Chapter 40: Did you ask who said what to you?

Yu Man, holding his worn-out oil-paper umbrella, walked unhurriedly along the bluestone path, which had been washed clean by the rain. The rain hadn't stopped, tapping against the umbrella and making a pattering sound, but it had also cooled the area considerably.

Just as she reached the alleyway where the Xi residence was located, she spotted a familiar figure standing in the distance, near the gate. Pei Ji, holding a black umbrella and dressed in a casual blue robe, was gazing in her direction. From a distance, his face was not clearly visible.

Seeing her approach, Pei Ji took a few steps forward to greet her, intending to tilt the umbrella towards her, but stopped when he saw Yu Man holding the umbrella. His gaze quickly swept over her, and his voice was low and gentle: "Did you get wet?"

"No, we just happened to avoid the heaviest rain." Yu Man shook her head. Seeing his action, she put away her oil-paper umbrella and shared it with him.

Pei Ji naturally took the umbrella from her hand. The handle was slightly damp and carried the coolness of the rain. His gaze lingered on the slightly worn umbrella for a moment, then casually looked away, stepping aside to let her in. His tone was as usual: "Go change into some dry clothes. Although you're not soaked, your hair is damp from the summer heat. You'll feel uncomfortable if you catch a cold."

Yu Man responded, and the two walked side by side through the courtyard.

She told him about what she had seen at the night market: "...You didn't see it, but that scholar was quite handsome, though he looked so poor. The lady in the sedan chair, though only a fleeting glimpse, was truly beautiful and generous; she paid for ten days' rent right away, practically needing a writer to write it down." Her tone was tinged with the amusement of someone reading a storybook, not with much envy, but simply sharing an interesting anecdote.

Pei Ji listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the flickering lamplight, his expression remaining gentle. Only after she finished speaking did he add, "It was originally a beautiful story. It's just a pity that it's raining today, spoiling our enjoyment." He paused, his gaze returning to her face, his tone tinged with relief, "Fortunately... you brought an umbrella."

"Oh, this umbrella isn't mine," Yu Man replied casually, stopping in front of the house. "A kind person gave it to me. It's at the little stall where I eat wontons." Thinking that Pei Ji might not know Zhang Jian, and that further explanation would be pointless, she omitted the specifics of who it was, only vaguely saying it was a kind person.

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji's hand gripping the umbrella handle tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment, his knuckles turning slightly white, but his expression remained calm. He simply hummed in agreement, not pressing for details, as if it were a trivial matter. Looking at her face, damp with moisture, he said gently, "Go and take a bath and change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold."

Yu Man, unsuspecting, returned to her temporary room and closed the door.

Once her figure disappeared behind the door, the gentle expression on Pei Ji's face vanished instantly. He picked up the old oil-paper umbrella and silently walked to the courtyard.

Gu Qiu was already waiting quietly in the shadow of the pillars, holding a bowl of steaming dark brown medicine.

"My lord," he called softly, pushing the medicine bowl forward slightly.

Pei Ji did not immediately take it, but instead opened the oiled paper umbrella and gently rotated it. The water droplets fell off, revealing a few faded lotus leaves and bent lotus pods on the umbrella surface. The ink was very light, but the brushstrokes were slightly immature, suggesting that the person holding the umbrella had made it a long time ago.

Upon seeing this, Gu Qiu reported: "Zhang Jian comes from the Zhang family in the capital, and is the eldest son of the third branch of the main line. Because he did not want to enter officialdom through the family's influence, he left the capital three years ago and traveled to Laizhou to study. The Zhang family in Laizhou is considered a branch of the Zhang family in the capital. He will also be taking the autumn imperial examination this time."

Clearly, he had just gone to investigate Zhang Jian.

Pei Ji looked at the old umbrella with a deep gaze. After a moment of silence, he calmly ordered, "Dispose of it." He put the oiled paper umbrella away and handed it over.

"Yes." Gu Qiu reached out to take it.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the umbrella ribs, Pei Ji suddenly stopped. He stroked the slightly damp umbrella handle, on which seemed to still retain a very faint, cool scent that did not belong to Yu Man. He frowned and changed his mind, saying, "Never mind, keep it."

Gu Qiu couldn't immediately grasp the reason for this sudden change, but he knew his master's thoughts were unpredictable, so he didn't ask too many questions. He simply pondered the meaning behind keeping it. After a moment, he tentatively whispered, "I understand. I will store it properly in the corner of the storeroom. Madam Yu... usually won't see such a thing."

Pei Ji remained noncommittal, simply handing the umbrella back to him in silence. Gu Qiu understood immediately; he had guessed correctly. He took the umbrella and then presented the medicine bowl he had been holding again: "Young master, this is a medicine to dispel the cold. You went out to look for Lady Yu earlier and walked for quite some time in the rain; you must have caught some dampness. It would be good for you to drink a bowl."

