Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I have always been a woman of my word.

Since I said I would marry Pei Yunchuan, I began preparing for the wedding.

Everyone thought I had gone mad. As for Pei Yunchuan, he lost all his previous energy for making a scene and showing off, completely withering away.

A rootless eunuch, he had somehow spent these past few days acting like a resentful wife-sorrowful and sobbing by the window all day long, looking as if he had suffered a thousand grievances.

At the time, we weren’t yet sleeping in the same room. Seeing how he wept at the mere thought of marrying me, I didn’t rush to share a bed with him.

However, after he cried for several days straight, I finally lost my patience. In the middle of the night, I marched boldly into his room.

Though he was a eunuch, he still had a bit of a temper when it came to me.

He barely managed to sit up from the couch, his ink-black hair cascading down like a sheet of smooth, shimmering silk in the night.

Upon seeing me, he showed no fear at all. Even though the corners of his eyes were still red, he simply arched his brows with a light huff and turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge me.

Despite my bad temper, I was surprisingly patient with Pei Yunchuan. I stepped up to stand directly in front of him and asked bluntly:

“Why are you crying? I’ve made something of myself now. I have money and power; I can support you for the rest of your life. Once I marry you, you’ll be the master of this manor. No one will ever bully you again.”

I spoke with utter sincerity. After all, back when he was just a young eunuch, he had always wanted to use me as a stepping stone.

He had fantasized about one day becoming a supervisor among the eunuchs, lording it over others while oppressing his peers so he wouldn’t have to endure any more of their filth.

“Little Ancestor, I’m the one who raised you since you were a child. If you want to keep me in your manor and show me filial respect, I’ll accept that. But you say you want to marry me? Tell me, have your brains turned to mush after being out on your own all these years?”

Pei Yunchuan nearly fainted from anger at my words. He reached out and poked my forehead quite rudely.

I didn’t get angry, letting him scold me as he pleased. Only after he finished did I speak up leisurely: “Why can’t I marry you?”

My counter-question was simple enough, yet his eyes turned red again.

He wiped his eyes and sniffled, though his voice remained harsh. “I’m older than you, and I’m not even a man! How can I marry you!”

“Pei Yunchuan, you used to tell me never to look down on myself. What are you doing now?” My temper finally flared. I reached out, grabbed his chin, and questioned him coldly.

He had always been good at reading people. Knowing I was truly angry, he struggled to shake off my hand and lowered his head, muttering, “How can I be the same as you?”

For someone like Pei Yunchuan, that physical deficiency was a hurdle he could never cross. I knew he wouldn’t be able to wrap his head around it anytime soon.

I stopped pressing the issue and instead turned to look at the snow falling increasingly hard outside the window. I said softly, “The snow is heavy out there. I’m afraid of the cold, and your room is warm. Let me stay here tonight.”

Setting aside how clumsy and ridiculous that excuse was-my own room was directly across from his; no matter how heavy the snow was, walking a few steps wouldn’t kill me.

He was naturally unwilling. Glancing at the snow outside, he tried to drive me away rudely. “Get back to your own room. I won’t indulge you.”

I had been born with doe-like eyes; whenever I looked at someone, it seemed as if they were shimmering with unshed tears. Usually, if I looked at him with a hint of grievance and tugged on his sleeve, he would agree to anything.

Years later, Pei Yunchuan still couldn’t resist the same trick. I didn’t just tug his sleeve; I let my usually cold tone carry an indescribable sadness as I said, “Pei Yunchuan, I’m cold.”

Helpless, Pei Yunchuan let out a sigh of “Ancestor.” He felt my hand, then rose from the couch to add charcoal to the brazier.

Having served people in the palace for so many years, Pei Yunchuan reflexively helped me out of my robe until I was left in a pure white inner garment. He led me to his bed, tucked me in, and found a foot warmer to place at my feet.

He didn’t stop nagging, though. “Ah Rou, stop having those crooked thoughts. With your current status, you don’t have to worry about finding a good man to marry. Just keep me around to serve you.”

Some people consider themselves a servant in their own hearts, creating a natural-born servant’s fate.

Feeling that he was like rotten wood that couldn’t be carved, I simply gave a low command: “You get in, too.”

I had been sensitive to the cold since childhood. Back then, Pei Yunchuan was also young-nothing more than a sweeping eunuch in the Cold Palace. He had no power, no status, and was forbidden from approaching the nobles.

When it was cold and there was no charcoal for warmth, Pei Yunchuan would run several laps around the hall before bed. Once he was flushed with heat, he would come back and hold me, letting me huddle in his arms for warmth.

Those days were incredibly bitter. Even now, looking back, I can’t clearly remember how we survived, or how he managed to raise a child as small as I was.

Before any romantic feelings had developed, we could still be close. But once certain things happened, he seemed unable to look at our relationship the same way again.

Thus, Pei Yunchuan ignored me, giving me a half-reproachful glare before saying, “It’s not cold anymore. I’ll sleep in the outer room.”

Pei Yunchuan turned to leave, but I grabbed his hand. Before he could react, I pulled him forcefully onto the bed and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go.

“Pei Yunchuan, you can’t do anything to me, and I can’t do anything to you. What are you afraid of?” I pressed my head against his back and spoke in a muffled voice.

Finally, the man in my arms stopped struggling.

He sighed, knowing he couldn’t win against my stubbornness. He could only let me hold him, whispering to himself:

“Good Ah Rou, you’re a grown woman now. I’ll stay with you tonight, but don’t do this again in the future. If others find out, it won’t be good for you.”