"…Mother, I am truly curious—does Du'er owe you some grudge from a past life?"
The moment Pei Qinghe uttered these irreverent words, Old Madam Pei's face turned icy cold in an instant:
"What do you mean by that? I am Du'er's grandmother—how could I possibly harm him?!"
Pei Qinghe whirled around and swept his sleeve, knocking over the bronze auspicious-beast censer beside him. The censer split apart at once, its head separating from its body, spilling ashes across the floor and sending a cloud of grey dust into the air. His features were obscured behind the haze, indistinct and unclear, yet his piercing voice cut through everything like a sharp blade:
"What do I mean? Mother, because of your astrology, I am no different from a man separated from his wife and child! If I had the choice, I would rather be an ordinary fool who knows nothing of what lies ahead than live this life of treading carefully at every step and watching every move!
Du'er was born innocent. Because of a single word from you, he was separated from his birth mother from childhood, tormented by wicked servants, left with no one to lean on at such a tender age. You didn't harm him—but how is that different from harming him?
Do you know why I didn't choose any of the household-born servants' children, but instead picked an ordinary boy from a common family to be his study companion?"
Pei Qinghe looked straight into Old Madam Pei's eyes, speaking each word slowly and deliberately:
"His future is already bitter enough. He needs someone who can listen to him, someone who will truly think for him.
But why—why must Mother snatch away everything Du'er ever has?! Why?!"
"I did it for the sake of the entire Pei family! That child's features are by no means those of an ordinary person. Qinghe, you are grown now—the Pei family cannot decline under your watch!"
Old Madam Pei's voice sank low, transforming from the imposing old woman of moments ago into a mother speaking earnestly from the heart:
"If that were to happen, what face would I have left to meet the ancestors of the Pei family…"
"Mother is afraid that Father will blame you for keeping me and my second and third brothers from entering officialdom, and that the Pei family has declined from its former glory, isn't that so?"
A trace of mockery flickered across Pei Qinghe's face:
"Mother has always held the Art of Astral Divination as your golden rule, but I wonder… you don't seem to trust your own abilities as much as your son trusts his?"
Pei Qinghe left those words behind and strode away in large steps. Old Madam Pei watched his retreating figure grow distant, her once-straight back gradually stooping. Her withered hands, like the bark of a winter tree, gripped tightly at the arms of her sandalwood chair, yet her body could not stop trembling:
"Erlang, Erlang…"
Yuping stepped forward and lifted Old Madam Pei from the chair. Old Madam Pei had always favored lavish formal attire, which made her appear imposing and formidable, quite intimidating at first glance.
But now, held in Yuping's arms, she was so light, so thin—her whole body sinking into the ornate, heavy garments, struggling and struggling, yet unable to climb her way out.
Pei Qinghe left Songhe Hall with hurried steps, forcing the young servant at his side to nearly jog to keep up.
Suddenly, Pei Qinghe halted. The servant immediately stumbled over his own feet to avoid crashing into him.
Hm… the direction the master is heading this time seems to be… Jianjia Courtyard?
In the past, the master would only stand outside the gate of Jianjia Courtyard at night. But it's still broad daylight now—has the master finally lost his patience?
Inside Jianjia Courtyard, Ye Jinghe had woken up after only half an hour. But what he hadn't expected was to find Pei Du lying right beside him. When he lifted his arm, he discovered that Pei Du was still clutching tightly at his sleeve.
The next moment, Pei Du sat up, rubbing his eyes, then exclaimed with delight:
"Changfeng! You're awake!"
Ye Jinghe was stunned for a moment before speaking softly:
"Mm, I'm awake. Young Master, how did you fall asleep here? Have you finished today's lessons? What time is it now? Have you eaten?"
Ye Jinghe's rapid string of questions made Pei Du pout, his eyes turning red and wet:
"Changfeng asked me so many things—why didn't you ask about yourself?"
"Me? I'm fine. I must thank the Young Master today for bringing the Madam to save me! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see the Young Master again!"
Ye Jinghe spoke in a light, easy tone. The Young Master was younger than him, and he didn't want to play for sympathy in front of him. But the next second, Pei Du threw himself into Ye Jinghe's arms and burst into loud sobs.
Ye Jinghe's body still felt heavy, but the Young Master wasn't heavy at all, so he could only stiffly pat Pei Du's back, one pat at a time:
"Young Master, don't cry, don't cry. Has someone been bullying you?"
"No one's bullying me, but I—I just think Changfeng is so pitiful! I—I'll go beg my mother to give you back your indenture contract."
Pei Du's chin rested on Ye Jinghe's shoulder, sharp and a little painful, and Ye Jinghe was completely stunned by Pei Du's words.
Give him back… his indenture contract?
Could he regain his freedom?
But with Pei Du's sobbing breaths at his ear, and the images of Pei Du's every smile and frown from these past days flooding his mind…
A five-year-old child—if not for Madam Pei summoning him twice to share meals, if not for having a boy his own age in the courtyard, he would spend every day quietly practicing calligraphy in the study, quietly being carried to and from school by An Xin, quietly eating and sleeping alone.
But he was too quiet—too quiet to be a five-year-old child.
If he were to leave…
If he were to leave, how would he face the bewilderment and terror of that seven-year-old boy whose mother's love had been entirely taken away?
And how would he face the shock, fury, and despair of that twenty-one-year-old young man when his mother said, "Why didn't it die, Du'er?"
