“I treat Seventh Young Master like a younger brother………………”
The moment Shen Yunshu’s words fell, she saw Pei Huaijin slightly turn his body, glancing behind her.
“Seventh brother.”
Yunshu turned back to look and saw Pei Huaian, who had woken up at some unknown time, leaning against the door.
His clear, bright eyes were slightly widened, then lowered as she looked his way, letting his long, thick eyelashes cover half of them.
“You’re awake!”
Although the Langzhong said there was no major harm, he had been unconscious for a long time.
Shen Yunshu couldn’t help but worry, and now seeing him finally regain consciousness, she felt somewhat relieved.
“Why did you get out of bed? Hurry back and lie down………………”
Yunshu stepped in front of him, wanting to help him back to bed.
“Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”
“…………”
Pei Huaian had woken up thirsty.
Finding no one in the room, he thought to get some water by himself.
Unexpectedly, he just stepped out when he heard her say those words.
How was it possible he didn’t die of thirst?
And at this very moment, just as he came out, he overheard her say those words.
Though lightly spoken, they struck him like a thunderclap.
He knew Shen Yunshu always regarded him as a little brother, but just now, after Big Brother had made that hint, she still said such words, leaving him no room for any hope at all.
Originally, only his body was injured, but now his heart was wounded too.
In a daze, Pei Huaian didn’t even know how she helped him back to bed.
It was only after a cup of warm water was brought to his lips that he snapped back to reality.
“Shu-jiejie, are you going to divorce me now?”
He had not only heard that last sentence, but also the two before it.
Shen Yunshu fed him half a cup of water before explaining the reason: “You don’t know yet. The bandits actually wanted to kidnap me. The ransom letter had my name on it as well. So after discussing with your Big Brother, we decided to let the misunderstanding continue—letting everyone believe that the person kidnapped was me—to protect Third Sister’s reputation…………………”
“It’s just that for some reason, Auntie-in-law became suspicious and thought the kidnapped person was Third Sister. To dispel her doubts, I told your Big Brother it would be better to divorce now to make the kidnapping ruse more convincing. Perhaps this would change Auntie-in-law’s mind………………”
Though she spoke so convincingly, Pei Huaian couldn’t hear a word: “Then, you’re leaving now?”
Yunshu looked at his lips, dry and chapped, and brought the blanket closer to his mouth, watching him drink water as she said, “I just feel this is an opportunity to divorce. If we use this as a reason, the elders will be more willing to accept it. What do you think?”
Pei Huaian drank all the water in the cup but refused to look up or respond.
He just bit the cup’s edge until it creaked.
Shen Yunshu saw he was silent and couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
“Why? Is this not good?”
“No.”
Pei Huaian’s teeth ached from biting, and his nose inexplicably stung as he spoke with a slight nasal tone after a long while, “I’m still injured, yet you want to leave me at this time, Shu-jiejie, you’re so heartless…………………
His words made Shen Yunshu blush: she had been so focused on Third Sister that she had completely forgotten about his injury.
“I wasn’t considerate enough. You got hurt for Third Sister, how could I abandon you now?”
Shen Yunshu set down her teacup and said apologetically, “Then let’s wait until your injuries heal before telling the elders about the divorce.”
Seeing him still sulking with his head down, Shen Yunshu cupped his face, intending to ask if there was anything else she hadn’t considered.
But unexpectedly, he suddenly leaned in and quickly pecked her lips.
Shen Yunshu was stunned.
Still holding his face, forgetting to put her hands down, when she realized and tried to pull her hand back, he grabbed it tightly.
“Shu-jiejie,” those once clear and pure eyes now burned with a blazing heat, “I call you ‘jiejie’ not because I really see you as my sister. Don’t ever treat me like your little brother again………………”
“Shu-jiejie, how many times have I kissed you?”
He held her hand, kissing her palm, but his gaze was fixed on her lips, “Would a little brother do something like this to you?”
