“Not going to dodge?”
When Nan Liujing awoke, the sky was still dark.
The moon had set, the stars had faded, and the tent was pitch black. She stared blankly with her eyes open, her chest feeling as if something were pressing down on it, heavy and suffocating, making it hard to breathe.
After a while, she slowly raised her hand and pushed the black cat lying on her chest off.
Wangliang glanced back at her unhappily before leaping to the ground and running away.
With the weight on her chest gone, Nan Liujing found herself unable to fall back asleep, forced to lie awake until dawn.
“Why does the young lady look so pale today?”
Nurse Fu was startled the moment she saw her and immediately turned to leave. “I’ll go fetch the physician…”
“No need, Nurse Fu.”
Nan Liujing sat by the edge of the bed, her hair disheveled, looking listless. “I just didn’t sleep well last night. It’s nothing serious.”
Nurse Fu was still uneasy. She walked over, pressed her hand against Nan Liujing’s forehead, and then lifted her sleeve to check for any rashes on her body.
After carefully examining her and finding no other abnormalities aside from Nan Liujing’s tired expression, Nurse Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“The young lady sleeps lightly. From now on, let’s keep Wangliang in my room at night.”
“Also, for today’s medicinal meal, I’ll have them prepare something calming and soothing.”
“Oh, and there’s still some calming incense in the storeroom, specially sought out by the Seventh Young Master last year when the young lady couldn’t sleep well. Let’s light it tonight as well.”
Nan Liujing let out a faint sigh.
Nurse Fu turned to look at her as if facing a formidable enemy.
Nan Liujing blinked, forcing a smile. “Alright, alright, I’ll do as you say.”
Though she was reluctant to admit it, she truly was a delicate and frail invalid.
So fragile that sometimes, a gust of wind or an extra bite of food could bring on a sudden illness. In mild cases, she would suffer from headaches, fever, and rashes all over her body; in severe cases, she would experience heart palpitations, cough up blood, and feel excruciating pain in her internal organs…
Her condition was strange and puzzling, baffling even ordinary physicians. Only a wandering doctor brought by Pei Liuyu could prescribe the right treatment.
Though this doctor couldn’t cure her completely, he knew how to administer medicine and care for her health. Thanks to various precious medicines and Nurse Fu’s meticulous care, she hadn’t had an episode in a long time.
Still, sometimes Nan Liujing wondered what would become of her if one day she were deprived of these expensive decoctions and Nurse Fu’s care.
Then she didn’t dare think about it anymore.
After breakfast, Nurse Fu instructed someone to move the chaise lounge from the room into the courtyard.
Nan Liujing leaned on the chaise, flipping through a book. Before she had turned many pages, drowsiness set in, so she placed the book over her face and drifted into a half-asleep state.
“Young lady, the Seventh Young Master has sent a letter.”
Nurse Fu’s voice suddenly rang out.
Nan Liujing lazily kept her eyes closed and extended her hand. But after waiting for a moment, no letter was placed in it.
“Where’s the letter?”
She asked in a muffled voice, waving her hand aimlessly in the air. As her hand descended, it was suddenly caught and held by a palm.
Broad, warm, with a hint of calluses…
A man’s hand.
Nan Liujing was taken aback but didn’t pull away.
“The messenger said he would only feel at ease if he handed the letter to the young lady in person today.”
Nurse Fu’s voice drifted away, clearly tinged with amusement, followed by the sound of footsteps and the courtyard gate closing.
Her hand was gently squeezed twice. Nan Liujing slowly sat up, the book covering her face sliding off, and found herself face-to-face with the person standing before her.
Dressed in ink-wash robes, with a jade crown and braided hair—it was indeed the young master of the Pei family.
Pei Liuyu came and went from the Chaoyun Courtyard as if it were his own home. The servants of the Nan residence would pretend not to see him when they crossed paths, and everyone in the Chaoyun Courtyard was already under his influence.
“Why are you here at this hour?”
Pei Liuyu sat down beside her. Up close, Nan Liujing noticed faint shadows under his eyes, and his expression seemed listless.
