After a dazed moment, Meng Qingyao stiffly shook her head, her gaze still fixed unwaveringly on the cloud-patterned gold bracelet around the white fox’s neck.
“No… nothing. Yu’er, you should go back first. I’m tired.”
Meng Qingyao’s eyes were vacant, as if drained of all energy.
“Aunt…”
“Don’t worry, Yu’er. Let’s find a physician to check on your aunt, alright?” Pei Xiao’s cool hand rested on Jiang Yu’s shoulder, guiding her outward.
Yet cold sweat broke out on Jiang Yu’s back as she murmured, “Aunt often accompanies His Majesty on hunting trips. How could a mere white fox frighten her so terribly?”
“Perhaps she misses her daughter dearly, and her affection extends to related things.” Pei Xiao gently tapped her forehead. “Silly Yu’er!”
“You’re the silly one!” Jiang Yu retorted playfully, shaking off his hand.
After they had walked further away, Jiang Yu stole a glance at Meng Qingyao’s unsteady figure and her smile faded.
Pei Xiao didn’t know that the cloud-patterned gold bracelet was actually a gift from Jiang Yu’s mother to Meng Qingyao’s daughter for her full moon celebration.
That bracelet had been on Meng Qingyao’s daughter’s wrist since childhood and couldn’t be easily removed unless… the arm was severed.
Pei Xiao must have harmed Meng Qingyao’s daughter to threaten her into silence.
Jiang Yu looked up at his clear-cut profile – even when deceiving her, he maintained such proper decorum!
A flower blooms with two faces; between Buddha and demon lies but a single thought.
Jiang Yu no longer knew whether she was devoutly gazing upon a Buddha or a demon, and could only quietly distance herself from him.
Suddenly, a crashing sound came from the embroidery room behind them.
“The Princess has fainted! Fetch the physician quickly!”
“How could you let this happen? The Princess is already gravely ill – how could you allow her in the embroidery room?”
The embroidery room was filled with needles, threads, scissors, and embroidery frames where accidents could easily occur.
Who knew how seriously Meng Qingyao was injured…
As she pondered this, a deep voice sounded above her. “Indeed, the embroidery room is dangerous. Why would Yu’er visit a patient in such a place?”
Jiang Yu looked up abruptly, meeting Pei Xiao’s teasing gaze.
Earlier she had told Pei Xiao she came to the Princess Manor to visit a patient, but ordinary people wouldn’t meet patients in an embroidery room.
Pei Xiao had noticed the flaw in her story all along but had kept silent, only to suddenly confront her with it now, catching her completely off guard.
Jiang Yu took a deep breath and feigned nonchalance. “Aunt has many embroidery patterns here. I was just selecting some favorites.”
“Didn’t I have all the embroidery patterns from the Princess Manor copied and delivered to you the day before yesterday?” Pei Xiao tilted his head and smiled. “Could I have missed some?”
How could someone as meticulous as Pei Xiao have missed anything?
His words clearly exposed the weakness in her excuse.
Pei Xiao was suspicious of her true purpose for visiting the Princess Manor!
Jiang Yu clenched her hands hidden in her sleeves, pausing for two breaths. “I went to the embroidery room for a very important reason…”
“Tonight! I’ll tell you tonight!” Jiang Yu’s eyes flickered nervously as she hurried ahead.
“Very well, I’ll await Yu’er’s answer. Don’t disappoint your husband.” Pei Xiao watched her graceful figure depart, his gaze calm and unruffled.
Like a gray wolf on the hunt, confidently watching a rabbit stumbling through his territory.
This little rabbit couldn’t even tell a proper lie without giving herself away.
Pei Xiao didn’t believe for a moment that she came for embroidery patterns. That old woman Meng Qingyao must have lured Jiang Yu here, intending to tell her something.
Fortunately, he hadn’t arrived too late.
Pei Xiao turned back to gaze at the plaque of Princess Ruiyang’s manor, narrowing his eyes.
