Chapter 33

When Jian Yuyan woke up, the bed curtains were still drawn. He lifted a corner of the curtain with his finger, and a sliver of light streamed in, it was already bright outside.
Yan Yiming was not beside him at the moment. The sound of splashing water came from behind the screen, indicating she was bathing. A short while later, Yan Yiming emerged, wringing her hair with a cloth towel. Seeing Jian Yuyan awake, she smiled and asked, “You're awake?”
Jian Yuyan took the towel from her hand and gestured for her to sit in front of the dressing mirror. “Let me do it.”
Yan Yiming obediently sat down.
Jian Yuyan's movements were gentle as he wrapped the towel around her hair, slowly absorbing the moisture. “Why did you wake up so early?”
“I don't know how I woke up,” Yan Yiming replied, gazing contentedly at the reflection in the bronze mirror and narrowing her eyes. “But I don't have anything important to do anyway. If I get tired later, I can just go back to sleep.”
At this, she opened her eyes and glanced at Jian Yuyan again, saying, “It's already mid-morning, and you're still not going back to change your clothes.”
“Someone will bring them over in a while,” Jian Yuyan replied indifferently. Yan Yiming's hair was now half-dry, lying smooth and silky against her back. Setting the towel aside, Jian Yuyan embraced her from behind and whispered in her ear, “Why did you lie to me?”
Yan Yiming played dumb, pretending not to understand. “Lie to you about what?”
Jian Yuyan knew Yan Yiming was deliberately saying this and couldn't help but laugh.
When she had claimed she was no longer a virgin, she had actually been untouched. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, Jian Yuyan whispered after a long moment, “A'Ming, I'm truly happy.”
Yan Yiming wore a faint, ambiguous smile before picking up a comb and slowly running it through her hair. “What if I really hadn't been pure?” she asked softly. “Would you have been disappointed, Brother Yan?”
“No,” he replied. If he would have been disappointed, he wouldn't have been unable to resist touching her the day before. He just hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise. Gently turning her face toward him, he said, “Whether you were or weren't doesn't matter. What matters is that it's you. A'Ming, from now on, could you not call me Brother Yan?”
Yan Yiming paused in her combing. “If not Brother Yan, then what should I call you?”
“Call me by my courtesy name, Zi'an,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. “From now on, only you are allowed to call me that.”
Yan Yiming seemed stunned, frozen in place. Jian Yuyan couldn't help but chuckle at her dazed expression. “What's wrong?”
“I don't dare call you that,” she murmured after a long silence, lowering her head. “I can call you 'Young Master' or 'Brother Yan,' but your courtesy name... that should be reserved for the person who will truly share your life. I'm just an actress.”
Jian Yuyan fell silent for a moment. He carried too many secrets, and some matters were not his to decide alone. But seeing the disappointment on her face, he couldn't bear it. Sighing softly, he pulled her to sit before him and spoke earnestly, “What does being an actress matter? Don't belittle yourself like that. I don't know if there will be such a person in the future, but right now, the only one I want to spend my life with is you.”
“And what about Miss Jian?”
A'Ming had never brought up Jian Yu'er in front of him before. Even when she found out, she had only said she was willing to stay by his side, willing to be the substitute. Her silence wasn't because she didn't care, but because she didn't dare to care.
Jian Yuyan suddenly felt a pang of hatred for his past self. For so long, because of Jian Yu'er, he had unknowingly hurt her deeply.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late. He still had time to make it up to her slowly.
Looking directly into Yan Yiming's eyes, he spoke with unprecedented seriousness, “Jian Yu'er is my sister. She was in the past, and she will be in the future. But now, it's you I like. It has nothing to do with appearances, and I'm not saying this because you look like her. In my eyes, you are just you.”
Tears glistened in Yan Yiming's beautiful eyes as she clutched his sleeve and said solemnly, “Don't make promises lightly. I'll take them seriously.”
“Promises made too easily are never truly promises,” Jian Yuyan grasped her hand firmly in his palm. “I never make promises lightly, so you can take this seriously, I won't let you suffer any more grievances because of me.”
Yan Yiming looked up and met Jian Yuyan's earnest gaze but said nothing. Instead, as if deeply moved, she buried her face in his chest.
As long as Jian Yu’er existed, she would always be wronged. Yan Yiming smiled faintly to herself. Words spoken too absolutely often foreshadow imperfection, but Jian Yuyan seemed unaware of this truth.
After sending someone to deliver a message to Jian Yuyan the previous night, Jian Yu’er had been waiting for his return. Yet, to her surprise, even late into the night, he still hadn't come back.
Had the message not reached him, or had it reached him, but he simply didn't want to return?
Unconsciously, Jian Yu’er had already settled on the latter explanation.
Jian Yuyan knew she was waiting but pretended not to.
Why? Was he avoiding her?
But she had specifically sent someone to deliver the message, yet her brother had still gone to that woman. Could it be that she was no match for that woman?
Jian Yu’er refused to believe it.
After all, that woman bore such a striking resemblance to her. If her brother had taken a liking to her, it was only because of her. As long as she existed, that woman was nothing special. So, if Jian Yuyan still hadn't returned, was it because of the words she had said to him? Was her brother throwing a tantrum?
This thought both angered and amused her. She couldn't fathom that her brother could be so unreasonable. They were siblings, no matter what, such thoughts should never have crossed his mind. Wasn't her refusal the only right thing to do?
