After returning to their courtyard, the moment Jiang Yao entered the room she sank into the beauty couch. With a slight twist of her waist, she reclined sideways, her peach-blossom eyes half-closed. Her posture was loose and languid, full of lazy indolence.
Zi Shan and Lü Fei were already used to this. They efficiently divided their tasks: one fetched warm water and added floral essence to carefully wipe Jiang Yao’s hands; the other removed her heavy outer robe, poured her favorite floral tea, and brought it to her lips while gently reminding her,
“Madam, drink slowly. Don’t choke.”
The two busied themselves around Jiang Yao with great care, treating her as though she were some rare treasure.
In contrast, Pei Zheng stood alone nearby, like a solitary pine tree—completely out of place.
Fortunately, he was not used to being served closely by servants either, so he simply sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.
The moment the floral tea entered his mouth, its light sweetness and fragrance made him frown. Still, in the end, he drank it all in one go.
Turning his head, he saw Jiang Yao curled up on the couch like a lazy cat. Unable to tolerate it, he spoke up,
“Your posture is improper. All crooked and lacking discipline.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yao dismissed Zi Shan with a wave, signaling them to leave. Then she glanced at the man sitting upright like a pine tree and replied lazily,
“I like sitting like this. Don’t bother me.”
In public, perhaps she would restrain herself. But in her own room, she could sit however she pleased. Even the head of the household had no right to interfere.
She covered her mouth and yawned lazily, becoming even more relaxed.
Pei Zheng pressed his lips together slightly, clearly displeased. “We are husband and wife. If I do not discipline you, who will?”
Jiang Yao rolled over. “I don’t care. Just don’t interfere.”
With that, she pulled out a picture book from under the soft pillow and began flipping through it, showing no intention of continuing the conversation.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, and the couch dipped slightly.
Without her noticing, Pei Zheng had silently sat down beside her. His posture remained straight as bamboo.
After a moment of contemplation, his thumb gently turned his jade ring as he asked patiently,
“Are you still angry about what happened with the second branch?”
After thinking it through, this seemed the only reason she appeared so quiet.
Hearing this, Jiang Yao paused. “Angry? About the second branch?”
Then she suddenly smiled and laughed lightly.
“They are worthy of my anger?” she said, shaking her head as if answering her own question. “They are not worthy.”
The sound of her laughter was clearer than the tinkling of the ornaments in her hair, bright and unrestrained.
Her blunt answer made Pei Zheng pause. He looked at her, and when he confirmed she truly was not upset, a faint smile appeared in his dark eyes.
“Yes. They are not worthy.”
It was crude but true—only she could speak so brazenly and still sound convincing.
He became slightly curious. How had the Jiang family raised someone like her? Proud, carefree—clearly only eighteen years old, yet entirely unrestrained.
“If you do not want to go in the future, then don’t go. There is no need to bother with them.”
As he spoke, his gaze deepened slightly, recalling what he had witnessed earlier that day.
Jiang Yao looked at him in surprise. “I thought you would say something like, ‘We are one family, you should tolerate your younger relatives, and respect your elders…’”
She lowered her voice and deliberately imitated his tone in a mocking manner.
A trace of helplessness crossed Pei Zheng’s face. “Am I such a rigid and old-fashioned person? Besides, the relationship between the two branches is only superficially harmonious.”
Lowering his gaze to meet her curious, gossip-filled eyes, he continued,
“After Father passed away, Old Madam Chen tried to persuade Grandfather to pass the title to Second Uncle.”
That single matter alone had been enough to create a deep rift between the two branches.
Now, they merely maintained surface-level peace. As the head of the Pei family, he had to consider the interests of the entire clan, which meant he could not act purely on emotion and still had to maintain relations with Second Uncle.
But in matters of the inner household, he would not force Jiang Yao to endure grievances.
Hearing only a few words, Jiang Yao understood. Whether in large noble families or small households, struggles for power and interest were inevitable.
Still, Pei Zheng’s attitude toward her surprised her slightly, and she glanced at him a few more times.
Sensing her gaze, he subtly straightened his posture. His profile was lit by the evening light filtering through the window lattice. In the shadowed glow, his features appeared sharper—straight nose, calm brows, and a restrained coldness beneath his composed expression.
Jiang Yao blinked. She had seen many beauties in Jinling—men and women alike—but someone like Pei Zheng was truly one of a kind. She propped her chin and stared at him.
Being watched so directly made him slightly uneasy, though he did not show it.
After a moment, he calmly said, “The betrothal gifts have already been prepared. They will be sent to Jinling tomorrow. By river, it will take about ten days to arrive. If you need anything added, just tell Shiqing.”
It was customary for distant marriages like theirs. Jinling and the capital were far apart, making a return visit three days after marriage unrealistic. Thus, gifts were prepared and sent in advance, with a proper visit to follow later when convenient.
Jiang Yao had no objections. “Whatever you have prepared is fine. I’ll just write two letters. Nothing else is needed.”
Her tone was indifferent, showing no attachment or longing for her family.
This made Pei Zheng even more certain of his earlier suspicion—that she had been poorly treated in the Jiang family, leading to her emotional distance.
Thinking of this, he felt a rare trace of sympathy and said gently,
“From now on, this will be your home. There is no need to remember those who are not worthy. If you lack anything, just ask Shi Quan.”
Jiang Yao found his words strange but did not argue. As long as there were benefits to gain, she did not mind.
That night, Pei Zheng naturally stayed in the courtyard. After all, they had only been married for three days, and he needed to maintain appearances for her.
When he came out of the bathing room, he happened to see a maid carrying away their newly replaced wedding bedding embroidered with mandarin ducks and twin lotus patterns. He frowned slightly.
“Why was the bedding changed?”
“These were too thin and not soft enough,” Jiang Yao replied. “The bedboard has been hurting me these past two days.”
Two days was already her limit. Today, she insisted on changing it.
Pei Zheng inwardly sighed at her delicacy but did not object.
The new bedding was made of soft silk filled with thick cotton, making it extremely comfortable—but unfamiliar to Pei Zheng, who was used to hard surfaces.
He stiffened slightly before saying slowly, “A bed that is too soft is not good for strengthening one’s will.”
Before he could finish, the blanket was pulled away.
“Don’t like it? Then go sleep outside,” Jiang Yao said impatiently.
“No enjoyment, yet insisting on suffering.”
“……”
Pei Zheng closed his eyes briefly and quietly pulled a corner of the blanket back over himself.
After a while, a warm sensation suddenly pressed against his lower abdomen. He opened his eyes abruptly and caught her wandering hand.
His tone was helpless. “One should exercise restraint in matters of intimacy. You are still young; excessive indulgence will harm your health.”
“I was just touching,” she muttered. “Old-fashioned.”
Not long after, she fell asleep.
Leaving Pei Zheng frozen stiff in place, his body tense to the point of pain.