The old physician's words made Xue Qingqing's face flush crimson, turning it the color of an autumn persimmon. She stammered as she spoke, "He… he is not my husband…"
The physician was startled and quickly apologized, "My apologies, my apologies. This old man's eyesight is failing—I mistook your relationship."
Xue Qingqing said "It's no matter," but the heat in her face showed no sign of receding.
Pei Huaizhen, for his part, said nothing on the matter, merely offering a polite smile with his refined and courteous demeanor.
At that moment, the physician bent down and felt along the broken bone in Pei Huaizhen's calf, pressing both hands against the upper and lower points of the fracture.
Xue Qingqing was too afraid to look, turning her gaze away from the bloody, mangled leg and fixing her eyes solely on Pei Huaizhen's face.
The young man was handsome and fair-skinned, with gentle, warm features—as pure and bright as frost on pine boughs, carrying an air of nobility that seemed innate.
Xue Qingqing thought to herself: This Young Master Shen looks so frail and delicate, and his body hasn't fully recovered. How could he possibly endure the pain of having his bones reset?
Her heart tightened with worry, and she braced herself to hear him wail and scream.
But with a crisp "click," the bone was set back into place, and the delicate young man didn't so much as flutter an eyelash.
This surprised Xue Qingqing greatly.
After the bone was set, the injured leg still needed medicine applied. The ointment had to be mixed on the spot, which took considerable time.
Xue Qingqing felt it would be a waste of time to sit around idly, so she made an arrangement with Pei Huaizhen—he would stay here to have the medicine applied, while she would go set up her stall on the street and sell the vegetables and eggs she had brought.
Pei Huaizhen nodded, his gaze warm and gentle as he looked at her. "Miss Xue, do be careful on the road."
Xue Qingqing said "Alright" and headed toward the door.
The summer heat at the doorway blew against her face, knocking loose the small white flower at her temple. She bent down to pick it up, pinned it back into her hair, and tucked a stray wisp of jet-black hair behind her ear.
Pei Huaizhen watched the slender, snow-white nape of her neck beneath her dark hair. The warmth in his eyes gradually cooled, and his fingertip slowly turned the white jade thumb ring on his hand.
The physician was still curious about their relationship. Taking advantage of Xue Qingqing's departure, he asked again, "So you have some acquaintance with that young lady? I noticed she wears her hair in a married woman's style—she must have a husband, yes?"
Pei Huaizhen replied, "Her husband just died. I've had my eye on her for some time, and I'm deliberately trying to seduce her, hoping to take his place."
He spoke with complete calm, as flat and unremarkable as still water, yet it effortlessly made the physician's jaw drop.
Pei Huaizhen lifted his narrow, thin eyelids, his peach-blossom eyes brimming with mockery. He smiled warmly, looking for all the world like a fox spirit that had cultivated itself into sentience: "If you find that not thrilling enough, I could spin you something even more exciting."
…
"Cherries—sweet, juicy red cherries!"
"Sour plum drink—if it's not good, it's free!"
It was high noon, and the streets were bustling with people coming and going.
Xue Qingqing sat behind two baskets of eggs, trying several times to open her mouth and hawk her wares, but each time, she found herself unable to force out a single word.
In her previous life, she had been a bookish wallflower in the modern world; in this life, she was a timid bumpkin in ancient times. In both lives, she had been a quiet, withdrawn soul. Asking her to sell vegetables on the street was no less difficult than asking her to save the world.
Xue Qingqing lowered her head, feeling deeply dejected.
Having lived two lifetimes and still unable to open her mouth, she thought to herself that she was truly a failure.
Just then, a middle-aged man stopped at her stall and asked, "Young miss, how much are these eggs?"
Xue Qingqing was pleasantly surprised and immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Two coppers apiece."
The man said generously, "Give me ten."
Xue Qingqing took out a woven straw basket, packed ten eggs into it, and waited expectantly for the exchange—money in one hand, goods in the other.
But the man fumbled around at his waistband for a long while, muttering to himself, "Strange, where's my money? I could've sworn I put it right here."
As he spoke, his hand reached down toward his crotch.
Xue Qingqing immediately felt a wave of discomfort. She frowned slightly and said, "If you forgot your money, you can just go home and get it. My stall will be right here."
The man ignored her words and kept patting himself down. "I definitely brought it. How could it be gone?"
Then, all of a sudden, he yanked his waistband forward, exposing himself right in front of Xue Qingqing's eyes, and said with a greasy smile, "Maybe my eyesight isn't so good. Come now, young miss, take a look—is my money in there?"
