"Jing Zhi, did you hear that?"
Pei He'an's handsome brows furrowed slightly as he abruptly pushed the teacup in his hand away.
"What is it?"
Xie Shi'an looked at his friend with some suspicion, uncertain as he asked, "Are you ill today? Why do you seem so distracted?"
"It's nothing. Just repeat what you said earlier."
Xie Shi'an had no choice but to recount it once more.
"In another month, it will be the Autumn Hunt. As per tradition, the Emperor and the princes will all go to the hunting grounds, and naturally, you and I must accompany them. However, with the recent change in the capital's guards, I worry there might be danger."
Pei He'an's gaze shifted lightly, falling upon the pedestrians coming and going on the street.
"When has there ever been a day without risk in Jiankang City?"
Xie Shi'an nodded in agreement.
But with the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince currently locked in fierce rivalry, it's possible they might use this event to their advantage. Should they prepare in advance?
"The Autumn Hunt has always been held at Xiangshan. As a royal hunting ground, it is managed by dedicated personnel. Since it falls outside our jurisdiction, why should we concern ourselves with it?"
Xie Shi'an felt his friend was right. Currently, the factions of the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince are evenly balanced. Any additional support for either side could prove decisive.
Jing Zhi holds significant influence in the court, and both sides have long sought to win him over.
Presumably, wait…
Xie Shi'an suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply at his friend. The suspicion in his heart was on the verge of being voiced, yet he dared not speak it aloud.
He could only express his disapproval: "Are you truly determined to do this?"
Pei He'an lowered his eyes, watching the tea swirling in the cup, and said coldly, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Xie Shi'an wanted to persuade him further, as moving against a prince is ultimately no small matter.
But before his words could be spoken, the man before him suddenly stood up.
Sang Zhi, compelled by her mother-in-law's order, had no choice but to leave the mansion. However, how could she possibly know where Lang Jun would go today?
She could only wander aimlessly through the streets.
After all, by sunset, Lang Jun would return to the mansion.
By then, even if she went back, her mother-in-law likely wouldn't say much.
But as she walked, Sang Zhi suddenly sensed that someone seemed to be following her.
Panic rose in her heart, yet she dared not venture into secluded areas.
She had no choice but to hide inside a rouge shop.
Only when she felt the persistent gaze from behind had vanished did she slowly let out a sigh of relief.
But before she could fully relax, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind.
"Sui Sui, what are you doing here?"
Sang Zhi's body stiffened. If her path forward hadn't been blocked,
she would have rushed out immediately, pretending not to have heard that voice.
But her elder sister had already approached, forcing Sang Zhi to turn around and greet her: "Hello, elder sister."
The woman accompanying Sang Yue glanced her up and down. "So this is your younger sister?"
Though nothing else was said, Sang Zhi inexplicably sensed a different meaning in those words.
But upon second thought, she felt she might be overly sensitive.
She quickly greeted the lady beside her elder sister.
Sang Yue possessed a striking beauty, her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes adding to her charm.
She wore a water-red dress, with a fiery red silk flower pinned in her hair.
Her mere presence drew the attention of everyone around.
Standing beside her elder sister, Sang Zhi felt like a wildflower overshadowed by a peony.
If elder sister had married into the Pei family, perhaps Lang Jun wouldn't be as he is now.
And mother-in-law would be more satisfied…
Leng Ling strode forward with an air of haughty pride, scrutinizing Sang Zhi with a critical eye from left to right.
Her looks weren’t bad, but with this timid, shrinking demeanor, even a seven-out-of-ten beauty was now reduced to a mere three.
It was truly uninteresting.
Would Pei Sanlang marry such a woman?
Leng Ling didn’t believe it. With light, graceful steps, she moved closer and said, “A-Yue, why is your sister so shy? She barely says a word.”
Sang Yue gently patted Leng Ling’s hand, her expression hesitant, as if she had something to say but held back.
Her gaze lingered on Sang Zhi for a moment before quickly shifting away.
She awkwardly changed the subject, saying, “Sui Sui prefers quiet, that’s why she’s like this. Since you’re here, Sui Sui, why not join us?”
Sang Zhi wanted to refuse but didn’t wish to expose her stutter in front of others.
Before she could speak, she was pulled over.
The magnolia-colored skirt hem twirled helplessly in the air before reluctantly settling back down.
Sang Zhi had been too focused on avoiding the person behind her to notice which shop she had entered.
Only now did she dare to look carefully—it was Xiaguangge.
