Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“Wretch! How dare someone like you compare yourself to me?
“Aren’t you afraid such outrageous boasting will strain your tongue?
“Your Highness, this wretch is clearly deceiving you. You must not let her fool you.”
Agitated and anxious, Pei Xuanfei could no longer even kneel properly.
From the moment Xing Shuwei entered the Duke’s estate, Pei Xuanfei had detested her affected manner of a well-bred young lady from a great house.
She was the Eldest Young Lady of the Duke’s estate!
Why did Xing Shuwei’s presence make her seem inferior in every way?
Over the past four years, she had often placed obstacles in Xing Shuwei’s path. But with Pei Xianjing protecting Xing Shuwei and Xing Shuwei herself so cunning, Pei Xuanfei rarely succeeded.
The incident at the Shen family banquet several days ago had brought her hatred of Xing Shuwei to its peak.
Thus, watching Xing Shuwei put on an act before Princess Jin’an now was more than she could bear.
She longed to tear away Xing Shuwei’s false mask on the spot and reduce her to bitter tears.
Princess Jin’an glanced at Pei Xuanfei and frowned slightly. “How ill-mannered.”
At these words, her senior maid stepped forward and slapped Pei Xuanfei several times in rapid succession.
“Are you saying I am too foolish to see the truth?” Princess Jin’an looked down at Pei Xuanfei’s disbelieving eyes and asked coldly.
Pei Xuanfei gritted her teeth inwardly and thought, Aren’t you?
The senior maid struck again, delivering several more slaps.
Dowager Lady Pei’s heart ached at the sight, but she did not dare intervene and could only fidget uneasily.
Lady Pei’s expression was also unpleasant. By punishing Pei Xuanfei in front of her, Princess Jin’an was overriding her authority as the mistress in charge of the household.
They had only just settled the date…
Yet the Princess was already so eager to take charge of the Pei family?
“Enough, Menglian. I had not yet given an order. Why did you strike her?”
With one airy remark, Princess Jin’an brought the matter to a close.
She merely wanted to teach the senseless Pei Xuanfei a small lesson.
They would be one family in the future, after all, and Pei Xianjing had only this one younger sister. There was no need to beat her half to death.
Pei Xuanfei clenched her teeth hard. It had taken days of nursing for the swelling from her own father’s beating to finally subside, and now her face was swollen again!
It burned fiercely with pain.
Xing Shuwei was a wretch.
What puzzled her even more was why Princess Jin’an believed Xing Shuwei!
“Menglian, dismiss all the guests. Tell them I have had enough excitement,” Princess Jin’an ordered.
“Yes. This maid will see to it now.” Menglian answered and left first.
Lady Pei rose to take her leave, and Princess Jin’an made no attempt to keep her.
Xing Shuwei wanted to retrieve the medicinal cuisine prescription, but Princess Jin’an said she would show it to an imperial physician and have the Imperial Medical Academy prepare the medicine for Lady Pei directly.
Xing Shuwei could only abandon the idea and follow Lady Pei and the others out.
At the entrance to Princess Jin’an’s residence, Pei Xuanfei vented her anger upon her. “Wretch, you can walk back by yourself.”
That suited Xing Shuwei perfectly.
She remained quietly in place and watched the carriage depart.
“Miss, it will be dark by the time we walk from Shenwu Avenue back to the Duke’s estate,” Qiutong complained.
Xing Shuwei replied softly, “It is no matter. This is a good opportunity for us to walk around.”
Shenwu Avenue bustled with people coming and going.
Dressed plainly, Xing Shuwei lowered her head slightly and disappeared into the crowd clad in silk and satin.
Roughly half an hour later, a fine horse stopped before Princess Jin’an’s residence.
Pei Xianjing looked at the tightly closed vermilion gates.
Chengde dismounted from another horse. “Eldest Young Master, it seems Lady Pei and the others have already returned to the estate.”
“Mm,” Pei Xianjing answered indifferently.
Chengde asked again, “Are we returning to the estate now, Eldest Young Master?”
