Chapter 31: Must Not Enter Its Gate

  Cao was strong and powerful, but she couldn't withstand He Huan's explosive force. With a "thud", she fell to the ground, seeing stars. When she came to her senses, He Huan had already run far away. She thought of turning back to the He residence, but after some thought, she stomped her foot in anger and quickly chased after He Huan.

  At this moment, if He Huan still had a shred of sanity, she would never have shouted out loud like that. She was not He Huan, she was Lin Xiyu.

  Cao didn't know how long she had been chasing, just when she felt like she was about to die from exhaustion, He Huan stopped in his tracks. Following his gaze, all she saw was the Shen family's gate crowded with people, the entrance hung with countless lanterns, and maidservants and young servants either waiting anxiously at the door or running back and forth in the rain.

  Cao was shocked by the scene in front of her, she felt that the whole street was almost illuminated by the Shen family's lanterns.

  He Xuan took a few deep breaths, letting her wet hair cling tightly to her cheeks as she strode towards the gate.

  Cao hastily pulled her back and said in a low voice: "You can't enter the gate like this..."

  "I'm going in." He Huan pried open her fingers.

  Cao looked at her dazedly. A few days ago, she was just suddenly intimidated by He Huan's ferocity; now, she felt that He Huan was like a wisp of a ghost, and also like a broken rag doll that had lost its vitality, as if she would despair to death if she stopped her.

  Cao's heart was filled with reluctance, and she gritted her teeth, saying: "Since we've already come this far, I'll accompany you inside, but you mustn't say anything about being Lin Xiyue again. Be careful they don't think you're crazy..." Before she could finish speaking, He Huan had already walked towards the gate, and Cao had no choice but to follow in her footsteps.

  After Lin Xiyu's funeral, everyone in the Shen family knew He Huan. The gatekeeper saw her and stretched out his hand to block her way, saying proudly: "Miss He, Master is not at home, please come back another day."

  Cao's family was afraid of He Huan's words, and he hastily said: "This big brother, we heard that Nian Xi young master is ill, and we came to visit him."

  "Visiting a patient?" The gatekeeper sneered, looking the two up and down from head to toe, their bodies soaked through, and said disdainfully: "The master is not in, we can't entertain you."

  "What are you chattering with them about? Don't delay the main matter." A man who looked like he was in charge shouted towards the door.

  "You are Wang Liang, who has been stuck at the gate for seven or eight years. You have a son and a daughter at home, and you have always wanted them to enter the government as officials. Unfortunately, your daughter has a small birthmark on her face, and your son speaks with a slight stutter."

  He Huan continued in a low voice, then turned to a nearby steward and said: "You are Shen Qiang, who has been managing the outer courtyard for seven or eight years. Your children are all working as officials within the government. You are very satisfied with your current life, but there is one thing that doesn't sit well with you - your daughter-in-law has not given birth to a son or daughter in the three years since she entered the household."

  He Huan's voice was very soft, mixed with the sound of thunderstorm, plus the occasional horse hooves and carriage wheels, her voice was almost inaudible. But it was this soft whisper that seemed to have an incredible penetrating power, making the surroundings suddenly fall into a scorching silence.

  "Make way, Doctor Qian is here!" The voice of the young servant broke the silence. He held an umbrella and supported a shaky old man up the stairs.

  He Huan's heart sank when she saw him. Qian Daifu was old and had long since stopped practicing medicine, yet the Shen family had even sought him out, which gave an idea of just how serious her son's illness was.

  "I want to see Nian Xi, I won't disturb the doctor's diagnosis..."

  "Is the young master's name also something you can call out?" The steward, named Shen Qiang, stood firmly in front of He Huan, subtly hinting for the servant to summon the housekeeper.

  Cao held onto He Huan's arm and whispered, "Since he said Mr. Shen is not here, why don't we go back first and change into some clean clothes..."

  He Huan swung her hand and said to Shen Qiang: "I'll just watch from the pavilion outside the Weilan Courtyard, if you're not at ease, you can dispatch a maid to stand guard beside me."

  Shen Qiang's eyes widened in surprise. The Weilan Courtyard was where his family's elderly matriarch lived, and several years ago, Shen Jinglun had built a pavilion on the lake shore to admire the lotus flowers in the garden. After the pavilion was completed, they cut down the large elm trees that blocked the view, only to discover that from inside the pavilion, one could see every single blade of grass and tree in the Weilan Courtyard with perfect clarity.

