The setting sun's afterglow, a tangerine red, was thickly smeared across the horizon, and steam rose in clouds before the wonton stall.
Xie Zhi and Qing Shao were still sitting in the corner.
"Brother, I've found out all about that Pei Shuyu." Qing Shao's eyes were bright as he leaned forward. "We're really going to strike it rich."
"Don't keep me in suspense. Out with it."
"Alright," Qing Shao said with a grin, and began telling him everything he had learned from the start. "Pei Shuyu—he's the next head of the Pei clan of Hedong."
"The head of the clan?"
"Yes, the head of the clan. Right now his father is in charge of the Pei clan, and Pei Shuyu is the legitimate son of the legitimate line, so he's next in line." Qing Shao spoke with great relish. "The entire Pei clan of Hedong obeys him. And that's the Pei clan, one of the four great families! A century of official honors, filthy rich. The young miss's betrothed really is no ordinary man!"
Xie Zhi gave a soft laugh, the corners of his lips curving as if carelessly.
"What's he like?"
"The head of the Pei clan—how bad could he be?" A hint of yearning couldn't help but show in Qing Shao's eyes. "I heard he's not only extraordinarily talented, but also modest, benevolent, and observant of propriety—steady and magnanimous, with all the bearing of a young clan head. And on top of that, he's uncommonly handsome, as beautiful as Pan An—the dream lover of countless young ladies in the capital!"
"Tch." Xie Zhi laughed again.
The sharp sourness of the aged vinegar at the wonton stall stung the nose, and the setting sun's afterglow cast a hazy red in the depths of his eyes.
"Did you see him with your own eyes?"
Qing Shao chuckled. "Well, no."
"Nothing but empty reputations. Who knows what the real man is actually like?"
"…" Qing Shao felt his intelligence-gathering abilities were being questioned, and muttered under his breath, "That can't be fake, can it? Everyone who knows him says so…"
Xie Zhi neither confirmed nor denied it, and shot him a glance.
Qing Shao scratched his head, inexplicably feeling a chill. He swallowed and shut his mouth.
The wontons arrived, and he buried his head in eating.
Qing Shao did not eat elegantly; he made slurping noises. Xie Zhi watched him eat more than half a bowl of wontons before speaking again.
"Has Pei Shuyu been looking for her?"
Qing Shao gulped down the wonton in his mouth and nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes, yes. I found out that Pei Shuyu has already returned to the capital. He's spent a lot of silver secretly searching for someone. Although no one knows who he's looking for, I'd guess it must be the young miss."
Xie Zhi's thin, sharp eyelids drooped halfway, as if in thought. Watching his expression, Qing Shao couldn't hold back from asking, "Brother, when exactly are we going to sell the young miss to him?"
His gaze was full of anticipation, but Xie Zhi said slowly, "No rush."
"Huh? Why no rush?"
"The longer he can't find her, the more anxious he'll become. By then, we can demand even more silver from him."
Qing Shao racked his brains trying to follow his reasoning.
Xie Zhi said, "Since he's filthy rich, a hundred thousand taels of gold is too cheap for him."
Qing Shao raised his eyes and heard him continue unhurriedly, "We should demand from him a million taels of gold."
Qing Shao's eyes suddenly flew wide open. It was as if gold were raining from the sky, clattering down onto his head, and his mind was filled with a dazzling golden light.
A million taels of gold!
Rich! Rich! Qing Shao nodded vigorously. "Good, no rush. I'll do whatever you say, Brother! Whenever you say to sell, we sell!"
…
That night the moonlight was bright as snow, silver-white falling through the window lattice. Xie Zhi lay on the wooden bed, pillowing his arm.
A million taels of gold—that price was enough to move him.
In a little while, he would sell Yuan Yingti off.
He wondered how the young miss would look at him the moment she learned the truth.
She'd probably cry from fright, wouldn't she?
Thinking about how she'd been living with a thug and a scoundrel all these days, she'd surely tremble with fear, tears streaming down her face like they were worthless.
Xie Zhi's gaze was dark and deep.
By then, that toad draped in gold would be the one wiping her tears.
Xie Zhi gave a cold snort, turned over, and felt deeply irritated.
The night passed, and the sky grew bright.
Yuan Yingti was much better. She half-reclined against the headboard, wrapped in thick bedding, the faint rosiness gradually returning to her cheeks.
Xie Zhi carried the medicine in, set it by her hand, and signaled for her to drink it.
The bitter medicinal smell filled her nostrils. Yuan Yingti wrinkled her nose, drew a breath, then cupped the bowl with both hands and drank it down in small, gulping sips.
Too bitter. She opened her mouth and exhaled, and the next moment, something soft was popped into her mouth.
A rich, sweet flavor instantly washed away the bitterness. Yuan Yingti bit down with her pearly teeth and said happily, "So sweet—what is this?"
"Malt candy. I went out yesterday and picked some up along the way." Xie Zhi placed the remaining candy by her hand.
Yuan Yingti ate the candy, her brows and eyes curving softly.
"What did you go out for yesterday?"
Xie Zhi said, "To see Qing Shao."
"Any news of Brother Pei?" Yuan Yingti forgot all about the candy, straightening slightly and blinking at him.
