pay

Pushing the ledger aside, Wen Zhibai rubbed his temples. Although the shop was busy, it provided a place for Thirteen Sister and her companions to stay, offering some solace on their path of revenge.

Her thoughts quickly sank again—Qin Yanzhen was dead, and the feud within the family was temporarily over.

Can……

How should the Imperial Court settle the score for the massacre of the Jiang family?

Once it begins, it is no longer a matter of the household; one must confront imperial power, the ruler of the entire realm.

Wen Zhibai pushed the account book aside, dipped his fingertip in tea, and slowly wrote the character "律" (law) on the mahogany table.

But then she heard Tao Zhi's cheerful voice: "Miss, news from Su Yue Fang says that the new clothes made for Young Master Su are finished, and they invite you to come and see them!"

Before the water had even dried, she had already raised her hand to wipe it away.

"good."

The pale purple robe, with a light gauze lining, shimmered like a cascading waterfall of stars in the sunlight.

After Su Mu changed into the clothes, the surrounding musicians praised them highly and vied to have several new outfits made for them by Lingxi Pavilion.

"I would be grateful if you could help promote Lingxi Pavilion for tomorrow's grand cruise event."

"Even without Su Mu, with Miss Lingxi Pavilion's skills, it's only a matter of time before it becomes popular in Shangjing."

"I still want to thank you, Su Mu, for being willing to help me."

"Miss, you flatter me. It is my honor to be able to help you. By the way, I haven't asked your name yet."

"Oh, my surname is Wen, and my given name is Zhibai. From now on, you don't need to call me Miss, just call me by my name."

——

Brushing aside the shady bushes, a mansion suddenly appeared before Pei Qinzhou's eyes deep in the misty mountains.

He looked at the plaque above his head, which read "Jiang Residence".

He never forgot that Wen Zhibai said she still wanted to find her relatives and find her origins.

Pei Qinzhou did not understand what blood ties were, or why she was so determined to find them.

But at this moment, he was still standing in front of the Jiang residence.

Jiang had long since retired from the court and lived in seclusion, and her residence was extremely deserted and empty.

He stepped onto the stairs and knocked on the door.

Almost simultaneously, the door opened.

The newcomer was none other than Jiang Yu, the head of the Jiang family.

She was also the first-generation head of Wuyu Pavilion, the woman who looked remarkably similar to Jiang Xuwan.

Pei Qinzhou nodded and greeted her: "Madam Jiang."

"As expected of Lord Pei, you found this place with ease." Jiang Yu's hand hovered in the air: "There's no need for such formalities."

“You are Zhibai’s elder, so I should do this.”

Jiang Yu smiled slightly, her heart stirred, and invited him to enter.

The charcoal fire crackled and hissed in the stove, and smoke drifted in the air as the two men sat down in the small hall in the backyard.

"Is Lord Pei feeling better lately?"

"It is fate, there is no good or bad in it."

"The flowers have fallen and withered, and though the new spring has arrived, the cycle repeats itself, but it is no longer the same as before. What does Lord Pei think?"

"..." He lowered his eyes, his emotions unreadable: "To be able to feel like the past for even a moment is enough... Madam Jiang, after a thousand years, I have come to understand a truth: the sorrow of parting is like wild grass, the farther it travels and the longer it lasts, the deeper it becomes."

"Love plans far ahead. If it were not out of necessity, who would willingly be separated by blood, gazing at the moon across ten thousand miles?"

“You need not worry any longer, I can protect the Jiang family’s peace.” With that, Pei Qinzhou pricked his fingertip, and a white light appeared before his eyes. He wrote a contract in the air: “This is my promise to the Jiang family.”

"In this mortal world, there is cause and effect, and retribution. Your fate has already been altered once. Aren't you afraid?"

"I'll give her whatever she wants." As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through his heart, and blood welled up in his eyes.

Jiang Yu quickly got up, took out a pill from a purple wooden box in the cabinet, and gave it to Pei Qinzhou: "I understand what Lingjun means."

Please do not tell her about my situation.

Watching Pei Qinzhou stagger out, Jiang Yu sighed helplessly.

As dusk approached, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the long street. Qi Yuning carried bags of various pastries toward the Pei residence.

Xie An was practicing his sword in the front yard when he heard a servant report from outside the door, so he went outside.

"Sister Yu Ning, what brings you here?"

"Xie An, quickly help me take these things inside!" Qi Yining said with difficulty, and Xie An took the bag of pastries from her hand: "That bag is for you, it's delicious, thank you."

As the two were walking into the mansion, Wen Zhibai had already put down his pen and ink to greet them.

"Miss Qi, what brings you here?" Wen Zhibai teased, then instructed the maid beside him, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a few more dishes and go buy a roast chicken."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yuning chuckled: "Those who know Yuning know Bai~"

The two then walked together to the pavilion in the backyard.

I heard you were injured.

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

"Where is Lord Pei?"

"He went out on business."

"That's good."

"Um?"

"Oh, I mean it." Qi Yuning smiled awkwardly, her eyes darting away.

"What's wrong? You seem a bit off."

Qi Yuning frowned and sighed, "The Crown Prince said that he likes me a tiny, tiny bit."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhibai was first startled, then paused, and asked, "Then what do you say?"

“Of course he’ll refuse.” Qi Yuning took a deep breath and continued, “He is the Crown Prince, and the woman standing beside him should be a graceful and elegant lady. As for me, I am destined to fight on the battlefield and pacify the world. His Highness and I are not on the same path.”

Wen Zhibai placed his hand on the back of her hand, but didn't know how to speak.

