Yan Changfeng went to the guest courtyard early in the morning. As soon as she entered the yard, she heard Bajiao’s startling remark about an iron tree blooming, which jolted her fully awake.
That damned lecherous hypocrite, that bastard—how dare he set his sights on her!
“Good morning, Second Miss!” The Prince of Shu’s personal attendant had just come out of the latrine. Seeing Second Miss standing at the courtyard gate, he assumed she was hesitant to enter and tactfully announced her arrival loudly to his master.
“Good morning. Are you settling in well?” Yan Changfeng instantly concealed the anger on her face and asked kindly.
“Yes, yes, very well! My master says it feels just like home.”
While they were speaking, the three people inside the room heard the commotion and came out. Since the person they had just been discussing had appeared in the blink of an eye, they all felt a bit guilty, like thieves caught in the act.
“Ah, good morning, Second Cousin!” Sheng Mingyu greeted her as if nothing had happened, then wondered to himself, Why am I feeling guilty?
The one who should have been guilty, however, acted as if nothing were amiss, calmly offering his greetings. “Good morning, Second Miss.”
The sight of his face made Yan Changfeng’s blood boil, her fists itching to strike. She silently recited “Amitabha” several times, imitating her mother’s habit, to maintain the smile on her face.
“Good morning, Cousin Shiyi, good morning, Second Young Master. Today, my mother instructed me to fulfill my duties as host and take you both out for a stroll. I thought the Yangzhou morning tea should not be missed, so I came early to ask if it would be convenient for you to go out for breakfast?”
“Convenient, convenient!” Sheng Mingyu loved strolling through the streets most of all, regardless of the time. “I’ve long heard that Yangzhou Fu’s morning tea is famous—how could we miss it… right, Jiqing?”
As soon as Bajiao heard they were going out to eat, he went on high alert. “But that’s not…”
“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for Second Miss?” Pei Xiu cut off his servant’s impolite refusal.
Bajiao choked back his words. His young master had always remained silent in front of young ladies, letting the Prince of Shu do all the talking. Originally, when the Prince of Shu said that the young master was acting differently toward Second Miss, Bajiao had been somewhat skeptical. Now, witnessing it firsthand, the shock in his heart was comparable to an earthquake.
Was this really appropriate? Probably not. The Family Head’s Heir Apparent was going to marry the eldest daughter of the Yan Family, so the Second Young Master definitely couldn’t marry the second daughter. Besides, this Second Miss didn’t seem particularly gentle or refined at all. Not good, not good.
Yan Changfeng politely said, “It’s just a meal, no trouble at all. If Second Young Master is unable to go out, I can have someone bring the food back for you.”
Pei Xiu was taken aback. He wasn’t sure if he was overthinking it, but he sensed a hint of “not wanting to include him” in Second Miss’s polite words.
Could it be that she had overheard Bajiao’s offensive remark earlier?
“Having it brought back would be so boring!” Sheng Mingyu eagerly pulled Pei Xiu out the door. “We’re all family, no need to be so polite. When Second Cousin visits Beidu in the future, we’ll surely take her out to eat and drink as well. This way, it’s a mutual exchange.”
Pei Xiu was utterly helpless. Sheng Shiyi had always been one to stir up trouble without caring about the consequences, especially when it came to women. If he ever noticed a young lady glancing at Pei Xiu a few times, or if Pei Xiu paid a bit more attention to any young lady, this guy would start making a fuss and playfully try to matchmake.
He would even justify it righteously: “You’ve lived seventeen years and still refuse to even touch a woman’s sleeve. I think there’s an eighty percent chance you’ll end up becoming a monk. I’m saving you from disaster—since when is the path of asceticism a place for humans?”
Whether the Gate of Purity was a place for humans to dwell remained unknown, but at this moment, Second Young Master Pei, forcibly invited into the sedan chair by Second Miss Yan, was absolutely certain that the most inhuman place in the entire world was this four-sided sedan cabin.
Among the entire party heading out, only he was provided with a sedan chair. This was not preferential treatment—it was a form of subtle exclusion.
It seemed that not only had she overheard those words, but she had also been successfully provoked.
Unfortunately, his two pig-like teammates mistakenly believed that Second Miss was showing him special favor and were outside expressing endless gratitude.
