“Earlier at the temple fair, you saw my Sister, didn’t you? You couldn’t stop thinking about her and even asked me to give her the Mohele…”
Speaking of that Mohele, it was still in Shen Yunshu’s hands.
At that time, she still held some prejudice against Pei Huaian and didn’t want Sister to have any connection with him, so the Mohele remained stored in her room.
“I wasn’t really thinking about her…”
Although he had thought about her for a few days back then, it had been almost a month since, and he had long forgotten her.
“Besides, I’m still young. I want to play around for a few more years. I’m not willing to marry a wife who’ll tie me down every day.”
“If you think marrying a wife will tie you down, then you should marry my Sister even more,” Shen Yunshu said with a bright smile.
“My Sister was spoiled by our father since she was young. She’s carefree, used to stealing quiet moments for herself, so she wouldn’t bother to control you. Plus, she enjoys eating, drinking, and having fun just like you. She’s very skilled at wooden archery and touhu as well. You two will definitely find plenty to do together…”
“Oh?”
That actually piqued his interest.
“Does she force me to study? Push me to improve myself?”
“She doesn’t like studying herself but enjoys reading popular storybooks.”
“Would she look down on me for being idle and unambitious?”
“As long as you don’t touch gambling or prostitutes and don’t spend recklessly, your father’s fortune will guarantee you a lifetime of luxurious food and clothing without worries. That’s exactly the kind of life she likes—how could she despise you?”
“By that logic, Sister and I are indeed well matched.”
He was going to marry eventually anyway.
If Sister really was as suitable as Shen Yunshu described, marrying her would definitely be better than marrying some other girl.
His stomach growled loudly; Pei Huaian was genuinely starving.
Rubbing his belly, he said, “The day after tomorrow, I’ll go to the estate to bring Grand Madam back. I’ll report this to her, and if she agrees, I’ll send a matchmaker to propose soon.”
“Do it quickly. You know how beautiful my Sister is; many people want to marry her,”
Shen Yunshu urged, worried that delaying might cause things to slip away.
“If Grand Madam doesn’t agree, please tell me as soon as possible so I can find a better match for Sister.”
“All right, all right.”
Grand Madam doted on him; since he wanted to marry that girl, how could she disagree?
“I’m going to eat now. I’m so hungry I’m dizzy.”
“Go ahead.”
The young man ran off like the wind, his black hair swinging freely in a high jade crown.
In no time, he disappeared into the restaurant.
He must have been starving.
Shen Yunshu smiled softly and found the carriage hired by Ting Lan.
The two of them set off to return to Shen Fu.
On the way back, Shen Yunshu kept thinking about the match between Pei Huaian and Sister, feeling more and more pleased.
They were about the same age, both raised in privileged families, innocent of hardship, and had similar temperaments—just that one was playful, and the other a bit lazy.
Pei Huaian had a father who earned money like flowing water and an uncle and cousins serving as officials, so he bore no responsibility for upholding the family’s prestige.
Even if he wasn’t ambitious, Sister would still live a wealthy and honorable life by marrying him.
Moreover, since she herself had married into the Pei family, she would be both the elder sister and elder sister-in-law, so with her around, Pei Huaian wouldn’t dare to bully Sister.
Thinking like this, Pei Huaian’s accidental interference at the temple fair might have been fate.
Sister marrying into the Pei family was far better than marrying into the Liang family.
Today was a double celebration—first, Lu Yi had been imprisoned; second, Sister’s marriage prospects had been settled.
Shen Yunshu was so happy she couldn’t hide it and returned to Shen Fu with a radiant smile.
She originally wanted to tell Sister right away, but Sister was probably resting at noon, so Shen Yunshu didn’t disturb her.
She was also a bit tired; after all, she had spent three full days planning this matter. Now that her worries were laid to rest, she sighed deeply, took off her outer clothes, and prepared to rest a while.
Her flowing silk robe slipped off lightly, and suddenly Shen Yunshu froze, the joy vanishing from her face: the bamboo tube hidden in her sleeve was missing!
She hurriedly put on her clothes and called for Ting Lan, instructing her to send a servant to chase after the carriage they had just hired to see if the bamboo tube was left inside.
If it wasn’t there, they would head to Fengle Restaurant immediately to find Pei Huaian’s carriage and ask if it was left there…
Pei Huaian quickly filled his stomach.
His friends had said they were going to a private music house, and he had thought about going, but then remembered he was about to propose to Sister.
It was better to stay pure, so he ordered the coachman to take him home.
As the carriage moved, something rolled out from under the seat.
Pei Huaian looked down and saw a bamboo tube.
He picked it up casually.
It must have been dropped by Shen Yunshu.
It felt heavy in his hand.
Opening it, he smelled the contents—it was Huangjiu, brewed by Fengle Restaurant.
The aroma was mellow, not too intoxicating.
Since it wasn’t anything valuable, Pei Huaian didn’t think much about returning it.
He idly fiddled with it all the way, still holding it when he got out and headed back to his courtyard.
