After entering the bookstore and moving into the back courtyard, Pei Qinhuai stood as straight as a pine tree.
He pushed open a half-closed door and entered.
Upon seeing Mr. Yu, he stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“You may rise,” Mr. Yu said, flipping through a book while stroking his beard.
Pei Qinhuai stood up respectfully.
Mr. Yu asked, “Have you finished reading the commentaries I gave you?”
“Yes, I have,” Pei Qinhuai replied.
“And what do you think of them?”
“They are nothing but empty theorizing, not practical writings. The authors of those books are overly arrogant, ignorant of reality, and have fallen into the fallacy of armchair strategy, unable to extricate themselves.”
Mr. Yu put down his book and looked at Pei Qinhuai with approval.
“Your judgment is accurate.”
Pei Qinhuai did not respond.
He knew that if he acted smug after receiving praise, he would only invite scolding. Thus, he remained calm and composed.
Mr. Yu snorted coldly. “I heard you brought the Second Miss of the Song family back home?”
Pei Qinhuai lifted his head, met Mr. Yu’s gaze directly, and nodded. “Yes.”
Mr. Yu slammed the table and narrowed his eyes sharply at him.
“You answered quickly. What, do you feel proud of doing such a thing?”
Pei Qinhuai clasped his hands. “Not at all.”
Mr. Yu laughed in anger. “Not at all? Then why say it so readily?”
Pei Qinhuai remained silent.
Mr. Yu tried to calm himself. He stood up from his desk and looked at Pei Qinhuai in frustration.
“For all these years, you have followed my teachings. Though we lack the formal title of master and disciple, in reality, we are no different.”
“You aim to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, where your future would be boundless. But the examination path is fraught with danger and obstacles—any misstep could cost your life.”
“Marrying this early will only reduce your support and bring you nothing but trouble. Why must you be so foolish?”
Pei Qinhuai said nothing.
He had heard every word, but listening was one thing—how he chose to act was another.
Only after Mr. Yu’s anger subsided did he speak.
“She is now homeless. I simply treated it as an act of charity.”
Mr. Yu burst into an angry laugh.
“Charity? Do you think I’m a fool? What kind of charity ruins a young woman’s reputation by bringing her to live in your home?”
“You even created the title of husband and wife. Is that charity—or something else?”
“Don’t think I don’t know. You’re just attracted to that girl’s beauty!”
At this point, Mr. Yu recalled the first time Pei Qinhuai met Song Shiyu.
That boy had barely slept for three or four days afterward, running to him and repeatedly claiming he had seen the most beautiful fairy in the world.
Mr. Yu had met Song Shiyu himself and had to admit that she indeed possessed an exceptionally beautiful face.
Without a doubt, Pei Qinhuai had fallen in love with her at first sight.
“She might not want to stay with the Pei family,” Pei Qinhuai suddenly said calmly.
Mr. Yu froze and looked at him.
“What do you mean by that?”
“This Second Miss Song has lost all her background and status. Her future is uncertain, yet you’re saying she might not want to stay in your home?”
Mr. Yu had already been angry that Pei Qinhuai seemed to abandon his principles because of Song Shiyu. Hearing this made him frown even more.
His disciple was handsome and outstanding—yet he seemed willing to lower himself before a mere young woman?
And be controlled by her like this?
It was disgraceful!
Pei Qinhuai said, “She truly has no background now, and precisely because of that, she can help me solve my problem.”
“Surely, sir, you haven’t forgotten that I still have trouble to deal with?”
Mr. Yu’s previously confident expression faded. He looked at Pei Qinhuai, hesitating to speak.
“That is true…”
Pei Qinhuai smiled faintly. “So, the connection between Second Miss Song and me… I’m afraid it won’t be severed anytime soon.”
…
While Pei Qinhuai went to purchase supplies, Song Shiyu sat quietly with the Pei siblings and waited.
The county town was bustling with people. As passersby walked by their donkey cart, they would curiously glance at her.
Song Shiyu quickly realized something was wrong. Her appearance seemed overly eye-catching—people passing by couldn’t help staring at her repeatedly.
Being treated like a spectacle made her uncomfortable.
Still, she endured it as best she could. When she could no longer bear it, she lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact with others.
However, while she wished to avoid trouble, others seemed determined to approach her.
And it was someone she had known before.
A young man with slicked-back hair and powdered face walked along the street, holding a folding fan. Behind him followed two tall, sturdy attendants. Somehow, he spotted Song Shiyu.
His eyes immediately lit up. Having finally encountered such a young beauty, he naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to show off.
When he approached and saw her face clearly, he laughed.
“So it’s Second Miss Song!”
Song Shiyu narrowed her eyes and looked at him.
Searching through her memories, she quickly recognized his identity.
Yue Loufei, the county magistrate’s son of Lingyang County. The Yue family had once been fairly close to the Song family.
Her father had almost arranged for her to marry him.
Of course, the original owner had refused, mainly because she disliked his flirtatious and idle nature. Aside from having an official father, he was utterly useless.
Having recalled his identity, Song Shiyu had no desire to deal with him.
She quickly looked away, lowering her eyes as if she hadn’t seen Yue Loufei at all.
“Oh? What’s this? Fallen to such a miserable state, yet still so arrogant?”
“And already acting like someone’s mother, I see!”
Yue Loufei glanced at the shabby donkey cart and sneered at Song Shiyu before raising his chin.
“Look at you. If you had been smarter back then and agreed to marry into the Yue family, your Song family wouldn’t have been destroyed.”
“With my father backing you, your family wouldn’t have declined like this, right?”
Song Shiyu remained silent.
Finding her lack of reaction boring, Yue Loufei stretched lazily and said to his companions, “How dull. Let’s go.”
After Yue Loufei and his thugs left, Song Shiyu let out a sigh of relief.
But when she looked up, she saw Pei Qinhuai already standing not far away.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She didn’t know how long he had been standing there—or whether he had witnessed everything just now.
Then she reconsidered.
She hadn’t done anything wrong—why should she worry?