A wicked smile curled on his lips.
He clenched the drawing tightly, intending to scare her when she came close.
Suddenly, he noticed a maid trailing Shen Youran with a suspicious expression, carrying a bucket of water stealthily.
Though he didn’t know her purpose, it was clearly ill-intentioned.
Yesterday, their grandmother punished Second Madam because of Shen Youran.
This might be a deliberate retaliation from the second branch.
He hurriedly stepped out to warn Shen Youran.
But his sudden appearance startled her.
She instinctively stepped back and bumped into the maid behind her.
The wooden bucket slipped from the maid’s hands, splashing water and soaking half of Shen Youran’s body.
“Forgive me, Da Shaofuren,” the maid fell but quickly knelt and explained, “I didn’t mean to.”
Shen Youran had no patience to forgive her and glanced toward the culprit.
“Pei Huaian! Why did you scare me?”
He hadn’t intended to this time.
“I didn’t, it was her…”
He pointed at the maid, about to explain, but Shen Youran spotted the drawing in his hand.
She snatched it away, unfolded it, and angrily threw it on the ground, glaring at him.
Feeling guilty, Pei Huaian helped her up.
“I really wasn’t on purpose.”
Once standing, she shook off his hand and told the maid kneeling in the water, “It’s not your fault. Get up.”
“Thank you, Da Shaofuren…”
She waved her off.
“Wait, wait, don’t go…”
Pei Huaian tried to call her back, but the maid ran off quickly.
He had no words.
Shen Youran’s clothes were soaked.
Fortunately, the clothes she wore today were thick, layered with a pifu, so she wouldn’t catch a chill from the wetness.
Just as she was about to go change, her eldest sister approached.
Shen Youran immediately felt wronged.
She stepped forward, threw herself into her sister’s arms, and pointed at Pei Huaian.
“Sister, he scared me…”
“Pei Huaian,” Shen Yunshu saw her sister half soaked.
One arm held her close, the other tugged Pei Huaian’s ear.
“Look at the trouble you caused.”
“Aiya…”
Pei Huaian winced, knowing he had no alibi and feeling guilty.
“I just wanted to tease her. Can’t I admit I was wrong?”
His pale ears turned red from the tug, and Shen Yunshu finally let go, scolding him.
“Go back to your study! You’re not allowed out until I say so!”
“Got it.”
Pei Huaian rubbed his aching ear and sulked away.
Shen Yunshu held her sister’s hand.
“Let’s go to my place to change your wet clothes…”
It was closer to Ci You Courtyard.
The cold was biting; better to change clothes quickly or risk catching a cold.
Shen Youran endured the discomfort and followed her sister back.
The housekeepers still waited inside and outside the hall.
Shen Yunshu asked Qiongzhi to take her to change.
Her sister preferred plain colors.
Shen Youran picked a pale wisteria purple outfit.
The wet clothes were taken away to be dried, and she went to the hall to learn from her sister how to manage the household accounts.
Though Shen Yunshu had studied household management before, practice was different.
Her first time managing the family affairs left her flustered.
Shen Youran couldn’t help much but assisted with checking accounts and distributing cards.
The two sisters were so busy they didn’t even drink hot tea.
After the housekeepers left, Shen Yunshu sighed with relief, glancing at her sister slumped in the armchair.
“Tired out, aren’t you?”
“I’m not tired. I’m helping you…”
Her voice hoarse from the morning without water, she felt uncomfortable.
“Sister, how tiring is running the household? Luckily you’re here. If Grandmother ever hands me the responsibility, you must help me, okay?”
Shen Yunshu had no intention to stay long in the Pei residence.
Hearing this made her feelings complicated.
“Youran, the Pei family isn’t too big; managing it won’t be hard. Once you organize things, it’ll get easier. Don’t be afraid…”
Shen Youran snuggled close, pouting.
“No, I’m not afraid, especially with you by my side.”
Shen Yunshu patted her head and tentatively asked, “What if I can’t always stay with you?”
Shen Youran paused, then smiled.
