Su Xiaoqi followed Zi Yu, watching her sway her hips as she moved forward with a captivating allure.
Her posture, her slender waist, her allure…
Tsk, tsk, Su Xiaoqi thought, if she were a man, she might feel some pity for a woman who threw herself at him like this.
What would Shen Yun think?
Curiosity piqued, Su Xiaoqi stopped moving forward. Instead, she turned and sat back down in the armchair, adopting a comfortable position and looking like she was about to watch a show.
It was Shen Yun's first day at the Hanlin Academy. He was skilled in social graces and possessed a handsome, refined, and gentle demeanor that made him very likable.
Furthermore, the incident at noon where his wife brought him food was simply the icing on the cake, allowing him to thrive at the Hanlin Academy and gain immense popularity.
Consequently, he was in an excellent mood when he returned, eager to rush to Su Xiaoqi, embrace her, and share his experiences.
Upon reaching the entrance and hearing that his young lady was in the outer hall's reception room, he came directly without even bothering to change his clothes.
Everything had been fine initially; his young lady was delighted to see him and eagerly got up to greet him.
However, before he could get closer, another figure suddenly emerged from the side, directly blocking his wife's view.
And he even managed to make his wife angry enough to sit back down.
Indeed, although his young lady's face was impassive, the smile was gone from her peach blossom eyes.
Based on his understanding of his young lady, she was angry.
Shen Yun was not slow-witted; quite the contrary, he was very sensitive.
The root of his wife's anger was naturally the person standing between them.
He recognized her; her name was Zi Yu.
She was a maid they had bought when they first arrived in the capital.
They didn't interact much, but she was one of the maids who left a rather deep impression on him.
He recalled that she always seemed to step forward whenever he was with his wife.
Either to offer a pastry or to hand him a cup of tea.
He had wanted to remind his wife for a long time that a maid with too many hidden intentions, not dedicated to her duties, was best sent away as soon as possible.
He had thought his wife had already sent her away when she didn't accompany them to Ganquan Temple last time.
However, upon their return, he saw her again, and she was still trying to curry favor with him.
Was his wife truly oblivious or pretending to be oblivious and uncaring?
Shen Yun felt uncertain and a little unsettled.
He did not want to burden Su Xiaoqi with these unpleasant emotions, so he could only vent his frustration on Zi Yu.
Therefore, every time he saw her, Shen Yun, the gentle and refined gentleman in public, would put on a somber face, appearing dull and gloomy.
As a result, even though Zi Yu had always harbored feelings for him, she was intimidated by his aura and never dared to get too close.
But today, for some unknown reason, she suddenly dared to rush towards him so boldly.
Wasn't this a clear case of everyone knowing her intentions?
Shen Yun's handsome face darkened, as if covered by a layer of frost.
Zi Yu had been eagerly approaching. She didn't want to hold back anymore, nor did she want to wait.
Today, she wanted to test her master's attitude towards her.
After all, it was common for men to have three wives and four concubines.
Men would eventually take concubines.
It was better to take a concubine from within the household than from outside.
And she happened to be the prettiest among the maids.
If her master wasn't blind, he should like her.
Zi Yu's thoughts were beautiful, and her heart was bubbling with anticipation.
Suddenly, she was pinned by Shen Yun's sharp, cold gaze, as if it were laced with potent poison. Her heart immediately turned cold, her legs grew weak, and her body suddenly slumped.
She fell straight to the ground, face-first, her nose and face bruised.
"Ah…" Zi Yu cried out in pain, unable to get up for a long time.
Su Xiaoqi watched with a cold eye, observing the entire process from Zi Yu's approach to her fall.
She was somewhat disappointed, yet also somewhat expected.
Shen Yun was indeed still the cold-hearted, unfeeling person from her previous life.
He only cared about those he valued.
If he didn't care, even if someone died in front of him, he might not even give them a second glance.
"My lady." Shen Yun, as expected, didn't even cast a glance at the injured Zi Yu on the ground. He walked straight towards Su Xiaoqi.
As he passed Zi Yu, he even lifted his official robe, as if afraid of being contaminated by something unclean.
This posture was truly a case of minimal harm but maximum insult.
Su Xiaoqi frowned as she saw his demeanor, as if he were desperate to avoid anything related to her.
If one knew him, they would say he was naturally aloof.
If they didn't know him, they would think he disliked Zi Yu immensely.
She couldn't help but say, "A beauty throws herself at you, and yet my husband not only shows no pity but even glares at her."
