Chapter 218

The early summer scenery is beautiful, and the back garden of the He Mansion in the capital is truly captivating. Flowers bloom in full glory, displaying a breathtaking tapestry of colors that draws people in.

After the He family was exonerated, their reputation was restored, but only He Xiuxian remained, and the lively glory of the past was no longer present.

He Xiuxian preferred peace, though she had hosted a few modest banquets. However, having been away from the capital for years, she wasn’t very familiar with the people of the city—except for the Marquis Changbo Mansion.

The current lady of the Changbo Marquis Mansion had been a close companion of He Xiuxian’s mother. During the He family’s wrongful plight, the Changbo Marquis Mansion tried to plead for them but to no avail. The lady of the house believed the He family was wiped out, only to later discover that He Xiuxian had survived. This revelation made her deeply sympathetic.

As childhood friends, He Xiuxian often accompanied her mother to visit the Changbo Marquis Mansion. Thus, the lady of the house had grown fond of He Xiuxian’s elegant and refined demeanor from a young age. She had several sons, and her youngest, who was yet to be married, was of an age that matched He Xiuxian’s.

With this thought in mind, the Marquis’s wife felt tender affection for He Xiuxian, pitying her for her tumultuous family history and for being a lonely orphan. She even arranged assistance to help He Xiuxian settle her household and provided her with experienced caregivers, demonstrating her genuine care. However, He Xiuxian deliberately ignored the Marquis’s wife’s intentions, as her heart had long been given to another man.

But he… how did he feel about her?

He Xiuxian gazed at the vibrant display of flowers, resting her chin on her hand with a sigh. She had already turned sixteen this year and was growing increasingly impatient.

“Miss, Miss,” Du Juan walked briskly into the garden, her face brimming with joy. “Master Cui has arrived.”

He Xiuxian immediately straightened up. “Who? Who has arrived?”

“It’s Young Master Cui Yuan,” Du Juan said smilingly.

“Quick, quickly help me back to change my clothes,” He Xiuxian stood up abruptly, unable to contain her excitement.

Du Juan was just about to respond when a hearty laugh came from the garden entrance.

“Since when does Xian’er need to dress up before meeting her brother?” Cui Yuan said, fanning himself as he strolled along the garden path and headed straight for the pavilion.

He Xiuxian was thrilled. She looked herself over from head to toe. Although her clothes were new, they had gotten a bit wrinkled after sitting all morning, and she couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.

In the blink of an eye, Cui Yuan had already reached the pavilion. Du Juan curtseyed and instructed the young maid trailing behind Cui Yuan to serve tea and refreshments. Du Juan herself retreated to a short distance away, just below the pavilion.

“Brother Cui,” He Xiuxian suppressed her excitement and greeted Cui Yuan with a bow.

“Why is it that you’ve grown so thin after just a short time apart?” Cui Yuan quickly looked her over. His gaze carried no inappropriate thoughts or presumptuousness—it was purely the concern of an elder brother for his younger sister.

He Xiuxian touched her cheeks, blushing slightly, and said, “Perhaps it’s because summer is approaching, and my appetite hasn’t been great.”

“It’s only May and your appetite is already lacking. What will you do when the peak summer heat comes?” Cui Yuan put away his fan and placed it into its sheath.

He Xiuxian was about to reply when her gaze fell upon the fan sheath in his hand, pausing for a moment.

Cui Yuan didn’t notice her gaze and continued, “I suspect the servants here are not attending to you properly. Should I help you find more suitable ones? Or perhaps get a cook from Lingnan? Maybe you’re used to the cuisine from there and… Xian’er?”

“Ah?” He Xiuxian snapped out of her thoughts, withdrawing her gaze from the fan he had placed on the table, looking slightly confused.

Cui Yuan smiled. “What were you thinking about so intently?”

“Nothing,” He Xiuxian responded with a faint smile. “Yesterday, Dujuan mentioned she seemed to have seen you in the west city. I said you were at the new yamen in Changle Town—how could you be here? But lo and behold, you actually came back!”

“There was some business to attend to, and I also reported a matter to the Emperor,” Cui Yuan explained.

The servants brought refreshments, and He Xiuxian personally poured tea for him. Lifting her own cup, she said, “I haven’t congratulated Brother Cui yet on obtaining an official position. I’ll substitute tea for wine.”

Cui Yuan smiled and clinked his cup with hers.

“But Brother Cui, why would you go to Changle Town? Shouldn’t there be many positions in the capital city?” He Xiuxian was very puzzled.

The capital was prosperous, and he was a young master from a noble family. Why would he endure the hardships of that small town? With the Emperor’s reliance on him, couldn’t he acquire any position he desired?

“Changle Town is quite good. The Maritime Trade Office is a new governmental department, and I find it interesting,” Cui Yuan said with a smile. “As for the capital—it doesn’t suit me very well.”

He Xiuxian furrowed her brows slightly.

“Let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you—your birthday is coming next month. Do you have any gifts in mind?”

He Xiuxian blushed upon hearing this. Biting her lip, she shyly said, “You still remember?”

“Of course, I remember. When you were little, every birthday, you would dress like a flower fairy and pester your brother for gifts!” Cui Yuan reached out, intending to rub her head, but realizing that the person in front of him was no longer a little girl, he withdrew his hand with a smile. “In the blink of an eye, our Xian’er has become a young lady.”

He Xiuxian’s face turned even redder.

“A family with a grown daughter will have many suitors. Now that you’ve become a young lady, you should find an ideal gentleman to marry,” Cui Yuan teased. “Now that you’ve returned to the capital, have you spotted a suitable young man? If you have, feel free to tell me—I’ll help you inquire.”

He Xiuxian’s previously cheerful smile immediately flattened. She raised her head and looked at him. “Brother Cui.”

