Do not leave. I, Pei Yunzhou, have only He Zhile in my heart.
“Take a concubine?”
“Who is taking one?”
“He Zhile, you better make this clear to me!”
Pei Ji’s stern face was etched with sheer disbelief. In mere moments, his eyes were already bloodshot, and his high-tied hair was slightly disheveled.
He looked a far cry from the dashing and extraordinary Fourth Young Master Pei of ordinary days.
He looked completely on the verge of a breakdown, both inside and out.
Yet, even in such a chaotic state, Pei Ji still managed to consciously keep his voice down, terrified of startling the hard-won treasure he had finally managed to reclaim.
He Zhile’s eyes were also slightly red as he stubbornly gestured with sign language, trying to persuade Pei Ji to take a concubine as soon as possible so that he could quickly add sons and daughters to the Pei household.
He was a man, and bearing children was not only difficult, but he had also suffered from lingering ailments in the past and didn’t even know if he was still capable of conceiving. He didn’t want to hold Pei Ji back any longer.
Pei Ji felt a sense of helpless exhaustion, but he had no desire to argue or bicker with him. Forcing himself to calm down, he sat down beside He Zhile, cradled his hands, and asked in a hoarse voice, “Who was it? Who was whispering nonsense in your ears?”
He Zhile shook his head.
Naturally, Pei Ji didn’t believe him. He forced a smile and said, “It is fine. I will mind my manners and won’t cause trouble outside, but you must tell me who put these ideas into your head. Or did I do something to upset you?”
If he found out who had been talking behind his back, he would definitely cut their tongue out.
He Zhile shook his head again. It was purely his own thought.
“If nothing of the sort happened, why would you even think of such things?” Pei Ji kissed the back of his hand with trembling lips, carefully retracing every event that might have triggered this change.
He had merely attended the floral banquet, followed by a meal at the Pine Crane Pavilion. During that time, the only opportunity the little mute had to slip out of his sight was the floral banquet itself.
The floral banquet.
Right, the floral banquet!
It must have been those long-tongued gossips in the palace talking nonsense. Knowing full well how much the little mute could endure, why hadn’t he dug deeper to get to the bottom of it?
It was his fault.
It was because he currently lacked real power and didn’t carry the same intimidating deterrent force as his father and brothers.
With that thought, Pei Ji let go of his hands and began to get dressed. As for those who attended the floral banquet today, one by one, he was going to visit them in person to demand answers!
Ah?
Where are you going?
“I am stepping out for a bit. Stay obediently at home, and I promise I will get justice back for you.” Pei Ji pulled him into a tight embrace, then quickly let go.
The way he turned and strode off made it look as though he were casting He Zhile aside.
Ah!
Do not go!
He Zhile rushed forward and hugged him from behind.
The low, muffled sobs pierced straight through Pei Ji’s heart, making his chest feel as though it were about to burst. Anger flooded his entire system, screaming and demanding that he murder every single person who had attended the floral banquet.
They deserved to die anyway, Pei Ji thought numbly.
If he killed everyone, would the Pei estate be spared from everything it suffered in his past life?
Ah!
It is all my fault, please do not leave!
Yanked back to reality by the sound, Pei Ji caught the little mute’s wrists and forced him to let go, then turned around and pulled him tightly back into his arms.
“Do not be afraid, do not be afraid.”
“I am only going to reason with them.”
He Zhile looked up at him through tearful eyes. You do not look like you are going to reason with anyone; you look like you are going to set fires and commit murder.
Besides, who was he even planning to reason with?
Pei Ji wiped the tears from his face, cupped his cheeks, and pressed his forehead against his. In a soft, gentle murmur, he coaxed, “A-Zhi, A-Zhi, what on earth is going on? Will you please tell me? I beg.”
He Zhile placed a hand over his mouth, the pain in his eyes unmistakable.
He did not like seeing Pei Ji like this.
With considerable difficulty, He Zhile conveyed his thoughts to Pei Ji, feeling somewhat ashamed of himself by the time he finished.
