Chapter 3

Chapter 3

From that day on, Pei Miao began returning home early after finishing his duties.

Everyone in the manor marveled at the young couple, remarking on how they were as inseparable as glue, their bond seemingly unbreakable.

The Marchioness was kind and affectionate, even excusing me from my daily morning greetings.

One day, as I accompanied her on a stroll through the garden after a meal, she smiled and patted my hand. “You and your husband are in the honeymoon phase of your marriage. You should strive to add a new member to the Pei Family as soon as possible.”

Blushing, I buried my face in her embrace. The Marchioness sighed softly, “For a woman, a man’s favor is fleeting and false; only children are real.”

That night, Pei Miao returned late again. I rose to help him undress, and as I stepped closer, I caught that faint floral scent once more.

“What is it?” Pei Miao took my hand and pressed it against his cheek, turning his head to give it a soft kiss.

I shook my head, my fingers smoothing over his lapel. Suddenly, my movements stiffened.

On the side of Pei Miao’s slender neck, tucked deep beneath the collar of his snow-white inner robe, was a pale pink hickey.

The color was so faint it was almost invisible, and since it was summer, it could have easily been mistaken for a mosquito bite.

However, at that moment, I was certain. It was a mark left by a woman-perhaps even left there intentionally.

I looked up. Pei Miao’s handsome face still wore a smile, his eyes full of tenderness, but I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar. A very real, physical pain surged through me.

It was as if a knife had been plunged into my soft heart and then ruthlessly twisted, leaving me bleeding and shattered.

“What’s wrong, really?” Pei Miao wrapped his arms around my waist. I took the opportunity to lean into his chest, hiding my expression. “…I missed you.”

Pei Miao chuckled low, kissed my hair, and swept me up in his arms to carry me into the inner chamber.

That night, I used the excuse of feeling unwell to refuse him.

The next day, the guard who had come with me as part of my dowry finished his investigation.

“The woman he settled is named Chen Yinniang. She is the sister of one of the Heir’s subordinates. The siblings relied on each other for survival until three years ago, when her elder brother died while shielding the Heir from a sword.”

The guard paused, choosing his words carefully. “The Heir likely took pity on her lonely circumstances. He bought a two-entry courtyard house in Huichun Lane for her.”

The room fell into a dead silence, save for the rustling of bamboo leaves outside. I sat steadily in the seat of honor, but when I reached for my teacup, I realized my hands were shaking so violently that the lid rattled against the cup, nearly falling off.

A two-entry courtyard. Floating Cloud Courtyard, the bridal chamber he shared with me, was only a three-entry residence.

The Matron took the teacup from my hands, and I buried myself in her arms, tears brimming in my eyes.

Before I married into the household of the Marquess of Jingning, my father and brothers had handpicked a husband for me, determined to find a worthy match.

After they settled on Pei Miao, my mother had sent people to investigate him both openly and secretly. The Pei Family was known for its upright reputation, and Pei Miao didn’t even have a single bed-warming maid in his courtyard.

He didn’t have a maid, but he had a precious, beloved mistress.

Everyone in the Pei Family, from top to bottom, had kept their mouths shut and deceived me, playing me for a fool.