“Aren’t you that little maid from Guanxuelou? What are you doing here?” A pair of peach blossom eyes blinked as Pei Hong’s gaze settled on her.
“Brother, I asked Li Chun to deliver the book covers. Her hands are incredibly skillful—you’ll see in a moment.” Pei Zhaoyin explained to Pei Hong while instructing the maid beside her to fetch the medicine box.
“I see. Then you must thank her properly.” Pei Hong’s voice was gentle.
“Don’t worry, Brother. I like Li Chun and won’t treat her unfairly.”
Pei Zhaoyin had someone bring over an embroidered box containing two white jade hairpins inlaid with pearls.
Changping Houfu held a high rank and immense wealth, with riches piled like jade. Even items casually gifted by the masters were treasures rarely seen by ordinary families.
Taking the box, Xie Zhi immediately recognized that the hairpins were made of fine mutton-fat jade, and the emerald-green pearl at the tip was no ordinary piece either.
After expressing her gratitude, Xie Zhi prepared to take her leave, but Pei Hong, who stood nearby, suddenly said, “I just remembered I have something to attend to in the front courtyard. Let’s walk together.”
…
A light rain had just fallen, dispelling some of the summer heat. In the cloudless, mistless sky, a few orioles occasionally flew past.
Under the shade of a towering tree, Xie Zhi tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said to Pei Hong, “Fifth Young Master, we’ve reached Guanxuelou. This servant will take her leave now.”
After receiving a simple “Alright” from Pei Hong, Xie Zhi hugged the small box in her arms and walked inside.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and Xie Zhi stumbled unexpectedly. With a soft “thud,” the embroidered box in her hands fell to the ground.
A look of urgency flashed across her face as she quickly crouched down to pick it up. Just as her pale blue sleeve was about to touch the hairpin, a large hand reached out first, picking up the hairpin that had fallen from the box.
“Don’t worry, it’s not broken.” Pei Hong’s voice sounded beside Xie Zhi’s ear.
Xie Zhi stood up following his movement and looked at the hairpin in Pei Hong’s hand, her expression one of relief. “Thank goodness it’s not broken. Otherwise, I could never repay such a loss even with my life.”
With that, she raised her head gratefully to look at Pei Hong. “Thank you, Young Master.”
Pei Hong gazed into her radiant eyes, momentarily entranced.
“How could it be that serious?” Pei Hong said gently. “Since Zhaoyin has already given it to you, it’s yours now. Even if it were broken, no one would blame you.”
As he spoke, Pei Hong raised his hand, intending to place the hairpin in Xie Zhi’s hair.
Xie Zhi lowered her head with a soft smile, appearing utterly compliant.
Men—they’re all cut from the same cloth.
Xie Zhi had pondered all night. Qingyi’s words were not without reason.
But what she wanted was not fine clothes or lavish food—it was freedom.
As long as she could win Pei Hong’s heart and coax him into taking her as a concubine, he would inevitably ask Pei Du for her Nuji Wenshu to complete the formalities.
Seizing that opportunity to take it, she could leave Peifu and disappear far away.
But without the Nuji Wenshu or household registration, she would be considered a fugitive slave, and the consequences could cost her life.
For a lowly maid like her to ask Pei Du—who already held a grudge against her—for the document would be nearly impossible. But Pei Hong was different.
He was Pei Du’s brother. Pei Du would surely not jeopardize their brotherly bond over the daughter of a disgraced official. Xie Zhi guessed he would likely hand over the Nuji Wenshu just to avoid trouble.
Moreover, Xie Zhi had already learned beforehand that Pei Hong was a man of romantic and fickle affections. Confident in her own beauty, she believed it wouldn’t be difficult to catch his eye.
Unlike Pei Du, who held real power and was restrained by his parents, even if she ran away, could he really come after her?
Xie Zhi felt her plan was absolutely flawless.
Glancing at the gentle and attentive Pei Hong before her, she grew even more reassured.
Things were going even more smoothly than she had imagined…
But just as the hairpin was about to slip into her bun, Pei Hong’s movements suddenly halted—
Xie Zhi looked up in confusion, only to see Pei Hong’s gaze drifting past her into the distance. The next moment, his hand trembled, and the hairpin fell to the ground, shattering instantly into pieces—
Xie Zhi stared at the broken jade on the floor, blinking in bewilderment.
This time, it was truly shattered.
“F-father, Third Brother, why are you here?”
Pei Hong shuffled forward sheepishly, bowing with clasped hands.
His father—Pei Ting’an, the master of the third branch of the Pei family—and Pei Du approached with their hands clasped behind their backs. Seeing Pei Hong’s disheveled appearance and the injuries on his face, Pei Ting’an immediately flared up in anger.
“You’re not a child anymore, yet you still act without a shred of propriety. The number of women in your chambers is almost greater than your own father’s, and you still chase after every flower and willow! Look at your Third Brother, then look at yourself!”
As he spoke, Pei Ting’an raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap.
Pei Hong dared not utter a word after being struck, standing with his head bowed low. Xie Zhi could only stand there awkwardly, inwardly crumbling.
This Third Master Pei was no paragon of virtue himself—how could he act so self-righteous?
And he had ruined her plan.
Fortunately, Pei Du intervened at just the right moment to break the tense standoff between father and son. “Third Uncle, Lord Li is already waiting in the front hall.”
Pei Ting’an snapped back to reality and hurriedly said to Pei Hong, “Hurry back at once! I’m warning you—don’t show your face outside again until those injuries heal, and don’t you dare see that woman you’ve been keeping outside again. Do you hear me?”
After speaking, Pei Ting’an angrily ordered Pei Hong to be escorted back, then rushed off with Pei Du toward the front hall. From start to finish, he didn’t so much as glance at Xie Zhi.
At least she hadn’t been caught in the crossfire.
However, Pei Du glanced back briefly, his icy gaze faintly brushing over her.
…
That night, Xie Zhi lit an oil lamp in her bedchamber and leaned over her desk, hurrying to finish the painting draft she had started after falling into the water.
Her paintings differed from those of other masters—she didn’t focus solely on landscapes or portraits. Instead, she created her own little stories and expressed them through her art.
Two months ago, when she had casually shown her draft to Qingyi, Qingyi found it interesting and passed it to her uncle, who worked at the Huizhen Gallery. Her uncle also thought it was quite good and introduced Xie Zhi to the gallery’s owner.
Since then, Xie Zhi had often contributed drafts to the Huizhen Gallery, earning a modest income from her work.
This time was an exception—Xie Zhi wanted to finish the painting as quickly as possible to save up some funds for future needs.
Just as she was halfway through, her door suddenly knocked. Puzzled, Xie Zhi rubbed her sore wrist as she stood up and called out, “Coming.”
When she opened the door, it was Registrar Tong standing outside.
“Miss Li Chun, the Third Young Master has arrived and asks you to go fetch a book for him.” After speaking, she glanced at the paint on Xie Zhi’s hands and added, “You might want to clean up a bit…?”
Xie Zhi checked the hourglass—it was already a quarter past the hour of Hai.
So late—what mischief was he up to now?
Indifferently, Xie Zhi tucked her hands into her sleeves, adjusted her twin buns in the mirror, draped a moon-white outer robe over her shoulders, and urged Registrar Tong to rest early before stepping out the door.
Guanxuelou was usually quiet, with only one clerk, three page boys, two cleaning maids, and Xie Zhi himself living together in the corridor rooms of the rear courtyard on the first floor.
Xie Zhi went up to the second floor and from a distance saw that person sitting upright at the desk, seemingly reading by lamplight late into the night.