"Let's not talk about me anymore, Zhibai," Qi Yuning leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Now the whole capital is talking about how Lord Pei's love for you is as deep as the sea—and you? Have you ever thought about... marrying him?"

Wen Zhibai did not answer immediately.

She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the belt around her waist.

After a moment of silence, she raised her eyes, her gaze resolute yet tinged with a hint of bewilderment: "He is the one I have chosen, and that will never change in this lifetime."

“But…” she paused, her voice becoming even softer, like a feather falling: “The word ‘marriage’ is too heavy. You know, I am now a commoner, with unfinished burdens on my shoulders, and the road ahead is uncertain. It’s not that I’m unwilling, but… I don’t dare to think about such a perfect scenario.”

Seeing Wen Zhibai's hesitation and reluctance to speak, Qi Yuning didn't press further: "It's alright, there's plenty of time."

At the corner of the long corridor, Pei Qinzhou was already standing there quietly.

He had overheard their conversation and was tightly clutching the half of the wooden pendant that Wen Zhibai had given him at his waist.

Perhaps he resented himself for knowingly doing the wrong thing, and for being unable to defy fate... but hearing her hesitation still made him feel bitter.

"My lord, you're back?" Xie An, who had just come out of the small kitchen, spotted Pei Qinzhou. Wen Zhibai and Qi Yuning both looked up in his direction.

His worried expression vanished, and he walked towards Wen Zhibai with a smile.

Wen Zhibai's eyes darted away for a moment, but he quickly stood up: "How did things go with you?"

"Um."

Qi Yuning said, "Lord Pei, you don't mind if I come to your residence for a meal, do you?"

“No,” he said.

Pei Qinzhou's smile remained unchanged, but Wen Zhibai felt that he wasn't very interested. She turned to Xie An and said, "Xie An, didn't you say you wanted to spar with Yu Ning?"

Qi Yuning: "Okay, let's go to the front yard then. It's perfect, I haven't stretched my muscles in a long time."

"You may all leave," Wen Zhibai said to the maids, then pulled Pei Qinzhou to a seat. "Unhappy?"

"Yes, a little."

"what happens?"

He buried his head in her shoulder and remained silent for a long time before saying, "I'm just a little tired."

She gently patted his back: "Then let's finish our meal and get some rest, okay?"

"good."

Wen Zhibai had selected several sets of new clothes from Lingxi Pavilion and sent them to Qi Yuning's residence early on, and also sent a few more to Pei's residence.

"Which one do you think I should wear?" Wen Zhibai held up several pieces of clothing and tried them on.

"They both look good," Pei Qinzhou replied with a smile. "If I had to choose, I'd pick the pale yellow one; it suits you very well."

“Okay. Then you should change into this outfit too, the same color as mine.” She moved closer to him: “These are all specially picked out by me, they’re a matching set.”

After Pei Qinzhou changed, Wen Zhibai discovered that he couldn't button up the back of his waist.

"I'll help you."

He stepped forward, lowered his head, and with his well-defined fingers, gently touched her waist, carefully buttoning up her clothes.

"Okay, all done."

Wen Zhibai nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Pei Qinzhou took her hand, interlocked their fingers, and walked out the door together.

On the night of the Flower Boat Festival, the banks of the largest river in Shangjing were ablaze with lights, as bright as day.

Countless lanterns floated on the water, reflecting the stars in the sky.

The sounds of music and drums mingled with the laughter and chatter of tourists, and talented men and beautiful women strolled hand in hand.

Su Mu, dressed in a purple robe, stood at the bow of the flower-adorned boat, and the sound of a pipa began, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

His charm drew cheers from the shore, and countless girls threw sachets and flowers at him.

"Did you bring me to see him?" Pei Qinzhou looked at him quietly, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Just then, several fireworks burst into bloom in the night sky, their dazzling light illuminating the astonished faces of the crowd.

“Pei Qinzhou,” her voice was soft, yet it pierced through all the noise, reaching his ears: “Look carefully—”

Her gaze swept over the thousands of men and women around her, captivated by the music, and finally settled on him alone: ​​"Of all the lights in this city, only you catch my eye."

"Come with me." She turned and took his hand, heading towards the teahouse she had initially arranged to meet Su Mu.

As Su Mu pushed open the door and entered, his gaze lingered for a moment on the clasped hands of Wen Zhibai and Pei Qinzhou before turning into a clear smile.

"I thought Lord Pei wouldn't come." Su Mu's voice remained gentle as he looked at Pei Qinzhou.

Wen Zhibai replied, "Everyone goes out with their partner during the Flower Boat Festival. Since I'm here, how can I leave my Lord Pei alone in the room?" She naturally took Pei Qinzhou's arm and said, "I invited you here today to thank you for making Lingxi Pavilion famous."

"I, Su, have a piece called 'Lament for the Flowers,' which I wish to play for a kindred spirit." With that, he gently plucked the strings, and the clear, melodious sound of the zither flowed like a spring under the moon.

As the song ended, he smiled and looked at Wen Zhibai: "We met by chance, but I will never forget you. I know that a gentleman does not take what belongs to another. Seeing how deep your feelings are, I will dedicate my heart to the music of nature, and that is all."

Wen Zhibai raised his cup: "I only wish that Young Master Su will soon find a kindred spirit, and enjoy a leisurely life together by the winding stream."

On the way back to her residence, slightly tipsy, she looked up at Pei Qinzhou and whispered, "Lord Pei, are you clear about your jealousy?"

Pei Qinzhou gripped her fingers even tighter with his other hand, but said nothing.

From beginning to end, what he cared about was not other people... but how many days were left when he could stand so clearly by Wen Zhibai's side.