A small box of rouge here cost one tael of silver, while her monthly allowance at Pei Mansion was only five taels.
“A-Yue, what do you think of this rouge? The color is vibrant, and the powder is fine and light. It would look lovely on you.”
Sang Yue declined, saying, “I came here today to accompany you. We should be picking something for you.”
Then, turning to Sang Zhi, she added, “Sui Sui, if you like anything, pick some to take back. Sanlang… Pei Sanlang would surely like it too.”
Sang Zhi pursed her lips, unsure of what to say.
A faint discomfort stirred in her heart. Lowering her almond-shaped eyes, she whispered to her sister, “A-Jie, I have something to attend to. I should go.”
“Don’t rush off,” Leng Ling grabbed Sang Zhi’s wrist, holding it tightly in her palm, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in. “I heard your husband is Pei Sanlang. Since you’re newlyweds, why isn’t he accompanying you out?”
Although Pei Xiyue had welcomed her into the mansion, the wedding was said to be simple, but in truth, it hadn’t been held at all.
Thus, it was likely that most people in Jiankang City didn’t even know Pei Xiyue was married.
It was then that Sang Yue stepped in to play the good person, saying, “A-Ling, what are you doing? Let go of Sui Sui.”
Seeing her still defending Sang Zhi, Leng Ling raised her voice sharply, “She stole the man you loved, and you’re still protecting her!”
Hearing this, Sang Yue’s expression instantly turned desolate.
Sang Yue was already strikingly beautiful, and with her brows and eyes lowered, she appeared even more graceful and pitiable.
Standing in front of Sang Zhi, she seemed like a loving elder sister who genuinely cared for her younger sibling.
“What happened back then wasn’t Sui Sui’s fault. It’s just that he and I were not meant to be…”
Subtle gazes from the surroundings fell upon her. Sang Zhi felt that if she weren’t caught in the middle of it all, she too would have thought the sister shielding her was truly pitiable.
But unfortunately, she was precisely the one entangled in it.
She had experienced her sister’s tactics many times before.
Yet, she could never escape them.
She could only let layer upon layer of gazes strip her away from where she stood, exposing her bare before everyone.
Sang Zhi felt a sudden dizziness wash over her, and even the beautiful sister standing before her seemed to transform into a terrifying monster at that moment.
The crimson lips parted and closed as if trying to devour her bite by bite.
Sang Zhi’s heart felt heavy. She lowered her head, unwilling to speak.
She lifted her foot slightly, intending to leave this place, but as soon as she turned, her foot seemed to step on something.
Her figure swayed for a moment, and as her fingertips fell, she accidentally swept the rouge on the table onto the floor.
The vibrant, finely ground rouge rolled onto the ground in one piece, instantly gathering dust.
It was no longer as bright as before.
Sang Zhi looked at the rouge staining her shoes, even the hem of her skirt was dyed a vivid red.
"Sui Sui, how could you drop the new product just launched by Xiaguangge? This costs three taels of silver per box."
Leng Ling also chimed in at the right moment: "A Yue, not only does your younger sister look gloomy, but she’s also clumsy. Hurry up and compensate the shopkeeper."
The shop assistant standing nearby didn’t speak, but he firmly positioned himself at the entrance.
Clearly afraid someone would run away.
His smile unwavering, he cheerfully stepped forward and asked, "Madam, besides this, is there anything else you need?"
Sang Zhi clenched her palm. She had left in a hurry today, and the entire pouch held only one tael of silver in total.
She couldn’t possibly compensate…
"I don’t have enough on me. Could I…"
Before she could finish, Leng Ling, who had been listening, instantly felt that what her father had said must be a rumor.
The daughter-in-law of the Pei family unable to produce three taels of silver was simply a joke.
She must have married into some impoverished family, taken her husband’s surname Pei, and then spun a grand lie under false pretenses.
As for the shop assistant, upon hearing that Sang Zhi couldn’t produce the silver, his smile instantly vanished.
He stood firmly at the entrance, staring at her warily, and said, "Madam, my apologies. Perhaps you could send someone back to your residence to fetch the silver, saving you the trouble of traveling back and forth."
Sang Zhi’s expression turned awkward, her delicate palms already marked with red imprints from her grip.
Suddenly, Sang Yue stepped forward and, without asking, took the hairpin from Sang Zhi’s bun.
The butterfly tassel, as if about to take flight, hung down, and the sapphire embedded in it shimmered brilliantly.
