4. The First Illusion

◎The Rich Girl◎

Having entered Pei Xueyan's dream, Jiang Qiye's identity does not need to change.

What he wanted was for her to conjure the elixir of life for him, not to put on an irrelevant performance.

The formation of a sincere heart requires the guidance of family, friendship, or love. However, family requires blood ties, and friendship requires long-term interaction. Both take too long. Only love can most easily inspire genuine devotion in a short period of time.

Like most women in the world, after getting married, they devote their hearts to their husbands. That natural concern is the purest form of sincerity, simple yet effective.

Some people develop these feelings automatically without needing excessive external force or earth-shattering emotions.

Soon, the scene of the first layer of the dream unfolded before my eyes.

Pei Xueyan's identity here is Xue Lian, the young lady of a wealthy family.

Jiang Qiye did not intend to spend too much time cultivating feelings.

The Xue family patriarch has recently opened a poetry club, ostensibly to attract literati to compose poems and add a touch of culture to his merchant family and enhance their reputation. In reality, he is using the poetry club to select a suitable husband for his daughter, Xue Lian.

Having figured out the way, Jiang Qiye changed into a moon-white long robe, held a plain folding fan in his hand, and stood tall and straight outside the Xue residence.

He was naturally handsome and refined, and at this moment he deliberately adopted the leisurely demeanor of a romantic scholar, cleared his throat, and slowly recited a short poem he had written himself:

"Let's pour wine, discuss the green pines, and lightly touch the inkstone with frost. Do not lament that the autumn air hastens the cold, for a night of quiet joy is better than a warm breeze."

His words were elegant, his voice was gentle, and coupled with his outstanding appearance, it didn't take long for the Xue family's steward to rush out and greet him with a big smile as he invited him into the house.

When Jiang Qiye entered, Master Xue was sitting in the main seat of the main hall. Upon seeing Jiang Qiye enter, he immediately stood up to greet him.

He sized Jiang Qiye up and down, his gaze sweeping from his well-dressed appearance to his composed demeanor. The satisfaction in his eyes grew even more evident. He smiled, cupped his hands, and asked, "This young master has an extraordinary bearing, and the poem you just recited was exceptionally elegant. May I ask your esteemed name and which teacher you studied under? It is truly an honor to have you grace our humble abode with your presence today!"

Jiang Qiye nodded slightly, his tone humble yet measured: "My surname is Jiang, my given name is Qiye, and I live in Qingzhou."

He wasn't afraid to reveal her real name, since he would seal Pei Xueyan's mind once the illusion ended, and she wouldn't remember anything.

"The Jiang family of Qingzhou?" Upon hearing this name, Master Xue's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.

He nodded.

That family is a scholarly family that produced a top scholar in the imperial examinations. They have passed down their literary tradition for generations and are highly respected in literary circles. If his daughter could marry into such a family, it would not only fulfill his wish for his daughter to marry a good man, but also completely elevate the Xue family's scholarly atmosphere. It would be a win-win situation.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Qiye knew that the other party had already heard of the Jiang family. He maintained his composure and simply hummed in agreement.

This response completely put Master Xue's mind at ease.

He had initially worried that while the young man before him was talented, his family background might not be a good match. Now that he had confirmed the young man's identity, his smile became even more genuine. He quickly stepped forward and warmly led Jiang Qiye into the inner hall: "So it's Young Master Jiang! I've long admired the literary style of the Jiang family of Qingzhou. Meeting you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved! Please have a seat. I'll have tea prepared and then have my daughter come out to greet the guests. Lian'er usually enjoys discussing poetry with scholars and gentlemen; I'm sure she and you will get along well today!"

As he spoke, he loudly ordered his servants to invite "Xue Lian".

In the boudoir of the Xue residence, Pei Xueyan was combing her long hair in front of a mirror. The girl in the mirror had curved eyebrows and fair skin, and her light green dress made her even more charming and beautiful.

For sixteen years, she obeyed her father's wishes and never left the house. In order to make her worthy of a noble family, Master Xue hired countless famous teachers to teach her music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

Now she is a renowned beauty and talented young woman in the surrounding villages. Suitors have been flocking to the Xue family home to propose marriage, but none of them have caught her eye.

"Miss, Miss!" Qing'er, the personal maid, rushed in with great excitement. "A young master Jiang has come to the front courtyard. He's incredible! He's more handsome than any immortal in a painting. He just recited a poem outside the gate, and the steward was slapping his thigh in admiration. When Master saw him, he couldn't stop smiling!"

A teenage girl, having read countless poems and lyrics, deeply admires those talented and romantic men.

These days, her father has been recruiting writers through the poetry club, and Pei Xueyan has overheard quite a few of these conversations.

Some men, already married, fantasize about taking concubines.

Some people are only half-baked in their knowledge but pretend to be literary giants.

Others put on airs in public but speak vulgarly behind people's backs, their eyes filled with lust.

No one could pique her interest in the slightest.

Therefore, Pei Xueyan didn't have much hope for this Young Master Jiang.

"He's just an ordinary man, why are you making such a fuss?"

"How could he be just an ordinary scholar! This young master Jiang is from the Jiang family of Qingzhou. The very same Jiang family that produced a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations and has been a family of scholars for generations! Master just asked, and the young master's name is Jiang Qiye. Not only is he from a distinguished family, but he is also exceptionally handsome and speaks with remarkable elegance!"

Pei Xueyan pursed her lips in front of the mirror, still not believing her exaggerated praise.

"Miss, you'll know once you go and take a look."

"The Jiang family of Qingzhou... Jiang Qiye..."

The girl in the mirror silently recited a few words.