Last time, she'd asked Xie Zhi to help her write a letter and send it out, and Xie Zhi had told her he'd entrusted the matter to Qing Shao.
Xie Zhi looked into her eyes.
"No news. Suzhou hasn't sent any reply."
Yuan Yingti held the candy in her mouth and lowered her eyes. "Let's wait a bit longer. Suzhou is very far from here—perhaps Brother Pei hasn't received the letter yet."
"And if he received it, but deliberately chose not to reply to the young miss?"
Yuan Yingti froze. Her fingers resting on the bedding slowly twisted tighter and tighter.
It wasn't impossible—but that was the worst outcome, and she didn't dare think about it.
If Pei Shuyu really abandoned her, then she'd be all alone with no one to rely on, without even a penny to her name. Wouldn't she be driven to a dead end?
With no one to support her, how would she survive…
Yuan Yingti said in a panicked voice, "He wouldn't. Brother Pei isn't that kind of person."
"The young miss has also said that you don't really know him. Now that you've fallen on hard times, how confident is the young miss that he won't betray you?"
Yuan Yingti's face was full of worry. She shook her head.
She didn't know.
Xie Zhi smiled. "The young miss has never even met him. It's only natural you can't tell whether he's a man or a ghost."
He paused slightly, and his tone suddenly became unusually gentle. "What if he fears Prince Qi, and for the sake of wealth and glory, he sells the young miss off…"
"Brother Pei wouldn't do that." Yuan Yingti retorted in a muffled voice. "He would never sell me for wealth and glory. Brother Pei is a gentleman, not a shameless villain."
The smile on Xie Zhi's face vanished.
He said darkly, "You trust him that much?"
"Yes." Yuan Yingti nodded, as if she'd figured something out, and said with firm resolve, "He's the fiancé my father chose for me. I will trust him."
Fine. Her father again.
Xie Zhi's brow twitched twice. He didn't say another word, picked up the empty medicine bowl, and turned to walk out.
…
Three days later, Yuan Yingti had completely recovered. Her voice was back to normal, and her face was rosy, pink glowing through the white.
The weather had been growing warmer lately. On the trellis, the grape leaves slowly unfurled from their curls, growing from tender green to emerald.
Early that morning, Xie Zhi was already busy.
Yuan Yingti sat on a small stool, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he moved back and forth. She propped her chin on both hands and asked, "A-Nu, what are you busy with?"
Xie Zhi replied, "In a bit, I'm taking Miss to climb the mountain."
Yuan Yingti froze, then hastily waved her hands. "No, no, no, I'm not going. I don't go outside."
"Miss needs to get out and take a walk."
"I can't go out."
Xie Zhi didn't want to go back and forth with her again. He shut his mouth and said nothing, but his hands kept moving.
Yuan Yingti listened to him still bustling about, stood up anxiously, and moved toward him following the sound of his footsteps. She groped her way in front of him, blocking his path. "A-Nu, I really won't go out."
Xie Zhi easily sidestepped her and went inside to fetch a water pouch filled with warm water.
Yuan Yingti followed closely behind him, raising her voice just a little. "A-Nu, did you hear what I said?"
"Mm." Xie Zhi acknowledged, then added some snacks and food into the travel bag.
Once everything was packed, he turned and grabbed Yuan Yingti by the wrist, pulling her toward the door.
Yuan Yingti was greatly alarmed. "A-Nu, I'm not going out. Father said—ah."
Her waist tightened, and her whole body was lifted into the air. The next instant, she was dangling head-down over a hard shoulder.
Xie Zhi had hoisted her up and was carrying her out.
"You, you put me down, put me down right now…" Even her voice of protest was weak, her calves kicking feebly behind her.
She couldn't see, didn't know how high she was off the ground, and didn't dare struggle violently for fear of falling.
Xie Zhi pretended not to hear. His arm hooked around the bend of her legs, and he walked easily to the door, then strode out in big steps.
Yuan Yingti nervously clutched the fabric of his back. When they passed through the gate and she heard the familiar sound of the lock clicking, she didn't dare make another sound.
Exposed to the outside, she dared not speak, afraid of drawing attention and inviting trouble.
Yuan Yingti tried her best to hide herself, only her calves still making a final, silent struggle, kicking against Xie Zhi's chest.
Xie Zhi paid her no mind. He shifted her up a bit and continued on with light, brisk steps.
Peach Blossom Town was nestled against the mountains and by the water, with wind blowing all year round. As they stepped out of the square courtyard, with the walls no longer shielding them, the warm spring breeze blew straight at them, rushing in and filling their embrace.
Her long hair whipped up, covering Yuan Yingti's face. She rubbed her itchy cheek and blinked.
Yuan Yingti felt her long hair stirred by the wind, her skirt hem lifted layer by layer around her calves.
The wind here was different from the wind in the courtyard—stronger.
Yuan Yingti's struggling gradually subsided, growing weaker and weaker.
She secretly took a deep breath, then quietly let it out.
A different scent flooded her lungs—the fresh fragrance of soapberry from A-Nu, mingled with the smell of wind and dust.
She breathed it in, and it seemed to drain her strength.
Yuan Yingti's waist went limp, her limpid eyes opened wide and round, and she obediently lay still over the shoulder beneath her, not moving a muscle.