Pei Shuye did not expect that this woman would see through his long-planned scheme with just one sentence.
Why had the banquets at Ruyi Harbor lasted for so many years? In the end, the inner households were an extension of business and official power. Favors were layered one over another, and everyone was a fish caught in the same net. Even though Lord Siming never attended these banquets, he knew everything the nobles did. He was the real man fishing behind Ningbo Prefecture.
Pei Shuye did not want to be tied into this net. But since he had just returned to Ningbo, he could not avoid the topic of marriage. So he prepared in advance. He wanted a fake wife to act as a shield—one that could block open attacks and return hidden ones.
Xu Miaoxue saw that he did not answer and pressed on.
“I’m right, aren’t I? You must be planning something big.”
“You shouldn’t ask what you shouldn’t know.”
Oh, keep pretending then.
“Then why did you choose me?”
“When a person is full of flaws, that means they have no real weakness.”
“……”
Was that praise or an insult?
Still, Xu Miaoxue felt confident. She believed her guess was right. Something this absurd could only be meant to hide an even bigger plan.
She was not interested in what he wanted to do. She only knew one thing clearly: a man this dangerous could only be worked with, never offended. Besides, pretending to be someone’s wife in public was easy for her. She worked for her employer—that was all.
Back to the point.
“So what do you want me to do next?”
“Be a proper Sixth Madam of the Pei family. Our contract must stay secret. As for the rest—” Pei Shuye had not thought it through carefully. “Do whatever you like.”
“Then… the special taste you mentioned before—what is it?”
This question had been bothering Xu Miaoxue. She still remembered what he said in Nongchao Alley when he wanted to buy a woman. Was he an old pervert or not? Since they were being honest, she needed to ask clearly what her employer wanted.
Pei Shuye had almost forgotten that lie himself. Her question reminded him.
He cleared his throat and kept up his mysterious image.
“Are you afraid?”
Xu Miaoxue froze.
“Do you want me to be afraid? If you want, I can act afraid.”
“……”
She really took contracts seriously.
“Even if I had such tastes, I’m not interested in you.”
Xu Miaoxue finally relaxed. She crossed her legs comfortably.
“That’s good. Then let’s talk about payment.”
“You already took your payment.”
“That’s not enough. Sixth Master, do you know how good a liar I am? Do you know how much I can earn in one night? We waited a month to scam Zhao Jin, and in one night we got six hundred taels. That’s twenty taels a day. You want to buy one year of my time with just three hundred taels? That’s far from enough.”
“That’s all you get.”
Pei Shuye would not spoil anyone.
He was not short on money, but he would not let her push further. She was just a small loach in his palm.
As expected, Xu Miaoxue was not surprised. She smiled charmingly.
“Alright. Whatever Sixth Master decides.”
The moon was already high. All the women and half the guests had left, but music still floated over Ruyi Harbor. Young men with open collars were drinking and gambling with singers, their drunken eyes reflecting the moonlight in glass cups. It looked like they would stay up all night.
The city was unusually lively as well. The streets near the Drum Tower were crowded with carriages. Lord Siming’s carriage passed by just then. The young men who had left the banquet hurried to straighten their hats and bowed from behind several layers of people. The carriage curtain did not move. Only the old servant nodded slightly.
After the crowd dispersed, the carriage still stayed by the street. Soon, a middle-aged man walked up from the shadows. The old servant lifted the curtain.
“Honored elder,” Lu Zongliang greeted respectfully.
Lord Siming sat inside the small carriage. His white hair hung to his shoulders, and his eyes were half-closed. Though he was over sixty, his face still looked healthy and red. Lu Zongliang was ten years younger, but years of business had turned his temples white. He looked older than Lord Siming.
He bent slightly, with sweat on his forehead.
He had clearly seen Pei Shuye’s carriage drive straight past, pretending not to see Lord Siming. With no choice, Lu Zongliang came to smooth things over.
