The courtyard was brilliantly lit, yet the main hall remained utterly silent, broken only by the crackling sound of burning candles.
Shen Yunshu sat in her original seat, her gaze lifting to meet the restless young man across from her.
He occupied the same round-backed chair Pei Huaijin had used earlier, yet the brothers’ postures and temperaments were entirely different.
Despite the day’s major upheaval, Pei Huaijin had remained steady and composed, calmly explaining the stakes to her without losing his composure, even probing to see if she was involved in the bride-snatching incident.
Though his questioning had made Shen Yunshu break into a cold sweat, she had to admit his unflappable demeanor in the face of crisis conveyed reliability.
Unlike Pei Huaian before her now—whose name contained the character for “peace” but whose restless spirit couldn’t match half of his elder brother’s qualities.
Each time Shen Yunshu looked at him, she sighed inwardly.
While she had previously thought him acceptable, that assessment had been premised on viewing him as her sister’s husband. He and Third Sister shared similar temperaments and interests—two spoiled children who could likely live happily together.
But now that he was destined to become her own husband, Shen Yunshu no longer saw any merit in him.
“Why hasn’t Big Brother come out yet?” the young man across from her muttered, rising and sitting back down anxiously before standing again. “No, I need to go check…”
Shen Yunshu propped her chin on her hand, watching sidelong as he approached the left chamber. She saw him hesitate at the door, not daring to knock, before turning back awkwardly to plead with her: “Sister-in-law, could you come inside with me?”
She had once appreciated being addressed as “Sister-in-law,” but times had changed. From now on, that title might not refer to her anymore.
“My engagement with your elder brother has been voided. You shouldn’t call me that anymore.”
Pei Huaian’s phoenix eyes widened. “Even you’re giving in?”
Shen Yunshu replied tonelessly, “The matter is settled. There’s nothing I can do.”
“If you can’t do anything, I will,” Pei Huaian declared. “Youran and I already agreed—she would never consent to marry Big Brother.”
“If you were truly certain she wouldn’t, why are you so nervous?” Shen Yunshu could see through him as clearly as she could her own sister. “I suppose Third Sister didn’t give you a definite answer in the room earlier?”
The seen-through youth deflated instantly. “But I told her I truly don’t mind about her and Big Brother… that situation. Doesn’t she trust me?”
Shen Yunshu shook her head with a faint scoff: Such youthful impulsiveness, acting solely on emotion. In these times women valued reputation above all, especially chastity—how could mere words of “not minding” earn trust? With such naivety pitted against his elder brother, he stood no chance.
She could already foresee Pei Huaian’s profound disappointment when Pei Huaijin emerged from the chamber with Third Sister’s decision.
“If Third Sister doesn’t choose you, what will you do?” Shen Yunshu wanted him to prepare mentally.
“If she doesn’t pick me…” Under her knowing gaze, Pei Huaian reluctantly contemplated the worst outcome. “Then I’ll go to Quanzhou with Father and never see her or Big Brother again.”
Quanzhou?
Quanzhou was a thousand miles away from the capital. Though going there could help her avoid Lu Yi, her Third Sister remained in the Pei residence—she couldn’t abandon her.
“No, I cannot go to Quanzhou with you…”
Pei Huaian was taken aback. “I never said I wanted you to accompany me to Quanzhou! There’s nothing improper between us—why would you need to remarry into my family?”
“But I heard from your elder brother that the elders hope to swap the two marriages…”
“Even so, I can’t sacrifice my entire life just to fulfill their wishes, can I?”
“It wouldn’t be a lifelong sacrifice—just one year of your time. How does that sound?”
Pei Huaian stared blankly. “What do you mean?”
Shen Yunshu crooked a finger and beckoned him closer. “I have a plan that benefits us both. Come closer, and I’ll whisper it to you…”
His wandering gaze met her clear, earnest eyes, and he froze, instinctively swallowing hard.
Ever since leaving the side chamber, he had been restless and uneasy. It wasn’t just the worry that Shen Youran might change her mind and marry his elder brother—another reason was that he found it difficult to remain composed alone with Shen Yunshu.
After several nights of vivid dreams, he had tried to convince himself that the woman in his dreams was Shen Youran.
But in those dreams, his consciousness was not his own. Often, the figure beneath him would blur into Shen Yunshu’s likeness. Each time he woke, he would shamefully justify it to himself: It must be because he saw Shen Yunshu more often, leading him to confuse the sisters. In truth, the one he wished to dream of was always Shen Youran.
He firmly believed that if he married Shen Youran and spent his days and nights with her, the confusion would cease, and henceforth, only she would appear in his dreams.
Yet now, with just a crook of her finger, his composure shattered. He stepped toward her and, at her gesture, bent down, bringing his ear close to her lips.
A soft, gentle breath brushed against his ear, carrying a faint, elegant fragrance—the scent of jasmine, he guessed, from her perfume.
Pei Huaian’s hands clenched unconsciously into fists as he struggled to suppress the turmoil in his heart. He kept his gaze rigidly fixed, not daring to let it wander. Finally, the warmth of her breath receded. He straightened up and let out a heavy sigh.
“Seventh Young Master, are you willing?”
She sat there serenely, her luminous eyes fixed on him, brimming with such sincerity that it felt impossible to refuse.