Did he truly not understand? Did he really not know her feelings?

With just this one glance and word, Cui Yuan suppressed a sigh deep within his heart, though his face still had a smile.

“I’ve heard that Marchioness Changbo has been exceptionally kind to you. The third young master of Changbo Marquis’ household is said to have an excellent character. Currently, he holds a hereditary honorary position, which makes him a suitable match. Marchioness Changbo and your mother were close friends, and she has always shown great compassion toward you. You two would likely get along well in the future. You should give it some serious thought,” Cui Yuan said with a smile. “If you fancy him, I could request the Emperor to grant a decree and arrange a marriage for you two.”

His face was full of sincerity, and his demeanor was truly that of a caring elder brother trying to help his sister. However, in He Xiuxian’s eyes, it felt stark and piercing. Her hand, hidden under the table, clenched tightly. Her face turned pale, and she bit her lip hard. Her gaze fell on the fan sheath that Cui Yuan had placed on the table, and she responded with a question that had nothing to do with the subject. “I see that Brother Cui’s fan sheath is beautifully embroidered. I wonder which young lady is skilled enough to craft something so exquisite?”

Cui Yuan followed her gaze and looked over, the corner of his lips curving slightly. “Is that so? I think it’s rather beautiful, too.”

He Xiuxian’s face turned even paler, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. The satisfaction and joy in his smile struck her eyes sharply. Without thinking, she said, “Brother Cui, you haven’t gotten engaged yet. How can you accept embroidered gifts from young ladies? Private exchanges like this are harmful to your reputation. Brother Cui might not realize, but doesn’t the young lady know?”

Her words were sharp, filled with barbs, and blurted out without hesitation.

Cui Yuan’s smile froze, his lifted lips gradually falling. He fixed his gaze on her.

As soon as the words left her mouth, He Xiuxian regretted them, feeling flustered. She quickly added, “Brother Cui, I didn’t mean that, I… I…”

Cui Yuan looked at her panicked and fearful expression, and his mind suddenly recalled the year when their teacher’s household was raided. At that time, He Xiuxian was just as frightened and helpless as a wounded fawn.

With a deep sigh in his heart, Cui Yuan said calmly, “I don’t blame you, but about what I said earlier, just consider it…”

“I don’t want to.” He Xiuxian interrupted him suddenly, biting her lip as if making a bold decision. “Brother Cui, do you really not understand Xian’er’s feelings? Xian’er doesn’t want to marry anyone. In Xian’er’s heart, there’s only Brother Cui.”

As she said this, her cheeks flushed as red as blood.

In the end, she still said it. If she kept silent, he might eventually be taken away by someone else. No, that couldn’t happen—Brother Cui was hers.

“Since I was little, Brother Cui has been the only one in my heart. I’ve even told my father I want to marry you when I grow up. At the time, my father said that when I grew up, if you also agreed, he would betroth me to you. Brother Cui, do you still not understand Xian’er’s feelings after all these years?” He Xiuxian mustered all her courage, not caring about the burning heat spreading across her cheeks. She only wanted him to know what was in her heart.

“Xian’er…”

“Brother Cui, I don’t care about the young master of the Zhang family. Marchioness Changbo treats me well, but I like you.” He Xiuxian stared directly at him.

“I like you too,” Cui Yuan said after a long moment. “But Xian’er, you’re like my younger sister to me. What I feel for you is only the bond between siblings.”

His voice was calm and devoid of emotion, yet it pierced He Xiuxian’s heart like a sharp blade. Her face instantly turned pale.

“Siblings?” She murmured softly; her vision blurred as something cool slid down her cheeks.

The early summer breeze swept through the courtyard, refreshing and pleasant. Yet He Xiuxian felt unbearably cold as if it were the freezing winds of mid-winter, bone-chilling. Instinctively, she hugged her arms tightly, her gaze falling once more on the fan sleeve resting on the table.

In her room, there was an even more exquisitely embroidered fan sleeve that she had prepared for Cui Yuan, but it was too late—someone else’s fan sleeve now adorned his fan.

“Brother Cui, is there already someone in your heart?” He Xiuxian stared intently at the fan sleeve, asking hesitantly.

Someone in his heart? Cui Yuan was stunned. Was there?

Images of a woman’s smiling face, sometimes cheerful, sometimes mischievous, and sometimes gentle, surfaced in his mind.

Perhaps he did have someone in his heart.

“Yes, there’s someone in my heart,” Cui Yuan’s voice was barely audible.

He Xiuxian’s tears flowed uncontrollably. She stood up, her face pale as she forced herself to maintain composure, bowing slightly. “Brother Cui, it’s rare for you to come by. I’ll go instruct the kitchen to prepare something delicious. Let’s have lunch before you leave.”

“Xian’er…” Cui Yuan furrowed his brows; her complexion was indeed worrying.

He Xiuxian said no more, swiftly bypassing him and heading out of the pavilion. As she stepped onto the staircase, she stumbled, her foot twisted, and she fell down the steps.

“Miss!” Du Juan screamed.

Cui Yuan turned around, his face changing dramatically. He was out of the pavilion in just a few steps, lifting the now-unconscious He Xiuxian. Her pristine forehead was already bleeding.

Cui Yuan’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he picked her up and quickly carried her to her room, instructing Du Juan as he ran, “Go and fetch the doctor.”

A young lady’s appearance is very important. If He Xiuxian’s beauty were ruined because of this, he would carry the guilt for the rest of his life.

Terrified, Du Juan ran out, crying. Meanwhile, He Xiuxian, lying in Cui Yuan’s arms, saw his resolute chin in her dazed state and slightly curved lips. If she were to die like this, it would still be worth it. Her consciousness completely faded away.