Zhu Xingxu pointed at Su Lan. “What if Madam needs someone to attend to her?”
Pei Xie smiled. “Isn’t there still you?”
He added, “Su Lan felt dizzy from the heat, so she is resting.”
How considerate. He had even prepared the excuse for her.
Zhu Xingxu trudged over to the table and sat down, dejected.
If she did not have to serve, she absolutely would not.
Who in the world actually wanted to work?
Seeing her low spirits, Pei Xie let out a soft laugh and sat beside her.
“Meng Chunhe needs to discuss matters with Li Ke. She will not summon anyone.”
Zhu Xingxu looked at him. “How do you know?”
Pei Xie only smiled faintly without answering.
Fine. As expected, everything was under your control.
Resting her chin on her hand, Zhu Xingxu said, “I don’t believe you knocked Su Lan out just to make yourself more comfortable.”
A trace of amusement flickered through Pei Xie’s eyes. He composed himself and said seriously, “Concubine Qiao is no longer a threat. But for him, one concubine is not enough.”
Zhu Xingxu’s heart skipped. “You mean?”
Pei Xie stared at her without speaking.
Zhu Xingxu shot to her feet.
“You’re not asking me to become a concubine, are you?”
Pei Xie’s gaze did not shift. He nodded slowly.
“Just pretend, like we are doing now.”
Zhu Xingxu was furious.
“No!” She did not even want to be a principal wife, let alone a concubine.
Absolutely not. Pei Xie was not surprised by her reaction.
Tilting his head slightly, he said, “Don’t you want the brush made from withered green tree hair?”
At that, Zhu Xingxu sat back down.
She did want it very much.
But did she really have to trade her body for it?
Her views on chastity were not that conservative. With a boyfriend, she would not mind anything before marriage, as long as she liked him.
But Li Dong was clearly an old man.
Because of the incident where he beat Concubine Qiao, she despised him.
Even if Concubine Qiao had poor character, that was not a reason for Li Dong to hit her.
Absent-mindedly, Zhu Xingxu picked up a teacup and took a sip.
“Can’t we steal it from his study?”
Pei Xie replied, “Only concubines and aides may enter his study. Guards patrol outside it. The item I need is also in the study.”
Li Dong monitored his aides extremely strictly and would investigate their ancestry for several generations.
If Pei Xie tried to become an aide, Li Dong would certainly grow suspicious.
As for ordinary servants, he could not be bothered.
Zhu Xingxu tightened her grip on the teacup.
“Can’t you do it instead?”
Pei Xie took a sip of tea.
“If Li Dong preferred men, I would.” Zhu Xingxu looked at him in surprise.
She had only said it casually, trying to push back at him.
But judging from his expression, he was not joking.
If that were true…
Pei Xie was truly capable of bending and enduring.
The Third Prince was fortunate to have him.
Pei Xie himself did not think it much of a sacrifice.
He had sedatives and illusion drugs to manage the situation.
Moreover, he understood clearly that anything one desired required a price.
It was merely a matter of how great that price was.
Zhu Xingxu waged a fierce battle within.
Pei Xie did not rush her and waited patiently.
The waiter had already delivered the dishes Madam Li had ordered for them.
Pei Xie was still waiting for her answer and had not touched his chopsticks.
After a long while, Zhu Xingxu let out a breath.
“I’ll agree to be a concubine. But can I avoid doing that sort of thing with him?”
She wanted to go home too badly.
Pei Xie took out the sedative and illusion drugs and placed them on the table, explaining their uses and effects.
Zhu Xingxu quickly grabbed them and tucked them into her clothing.
“You could have said so earlier. I spent so long worrying.”
With these, it truly could be nothing more than acting.
The curve of Pei Xie’s lips deepened slightly.
Yet Zhu Xingxu grew anxious again.
That sort of thing could be avoided, but what about kissing and embracing?
At the thought of kissing Li Dong, she felt she might vomit up yesterday’s dinner.
She scratched her head. She would think about that when the time came.
Then she asked, “Have you considered what happens if Li Dong doesn’t want me?”
Pei Xie’s gaze moved over her face.
Although her skin was darkened by the black cloud ointment, it was undeniable that Zhu Xingxu was beautiful.
Her light brown eyes were lively, often spinning as though plotting something.
He suddenly recalled the citrus scent he had noticed when they first met.
It is gone now. Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Pei Xie said, “He will. You are very pretty.”
Zhu Xingxu did not think much of it.
After all, this body’s face was indeed attractive.
She was often praised for her appearance.
When complimented, she always replied politely, “Thank you.”
At this moment, she did not know whether she wanted Li Dong to notice her or not.
The dishes were growing cold. Zhu Xingxu stood and nudged Su Lan.
“Wake up. Time to eat.”
Perhaps the medicine had worn off. Su Lan murmured and slowly opened her eyes. “Did I fall asleep?”
For some reason, her backside ached.
“I don’t know if I didn’t sleep well earlier. I feel a bit uncomfortable now…”
She whispered to Zhu Xingxu and rubbed the side of her thigh.
Zhu Xingxu responded guiltily.
When Su Lan fainted, she had fallen straight onto the chair.
The first thing to take the impact was her backside.
The three ate in silence.
After finishing, Su Lan left first to check on Meng Chunhe next door.
Meng Chunhe and Li Ke had also finished talking and were preparing to leave.
Their discussion had evidently not gone smoothly. Both looked displeased as they came out.