  Shen Jinglun originally wanted to dismantle the pavilion, but the old lady said that although her eyes could no longer see, she could still go to the pavilion to sit and enjoy. In recent years, she had indeed often gone to the pavilion to taste tea and listen to music. He Huan had been to Lengmei Garden, but how did she know that there was a pavilion outside Yilan Courtyard on the other side of the garden?

  Cao looked at He Huan in shock, then suddenly said: "Go, call out Zilan."

  Housekeeper Shen Zhihua arrived at the gate, just in time to hear this sentence. He bowed to He Huan and said apologetically: "Miss He, your concern for Young Master will be conveyed to Master. You see, it's so busy in the mansion now, why don't you come another day?" After that, he signaled the maid behind him to support He Huan onto the carriage and send them back to the He family.

  He Fan flung open the two maids and said angrily: "Shen Zhihua, why am I always a guest, while you are just a housekeeper?"

  "Miss Biao is right, I'm just a servant, whatever Master orders us to do, we servants dare not disobey. Please, Miss Biao, don't make things difficult for us again." Shen Zhihua replied calmly.

  He Huan was very familiar with Shen Zhihua. It is said that he followed Shen Jinglun to Guozijian to study and escorted him all the way back to Jizhou, it can be said that except for Shen Jinglun's deceased parents, he was the person Shen Jinglun trusted most.

  Thinking of this, He Huan's mouth moved slightly, and she finally swallowed the words that had already reached her lips. She only said in a low voice: "Since Mr. Shen said that without Mr. Shen's permission, I couldn't enter the house, so I don't know if I can take shelter from the rain under your mansion's corridor?" Her implication was whether Shen Jinglin was not at home, and she would be driven to get rained on in the street.

  Shen Zhihua nodded and said "I don't dare", letting her stand outside the Shen family gate. Half an hour later, Shen Qiang found Shen Zhihua and whispered: "Housekeeper Shen, there are people coming and going at the gate, what if Miss Hei stands there and rumors spread? It's better to find a room..."

  "Just mind your own business." Shen Zhihua interrupted him expressionlessly, without even lifting his head, and continued to write diligently.

  At the gate, He Xuan was shivering with cold, her hands clasped to her chest, but she refused to huddle. She stood upright, her eyes fixed intently on the gate. At this moment, although her mind was still in a whirl, she saw clearly that the doctors at the gate only went in, not out, which meant they were still treating her son.

  Cao tried to persuade He Huan for a while, but she seemed not to have heard anything. Seeing that the rain had stopped and dawn was approaching, he made an excuse to return home and report back, planning to let Tao take He Huan back.

  He Huan stared at the gate in a daze, and slowly, she felt that something was off.

  According to the Shen family's custom, the attendants brought by guests would wait in a small hall next to the gatehouse. If they needed to follow their master, there would be servants from the Shen family accompanying them. At present, although Dr. Li was led into the house by one of the Shen family's servants, no one paid attention to his attendants. Normally, not to mention outsiders, even the Shen family's own servants, Shen Zhihua would never allow them to wander around the Shen house freely.

  Is Shen Zhihua also confused?

  He Wan was anxious and worried, but couldn't enter the door, and could only gaze longingly in the direction of Weilan Courtyard.

  Xie San was awakened by the first muffled thunder in the county government office of Ji Zhou. He opened his eyes to hear the sound of heavy rain outside. He got up and opened the window, only to see the light in County Magistrate Lü's room lit up, and a figure slipped in, which made him frown in surprise.

  Mr. Lü woke up from his hangover, drank two mouthfuls of strong tea, and said discontentedly: "In the middle of the night, what's so important that it can't wait till dawn?"

  Lin Bowei bowed and said: "Your Honor, I just received news that the young master of the Shen family has suddenly fallen ill..."

  "Is that all?" Magistrate Lü's face turned even darker. "Even if he died, Shen Jinglun won't be able to rush back until dawn. I'll go offer my condolences then."

  "Your Honor, Miss Shen is on her way to the Shen residence. I'd like to ask for your instructions, whether we should make the arrest after dawn."

  "Is she now at the Shen residence?" Magistrate Lü furrowed his brow.

  Lin Bo shook his head and said, "Sir, in my humble opinion, what that Captain Xie said was one-sided. His words cannot be entirely trusted."