“Sister, do you mean we’ll split the family in the future? Grandfather and Grandmother are strong; that’s still far away.”
Shen Yunshu sighed silently.
“My silly sister…”
Qing Wu entered and told Shen Yunshu, “Seventh Young Madam, Langjun needs to go out for a moment…”
“Pfft,” Shen Youran burst out laughing.
“Sister, he really listens to you.”
Her sister forbade him to come out, and he dared not disobey.
“All right, you’ve worked hard today. Go rest.”
Knowing Pei Huaian’s feelings toward Third Miss, Shen Yunshu tried to keep them apart.
“You sound hoarse; drink more water.”
“I know.”
Qiongzhi brought Shen Youran’s pifu and said, “I’ll dry the pifu first. I’ll bring the other clothes later…”
“Okay.”
After Shen Youran left Ci You Courtyard, Shen Yunshu called Qing Wu to release Pei Huaian from the study.
Since Pei Huaijin hadn’t mentioned when Xiao Gugu would come to continue lessons, Shen Youran had no other tasks and planned to catch up on sleep.
Returning to Yunzhi Courtyard, she found Danruo and Qinghe sighing beneath the Yulan Tree.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Missus, don’t come closer!”
Danruo warned.
But it was too late.
Shen Youran saw the fish she had buried in the morning, now only the head remained.
Danruo explained, “A cat came to the courtyard and dug up the fish. Qingjian struggled but only managed to retrieve the fish head.”
Shen Youran murmured, “What a miserable death,” then looked away toward Qingjian standing by the corridor.
Qingjian thought she would scold him, but as she passed, she glanced at the scratch the cat had left on his hand and muttered, “If the cat wants to eat the fish, let it be. It hurt itself; not worth it.”
At lunch, Shen Youran’s appetite was poor.
She ate a few bites, then asked Danruo and Qinghe to finish the rest.
Though she had already napped in the morning, she still felt weak.
She staggered back to her room to rest.
In the afternoon, Qiongzhi came to deliver clothes and realized why their mistress had changed into elder sister’s clothes after returning.
Shen Youran slept for two full hours.
Danruo sensed something was wrong and entered her room.
She found Shen Youran’s lips pale and forehead burning with fever.
She hurried out to ask Qingjian to fetch the Langzhong.
The doctor checked her pulse.
It was wind-cold invading the body, pulse weak and intermittent.
It wasn’t just a chill but also fright causing her condition.
The wind-cold came from the damp clothes; the fright was from the terrifying fish.
When Pei Huaijin returned from the yamen, Shen Youran had taken her medicine but was still burning with fever, barely conscious.
Danruo told Pei Huaijin the cause of her illness.
At first, he didn’t believe such a big person could be scared by a tiny fish.
But deep into the night, she was still feverish, moaning softly, sometimes mumbling in her sleep.
“Alas, you died so miserably…”
“Who died miserably?”
“Fish…alas…not me who killed you. Don’t blame me…”
Pei Huaijin gently patted her and frowned, beginning to believe people could indeed get sick from being scared by fish—like the little drama queen in his arms.
She started sweating, probably feeling hot.
She wriggled, trying to push him away.
“Thirsty…”
“All right.”
After holding her for so long, his own body warmed by her fever, he let go, went to pour warm water, and returned with a cup.
He helped her sit up, leaned her against him, and brought the cup to her lips, watching her sip carefully.
Her lips, no longer pale but bright red and moist, looked all the more full and tempting.
His mind stirred, and he accidentally tipped the cup slightly.
She finished her sip, and the water trickled down her chin, along her long neck, disappearing beneath the lotus-green undergarment under her white nightdress.
His gaze followed the trail and caught a glimpse of spring’s light.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as an unexpected heat rose in him.
Instinctively, he took the remaining half cup of tea and drank it himself.
The girl in his arms was displeased, tilting her head back.
“I haven’t finished yet…”
Before he could swallow, without thinking, he cupped the back of her head and transferred the water back to her red lips.