On the faded plaque, a crow cawed sharply before flying away into the distance.”Master, should we find a way to deal with Princess Ruiyang…” Qian Ren sensed the chilling murderous intent and stepped forward, drawing a hand across his neck.
“A perfectly good life, why does she not cherish it?” Pei Xiao sighed softly, gazing in the direction where the winter crow had flown away, his tone gentle. “Don’t act too hastily.”
They had just visited the Princess Manor to check on her illness today, and now she had passed away. Jiang Yu would surely have thoughts about this.
Pei Xiao pressed his hand down. “First, find someone to properly examine my aunt’s illness.”
“Acknowledged!”
After giving his instructions, Pei Xiao caught up with Jiang Yu and escorted her back to their residence.
It had been exactly one month after their marriage when they moved out to establish their own separate household.
The household was sparsely staffed, and they rarely interacted with relatives. Thus, amidst the scheming and intrigues of the capital, the couple managed to enjoy three years of harmonious marital life.
Pei Xiao had always claimed he moved out of the Pei residence in haste to prevent Jiang Yu from being troubled by mother-in-law and sister-in-law relationships, which had deeply moved her.
But now, looking at the vermilion lacquered green tiles and the vast, empty manor, a dangerous thought suddenly occurred to her.
If something were to happen to her here—if she were stuffed into a box and buried or drowned—would anyone even know?
Jiang Yu was startled by this notion and somewhat regretted her abrupt action of driving Pei Xiao away last night.
Even if she had suspicions about Pei Xiao, she shouldn’t show them too overtly.
With Pei Xiao now holding immense power in the court, if she truly aroused his suspicion or provoked his anger, she would have nowhere to turn for help.
But she couldn’t continue living in such confusion. She needed to find a way to ask Meng Qingyao what she had intended to tell her.
However, moving about during the day was too conspicuous, and at night Pei Xiao clung to her so persistently that it was difficult to slip away…
Sitting by the window of her bedchamber, Jiang Yu absentmindedly stared at the rose of sharon in the vase when a sudden inspiration struck her.
Pei Xiao had a peculiar condition: if he inhaled a large amount of pollen, he would become dizzy, as if intoxicated.
If he were unusually disoriented, Jiang Yu might be able to evade his watchful eyes and secretly make another trip to the Princess Manor.
Jiang Yu took out the half-embroidered scented sachet and carefully filled it with the shaken-off pollen…
“The wind is strong here. Why is Yu’er sitting in this spot?”
Pei Xiao’s voice suddenly sounded by her ear, followed by an autumn breeze rushing through the window, causing the rose of sharon branches by the windowsill to tremble lightly.
Jiang Yu started, hurriedly stuffing the sachet into her sleeve.
Pei Xiao had already approached the window unnoticed, his gaze fixed on the tassel peeking out from Jiang Yu’s sleeve. “What little trick is Yu’er playing now?”
His tone was playful as he leaned against the windowsill, adopting the condescending posture of an observer who seemed to have everything under control.
Jiang Yu’s hand clutching her sleeve curled slightly as she forced a smile. “Husband deals with great matters. My embroidery in the women’s quarters is naturally just a small diversion. There’s no need for such mockery.”
Pei Xiao’s smile deepened as he extended his palm, waiting for her to hand over the “evidence.” “After just one visit to the Princess Manor, Yu’er has learned the art of evasion?”
“Husband has likewise acquired new skills in sarcasm, hasn’t he?” Jiang Yu gave a delicate hum, meeting his gaze with a smiling face though her palms were damp with sweat.
Today Pei Xiao had caught her in two suspicious acts. If she couldn’t provide explanations for both, his guard would surely heighten.
But if he saw the pollen in the scented sachet, what would he think?
Pei Xiao’s hand remained outstretched before her, suspended in mid-air.
They stood separated by the window, smiling at each other across the divide, their expressions revealing little of their true intentions.