“Shu-jiejie, I’ve desired you for a long time……”
“You…………”
Usually calm and composed, Shen Yunshu could not resist his rash words.
His lips pressed against her palm, wet and warm from the water she had just drunk, with a certain pressure that made her uneasy.
She moved, trying to pull her hand back: “Pei Huaian, don’t do this………………”
He refused to let go and instead gripped tighter, pulling her closer.
“Little Sister, don’t think of me as your little brother anymore. I won’t call you ‘jiejie’ again.”
He made his meaning so clear that Shen Yunshu couldn’t misunderstand: “But you aren’t…interested in You Ran?”
“I was confused for a while, but I’ve been clear for a long time. I have no romantic feelings for her………………”
“If you don’t have romantic feelings, then why do you still dream about her? Those kinds of dreams.”
Pei Huaian furrowed his brow, thinking he had already explained this, but unexpectedly, such a huge misunderstanding still stood between them: “The one I dream of, has always been you……”
Shen Yunshu’s almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened, speechless for a moment.
Pei Huaian pressed her hand back to his cheek, rubbing it with those eyes skilled at playing the pitiful look, staring straight at her: “Daughter-in-law, how about not divorcing? I’ll study hard and pass the imperial exams, then bring back an official title for you……”
Daughter-in-law?
A tremor ran through Shen Yunshu’s heart.
Facing those eyes that were hard to resist, she truly couldn’t withstand it.
Suddenly, she stood up, pulled her hand away hard, and then reached out to touch his forehead.
No fever.
So he wasn’t speaking nonsense.
“Not hot?”
“Daughter-in-law………………”
He tried to stick to her again, all sticky.
Shen Yunshu, startled, pushed him down onto the bed: “You must be hungry. I’ll have someone check if the porridge is ready.”
“Ow…”
The wound pulled painfully, and he gasped sharply, “Ah, daughter-in-law……………”
“Stop yelling.”
Shen Yunshu blushed deeply and hurried out of the room.
After she had left for some time, Pei Huaian finally realized he was embarrassed: though she didn’t agree to his bold confession, she hadn’t rejected it either….
No, didn’t he promise not to call her ‘Shu-jiejie’ anymore but to call her ‘daughter-in-law’?
Why did those two words sound so pleasant?
Pei Huaian shyly and excitedly buried his face in the soft quilt, quietly repeating: “Daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law………………”
Suddenly, a hand patted his shoulder. He turned his head, still shy: “Daughter-in-law…………. h, Big Brother!”
His gaze instantly cleared.
“Big Brother, you’re still here?”
Pei Huaijin lowered his eyes, smiling slightly: “Seeing you have the energy to ‘be in heat’ means your body must be fine now.”
‘In heat’?
Forget it. It wasn’t embarrassing in front of his own big brother.
Besides, compared to Big Brother striding over with a neck full of red marks to show off, Pei Huaian’s ‘in heat’ was nothing.
“Big Brother, you came at the right time. I have something to ask you.”
“What?”
“Big Brother, I just confessed to Shu………………”
His tongue tied up before he finished, “I revealed my feelings to Shu’er.”
“Hm, I noticed.”
“She didn’t reject me.”
“That’s good.”
“But she didn’t agree either.”
Pei Huaijin gently reminded him, “With confessions, if it’s not clearly accepted, it means rejection.”
“You’re wrong. If her attitude is unclear, it means I still have a chance.”
Despite Big Brother’s words, Pei Huaian wasn’t discouraged.
“Big Brother, I remember when we first switched marriages, You Ran was very resistant to you, but now you two get along so well, in perfect harmony. How did you do it? Teach me…………………”
Pei Huaijin pondered for a moment: “I can’t help you.”
“Why?”
“Because You Ran and I are married. I can use my identity as her husband to get close to her. And you, your divorce papers are already written,” he chuckled, “You’re nobody to her, so what right do you have to pursue her?”
Those words startled Pei Huaian awake.
He slapped his head: “How did I forget this?”
