The next day, Shen Youran felt refreshed and invigorated, her hands and feet seemingly recharged with vitality after recovering from the cold.
In contrast, Pei Huaijin looked unwell.
Today, he didn’t follow his usual routine of morning exercise in the courtyard with Qingjian.
Qingjian noticed a slight abnormality in his walk and asked with concern, “Young Master, is your leg or foot hurting?”
“It’s nothing serious,” Pei Huaijin coughed awkwardly.
“Just a slight strain.”
“Did you pull a tendon? Should I give you a massage?”
“……”
He sent Qingjian downstairs to the kitchen with instructions for breakfast.
Today, he wanted poached eggs and asked the cook to prepare an extra bowl—two in total.
A shape replenishes a shape.
Since the banquet would be in the afternoon, Shen Youran had no errands in the morning.
After breakfast, she went to Ci You Courtyard to find her sister.
Through the open window, Pei Huaian was sitting by the window reading.
When he saw her, he greeted, “Good morning, sister-in-law.” He deliberately emphasized the last two words.
Hmm?
Has the sun risen from the west today?
He actually called her sister-in-law first?
Shen Youran, returning the courtesy, smiled brightly, “Good morning, brother-in-law.”
He looked quite pleased, grinning widely.
“Have you fully recovered?”
“I went to Da Xiangguo Temple yesterday to pray and offer incense, and afterward, I was fine…”
“You make it sound almost mystical…”
“Has the husband come yet? You’re already studying hard?”
“He took the day off today, but I’ve decided to study diligently. Otherwise, if I don’t pass the Guozijian exams next year, what will happen? Big brother will have to send me to Yingtian Prefecture Academy.”
“Then I won’t disturb your studies. I’m going to find sister now.”
“ABA……”
When Shen Youran went to the main hall to find her sister, the managers hadn’t arrived yet.
She sat beside her sister and asked in a hushed tone, “Sister, have you been sleeping with Pei Huaian?”
Shen Yunshu, flipping through some ledgers, nearly tore a page at the sudden question.
She looked at her younger sister with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
“What nonsense are you talking about so early in the morning?”
“But he just called me ‘sister-in-law’…”
“Well, you are his sister-in-law.”
“He never used to call me that. Last time, he even made me call him ‘brother-in-law.’ I said I saw it myself—you two sleep in separate beds. He can’t really be my brother-in-law. Then he went silent…”
Suddenly calling her sister-in-law today, doesn’t that mean he wants to hear her call him brother-in-law?
That means he and sister must be sharing the same bed.
Shen Yunshu, hearing this logically reasoned conclusion, couldn’t help but poke her forehead.
“You really need to use your brain for serious things.”
In the few days Shen Youran had been away, Shen Yunshu had become very familiar with the household affairs and had finished organizing them in less than an hour.
The rest of the time was spent teaching her younger sister.
Perhaps because her mind was sharper these days, the once confusing ledgers now seemed orderly.
With her sister’s guidance, it felt like a sudden epiphany.
They studied until noon, and not wanting Shen Youran to strain her eyes too much, Shen Yunshu closed the ledger.
“Let’s stop here for today. It’s already noon. Would you like to have lunch here?”
“Sure, can I rest here too? I don’t have much to do this noon, but I have to go out with Pei Huaijin in the afternoon…”
“Alright, where are you two going?”
“To the Marquis of Changxing Manor. He has a cousin who married Lin Wulang, and they invited us to the wedding banquet…”
Shen Yunshu was already aware of this.
She had overheard a few conversations at Old Madam Pei’s birthday feast—someone from their distant Pei family branch was marrying into the Lin family of the Marquis of Changxing Manor.
That Lin Wulang had tried to marry their third sister two years ago.
It was surprising he was finally marrying a legitimate wife now, which showed the scandal of his concubine had spread.
No noble family in the capital would marry their daughters to him.
Shen Yunshu wondered what that distant cousin thought to agree to such a marriage.
Though puzzled, it was none of her business.
She pulled her sister to wash up and prepare for lunch and sent Tinglan to Yunzhi Courtyard to pass a message to Pei Huaijin.
When the kitchen brought in the lunch, Qiongzhi was just setting the dishes when Tinglan returned with Pei Huaijin.
Qingjian also came out behind carrying a food box.
Qiongzhi quickly took the box and laid out the food.
Shen Yunshu stood and politely greeted, “Big Brother.”
“I was just about to check on Seventh Young Master’s studies and brought the Yunzhi Courtyard lunch along,” Pei Huaijin calmly approached.
“Let’s eat together.”
“Please, Big Brother, have a seat.”
Shen Yunshu gave Tinglan a subtle look, signaling her to invite Pei Huaian out from the study.
Since the third sister was eating here for lunch, to avoid suspicion, Shen Yunshu had Qiongzhi prepare a separate meal for Pei Huaian in the study.
Now that Pei Huaijin had arrived, it wouldn’t do to keep Pei Huaian locked away.
In the study, Pei Huaian was already eating when Tinglan knocked, saying the eldest young master had arrived and invited him to the side hall for lunch.
Pei Huaian immediately understood Big Brother’s intent—to keep him from getting close to Shen Youran, just like Shen Yunshu, so no chances for closeness.
He grabbed his chopsticks and went to the side hall. Sitting down, he complained to his brother, “Big Brother, Big Sister, can’t you two stop making me avoid my sister-in-law? I called her sister-in-law already; how could I have bad intentions?”
He grumbled that because Shen Youran was here for lunch, Shen Yunshu wouldn’t even let him join in the side hall.
Pei Huaijin ignored him, but Shen Yunshu gave him a warning look to say less.
