This body... these abs, this waist.

Most importantly, Shang Huai has scars on his body.

With that kind of physique, he has a wild and handsome look.

No matter how much Pei Zhi has experienced, she still doesn't have many opportunities to see such a wild figure.

Most importantly, Shang Huai did not intentionally reveal this to Pei Zhi.

Shang Huai focused on wiping the sweat off his body, trying not to reveal too much.

The most torturous thing is that Pei Zhi can't watch it all at once.

Shang Huai wiped his sweat haphazardly and noticed Pei Zhi staring intently at him.

Shang Huai, puzzled, asked, "What are you looking at?"

Pei Zhi pointed to a spot on Shang Huaiyi's clothes, "This looks a bit rustic."

Shang Huai patted it off nonchalantly, "It must have been accidentally put on just now, it's nothing."

Pei Zhi responded casually, but Shang Huai's figure remained in her mind, lingering there.

Shang Huai wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Pei Zhi's gaze towards him was a little strange.

There are wolves in the north, and Shang Huai has seen the way wolves look at their prey.

Pei Zhi looked at him now, and it was so similar to how a wolf looks at its prey.

"Are you hungry? There's a new restaurant that just opened in the capital. I'll take you there to eat."

Pei Zhi agreed, "Okay."

Pei Zhi was indeed a little hungry, but not in the way Shang Huai was thinking.

Lu Xiuyuan was a scholar, but fortunately, he also did a lot of heavy work.

His physique was far superior to that of those frail scholars.

As for Xiao Chengci, although he was a pampered person in his daily life.

She exercises and maintains her health every day, but compared to Shang Huai, she is not quite up to par.

Shang Huai is someone who's going to fight on the battlefield, so he has to train every day.

His muscular physique is the result of daily exercise since childhood.

As he was leaving, he ran into Lu's mother coming out.

Having gone through what happened before, Pei Zhi and Lu's mother maintained a superficial relationship.

When Pei Zhi passed by Lu's mother, she nodded slightly, which was her way of saying hello.

Lu's mother stepped aside, letting Pei Zhi go first.

After Pei Zhi left, Lu's mother quickly caught up with her.

Seeing that Pei Zhi was simply walking side by side with the man without any intimate gestures, Madam Lu returned to the mansion.

Madam Lu questioned the servants in the mansion: "When the young mistress went out, why didn't you servants follow her?"

"The lady said there's no need for anyone to follow and serve her."

Madam Lu scolded, "She says it's not necessary, so it's not necessary? You are servants, are you going to eat for free in my house if you don't serve people?"

The maid was stunned by the scolding, then bowed to Madam Lu, turned around and left.

Pointing at the maid's retreating figure, Madam Lu said, "Look at that wretched girl! She's just a servant, yet she completely ignores what I say!"

The old woman serving Lu's mother secretly rolled her eyes, but coaxed her, "Don't take it to heart. You'll only hurt yourself if you get upset."

Madam Lu retorted indignantly, "She's just a servant, but I'm the mistress of this mansion. Is she trying to turn the world upside down?"

"She was a maidservant kept by the lady's family. If she goes home and complains, wouldn't that cause trouble for the family?"

Upon hearing this, Lu's mother was so angry that she snorted through her nose, but in the end, she could only let it go.

The old woman sighed. If it weren't for the double monthly pay, she wouldn't want to serve this old man.

All they do is cause trouble every day.

Pei Zhi followed Shang Huai to the restaurant and discovered that it was the same restaurant that Xiao Chengci had taken her to last time.

Just thinking about what happened between her and Xiao Chengci in this restaurant last time made Pei Zhi's legs go weak.

Shang Huai asked with concern, "Why is your face red? Is it because you're hot?"

Pei Zhi waved her hand like a fan, "It's alright, it's just that the restaurant is crowded and a bit hot."

"Let's go to the private room. I've prepared a small gift for you."

Pei Zhi was somewhat surprised: "A gift?"

Shang Huai kept everyone in suspense, saying, "You'll find out later."

Pei Zhi ordered dishes and drinks, completely bewildered.

After the food and wine were served, Pei Zhi asked, "When do you plan to return to the North?"

Shang Huai poured Pei Zhi a glass of wine. "The Empress fell ill because of what happened to me, and my aunt is also a little upset with me."

Shang Huai said sadly, "Now that I've come to my senses, I realize I was indeed rash back then."

"I never considered what my aunt, the Empress, would do if I rashly started a rebellion?"

"And what about my aunt who is far away in the capital and has no family to rely on?"

Shang Huai raised a glass of wine and looked at Pei Zhi, "Zhi Zhi, I want to thank you for stopping me at the crucial moment."

Pei Zhi picked up her glass and lightly clinked it with Shang Huai's. "I'm very glad you came back in time."

Shang Huai chuckled, "I don't know what was wrong with me back then. I was full of resentment. Now that I've calmed down, I realize how much of a jerk I was."

"Putting aside everything else, just take my aunt as an example. She has cared for me like her own child since I was a child."

"Yet I imprisoned her own son and even plotted a rebellion. If the uprising really happened, wouldn't I be forcing her, the mother of the nation, to her death?"

Who in the capital did not know of the Empress's favor towards Shang Huai?

If the Crown Prince has something, Shang Huai will definitely have a share of it.

What the Crown Prince doesn't have, Shang Huai might have.

That's why Empress Shang fell ill from anger.

"My aunt was the same. She married a man of simple tastes and high ideals for the sake of the business, but she almost got dragged down by me."

The merchant family is too wealthy; if Shang Huai's aunt were to marry into a higher social class...

Whether she marries a wealthy businessman or a member of a prominent family, she will inevitably stand out too much.

Pei Zhi patted Shang Huai's shoulder lightly, about to say something, when there was a knock on the door.

The Third Prince had just arrived at the restaurant when he heard that Shang Huai had come, so he thought he would come over and say hello.

The Third Prince was somewhat surprised to see Shang Huai in a private room with a woman.

The third prince was quick-witted and didn't want to be a third wheel; he said goodbye and left.

"Master, General Shang has chosen male prostitutes."

"Huh?" The Third Prince thought he was hallucinating when he heard what his subordinates said.

As soon as he entered, the Third Prince thought that Shang Huai had finally seen the light and was having a secret rendezvous with a girl.

The girl was so beautiful that the Third Prince remarked that Shang Huai was quite lucky with women.

As a result, Shang Huai decided to hire a male prostitute?

The male prostitute couldn't possibly be for Shang Huai, so it must be for that girl.

Why is that?

The Third Prince shook his head. Could it be that Shang Huai's brain had been frozen to death in the north?

I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out.

"He's ordered, so you can just make the arrangements."

The restaurant offers this service, but it's only for high-ranking officials and nobles, and you need to make arrangements in advance.

The attendant immediately replied, "Don't worry, Master, we've chosen the best."

The Third Prince nodded in praise, "I trust you to handle things."

"Yeah, that girl, I feel like I've seen her somewhere before?"

The Third Prince clicked his tongue twice; he was certain he had seen it before.

Once you see someone look like that, you can never forget them.

But the Third Prince just couldn't remember where he had seen him before.