Xue Qingqing's face went completely pale. She shut her eyes and stumbled backward, her foot inadvertently stepping on something wet and slippery.
Her body lurched, and just as she was about to fall, her back suddenly pressed into a broad, warm embrace. A faint scent of medicinal herbs drifted to her nose.
"Don't panic." A familiar, gentle voice soothed her from beside her ear. Pei Huaizhen pulled her behind him with one hand and stepped forward, placing his body in front of hers as a shield.
His expression was kind and amiable as he addressed the man with impeccable courtesy, "My sister here has poor eyesight and probably can't make out that half-tael of capital you've got there. How about I take a look for you, brother? I guarantee a keen eye and complete satisfaction."
The man saw a pale-faced, bookish pretty boy and thought to make a fuss and throw his weight around. But before he could even open his mouth, the pretty boy's expression suddenly shifted. His pitch-black eyes seemed to be steeped in ice, as sinister as a man-eating ghost, and what's more, a faint, barely perceptible smile hung on his lips—enough to send a chill crawling down anyone's spine.
It was as if he could stab her in the back at any moment.
The man's scalp went numb. He spat, pulled up his trousers, and stalked off cursing.
Xue Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, letting out several pent-up breaths before lifting her eyes to ask, "Young Master Shen, how did you come to be here?"
Pei Huaizhen glanced at the walking stick in his hand, then looked at the woman whose face was still pale with fright, and said gently, "The physician was kind-hearted. Seeing that I was young and pitiful, he gifted me this to make walking easier."
Neither of them mentioned the disgusting man from before, by mutual unspoken agreement.
Xue Qingqing looked at the walking stick and unconsciously bit her lip. "This… must have been quite expensive, right? I'll settle the cost with the physician later. Favors are the hardest debts to repay. Young Master Shen, find a place to sit, and wait for me to finish selling the eggs…"
Before she could finish, Pei Huaizhen raised his hand and handed Xue Qingqing a piece of paper money. "Take it. It's for you."
Xue Qingqing took it, puzzled, and looked closely—only to find it was a banknote worth a full fifty taels of silver.
She was stunned speechless, instinctively shoving the banknote back into Pei Huaizhen's hand, her eyes wide as saucers as she lowered her voice to ask, "Where did you get so much money?"
Pei Huaizhen said, "I pawned my jade thumb ring."
Xue Qingqing looked down and saw that, sure enough, his right thumb was now bare.
Remembering how just last night she had clung tightly to that very hand, pressing her lips against that thumb ring, Xue Qingqing's face flushed uncontrollably.
"That thing… was worth that much?" She turned her face away, refusing to let her gaze rest on any part of him, desperately trying to suppress the heat rising to her cheeks.
Pei Huaizhen did not answer. His gaze drifted slowly over the woman's reddening earlobes and cheeks, and he thought to himself: How easily she blushes. Is she like this in front of her husband too?
But Xue Qingqing, amid her shyness, quickly calmed down and began to suspect the identity of "Young Master Shen."
Falling off a cliff on a rainy night, wearing expensive accessories—he was certainly no ordinary person. At the very least, he wasn't poor. The least he could be was the young master of some wealthy household.
But how would the young master of a wealthy household end up in a small place like this?
Xue Qingqing lifted her eyes slightly and stole a quick glance at Pei Huaizhen.
That glance landed squarely in Pei Huaizhen's line of sight. The woman was young after all—her thoughts were written all over her face. The wariness in her eyes was plain to see, yet she thought he hadn't seen through her.
Pei Huaizhen still wore that gentle smile on his lips. The hand offering the banknote did not withdraw; instead, he gave it a light shake, his tone like that of coaxing a child. "Put it away now. With this much money, someone might snatch it away before long."
Xue Qingqing shook her head. "It's too much. I can't accept it."
Pei Huaizhen said, "Does Miss Xue think that Shen's life isn't worth fifty taels of silver?"
A flicker of hesitation passed through Xue Qingqing's eyes, and finally she took the banknote. "Then I'll keep it safe for you for now. When you leave, I'll return it to you."
Pei Huaizhen smiled. "As the lady wishes."
He glanced at the two baskets of neatly arranged eggs. "Keep these for yourself to eat."
Xue Qingqing nodded, folded the banknote neatly, turned around, and tucked it into the innermost layer of her clothing. It was the first time since crossing over that she had held so much money, and she inexplicably felt it burning in her hands.