Shen Yun looked up, his eyes fixed firmly on Su Xiaoqi. He seized this opportunity to declare his feelings, saying very seriously, "With you before me, this humble husband's eyes can hold no one else."
Shen Yun had not been one for sweet talk in the past.
But now, Su Xiaoqi found him to be like a walking candy jar, constantly trying to impress her.
She was resigned and dared not continue this topic with him, attempting to change the subject:
"You finished work quite early?" Su Xiaoqi glanced at the sky. The sun had not yet completely set, and it was probably around six o'clock.
Fortunately, they weren't working until late.
Actually, Su Xiaoqi didn't think much of being an official.
Especially for officials of the fifth rank and above, who had to attend court sessions daily.
They left as early as four or five in the morning, and if the emperor felt like it in the evening, they might even have to stay behind to play a game of chess or chat for a while.
They could do nothing else all day but work.
They only had three days off per month.
One day off every ten days, compared to the two-day weekend in modern times, the holidays were pitifully few.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem very appealing.
Yet, people in this era were desperately trying to secure official positions.
Not to mention studying hard, some even spent money and used connections to obtain an official title, their obsession frightening.
"What are you thinking about, my lady?" Shen Yun was displeased that Su Xiaoqi was zoning out right in front of him. He reached out, placed a hand on her shoulder, and gazed at her intently.
"I'm not thinking about anything, just wondering when husband will get promoted," Su Xiaoqi replied with a smile.
Shen Yun narrowed his eyes. "My lady, rest assured." Promotion might be difficult for others, but for him, it was only a matter of time.
The things he had done in the past were not in vain, and the pieces he had set in motion were not for nothing.
Of course, Su Xiaoqi would never know these inside stories; otherwise, she would likely be frightened by his profound intentions.
"Trying to cheer me up?" Su Xiaoqi glared at him.
However, this look, filled with affection and coquettishness, held no actual power.
Shen Yun smiled deeply and drew her into his embrace.
At this moment, Zi Yu, who had fallen to the ground, finally recovered from the pain. She lay there, struggling to lift her head and look at the affectionate embrace between the master and mistress.
Waves of resentment surged in her heart.
Why? She had never intended to insert herself between the master and mistress.
She simply wanted to join them.
Since there would definitely be concubines among them, why couldn't it be her?
Su Xiaoqi glanced at her and beckoned to someone who had been peeking outside.
Zi Cao hurried over to help Zi Yu up and said heartbrokenly, "Zi Yu, you've been foolish."
Zi Cao had not been serving here originally; she rushed over after receiving the message from Zhang Yu.
After the two stood properly, Su Xiaoqi glanced at Zi Cao, who then tactfully pulled Zi Yu away.
"Wait, send her to the backyard. She doesn't need to serve in the main residence anymore," Shen Yun suddenly said.
Su Xiaoqi was somewhat surprised. Although his words were exactly what she wanted to say, she hadn't expected Shen Yun to voice them.
According to the customs of the Great Liang Dynasty, men only needed to focus on matters in the front courtyard; the troublesome affairs of the inner quarters were handled by the mistress of the household.
Zi Cao glanced at Zi Yu and pulled her away, bowing in greeting before leaving.
After walking a considerable distance, she looked at Zi Yu.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she sobbed as she walked.
However, seeing that she hadn't dared to cry in front of their masters and only did so now, Zi Cao knew that she still had some sense.
"Oh you, why do you have such hidden intentions?" Zi Cao poked her forehead, looking dejected.
She was different from others.
She and Zi Yu had come from the same original household since childhood.
Later, when their master committed a crime, both of them were sold off.
After changing hands twice more, they finally found a stable place in the Shen family.
Naturally, their relationship was different from that of others.
"Wuwuwu, Sister Zi Cao, I, I don't know, I, I just like Master."
Zi Cao sighed. "Master is handsome and talented; who wouldn't like him?
Gold and silver are also beautiful and valuable, and everyone likes them. But liking is not a reason.
What is not yours is not yours; you cannot steal or rob.
Moreover, what is our status?
You must remember, you must always remember your own status and not think of overstepping your bounds."
"Hmph, Sister Zi Cao, are you looking down on me like the others? I, you've known me since childhood, you know my personality very well. I, I won't give up." Zi Yu stamped her foot, wiped her tears, and ran off.
"Alas…" Zi Cao wanted to persuade her further and started to chase after her, but she was stopped by a figure.