Bajiao said, "Second Miss truly thinks of everything. My young master caught a chill yesterday and coughed all night. I was worried he’d worsen from the wind today, but sitting in the sedan chair, there’s nothing to fear."
At the same time, he felt a pang of regret. From this perspective, Second Miss was indeed a fine young lady. If only the Duke’s residence hadn’t already formed a marriage alliance with the Yan Family, they might have been a good match.
Sheng Mingyu, for once, agreed with Bajiao. "Exactly, even I didn’t get such treatment—though I admit I didn’t want to ride in a sedan chair either."
This time, however, he wasn’t just stirring up trouble. He felt that it was rare for Pei Er to show interest in a young lady. Regardless of his reasons, encouraging a match couldn’t hurt. What if it worked out?
Yan Changqing, who had come along, quietly took note, thinking to himself that his second sister was indeed thorough and considerate in her dealings with others—he had much to learn from her.
However, soon enough, the thoughts in these individuals’ minds were completely overturned.
The thorough and considerate Second Miss Yan had actually chosen an open-air stall for morning tea.
This open-air stall, likely to attract customers, was set up at a crossroads where people from all directions could see it. As a result, it was exposed to the wind from all sides. Although it grew warm after the sun rose, the breeze still seemed rather harsh for the delicate Second Young Master Pei.
"The crab roe buns and crispy fish noodles here are exceptional, even better than those in many proper restaurants. Eleventh Cousin and Second Young Master must try them."
Yan Changfeng’s sincere hospitality as a local host made the ambiguous thoughts in the others’ minds seem utterly presumptuous.
Little did they know, having a windy breakfast was only the beginning.
After the meal, Yan Changfeng led the two distinguished guests to the Yan Family’s Pigeon Valley.
Valley floors were often cool and shady, and Bajiao immediately grew anxious. If having breakfast at an open-air stall was because the food was genuinely delicious, then choosing to go to some deserted, chilly valley instead of the bustling streets of Yangzhou Fu was something he simply couldn’t understand.
Unfortunately, just as a bellyful of complaints gathered at the tip of his tongue, they were silenced by a single glance from his young master. Although Bajiao usually chattered without restraint, he never dared to defy his young master, because his young master’s good temper had its limits. As long as you didn’t cross the line, you could do as you pleased. But once you stepped over it, you were just asking for trouble.
Pigeon Valley was far from the city and required riding horses. Thus, the preferentially treated Second Young Master Pei was once again invited into a carriage. This time, however, he firmly refused to enjoy it alone. Using his eloquent eyes, he coaxed and pressured Prince of Shu into sharing the carriage with him.
Second Young Master Pei usually didn’t speak much, but he was born with a pair of clever eyes that "spoke human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts." When he put his mind to it, a single glance could control others.
For example, the tutor he had angered to the point of bristling with rage, and the endlessly chattering Bajiao.
However, his exceptional skill repeatedly failed him today. During the meal earlier, he deliberately kept his distance from Second Miss, only occasionally meeting her gaze with a perfectly measured smile that radiated boundless innocence, signaling he harbored no improper thoughts. This smile had once soothed countless irate teachers, yet it failed to touch Second Miss’s heart, which had already grown distant.
“I say, Pei Er, are you cursed with a fate that cuts down all romantic prospects?” Sheng Mingyu finally noticed something was off and remarked in puzzlement inside the carriage. “Yesterday, she was still taking such good care of you, so why is she targeting you today?”
Pei Xiu gave a bitter smile. “I’m afraid she overheard what I said this morning. She probably doesn’t see me as a decent person anymore.”
“Tsk tsk, your luck is truly so rotten it’s almost pitiful,” Sheng Mingyu shook his head repeatedly.
“Don’t stir up trouble. Second Miss is no ordinary woman. Offending her won’t do you any good,” Pei Xiu said seriously.
Sheng Mingyu grew even more puzzled. “Why does it sound like you know her quite well?”
Pei Xiu didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted the carriage curtain and gazed at the valley drawing nearer. Truthfully, he could have feigned illness to avoid coming, as keeping his distance would have been the wiser course of action. But he wanted to see the Yan Family’s pigeon valley for himself.
He had once heard a strange tale: after the Yan Family changed hands, the pigeons in their valley refused to obey the new master, nearly all starving themselves to death.