Dandy Escapes From Marriage - Chapter 56

Returning to the Liu residence, after bidding farewell reluctantly, they each went back to their own rooms.

 

Liu Shu dismissed the servants, leaving himself alone with anticipation, leaving a door open for Shen Ke. He sat at the table, nervously waiting—sometimes fidgeting, sometimes smiling foolishly. His gaze fell on a vase, hurriedly adjusting its position, but found the original placement was better.

 

Turning his head, he checked the wardrobe for dust, looked around the room to ensure it was tidy and presentable, then finally stood by the bed. He felt the bedding wasn’t properly folded, so he reached out to smooth out the wrinkles, only managing to create more creases.

 

As he rearranged it, the mess grew worse. Just as he was wrestling with the bedding, a knock at the door interrupted him. He couldn’t wait and exclaimed eagerly, “Come in, come in!”

 

“So enthusiastic?” Lu Yueju walked in slowly. Liu Shu’s smile froze as he instinctively glanced outside before asking, “Mother, why aren’t you resting so late?”

 

“I can’t sleep, so I came to talk to you.” Lu Yueju sat down, looking at his disheveled bed with confusion. “Are you ready for bed?”

 

“Uh, yes, I’m about to sleep. Can we talk tomorrow?” Liu Shu immediately suggested.

 

“No, if I wait till tomorrow, your mind will be on someone else. I must talk to you tonight,” Lu Yueju insisted firmly.

 

“Alright, what do you want to talk about?” Liu Shu walked over and sat beside her, intending to resolve this topic quickly.

 

“After you and Shen Ke are married, will you live in Jinling or in the capital?” Lu Yueju asked.

 

“I’m fine with either. But if he needs to take the imperial exams, the focus will naturally shift towards the capital,” Liu Shu speculated.

 

“You’ve never lived in the capital before. Will you be able to adapt?” Lu Yueju asked.

 

“Why wouldn’t I? You’ve seen how I’ve lived these past few days,” Liu Shu replied.

 

“The capital is under the Emperor’s foot. You can’t afford to cause trouble. Do you think you can manage your words and actions?” Lu Yueju expressed her concern.

 

“I know what you’re worried about. You’re afraid I’ll get into trouble, especially since I have no backing,” Liu Shu remembered Zhao Yelan’s words earlier that night and smiled. “Don’t worry, I may not have backing, but isn’t Shen Ke my greatest support? For him, I’ll restrain myself, watch my words and actions, and avoid causing trouble.”

 

Lu Yueju stared at him for a while, then sighed, “You’ve really grown up. I’m just not used to it yet. Oh well, since we’ll have fewer chances to meet in the future, why don’t we have a long talk tonight?”

 

“No, please!” Liu Shu gently persuaded, “Staying up late isn’t good for your health, and your beautiful face will lose its elasticity!”

 

“But…”

 

“Mother, if there’s nothing else, please go rest. We can continue our conversation tomorrow,” Liu Shu ushered her towards the door.

 

“Alright, you should rest early then.”

 

“Okay!”

 

After seeing his mother off, Liu Shu went back to tidy the bed again. The night grew darker, surrounding him with silence. He waited for a long time, but Shen Ke didn’t show up. Feeling drowsy, he accidentally fell asleep leaning against the bed.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed when someone began taking off his shoes and lifted him carefully, placing him on the bed.

 

Liu Shu groggily opened his eyes and looked at the person in front of him, muttering, “Why did you just arrive?”

 

“Mother came to talk to me, so I was delayed,” Shen Ke replied.

 

Liu Shu grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the bed. Habitually resting his head on Shen Ke’s chest, he asked, “What did you talk about?”

 

“She asked about our plans for the future, whether we should move the residence or stay at the Shen family’s,” Shen Ke answered, smiling as he looked into his eyes.

 

Hearing this topic, Liu Shu became more awake. He raised his head and blinked, “My mother asked me the same thing. What did you say?”

 

“I don’t plan to return to the capital for now.”

 

Liu Shu was surprised, “So, do you want to come to Jinling? That’s great, you can choose any mansion in Jinling!”

 

“Not exactly.” Shen Ke smiled and gazed into his eyes, “I want to go back to the village. There are still many things I haven’t finished.”

