In the kitchen, his usually arrogant third brother was now completely undignified—squatting on a small stool with his backside sticking out, staring intently at the white balls floating in the oil, practically drooling into the pot.
“Cook Shen, are they done yet? They’ve been floating for quite a while!” Pei Ye urged impatiently, his small hands fidgeting on his knees.
“Third Young Master, don’t rush. They’ll be ready soon.”
A gentle female voice came from behind the stove.
Pei Shuo followed the sound. Behind the stove, the woman held a pair of long wooden chopsticks, deftly flipping the plump, white dumplings in the hot oil with a light flick of her wrist.
“Haste makes waste. These ‘snowy bean paste dumplings’ require precise heat. The egg whites must be whipped as light as clouds so they cook evenly. Look—aren’t they white and fluffy now, just like clouds falling into the pot?”
“Hmph, what’s so tasty about clouds? I want something sweet!”
Pei Ye replied stubbornly, though his eyes refused to leave the pot.
Shen Lingwei smiled faintly. Once they were ready, she swiftly removed them from the oil, drained them, plated them, and sprinkled a fine layer of sugar over the top.
At once, a unique fragrance filled the air, making mouths water.
Pei Ye immediately reached out to grab one, but Shen Lingwei stopped him. “Third Young Master, they’ve just come out of the oil—be careful, they’re hot. And you must wash your hands first.”
Pei Ye frowned and muttered, “So troublesome,” but obediently went to clean his hands.
When he returned, Shen Lingwei picked up a dumpling. “Would you like to try one, Third Young Master?”
Pei Ye’s prideful nature surfaced again. “Since you’re begging me so sincerely, I’ll give you some face.”
Suppressing her laughter, Shen Lingwei replied, “Yes, thank you, Third Young Master, for your generosity.”
Though he spoke arrogantly, his chopsticks had already reached out. He took a bite.
Then—he froze. His pupils widened.
Next, he began chewing vigorously, quickly swallowing, his eyes immediately shifting back to the plate.
“Mm… it’s just average. Compared to the lion’s head meatballs made by the master chef in the residence… it’s far inferior,” he said stubbornly.
“Is that so…” Shen Lingwei looked regretful. “In that case, the rest…”
“The rest should be packed up for me to take away. Well… Second Brother is weak and can’t eat these. We can’t waste food, so I’ll reluctantly help you finish them.”
As he spoke, his eyes were practically glued to the dumplings.
Shen Lingwei bent slightly closer and said softly, “Third Young Master, I forgot to tell you—inside this bean paste, I added a special ‘honesty bean.’ Anyone who eats it cannot lie. Otherwise, the cloud will go ‘boom’ in your stomach.”
Pei Ye stiffened, his face flushing red.
“N-nonsense! I’ve never heard of such beans in this world.”
In reality, his small hand had already moved to his stomach, as if worried it might explode at any moment.
Shen Lingwei didn’t expose him, still smiling gently. “You’re right, Third Young Master. There’s no such thing as an honesty bean. I must have remembered wrongly.”
She pushed the remaining dumplings toward him. “Since you find the taste average, it must mean my skills are lacking and didn’t meet your expectations. How about this…”
She thought for a moment. “Tomorrow, I’ll try making two new dishes. If you don’t mind, after your lessons, you could come by the kitchen again and help me ‘taste-test’ them?”
Pei Ye’s eyes lit up, though he suppressed his smile and tried to maintain a dignified expression.
“Fine… I suppose I’ve been rather idle lately. But let’s be clear—I’m not greedy. I’m helping you test the dishes and improve your cooking.”
“Yes, thank you, Third Young Master, for your kindness,” Shen Lingwei said, barely holding back her laughter.
Pei Shuo stood outside the door, having watched everything from beginning to end.
His brows slowly furrowed.
This woman was no simple person. With just a few words and a few snacks, she had completely won over his third brother.
A trace of caution rose in his heart. He suddenly recalled something his father had once told him:
“In this world, the hardest people to guard against are those who smile kindly at you.”
With that thought, he silently turned and left the kitchen.
Shen Lingwei and Pei Ye remained unaware.
Over the next few days, life was relatively peaceful.
During the day, aside from preparing Pei Ke’s three meals, Shen Lingwei spent as much time as possible with him, along with An’an and Tuanzi. She designed small games—encouraging him to hop on one foot, pick up beans with chopsticks, swing while tossing objects to a target, and more.
These were essentially similar to modern sensory integration exercises.
Combined with her carefully planned meals—avoiding ingredients that might trigger allergies—Pei Ke’s condition visibly improved. His complexion became rosier.
The Old Madam came to visit several times and happened to see Pei Ke playing in the courtyard.
She stood at a distance, watching quietly for a long time, her eyes moist. She patted Madam Zhang’s hand repeatedly, praising softly, but did not step in to disturb them.
Pei Ye also came to the kitchen every evening without fail. Though still stubborn in words, he would leave satisfied after eating.
Everything was moving in a better direction.
However, Shen Lingwei vaguely felt that every night, when she told stories in the quiet hours, there seemed to be a pair of eyes watching her from behind.
She didn’t think much of it, assuming that in such a noble household, there were always hidden guards. Since the Marquis hadn’t appeared these past few days, perhaps he had secretly assigned someone to protect the Second Young Master.
One day, after returning from school, Pei Shuo passed by the back garden and overheard several servants gossiping.
“Have you heard? That cook from Jinghe Garden keeps bringing a maid to the Second Young Master’s room every day. Even the Third Young Master has been won over with just a few snacks.”
“This woman is quite ambitious. First currying favor with the Second Young Master, then winning over the Third Young Master—next, she’ll probably set her sights on the Marquis.”
“Exactly. Even the Old Madam praises her highly. I heard the Marquis has been visiting Jinghe Garden more frequently these days…”
These fragmented words drifted into Pei Shuo’s ears, and his expression darkened.
So she really is targeting Father—using his younger brothers as stepping stones to climb higher.
Pei Shuo clenched his fingers and turned away.
He did not return to his own courtyard. Instead, he headed toward a place he had not dared to step into for five years—Luoxia Garden.
It had been his mother, Lady Cui’s, residence.
She loved maple trees. Now the entire courtyard was filled with blazing red maples, planted together with his father years ago.
As he stepped inside, a long-settled stillness greeted him. The corridors and stone steps were spotless, without a trace of dust.
Clearly, his father had always ordered careful maintenance.
“Y-Young Master? What brings you here?” the old maid guarding the gate asked in shock.
Pei Shuo’s voice was tight. “I came… to see Mother.”
Though still young, the face that resembled Pei Jin by half already carried the faint authority of someone in power.
The old maid’s eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion. “Good! Good! If Madam knew you came to see her, she would surely be comforted.”
Her gaze lingered on his face as if looking at a lost treasure regained. “It’s been five years… Our young master has grown so tall. To this old servant, you are no less impressive than the Marquis in his youth. If Madam knew, she would surely rest in peace.”
But Pei Shuo’s neck stiffened slightly, as if pricked by something sharp.
Would Mother feel comforted?
No.
Back then, if it hadn’t been for him…
Mother would never have left.
His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly. Yet he forced a faint smile onto his face.
“Open the door.”