Xu Miaoxue sat up, her waist and back sore.
“Sixth Master, you get what you pay for. Cheap goods always have problems. You should be more understanding.”
Pei Shuye nodded calmly.
“Yes. You did well.”
Huh?
Xu Miaoxue froze. This was not the reaction she expected.
Shouldn’t he be full of regret, begging her to stay?
Did well? What part was good?
Didn’t he see that while he was gone, she could easily work with Old Madam Pei and get a divorce paper? Didn’t he want a wife? He might end up with none!
Xu Miaoxue felt confused, like she had punched cotton.
Pei Shuye sat down and slowly drank some tea.
“Otherwise, tonight would have turned into a public trial by the whole family.”
Only then did Xu Miaoxue realize that she had been too focused on acting and missed how tense and hostile the atmosphere had been earlier.
Her outburst had actually helped Pei Shuye avoid a big argument.
Xu Miaoxue felt defeated and frustrated.
“But—”
She looked up. The man’s handsome face looked like a proud, undefeated general.
(That “general” was actually a rooster kept in the Cheng family’s backyard, always standing tall and arrogant.)
“Go ahead,” he said. “How much do you want?”
Xu Miaoxue suspected she had heard wrong.
Why did he sound so superior even when giving in?
He lowered his eyes to drink tea. The tea surface rippled slightly, reflecting a hint of guilt in his eyes.
Her move had worked. She reminded him that the wife he had pulled into his plan had many ways to escape that role. The outside world was dangerous, and Pei Shuye did not want to step into unnecessary trouble. If money could solve it, then it was not a real problem.
Xu Miaoxue finally regained some confidence. She snorted and sat up straight.
“Three conditions.”
“First, I return the money.”
She took out the bank note from her sleeve and pressed it against his chest.
“I don’t want your money.”
Pei Shuye frowned. Didn’t she just ask for money? Was this money-loving liar actually returning it?
“Our agreement is cooperation, not employment.”
Pei Shuye felt displeased.
He was someone who set rules, not someone who changed them. Yet she challenged him right away.
Still, there was no turning back. He had chosen a clever partner, and clever people would not always obey. Thinking carefully, this condition did not really harm him.
With a dark expression, he accepted the bank note. He agreed to the first condition, but secretly planned how to regain control later.
“Second,” Xu Miaoxue continued,
“Whatever I do as Sixth Madam—who I scam or how I earn money—as long as I don’t cause you trouble, it’s my business. You are not allowed to interfere. Otherwise, I quit.”
At first, Pei Shuye was not interested.
But when she said this, he felt a trace of curiosity.
Still, reason stopped him from wasting energy on such things.
He set his limit:
“You are not allowed to cheat my family’s money.”
“Deal. Third—”
Xu Miaoxue paused.
Many scammers believe money is the most valuable thing. But she learned early on that information is worth far more.
Some things are impossible alone. Sometimes, one piece of information can change everything.
“I want to know why you came back to Ningbo.”
She felt that this man had returned secretly for another reason. She did not expect him to answer easily and was already preparing how to trick it out of him.
But Pei Shuye only glanced at her and answered generously.
“I’m looking for someone.”
He answered too quickly. Xu Miaoxue’s prepared tricks became useless. She doubted him. Was it real? Just to find one person, he made such a big move?
She stared at him carefully and caught a fleeting look on his face.
She couldn’t explain it, but she suddenly thought of the boat at Peach Blossom Ferry. Who would live on a boat? She had once done so when she ran away from home, and she never slept well.
He looked like someone who could not reach shore.
At that moment, Xu Miaoxue realized that this cold, calculating Sixth Master also had a weakness.
She wanted to know.
If she did, she would no longer be passive. She could control him completely. If she said go east, he would go east. If she said go west, he would go west.
Many mysteries lay before her. This was her reward for stepping into high society. If she solved and used them, she would move closer to her goal.
She felt eager.
“Who are you looking for?” she asked.
“Want to know?” He changed the topic and asked back.
Xu Miaoxue: …
“Depends on your future performance.”
Such a cheap tone. She really wanted to strangle him.
Xu Miaoxue had a temper too. She did not reply.
There was plenty of time. She firmly believed that all people make mistakes. One day, she would see through him completely.
“If you won’t say it, fine,” she said provocatively.
“Maybe the world is small. What if I’ve already met the person you’re looking for? Then you’d miss a good clue.”
Pei Shuye laughed softly and ignored her nonsense.