“Did you not sleep well?”
Her question only seemed to make it worse. Pei Liuyu lifted his eyes halfway to look at her, his expression both weary and aggrieved.
“Last night, you wouldn’t let me escort you back. I was worried about you, so of course I couldn’t sleep all night.”
“…Just because of that?”
Nan Liujing whispered, “I thought it was because I barged into the North Lake last night and caused trouble for you.”
“That’s not it at all.”
Pei Liuyu lowered his voice, a hint of gloom flickering between his brows. “Sooner or later… sooner or later, this day would have come anyway…”
Before Nan Liujing could fully grasp his words, he changed the subject. “The person who invited you to the North Lake yesterday was indeed Helan Ying. Someone close to me has been bribed by her.”
As expected, Nan Liujing nodded. “Princess Shou’an has always been concerned about your affairs.”
“…”
Pei Liuyu tightened his grip on her hand, his expression suddenly turning peculiar. “It’s not at all what you think between her and me!”
Nan Liujing looked puzzled. “Then what is it like?”
Pei Liuyu widened his eyes, as if he had swallowed a fly, gritting his teeth, hesitating to speak.
“Whatever it is, such things won’t happen again in the future. Stay away from Helan Ying, and don’t go near him.”
“…Oh.”
The two fell silent for a moment, neither speaking.
Nan Liujing began to feel drowsy again, covering her mouth as she yawned, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
Pei Liuyu hesitated before turning to look at her, just as her slightly reddened eyes met his. His probing voice grew even softer. “Zhaozhao, have you ever met my elder brother before?”
“…”
Nan Liujing’s eyelashes trembled as she met Pei Liuyu’s gaze.
Their eyes locked, a stalemate lasting a moment. Surprisingly, it was Pei Liuyu who yielded first.
“I don’t mean anything by it, I just…”
“I don’t know.”
Nan Liujing softly interrupted him, her eyes clear and innocent, tinged with helplessness. “Seventh Brother, have you forgotten? When you found me, I had lost my memory.”
Pei Liuyu was taken aback.
“After meeting you, I truly haven’t seen your elder brother. But as for what happened before I lost my memory, I really don’t know… I can’t remember…”
Before she could finish, Pei Liuyu pulled her into an embrace.
“Yes, I know…”
Pei Liuyu held her, initially with all his strength, but quickly remembered she was sensitive to pain and loosened his grip, handling her as if she might break.
He whispered gently into her ear, “Then don’t think about it. You don’t need to think about anything.”
Nan Liujing lowered her eyes, her expression complicated.
Compared to the hypocritical Pei Songjun, Pei Liuyu was too naive, too kind.
Back when she had pretended to lose her memory to deceive him, her acting had been even clumsier than it was now, yet he hadn’t noticed a thing, only blushing as he comforted her.
“If you can’t remember, then don’t think about it.”
“Stay here peacefully to recover. I’ll protect you.”
Nan Liujing sighed, resting her chin on Pei Liuyu’s shoulder, her beautiful face pale and translucent in the sunlight.
“If your elder brother has truly met me before, then he must know my past identity. If I were just an ordinary commoner, it wouldn’t matter… but what if I were a criminal, a slave, or a servant…”
If only she had truly lost her memory…
A person without memories has no past, no guilt, no remorse.
“Seventh Brother, if my background is even less presentable than that of the Nan family’s daughter, would I no longer be able to marry you?”
Pei Liuyu fell silent for a moment, then released her.
He then looked left and right, studying her expression, his eyebrows lifting slightly. “Who would speak of themselves like that? Let me ask you something in return: if you hadn’t fallen into hardship, hadn’t lost your memory, and I hadn’t saved your life, would you still be willing to marry me?”
Nan Liujing thought for a moment and answered, “Yes.”
The corners of Pei Liuyu’s lips suddenly lifted into a smile.
In the blink of an eye, the dejected Pei Liuyu had vanished.
In his place stood Young Master Pei, confident and proud, his eyes sparkling like morning stars.
Young Master Pei’s gaze drifted downward, and he suddenly leaned in closer.