He lived in the Ci You Courtyard at the deepest part of the estate.
Although it was farther from the main gate, it was quiet and elegant, filled with multicolored flowers and trees.
The scenery changed with each step, delighting the senses.
More importantly, the courtyard was next to the back gate, which made it easy for him to sneak out unnoticed.
However, since he had sneaked out so many times before, someone now guarded the back gate.
From now on, if he wanted to sneak out, he would have to climb over the wall.
The courtyard didn’t have many servants.
Maidservants tended to the flowers and cleaned the rooms, while the guards did the heavy work.
The head of the courtyard’s affairs was a Madam surnamed Tang, specially assigned by Grand Madam to manage the staff and household matters.
“Seventh Young Master, why are you back so early?”
Madam Tang asked kindly with a gentle smile.
She knew the young master had gone out with a few friends today and usually wouldn’t return before nightfall.
It was unusual to see him come back before noon.
Pei Huaian didn’t want to say he had left his friends to look after his future sister-in-law, so he casually replied, “I ate too much and feel sleepy, so I came back to rest…”
“It’s quite hot at noon. You must have been sweating. Would you like to take a bath before sleeping?”
“No need.”
He stepped into his room, closed the sliding door, loosened his collar, and flopped onto the bed.
The bamboo tube rolled out from his hand onto the thin quilt.
Suddenly feeling thirsty, Pei Huaian was too lazy to call a maid for water.
He opened the bamboo stopper and drank half the Huangjiu, then turned over and dozed off.
Outside the open lattice window, red blossoms and green leaves stirred in the late summer autumn wind.
Inside, all was quiet.
The sleeping youth was immersed in a dream fragrant with flowers.
A hazy, beautiful woman lay sleeping on a narrow couch—black hair, white clothes, pure and dazzling.
Peach-pink and pearly-white petals rained down on her soft cheeks, half-bound cloud-like hair, and hollowed waist.
Her delicate eyes slowly opened, and in their dark almond depths flickered countless emotions, slowly wrapping him tighter and tighter…
In the dream, his eyes were filled with her moist gaze, the elegant curve of her neck, and her snow-white skin tinged with a faint blush.
His hands, pale as jade bamboo, clenched the thin quilt tightly.
Veins bulged under his cool skin, and after a sigh, he disappeared silently.
When Pei Huaian slowly awoke, a lingering tingling warmth remained on his body.
The indescribable pleasure left him savoring the sensation. It was his first time feeling this way.
He hugged the quilt, reluctant to get up.
But a sticky dampness between his legs made him very uncomfortable.
He groggily sat up and lifted the quilt to see what was wrong…
His eyes widened in shock.
Madam Tang was sitting under the covered porch, watching the servants bustle about. Suddenly, she heard a startled cry from the bedroom and hurried in.
“Seventh Young Master, what’s wrong?”
Madam Tang asked anxiously outside the sliding door.
“I-I’m fine,” Pei Huaian replied from behind the door, covering half his body with the quilt, burning up with heat.
“Madam Tang, I want to bathe. Please have someone prepare the water quickly…”
“Yes, Young Master. Please wait a moment. I’ll have someone prepare it right away.”
Madam Tang didn’t think much and sent someone to the kitchen to heat the water.
Inside the bedroom, Pei Huaian’s face flushed deeply.
He first wiped himself with a handkerchief, then changed into clean clothes.
As for the dirty clothes and the stained handkerchief, he didn’t want anyone to see, so he balled them up and stuffed them under the bed.
After finishing, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, sat on the bed, and began reflecting on why he had such a dream.
Especially the familiar features in the dream—clearly…
He pressed on the drum-like beating in his chest, telling himself firmly: it must be because Sister is about to be betrothed to him, that’s why he had such a spring dream.
The woman in the dream must have been Sister…
Disgusting!
He mentally slapped himself: he hadn’t even gotten engaged yet, and here he was desecrating her like this.
Truly shameless.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bamboo tube beside the pillow.
Sweating profusely and feeling parched, he grabbed it, opened the stopper, and drank the remaining Huangjiu all at once.
It quenched his thirst and calmed his nerves.
Before long, a maid knocked on the door to say the hot water was ready.
Pei Huaian got up and went to the bathhouse.
Although the water was only warm, he felt hotter and hotter and kept asking for more cool water.
Qing Wu, his attendant, was in charge of adding water.
When he was asked the third time, he touched the water and exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master, the water is already quite cold. Do you still want more?”
“Yes.”
Pei Huaian’s hand grasping the tub showed veins bulging with tension.
Sitting in the bath, the young man frowned deeply, as if enduring something.
Noticing the change in expression, Qing Wu poured in half a bucket of cold water and asked, “Young Master, are you feeling unwell?”
Qing Wu was two years older and had grown up with Pei Huaian.
Besides being master and servant, they were close friends who shared everything.
Some troubles that couldn’t be told to others, Pei Huaian could only confide in him.
“Qing Wu,” the young man’s voice hoarse and shameful, “I…I’m thinking about women.”