Hearing her sigh, Old Shang tilted his head and asked, “Miss, are you alright?”
Chen Rong did not care whether he had seen her; she shook her head.
The carriage’s rolling became a lonely tune in the night.
At this time, Old Shang whispered, “Miss, you should marry Qilang if he is serious. I believe that he will protect you. He won’t let his future wife harass you.” Though he said this, there was an uncertainty in his voice that sounded as though he didn’t believe himself.
He hadn’t expected Chen Rong to answer, but after a while, she hoarsely replied, “I might as well be General Ran’s wife if I have to be his concubine.”
“Please think about it carefully, miss,” Old Shang hurriedly said. “General Ran is the match the clan has prepared for Ah Wei, you’ll anger the clan if you snatch him away. We won’t have their protection if something were to happen in the future.”
Once again, he didn’t think Chen Rong would answer, but her hoarse voice sounded: “I won’t, Old Shang, I won’t.” There was something like sadness in her voice.
And then the carriage arrived at the Chen estate.
As expected, the next day was bright and clear. The sun in the sky helped to speed the melting of the snow along. The next several days were also sunny.
Chen Rong stayed in her courtyard during this time and didn’t once step outside.
Today, a maid hurried over, curtsied and pleasantly said, “Miss, someone brought an invitation for you.”
Invitation? Chen Rong received an invitation every day. She reached for it and gave a glance, then paused.
An elegant script read thus: “This afternoon. By the lake we previously met. I hope you’ll come again!”
Wang Qilang. It must be Wang Qilang! Chen Rong had never seen his handwriting, but he was the only one to have called her out to the lake.
Chen Rong’s heart again gave a thump.
Despite staying inside for the past few days, once she had composed herself, she would think of his handsome face and smiling eyes.
She felt as if she could float in the air, but chose to suppress the feeling. The sadness she had felt from thinking she would never see him again when she had rejected his sachet was now swept away.
She sprang to her feet and loudly called, “Old Shang, prepare the carriage for me.”
“Do you want to go out, miss?” Nurse Ping asked, poking in the door.
Chen Rong hesitated. She looked at the invitation on the table, caressing the words written on it, as her face altered from ruddy to white. She was apparently struggling with herself.
At long last she slowly looked up and replied, “Aye, I want to go out.” She placed her hand on her chest and murmured, “What’s the point of living if I’m always minding myself?”
Nurse Ping was surprised to see Chen Rong talking to herself. Curious, she cast a glance at the note on the table. Despite being a servant, she was Chen Rong’s personal maid and therefore the face of her mistress. Under Chen Rong’s father’s request, she had also learned a word or two.
When Chen Rong saw her nurse looking at the invitation, she blushed and put it away in her sleeve.
She hurried outside.
It was already noon and would soon be time.
Old Shang answered back at the same time she walked out. “Old Shang, prepare the carriage,” she said to him.
“Aye.”
It was a fine day.
Snow had melted into slush on the streets of Nan’yang. Only the deep ditches still had some remaining white traces.
Chen Rong clasped the invitation under her sleeves. Even though she had repeatedly rejected him, a telling blush spread on her cheeks.
Slowly, the carriage drove out of the city gate and headed to the lake.
As time went by, their surrounding grew quiet and people’s voices receded to the distance.
At long last, Old Shang informed her: “We’re here, miss!”
Chen Rong poked her head out from the carriage.
She frowned – nobody was around. Well that’s strange, she had met Wang Hong and Huan Jiulang here last time.
Chen Rong gave the scene a sweep and gestured ahead where a few shadows were seen: “Go over there.”
Once they got near, Chen Rong’s frown worsened. She looked at those people and said, “Still not him.”
Old Shang also frowned. “The snow had only melted and it’s so windy out here. I told you, Wang Hong wouldn’t be strolling on the lake right now.”
Chen Rong shuddered as soon as she heard him. She immediately said, “Turn around, Old Shang. Let’s go home.”
She had barely spoken when a gruff laughter rang from the hillside behind the woods: “Ain’t you in a hurry, sweetheart? You arrived so early. Damnit, I would’ve gotten here too late!”
“Old Shang, turn around,” cried Chen Rong in alarm.
She leaned forward and grabbed the whip she had taken with her out of habit.
“It’s too late.”
The one to laugh this time was a thin, sallow man. He widened his rat eyes to gawk at Chen Rong while cackling: “That man was right, you’re quite a stunner.”
Eyes glued to her full chest, he quite salivated when he said, “I’d be damned, I don’t think I’ve ever played with such a pretty woman b