CHAPTER 802: CHAPTER 235: DREAM NIGHT

The speaker was a woman, her voice very gentle, yet with a hint of cheerful nonchalance that was very comforting to hear.

Following that, someone in the courtyard who seemed to be a maid said, "After the son-in-law topped the exam, Madam and Miss have been even more excessive in their treatment of the young lady."

"No matter, he has just won the top spot today, naturally there’ll be many social engagements. Yurong is also compelled, Du Juan, don’t talk nonsense."

Top Scholar? Shen Yurong? Upon hearing this name, Jih Heng understood instantly. He knew Shen Yurong, the recent top exam scorer, and Emperor Hongxiao had even mentioned that he was preparing to bestow a mansion upon him. Hearing about this Top Scholar Shen, who came from a common family and lived in poverty, it was indeed true; he dwelled in such a crude lane.

Jih Heng wasn’t fond of eavesdropping on household gossip, but today he didn’t leave; perhaps due to exhaustion, he was too lazy to move and thus sat on the wall, quietly listening to the people inside talking.

"But today is the Spring Festival, it’s fine for the son-in-law to be busy, but for Madam and Miss to rush off to the temple fair on their own, leaving the young lady alone at home, isn’t that deliberately making things difficult? It’s only because the young lady is good-natured. If the young master was here, he’d surely stand up for her."

"Hai Tang, you’re talking nonsense again," the woman’s voice was still unconcerned, and she said with a chuckle, "When they’re not around, it’s a good chance for me to enjoy some quiet. Little do they know how tiresome it is to keep up appearances and work every day; having a moment of relaxation is something I long for."

"The Shen family has too many rules, and they’re not even a distinguished family. When she was with the Xue Family, the young lady didn’t have to work so hard."

The maid in the courtyard seemed particularly dissatisfied with the Shen family, repeatedly referring to her as "the young lady," clearly regarding the matriarch as an outsider. The more Jih Heng listened, the more he remembered having seen Shen Yurong’s wife before.

The people of Yanjing all knew of his fondness for beauty and disdain for ugliness; any beauty ought to be presented for his approval, as if his acknowledgement was a great honor. Little did they know, he had no such predilection; aside from Yu Hongye, all the women in the world were but vulgar commoners in his eyes. He was full of disdain when Wen Renyao pointed out Xue Fangfei to him in the restaurant.

This Xue Fangfei, born with stunning beauty and excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, was unfortunately worthless in Jih Heng’s eyes. Just by seeing her indulgent and docile demeanor toward her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and her willingness to compromise for the sake of the Shen family, Jih Heng found her irksome, thinking "Beautiful she may be, but soulless." He had never considered what type of woman he might like in the future, but such a puppet-like, wooden woman, similar to all the cunning and sociable Madams of Official Families, who hid their mercenary nature behind smiles, wouldn’t even merit a second glance from him. How could such a person be dubbed "Yanjing’s number one beauty"?

His impression of Xue Fangfei stopped there, until today, just beyond a wall, he saw a different Xue Fangfei. Unlike the Fangfei he had seen in the restaurant, she wasn’t foolish or hopeless; at the very least, she knew what she liked and disliked. Alas, she liked Shen Yurong more than she liked herself, which was why she was willing to sacrifice her own "likes" for him.

Thus, love is the silliest thing in the world; to pour your heart out for someone, gaining nothing in return—what’s the point? It’s better to be an eternally sober spectator, sitting aside with a smile and cheering.

"Would the young lady like to swing?" asked the maid.

Fangfei inside the wall sighed with a smile, "Yes, that’s good. Since they’re not at home, I can be a bit freer."

She seemed to be sitting on a swing, rocking back and forth.

One could almost see through the wall the exquisite woman with the beauty of hibiscus, sitting on a swing with a smile on her face, her figure elegant and graceful. It was a scene even more beautiful than the springtime. He could have climbed the wall to take a glimpse of her beauty, but he did nothing. Instead, he remained leaning against the wall, a mocking smile curling the corner of his mouth.

Despite her profound intelligence and remarkable beauty, she was confined to such a shabby house, where even swinging in the courtyard became a luxury. Was there anything more miserable in this world? At least Jih Heng felt some pity for Madam Shen; she was also pitifully foolish, finding joy in such a hopeless and humble life. Was this the so-called bliss of ignorance?

At least to Jih Heng, having only seen Shen Yurong a few times, he knew that Shen Yurong was not a man content with poverty and simplicity. The ambition and desire in his eyes were even more energetic than his learning. He and this woman in the courtyard, content with swinging, were simply not the same kind of people. Their paths were not meant to tread together for long; the happiness that Fangfei believed in would eventually be shattered. Fangfei couldn’t see it because she was a player in the drama, but he could see it clearly because he was a spectator.