The distance grew smaller and smaller, crossing the boundaries they had previously maintained.
Nan Liujing’s body stiffened slightly.
To be honest, she should like Pei Liuyu.
A young man like him, renowned from a young age, innocent and open-minded—after spending time with him, it was likely no woman could remain unmoved. Moreover, Pei Liuyu was her savior; her life, barely clinging on, still lay within his power to decide…
Yet when Pei Liuyu’s breath was so close, she still felt unaccustomed to it.
When their noses touched, Pei Liuyu stopped.
“Aren’t you going to pull away?”
His voice was very low.
His tone didn’t sound like a question but more like a plea—don’t pull away.
Nan Liujing hesitated slightly.
Before she could give an answer, Pei Liuyu’s hand was already cradling the back of her head.
The next moment, a soft, warm sensation touched her lips.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, and with her eyes open, Nan Liujing could see Pei Liuyu’s faint, distant mountain-like brows and eyes clearly. It felt as though she had been crumpled and tossed into a damp mist, completely immersed…
Pei Liuyu didn’t dare go too far, first giving her two light, fleeting kisses. Seeing that Nan Liujing showed no intention of pushing him away, he gathered his courage and gently sucked her lower lip.
Nan Liujing’s scalp tingled instantly, her fingers gripping the edge of the couch tightly.
Pei Liuyu wasn’t faring much better either. He abruptly pulled back, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his face and ears flushed red. “I… I should go back now.”
He hurriedly stood up to leave but suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, “Zhaozhao, no matter who you were before, now you are the Nan family’s Fifth Daughter. As long as the Nan family acknowledges you and I acknowledge you, who can say you are not Nan Liujing?”
Nan Liujing touched her lips, lost in thought.
As soon as Pei Liuyu left, Nurse Fu returned.
She stared at Nan Liujing’s rosy cheeks for a long moment, muttering that Young Master Pei was more effective than medicine.
“……”
Nan Liujing could no longer sit still in the courtyard and went back inside to sleep. When she woke up, however, Zhaoyun Courtyard welcomed an unexpected guest.
“Little Fifth.”
The already-married Second Miss Nan walked into the room with a smile. “Have you been feeling better lately? I’ve gotten some good tonics and brought them back especially for you. I’ll have Nurse Fu prepare them for you today.”
Although Nan Liujing lived in the Nan residence and bore the title of the Nan family’s Fifth Daughter, in reality, she and the Nan family kept their distance, and she had only met this Second Miss Nan a handful of times. For her to come seeking her out like this, there must be something she wanted.
Sure enough, after only a few pleasantries, Second Miss Nan revealed her purpose.
Today, at Shuxue Cottage, there was an auction, and it was said that among the items was a batch of rare gold and silver treasures from the Western Regions, which had once been tribute offerings.
The Second Miss Nan wanted to go and see the world, but the Snow Rinsing Pavilion had always been a gathering place for the children of noble families, not just anyone could enter—one needed to hold a seal. And those who could obtain the Snow Rinsing Pavilion seal were either wealthy or noble.
As luck would have it, Nan Liujing had one, given to her by Pei Liuyu.
“Little Wu, won’t you accompany your second sister for a trip?”
The Second Miss Nan pleaded, “I heard there will be some medicinal herbs this time that we’ve never even seen before. Isn’t that doctor treating your illness searching for some rare medicine? Maybe if you go, there’ll be a pleasant surprise?”
“…”
The Nan family ladies were all clever, and when it came to persuasion, they were especially adept.
Nan Liujing was convinced and, taking the seal, went with the Second Miss Nan to the Snow Rinsing Pavilion.
Today, the Snow Rinsing Pavilion was exceptionally lively, with twice as many people as during previous gatherings for calligraphy and painting. Moreover, at a glance, almost all of them were women wearing veiled hats.
“Look, they’re all here for those rare treasures of gold and silver.”
The Second Miss Nan whispered to Nan Liujing.
The auction was held in the main hall, and they were seated in a private room on the second floor. Bamboo blinds were lowered on both sides of the room, and behind them hung a string of golden bells, specifically used for bidding.