Pei Xueyan in the mirror looked shy and budding, a sight that would make anyone admire her and want to marry her.

The maid spoke so highly of that "Young Master Jiang" that it actually piqued her interest.

"Miss, Master wants you to go to the front yard now. He said he wants Young Master Jiang to wait outside and wants to discuss poetry and painting."

She said coquettishly, "I don't want to go."

The maidservant tugged at her mistress's arm in a coquettish manner: "Miss, please don't make things difficult for me. If the master gets angry, we'll suffer the consequences."

"Okay, okay, I'll be there in a bit."

Pei Xueyan is usually quiet, but she is very proud. Ordinary people don't catch her eye, and no matter how good someone's words are, they don't count until they meet her.

She walked silently to the front of the hall, without immediately raising her head, but slightly curtsied and performed a standard lady's greeting, her voice soft.

"Greetings, Father. Greetings...Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Qiye looked up at the sound and his gaze fell on her.

Just moments before, this female demon was struggling to curse him as a "stinking Taoist priest" and "indiscriminately killing innocent people," her face full of hatred.

At this moment, her light green dress accentuated her slender figure, and her every move exuded the gentle and quiet grace of a noble lady, showing no trace of the ruthless woman she once was.

She was the epitome of a sheltered young lady, completely unaware of the ways of the world.

He composed himself, rose, bowed in return, and said humbly, "Miss Xue, there's no need for such formality."

Pei Xueyan then slowly raised her head and glanced at the man.

He held a fan in his hand, his long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, his face was handsome and elegant, and his brows carried the gentleness unique to a scholar, yet he did not lose the composure of a scion of a noble family.

This kind of demeanor is far superior to those literati who used poetry clubs to curry favor.

Her heart skipped a few beats for no apparent reason, and she lowered her head again.

Master Xue naturally understood his daughter; the expression on his face just now must have been one of satisfaction.

Pei Xueyan exchanged a few words with her father and drank half an incense stick's worth of tea. It was inconvenient for her to remain in the public eye for long, so she quickly returned to her inner room.

After returning to her room, she fell into deep thought.

It wasn't that she had fallen in love so quickly; she just vaguely felt that Young Master Jiang was aloof and not as gentle as he was when he spoke.

I always felt that he was aloof, spoke distantly, and seemed absent-minded.

The original Pei Xueyan was young and inexperienced, and her master had not taught her how to avoid being entered into an illusion or how to identify the other party.

She wasn't familiar with Jiang Qiye, so even if she sensed something was wrong with him in the illusion, she couldn't possibly guess that it was a dream.

Moreover, all thoughts are currently suppressed by Xue Lian, a young woman confined to her boudoir.

Soon I became annoyed and didn't want to think about it anymore.

Jiang Qiye stayed at the Xue family's house for less than an hour before taking his leave, citing "family matters to attend to." Before leaving, he told Master Xue, "I will definitely come to visit again when I have time."

They say it will be in the future, but there's no definite time.

There was no news for seven or eight days.

Master Xue was very fond of this marriage, and seeing that the other party had not come forward for a long time, he gradually became anxious.

So they secretly sent people to inquire about Jiang Qiye's whereabouts, but they only found out that he was staying at an inn outside the city and had no other contact with anyone except reading.

Jiang Qiye was not deliberately delaying; he was simply thinking about how and where he would marry Pei Xueyan.

For ordinary people, marriage is a tedious affair that gives them headaches and annoyance, but they have no choice but to accept it.

The Jiang family of Qingzhou was just something he made up on the spot. If Master Xue really investigates it thoroughly, it will be exposed sooner or later.

Pei Xueyan, in disguise as Xue Lian, was tamed and bound by etiquette, obeying her father's orders in everything. Before marriage, she would never cross the line with him, let alone give him her true heart or form a cinnabar pill.

After much deliberation, Jiang Qiye decided to stop building up the emotional tension.

He first used magic to build an elegant villa outside the city.

If Grandpa Xue sends someone to inquire about the family members, finds a few farmers, and offers them a large sum of money to temporarily impersonate Jiang's relatives and friends.

Although Jiang Qiye wasn't an impatient person, he felt that this kind of thing couldn't be delayed. It was just a charade anyway, and there was no need for everything to be perfect. In any case, he would still have to kill Pei Xueyan after he formed his core, and everything here would automatically disappear.

So he picked up his pen and wrote a love letter, the words of which were straightforward yet carried a touch of literary sentimentality. After folding it, he secretly found Pei Xueyan's personal maid and asked her to pass it on to his mistress.

When Pei Xueyan received the letter, she was practicing calligraphy by the window.

The maid carefully brought over a plain-colored envelope with the words "To Lianqing" written on it. The handwriting was elegant and strong, clearly the work of a man.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she vaguely sensed that it was that person who did it.

Open the envelope.

Lianqing:

I had the pleasure of seeing you in my humble abode, and I fell in love at first sight. My heart has been captivated by you ever since, and I have been unable to eat or sleep properly. I am sending this letter now, hoping to see your beautiful face again and to hear your thoughts; I also long for the day we meet again so that I can pour out my heart to you.

Jiang Qi bows his head at night.

Pei Xueyan was sixteen years older and had never seen such a blatant confession before.

I never imagined that the aloof Young Master Jiang would utter such audacious words as "haunting my dreams" and "unable to eat or sleep peacefully."

As she watched, her fingertips began to tingle, her cheeks flushed red, and even her breathing became rapid.

Originally, she could only think about Jiang Qiye occasionally, but upon seeing this letter, her heart pounded, her whole body went limp, and she was filled with panic and shyness. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

Perhaps because of her young age, she almost fainted.