Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I dressed myself up with meticulous care.

A gown the color of sky-blue water, a snow-white cloak, makeup that was elegantly understated, and a hairstyle that looked effortless but had every strand perfectly in place.

I knocked on the door of the thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain.

The man who opened the door was a young man wearing clothes that had been washed until they were faded.

His name was He Qingxiao, a scholar who had passed the provincial examinations and was preparing for the imperial exams in the capital. Because his family was destitute, he could only rent this small hut at the foot of Qingju Mountain to study.

Two months ago, while my mother was traveling to Qingju Monastery to pray for blessings, she encountered a heavy rainstorm that spooked her horse. He took her in to seek shelter.

After speaking with him, my mother realized this young man was no ordinary person. Seeing the shadow of my father in his youth within him, she urged me to give up on Pei Ling’an and place my bets on him instead.

Mother had long been unable to stand the way Pei Ling’an humiliated me.

I didn’t agree at the time.

Men like my father are one in a million. By marrying Pei Ling’an, I only needed to please him. But if I married a poor scholar like this, I would not only have to please him but also help him navigate the treacherous waters of officialdom.

Even if the day truly came when the carp leaped over the Dragon Gate, there was no telling if he would become even worse than Pei Ling’an.

It wasn’t a good bargain.

However, although I rejected my mother’s suggestion, I still sent people every few days to deliver money and food to He Qingxiao. Occasionally, I would send brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, clothes, and socks, along with a few encouraging words that cost me nothing.

That’s how we bad women are.

We never burn our bridges completely.

It was lucky I did. When I accidentally saw the portrait of Lord Pei’s late first wife and realized that He Qingxiao might be the legitimate eldest son Lord Pei had been searching for all these years, I was able to use the excuse of visiting my mother’s benefactor. I feigned a fall and, in a moment of panic, grabbed his sleeve, catching a clear look at the red moles on both his wrists.

That confirmed his identity.

One was the legitimate eldest son born to a deceased childhood sweetheart and first wife.

The other was the legitimate second son born to a successor wife from a prominent family alliance.

Anyone with a brain knew whose side Lord Pei’s heart would lean toward.

…

“Greetings, Master He.”

I bowed slightly to the young man, whose earlobes turned a soft pink the moment he saw me. I handed him the bundle in my hands. “The weather has turned cold. Mother instructed me to bring you two sets of winter clothes.”

Pausing for a moment, I said bashfully, “Normally, this should have been done by the maidservants who are skilled in needlework. However, my mother and I offended my uncle and were sent to Qingju Monastery for quiet reflection, so I had to sew them myself. The stitching is rough; I hope you won’t find it beneath you.”

He Qingxiao was stunned. He took the bundle with a sense of flustered helplessness, the pink on his earlobes gradually spreading across his cheeks.

“How… how could I dare trouble a young lady to sew winter clothes for me with her own hands…”

Suddenly, his gaze froze. “Young lady, your hand?”

I hurriedly hid my finger, which had been pricked by a needle.

“I’ve made a fool of myself. Yusu rarely does needlework, which is why I’m in such a sorry state.”

This was half-true.

The true part was that I really didn’t know how to do needlework. The handkerchiefs and decorative knots I used to give Pei Ling’an were all made by my maids. The false part was that I hadn’t made these rough-stitched winter clothes either.

Hehe.

But He Qingxiao believed me.

He looked at me-I had to admit, he was truly handsome, with clear eyes and elegant features, even more striking than Pei Ling’an. A ripple appeared in his glass-like, translucent eyes.

“Thank you, young lady. I have some ointment here. If you don’t mind…”

I considered it with calculated reserve.

Then I agreed.

He Qingxiao fetched the ointment and, using a small wooden spatula, carefully applied it to my finger. Throughout the process, he was very proper, avoiding any direct skin contact. Only his warm breath, as he leaned closer, inevitably brushed against my fingertips.

I flinched slightly.

He lifted his eyelashes. “Does it hurt?”

I shook my head.

He lowered his gaze again, focusing intently on applying the ointment.

Watching his eyelashes tremble like butterfly wings, I couldn’t help but smile.

Oh, Pei Ling’an, Pei Ling’an. I’m about to latch onto your long-lost legitimate elder brother.

In the future, you’ll have to respectfully call me-

Elder sister-in-law.

5 (Pei Ling’an)

Pei Ling’an hadn’t originally intended to give Shen Yusu a way out so quickly.

He knew Shen Yusu had overheard their bet.

But so what?

It was just a hundred broken engagements.

Her father was dead, and there was no one left in the Shen Family who could support their house. Fulfilling the marriage contract and marrying her was an act of grace to begin with.

She should be grateful.

A woman who lacked magnanimity would never be able to hold the position of the young madam of the Pei family.