The two returned to the medical clinic once more. Xue Qingqing insisted on paying the physician for the walking stick, and also had a few doses of medicine beneficial to wound healing prepared for Pei Huaizhen. By the time they left the clinic, it was already afternoon, with the sun beginning its westward descent.
Xue Qingqing was anxious about her son and wished she could fly back that instant. But she had only managed a few bites of dry rations when she left in the morning. Though she still had no appetite and didn't feel hungry, her head was already spinning, and after two steps, stars danced before her eyes.
Seeing this, Pei Huaizhen suggested they eat before heading back.
Xue Qingqing thought about the long journey home—if she didn't replenish her strength, she might well collapse halfway. So she nodded in agreement.
Worried about being seen by acquaintances, Xue Qingqing deliberately chose a small, poorly patronized eatery. The only other table of customers were dressed as merchants, clearly travelers passing through from elsewhere.
After parking the donkey cart, Xue Qingqing entered the shop and ordered two bowls of plain noodles, then picked the table in the furthest corner to sit with Pei Huaizhen.
Plain noodles were simple to make, and before long, the bowls were set on the table.
Xue Qingqing was eager to get on the road and hurry home, so she ate quickly. But her mouth was small, and each bite puffed out both cheeks round and full. Her face was flushed from the steam, and her eyes were moist and glistening.
In contrast, Pei Huaizhen ate with far more refinement—picking up one noodle at a time, pausing for a long while between bites. If one observed closely, they would notice he hadn't managed to eat a single noodle in quite some time, his eyes fixed on the greasy rim of the bowl with a faint look of distaste.
Just then, a thunderous rumbling sounded from the street outside.
Xue Qingqing looked up and saw a group of people riding past on horseback—at least a dozen of them—charging along with fierce momentum, their horses' hooves splattering mud across the street.
The merchants eating at the other table abandoned their food, craning their necks and gossiping.
"In a godforsaken place like this, where did so many horses come from? Could they be from the government?"
"What would government officials be doing here?"
"After the battle at Yanmen Pass, the number of refugees has grown. They must be here to round up refugees."
The mountainous terrain of Shu was complex and rugged, a perfect hiding place that had long been favored by refugees.
"The battle at Yanmen Pass—the Crown Prince has certainly earned himself great merit, though he's bound to be remembered with infamy for ten thousand years." A merchant at the same table suddenly sighed.
Xue Qingqing paused mid-bite of her noodles.
The battle at Yanmen Pass was too famous—even she, a homebody who rarely ventured out, knew the gist of it.
The northern barbarians had been raiding the borders for years, growing bolder by the day, often storming into cities to burn, kill, and plunder, leaving the frontier folk no peace. When the imperial army chased them beyond the pass, the barbarians would retreat into the Qilian Mountains, using the terrain as a shield, holding their ground as solid as iron.
Unable to conquer them after prolonged siege, and constantly harassed, it had become a chronic ailment of the dynasty for years.
Until early this year, when the Crown Prince led his personal guard, the Iron Kite Army, on a secret expedition to Yanmen Pass. He devised a treacherous scheme—using the thirty thousand civilians of Yanmen Pass as bait to lure one hundred thousand barbarians into sacking the city, then trapping them like turtles in a jar, slaughtering every last one who entered. The pass was drowned in a sea of blood, and the barbarians were crippled beyond recovery.
Some predicted that after this battle, the savages wouldn't dare venture south for over thirty years—it had effectively snapped their racial backbone.
Yet no one celebrated.
Peace bought with over thirty thousand lives—those who survived could almost smell blood with every breath. The thirty thousand restless spirits formed an unbroken cloud of gloom, hanging over the dynasty, pressing down on every head.
There was little the common folk could do; at most, they voiced their condemnation of the Crown Prince's crimes in daily conversation, their words never straying far from "cruel and inhuman" and "an abomination to gods and men alike."
Xue Qingqing had never cursed the Crown Prince.
Shu was far from the Central Plains, with news arriving slowly. Those lofty figures of importance—their names reaching her ears were like hearing the names of A-list celebrities in modern times—people she'd never cross paths with in this lifetime. Good or bad, she didn't feel much either way.
Even now, listening to others recount the Crown Prince's countless crimes, she merely chimed in with a sigh: "Sure, the battle was won, but over thirty thousand lives gone just like that. The Crown Prince's heart must be truly ruthless."
Pei Huaizhen hummed in agreement.
Xue Qingqing sipped her noodle broth, muttering to herself: "Good thing I'm just a common nobody—I'll never run into someone like the Crown Prince in this lifetime."
Pei Huaizhen smiled. "Indeed."