 

“Don’t say that, I really miss Big Brother Mian and the others, and I don’t know how Brother Zhang Moyang and Sister Huishang are doing with the chickens we raised. Are they working hard to lay eggs?”

 

“Are you willing to go back with me?”

 

“Of course I am! That place is our second home!” Liu Shu exclaimed, “And my second shop just opened. I wonder how the business is going?”

 

“We’ll find out when we get back,” Shen Ke chuckled.

 

“Yeah!” Liu Shu nodded vigorously, accidentally bumping his chin against Shen Ke’s chest. He rubbed his chin and then massaged Shen Ke’s chest, “Does it hurt?”

 

“No, it doesn’t,” Shen Ke instinctively held his hand.

 

Liu Shu raised his eyes and locked gazes with Shen Ke for a moment, feeling his heart race. He lowered his head and passionately kissed him, entangling together and rolling around, making the bedding even more disheveled. Just as he began to undo Shen Ke’s belt, Shen Ke grabbed his hand and in a hoarse voice said, “Not tonight.”

 

“Why?” Liu Shu continued kissing his lips non-stop, “Are you not mentally prepared yet? Anyway, we’re going to get married sooner or later, what’s there to be embarrassed about? I’ll be very gentle~”

 

“It’s not that.” Shen Ke, nearing his limit of endurance, had to tell him, “My parents are returning to the capital early tomorrow morning.”

 

“So soon?” Liu Shu was surprised, immediately looking at him, “What about you? Are you going back to the capital with them?”

 

“I’m not going back. I’ve discussed it with my mother; we’re heading directly to Quzhou, and she agrees.”

 

“Then I’ll go with you to Quzhou.”

 

“Good.” Shen Ke embraced him, kissed his forehead gently, and murmured, “I’m glad it’s you, Young Master Liu. It’s really good.”

 

Before dawn broke, Shen Ke woke up and carefully released Liu Shu from his embrace, covered him with the blanket, and quietly returned to his own room. When the sky began to brighten, he got up, washing his face. Just then, Liu Shu rushed in anxiously.

 

“A Ke, A Ke!”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Seeing him, Liu Shu hurriedly hugged him, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, “I dreamed that you left me and went back to the capital alone. When I woke up, I found you were gone.”

 

“How could I leave you alone?” Shen Ke patted his back, then helped him wipe his face, smiling, “I just came back early to avoid my parents catching me sneaking into your room.”

 

Liu Shu buried his face in his chest again, quietly embracing him.

 

“Ahem!” Madam Shen came early in the morning to bid farewell to Shen Ke and saw this scene, not knowing what to say.

 

Love makes one foolish indeed!

 

Shen Ke looked up, awkwardly smiled, glanced at his mother’s expression, feeling he had wasted his efforts sneaking back. Now, his mother must have guessed that they had stirred things up again last night.

 

“Madam Shen.” Liu Shu stood obediently, turned around to greet her, “It’s still early, why don’t you rest a little longer?”

 

“It’s not early anymore. We’ll be leaving soon,” Madam Shen said, “Can I talk to you alone?”

 

Shen Ke glanced at Liu Shu, who nodded, then walked out of the room and closed the door.

 

“Last night, I talked with A Ke for a while, and there’s something I won’t hide from you anymore. I asked him if he plans to take a concubine,” Madam Shen got straight to the point.

 

Liu Shu was stunned.

 

“A Ke has been gentle since he was a child, a well-behaved child who never disappointed us. But now that he’s grown up and knows what he wants, we can no longer intervene in his life. So I asked him if he would consider taking a concubine for offspring in the future. He firmly told me that he has never thought about having a third person in his marriage.”

 

Madam Shen smiled and then asked seriously, “I know he’s a man of his word. Therefore, as his mother, I also want to ask you: Do you have any plans for children in the future? Will you abandon him for someone else? This is your last chance to choose, there will be no room for regret in the future.”

 

“His heart is my heart, never to part in this life,” Liu Shu replied without hesitation.

 

Madam Shen stared at him for a moment, her lips curved slightly, showing a gentle smile.

 

A Ke must have inherited Madam Shen’s temperament, Liu Shu thought.

 

“Then I can rest assured. Next time we meet, I’m afraid I’ll have to change my tune.”

 

“Actually, you can change your mind now,” Liu Shu blushed and smiled shyly, “Mother, mother, mother!”