Saying so, he tried to get out of bed.
Pei Huaijin stopped him: “What are you doing?”
“Going to find the divorce papers.”
“And after you find them?”
“Tear them up.”
Pei Huaijin supported his shoulder, pressing him back down on the bed: “Divorce papers without approval from the Official Bureau are just paper. You can tear them anytime, no need to rush now. But if you really want to be her true husband, then show sincerity and don’t keep making her worry………………”
Pei Huaian weakly held his injured spot: “Got it.”
Pei Huaijin patted his shoulder: “Rest well, I’m heading back now.”
After being out so long, he didn’t know if the person prone to nightmares had gotten up to cause trouble.
When he returned to Yunzhi Courtyard, the kitchen staff were delivering dinner.
Pei Huaijin took it and went straight to the bedroom.
Pulling back the curtain, he didn’t see anyone at first glance.
Then, looking again, he spotted the person who should have been lying on the bed sleeping, now curled up in the corner hugging her knees, sleeping restlessly.
Pei Huaijin removed his shoes and climbed up to gently move her from the corner.
This movement woke her with a cry: “Don’t touch me!”
“It’s me.”
He held her tightly, soothing her with light pats, “Don’t be afraid.”
Shen Youran opened her eyes and stretched, settling into his arms: “What time is it?”
“Past You hour, time for dinner. Are you hungry? Want to get up and eat something?”
“Hungry, but still sleepy……”
“Then eat while you sleep…………………
“Hm?”
What kind of eating was that?
Pei Huaijin carried her to the table, one arm holding her, the other scooping food and a bowl of Meihua Soup Cake.
He blew on a spoonful to cool it down and brought it to her lips.
“Open your mouth, drink the soup.”
Shen Youran closed her eyes, half asleep but obediently opened her mouth.
The clear soup made from chicken broth with plum-flavored dough slices was elegant and fresh, without any unpleasant smell.
Compared to the gamey meat soup she had been forced to drink in the bandits’ den for three days, this simple soup was delicious beyond words.
At this meal, she only took a few bites of the other dishes but drank the entire bowl of soup.
With her stomach full, she was less sleepy.
Taking advantage of her remaining energy, Shen Youran wanted to bathe. Pei Huaijin ordered Danruo and Qinghe to prepare hot water.
After this nap, her mind was still dull, feeling like she had forgotten something.
She opened the window to get some fresh air, and the cold wind blew in.
She finally remembered: “Qingjian? How is Qingjian?”
A life.
At the mention of Qingjian, Pei Huaijin’s heart sank again.
Qingjian’s condition was not good.
Two days ago, he visited him briefly.
Qingjian’s injuries were severe, but luckily he was sent to the Yiguan in time, saving his life.
Though awake, he was still not out of danger.
He had three knife wounds, one piercing the lung.
The Langzhong wasn’t confident of a full recovery and could only do their best and leave the rest to fate……………….
Qiongzhi, the maid beside Shen Yunshu, was now caring for him at the Yiguan.
Pei Huaijin sighed deeply, unwilling to let Shen Youran know so much: “He’s still recovering. In a few days, I’ll take you to see him.”
Earlier, when Pei Huaijin was silent, Shen Youran feared the worst for Qingjian.
Hearing this, she felt somewhat relieved: “Then I’ll visit him tomorrow……”
“No, I have to go to the Official Bureau tomorrow and can’t accompany you. Wait a few days, when I’m off duty, I’ll take you to see him.”
“You focus on your work. I can go by myself……………
“After rescuing you, just stay home for a few days.”
“What about Xiao Gugu?”
“I already gave her a long leave. You can visit her later.”
“So I’ll be bored staying home?”
“You like reading Wedding Storybooks, right? I’ll buy some for you.”
“But you didn’t want me to read those before.”
Pei Huaijin hugged her from behind: “I won’t stop you anymore.”
“Really?”
“Mm.”
At Ci You Courtyard, Shen Youran told Tinglan to deliver dinner to Pei Huaian.