Before He Zhile spoke, Pei Ji had suspected the Empress, the men and women at the floral banquet, or perhaps some gossiping matron from an aristocratic family. But after turning over every possibility in his mind, it had never once crossed his mind that the root cause was himself.
All the anger on Pei Ji’s face vanished instantly, leaving behind only sheer bewilderment and panic.
Him? He was the one who had upset the little mute.
“You have misunderstood me far too deeply.” Pei Ji was both overjoyed and terrified.
Overjoyed that He Zhile’s affection for him remained steadfast.
Terrified that his mind was so exquisitely sensitive and delicate.
Not understanding why Pei Ji reacted this way, He Zhile kept his head raised, his eyebrows, nose, and eyes all flushed red like a tender plant battered by the east wind, yet still standing tall.
Pei Ji’s heart hammered violently against his ribs, his throat working as he forced himself to explain once more, “I was a wicked person in the past, but even then, I never had any other romantic interest. Now, I have only you, and it will be the same for all eternity. Heaven and earth as my witness, I, Pei Yunzhou, have only He Zhile in my heart.”
Only.
A light, effortless pair of words, yet carrying a crushing weight of meaning.
He Zhile pressed his lips together, tiny dimples blooming at the corners of his mouth.
Seeing him smile, Pei Ji finally let out a massive sigh of relief. Cupping He Zhile’s face, he pinched and rubbed his cheeks until his own anxiety settled back into place.
The two of them carried on in the courtyard, chasing, bickering, and finally collapsing into each other’s arms for kisses and laughter. Outside in the yard, the servants led by Chun Jian and Yuan Rong couldn’t help wishing they had a bag of melon seeds to snack on while watching the grand drama unfold!
Pei Ji lifted his gaze and swept his eyes over Yuan Rong, who instantly felt a phantom wave of pain wash over his entire body and quickly barked at the other servants to get back to work.
Watching the drama was a minor matter, but incurring the master’s wrath was no joke.
Back inside the room.
Pei Ji helped him lie down. “You are exceptionally exhausted today, so get some rest. Tomorrow you must go to Father and Mother’s quarters for instruction, so pay close attention.”
He knew Mother had a kind heart. With He Zhile being so obedient, sensible, and never talking back, a wife you couldn’t find even if you searched with a lantern, she would naturally take good care of him and teach him well.
Though it might mostly involve chatting and drinking tea with other matrons, those interactions carried deep significance as long as they helped him protect himself.
He Zhile nodded gently, understanding every bit of it.
Once He Zhile fell asleep, Pei Ji called for Yuan Rong and headed straight to the study.
“How is the matter I asked you to investigate coming along?”
Startled for a moment, Yuan Rong quickly replied, “The Principal Husband’s treatment at the He family was extremely poor. His siblings envied him, always forbidding him from lifting his head, and his food and clothing were always of the worst quality.”
The documents had been placed right on the desk days ago, yet up until today, the master hadn’t even stepped foot inside the study, entirely consumed by frolicking with the Principal Husband.
Pei Ji cleared his throat softly and began flipping through the neatly stacked papers, though the more he read, the more shocked and incredulous he felt.
He hadn’t expected that merely asking Yuan Rong to look into He Zhile’s past would unearth such horrifying details.
He Ruman throwing stones at He Zhile, splitting open his head and leaving him covered in blood.
He Ruman verbally abusing He Zhile as a motherless bastard.
He Ruxi secretly planting live toads in He Zhile’s bed.
He Ruxi slipping laxatives into He Zhile’s teapot.
Yuan Rong continued, “Aside from what we already knew, this subordinate also managed to uncover some matters regarding the Principal Husband’s mother. Some testimonies have been placed on your desk as well.”
“Where did you acquire this information?” Pei Ji frowned, reading through the pages repeatedly.
“After receiving your instructions, this subordinate had Jin Ling send men to investigate. We specifically tracked down old maidservants who knew Madame He ten years ago. Some of them had their tongues poisoned and rendered mute so they couldn’t speak, but we cross-examined them thoroughly, and everything written here is the absolute truth,” Yuan Rong reported.
