Chapter 101
**Chapter 101: The Art of Letting Go**
A faint sense of loss flickered through the heart of the Yan Wang.
That night, he went to dine with the Wang Fei. Although he felt no affection for her anymore, he still occasionally afforded her the dignity befitting a wife.
At the dinner table, the Wang Fei was preoccupied with thoughts of how to deal with the old matron, her mind clearly elsewhere. Throughout the meal, there was hardly any exchange between the Yan Wang and the Wang Fei; the vast table echoed only with the clinking of cold, empty bowls and chopsticks.
The Yan Wang found little pleasure in his meal and naturally chose not to stay the night with the Wang Fei.
After a long and tiring ride, he returned to his main quarters to rest. Though weary, sleep eluded him.
His pillow was filled with mugwort, a gift from Shen Wei, fragrant and soft. The thin summer quilt he covered himself with was also made from fine fabric sent by Shen Wei. The room was filled with traces of her presence.
He missed Shen Wei’s delicate, fragrant hands, her clear, bright eyes, and most of all, her soft, gentle body...
Tomorrow, Shen Wei should return from the Luoyue Lake villa. With this thought, the Yan Wang slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a relatively peaceful sleep.
The next morning, he went to the East Palace to check on the Crown Prince’s health. By the time he returned to the Wang Fu, it was already afternoon. Habitually, he glanced under the eaves, but found it empty, with no familiar figure in sight.
Shen Wei had not yet returned.
He summoned the steward, Fu Gui, frowning as he asked, “Is there still no news from the Luoyue Lake villa?”
Fu Gui chuckled awkwardly, “Your Highness, the Princess Zhaoyang sent word. She mentioned that she hasn’t been feeling well lately and has asked Shen Zhuzi to stay a few more days at the villa.”
Fu Gui couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Among the many wives and concubines in the Wang Fu, only Shen Zhuzi could make the Yan Wang so anxious.
The Yan Wang was furious. “This Zhaoyang is simply being unreasonable!”
After being away for five days, the one he missed the most was Shen Wei. And Zhaoyang had the audacity to keep her at the Luoyue Lake villa!
“Your Highness, should I go to Luoyue Lake and bring Shen Zhuzi back?” Fu Gui cautiously suggested.
The Yan Wang fell silent for a moment. His Tiger Guards were well-informed, and he was aware of Zhaoyang’s recent experiences.
After some thought, he waved his hand dismissively, reluctantly saying, “No need. Let Wei Wei stay with Zhaoyang for a couple more days.”
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
At Luoyue Lake, under a blue sky and a bright moon, rows of green lotus leaves spread out like a carpet. The Princess’s ornate boat glided gently across the water, with Shen Wei seated in a rattan chair at the bow, accompanying Princess Zhaoyang in admiring the lotus flowers.
The pain of a broken heart is the hardest to heal, and Zhaoyang had been in low spirits these past few days.
Shen Wei sipped on some tangy citrus water, relishing the gentle breeze that caressed her face. She adored this leisurely and carefree life. When she retired in the future, she dreamed of buying a grand boat to explore the mountains and waters every day.
As the boat docked, just as Shen Wei and the Princess stepped off, a palace maid named Yun’er came running over to report, “Princess, the Wang Ye has sent Steward Fu Gui to bring Shen Zhuzi back to the Wang Fu.”
Zhaoyang immediately tensed, tightly grasping Shen Wei’s arm. “No way! Wei Wei promised to go fishing with me tonight! Yun’er, go tell Fu Gui that Wei Wei will be staying with me for two more days. The villa has beautiful scenery, perfect for nurturing health.”
Yun’er: ...
Zhaoyang: “And tell my second brother that I’ve been crying every day, suffering greatly and unable to sleep! Only with Shen Wei by my side can I find peace.”
Yun’er: “...Understood.”
Zhaoyang had grown quite fond of Shen Wei.
Whenever Zhaoyang faced emotional turmoil, Shen Wei was always there to offer clarity, helping her navigate the confusion of heartbreak.