But that night, he had a dream.
That happened two years ago. Shen Yusu was only four years old then, and Pei Ling’an had taken her to participate in the Emperor’s Winter Hunt. Wrapped in white fox fur, she looked beautiful and delicate, too timid even to ride a horse.

When Pei Ling’an accidentally fell into a trap deep in the mountains, it was Shen Yusu who found him first.

To this day, Pei Ling’an still couldn’t understand how such a delicate young lady had managed to find him, but find him she did. Shen Yusu had thrown herself onto him, wailing and sobbing, her tears falling onto his face so hot they made him shudder.

“Yusu, I will never fail you.”

By the time he snapped back to the present, the words had already left his mouth.

Shen Yusu was stunned.

He saw a look in her eyes he had never seen before-hesitation, surprise, and even a flicker of wavering.

She didn’t say much then, but after that day, Shen Yusu seemed to change a little. She was no longer as submissive as before; occasionally, she would snap at him in a fit of pique, and if she got angry, she would lock her doors and refuse to see him.

The strange thing was, Pei Ling’an didn’t hate it.

In fact, he quite liked this vibrant version of Shen Yusu.

When that group of playboys brought up the bet…

Pei Ling’an’s first instinct had been to refuse.

But they all started jeering at once:

“What, has Young Master Pei truly fallen head over heels for this little woman? You don’t even dare to bet with us?”

“Indeed, Shen Yusu’s marriage to you was a social climb to begin with. If you let her walk all over you, wouldn’t it be even easier for her to forget her place?”

“Or is it that Brother Pei doesn’t dare to bet? Do you feel you don’t hold that much weight in Lady Shen’s heart?”

Only Shen Yuchi tried to persuade him: “Brother Ling’an, you shouldn’t bet with them. My sister is very proud; I’m afraid she might actually agree the first time you mention breaking the engagement.”

“Is that so? Then I’d like to see if she dares.”

Once the words were spoken, they were hard to take back.

The first time he mentioned breaking the engagement was followed by a second, a third…

His initial guilt gradually transformed into a sense of entitlement.

See? Shen Yusu really couldn’t leave him.

This bet was indeed ridiculous, but he would make it up to her properly after she married into his family.

But Pei Ling’an never expected that after she had humbled herself so many times to win him back, she would actually agree right at the final step!

She clearly knew it was just a bet!

Clearly…

Pei Ling’an’s lapse in concentration did not escape the others’ eyes.

They finally regained some sense and began urging him to give Shen Yusu another chance.

He had given her one, but Shen Yusu hadn’t taken it.

The servant’s head was bowed almost to the steps. “…Lady Shen said her biggest mistake was not agreeing the first time you proposed breaking the engagement.”

With a loud clatter, Pei Ling’an stood up abruptly, knocking his teacup to the ground.

The pavilion, which had already fallen silent after Shen Yusu’s resolute departure, was now filled only with the sound of the wind.

Shen Yuchi looked at the broken porcelain on the ground, then at Pei Ling’an, murmuring softly:

“Sister actually…”

“Actually what?” Pei Ling’an snapped his gaze toward her.

Shen Yuchi shook her head timidly. “No… it’s nothing!”

Pei Ling’an’s voice was sharp: “Speak!”

Shen Yuchi twisted her handkerchief. “Sister said she’s about to marry you, Brother Ling’an, and that being so submissive won’t do. This time, she’s determined to play hard to get and wait for you to coax her before she’s willing to come back!”

“So after all that, she’s just playing hard to get!”

“The young lady is truly angry. Are you going to coax her or not?”

“Brother Pei, be careful not to lose your authority as a husband! Hahaha!”

Amidst the laughter, Pei Ling’an regained his relaxed posture and gave a careless smile.

“Playing hard to get? I loathe such petty tricks. Men, go to Qingju Monastery and tell them that the future Young Mistress of the Pei Clan is entering the monastery for ascetic cultivation. There is no need to show her leniency just because she is a member of an official’s family. Then, tell Shen Yusu to copy the Scripture of Purity and Tranquility once… no, a hundred times. Otherwise, I will not accept her gift for my birthday in half a month.”

The servant scurried off to obey.

Pei Ling’an sat down, took a fresh teacup, and began to drink with casual ease.

Half a month ago, Shen Yusu had been searching everywhere to buy a high-quality Huzhou ink brush.

Aside from his birthday, he couldn’t think of anything else that would warrant such effort from her.

If he truly refused to accept it, knowing Shen Yusu’s prone-to-crying nature, she would likely be so anxious she’d burst into tears, wouldn’t she?

He would see how many days she could hold out this time before bowing her head.

Three days? Or five?

Shen Yusu couldn’t leave him.

No one understood better than he just how much Shen Yusu loved him.