Fuzhu's Ballad

26

CHAPTER 26 To be of one heart and one mind

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Lan Dan’s heart sank as soon as the words left her mouth. She had said something stupid, something awkward, and she knew it. It wasn’t the first time she had put her foot in her mouth around Shentu Rui, but usually, he would say something to ease the embarrassment. If he was in a good mood, he would crack a joke or make light of the situation. But if he was in a bad mood, he would make fun of her, which made her feel angry. This time, however, he said nothing. The silence was deafening, and Lan Dan’s face burned with shame. She wished she could disappear into the ground, escape this awkwardness that seemed to cling to her like a second skin. Without a word, she turned to leave, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm.

He had already stood up, and Lan Dan dared not look at him. Shentu Rui let go of her hand, slowly embraced her, and rested his head on her shoulder. With a low and gentle laugh, he said, “Let’s go together and see how far we can go.”

Lan Dan’s tense back slowly relaxed. Although he was leaning on her, she felt warmth and secured.

She wasn’t sure if this was a confession or a promise. Having experienced both joy and sorrow, she understood the helplessness and danger of being in the royal family. Shentu Rui didn’t give her a solid commitment. Promising something was certainly easy, but fulfilling them was difficult. He didn’t want to deceive her, so naturally he wouldn’t say things that he wasn’t sure about.

He laughed softly again. “You really have limited experience. You think just being able to walk together for a while is good enough, but the further we go, the better.”

Lan Dan smiled wryly. He had set another trap for her, waiting for her to fall into it so that he could laugh at her. It seemed like his mood had improved.

“Do you think Shentu Cheng and Lan Huang are walking on the same path?” he asked, casually pulling his cloak around her, dragging her back to sit on the bench in the pavilion.

Lan Dan nodded.

“But the longer they walk together, the more they will torment each other.” Shentu Rui sneered, then his expression became somewhat respectful. “When Pang Lin died, both Shentu Cheng and I intended to spare your Elder Sister’s life, but she didn’t want it and chose to die with her husband.”

Tears welled up in Lan Dan’s eyes again. “Eldest Sister and Brother-in-Law were very in love with each other.” They were also good to her. If it wasn’t for her father forcing her to marry the second son of the Pang family, she would have been closer to her sister and brother-in-law.

Shentu Rui agreed with her. “So, it’s not important how far we walk together. What truly counts is whether we share one heart and one mind.”

Lan Dan anticipated him to proclaim that being together was of the utmost importance, but he had used the lackluster phrase “one heart and one mind”?!

Lan Dan’s mouth twitched, and she pulled it down in disapproval. Wasn’t he good at speaking? Right! He was even good at speaking frivolous words. How well he talked with Lan Huang that day, but when it came to her, his words seemed dull and uninspired, reduced to the cliché of “one heart and one mind”?

“Look, you don’t have to be too depressed. Among the royal family, not all of them are like your treacherous and lowly Third and Ninth Sisters-in-Law. There are also people like your Eldest Sister, who have love and loyalty.”

Lan Dan muttered angrily, “Who is depressed!”

He pierced through her small thoughts again. “You’re not happy with my pledge, are you?”