A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 72

Chapter 72: Sweetheart

Xie Da took a one-hour class at Old Fu’s and returned home triumphantly.

Xie Jin was the first to ask, “How was your study today?”

“I learned a lot,” Xie Da said with great enthusiasm. “Old Fu’s lecture was very clear. I understood everything as soon as she explained it.”

“Did you send the ginseng and lingzhi?”

“I did. Old Fu seemed to like them and said she would invite General Xie to visit when she has time.”

Xie Jin nodded with satisfaction and then asked, “What about Huang San?”

“Huang San…?” Xie Da was stunned for a moment before she realized who Xie Jin was talking about. She smiled and said, “Mother, you’re talking about Huang Shizhong’s youngest daughter, Huang Zhiwen, right? You always like to call people like that. You don’t call me Xie Xin either, but Xie Da.”

“I can’t remember Huang Zhiwen, Huang Zhiwu. Anyway, it’s the third daughter of the Huang family,” Xie Jin said. “How is she?”

“She learns things quickly and is also very attentive in class…”

“I’m not asking about that,” Xie Jin said. “Did she talk to you today?”

Xie Da recalled for a while, lowered her head, and said shyly, “She did. She praised me for being beautiful.”

“…” Xie Jin asked. “And?”

“She also asked me how Her Highness Huai’an and Sister Zhishu have been recently. I said I didn’t know about these things. I haven’t seen either of them these past two days.”

Xie Jin nodded and mused, “As expected.”

“As expected of what?”

“As expected, she was trying to get information out of you,” Xie Jin slapped her daughter on the shoulder. “What else did Huang San say?”

“She also asked me if Her Highness Huai’an and Sister Zhishu were together. I said I hadn’t heard of it, where did you hear that? She said she didn’t know where she had heard it, and that she might have been mistaken.”

Shen Zhishu hissed, “It’s probably the First Highness who is gossiping behind our backs again—I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the First Highness, but she really loves to gossip everywhere.”

As she spoke, she turned to Jiang Yu, “Your Highness, what is the situation with this grand-niece of yours? Is she just purely enjoying the fun, or does she have other motives?”

Jiang Yu blinked and looked up at the sky.

Shen Zhishu smiled, “What does Your Highness mean by that?”

“I am not very familiar with her and do not know her intentions,” Jiang Yu said. “But spreading rumors that the two of us are together seems to be of no benefit to her. Or is it… that someone told her about this, and she believed it to be true?”

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes and met Jiang Yu’s.

Jiang Yu blinked and suddenly said, “Actually, it’s not impossible to make this rumor a reality. Firstly, it would solve the General’s trouble of being set up for marriage, and secondly, the Emperor would also be more at ease.”

“No, no,” Shen Zhishu’s eyes widened. “I’m not getting married, but Your Highness will eventually start a family. If I were to stand in the way of Your Highness’s marriage, wouldn’t that be my fault?”

Jiang Yu looked up at her and was quiet for a moment before she said, “Who will start a family with me? Why don’t you introduce me to someone, General?”

Shen Zhishu said without thinking, “The Vice Minister Wen Zhizhong, with whom you had a great chat last time, I think she is very good.”

“Does the General like her type?”

“I’m introducing her to Your Highness, not to me. Why would you say whether I like her or not?”

“Since you don’t like her, why praise her?”

“Can’t I even praise her? Could it be that after becoming Your Highness’s friend, I can’t praise others anymore?”

Jiang Yu stood motionless. After a cup of tea’s time, she said in a faint voice, “The mouth is on the General’s face, so I can’t control whatever the General says. If the General wants to be a matchmaker for me, it would be disrespectful to refuse, so I have no choice but to agree.”

“I wouldn’t dare. The legs are on Your Highness’s body, so Your Highness can do whatever you want and doesn’t have to consider this subordinate’s intentions.”

“Since the General said ‘consider this subordinate’s intentions,’ then what are your intentions? Could it be that the General really wants to be a matchmaker for me and Vice Minister Wen?”

“Vice Minister Wen is young and promising, a true dragon among men. In addition, her character is gentle and kind. If it works out, it would be a good story.”