Seeing no one paid attention to him, Pei Huaian turned to Shen Youran, “See? Sister-in-law? What did you call me this morning? Hurry, say it again…”
A mischievous smile tugged at Shen Youran’s lips.
“Yes, brother-in-law.”
Pei Huaijin’s stubborn hand paused midair.
Pei Huaian gleefully looked at his elder brother, “Brother-in-law, you hear that? She said it…”
“Cough cough…”
Shen Yunshu choked on her tea, covering her mouth, shooting Pei Huaian a sharp glare.
Such audacity!
To provoke a tiger’s whiskers?
“Eat first,” Pei Huaijin said calmly, eyes quietly sweeping over him.
“We’ll talk after.”
Pei Huaian hadn’t yet grasped the gravity of the situation.
After lunch, Shen Yunshu took her sister back to their room for a nap, while Pei Huaijin dragged Pei Huaian by the collar to the study.
“Come, I’m going to test your studies…”
In the study, Pei Huaian was grilled like a prisoner for an hour.
Meanwhile, Shen Youran, clutching her sister’s arm and leaning against her soft, fragrant body, slept peacefully.
After the rest, Shen Youran redid her hair in her sister’s room.
Shen Yunshu, skilled and deft, crafted a simple yet elegant multi-knot hairstyle.
She took a pair of silver combs and a lotus pearl hairpin from the makeup box to replace her previous accessories.
“For attending a banquet, a simple and graceful look is best…”
Looking in the mirror, Shen Youran puckered her lips, thinking “simple and graceful” hardly suited her.
Pei Huaian, tormented by Pei Huaijin all morning, was finally free and planned to nap.
Just as Shen Youran and her sister stepped out of the hall, Pei Huaian noticed the careful dressing and asked casually, “Sister-in-law, are you going out this afternoon?”
“Yes, to a wedding banquet…”
“Whose banquet?”
“Lin family of the Marquis of Changxing Manor.”
“The Lin family? Lin Wulang?”
Pei Huaian muttered, suddenly recalling, “Didn’t the Lin family send me a wedding invitation a few days ago?”
Qingluo answered, “Yes, you said you didn’t want to go, so I put it away.”
“Give it to me. I suddenly want to go…”
Pei Huaijin overheard and asked, “You know Lin Wulang?”
“A friend of a friend. We hung out a few times.”
“You didn’t want to go before. Why now?”
“I didn’t want to because Da Bo Mu once tried to match me with a Meng family cousin. When I refused, the cousin overheard, and I was afraid it would be awkward if I went. But if you’re going, Big Brother, then I won’t be worried…”
“Why?”
“As far as I know, Da Bo Mu originally wanted to marry that Meng family cousin to you. I was just her second choice after you. If you aren’t worried about awkwardness, why should I be?”
“Oh?” Shen Youran’s eyes sparkled. “Who exactly is this Meng lady that nearly married you both?”
“A…I never nearly married her,” Pei Huaian hastily clarified.
“I clearly refused, said I don’t like older women.”
“Psst…”
Shen Youran gasped, glanced at her sister, then back at him, wrinkling her nose with a ‘you’re doomed’ expression.
Pei Huaian had spoken too quickly, forgetting Shen Yunshu was nearby.
His expression froze; he stiffly turned away to look at Shen Yunshu.
“I—I didn’t mean it that way…”
Shen Youran stayed to watch how he would explain himself when Pei Huaijin suddenly pulled her away.
“Let’s go.”
Once they left the courtyard, Pei Huaian called out, “Sister Yunshu, what I said earlier isn’t what you think. When I said I don’t like older women, it wasn’t true. I just didn’t want to marry then and used that as an excuse, please don’t…”
Seeing his flustered attempt to explain, Shen Yunshu laughed, “Why be nervous? I already knew this a long time ago.”
“Ah? When did you know?”
“The night of the bride swap…”
“But how did you know?”
Pei Huaian thought hard, then recalled that night in Chunxuan Hall.
He had stiffly refused to marry Shen Yunshu, and Da Bo Mu had agreed with him, mentioning it.
Then he and Big Brother went back to Yunzhi Courtyard.
Big Brother saw her first, and he climbed through a window to find Shen Youran.
He guessed Big Brother had passed the words to her ears.
Recalling that night, he wasn’t mad Big Brother had spread the word.
Instead, he was ashamed of himself for constantly rejecting her.
“Sister Yunshu, when Big Brother told you that, was he trying to discourage you from accepting the bride swap?”
Shen Yunshu nodded.
“Then why didn’t you accept his goodwill and leave the Pei family?”
“If I left, it would be hard to explain to the elders, and the reputation of both families would suffer more. Besides, I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving third sister here alone…”
There was also Lu Yi’s involvement, which she couldn’t explain.
She considered the elders, the bigger picture, and cherished her sister—thus she agreed to be his wife.
Thankfully, it was just a fake marriage.
She was so good; he wasn’t worthy of her.
Thinking this, Pei Huaian suddenly felt regret, regretting the past sixteen years wasted, unstudious and unambitious.
Now, meeting such a good girl, he could only secretly admire her like a shy turtle, not daring to approach.
“Sister Yunshu, may I go to the Lin family banquet this afternoon?” Though he had resolved to study, his temperament made it hard to stay home. Given the chance, he still wanted to go out. But he promised, “I’ll finish today’s studies after I return.”
“More haste, less speed. You’ve set your mind right and are willing to improve. I’ll give you time to adjust,” Shen Yunshu said.
“Alright, go then. Don’t drink too much.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
Shen Youran was going with Big Brother.
“No. It’s rare to have a quiet afternoon. I want to read in peace.”