Descending the stairs, Li Ke suddenly said, “I don’t want to marry that woman.”
Meng Chunhe frowned. “You must.”
Li Ke was extremely dissatisfied and shouted, “What right do you have to control my marriage? I want to choose for myself.”
Meng Chunhe clutched her chest in anger. “Because I am your mother!”
Li Ke refused to yield. “So what if you are?”
Seeing the argument about to escalate, Su Lan quickly led Meng Chunhe aside and soothed her.
Pei Xie also diligently performed his duties, whispering words of comfort to Li Ke.
The commotion drew the attention of others, including Zhu Ruoyi and Zhu Can’er.
Zhu Can’er was still young and did not have a deep impression of her eldest sister. She only watched curiously.
After observing the quarrel between Meng Chunhe and Li Ke for a moment, Zhu Ruoyi inadvertently noticed Zhu Xingxu standing beside Meng Chunhe.
Surprised, she pulled Zhu Can’er over.
By then, Meng Chunhe had calmed down, and Li Ke, persuaded by Pei Xie, had apologized. Mother and son reconciled.
As they were about to leave, Zhu Xingxu, curious, wanted to ask Pei Xie what he had said to make Li Ke so obedient.
At Li Ke’s age, such behavior clearly marked adolescence. He was bound to be rebellious.
Before she could reach him, her hand was seized by Zhu Ruoyi.
When Zhu Xingxu saw who it was, she was startled.
Why did they have to run into them here?
Zhu Ruoyi stared at her. “Eldest Sister, what are you doing here?”
Zhu Xingxu quickly steadied herself.
“Who are you?”
Zhu Ruoyi frowned, puzzled. Had she mistaken her?
Zhu Xingxu’s heart pounded.
“Judging by your appearance, you must be a young lady from a noble household?”
She recalled how Pei Xie had bowed and scraped before Li Ke.
She immediately adopted a fawning tone.
Zhu Ruoyi recoiled in shock and withdrew her hand.
Feigning curiosity, Zhu Xingxu asked, “Do I really look that much like your family’s eldest miss?”
Zhu Ruoyi stepped back, frowning. “Not at all.”
Her eldest sister was pure and noble like a plum blossom.
Nothing like this person, who looked eager to curry favor with the powerful.
Hearing the commotion, Meng Chunhe approached. “Cuihua, what is it?”
Zhu Ruoyi retreated another step.
Zhu Xingxu honestly pointed at Zhu Ruoyi. “This young lady said I resemble her family’s eldest daughter.”
Zhu Ruoyi hurriedly said, “No, no. I was mistaken.”
Fearing she would persist, Zhu Xingxu stepped closer. “How similar?”
Seeing the disgust in Zhu Ruoyi’s eyes, Zhu Xingxu secretly smiled.
Afraid she might offend someone, Su Lan quickly pulled her back. “You must observe propriety when meeting other nobles.”
Frowning, Su Lan could not understand why Zhu Xingxu, usually so sensible, was acting so rashly.
Zhu Xingxu retreated to her original spot, failing to notice the probing look in Meng Chunhe’s eyes.
Convinced she had been mistaken, Zhu Ruoyi led Zhu Can’er away.
Pei Xie watched silently from the side, his eyes bright with undisguised admiration.
As dusk approached, fewer people lingered by the shore.
On the way back to the carriage, Zhu Xingxu softly asked Pei Xie how he had persuaded Li Ke.
Pei Xie replied, “I told him that a wife in name and a wife in one’s heart are not the same.”
After hearing that, Zhu Xingxu looked at him with complicated emotions.
As a prince, Pei Xie’s marriage would not be his own choice either.
Was that why he thought this way?
Pei Xie kept his gaze forward, not glancing aside.
Upon returning to the Li residence, Su Lan went to Chanxiang Courtyard to attend to Meng Chunhe, while Zhu Xingxu returned to her room to change.
After changing, she washed her face.
The black cloud ointment was waterproof. Even vigorous scrubbing could not remove it easily.
Examining herself in the bronze mirror, she nodded in satisfaction, checked for any fading patches, touched them up, and then went to Chanxiang Courtyard to relieve Su Lan.
When Su Lan came out, she cast Zhu Xingxu for a meaningful look.
Zhu Xingxu pressed her lips together, growing tense.
Why was Su Lan looking at her like that?
Had Su Lan or Meng Chunhe discovered something?
She pushed the door open.
Sandalwood incense had already been lit inside, its threads curling through the room.
Meng Chunhe had changed her clothes and was standing before the Buddha statue.
Thinking she was about to pray, Zhu Xingxu prepared to wait by the door.
Just as she turned, Meng Chunhe spoke. “Stay.”
Zhu Xingxu faced her and stood still.
Meng Chunhe’s gaze shifted from the statue to Zhu Xingxu.
Plain, somewhat delicate. That was Madam Li’s first impression of her.
Yet her temperament did not match her unremarkable appearance. She was intelligent and alert, but not sly.
Every task assigned to her had been completed well.
Was she truly just an ordinary peasant girl?
If not for what she had witnessed today, Meng Chunhe would never have suspected otherwise.
She walked slowly toward Zhu Xingxu.
“How long have you been here?”
Zhu Xingxu’s heart tightened. Lowering her head, she replied, “Reporting to Madam, it has been half a month.”
Meng Chunhe nodded, her tone turning interrogative.
“The young woman who mistook you today, do you truly not know her?”