“If Little Wu takes a liking to anything, your second sister will bid for you.”
The Second Miss Nan patted Nan Liujing’s hand and winked at her, “Consider it a thank-you gift.”
Nan Liujing smiled at her but didn’t take it to heart.
She had no interest in rare treasures of gold and silver, so when pearls, colored glass, and fire-washing cloth were unveiled, and the bells throughout the Snow Rinsing Pavilion rang incessantly, she merely propped her chin up, feeling drowsy.
The Second Miss Nan was also ringing the bell, but she couldn’t match the wealth of others. After just a few rings, she had to reluctantly let go.
“This plate is worth ten thousand coins? With that kind of spare money, wouldn’t it be better to buy a house or some servants?!”
“This shabby pearl costs five thousand coins? Does wearing it grant immortality?”
“They could’ve just taken your money directly, but instead, they give you a piece of fireproof cloth as a bonus. How kind of them.”
By the end, Nan Liujing was no longer sleepy. Nestled in the armchair, she couldn’t stop laughing, “Second sister is right.”
Finally, after all the exotic treasures from the Western Regions were sold, it was time for the medicinal herbs and supplements that interested Nan Liujing. By then, more than half of the people in the Snow Rinsing Pavilion had already left.
The Second Miss Nan felt she could give it another try, straightening her back with an air of extravagance, “Little Wu, your second sister must at least get you some ginseng and snow lotus to go with your meal!”
But these words fell flat once again.
Upstairs, there was a wealthy and reckless madman who seemed determined to compete with them, driving the prices of those medicinal herbs up to over a thousand coins. This infuriated the Second Miss Nan so much that she nearly smashed the bell and stormed out.
“Forget it, it’s not worth it. The Chaoyun Courtyard isn’t lacking in these herbs… really.”
Nan Liujing managed to persuade her after much effort.
With the final ring of the bell, the auction ended. The remaining people in the Snow Rinsing Pavilion dispersed one by one.
The Second Miss Nan sulked for a while, finishing all the complimentary tea and snacks on the table before rising with Nan Liujing to leave.
The two put on their veiled hats and were about to lift the curtain to leave when they were stopped by a group of people.
“By my master’s order, these are to be presented to the Fifth Miss Nan.”
The leader bowed with clasped hands, then gestured behind him. The servants of the Snow Rinsing Pavilion stepped forward, carrying boxes one by one and lifting the lids.
Nan Liujing was stunned.
The Second Miss Nan’s eyes widened abruptly, “This, isn’t this…”
Pearls, colored glass, fire-washing cloth, and those medicinal herbs…
Every item they had just bid on by ringing the bell was now elegantly packed in boxes and presented before them.
“You mean… your master bought… bought all these… and is giving them all… to my Wu Niang?”
Nan Er Niangzi walked past the boxes, her eyes wide and her speech stammering.
“Yes.”
Nan Er Niangzi turned to look at Nan Liujing, her expression turning rather peculiar.
Nan Liujing lowered her gaze, her emotions showing little fluctuation. “I don’t even know your master’s name. How can I accept such valuable gifts for no reason?”
“My master is currently upstairs.”
The implication was an invitation for her to go upstairs. Even if she intended to refuse the gifts, she would have to do so in person.
“Second Sister, please go back first. There’s no need to wait for me.”
Nan Liujing adjusted the thin veil before her face and followed the person out.
She was indeed curious to see who exactly upstairs was acting so recklessly.
The layout of the third floor differed from the lower levels—no longer narrow compartments separated by bamboo curtains, but spacious, elegant rooms complete with doors and windows.
Nan Liujing was led to the room with the best view.
As the door opened, the fragrance of tea wafted out, faintly mingled with a familiar scent of pine.
Nan Liujing stiffened slightly.
Before the screen, a gentleman in white sat behind a long table, setting down the jade-handled horsetail whisk in his hand and smiling as he looked over.
Author’s Note:
Has anyone noticed the character cards for this story? [dog head]
A simple sketch drawn by my cousin for me [cat paw]