Xie Jin stood by with her head shrunk, her eyes on her nose and her nose on her heart, without a word. As she listened, she inexplicably heard a hint of gunpowder, and she hurriedly went up to smooth things over, “Let’s not talk about this. Let’s talk about Xie Da’s matter. Xie Da—”

Xie Da was watching the fun with great enthusiasm and hurriedly waved her hand, “Mother, I’m not important. My matter can wait.”

Xie Jin: …

Jiang Yu stood with her head bowed, her neck tilted at an angle, and her back very straight.

After Shen Zhishu’s previous sentence had fallen, she suddenly did not answer.

It was almost noon, and the slightly dazzling sunlight leaked down from above the courtyard wall, casting an irregular shadow on the snow.

Shen Zhishu withdrew her gaze from the shadow, opened her mouth, and suddenly realized that her chest was a little tight.

She subconsciously wanted to call “Your Highness,” and as soon as she opened her mouth and uttered a syllable, she saw Jiang Yu, without looking up or speaking, suddenly flick her sleeve and turn to walk out quickly.

Shen Zhishu’s “What’s wrong” was stuck in her throat, and she muttered in a low voice, “Did I say something wrong?”

Xie Jin: “…Are you just realizing that now?”

“You—”

Xie Jin slapped Shen Zhishu on the shoulder and then pushed her forward, “What ‘you’? Go after her!”

It was a sunny day, and when Shen Zhishu rushed out the door, she was blinded by the sun for a moment.

She squinted and looked around, and saw Jiang Yu walking forward gracefully, and in front of her was a carriage. Rongju was looking around by the carriage, and after meeting her eyes, she shook her head with a pained expression.

…It’s over, Shen Zhishu thought.

Jiang Yu is leaving.

**

Jiang Yu was a little angry.

Actually, her anger had almost dissipated now, because she suddenly realized that she had no position to compete with a certain person, and Shen Zhishu did not seem to be at fault—

They were just friends now.

Shen Zhishu was just concerned about her, how innocent.

And if Shen Zhishu were to really be a matchmaker for her, she would have to thank her.

…After all, this was not a previous life. At this moment, they were at most… friends whose relationship was a little better than others.

Forget it, there was still a long way to go. There was still more than half a lifetime to waste, to be entangled about whether to recognize a certain person.

Jiang Yu closed her eyes in the sunlight, released her hand from the carriage, and was about to turn around and go back to find Shen Zhishu and Xie Jin with a calm heart—

A familiar “Your Highness” suddenly sounded in her ear, and then her wrist was grabbed.

When Jiang Yu was holding on to the carriage, her sleeve had slipped down a section, and a small piece of her pale, bloodless skin was exposed.

So when Shen Zhishu grabbed her wrist, there was no obstruction of clothing.

Jiang Yu could then feel the throbbing pulse in Shen Zhishu’s palm.

The pulse was fast and intense.

Jiang Yu was really stunned for a moment, “Why did you run out?”

“This is a question I should be asking Your Highness,” Shen Zhishu’s thin eyelids were half-raised, and her crow-black eyelashes were slightly lowered. “We were in the middle of a conversation, why did Your Highness leave me and go?”

Jiang Yu said in a faint voice, “The weather is good today, I came out for a walk—”

“I’m sorry.”

This apology came so suddenly that Jiang Yu was clearly stunned, “Hmm? Why is the General suddenly like this?”

“I said something wrong and made Your Highness unhappy.”

“The General didn’t say anything wrong, it was I who was unreasonable.”

“I was wrong,” Shen Zhishu said very seriously. “I misinterpreted Your Highness’s meaning in order to respond to Your Highness’s words, and I was being unreasonable.”

She held on to Jiang Yu’s wrist and did not let go. A thin layer of sweat appeared where their skin touched.

Jiang Yu patted her hand and said in a faint voice, “You can let go first.”

“No. As soon as I let go, Your Highness will run away in the carriage.”

Jiang Yu’s slender willow-leaf eyebrows were raised on one side, “Where can I go?”

