The winter night was long, but Shen Youran only slept a short while before being woken by Danruo’s voice outside the canopy.
“Young Madam, it’s almost the hour of Chen. You should get up.”
From today onward, she would have to manage the household affairs together with Second Aunt and could no longer indulge in sleeping in.
Forcing her eyes open, she realized that the usually disciplined Pei Huaijin had not gotten up either.
He must have woken earlier but was lying on his side, propping his head with his hand, staring at her without blinking.
“Aren’t you going to the government office today?”
“I have an injury. The office gave me three days to rest and recover.”
“You still remember you’re injured…” Shen Youran gave him a reproachful glance.
It was impressive that despite having been covered in bruises and wounds last night—there was even an arrow wound on one forearm—he still managed to endure learning half a painting manual alongside her.
If she hadn’t reminded him they needed to get up early today to manage affairs, he probably would have insisted on finishing the entire manual before letting her sleep.
There were still fifteen minutes until the hour of Chen.
Pei Huaijin asked Danruo to prepare the morning meal first, then got out of bed to select a set of clothes for her from the wardrobe and helped her change.
The wind collar made from rabbit fur, which she had earlier asked Qinghe to make, finally proved useful, tied around her neck to cover the marks he had accidentally left on her last night.
Once properly dressed, Shen Youran was about to call Qinghe in to help comb her hair, but instead, he picked up a comb and said, “Let me try…”
Skeptical, Shen Youran sat down in front of the bronze mirror. “You can comb hair too?”
“I’ve seen the two little maids do it for you; it doesn’t seem too difficult.” Her long black hair had been ruffled several times last night but was well cared for and quickly smoothed out, draping like silk down her back, soft and glossy. Pei Huaijin imitated the style the maids usually did and twisted her hair into a simple double-heart bun.
Looking in the mirror, Shen Youran twitched the corners of her mouth and burst out laughing. “How ugly.”
It turned out that even with his excellent memory, there were things he simply couldn’t learn well.
Pei Huaijin was puzzled too: why did this tress of black hair seem so unruly in his hands?
Shen Youran took the comb back from him and combed it again herself, then tied a simple low bun. Though it couldn’t compare to the skillful Qinghe or Danruo, it looked much better than what he had done.
“I’ll go wash up first.” She had already tidied herself up, but he was still in his nightclothes with his hair disheveled.
As Shen Youran reached the door, she realized something was off: shouldn’t a wife help her husband dress and comb his hair? Why was it the other way around now?
She decided not to think about it. Time was pressing, and she had to eat before the stewards arrived.
After a quick wash and a few bites of breakfast, Second Madam arrived.
Not wanting to leave an elder sitting alone in the main hall, she put down her chopsticks, drank a cup of invigorating tea, and went to the main hall.
The stewards arrived one after another. The steward in charge of managing the estate was the first to enter.
It was now the end of the year, and the rents from the farms needed to be recalculated. Just this task took Shen Youran and Second Aunt half an hour to complete.
Next, the steward handed over last month’s detailed expense records from each branch of the household, and several shop managers waited outside…
Amid the chaos, Shen Youran increasingly missed her elder sister: those affairs would not have taken her sister more than two hours to handle, but she and Second Aunt had spent the entire morning barely seeing off all the stewards.
Fortunately, when she had worked alongside her sister before, she had already interacted with these stewards. They didn’t complain about her slow pace and even comforted her, saying that the end of the year was always busy and advising her not to rush, to take her time.
The preparation and arrangement of the mansion’s three daily meals were all entrusted to Second Madam. After a busy morning, Shen Youran had little to do in the afternoon.
After lunch, she took a solid hour’s nap. Upon waking, two quarrelling maids came to her for judgment.
Hearing both sides, Shen Youran was unsure whom to believe until Pei Huaijin arrived and, with a few words, uncovered the truth, dealing with the troublemaking maid. Only then did peace return to the courtyard.
The next day was much less hectic, and with the experience from yesterday, Shen Youran no longer felt flustered.
On the third day, an additional matter arose: after the Imperial Grandson left, the real Seventh Master was returning.
Calculating the time, he would arrive in the capital in two days.
The matriarch wanted to hold a welcome feast for her beloved grandson who had been away so long and invite all the family relatives for a lively gathering.
This matter was too much for Second Madam to handle alone, so Shen Youran assisted her for two days, so exhausted that by nightfall, Pei Huaijin did not even get a chance to be with her; she was already asleep.
Pei Huaijin was considerate and didn’t disturb her anymore.
When the second snow of winter arrived, the carriage from Quanzhou rolled onto the snow-covered bluestone path and slowly stopped in front of the Grand Tutor’s mansion.
Old Madam Pei had been waiting early in the front hall. Upon seeing Third Young Master Pei return with someone, she hurriedly rose to greet them.
