Yet in My Heart - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Once we were inside, I yanked off the heavy cloak around me and gave Mother a rough account of what had happened.

Mother calmly sent people out to make inquiries.

The Matriarch of the Lian Family had brought back an adopted daughter from the countryside.

What happened after that went without saying.

Mother’s face darkened.

After Father and my brothers left, she had devoted herself to making everyone believe I had suffered a grave illness and had been left terribly frail ever since.

She made me learn to speak softly and gently.

To cough at just the right moments.

And to faint when overcome with emotion.

Tender and moving, yet as delicate as a willow in the wind.

I did it very well.

The General’s Mansion posed no threat now. On the contrary, His Majesty would always remember the days when he and my father had conversed so happily, and out of affection for him, he looked after me, the daughter my father had left behind.

Who in Shangjing did not know of Song Roujia, clinging to life by a thread?

At first, they pitied me. After enough time passed, they began to pity Lian Sheng instead.

They criticized me: “He still has to marry a sickly invalid and bring her home. The Lian Family truly is loyal and righteous. Does Song Roujia not realize she is holding someone else back?”

When the Matriarch of the Lian Family saw me, she smiled as well.

But there was a hint of appraisal in that smile.

She looked down on this body of mine.

Her words were gentle, but barbed. “Jia’er is so frail. You must rest quietly. Moving about too often will only harm your health.”

Chapter 5

In truth, I had never been frail.

My body was so healthy I could eat an entire ox on the spot.

The physician who took my pulse refused to believe it and checked several times in a row.

What he clearly felt was a strong, steady pulse, vibrant and lively-more spirited than an ox.

“How is she?”

I bit down on my handkerchief, lowered my eyes, and let tears well up.

At the time, Lian Sheng was with me.

He hurriedly comforted me. “It’s all right, it’s all right. It must be all right. Roujia, don’t be sad.”

“Physician, isn’t she all right?”

The physician said, “Er, yes. There is nothing wrong at all.”

I sobbed. “You needn’t comfort me.”

Lian Sheng said, “How could that be mere comfort? Roujia’s health will slowly improve. The physician has said so, so let’s believe him, all right?”

The physician said, “There really is nothing wrong.”

Lian Sheng gave him a disapproving look, but before leaving, he stuffed him some extra silver and told him that in the future, whenever he examined me, he was to prescribe good medicine and say reassuring things.

I tugged at Lian Sheng’s sleeve, my eyes rippling with emotion. “Thank you.”

His ears turned red, and he fled as if escaping.

Once, I had thought marrying Lian Sheng would not be so bad. As expected, a young master from a scholarly family was so easy to manipulate.

I was not afraid of that wretched mother-in-law, either.

I could take on five of her with one punch.

I never expected things to turn out like this.

Chapter 6

Mother was furious. “So this is their plan-to drag it out, delay it again and again, until our family can no longer bear it and breaks off the engagement. They truly are scholars, aren’t they? Quite scheming. How vicious.”

She pretended nothing had happened.

Then she invited the Matriarch of the Lian Family over.

Without betraying a thing, she brought up the marriage between Lian Sheng and me.

“The children have not yet come of age. Why be in such a rush? Besides, Lian Sheng is still in mourning…”

Mother smiled faintly. “It is not that I am in any particular hurry. It is just that a few days ago, Eunuch Gao happened to stop by the General’s Mansion to proclaim an imperial decree posthumously honoring the general, and he also happened to ask about the marriage. His Majesty said that the Crown Prince’s health has been worsening by the day of late, and he thought to borrow the wedding joy of the General’s Mansion to bring some good fortune. That is why he asked a little more.”

Lady Lian’s expression stiffened.

“Roujia, come here.”

I emerged from behind the screen and bowed gracefully.

“Cough… Greetings, Madam.”

My mother said warmly, “Roujia is very fond of Sheng’er.”

My cheeks flushed faintly, my girlish feelings written all over my face.

Lady Lian’s smile grew even uglier.

After she left, I huffed, “Mother, I don’t want to marry him. I want to whip that wretched bastard to death!”

Mother glanced at me.

I glanced back at Mother.

Then I adjusted my voice and looked as though I were about to burst into tears. “Mother, I want to marry Lian Sheng…”

Outside the door, Lady Lian, who had turned back, walked right into this scene.

She had been forced to return.

Because Eunuch Gao had arrived.

In truth, today was the actual day Eunuch Gao had come to read the imperial decree.

Eunuch Gao smiled. “Madam, Miss Song.”

I dabbed at the tears in the corners of my eyes with great affectation.

Eunuch Gao glanced at Lady Lian’s ugly expression, then offered a few pointed reminders, saying that my coming-of-age ceremony had already passed, and that it was time to begin preparing what ought to be prepared.

Lady Lian nodded and said yes.

After she left, Eunuch Gao smiled. “The general sacrificed himself for the court. Naturally, we will not allow Miss Song to suffer any grievance.”

My eyes blurred with tears. “Thank you, Eunuch Gao. It is just that my days are numbered. To form a happy union with the Lian Family would fulfill one of my wishes, and my long, bitter wait before this would not have been in vain.”

Eunuch Gao looked deeply at me and sighed. “What a fine young lady, so deeply and devotedly in love.”