Xie Zhi followed Changming inside and saw Pei Du sitting behind a large Huanghuali desk in the main hall, holding a jade brush as he lowered his head to write something.
On the desk were piled numerous official documents and scrolls, along with various brush holders, brush washers, and other items.
“Young Master, Old Madam has sent someone to bring you some food,” Changming announced.
Without looking up or pausing his hand, Pei Du replied indifferently, “Leave it there.”
Changming exchanged a glance with Xie Zhi before taking his leave.
Xie Zhi quietly raised her eyes to look at the man seated at the head of the room.
Half a year had passed, yet he remained as before—exceptionally handsome, but with sharp, piercing eyes that always carried an air of detachment.
Cold, aloof, and unapproachable.
At the sight of his face, the unpleasant memories from half a year ago surged in Xie Zhi’s heart, and her grip on the food box tightened slightly.
It was at that moment that Pei Du became aware of the presence of another person in the room. He looked up and happened to meet Xie Zhi’s flustered gaze.
…
Truth be told, Xie Zhi had always been somewhat afraid of him. Ever since he brought her back to the residence half a year ago, everyone in the household had assumed that Pei Du had taken an interest in her.
A man who had kept his distance from women for years had suddenly returned from Yangzhou half a year ago with a young woman covered in wounds.
How could people not speculate?
Even Old Madam thought the same.
Pei Du had ordered someone to take her to Old Madam’s quarters, and within a few days, he left again under imperial orders to investigate a case in Yingzhou. Another half a year had passed without seeing him since.
Xie Zhi hadn’t shown any particular reaction, but Old Madam had even comforted her instead:
“Don’t overthink it. He hasn’t taken a wife yet, so it wouldn’t be proper to keep you by his side. By placing you here with me, I can later present you to him properly, and that will be the right way.”
Xie Zhi wanted to explain, but everyone assumed she was just shy, giving her knowing looks.
Being of low status and having little say, Xie Zhi didn’t argue and simply settled into Chunhuiyuan in a daze.
But deep down, she knew the truth was far from what everyone assumed.
Pei Du disliked her intensely.
Their first meeting had been in the prison where she was being tried.
Everyone in her family had lost their usual competitive and jealous demeanor, their faces pale with despair as they awaited their fate.
When the verdict of being consigned to Jianji was announced, a chorus of anguished cries erupted, nearly piercing Xie Zhi’s eardrums.
Xie Zhi looked toward Pei Du, seated at the highest position, and saw him coldly surveying the crowd with an icy, emotionless expression, like a statue of Buddha devoid of any feeling.
Her striking appearance quickly caught the attention of a madam from a brothel, who wanted to buy her.
Though young and raised in seclusion, Xie Zhi knew that was no proper fate.
Years ago, when her mother was gravely ill, the five-year-old Xie Zhi had begged her father to let her see her mother one last time. No matter how desperately she pleaded, her father ignored her.
At the time, her father had brushed her aside and hurried away—to that wretched place, to bring back a new beauty.
From then on, she lost her mother.
Brothels became the place she despised most.
How could she bear to spend the rest of her life in such a place?
She had struggled alone in the rear courtyard of the Xie residence, never experiencing the warmth of a father for over a decade. Why should she pay the price for what Xie Jinhuai had done?
It wasn’t fair.
So, just as she was about to be taken away, Xie Zhi, as if grasping at her last shred of hope, knelt and pleaded to Pei Du:
“Your Honor, could you take me with you?”
But at that moment, Pei Du looked at her with disgust, as if she were something filthy, ordered someone to pull her away, and left without a backward glance.
Xie Zhi paid the price for her impulsiveness. After being brought back to the brothel, she was severely beaten by the madam.
Within two days, unwilling to entertain clients, Xie Zhi took advantage of the night to escape from the building. However, she was quickly discovered by the brothel’s guards, who chased after her.
With no way out, she panicked and boarded an empty carriage parked by the street.
She heard the men searching for her pass by the carriage and was secretly relieved when someone suddenly lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
Cowering in the corner of the carriage, disheveled and frightened by Pei Du’s sudden appearance, tears involuntably rolled down her cheeks.
The memory of his rejection just days ago was still vivid in her mind, and Xie Zhi was almost certain he would not save her.
In an instant, she reacted, stumbling to her feet and scrambling to flee, terrified that he would send her back to the hell she had barely escaped.
“Please don’t be angry, sir. I’ll leave on my own.”
But just as she was about to escape, he suddenly grabbed her wrist—
“Are you sure?”
…
“Greetings, sir.” A clear, cool voice rang out as Xie Zhi bowed respectfully.
Pei Du set down his brush and ink, looking at her as he said, “Present it.”
Xie Zhi quietly stepped forward, retrieved two dishes from the food box, and placed them on the table.
“Sir, this lychee paste soup should be consumed quickly, or it will turn sour.”
Pei Du stirred the soup with a spoon but did not drink it. Instead, he looked up at her.
The girl’s hair was slightly damp, and a faint, delicate fragrance wafted from her, as if she had just bathed.
An inexplicable sense of irritation and disgust arose in Pei Du’s heart.
“I recall telling you when I brought you into the residence to know your place and avoid causing trouble, did I not?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he set down the spoon, which clinked crisply against the bowl.
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhi felt a tightness at the back of her head, unsure what had angered him this time. Her words lingered in her throat before she finally spoke, “Yes, sir.”
“When I had you sent to Old Madam’s courtyard, I believe you were assigned as a third-tier maid, correct?”
“Yes.”
“But as I recall, third-tier maids have numerous duties. They must sweep the courtyard and wash clothes from before dawn until dusk, rarely leaving the courtyard on ordinary days.”
“Then explain why you clashed with Yuyang at the family school today.”
Truly worthy of the Xingbu Shilang, his mind and methods were so meticulous that he could grasp even the smallest details of what happened in the residence shortly after returning.
Xie Zhi’s face paled as she knelt and replied:
“To answer your question, sir, this servant was originally sent to Old Madam, but Old Madam, in her kindness, not only spared me from heavy labor but also allowed me to serve tea at the family school every morning, effectively letting me attend as an observer.”
“Why? If you try to evade with talk of Old Madam’s kindness again, do not blame me for being harsh.”
Xie Zhi lowered her head even further. “Because… Old Madam thought this servant was your…”
Her voice grew softer and softer, but as if suddenly remembering something, she raised her head and looked at Pei Du with clear, bright eyes. “Sir, I explained, but no one believed me, and you left in such a hurry…”
So that was it.
Pei Du despised people with ill intentions who sought to benefit from others’ power and influence.
“I have already told you, the only reason I saved you that day was because it happened to be the anniversary of my late mother’s passing. I will explain this matter clearly to Grandmother myself. I also hope you understand what you should and should not do from now on, so that I do not regret my decision back then.”
After speaking, Pei Du walked out of the study coldly.
Xie Zhi remained kneeling on the spot, her heart filled with desolation, not daring to move for a long time.
Just as she was about to rise, she heard the furious voice of County Mistress Yuyang coming from the courtyard:
“Brother, I heard Li Chun is here with you? Do you know she actually ran away secretly while being punished? She has absolutely no respect!”