Chapter 11: Reflections in the Mirror, Blossoms on Water—All Fade into Emptiness

“You could have easily married someone yourself, couldn’t you? There’s no need to bring in a stranger to marry into your family.” Shen Yanxi looked Lu Jin up and down, her gaze tinged with resignation. The look in her eyes seemed to say, “Do I look like a fool? If it were so simple, would I have gone to the lengths of tying you up?”

After pondering for a moment, she sighed. “The reasons are complicated. Three years ago, the emperor made such a stir about this that everyone knew of it. At the time, I was still very young, and my family naturally didn’t want me to enter the palace. I didn’t want it either—the emperor is much older than I am, and he might not be a suitable match. Life in the palace doesn’t appeal to me. So, my family refused.”

“But the emperor kept hinting, leaving my father in a difficult position. Later, when my grandfather passed away, I followed my father back to Jianglin for the funeral and mourning period. That was how I managed to avoid the situation. The mourning lasted three years. Setting aside the question of whether we could arrange a marriage during mourning, let’s just talk about the Shen family itself. If I’m to marry, the other party must have a comparable background—either the legitimate son of a prominent family or a prince of the imperial clan. There’s no way I could marry beneath me.”

“For noble families, marriage is never just about the union itself. I may have some reputation, but in the end, I am only a woman. It would be unwise for a family to risk the emperor’s displeasure just to marry me off. It’s even more so for the imperial clan—no one would dare challenge the emperor’s choice for his consort.”

After speaking at length, there was a trace of sorrow in Shen Yanxi’s voice. “Of course, things aren’t that dire. If I truly wanted to marry, I could have done so. Over these three years, I have met some suitors, but none caught my eye or made me want to marry. With my grandfather’s passing, I didn’t have the heart to consider such matters, so things were left unresolved. Not until recently, when my uncle sent word that the emperor had raised the matter again, did I realize it wasn’t over.”

“That day I met you, I acted on a reckless impulse in my agitation. I never thought things would turn out like this.” Shen Yanxi spoke earnestly, her face serene and open.

“And your family agreed to this?” Lu Jin pressed. “You’re their child; are they all children too, to indulge you in such nonsense?”

A blush crept over Shen Yanxi’s cheeks, and she lowered her head shyly. “My grandmother agreed, so the others had little choice but to go along…”

Thank heavens for you, truly my own grandmother!

Hearing Shen Yanxi’s explanation, Lu Jin felt a tumult of emotions—resentment, bitterness, understanding, sympathy, and a sense of helplessness. What else could he do?

“So now, can I leave the Shen family?” Lu Jin asked. After all, he didn’t seem to have much value here anymore.

“Are you so eager to be rid of me?” Shen Yanxi’s gaze was clear and piercing, and Lu Jin felt as if he’d been stabbed. Had he met his mother-in-law, he’d know the depth of the Shen family’s legacy.

Shen Yanxi’s heart was genuinely agitated. She had summoned the courage to confess her painful past, only for his first response to be wanting to leave?

Wait, is that fair? Wasn’t it you who left me here, ignoring me? If you truly wanted to become my husband, would a decent young man like you shirk responsibility?

No, that’s not right—if she had genuinely married the original Lu Jin, he himself would have nothing to do with it.

“Don’t be absurd, Miss Shen. With your beauty, you could rival a goddess reborn. But since you do not truly wish it, why force yourself or another?” Lu Jin replied.

“Who is this goddess?” Shen Yanxi frowned, gazing at him.

Does it matter? Why do you always focus on the strangest details?

“She was a legendary beauty, unmatched through all time—much like you, Miss Shen,” Lu Jin hurried to explain. One wrong word and things would go awry—this was getting difficult.

A smile tugged at Shen Yanxi’s lips, her face visibly reddening as she glanced away toward the door. Hmph, so your eyes aren’t blind after all!

“As for what’s past, if there was any fault, it was mine for dragging you into a life that should never have involved you. That day, overwhelmed by emotion, I left you alone, causing harm to your body and memory.”

“Now, whatever the reason, you and I are husband and wife. Though the beginning was absurd, if you are willing, our story could still have a perfect ending. I wonder, what do you think?”

Shen Yanxi was unwilling to accept that she’d acted on an impulse and ended up married, only to become a discarded woman for no good reason. She couldn’t bear such a hasty, muddled beginning to end just as carelessly.

She was a perfectionist in matters of the heart, so even given the present circumstances, she was willing to try and make things right.

What now? Lu Jin found it odd—was there always a new twist? Was there a new task after taking the blame?

Shen Yanxi was indeed a rare beauty, but for Lu Jin—whose mental age was already past thirty—that wasn’t enough to make him grovel. Life was more practical. Stripping away all the drama, he doubted he could handle the Shen family or Shen Yanxi. It always felt like they belonged to different worlds—and, in truth, they did.

In his former life, Lu Jin was just an ordinary worker, slogging away each day to barely make ends meet, keenly aware of the world’s harshness. He’d daydreamed of living off a beautiful woman, but reality proved such dreams were bitter fare.

His mind was a chaotic mess—he couldn’t think how to reply to Shen Yanxi.

Suddenly, a dreadful thought struck him—had the original Lu Jin already been married? He looked old enough; it wouldn’t be strange if he even had children. The mere idea unsettled him deeply.

Damn, had he unwittingly become the villain in his own story? If there was a wife and children, what then? Was the original Lu Jin truly a scoundrel?

“Um, Miss Shen, do you know anything about my family?” Lu Jin hurriedly asked.

Shen Yanxi, anxiously awaiting his answer, was caught off guard by his evasive question. Her heart sank. She had set aside all her maidenly restraint, only to be met with this. She felt a rush of conflicting emotions.

After a moment to compose herself, Shen Yanxi replied, “What about your family?”

“I mean, regarding marriage—does my family know?”

“At the time, you said you could decide for yourself. You intended to go home and visit after our marriage, but things turned out as they have…” Shen Yanxi’s voice was tinged with disappointment.

“So I never told you about my family?” Lu Jin pressed, grasping at straws. Surely, if they were married, he’d have been honest?

Shen Yanxi shook her head, growing more regretful. She had been so focused on sealing the marriage that she’d barely spoken with Lu Jin at all.

Lu Jin was at a loss—how could both of them be so careless?

“If you plan to leave, what will you do?” After a long silence, Shen Yanxi asked.

“…?” Lu Jin, his head full of concerns about a wife and children back home, was bewildered.

If he truly wanted to leave, he would be completely lost—would he have to beg for food outside the Shen estate? He hadn’t stepped even a foot outside; who knew what the world beyond was like?

“That’s not for you to worry about,” he replied. She had said enough—Lu Jin didn’t feel like explaining further.

Shen Yanxi fell silent.

“If… if that is truly your wish, once you recover, I’ll persuade my father to let you go…” Her voice trembled, and tears welled in her eyes as she hurried out of the room.

She could not say she loved Lu Jin deeply—their marriage had been a rash, thoughtless act. Now, regret was useless. She felt more overwhelmed by the vicissitudes of fate and sorrow at how, in less than a month, her life had been turned upside down.

She had once longed for love—a perfect union, sharing tender moments under the moonlight. But in the end, it was all an illusion, a dream that could never be. The past could not be rewritten, and the future could not be reclaimed. Even as the daughter of the Shen family, she could not escape the unpredictability of life.

Watching Shen Yanxi’s retreating figure, Lu Jin felt bewildered. “I’m the one who’s been wronged here, aren’t I? So why does she look more aggrieved than me?”