After returning to the mansion, she first went to take a bath.
The hot water quickly dispelled all the coldness from her body, but when Shang Ruyi changed into a milky white nightgown and combed her hair in front of the mirror, her face was still pale, looking almost bloodless.
At this moment, Tushere returned.
With an anxious face, she hurried to Shang Ruyi’s side and urgently said, "Miss, where did you go? You disappeared for half the day, and the young master even sent people to the Shen Mansion to look for you, scaring the master and the lady out of their wits."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately frowned, "Then what about them now—"
Tushere said, "Just now, the young master sent someone to fetch me, saying that you had safely returned, which finally put the master and the lady at ease."
Shang Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief and then said to Tushere, "You don’t need to worry either. I just met an old acquaintance and went for a drink."
Tushere scrutinized Shang Ruyi with a frown.
After all, they had grown up together, and she knew Shang Ruyi’s character well. It was already unusual for her to suddenly ask her to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Shen home while she went out on business today. And now she claimed she had gone drinking with an acquaintance, causing the family to search for her everywhere?
Tushere said doubtfully, "Miss, are you telling the truth?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at her.
For a moment, the two remained silent, and then the door creaked open.
Tushere turned her head, hurried over to salute, "Young master."
Shang Ruyi immediately turned her face away.
Standing at the door, Yu Wenye had also just taken a bath. Now he wore a white nightgown similar to Shang Ruyi’s, with his hair slightly damp, giving him a leisurely and indifferent appearance. When he spoke, his voice was also very calm, "We are going to rest."
Tushere hesitated for a moment, sensing that the atmosphere in the room was somehow off, but as a maid, it wasn’t her place to interfere. She could only look back at Shang Ruyi with concern, then saluted Yu Wenye and exited the room.
As soon as she left, Yu Wenye closed the door with his backhand.
In an instant, everything outside was shut off.
Shang Ruyi sat at the dressing table, her hand trembling slightly as she clutched the comb, almost snapping its teeth. Yet she felt there was no need to be so tense. After thinking for a while, she placed the comb back on the table.
But her hand, somewhat out of control, made a "pop" sound that abruptly echoed in the room.
The vibration verged on shattering some things.
Finally, Yu Wenye slowly walked over to her, standing by her side and looking down at her for quite a while. But Shang Ruyi still refused to lift her head, so Yu Wenye looked into the copper mirror.
Their gazes finally met.
He looked at the pale little face in the mirror, the slightly lost eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Didn’t I tell you to come home early?"
Shang Ruyi’s breathing immediately became erratic.
Her heart thumped uncontrollably in her chest, enough to make her eardrums buzz, and looking at that perpetually cold face in the mirror, she couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh, "Is that really necessary?"
Yu Wenye said, "Everyone at home is worried about you. Some of the people Mu Xian sent out are still searching for you outside."
"If you had come home earlier, these things wouldn’t have happened."
Shang Ruyi smiled at him in the mirror and said, "As long as you help me tell them a decent lie, there won’t be all these troubles."