Shen Youran followed and stepped outside with them.
“An Ge’er, my dear grandson…” The old lady was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her own grandson and took him by the hand, “Come, quickly go inside and warm up.”
An Ge’er.
Though he had been her second elder brother before, in these past days, though not especially close, they still shared the bond of siblings, a family in their hearts.
Looking him over carefully now, his appearance was undeniably more like a Pei family member.
His style was elegant and refined, warm and gentle as spring sunlight in April, every movement reflecting a scholarly air.
No wonder he rarely came back to the capital, not even for her and her sister’s weddings.
If he had shown up with that face then, the Pei family might have taken offense and caused trouble.
As Shen Youran looked at him, he looked back.
After all, here, besides the father he had just returned to, the only other person he knew was her.
Their eyes met, and he nodded with a smile.
He did not stay in the Ciyou Courtyard.
Because the Imperial Grandson left in such haste, many things had not been brought along.
Old Madam Pei, who truly cared for him as her own grandson, ordered Ciyou Courtyard to be cleared and prepared the Gengyun Courtyard for Seventh Master’s residence.
Old Madam Pei chatted with him for a while in Gengyun Courtyard.
Knowing he was weary from travel, she told him to rest for a bit.
However, after they left, he came to the Yunzhi Courtyard to find Shen Youran.
Though he resembled Pei Huaijin somewhat, he did not share Pei Huaijin’s seriousness.
His brows and eyes carried the warmth of the April sun as he said, “The last time we met, you were still my Third Sister. Now, I should call you Sister-in-law.”
“The last time we met was late in mid-autumn. You didn’t come back this mid-autumn…”
“Father…” He stumbled over his words for a moment, then smiled, “I called him ‘Father’ for so many years. Now it’s someone else. Now I should call him Uncle Shen. Uncle wrote to me before mid-autumn, telling me to study peacefully in Quanzhou and that I didn’t have to rush back for the festival…”
“Then will you be spending this mid-autumn with your classmates?”
“No, Father — when I still called him Uncle Pei — he came to the academy to fetch me, and we went home to celebrate together.”
Shen Youran recalled that this mid-autumn, she and her sister had spent the festival at the Pei household, while Third Uncle in Quanzhou had not returned but sent festival gifts in advance.
So he had to accompany his biological son in Quanzhou for the festival.
That was good; the fake Seventh Master had many relatives around, and the real Seventh Master had his own father’s company—both were well taken care of.
“Will you still return to Quanzhou to study in the future?”
“No, Father told me to study here from now on and to try for the Imperial Academy exams next year.”
The Imperial Academy exams next year…
She had also heard those words from the Imperial Grandson.
Thinking back, the pressure Pei Huaijin and Third Uncle put on the Imperial Grandson to study wasn’t really about the exams but preparing him for entry into the palace.
It had been over half a month since her sister accompanied the Imperial Grandson into the palace.
There had been no word sent back during that time, and she wondered how her sister was faring inside the palace.
Thinking of her sister again, Shen Youran was surprised to learn that before the evening banquet started, her sister and the Imperial Grandson had also arrived.
Times were different now.
With the Imperial Grandson’s sudden arrival, Old Madam Pei naturally had to set aside her beloved grandson for a moment and hurriedly led the household to welcome the guests.
This embarrassed the visitors.
“Grandmother, please don’t treat me like a stranger. I’m still your grandson,” said the once Pei Huaian, now the Imperial Grandson Xie Heng, helping Old Madam Pei to her feet. “I only intended to come back to collect some belongings but didn’t expect such a joyous occasion.”
Xie Heng had long surpassed the status of Pei family’s Seventh Master.
Now that the real Seventh Master had returned, he naturally had to drink a few cups with him.
Shortly after, he was invited to the men’s table, while Shen Yunshu was pulled away by Old Madam to the women’s table.
During the banquet, the usual polite inquiries and small talk were exchanged, but Shen Yunshu and Xie Heng could not stay long.
The palace had a curfew, and they had to return before it started.
So Shen Yunshu sat only briefly before telling Old Madam the reason and letting Xie Heng stay to drink with the elders while she went to Ciyou Courtyard to pack.
Shen Youran followed after her sister, finally able to have some private time with her.
Seeing her third sister flushed from busily arranging the banquet, Shen Yunshu realized that Old Madam had truly entrusted the household affairs to her and was glad she could now barely manage on her own.
She also felt that her third sister wasn’t as fragile as she had imagined and that, without her here, she was growing faster.
Relieved but also feeling heartache, she asked, “Youran, are you tired?”
“A little tired, but seeing you makes me not tired at all,” Shen Youran pouted, wrapping her arm around her sister and acting spoiled. “Sister, I miss you so much. How’s life in the palace?”
