rubbed his brow wearily and slowly made his way toward where Lin Yan was waiting for him.

The proposed betrothal had indeed been postponed due to the Jun family’s circumstances. His uncle’s sudden illness and passing had left him occupied, and it was not appropriate to hold a happy event in the immediate aftermath.

But Lin Yan grew anxious. When they met privately, she’d made a scene for quite some time. He found her behavior unreasonable, which had led to tension between the Jun and Lin families.

This hunt was their first meeting since.

Lin Yan seemed to have lost weight during their days apart. She wore a pale pink dress that made her look all the more delicate and moving, yet there was something unfamiliar about her. Her clothing was thin for the season, causing Jun Ci to frown.

“Why are you dressed so lightly?”

But Lin Yan looked straight at him. “Where did you just go?”

Jun Ci’s eyes flickered. “Nowhere.”

He deftly changed the subject, continuing, “What did you want to talk to me about? We’ve discussed the engagement before. Now is not a suitable time for celebrations, but anything else you need, I’ll do for you—just not this.”

He had thought Lin Yan would be understanding. But after her outburst days ago, he felt a sudden unfamiliarity toward her.

She had always been sensible and considerate—never like this before.

Lin Yan’s eyes dropped, her lips pressed tightly together. After a moment of restraint, she softened her expression.

“It was wrong of me to quarrel with you last time.”

She raised her head, meeting Jun Ci’s calm gaze, and went on, “I was just anxious. We’ve come so far together, and just when I thought we’d finally be married, the date was postponed. That made me uneasy.”

“There was nothing to be done about it, and I shouldn’t have made a fuss.”

Jun Ci paused, then looked up, meeting Lin Yan’s tentative eyes. “You’ll still visit the Lin family in the coming days, won’t you?”

The words hovered between them for a moment before he nodded. “Of course.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” Lin Yan let out a breath, though the unease in her heart did not abate. She hesitated, wanting to ask something, but swallowed the words. Smiling faintly, she said, “It’s getting cold. You should head back.”

Some things cannot be asked, nor said aloud.

Though she was now filled with dread, she could only bury it deep inside.

Since Jun Ci said he would visit the Lin family again soon to propose, she could simply pretend she had seen nothing.

As long as he remembered his duty, that would be enough.

Jun Ci looked at her. “Next time, don’t wear so little when you come out.”

“I won’t,” Lin Yan replied with a smile.

—

In her field of vision, Jun Ci walked farther and farther away, never once looking back.

Her smile collapsed instantly, and she bit her lower lip hard. No matter how she tried to persuade herself, doubts and suspicions surged within her, nearly overwhelming her with the urge to call Jun Ci back and question him.

To ask why he’d gone to see Shen Nanyuan.

To ask what they’d talked about.

But she couldn’t.

After their last argument, she’d become fearful—afraid he would never come to the Lin family to propose. That was why she’d swallowed her pride and sought him out today.

If she pressed him again, it would only end in discord. After coming so far, after finally being able to be together openly, she neither wanted nor dared to risk it.

Perhaps sometimes, pretending to know nothing is the best choice.

—

After lunch, Shen Sinian returned from the emperor’s side. Coincidentally, Shen Nanyuan had arranged to meet Meng Chuyue and Gao Xueluo that afternoon, so he accompanied her.

Gao Xueluo and Meng Chuyue had seen each other a few times at banquets before but never spoken. Now, meeting face to face, they found each other quite familiar and quickly struck up a lively conversation. The three young ladies gathered around a round table, chattering endlessly, leaving Shen Sinian unable to join in. Expecting this outcome, he waved Xiao Yan over.

“Let’s go practice martial arts.”

That was the purpose of bringing Xiao Yan along.

This place was rarely visited, and as the three girls excitedly discussed their upcoming visit to the Gao residence, Gao Xueluo suddenly scooted closer to Shen Nanyuan, lowering her voice conspiratorially, “Yuan Yuan, I think Chuyue likes your brother. She keeps looking at him!”

Shen Nanyuan’s first reaction was to laugh. She waved her hands quickly. “Impossible.”

But indeed, Meng Chuyue was glancing in Shen Sinian’s direction. However, Shen Sinian wasn’t alone—Xiao Yan was there too. Clearly, Meng Chuyue must have been looking at Xiao Yan.

So, smiling, she added, “You’re imagining things. Chuyue definitely doesn’t like my brother.”

Gao Xueluo shook her head, firm in her conviction. “I think I’m right.”

Shen Nanyuan couldn’t possibly reveal the quiet understanding between Xiao Yan and Meng Chuyue, so she simply replied mysteriously, “No way. You’ll see—Chuyue doesn’t like my brother. Her heart belongs to someone else.”