“It doesn’t matter where you go, whether it’s back to your manor or to find Vice Minister Wen,” Shen Zhishu said. “Anyway, you won’t be in front of me anymore.”

Jiang Yu lowered her eyes, her gaze on the hand that was holding her wrist, her voice without a ripple, “If I go to find Vice Minister Wen, isn’t that what you want? You just said you wanted to be a matchmaker for me and Vice Minister Wen.”

“That was a joke.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely true. I was just making it up to respond to Your Highness’s words,” Shen Zhishu said in a low voice. “Your Highness, please forgive me. I won’t say that again. It’s disrespectful to both Your Highness and Lord Wen.”

Jiang Yu stared at her quietly and suddenly called out, “General.”

Shen Zhishu blinked, “Hmm?”

“Actually, I… am the same as the General, I don’t want to get married either.”

“Oh? Why?” Shen Zhishu was really surprised. “Your Highness, don’t learn from me. It’s really a torment to be alone for a lifetime.”

Jiang Yu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, looked away from Shen Zhishu’s face, and walked forward slowly, “Does the General want to hear the truth?”

Shen Zhishu followed closely behind Jiang Yu, “I’m all ears.”

Jiang Yu’s steps paused, “Forget it, let me brew it for a while.”

“Will it be difficult for Your Highness to say this?” Shen Zhishu looked really understanding. “If that’s the case, then forget it. I don’t have to hear it.”

Jiang Yu’s indifferent gaze came over from the corners of her eyes, her expression a half-smile. She then said, “Then forget it.”

“Your Highness!” Shen Zhishu said with a smile. “I was just being polite with you, why did you really forget it?”

“I thought the General was not interested.”

“I am interested,” Shen Zhishu said seriously. “If Your Highness doesn’t say it, I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep for a week.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely true.”

“Then I’ll say it.”

“Your Highness, please speak.”

Jiang Yu cleared her throat, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard wall and landing on a camphor tree a few zhang away.

She took a light breath, brewed for a moment, and said with a blank expression:

“Because I… already have a sweetheart.”

Shen Zhishu had a whole bunch of question marks on her face: ??????

Shen Zhishu was so surprised that her voice was not suppressed, and she let out a shout with the force of a pig being slaughtered, “What??? When did this happen??????”

“A long time ago.”

Shen Zhishu’s expression was a little dazed, “Wait, let me calm down… but what does Your Highness having a sweetheart have to do with Your Highness not being able to get married? Could it be that this person…”

“Mm,” Jiang Yu replied. “She doesn’t like me.”

“That’s impossible,” Shen Zhishu hissed. “How can anyone not like Your Highness?”

Jiang Yu’s expression was faint, and she did not speak, but turned her head to meet Shen Zhishu’s gaze.

Shen Zhishu’s curiosity was piqued, “Do I know this person?”

“You should… know her?”

“Who is it?”

“I won’t tell you, General.”

Shen Zhishu pouted, “Then will Your Highness just wait for her until she likes you?”

Jiang Yu was noncommittal.

The sound of horse hooves came from afar on the main road. Shen Zhishu suddenly felt a little annoyed.

After thinking about it, she finally attributed this feeling of annoyance to four words—beginning without an end.

Beginning without an end. She repeated these four words in her heart.

The road behind her was clear, but she could not see the way back.

—Since this Eldest Princess had a sweetheart… then what was the point of the previous “becoming close friends with the General” and “sharing a bed with the General”? And even those two ambiguous encounters of intimate passion?

…It was just friends.

So she suddenly realized that “friend” was actually a very subtle and fragile relationship. When you were in the mood, you could do anything under the banner of “friend”; when you were not in the mood, you would probably say “we are just friends, don’t be sentimental” when you kicked them away.

—”Friend” often had a beginning but no end.

Shen Zhishu’s throat tightened. She thought, Perhaps it’s because the sun is too strong, so my eyes can’t open.

So she just closed her eyes.

Cut your losses in time, Shen Zhishu said to herself in her heart.

So she said in a low voice:

“Since Your Highness has a sweetheart, then… those things that are related to lust, it’s better not to do them with this subordinate in the future.”