To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Clad in His Cloak

Limbs thrashing against the white spray, her vision blurring—just as Jiang Ran reached the brink of despair, she caught a glimpse of a figure swimming toward her.

Her arms and legs were stiff with cold, yet her heart softened into a puddle. Still submerged in the lake, she could already envision her future as the Grand Secretary’s wife, surrounded by fawning servants and peerless glory. Once she held that title, she would suppress Jiang Shu completely. During the day, she’d make Jiang Shu serve her meals; at night, she’d make her wash her feet. We’ll see how arrogant she is then!

As the figure drew closer, Jiang Ran’s heartbeat grew louder. She took a deep breath and forced out a voice as sweet as honey: “Lord Lu!”

“Second Sister, has the water made you delusional? You can’t even recognize people anymore.”

Jiang Ran’s eyes snapped open. The person swimming toward her wasn’t Lu Changji at all—it was that wench, Jiang Shu.

Her eyes rolled back, her water-logged face turned a sickly shade of purple, and she promptly fainted in the water.

…

The Aftermath

When Yang-shi was pregnant with her son, she had used a fortune teller’s lie about “clashing zodiacs” to exile Jiang Shu and her mother to a rural estate for a year. Life in the countryside was bitter, but it was there that Jiang Shu had learned to swim. She never expected that skill to be the very thing that would dismantle the trap set by the mother and daughter today.

Jiang Shu dragged Jiang Ran to the shore and delivered two ringing slaps to her face. “Second Sister, wake up! If something happens to you, how will I explain it to Mother?”

Between the water and the slaps, Jiang Ran’s face swelled like a purple steamed bun—hideous and pathetic. After Jiang Shu pressed the water out of her lungs, Jiang Ran finally groaned and woke up.

Yang-shi arrived shortly after with a crowd of noblewomen, including the Marchioness. She had planned to play the “worried mother” to force a marriage, but the pavilion was empty. Instead, she found her precious daughter lying in the mud, looking like a drowned rat with a face swollen like a pig’s head.

“My child! What happened?” Yang-shi wailed, rushing forward like a charging cow.

The surrounding noblewomen didn’t hide their mockery. Zhao-shi, the Marchioness, was particularly displeased. “Your daughter said she was looking for an earring in the guest rooms. How did she end up in Bixue Hall? People might think she had… intentions.”

When Yang-shi tried to blame the manor’s lack of safety, the other guests quickly shut her down. “The Young Madam saved her, yet you’re barking at her instead of showing gratitude? It seems the Jiang family truly lacks manners.”

Coldly, Zhao-shi ordered servants to carry Jiang Ran away in a litter. “Such a clumsy girl,” she sighed to the group. “She clearly isn’t fit to be the mistress of a household. Let us go elsewhere; I never want to step foot in Bixue Hall again.”

…

A Noble Gesture

The courtyard fell silent again. Jiang Shu stood up, her wet silk clothes clinging to her, exposing her graceful curves. She couldn’t walk back to the banquet looking like this.

She stepped into the harsh summer sunlight, hoping to dry off, when a guard in a formal uniform approached her, carrying a lacquer tray.

“Third Young Madam,” the guard bowed. “I am here on the orders of Grand Secretary Lu to deliver a cloak.”

Jiang Shu was stunned. She thought Lu Changji would despise the entire Jiang family after seeing Jiang Ran’s schemes. She hadn’t expected him to help her in her moment of embarrassment.

A wave of shame washed over her. He is a man of such high character, she thought. How could I ever have thought of using him?

She looked at the tray. On it lay a cloak of “emerald mist” colored kesi silk. It was exquisitely made and very large, its hem meant to sweep the floor.

Lu Changji’s residence, Jianan Court, was famously devoid of women; from his guards to his pages, all were men. There wouldn’t be a single piece of women’s clothing in his entire courtyard. This cloak, luxurious and heavy, clearly belonged to the man himself.

At that thought, Jiang Shu’s body stiffened. Even though she was wearing her own clothes underneath, the idea of wrapping herself in his cloak felt as intimate as if her skin were touching his.