Moreover, Shen Wei was skilled in flower arranging, fishing, gardening, and beauty treatments. Every day spent with Shen Wei brought Zhaoyang joy and a sense of freedom.
Zhaoyang lifted her chin defiantly, “If my second brother tries to take her away, I’ll go straight to Mother and complain!”
Yun’er, feeling helpless, relayed the Princess’s words to Steward Fu Gui at the Wang Fu.
After dark, Shen Wei and Zhaoyang fished by the lake, returning with a bountiful catch. Zhaoyang was lucky, reeling in a five-pound fish, laughing joyfully.
Zhaoyang had thought that after completely letting go of Yan Yunting, her life would become dull and colorless. But now she realized that the world was vast and full of new and interesting things that could bring her happiness.
Without Yan Yunting, she was doing even better.
As they prepared to part for the night, Zhaoyang cheerfully told Shen Wei, “Wei Wei, let’s make fish soup tomorrow morning! It’ll be my first time tasting a fish I caught myself!”
Shen Wei nodded, “Good night, Princess.”
Back in her own room, Shen Wei removed her makeup, exercised for a while, and then took a bath to rest.
Cai Ping laid out the newly changed thin quilt on the bed and asked, “Mistress, the Wang Ye has sent people twice to fetch you, but the Princess refuses to let you go. Shouldn’t you take the initiative to ask the Princess to return to the Wang Fu?”
Cai Ping was worried that if the Yan Wang didn’t see Shen Wei for too long, he might summon other concubines to his bed.
Shen Wei lay back on her bed and smiled, “No rush.”
In her relationship with the Yan Wang, Shen Wei needed to express her individuality and uniqueness appropriately, highlighting her presence.
She was the Yan Wang’s woman, not his servant. If she rushed to serve him the moment he returned to the Wang Fu, asking after his well-being, it would be too demeaning.
If Shen Wei only sought to please him, always obedient and available at his beck and call, over time, the Yan Wang would find it tiresome and bland.
She also needed to “leave” the Yan Wang for a few days, allowing him to experience the pangs of longing.
In simple terms, it was the strategy of “letting go to catch.” The more he couldn’t see her, the more he would yearn for her, and the more exciting it would become.
“Have you taken care of the matter I entrusted to you?” Shen Wei asked Cai Ping as she lay on the bed.
Cai Ping smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, Mistress. When Steward Fu Gui came this afternoon, I already passed the food box to him.”
Shen Wei’s lips curled into a smile, “Very good. It’s getting late, so you should rest early too, Cai Ping.”
Cai Ping gently lowered the bed curtains, extinguished the candles in the room, and quietly left.
Shen Wei soon fell asleep, while the Yan Wang tossed and turned, unable to find rest.
He had sent Fu Gui to Luoyue Lake to fetch her, only to be dismissed by Zhaoyang’s few words. Meanwhile, Shen Wei had been thinking of him, preparing a bowl of “lotus seed, corn, and pork rib soup” and a box of lotus flower pastries to send back to the Wang Fu with Fu Gui.
As the Yan Wang sipped the sweet rib soup and nibbled on the crispy pastries, his longing for Shen Wei only deepened.
...
The next morning, Shen Wei was awakened early by Zhaoyang. The Princess had the kitchen prepare fresh perch and water shield soup for them to enjoy together.
After breakfast, Shen Wei and Zhaoyang indulged in beauty treatments, using flower juices to dye their nails.
The two had become like close friends, eating, drinking, and playing together.
In the afternoon, after a hearty meal, Shen Wei and Zhaoyang strolled along the beautiful shores of Luoyue Lake. In the distance, the mountains loomed, while the nearby lake rippled gently. Zhaoyang excitedly exclaimed, “Wei Wei, the vegetables in my palace are growing splendidly! You must come to my palace one day, and we can pick vegetables together—”
Just as she finished speaking, a clear neigh of a horse echoed in the air.
A lavishly decorated carriage came to a stop by the lakeside, its front adorned with a black and gold embroidered flag bearing the character “Yan.”
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