Shen Yunshu returned to Mother’s Courtyard and asked a maid for a pot of hot tea.
She drank cup after cup until a layer of sweat broke out on her skin and the discomfort in her body gradually faded.
After she had left Mother’s Courtyard earlier, a maid had led her to a guest room. It was there she encountered Lu Yi and realized she had been deceived.
Lu Yi had intended to take advantage of her.
She was cautious and quickly found an opportunity to smash a vase against his head.
While he was momentarily incapacitated, she hurriedly escaped from the guest room.
She had originally intended to go to the front courtyard, but as she moved, she noticed a strange sensation in her body.
Remembering the warm incense scent she’d smelled upon entering the guest room, she guessed that Lu Yi had added an aphrodisiac to it, hoping to ruin her purity.
Fortunately, earlier when she had planned to take down Lu Yi with medicine at Fengle Restaurant, she had researched the properties of such drugs and their antidotes.
Since she hadn’t inhaled much this time, a pot of hot tea was enough to dispel the mild poison in her system.
Mother, seeing her return, couldn’t help but ask a question.
Shen Yunshu quickly pulled off an earring and hid it in her hand, claiming she had lost one and was looking for it.
After pretending to find it and bidding farewell to Mother, she returned to the front courtyard.
At that time, Stepfather and Pei Huaijin were already heavily drunk, but Pei Huaian and San Guniang were nowhere to be seen.
Strange — hadn’t San Guniang left Mother’s room early?
Why wasn’t she in the front courtyard now?
Because the car was cramped on this day of the formal return visit, neither of them had brought their personal maids.
When Shen Yunshu asked the Lu household maids, they all said they hadn’t seen Third Young Lady return to the front courtyard, but they had seen that young Young Lord head toward the rear courtyard.
Suddenly, Shen Yunshu recalled Pei Huaian’s troubled expression in the carriage earlier and a suspicion arose in her heart: Could it be…
Pei Huaian had gone to the rear courtyard to look for San Guniang?
Were they together somewhere?
This must not be allowed to reach Pei Huaijin’s ears.
Shen Yunshu steadied her mind, first ordering someone to help the heavily drunk Pei Huaijin back into the carriage.
Then she returned to the rear courtyard, fetched two maids from Mother’s Courtyard, and searched the rear courtyard with them.
Passing by the yard where the guest room was located, Shen Yunshu glanced inside.
The guest room Lu Yi had tricked her into earlier was now locked — he must have left.
Summoning her courage, she entered the yard to see if Pei Huaian and San Guniang were there.
As she neared the guest room, voices drifted out.
“I’m afraid of the pain, let’s not…”
It was San Guniang’s voice.
“It’ll only hurt once, just bear with it.”
Pei Huaian replied.
“Ugh, no, no, I regret it…”
They really were together?
The door outside was locked — someone had deliberately locked them in together, and it was highly likely that person was Lu Yi.
Shen Yunshu couldn’t figure out how Lu Yi had done this, but what worried her more was the incense burning inside — an aphrodisiac — and how long they might have been locked together.
Pei Huaian was already deeply infatuated with San Guniang.
Judging by the voices, could it be that…
Everything was messed up!
This was all a disaster!
Shen Yunshu’s mind went blank.
Clinging to the last thread of rationality, she found a stone and smashed the lock.
Preparing herself for the worst, she pushed open the door with all her might.
The moment the door opened, a piercing scream came from inside.
Shen Youran flung herself backward in pain, lying on the bed with sweat beading on her forehead.
Pei Huaian sat at the edge of the bed, gripping her slender ankle with one hand, while in the other he held a piece of porcelain shard stained with blood.
Hearing the door, he turned to look.
The pristine foot cloth was soon soaked with blood.
Shen Yunshu hurried over.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry and bandage her!”
“Oh, right.”
Pei Huaian grabbed some torn cloth nearby and wrapped San Guniang’s injured foot over the foot cloth.
Shen Yunshu looked at them both — one’s face unnaturally flushed, the other pale with pain, but their clothes were intact.
Both had lost a shoe, and Pei Huaian’s foot was also bandaged.
They must both have been hurt by the porcelain shards on the floor, forced to stay here because of the wounds.
“Youran, are you okay?”
Shen Yunshu helped her sister sit up.
“This place isn’t safe; let’s get out of here first…”
“Ahh, sister,” Shen Youran leaned weakly against her, “it hurts so much, I feel terrible…”
Her foot was throbbing, her body hot and swollen, and an indescribable unease spread through her.
“I know, once we get out, you’ll feel better.”
Shen Yunshu summoned the two maids.
One, stronger, took San Guniang on her back, while the other picked up her shoe and followed behind.
Shen Yunshu then helped Pei Huaian up.
“Can you walk on your own?”
Pei Huaian picked up the shoe from the ground and put it on, grimacing through the pain but trying to be strong.
“I can walk on my own.”
Seeing that his mind was still clear, Shen Yunshu guessed that although the incense had an aphrodisiac effect, both of them were kept alert by the pain from the shards.
That was why the fragrance hadn’t completely overtaken their senses.
That madman Lu Yi must have intended to ruin their purity to get revenge on her.
She couldn’t leave such a person in the capital and had to find a way to drive him away…
While cursing Lu Yi in her heart, Shen Yunshu helped San Guniang out.
Just as they were about to leave the compound, she noticed Pei Huaian limping far behind them.
His breathing was heavy, and his tall frame swayed weakly.
He looked pitiful. Shen Yunshu turned back to support him, but he recoiled as if afraid of an enemy.
“Don’t…don’t come near me…”
The rising heat inside him felt all too familiar.