As he listened to the story, Pei Du's monologue was delivered casually, as if he were speaking of someone else's affairs—but the thought that such things would one day befall the person before him…
Ye Jinghe closed his eyes, his palm gently patting Pei Du's trembling, sobbing back, and heard his own soft voice:
"I won't leave. If I leave, what will Young Master do?"
Pei Du cried even harder, and at that moment, Madam Pei pushed the door open and walked in. Pei Du immediately hid himself behind Ye Jinghe.
Madam Pei pretended not to notice, then looked at Ye Jinghe with a gentleness in her eyes that he had never seen before.
"Changfeng is awake? I had some food prepared. Would you like some?"
"Th-thank you, Madam."
Ye Jinghe tried to get off the bed but was held firmly by Pei Du clutching at his clothes, so he could only offer an awkward bow from the bed.
Madam Pei merely curved her lips into a smile:
"Since you're awake, get up, dress, and eat."
With that, Madam Pei walked out. Only then did Pei Du emerge from behind Ye Jinghe, and the two scrambled off the bed to put on their shoes. Pei Du glanced at Ye Jinghe and whispered:
"Changfeng, you look like a pretty older sister!"
Ye Jinghe: "…"
Ye Jinghe was shattered!
Wait—why was he still in women's clothing?!
Pei Du snickered quietly, then tugged Ye Jinghe toward the door:
"Changfeng, hurry up and come eat! I heard your stomach growling!"
At least let him change his clothes!
Before Ye Jinghe could protest, he was dragged by Pei Du into the side hall. The moment they entered, Madam Pei and Wenxin exchanged a glance and couldn't help covering their mouths with soft laughter. Wenxin teased:
"Madam, this servant didn't know—when did our household gain a little miss?"
"Perhaps… she fell from the sky!"
Madam Pei even joined in the teasing, and Pei Du clapped his hands in delight. Ye Jinghe's face flushed crimson, his entire body turning as red as a boiled shrimp.
Madam Pei glanced at Wenxin, who immediately pulled Ye Jinghe over:
"Changfeng, a little lad like you is prettier when shy than any girl. Madam, you should prepare some brighter-colored clothes for Changfeng in the future—easy on the eyes, too!"
"That's true. Come, sit. Everyone, sit."
"Madam, this is improper!"
Ye Jinghe struggled at once, but Madam Pei said seriously:
"Changfeng, don't refuse. Du'er feels guilty for failing to protect you today. This meal is his apology. If you, the guest of honor, won't sit, then none of us can sit either."
"But…"
Wenxin directly pushed Ye Jinghe down into a chair:
"Sit, sit. A little lad being so fussy—careful, you won't find a wife later!"
Ye Jinghe glanced at Wenxin and murmured:
"So Auntie Wenxin likes men who aren't fussy."
This time, it was Wenxin's turn to flush bright red. Madam Pei propped her chin on her hand and laughed:
"I see. Then I'll know what kind of man to keep an eye out for Wenxin."
"Oh dear! Madam, how can you join Changfeng in being mischievous?"
Pei Du watched with a smile, a genuine smile on his face. He loved lively commotion, especially the playful banter of those close to him.
Seeing Pei Du so happy, Madam Pei's worries dissolved. She had Wenxin fetch a pot of rose wine to liven the mood. After a few cups, her cheeks were flushed crimson, and she grabbed Pei Du's hand, speaking earnestly:
"Du'er, from now on, you have a mother. Always, always be happy…"
Pei Du was about to speak when a dark shadow fell across the doorway. The smile on his face vanished, and he quickly rose from his chair, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"F-father."
Pei Qinghe was still lost in Madam Pei's words from just now. Coming back to himself, he stepped forward and lifted Madam Pei into his arms:
"Your mother is drunk. I'll take her to rest. You two eat slowly."
Pei Qinghe carried Madam Pei away, and Wenxin stayed behind to attend to Pei Du as he continued his meal—but Pei Du couldn't eat:
"Auntie Wenxin, won't you go check on Mother?"
Wenxin smiled:
"Young Master is worried Father might bully Madam? He won't. It's just that Madam might regret drinking herself drunk when she wakes up."
If she didn't deeply love the Master, how could Madam have borne the pain of separation from her son?
Pei Du nodded with vague understanding, then remembered to say to Ye Jinghe:
"Changfeng, eat up! This Longjing shrimp is really tasty!"
On the round blue-and-white porcelain plate, the orange-pink shrimp, set against the vivid green tea leaves, looked like plump little dumplings, exuding an enticing sweetness that made one's fingers itch to dig in.
Ye Jinghe picked up a bite and put it in his mouth. The sweetness of the shrimp masked the slight bitterness of the tea, leaving only a lingering sweetness at the end—so his mouth was filled with clean, refreshing sweetness, lifting his spirits.
"Mmm, so delicious!"
Ye Jinghe's enthusiastic approval made Pei Du smile, and he immediately began recommending other dishes. The two little heads leaned together, chattering softly, harmonious and delightful.
It was only when the meal was finished that Pei Qinghe emerged from the bedchamber. He spotted Ye Jinghe at a glance:
"Since when did the lady of the house keep such a little girl in her courtyard?"
Ye Jinghe: "…"
You're the little girl! Your whole family are little girls!
Pei Du immediately explained:
"Father has mistaken—this is Changfeng. His clothes got wet, so he had no choice but to wear this."
"You are Changfeng?"
Pei Qinghe's expression shifted slightly.