Pei Xianjing put away his riding crop. “You go back first.”
“Yes,” Chengde answered respectfully.
For some reason, Pei Xianjing felt inexplicably uneasy today.
He wanted to walk alone.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he proceeded down the long street in the very direction Xing Shuwei had taken.
…
Shenwu Avenue held many restaurants devoted to the pleasures of aristocratic young masters.
This was a place where fortunes were truly spent like water.
Xing Shuwei merely wanted to try her luck and see whether she might encounter Zheng Yan.
Yet at a glance, she saw nothing but noble young men.
Xing Shuwei sighed inwardly. Perhaps Miss Zheng did not even know about the sachet.
Could Princess Jin’an have handed it directly to Lord Zhang?
She worried that the medicinal cuisine prescription she had left behind today might become a source of disaster.
Xing Shuwei wondered whether she should return to the estate and confess everything to Pei Xianjing. She could not bear the consequences if the truth were exposed.
“Miss Xing.” A voice like a fresh mountain breeze sounded before her.
Xing Shuwei looked up toward the voice and saw a face as warm as a spring breeze before her.
He stood straight as a pine, tall and upright.
His entire bearing radiated the spirited confidence unique to youth.
Xing Shuwei raised her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly.
The man before her was like the rising sun, seemingly far beyond her reach, yet not so fierce and dazzling that she dared not look directly at him.
“Please forgive the presumptuous interruption, Miss Xing.
“Do you have a moment? Might you listen to a few unimportant words from me?”
Xing Shuwei’s eyes shone brightly.
Her trip today had not been wasted after all.
Belatedly, she curtsied to Shen Yanqi. “This commoner is all ears.”
Shen Yanqi raised a hand slightly, intending to tell her there was no need to bow. Then, fearing she might find him presumptuous and overly casual, he awkwardly cupped his hands, bent at the waist, and returned her salute.
“My surname is Shen, and my given name is Yanqi. I am seventh among my siblings.
“Above me are one elder brother born to the principal wife, two elder half brothers born to concubines, and three elder half sisters born to concubines.
“I have no marriage engagement. The Shen family rules forbid marriage alliances with princes, marquises, and dukes, and permit us to choose our own spouses.”
Every word entered Xing Shuwei’s ears clearly.
He had emphasized that he could choose his own spouse.
He was signaling that he had complete authority over his own marriage.
This was precisely the result Xing Shuwei wanted.
But it was too fast.
This was their first meeting in any true sense, yet he was already discussing marriage with her?
In the Duke’s estate, Xing Shuwei had grown accustomed to schemes and calculations of profit.
She could not help wondering now whether Shen Yanqi had another motive for behaving this way.
While she stood dazed, Shen Yanqi drew a calling card from inside his robes. “Perhaps this is rather presumptuous of me.
“But I follow my heart in all I do. I suspect your days in the Duke’s estate are not easy, Miss Xing.
“I cannot help you with much else, but this calling card may offer you temporary protection in a moment of danger.”
The calling card was edged in gold.
Its searing gleam filled Xing Shuwei’s eyes.
Never before had anyone shown her such regard.
Shen Yanqi was restrained and cautious. She could see it all on his face.
“Miss,” Qiutong called softly when Xing Shuwei did not respond for so long.
“Mm.” Xing Shuwei returned to herself.
Only then did she realize how strange they both looked. She remained in her curtsy, while he had yet to straighten from his bow.
“Lord Shen.” After a long while, Xing Shuwei managed those two words.
“You may simply call me Seventh Young Master, Miss Xing.” Shen Yanqi smiled at her and made a slight gesture for her to rise.
Xing Shuwei straightened.
“This calling card…”
Xing Shuwei held it in her hand. Before she could voice her thanks, a cold voice pierced the surrounding clamor from behind her-
“Lord Shen is certainly in a leisurely mood.”
Every hair on Xing Shuwei’s body stood on end. Without looking back, she could sense someone approaching behind her-
Pei Xianjing. Why was he here?
Pei Xianjing strode forward like a gust of wind and stopped beside Xing Shuwei.