Seeing that he would not talk, Xu Miaoxue stopped asking. She sat down and began removing the hairpins from her hair. As she did, she neatly sorted the gold and silver jewelry on the table, wrapping each piece in cloth with practiced skill.
Her movements became faster and faster. Pei Shuye almost felt dizzy watching her. After removing the heavy makeup, her real face appeared clearly.
Her brows showed deep thought, and her eyes were clever and sly, clearly planning something again.
At last, she wrapped everything in the tablecloth, tied it into a bundle, and threw it over her shoulder.
Only then did Pei Shuye realize—she was leaving.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“You expect me to sleep here?” Xu Miaoxue asked in shock.
“I’m an unmarried girl!”
Before Pei Shuye could deny it, she added seriously,
“That’s a different price!”
…
Speechless, Pei Shuye raised his hand and pointed.
“Go out the window.”
“I’ll come to work tomorrow morning,” Xu Miaoxue waved.
“I won’t delay your business.”
With a few soft sounds, she slipped away like a loach and disappeared.
Pei Shuye found it oddly funny.
—Come to work?
She really acted like a professional employee.
The lively room suddenly became quiet. Pei Shuye glanced at the table, pretending to dust it, but actually checking if she had left anything behind.
Nothing. Not even a broken pearl.
A perfect liar.
He suddenly felt a little regret. Maybe he should not have told a morally questionable scammer his true purpose.
But he did tell her.
Because his goal was so distant, almost hopeless, that no one except his closest aide, Qinshan, knew why he had truly returned.
He had drifted in the sea for too long, and suddenly a stranger appeared.
Perhaps because they were strangers, it didn’t matter if he spoke.
He looked up. Only the candle flame remained, flickering restlessly like waves.
Xu Miaoxue returned to the Cheng household after midnight. Even her energetic body could not stop yawning.
Ali chattered beside her like a tireless bird.
“Miss, that’s the top scholar! He chose you as his wife! What do you have to be angry about?”
“He schemed against me!”
“Being schemed against by him is good fortune, Miss. It means he values your intelligence.”
“So I should thank him?”
“Of course! He’s the top scholar!”
“Did you forget he arrested all of you?”
“If we had known he was the top scholar, we shouldn’t have run.”
“….”
Truly speechless.
Even her closest helper was taking his side.
What was so great about a top scholar? He still had two eyes and one mouth, always cold-faced, full of schemes, and far more calculating than others.
You don’t know how deep his mind is!
Xu Miaoxue cried silently inside. Thinking about waking up early tomorrow to return to the Pei residence made her feel lifeless.
She weakly pushed open her door, almost walking with her eyes closed. Suddenly Ali gasped.
“Y-young master…” Ali stammered.
Xu Miaoxue lifted her eyelids and saw Cheng Kaishou sitting in her room.
She was surprised.
He must have waited a long time. He looked worn out. Moonlight covered his pale robe like frost. April nights were still cold.
Xu Miaoxue did not know what to say.
She had not seen him for days. After Madam Jia brought him back, she watched him closely. Also, the once-aggressive Zeng canceled the engagement and didn’t even want the betrothal gifts back. Madam Jia became uneasy. Everything connected to Xu Miaoxue seemed to end badly, so she guarded her precious son even more.
Xu Miaoxue always thought Cheng Kaishou was useless.
But a useless person with a burning heart was the most annoying kind.
She crossed her arms and sat down, speaking sharply.
“What? Here to report that I stayed out all night?”
Cheng Kaishou smiled bitterly and did not argue. He went straight to the point.
“I’ll help you leave the Cheng family.”
“Are you sick?” Xu Miaoxue didn’t take it seriously.
“A wealthy family’s widow is willing to recognize you as her sworn sister,” he continued calmly.
“She has few relatives, so it won’t be complicated. You won’t need to change your household registration. I bought a small house for you.”
He took out a property deed and a heavy bag of silver.
“As long as you want, you can leave the Cheng family anytime.”
Xu Miaoxue was stunned.
She said nothing. She took the deed and read it carefully, as if hidden secrets were written between the lines.
Ali felt tempted. This was a good path. The authorities usually ignored sworn-family arrangements like this. It would give Xu Miaoxue a new, free household.
Ali looked at her reaction—only to see her lips pressed tightly, anger building.
“Did I ask you to save me?”
Ali turned away in despair.
As expected.
Miss never spoke kindly to the young master.