“The Pei family carriages have already gone home. Young Lord Pei stayed at the banquet and probably hasn’t had enough fun yet, so he couldn’t come to greet you. Please allow me to apologize on his behalf.”
Lord Siming did not even open his eyes. He smiled faintly.
“I heard that Young Master Pei already has a wife. Isn’t all this effort meaningless?”
Lu Zongliang’s throat tightened. Lord Siming had already heard about what happened at the banquet. He quickly explained,
“While Young Lord Pei was in a harsh land, it’s normal for him to have a brief romance. But a country woman like that cannot be a proper wife. At most she could be a concubine. The Pei family would never allow her to be the main wife.”
He spoke confidently, but his heart was uneasy.
Earlier, he had insisted on escorting Lu Mingyu home with Pei Shuye because he sensed trouble. He had no choice but to speak clearly with Pei Shuye.
Everyone knew that Lord Siming and Pei Shuye had a long-standing feud.
Years ago, Pei Shuye wanted to reopen an old case, which threatened Lord Siming’s interests. Lord Siming had also spent great effort to remove Pei Shuye from the capital.
Everyone thought Pei Shuye’s career was finished. No one expected him to endure quietly for five years, then bypass Lord Siming and connect directly with powerful figures in the cabinet, returning to Ningbo in glory.
But a powerful outsider could not defeat a local ruler.
No matter who supported Pei Shuye, if he refused to acknowledge Lord Siming in Ningbo, his path would be very hard.
Marriage was supposed to benefit both sides. It was a step down for everyone.
Once families were tied together by marriage, they became one. Old grudges could be forgotten, and cooperation would be easy.
But Pei Shuye refused. He only said that he and his wife loved each other deeply.
This made Lu Zongliang feel like he was standing on hot coals. He almost wanted to ask directly if Pei Shuye could demote his wife to a concubine.
Choosing a wife was not just about marriage. It showed Pei Shuye’s attitude toward Ningbo—whether he would be strict and unyielding, or flexible and cooperative.
Lu Zongliang tried his best to defend Pei Shuye, but Lord Siming only smiled and said nothing.
“All families in Ningbo share the same fire,” Lord Siming said slowly, his voice cold like a snake. “If someone starts a separate stove… when sparks fly and burn a roof, face won’t matter anymore.”
Lu Zongliang panicked. Lord Siming was serious now.
“Young Lord Pei just returned today. He told me himself that today wasn’t suitable, but he will personally visit you another day.”
If Pei Shuye continued to oppose Lord Siming, Lu Zongliang would be stuck in the middle. He was a businessman. He wanted peace so everyone could make money.
He needed Lord Siming’s protection and Pei Shuye’s wealth. At his age, he did not want to choose sides. He wanted both.
But Lord Siming only lifted his hand. The curtain fell, and the carriage moved on.
Lu Zongliang bowed deeply. As he lowered his head, he heard Lord Siming’s last words float out softly:
“Oh? Then who is living at Peach Blossom Ferry?”
Lu Zongliang broke out in cold sweat.
Lord Siming knew everything.
There was no way to fool him. Lu Zongliang made a decision—no matter the cost, for Ningbo’s peace, he would destroy Pei Shuye’s marriage.
At the Pei residence.
The family carriages arrived one after another. Usually everyone went back to their own courtyards, but tonight they gathered together, waiting for Pei Shuye.
Pei Shuye expected a long talk with Xu Miaoxue in the carriage, so he told the driver to go slowly. He also took a longer route to avoid Lord Siming. That was why he was late.
Second Madam Pei sat beside Old Madam Pei. They whispered about how to deal with Xu—such a woman entering the Pei family needed to be put in her place.
Sleeping together without a matchmaker—this was outrageous. If not for Pei Shuye’s future, Old Madam Pei would have reported it to the authorities.
First, they would scold Pei Shuye. Then they would send the woman to the ancestral hall, lock her up for a few days, and teach her family rules.
The Second Madam Pei agreed repeatedly.
But they waited and waited. The Sixth Branch still had not returned.