“Not bad. The Emperor values the Imperial Grandson greatly, so everyone in the palace treats us respectfully.”
“Will you stay in the palace from now on? I heard the palace rules are strict. Is it convenient for you to come and go? Will you be able to visit me often? Or maybe I can go to the palace to see you.”
“The palace rules are indeed strict. We just entered, so we have to be careful and can’t come and go freely,” Shen Yunshu sighed softly. “But maybe someday I’ll have more freedom…”
During her time in the palace, Shen Yunshu had subtly sensed the royal family’s cold distance.
Although palace servants treated her respectfully, without the Emperor officially recognizing her as a granddaughter-in-law, her position was awkward.
The one responsible for their care was Consort Chen, who had hinted about the abduction incident from before.
Only then did Shen Yunshu realize the Emperor’s reluctance to acknowledge her as a granddaughter-in-law was not only due to doubts about the Shen family’s intentions but also because of suspicions over her chastity arising from that abduction.
Though it was actually her third sister who was abducted, and who had already borne the heavy burden of scandal, Shen Yunshu had resolved to protect her sister’s reputation no matter what and would never reveal the truth.
So when Consort Chen mentioned the matter, she had no choice but to tacitly accept it.
Since then, attitudes toward her in the palace had grown increasingly subtle, and unpleasant rumors spread behind her back, though Shen Yunshu pretended not to notice.
Xie Heng was confined to studying in the Imperial Library, rising early and returning late, exhausted both in body and spirit.
He had yet to notice the subtle hostility toward Shen Yunshu.
Knowing she probably wouldn’t be able to accompany him much longer, Shen Yunshu never mentioned any of this to him, only hoping to spend as much time with him as possible and make him happy.
After packing, the hour was late.
Shen Yunshu reminded her sister to take good care of herself and left the Pei residence with Xie Heng.
Xie Heng wasn’t much of a drinker; when they left the residence he was still sober, but the bumpy carriage ride soon left him thoroughly drunk by the time they reached the palace.
Shen Yunshu helped him to the couch. He collapsed, pulling her down beside him, calling her “wife” one moment, “sister” the next…
“Sister Shu, I really want to be Pei Huaian again,” he buried his head in her shoulder and said plaintively, “Being the Imperial Grandson is no good. I’m so tired, wife…”
Shen Yunshu hurriedly reminded him, “Don’t say that, it’s not good if others hear.”
“Grandmother, Uncle, Father, Brother,” he called out all the Pei family members, “They’re no longer my family. You’re all I have left, wife. You’ll always stay with me, won’t you?”
“Yes.” Though she knew it was unlikely she could stay with him long, she didn’t want to be cruel and so quietly promised.
“But wife, I feel you’ve been distant lately.” His sharp nose nuzzled her neck as he spoke, his lips occasionally brushing against her. “Is it because… you know about that matter?”
“What matter?”
“I know you’ve always wanted to take the female official exams. A few days ago, I mentioned your situation to my teacher, who told me that imperial concubines cannot interfere with politics. Though you aren’t a concubine, you are my wife. You probably can’t take the female official exams anymore.”
Xie Heng knew how hard she had worked to take the exam.
When at the Pei family, besides managing the household affairs, she used all her remaining time to study diligently.
Now, because of his identity, she had lost the chance to take the female official exam.
He wondered if she felt deeply disappointed.
What unsettled him even more was that they still hadn’t consummated their marriage.
Although she remained gentle toward him, he sensed she was hiding something, especially when he tried to be intimate at night and she seemed uninterested.
This made him suspect that if she had to choose between taking the female official exam or being his wife, she might choose the exam—not him.
This had been on his mind for days.
Tonight, after drinking, he finally couldn’t hold it in and said it aloud.
Had he not spoken, Shen Yunshu might never have known such a rule even existed.
To be his wife meant she could no longer take the female official exam.
The Emperor’s suspicion of the Shen family and the palace’s slander against her chastity had already shaken her spirit.
Now, with this added burden, Shen Yunshu did not know how much longer she could endure.
Seeing her silent hesitation, Xie Heng grew more anxious and urgently wanted to know her thoughts.
“Wife, do you still want to take the female official exam? Won’t you choose me? You just promised you would always stay with me…”
“I…” Shen Yunshu could still weakly promise him before but now, to say she would give up the exam, she couldn’t find the words.
Seeing her wavering, Xie Heng remembered something his elder brother once told him: no clear agreement was not a refusal.
He panicked and held her tighter. “Wife, I won’t let you leave me!”
If she took the exam, she couldn’t be his wife anymore.
His drunkenness magnified the greed and selfishness in his heart, making him forget their promises and only want to trap her by his side at all costs.
He rolled over to pin her down. “Wife, have a child with me.”