Chapter 29 (2/2): Crazy, he actually flirted with her in front of his elder brother?

Since he was a man and couldn’t enter the bedchamber, Shen Youran asked Danruo to support her to the adjacent room and called Qingjian in.

After setting the account books down, Qingjian didn’t leave.

“Langjun ordered that the young mistress finish two books today and wants me to supervise.”

Damn Pei Huaijin!

He saw right through her, guessing she would slack off, so he left a little stickler to watch her.

“All right, I’ll read.”

Shen Youran bit her lip in frustration and grabbed an account book.

Under Qingjian’s expressionless stare, she angrily started reading.

Meanwhile, after leaving the temple, Pei Huaian didn’t return home immediately.

He took Shen Yunshu to Fengle Restaurant for a hearty meal, then went home to have hot water brought in for a thorough bath.

He rebandaged his foot and waited until evening, guessing big brother would be returning from duty soon, then slowly made his way to the Junzhi Courtyard.

Asking a maid there, he learned big brother hadn’t returned yet.

He intended to wait in the study for a while.

Peering casually at the window of the side room, he saw a small face frowning with a sorrowful, troubled expression.

Curious, he leaned against the window frame and peered in.

“What are you reading?”

Shen Youran was biting her nails nervously, surrounded by complicated account books.

Hearing his voice, she looked up and asked, “Why are you here?”

“Looking for big brother.”

He glanced at the desk.

“Why are you reading?”

“Not a book, account books.”

“Big brother told you to?”

“Sort of.”

Though the account books were from Chunxuan Hall, the person who ordered her to finish two today was him.

But she hadn’t even finished one yet.

“Big brother is too much—forcing me to study and now forcing you to read account books?”

“He’s making you study?”

Shen Youran groaned at the word.

“We really share the same fate.”

“No, no,” Pei Huaian gloated, “I’m the one refusing big brother. You’re the pitiful one.”

“…”

Shen Youran pouted, glaring at him.

“Danruo, close the window!”

Before Danruo could shut it, Pei Huaijin returned.

He glanced at Pei Huaian leaning against the window and frowned slightly.

“Seventh brother, come with me to the study.”

Pei Huaian winked at her cheekily and followed Pei Huaijin out leisurely, hands behind his back, confident of victory.

Shen Youran, annoyed, set the account book down and decided to sneak into the study to eavesdrop.

If he could convince Pei Huaijin to change his mind, she wouldn’t have to read those cursed books anymore.

“Big brother, I don’t want to study.”

No sooner had he entered the study than he expressed his intentions.

“Besides, Father already said before that his earnings are enough for me and my descendants to live comfortably. He never intended for me to take the imperial exams. What’s the point of studying…”

Pei Huaijin looked at the restless boy calmly.

“Studying isn’t just for the imperial exams or officialdom. It enlightens the mind, clarifies reasoning, and cures ignorance. Third uncle forbade you before for your own good. Now, ordering you to study is also for your own good.”

“If I can live well whether I study or not, why force me to suffer through it? I think you just want to lock me up and keep me away from sister-in-law.”

Pei Huaian pressed his head on the desk and pleaded, “Big brother, I’m willing to call her sister-in-law. Please don’t force me to study. I promise I won’t think about her anymore!”

“You’re overthinking it. I want you to study, and it has nothing to do with her.”

Fine, not admitting it, huh?

Pei Huaian countered, “If you insist on making me study, why not have sister-in-law study with me?”

Pei Huaijin glanced at him.

“That won’t work. She has her own things to do and no time to study with you.”

“Then I won’t study. At worst, I’ll go back with Father to Quanzhou soon.”

“Third uncle already left for Quanzhou this morning.”

Pei Huaijin smiled faintly.

“He entrusted you to me and instructed that if you don’t obey, I’ll cut off your monthly allowance…”

Pei Huaian couldn’t believe Father had left him behind and returned to Quanzhou alone, leaving him in big brother’s hands.

He was stunned, speechless.

“In three days, the tutor I hired for you will come to the mansion. Study well. If after a year you still can’t get into Guozijian, I’ll send you to Yingtianfu Academy. The teachers there are strict—much less free than at home.”

“Big brother…”

Pei Huaian clutched his chest, looking heartbroken.

“You’re so ruthless. I’m your own brother.”

Pei Huaijin lowered his eyes, tugged at his lips, and smiled meaningfully.

“Whether you’re family or not…time will tell.”

Pei Huaian had no retort, defeated like a beaten rooster, his head hanging low as he turned away.

As he opened the study door, a soft, warm figure suddenly fell into his arms.

Shen Youran, who had been eavesdropping at the door, didn’t hear footsteps and wasn’t prepared when he suddenly opened the door.

Standing on one foot, she lost her balance and tumbled forward.

His arm caught her, her forehead resting against his chest, half her body cradled in his embrace.

The scent wasn’t Pei Huaijin’s deep, resinous fragrance but a woody sandalwood aroma.

It was Pei Huaian.

Startled, she tried to pull away, but he suddenly hugged her waist and pulled her closer.