 

“Eh, eh, eh,” Madam Shen responded a few times, feeling amused and helpless. She then felt the jewelry on her body wasn’t quite suitable to give, so she opened the door, reached up, and took the hairpin from Shen Ke’s head.

 

The black hair all fell down. Shen Ke looked at her inexplicably, but she turned around and handed the hairpin to Liu Shu: “As a gesture of change, this is the hairpin given to him by his grandfather at his first birthday banquet. Now it’s yours.”

 

“Wow!” Liu Shu received it as if it were a treasure, both hands reaching out. “Thank you, Mother!”

 

Shen Ke: “?”

 

What exactly did they talk about to progress so quickly?

 

They had only brought this hairpin for their trip out and had no backup. So, they had to turn to Liu Shu for help. Liu Shu opened the cupboard and said generously, “You can choose as you like.”

 

Shen Ke stared at the heap of gaudy hairpins and fell into thought. Finally, he raised his eyes to the emerald hairpin Liu Shu wore with a few branches of differing lengths at its end, like a willow tree.

 

“Let’s take this one.”

 

“Okay.”

 

They exchanged hairpins, then each tidied the other’s hair, quite enjoying the process. Liu Shu couldn’t help but say, “Ah, I really want to get married!”

 

“Yes.”

 

During breakfast, the other elders looked at their hairpins, somewhat enviously pretending they hadn’t noticed.

 

Liu Shu poked Lu Yueju in secret, mouthing: Wedding plans, wedding plans, wedding plans!

 

Lu Yueju rolled her eyes in her heart and replied, “The wedding plans are almost settled. The 28th of the twelfth month is an auspicious day.”

 

“I see that there’s an auspicious day in half a month; why wait so long?” Liu Shu pulled out a Huang Li.

 

Everyone: “…”

 

Lu Yueju poked him in the head. “Do you think marriage is an instant decision? The etiquette process is complicated. The two families are far apart. To marry by year-end is already the fastest and most appropriate date we have found.”

 

“All right, thank you, auntie. Let’s set it for year-end,” Shen Ke said, giving Liu Shu a reassuring glance, and Liu Shu complied.

 

With the final details arranged, Shen Yanqing’s couple bid them farewell. The business of the capital is busy, and the journey back and forth will take several days, so there is no way to stay longer.

 

“Alright, thank you for your hard work, Auntie. Let’s set it for year-end then,” Shen Ke said, giving Liu Shu a reassuring glance, which prompted Liu Shu to relent.

 

With the final details settled, Mr. and Mrs. Shen Yanqing bid them farewell. Affairs in the capital were busy, and just the round trip would take up several days, so they couldn’t afford to stay any longer.

 

After mutual reminders and farewells, the group watched as the carriage departed. Just after Lu Yueju finished seeing off her in-laws, she heard her son whispering in her ear, “Mother, Shen Ke and I need to leave as well.”

 

“Why the rush?!”

 

“I’m worried about the shop and want to get back to oversee things quickly,” Liu Shu explained.

 

“What shop is worth you personally overseeing? I’ll just buy it directly and hire someone to manage it for you,” his mother suggested.

 

“No, I’ve rarely found something I want to do myself,” Liu Shu refused.

 

“Yes, it’s rare for Xiao Wu to want to do business. Let’s see how capable he really is,” Old Master Shen chuckled, actually having a few ideas in mind.

 

Previously, he never let Liu Shu touch the family business, fearing for his health and that bad omen. Now that Liu Shu and Shen Ke were engaged, they could turn bad luck into good. These sons were all a match for each other’s idle ways, but if Liu Shu could truly start from scratch and marry into the Shen family, then he could confidently hand over this vast family fortune to him in the future.

 

Lu Yueju packed them some food and clean clothes, but always felt it wasn’t enough. She almost wished she could move the entire household.

 

“That’s enough now. With these, it’ll be sufficient. If Shen Ke’s clothes tear, I can always sew them,” Liu Shu interjected.

 

Lu Yueju looked at Shen Ke in surprise, feeling more and more satisfied as she sized him up like a mother-in-law. She laughed, “Shen Ke, we’ll leave Xiao Wu in your care.”

 

“Thank you, Auntie.” Shen Ke heard her words sincerely and smiled warmly, “I will do my best to take care of him.”