He recalled how, before his first spring dream, he had felt the same way.
Back in that guest room, when he was alone with Shen Youran, that sensation had already started.
God knew how hard he had tried to restrain himself from acting rashly with someone who was already his sister-in-law.
Now, he was truly confused: he had clearly recognized the woman in his dreams as Shen Yunshu, so why, after drinking today, was he still having wicked thoughts about Shen Youran?
Was he really a wanton and fickle man, obsessing over Shen Youran while dreaming nightly of Shen Yunshu?
He couldn’t accept this about himself.
Even worse, when Shen Yunshu approached him, he was overcome by lust.
Disgusting!
Shameful!
He cursed himself silently.
“Don’t come near me. I can walk by myself, really…”
He didn’t want her too close, fearing he might do something inappropriate. He felt the desire rising, nearly uncontrollable.
“I know you’re not feeling well now. Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you…”
Nearby the Lu residence was an apothecary.
Passing by, she planned to buy some detox medicine for both him and San Guniang.
Afterward, they could drink more hot water, and the effects of the drug would dissipate quickly.
Shen Yunshu finally supported him.
Although he kept saying no, his body was honest and leaned against her.
Though two years younger, he was a man, bigger and heavier than her.
After struggling to get him outside the residence, she called Qing Wu over to take over.
“Qing Wu, help him onto elder brother’s carriage…”
Since he was poisoned, he couldn’t stay with her, and she didn’t want to leave San Guniang, who was similarly affected, alone with Pei Huaijin.
“But Madam Second has already boarded. Won’t it be too cramped if the Young Master gets in as well?”
Qing Wu didn’t understand her intention, and she didn’t explain.
Thinking of how drunk Pei Huaijin was, even if San Guniang’s condition flared up, she wouldn’t dare do anything excessive to a man that wasted.
Besides, it would only take a quarter of an hour to get the antidote.
She told Qing Wu to help Pei Huaian into his own carriage, then went to the front carriage to instruct Qingjian, who was in charge of the horses: “Big Brother and Youran are both drunk. After I buy some sobering medicine nearby, give it to them.”
Qingjian nodded in agreement.
Shen Yunshu returned to Pei Huaian’s carriage, told Qing Wu the location of the apothecary, and asked him to drive ahead with Qingjian following behind.
After traveling some distance, Pei Huaian, still affected by the drug, whimpered as he moved closer.
Shen Yunshu pushed him away twice.
Seeing his suffering, the third time he leaned on her shoulder, she couldn’t bear it and let him.
She took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his face.
“Just hold on a little longer, we’re almost at the apothecary. After you take the medicine, you’ll feel much better…”
In the cramped carriage, the one who haunted his dreams was right in front of him — her dark eyes, cherry-pink lips, elegant neck, all radiating an irresistible allure.
Pei Huaian’s reason was overwhelmed by surging desire.
Driven by instinct, he leaned closer and finally rested on her slender shoulder.
His nose brushed against her smooth, fair neck.
He parted his lips, wanting to bite, to hold it in his mouth, to suck gently, hoping to soothe the heat within…
The burning breath sprayed across her neck.
Shen Yunshu shifted away uncomfortably, but he followed, pressing her back against the carriage wall with no space left to retreat.
She turned her head and raised a hand between his lips and her neck.
“Pei Huaian, you…”
The next moment, his teeth bit her finger, and his warm, wet tongue twined around it.
She froze in shock and instinctively pulled back her hand.
“Sister, you’re so sweet…”
He nuzzled her, drowsily clinging to her.
Shen Yunshu was trapped in his tight hold, unable to push or escape, regretting her moment of weakness that had given him this chance.
But then she thought — it was because of her that he had inhaled the incense; if he was taking advantage now, it was her own karmic consequence.
“Sister, sister…”
He nuzzled at her neck and finally bit down shakily.
The moment his teeth touched her skin, Shen Yunshu shuddered and cried out in pain.
Fortunately, he eased his bite quickly, switching to sucking and leaving a trail of warm, moist marks on her neck.
The carriage finally stopped.
Qing Wu’s voice came through the curtain: “Young Madam, we’ve arrived at the apothecary.”
She had to buy the medicine herself; it couldn’t be entrusted to anyone else.
But Pei Huaian seemed to sense her intention to leave and tightened his arms around her.
“Sister, don’t go…”
Shen Yunshu gently soothed him, “I’ll be right back.”
After much coaxing, she finally got him to loosen his grip.
She hurried out to buy the antidote.
She kept one pill for herself and gave two to Qingjian to pass on to Pei Huaijin and San Guniang.
Though Pei Huaijin hadn’t inhaled the aphrodisiac, she had asked the apothecary’s Langzhong, who said the medicine was primarily Qingdai, which for ordinary people reduced heat and detoxified without harm.
To avoid suspicion, she told Qingjian it was sobering medicine and made Pei Huaijin take a pill too.
Qingjian took the medicine but didn’t immediately hand it over.
When Shen Yunshu returned, he cautiously sniffed it.
Unbeknownst to the Seventh Young Madam, Qingjian, though a guard, knew some pharmacology and immediately detected a large amount of Qingdai in the medicine.
Qingdai was mainly for clearing heat and detoxifying, with cooling blood and reducing fire effects, but it was not an antidote for alcohol.
He wasn’t sure if the Seventh Young Madam had bought the wrong medicine or been deceived by the apothecary.
The medicine was nontoxic, so whether they took it or not was inconsequential.
He handed it into the carriage and said, “Young Master, this is for clearing heat and detoxifying…”
“I know.”
After a hoarse voice replied, Qingjian’s hand lightened as the medicine was taken inside.