How could her brother throw such an unreasonable tantrum?
But then again, he had once asked her what would happen if they weren't siblings.
Jian Yu’er had found herself thinking about that question from time to time over the past couple of days. No matter how she speculated, it couldn't change the fact that they were siblings. Unless...
Jian Yu’er frowned. Could it be that those words held another meaning?
When she went to pay her respects to Lady Jian in the morning, her mother noticed her distracted state and asked what was wrong.
Jian Yu’er glanced at her mother and murmured, “Since childhood, people have said that we mother and daughter look alike, but my brother resembles neither Father nor Mother. Are he and I really...”
Before she could finish, Lady Jian's eyes widened in alarm as she stared intently at her daughter. But Jian Yu’er suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if snapping back to reality, and hastily explained, “I was just speaking thoughtlessly, Mother. Please don't overthink it.”
Though Jian Yu’er said not to overthink it, her words inevitably stirred suspicion. Some secrets, buried deep for years and known to very few, had suddenly left a trace at this moment.
After Jian Yu’er left, Lady Jian immediately sent for Chancellor Jian. She recounted their daughter's words to him.
Being as astute as he was, Chancellor Jian could tell at once that his daughter must have discovered something.
Without delay, he ordered an investigation into any unusual behavior between Jian Yuyan and Jian Yu’er recently. The spies worked swiftly, and within half a day, they reported that Jian Yuyan had been spending his days with an actress from the Plum Garden. Interestingly, this actress bore an uncanny resemblance to Jian Yu’er, and a few days prior, Yu’er had accidentally encountered this woman.
Thus, it was clear that Yu’er must have realized Jian Yuyan's feelings for her.
Jian Yuyan's feelings for Jian Yu'er might have been hidden from many, but they had never escaped the notice of Chancellor Jian.
Back when Jian Yuyan was still young, the Chancellor had observed his deep affection for Yu'er and had even entertained the idea himself. However, restoring the former dynasty proved far more challenging than anticipated. Nearly two decades had passed, and they were still not fully prepared.
Now that both Jian Yuyan and Jian Yu'er had reached marriageable age, no matter what, the Chancellor did not wish to delay his daughter's future. Moreover, his daughter had become a significant asset in his efforts to build influence.
Thus, the Chancellor could only lament that Jian Yuyan and Jian Yu'er were fated to be apart. Recently, unable to bear it any longer, Jian Yuyan had found a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Yu'er. Though the Chancellor felt this was inappropriate, having watched Jian Yuyan grow up, he couldn't bring himself to remove the woman.
It was said that this actress had never stepped out of character and was not a widely recognized star, few had ever seen her.
After all, she was just a plaything, likely to be discarded in a few days. The Chancellor did not want to ruin the “father-son bond” between him and Jian Yuyan over an actress. As long as Jian Yuyan kept her well hidden from prying eyes and did not tarnish Yu'er's reputation, he could turn a blind eye and pretend not to know.
As for Yu'er, he would find a time to counsel her properly.
That day, when Jian Yuyan returned to the Jian residence, the Chancellor broached the subject. “A man's dalliances outside are no great matter, but this woman looks too much like Yu'er. If someone who recognizes Yu'er were to see her, it would be rather awkward. If Your Highness truly cares for Yu'er, you surely wouldn’t want to harm her reputation.”
Jian Yuyan’s eyes darkened imperceptibly, though his expression remained unchanged. A faint smile still lingered on his lips as he nodded.
Somewhat reassured, the Chancellor smiled and exchanged a few lighthearted remarks with Jian Yuyan about men's affairs before finally saying, “She’s just an actress, after all. If you truly fancy her, redeem her and keep her somewhere secluded. Plum Garden is too crowded and unreliable.”
“That’s exactly what I had in mind,” Jian Yuyan replied with a smile, then steered the conversation toward court matters. Once the Chancellor was engaged in serious discussion, he did not bring it up again.
With a few words, the matter was set aside. But with the Chancellor’s implicit indulgence, Jian Yuyan simply moved half his belongings to Plum Garden. As days passed, Jian Yu'er grew increasingly discontent. Unable to see Jian Yuyan day after day, she became furious and went to confront the Chancellor. He replied that Jian Yuyan had his own affairs to attend to and asked if Yu'er had any urgent business with him.
Jian Yu'er found it impossible to voice the fact that Jian Yuyan was in love with her. Clutching her handkerchief, she left the house and sought out a few close friends to distract herself.
Yet, even away from home, she could not escape talk of Jian Yuyan. Known as the top gentleman of the capital, he was admired openly and secretly by countless young ladies. Whenever Yu'er was with her friends, they would inevitably bring him up from time to time.
At that moment, a woman remarked with a hint of sourness, “Young Master Jian seems to have taken a fancy to an actress from the Plum Garden recently. He often takes her out, and I’ve already run into them twice.”
Jian Yu'er’s heart tightened abruptly.
“Who knows what kind of stunning beauty she is?” someone couldn’t help but sigh.
Everyone shook their heads, and the woman who had spoken earlier also shook hers regretfully. “She always covers her face, so it’s hard to see clearly, but judging by her eyes and brows, she does resemble Sister Jian a bit.”
The group of young ladies laughed, unaware that Jian Yu'er, in that instant, nearly dug her nails into her palms, her hands hidden in her sleeves.