“Heh.” Pei Ji gripped the paper tightly, a dark, gloomy storm brewing in the depths of his eyes. “Return every single act of cruelty they committed back to them a thousandfold. Also, have Jin Ling dispatch men to the Miao border and the Southern Territories to find a way to secure the antidote.”
Yuan Rong acknowledged the order and immediately withdrew.
Standing alone in the study, Pei Ji recalled that in his past life he had known He Zhile endured a miserable time at the He family, yet whenever holidays rolled around and visits to the He household were mentioned, the other had never refused.
He had simply assumed it was just verbal scolding and exclusion among siblings. After all, the current mistress of the He household was Zhuang Hongxiu, who had her own children and naturally wouldn’t treat a stepchild well.
He had never imagined it would be so vicious.
Ultimately, he still owed He Zhile. If he had only paid closer attention to the youth in his past life, he surely could have uncovered these things. When all was said and done, it was entirely his fault.
However, the matter regarding He Zhile’s mother presented a puzzle.
The letter stated that the little mute cried when he was born, meaning he hadn’t been born mute. So what on earth happened during the six years while He Zhile’s mother was still alive?
A mother willing to leave behind that much dowry for her child would never simply stand by and watch her child turn into a mute.
For now, he would wait until the investigation was fully concluded before bringing it up with He Zhile.
Returning to the bedchamber, he saw Chun Jian keeping weary watch outside the corridor. Pei Ji held no fondness for this servant, but out of regard for the fact that Chun Jian had protected He Zhile loyally for ten years, he refrained from punishing him.
Pushing the door open, Pei Ji stepped inside. He lacked the habit of taking afternoon naps, previously, any surplus energy of his would have been spent at the training grounds, yet seeing the little mute sleeping so peacefully, he suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.
Indeed, even catching a cold could be contagious, and sleepiness apparently worked the same way.
He Zhile was woken up by a wave of heat.
With the height of summer fast approaching, his constitution tended to lean toward the colder side, meaning he never had Chun Jian fan him with a wind wheel during his afternoon naps. To his surprise, however, he had actually been warmed awake.
Dazed, he sat up abruptly, only to realize in a start that he seemed to have just pulled his head out from somewhere.
Lowering his gaze in a panic, he discovered that the front of Pei Ji’s robe was flung wide open, revealing his sturdy chest and sharply defined waist and abdomen.
And his own head had apparently been buried right against that spot.
Patting his burning face, he carefully climbed over Pei Ji, got out of bed, and poured himself a cup of cold-brewed tea. His gaze landed on the round fan resting near the head of the bed, and picking it up, he began to gently fan the sleeping man.
Hearing the commotion, Chun Jian, who was standing guard outside, stepped lightly into the room. Seeing what was happening, he moved to take over the fan, but He Zhile subtly dodged out of the way.
“This servant just feels bad for the Young Master,” Chun Jian whispered.
He Zhile raised a finger to his lips, and Chun Jian immediately clamped his mouth shut in obedient silence.
A moment later, He Zhile put down the round fan and motioned for Chun Jian to follow him out to the front hall.
Do you have something to say?
Looking somewhat awkward, Chun Jian nodded without hiding it.
“A message came from the front gates just now. Lord He wishes for you to return to the estate whenever you have free time. This subordinate thought that since it was only an informal message rather than a formal inquiry through the Pei family’s official channels, it probably is not anything good.”
Chun Jian phrased it quite euphemistically, maintaining a shred of face for the He family, though in truth, He Zhile had never experienced anything good come out of that house.
He Zhile furrowed his brows and made a brisk sign.
We will go take a look right now.
“Right now? Should we not call for the Fourth Young Master?”
No.
Biting his lip with a trace of nervous tension, He Zhile knew this trip was bound to be a trap, and he refused to drag Pei Ji down into this muddy mess with him.
After quickly tidying himself up, he headed straight for the main gates of the Pei residence.
Only to find someone already waiting there.
It was Pei Su.
Second Brother.
“Seeing you rushing off in such a hurry, I figured Yunzhou probably hadn’t managed to tell you everything yet,” Pei Su said, his voice gentle and his expression exceptionally kind as he looked at him.
Yet, for some reason, a wave of inexplicable dread washed over He Zhile.