The Fifth Branch had twins who had just turned one. The lights kept them awake, and they began crying loudly. Fifth Madam struggled to calm them, clearly annoyed.
Everyone left Ruyi Harbor around the same time, yet the Sixth Branch was still missing. What kind of arrogance was this?
People argued. Some told Fifth Madam to take the children away. Others said they were already awake, so it didn’t matter. The men were tired but dared not leave while Old Madam stayed, so they waited and yawned.
The hall was noisy.
Then the sound of a carriage approached. The courtyard fell silent at once. Whenever it came to Pei Shuye, the family became tense and serious, as if welcoming an outsider.
Old Madam Pei sat up straight, her face stern. Everyone else followed suit.
As Pei Shuye got off the carriage, he sensed the atmosphere and paused slightly.
He knew a fierce inner-house battle was coming. He planned to tell Xu Miaoxue not to act rashly, but in that moment of distraction, she stepped down first.
She looked angry, as if sulking, yet smiled innocently at him. Then she swayed her hips and walked into the Pei residence.
Pei Shuye felt alarmed.
Before he could react, Xu Miaoxue rushed inside and, in front of everyone, dropped to her knees with a loud thud. Crying loudly, she wailed,
“Mother-in-law, please divorce me!”
It was like thunder striking the ground.
Old Madam Pei’s scolding words were stuck in her throat. Everyone was stunned.
Old Madam Pei was completely confused. She had lived a proper life and had never seen such street-style crying.
Xu Miaoxue wiped her tears.
“Mother-in-law, you saw it too. That Miss Lu is slim and pitiful. The Sixth Master even skipped the banquet to escort her home. I know my place. I come from a low background and don’t deserve him. If he wants another woman, I’m willing to leave… woo woo woo…”
Even the baby in Fifth Madam’s arms stopped crying and stared at the woman crying even louder.
Fifth Madam and Fifth Master exchanged looks and nearly laughed. Staying was worth it. This Sixth Madam really knew how to hold back. She showed no anger at the banquet—she was saving it for home.
This wasn’t a jealous wife. This was a general attacking the gates.
Wonderful. The Pei family hadn’t been this lively in years.
The crying upset Old Madam Pei. She valued dignity. Even if she wasn’t the one crying, she felt humiliated. But she was the family matriarch and had seen worse.
Did Xu think crying would force the Pei family to yield? Old Madam Pei would gladly accept her request.
With a cold face, she said,
“These are unavoidable social duties. There will be more in the future. If you mind this, life will never be peaceful. Since you understand, it’s better to leave early. Part on good terms.”
She sounded fair, but it was clear she wanted them to divorce.
Xu Miaoxue cried harder, saying nothing. Tears poured down and soaked her clothes.
No one dared speak. They watched the drama closely.
If Pei Shuye nodded, Xu could leave tonight.
Everyone looked at Pei Shuye.
Old Madam Pei also looked at him expectantly, her eyes saying, Say it. Say you will divorce her.
Pei Shuye found it amusing. Like an outsider watching a play, he finally stepped forward.
He bowed.
“Mother, I failed to consider things properly and made my wife suffer. Matters in my household should not trouble you.”
Before she could respond, he pulled Xu Miaoxue up and carried her away to his courtyard.
“Chengju!” Old Madam Pei shouted. Her anger wasn’t finished yet!
But Pei Shuye did not look back. He left behind a strong, affectionate figure, holding a woman who was still sobbing and struggling.
Everyone saw only a pair of troubled lovers.
Xu Miaoxue lightly punched his chest, her face buried against him, shoulders shaking—she was holding back laughter.
She succeeded.
Feeling her laugh, Pei Shuye shot her a glare.
His hair crown brushed past low branches, and a whole camellia flower fell into her arms. The flower’s scent mixed with the fragrance of his robe.
Xu Miaoxue took a deep breath, enjoying it. This scholar’s chest was truly warm and strong.
The next second—bang. The door slammed shut, and the brief tenderness shattered instantly.