Xie Zhi stepped forward and bowed. When she looked up, she saw Pei Du still dressed in his crimson official robes, his black gauze official hat resting on the desk.
He must have just returned from the government office.
Back in Yangzhou, Xie Zhi had already known how busy he was. He spent every day buried in official affairs, often working at his desk until late into the night.
But why had he come to Guanxue Tower at such a late hour?
“My lord,” she greeted softly.
Pei Du lifted his head, his cold, clear eyes settling on her.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his words catching her completely off guard.
“Has Fifth Brother taken an interest in you?”
Xie Zhi froze.
“My lord, why would you think that? Of course not.”
“No?”
Pei Du rose to his feet. His tall figure blocked the candlelight, casting a suffocating shadow over her.
Dressed in his official robes, the sharp authority he carried seemed even more intimidating. It instantly reminded Xie Zhi of the fear she had felt whenever she faced him in Yangzhou.
Steadying herself, she replied calmly,
“It truly isn’t so. What happened during the day was just a misunderstanding. You’ve overthought it, my lord.”
Pei Du studied her with the same penetrating gaze he used when interrogating suspects.
Xie Zhi lowered her head and remained silent, terrified he might detect something that would ruin her carefully laid plans.
Just as she was about to crumble under his scrutiny, he finally spoke in an indifferent tone.
“Fifth Brother is a notorious libertine. He keeps countless concubines in his residence. For a maid with no family backing like you, he is hardly a good destination.”
“Think it through carefully.”
Leaving those final words behind, he didn’t spare her another glance before striding away.
Watching him disappear, Xie Zhi’s composed expression instantly collapsed.
Who was the one who had forced her into this situation in the first place?!
The true culprit actually had the nerve to lecture her!
Did he really think she wanted to resort to such disgraceful methods to seduce a man she didn’t even like?
Fuming, she snatched the official hat from the table and hurled it to the floor before stomping on it twice to vent her anger.
Then she froze.
The official hat?
Why was Pei Du’s official hat still here?
Her hands were still stained with paint from her drawings. Red and green smudges now streaked across the black gauze hat, which was also covered in dust after being trampled. It was completely ruined.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Pei Du had probably remembered what he’d forgotten and come back for it.
I’m doomed…
Why did I have to lose my temper?
The footsteps drew closer.
Grinding her teeth, Xie Zhi steeled herself and tossed the horribly misshapen official hat straight out the window.
At that exact moment, Pei Du appeared in the hallway.
Walking toward her, he asked,
“Have you seen my—”
But when he saw the empty desk and Xie Zhi standing beside the open window, his words abruptly stopped.
“My lord, a gust of wind just came through and blew your official hat downstairs. I wanted to retrieve it for you, but it fell too quickly.”
Xie Zhi lied without the slightest change in expression.
Pei Du walked over to the window and looked down at the perfectly still pond below.
One eyebrow twitched.
Xie Zhi cautiously asked,
“Shall I go down and fish it out for you?”
“No need.”
Pei Du gave a faint, almost amused smile, straightened his wide sleeves, and turned to leave.
Xie Zhi remained where she was, listening carefully.
Only after confirming that there were no more footsteps did she finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Whew…
This time he’s really gone.
Pei Hong seemed to have been confined to the estate. For several days, Xie Zhi didn’t see him at all. There was no movement from Princess Yuyang’s side either.
Just as she thought she could finally catch her breath, Qingyi came looking for her.
“Lichun, did you know? This morning the Princess said she really intends to reward you to that coachman. She’s even given him silver so he can prepare.”
“What? I didn’t hear anything about it.”
“Old Madam isn’t leaving until tomorrow. She wants to catch you off guard in one move, so of course she wouldn’t let word spread beforehand. If I hadn’t run into Cuiluo from Hantang Courtyard in the kitchen today, I wouldn’t have found out so soon.”
Irritated, Xie Zhi rubbed her forehead and sat at the table, taking another bite of the roast mountain chicken before continuing to eat.
“You can still eat at a time like this? You already spent most of the manuscript payment you just received.”
Qingyi slapped the table anxiously.
“Don’t worry. Tonight I’ll take one more risk. No matter what, I have to meet Pei Hong again.”
The setting sun bathed Xie Zhi’s delicate face in golden light, making even the tip of her small nose seem translucent.
Qingyi stared at her in admiration.
“Lichun, with your beauty, you’re bound to succeed.”
“I hope so. But if beauty alone could solve everything in this world, chaos would have broken out long ago.”
She drooped her head with a worried sigh.
After finishing dinner together at Bailing Hall, the two returned to the Pei residence.
Back in her room, Xie Zhi retrieved the broken jade hairpin tip from her dressing box and handed it to a young page who was about to deliver books to Ninghui Garden.
After quietly giving him a few instructions, she sent him on his way.
Once night had fully fallen, she changed into a pale yellow gauze ru skirt trimmed with white embroidery, draped a light lotus-colored jacket over it, and applied a little of the crimson lipstick Qingyi had given her.
Then she headed for Xingbo Lake.
She had asked the page to pass a message to Pei Hong, inviting him to meet her there that night.
Pei Hong was a notorious womanizer, and Third Master Pei was still in the palace and hadn’t returned.
Xie Zhi was certain he would come.
She had just reached the lakeside and was about to walk toward the pavilion when someone suddenly called out from behind.
“Miss Lichun! Miss Lichun!”
She paused and turned around.
A man in a brown short jacket was hurrying toward her, his pockmarked face beaming with delight.
“Shuangfu? Why are you here?”
The man before her was none other than Princess Yuyang’s coachman.
They had happened to meet in the residence two months ago, and ever since then he had stubbornly pestered her.
To make matters worse, he was a bit slow-witted. No matter how many times she rejected him, he simply refused to understand.
“I was bringing some things to my parents, and I happened to run into you.”
Grinning proudly, he added,
“Lichun, I’ve got good news for you. You’ll definitely be happy when you hear it.”
Xie Zhi sneered inwardly.
Happy? As if!
Not wanting to waste another word on him, she turned and headed toward the pavilion.
“Hey, Lichun! Lichun! Don’t go! Wait!”
Shuangfu hurried after her, his voice growing increasingly anxious.
“Lichun! Shuangfu!”
A stout middle-aged woman came hurrying over from the distance, wiping the sweat from her face with a handkerchief.
She grabbed Xie Zhi by the arm and smiled from ear to ear.
“Oh my, Lichun! Before long we’ll be one family! Just behave yourself, give me a few plump grandsons, and this old woman certainly won’t treat you badly!”
“Mother, why did you come out?” Shuangfu quickly stepped forward to support her.
“I was so happy I couldn’t stay inside.”
She laughed brightly.
“And just happened to run into the two of you! Don’t worry. Since you’ve already given me the reward from the Princess, I’ll make sure this happy marriage…”
Before she could finish, Xie Zhi, unable to bear another moment of it, turned and hurried away, desperate to escape the mother and son.
“Hey, Lichun! Where are you going?”
Shuangfu panicked and started after her.
“Stop right there!”
His mother grabbed him.
Her cheerful expression disappeared, replaced by a calculating look.
“Didn’t you see that wretched girl doesn’t want this? I heard the Old Madam favors her. We’d better make sure she’s tied down for good.”
“Today, whether she likes it or not… she’ll have no choice but to marry you.”