Forced to look up, their eyes met.

“Now, we truly share the same plight…”

He raised his hand and pinched her cheek with an intimate gesture.

Shen Youran’s eyes widened.

Was he crazy, teasing her in front of his big brother?

Pei Huaian turned his back to Pei Huaijin, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Yes, he had deliberately teased Shen Youran just now.

Big brother insisted on forcing him to study.

Fine.

It was on.

No matter what big brother said about studying being for his own good and having nothing to do with Shen Youran, he didn’t believe a word.

It was obviously to keep him away from her.

But now that she had thrown herself into his arms, the opportunity was heaven-sent.

If he didn’t spite big brother now, then when?

Sure enough, the next moment, big brother came from behind and pulled Shen Youran behind him, his eyes full of displeasure.

“Seventh brother, watch your words.”

“She’s about to fall. I kindly helped her up, and you blame me?”

Pei Huaian raised his eyebrows and shrugged, leaving in a good mood.

Pei Huaijin stared coldly as he walked out of the yard, then turned back to the worried little face before him.

Her cheeks were as white as snow, not a trace of dirt, yet he still used his fingertip to lightly stroke the place Pei Huaian had pinched.

Her skin was so delicate, so tender; even with little pressure, her cheek was tinged red.

Her deer-like eyes were pure and soft, shimmering with unshed tears.

She carefully asked, “He pinched my face just now. You’re not going to suspect I have a secret with him, are you?”

“No.”

Pei Huaijin knew it was just the seventh brother’s bad joke, meant to provoke him.

He lowered his gaze and asked, “Why were you eavesdropping outside the door?”

She pressed her lips.

“Hmm, curious…”

The girl’s thoughts were easy to guess.

Since the seventh brother said “we truly share the same plight,” it meant she and the seventh brother had the same worries—he didn’t want to study, and she…probably didn’t want to learn household management.

Luckily, he had just sternly refused the seventh brother.

Otherwise, it would have been her turn to complain now.

“How’s the account book reading going?” he asked.

“Not finished yet…”

“How much have you read?”

“Half a book.”

Pei Huaijin frowned.

He had told Qingjian to supervise her reading two account books this morning, and now, late in the day, she had only finished half a book?

“Why so little?”

Shen Youran looked down, rubbing the handkerchief in her hands and muttered, “I…I slept till noon…”

Then, not waiting for his reply, she quickly lifted her head to defend herself.

“It’s because you pressed down on me last night and made me sleep badly. You’re so heavy; my waist still hurts.”

Outside the study, Qingjian and Danruo seemed to have heard something serious.

One looked up, staring randomly at the sky; the other looked down at the ground—both unwilling to leave, ears straining to listen.

Pei Huaijin’s expression turned slightly awkward, and an itch in his throat made him cough a few times.

“Got it. Won’t do that again tonight.”

Seeing his tone had lost its earlier sharpness, Shen Youran pressed further, “Then can I finish the account books tomorrow?”

He refused outright.

“No. Today’s tasks must be done today. After dinner, come to the study. There’s a glazed lamp here, bright but gentle on the eyes. When you finish the account books, you can sleep.”

His words cut off all her escape routes.

Considering even her eyes, she found no excuse to get out and could only agree reluctantly.

“Fine.”

After dinner, Shen Youran carried the two account books and trudged into Pei Huaijin’s study.

He specially had the maid light some rosemary to refresh the mind.

White, ethereal smoke rose from the censer, and the cool, sweet scent slowly spread throughout the room.

Shen Youran opened the half-read account book, scanning the dense characters like ants on paper.

Then she sneaked a glance at the man opposite her.

He said he had official matters to attend to and was bent over writing something.

His fingers were long and slender, pale as jade, and his palms broad.

Blue veins pulsed faintly on the back of his hand as he wrote, extending into his sleeves where they disappeared.

She admitted his hands were beautiful—at least more so than the account books.

No matter how long Qingjian watched her today, she only stared blankly at the books just as much.

Luckily, tonight was less dull—there were plenty of rare and elegant things to see in the study.

A Chengni inkstone from Taishan White Pagoda on the table, a lotus-shaped Ru kiln incense burner, elegant bamboo plants in the corner—all these refined items she usually ignored, but tonight found quite interesting.

Noticing her distraction, Pei Huaijin put down his brush and looked up.

Beneath those elegant brows, her black eyes darted mischievously—now looking here, now there, refusing to look at the books before her.

“Focus.”

He reminded her quietly.

Her body shivered, and her eyes finally obediently returned to the account books.

Pei Huaijin resumed writing.

After forty-five minutes, he put down his brush again.

Across from him, Shen Youran was already as drowsy as a chick pecking rice, her head nodding closer and closer to the desk.

Reaching across the table, he cupped her delicate face.

“You said you slept till noon today. Why are you sleepy already?”

She clutched his big hand, tilted her head, and rested half her soft, tender face in his palm.

So soft, smooth, warm—like a handful of snow melting in his palm, making his breath catch.