That evening, she claimed she wanted to read and delayed going into her bedroom.
Only late at night, after making sure Pei Huaian was asleep, did she quietly enter.
Pei Huaian slept on the inner side of the bed, leaving a large space, clearly for her.
They had agreed that once his nightmares stopped, he’d sleep on the Luo Han Bed again, but he insisted he was still plagued by nightmares and clung to the bed, so Shen Yunshu hadn’t thought much and had indulged him.
Now, knowing his true thoughts, she felt it inappropriate to share the same bed any longer.
Since he was on the bed, she had no choice but to sleep on the couch.
When she shook off the blanket on the couch, a snow-blue garment embroidered with plum blossoms fell out from under the covers.
Very familiar.
Yunshu picked it up and examined it: wasn’t this her little garment?
The plum blossom embroidery, once stitched tightly, was now rubbed to a mess, its colors faded considerably.
One could guess how much this little garment had been worn and washed.
Shen Yunshu’s face flushed: no wonder she had made the strict rule before not to touch his bed—the bedding hid secrets that shouldn’t be seen.
She put the garment back in the cabinet, half amused and half annoyed, glanced once more at the oblivious fool asleep on the bed, pulled the screen to separate the moon gate bed from the Luo Han Bed, and turned off the lights to sleep.
Yunshu hadn’t rested well in the past few days, so tonight she slept especially soundly.
But in her haze, she still heard sounds from beyond the screen.
“Daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law……”
The voice was hoarse, the tone wavering, as if suppressing some pain.
Shen Yunshu had heard that voice before.
Recalling the first time, she thought he was unwell or having a nightmare, so she hurried over, only to find he was having a lustful dream and had dragged her onto the couch in a rush.
Today, hearing that familiar voice again, Shen Yunshu pretended not to hear it, thinking it would soon pass.
But he persistently called her for a long while: “Daughter-in-law, I’m uncomfortable……………
Shen Yunshu covered her ears and turned over.
She didn’t know how long it was before the other side finally quieted, leaving only heavy breaths that echoed in the silent night.
She was so sleepy she could barely keep awake but couldn’t fall into a deep sleep.
Listening to those sounds, she sensed something was wrong.
The heavy breathing was coarse and labored, slightly different from before.
Her heart grew uneasy: he was still injured—could he really be unwell?
Thinking this, Shen Yunshu sat up and cautiously called, “Pei Huaian, are you alright?”
“A……”
Cold?
There was a warming stove burning in the room, so how could he be cold?
Worried, she got off the couch, slipped on her shoes, and walked to the screen.
By the candlelight near the bed, she saw his face flushed abnormally but his lips pale.
She felt his forehead and neck temperature—he was indeed burning with fever.
Suddenly remembering the Langzhong’s instructions when taking him from the Yiguan earlier that day, his wounds were severe, and fever needed to be watched carefully.
She had been so focused on avoiding him that she had forgotten this.
Yunshu tucked the blanket around him and pulled another over, avoiding the wound: “Does this feel better?”
“Daughter-in-law,” Pei Huaian opened his eyes with effort, whining, “I called you, why didn’t you answer me?”
He was really suffering, burning hot but shaking with cold, hands and feet as if soaked in icy water that couldn’t be warmed.
“Sorry, I thought you…”
Shen Yunshu guiltily stroked his head, “Bear with it a little longer. I’ll have someone brew medicine for you right now.”
Third Sister had once had a high fever at night, so Shen Yunshu knew what to do.
She wrapped herself and sent a servant on night duty to prepare a fever-reducing remedy, then returned to the room and reached under the covers to touch his hand.
Her fingers were icy cold, indicating the fever would rise further.
Only when his fingers were as warm as his body could she use warm water to wipe him down to reduce the fever.
After touching him, she wanted to pull her hand back but was unexpectedly grasped tightly.
“Daughter-in-law,” he shivered violently, trembling as he inched closer, “Hold me, please?”