 

Before departing, Liu Shu went to have dinner with old friends, while Shen Ke bid farewell to Mr. Zhao at the inn.

 

Upon learning that Shen Ke was returning to the small mountain village, Mr. Zhao was somewhat surprised. He explained, “Life in the mountain village is tough, but it allows me to better understand the lives of the common people.”

 

Mr. Zhao’s perception of Shen Ke changed completely, and he said, “Those who know where the roof leaks are under the heavens; those who know where the government fails are in the fields. It’s rare that you have such intentions. Go ahead and do what you must.”

 

In the afternoon, Shen Ke and Liu Shu officially set off to return to the small mountain village of Quzhou.

 

Passing through Huizhou, they got off the carriage. Shen Ke wanted to visit his elder brother, while Liu Shu went to check on the new shop.

 

They agreed to meet back at the inn after their respective tasks and went their separate ways.

 

Shen Ke went to the prefectural yamen but found out that the prefect was out on official business, so he had to return. As he approached Liu Shu’s shop, he saw Shen Huai leading several soldiers towards him and immediately called out, “Big brother!”

 

Shen Huai paused. It had been quite some time since they last met, and seeing him dressed so finely suddenly made him feel somewhat uneasy. As he approached, he asked, “You’re back so soon?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Did you call off the engagement?” Shen Huai asked straight away.

 

“No.”

 

“What?!” Shen Huai frowned and sternly reprimanded, “Wasn’t that why you went back? How could you not call off the engagement? Can you face Xiao Wu, who has been with you through thick and thin? Truly disappointing!”

 

“Because—”

 

“Ke!” Liu Shu’s voice interrupted him.

 

Both turned to look and saw Liu Shu running towards them, looking just as splendidly dressed. Shen Huai’s mind was suddenly flooded with countless speculations, and he couldn’t help but suspect that Shen Ke was compensating Xiao Wu!

 

“Stop him,” Shen Huai ordered the soldiers.

 

The soldiers immediately blocked Liu Shu’s path. Liu Shu looked puzzled, and Shen Ke, equally confused, asked, “Big brother, what are you doing?”

 

“I won’t allow you to see him again until you call off the engagement,” Shen Huai said in a low voice. “Don’t act foolishly. If Father finds out about Xiao Wu, I’ll break your legs.”

 

“Xiao Wu, let’s go. I’ll take you out for a drink,” Shen Huai turned and walked towards Liu Shu.

 

“Big brother,” Shen Ke shouted from behind, “Xiao Wu is the person I’m engaged to.”

 

“Are you out of your mind? You’re clearly engaged to Young Master Liu from the Liu family!” Shen Huai was exasperated, turning to scold him.

 

“Big brother, calm down,” Liu Shu quickly patted Shen Huai’s arm to ease his anger. “Are you angry because of this matter?”

 

“Why, do you also know he hasn’t called off the engagement?!” Shen Huai looked at him in surprise.

 

“I know.”

 

“And you’re not angry?!”

 

“I’m happy actually, big brother. I’m touched. I didn’t expect the esteemed Prefect to be my elder brother. And it seems this elder brother cares about me quite a lot.”

 

“Are you out of your mind, or did he bribe you with something to make you follow him so devotedly?” Shen Huai asked angrily.

 

“No need for bribery. I’m willing.”

 

“You’re insane!”

 

Shen Huai was about to lose control of his anger. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “He hasn’t called off the engagement, so he will marry Young Master Liu. Do you understand?!”

 

“I know, I know very well. Big brother, calm down first,” Liu Shu picked up a fan and fanned him. “It’s my fault for not informing you in advance, my dear and respected elder brother. I am indeed Young Master Liu of the Liu family.”

 

“What kind of Young Master Liu are you?!”

 

“Fifth Young Master, Liu Shu. Seriously, I’m not joking.”

 

Shen Huai almost couldn’t hold back the curse that was on the tip of his tongue. He stared at him dumbfoundedly, suspecting he was hallucinating, and then turned to look at Shen Ke walking towards them.

 

“It’s true,” Shen Ke nodded. “He’s the Young Master Liu of the Liu family who I am engaged to, Xiao Wu.”

 

Shen Huai exclaimed, “What kind of joke are you two playing?!”