Duft erhebt sich zum Tanz

Kapitel 6

Huan'er sat limply on the soft chair in front of the dressing table, her eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror. She noticed her cheeks were flushed a captivating blush… This man was so dangerous, making her lose control, her heart pounding uncontrollably, her cheeks burning… But why was her heart surging with such boundless joy? What had he said before he left? From the moment his mesmerizing eyes met hers, and his hand gently caressed her, she had been in a daze, her consciousness hazy, and she had no idea what he had said. But she was certain he still hadn't answered her question.

The face in the mirror reminded her of Yu Niang, whose life had been filled with misery. She couldn't be so naive as to think that once she had done everything Su Guangping had asked of her, he would release Yu Niang as promised. What should she do? Oh! Su Guangping was truly wicked. Doing this kind of work was tantamount to courting death! Shi Wuji was definitely several times more difficult to deal with than Su Guangping. Shi Wuji… she had only known him for a few minutes, yet she already understood his character: shrewd, sharp, dangerous, and ruthless—absolutely ruthless to betrayers! In short, she would suffer a terrible death! Su Huan'er's thoughts were plunged into boundless turmoil.

Shi Wuji returned to the council hall. His younger siblings were already waiting for him inside. As soon as he sat down, Shi Wujie immediately spoke up:

"Big brother, she really is here to infiltrate."

“No trace.” Shi Wuji glanced at his younger brother before turning to his elder brother to ask.

During the wedding procession, Shi Wuhen sneaked into the Su residence to secretly monitor Su Guangping's actions. He only returned just now, still wearing servant's clothes.

"Su Guangping has long coveted our assets. So he's using his usual method of arranged marriages to deal with us. Besides having Su Huan'er steal the account books, the most important thing is to have her find out our background. They've already become suspicious of us, so Ke Biwei specifically instructed them to do this. My brother was right; Ke Biwei is indeed one of the four, and all his deductions were completely correct." Shi Wuji's deep foresight and accurate predictions are the key to his success in business over the years; he never makes a mistake.

“Very good, the bait is well laid; even the most cunning character will be lured out.” Shi Wuji said coldly, his face expressionless.

Shi Wuxia frowned slightly.

“But… Ke Biwei is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Can we touch him? He is also the son of the current Governor-General of Liangjiang!” Her worries drew scorn from Shi Wujie.

"Do we have to go around making a big fuss and announcing it to the world if we want to kill him? If open methods don't work, we'll do it secretly. We've endured seventeen years of hardship and humiliation just to wait for the right moment to settle this blood debt in blood." Shi Wujie wasn't satisfied with this impassioned speech. It seemed he had more grand pronouncements to make. But Shi Wuhen stopped him first.

"Wu Jie, let's hear what Big Brother has to do with Su Huan'er. Is he really going to take her back to the North, Big Brother?"

Shi Wuji said without the slightest hesitation:

"Take her back. Do not provoke her without my instructions, and do not speak ill of her. She is just a pawn in someone else's game, not our enemy."

“But…” Shi Wujie wanted to say that all members of the Su family were the irreconcilable enemies of the Shi family, but he was stopped by Shi Wuhen before he could finish speaking.

"Brother has his reasons, so let's not say anything more." Shi Wuhen looked at Shi Wuji thoughtfully, but this drew a disapproving look from Shi Wuji—a sign that he was about to get angry. The three of them immediately found excuses to leave.

Shi Wuji's principle was always to settle scores and never harm the innocent. Therefore, he ordered his siblings not to make things difficult for that delicate little girl. He spoke with perfect conviction, but under Wuhen's probing gaze, an inexplicable anger rose within him; he knew what Wuhen was guessing, and this thought made Shi Wuji feel utterly embarrassed. He wanted to protect the girl who had been sent to infiltrate—this made absolutely no sense!

He let out a soft sigh, his gaze lingering on a delicate rose outside the window. But a breathtakingly beautiful, captivating face floated into his mind, refusing to leave, and he fell into deep thought…

Su Huan'er thought that if Shi Wuji was really in a hurry to return to the north, he would wait until dawn. Unexpectedly, while she was sound asleep, he dug her out of the quilt and told her to pack her things so they could be on their way.

Actually, she didn't need to do anything; the clever maids had already packed her things and had the porters carry them out. All she had to do was have the servants help her change clothes and comb her hair.

Tonight was their wedding night, but he didn't come to their room to consummate their marriage. This left her on edge from the afternoon until late into the night, finally drifting into a hazy, bewildered sleep, a sleep filled with apprehension and unease. Looking at the carriage and three saddled horses outside the gate, her wedding night felt more like a night of escape! Huan'er thought with amusement, as waves of sleepiness washed over her, her thoughts remaining hazy and confused.

"Where is the young mistress?" Shi Wuji asked the steward as he led his younger brother and sister-in-law out the gate, his eyes searching among the servants. When he returned to her room to fetch her, she had already been led out by the servants.

Su Huan'er nodded so hard her head almost fell off—she had been dozing off again, completely unaware that her husband was looking for her. A maid called softly, "Madam," and gently nudged her. Huan'er's eyes widened abruptly, and she took a step forward, but her skirt tripped her, causing her to stumble and fall. Shi Wuji quickly caught his wife, and she landed squarely in his arms, nestled against his large, warm chest.