"Sir, my younger sister truly didn’t bring enough silver today. What if we leave this hairpin here as collateral?"
Before Sang Zhi could react, the hairpin had already left her possession.
Faint sneers could be heard from the crowd.
Softly drifting in the air, they stirred subtle ripples.
Sang Zhi’s face flushed with heat, yet she couldn’t say anything.
Suddenly, the people in the shop erupted into a commotion.
Whispers filled the air as everyone, almost in unison, turned their gaze to the same spot, their delicate faces blushing like peach blossoms.
Sang Zhi instinctively followed their line of sight.
As she looked up, she saw Pei He’an standing at the entrance, dressed in a snow-blue robe. The light fell on his distinguished brow, his eyes indifferent, like a handful of snow from the mountains.
Carrying a chill.
The moment Sang Zhi saw the Jia Zhu, she immediately turned away.
Why was it that every time she saw the Jia Zhu, it was always in such a wretched state?
Some in the shop recognized him and immediately tugged at their companions, saying, "It’s Pei He’an! I never thought we’d see him here today!"
"But why would he come to a rouge shop?"
One after another, the discussions drilled into Sang Zhi’s ears.
But now, she only hoped that the Jia Zhu was merely passing by.
Yet her wish was ultimately dashed.
"What happened?"
The shop assistant had heard the discussions and naturally knew who the person before him was.
He immediately recounted everything that had just happened in detail.
Now that he was right in front of her, Sang Zhi could no longer pretend not to know him.
She turned around and bowed, saying, "Jia Zhu."
Pei He’an’s gaze swept past her, landing on the butterfly tassel that had been handed over.
Mu Shan stepped forward from behind and handed over three taels of silver, asking, “Is this enough?”
The shop assistant was somewhat puzzled, but since he had received enough money, he handed the butterfly tassel back to Sang Zhi and silently retreated.
“Let’s go.”
Sang Zhi stood frozen for a moment, hesitated briefly, then followed behind Jia Zhu and walked out.
As the two of them walked out the door one after the other, the people in the shop erupted into chatter once more.
They speculated wildly about the relationship between the two.
Meanwhile, Leng Ling, standing to the side, turned pale, never expecting that this person truly was the daughter-in-law of the Pei family.
Would today’s incident offend her?
Sang Yue, standing ahead, overheard the speculations of those around her, and her face twisted unnaturally.
This life should have been hers!
Sang Zhi followed closely behind Jia Zhu, walking a good distance before she whispered softly, “Thank you, Jia Zhu, for helping me out. When we return, I will repay the silver to you.”
Pei He’an paused slightly in his steps, turning to look at the person before him who kept her head lowered.
How could someone have such a gentle temperament, allowing anyone to bully them?
“Was it you who knocked over that rouge earlier?”
Sang Zhi pursed her lips, evading the question by saying, “They all saw it.”
Pei He’an’s brows furrowed slightly, and the cool scent of sandalwood once again enveloped the air.
“Yes or no.”
Sang Zhi lightly pinched the tip of her finger and finally relented, whispering, “Even if it wasn’t me, they would still have made me pay for it.”
Since the outcome would have been the same, what was the point in arguing?
It had always been this way since she could remember, so why bother disputing it now?
After speaking, Sang Zhi feared that Jia Zhu might think her words were resentful, so she quickly added, “I must also thank Jia Zhu for earlier. Otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened.”
As she finished speaking, she hurriedly raised a smile toward Jia Zhu to express her gratitude, with no other intentions.
The warm sunlight fell upon Sang Zhi, refracting a golden amber glow in her clear eyes.
Her rosy lips curved upward, and two small, soft dimples gently appeared on her fair cheeks.
It was only at this moment that Pei He’an noticed a tiny mole hidden within the indentation of her dimple.
Crimson and minute.
It was easily overlooked if one wasn’t paying attention.
Yet it was so conspicuous, a translucent red against the delicate flesh of her cheek.
It revealed itself with the parting of her lips.
Who would notice such a subtle little mole?
Suddenly, Sanlang appeared in Pei He’an’s thoughts.
As the one who shared her pillow, he must have traced it carefully with his fingers.
Perhaps he had even devoured it, nibbling it over and over again.
And this person before him, with her gentle and timid nature, would surely not dare to beg for mercy even if she were bitten harshly.
She might even softly call out “Lang Jun” and offer the other untouched cheek.
Author’s Note:
Our Dà Péi managed to anger himself just by imagining it [laughs]