Admittedly, he had only grasped the gist of her proposal in his distracted state, but it seemed like a reasonable plan. Coupled with the earnestness in her gaze, he found himself nodding almost against his will. “Very well…”
As soon as the words left his lips, she lowered her lashes slightly, a radiant smile blooming at the corners of her eyes and brows, like a pearl gleaming with newfound brilliance.
“Then it’s settled…”
His gaze was captured by her, yet his heart remained suspended in midair.
Not long after, hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, Pei Huaian turned to see his eldest brother finally emerging. With a sweep of his wide sleeves, he led out a dejected figure from behind him.
The hand that had just been held by Pei Huaian was now obediently clasped in his elder brother’s grasp.
In an instant, Pei Huaian understood.
Although he and Shen Yunshu had already reached an agreement earlier, he couldn’t help but walk over to the crestfallen girl to confirm once more: “So you’re really not choosing me?”
She lifted her head, glanced at him briefly, the corners of her eyes tinged with sorrowful red.
“No,” she lowered her head, her voice sounding as if it might shatter, “Since it’s a mistake, I must accept it…”
Seeing that she had ultimately rejected him, Pei Huaian found himself less disappointed than he had anticipated: “Alright then… Eldest Brother, you must treat her well from now on.”
“Alright,” Pei Huai Jin responded, then asked him, “What are your plans?”
Pei Huaian scratched his head, embarrassed: “What else can I do? We’ll just swap then.”
His attitude shifted so quickly, as if it weren’t him who had been stomping his feet in Chunxuan Hall earlier, refusing to marry the eldest Miss Shen.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll go to Chunxuan Hall to report to the elders. It’s getting late, you should take…” He glanced at the elegant figure behind Pei Huaian, paused for a moment, then continued, “You should take Seventh Sister-in-law back to Ciyou Courtyard to rest. Tomorrow morning at the fifth watch, you must rise early to pay respects to the elders. Don’t be late.”
“Oh,” Pei Huaian agreed, just as Shen Yunshu walked to his side.
She didn’t know how Pei Huai Jin had managed to persuade Third Sister, but seeing her on the verge of tears, she very much wanted to stay and keep her company. However, it was truly too late tonight, and with the other party effectively dismissing them, Shen Yunshu had no choice but to follow Pei Huaian to Ciyou Courtyard first.
“Youran, you should rest early too, don’t cry anymore,” she stroked her sister’s head, “I’ll still be here to accompany you in the future.”
Shen Youran nodded with a sob.
Although she didn’t want her sister to marry Pei Huaian, the fact that her sister would remain in the Pei residence was still her only comfort here.
After Shen Yunshu and Pei Huaian left, Pei Huai Jin released her hand: “Go to sleep first, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Mm,” her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum. Listlessly, she turned and trudged toward the bedroom, her steps heavy and slow, her back radiating reluctance as if some monstrous beast awaited her in the bedchamber.
She’s still too young, full of childish tendencies—she’ll undoubtedly require much of his attention in the future.
Pei Huai Jin frowned slightly and headed to Chunxuan Hall under the moonlight to report to the elders. By the time he returned, the lamps in the bedchamber had already been extinguished.
Never mind, he would give her a few more days to gradually come to terms with it.
Pei Huai Jin turned and entered the study in the eastern wing, settling for a light sleep through the night.
As the moon set and stars faded, the fifth watch arrived. Danruo looked at the soundly sleeping figure within the red bed curtains and, though reluctant, shook her awake.
“Young mistress, please get up quickly. This morning, the new bride must kneel and bow to the elders. It wouldn’t do to be late…”
Shen Youran, who had tossed and turned sleeplessly last night and only managed to fall asleep as dawn broke, felt as if she had been awakened after merely a quarter of an hour.
Upon waking, she first clung to Danruo and cried: “Wuwu… If I had known marriage would be like this, I would rather never marry in my lifetime…”
“Young mistress, don’t speak such childish words…” Danruo coaxed her softly, skillfully attending to her dressing and washing, then guiding her to the dressing table to comb her hair.
The carved bronze mirror reflected a blurry figure. Shen Youran rubbed her eyes but still couldn’t see clearly, realizing her vision was failing again. “Danruo, prepare the medicinal steam for my eyes later…”
“Yes.” Danruo had already noticed her mistress’s red, swollen eyes. Though some powder had been applied around them, the bloodshot veins in the pupils remained unconcealed.
Before she could prepare the steaming medicine, someone outside had already urged them twice: “Young Madam, the fifth watch is nearly over. The young master has been waiting outside for quite some time.”
Shen Youran had no choice but to step out with her unclear vision, deciding to steam her eyes after paying respects to the elders.
The moonlight had faded, and the dawn light remained faint. As soon as Shen Youran emerged, she spotted a tall, straight figure in blue standing under the eastern corridor, erect as a pine tree.
She took a slow breath and shuffled over to stand beside him. “Let’s go.”
The man turned and bowed in greeting. “Young Madam, good morning.”
Shen Youran: “…Huh?”
She looked up in confusion, her blurry vision barely discerning that this wasn’t Pei Huaijin.
“That’s Qing Jian, my attendant,” came a cool, resigned voice from the still-open door behind her. “How many times must you mistake your own husband?”
Startled, Shen Youran instinctively stepped back, only to bump into Pei Huaijin, who had just emerged from the chamber.
Pei Huaijin reached out to steady her, gazing at this muddled, impulsive young girl. Well, there would be time to teach her properly in the future…