Pei Ji's gaze fell on the dark medicine, a faint hint of something else flashing in his eyes.

Pei Ji knew Yu Man had left the manor. Instead of sending Gu Qiu to follow her, he went out on his own, relying on his intuition and the places she might be staying, searching all the way. At the corner of that quiet street, he saw the food stall, saw her sitting there, saw the dark blue figure get up, heard his conversation with the stall owner, saw Zhang Jian leave the umbrella for her, and saw her gaze as she took the umbrella and looked at his back disappearing into the rain—in that gaze, there was curiosity, gratitude, and perhaps, even a hint of appreciation for his unique temperament.

At that moment, rain soaked his shoulders, and the surging emotions in his heart were forcibly suppressed. He didn't go over, but waited until she left with the umbrella before taking a detour, pretending to have just come from another direction, creating the coincidence of their encounter at the alley entrance.

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Pei Ji took the bowl of medicine from Gu Qiu's hand; it was warm to the touch. He said softly, "Thank you." Then he tilted his head back and drank the bowl of medicine in one gulp, without even frowning.

Yu Man closed the door and went into the inner bathroom. She took a comfortable hot bath to wash away the dampness, then changed into a soft cotton nightgown. She was sitting on the soft couch by the window, idly wiping her half-wet long hair with a dry cloth.

The rain outside the window continued to fall, its gentle patter making the room all the more quiet.

Just then, my electronic pet, which hadn't spoken in a long time, suddenly beeped, its electronic voice sounding somewhat urgent:

[Host! That person is Zhang Jian!]

Yu Man paused in her hair-drying motion, somewhat puzzled: "Who is it?" She had indeed felt that the name sounded vaguely familiar when the old man mentioned it, but she hadn't thought about it deeply at the moment.

System: [Zhang Jian! That's the Zhang Jian I told you about before, the one in the original story who was tricked by Pei Ji, ultimately leading to the murder of his entire family, including his young child!]

Yu Man suddenly remembered that the electronic pet had indeed mentioned his name earlier. He came from a prominent family, was exceptionally talented, and initially admired the male protagonist. However, due to differences in ideals, family feuds, and many other complicated reasons, they eventually stood on opposite sides. She couldn't help but be surprised: "Shouldn't he be in the capital? Why is he in Laizhou? And why is he participating in the autumn imperial examination here?"

Electronic Pet: [The database shows that he is indeed from the capital city. The reason for the missing information here may be related to changes in this world line.]

Just as Yu Man was about to ask more questions, a soft knock came from outside the door.

"Xiaoman, are you asleep?" It was Pei Ji's voice.

The system immediately went silent, restoring the silence.

Yu Man composed himself and called out, "Not yet, come in."

The door was pushed open, and Pei Ji walked in, carrying a small white jade box and a peach wood comb. He seemed to have just taken a bath, as he had changed into a dark-colored casual robe with subtle patterns. His hair was still slightly damp, which made his face appear even more handsome, less gentle than usual, and more serene.

He walked to the soft couch, took the half-damp cloth from Yu Man's hand with great ease, and began to skillfully wring out the moisture from her hair.

His movements were gentle and meticulous, from root to tip, with utmost patience. After wringing the hair until it was half-dry, he separated the strands into sections, then opened the small white jade box. Inside was a lustrous paste with a delicate orchid fragrance. He took a small amount with his fingertip, spread it evenly in his palm, and then carefully applied it to one of the sections.

The Nalan ointment had a slightly cool feel and a delicate fragrance, gradually seeping into his hair as his fingertips moved through it. His slender fingers ran through his long, black hair, sometimes gently combing it smooth with a peach wood comb, sometimes massaging his scalp with his fingertips, the pressure just right, bringing waves of comfortable relaxation.

Yu Man dislikes wringing her hair the most. In the past, she would wring it halfway dry in the summer heat and then leave it alone.

Pei Ji nagged her quite a bit about this, so much so that later on, he would have her sit in a rattan chair and do it for her himself.

Yu Man relaxed his body, lazily sprawling on the soft couch, his face turned to watch the flickering lamplight cast their overlapping shadows on the wall, tears slowly welling up in his eyes. Back then, his movements were still somewhat clumsy, far from the fluid grace he displayed now.

A thought flickered in her mind. She reached out and tucked a strand of his dark hair that fell across his chest, twirling it between her fingers and then gently tugging at it. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, like the finest silk. She was a little puzzled; he didn't seem to use any special hair care methods, so how could his hair be so healthy?

Is this the male protagonist's cheat ability?

"What are you thinking about?" His deep voice came from above her head. He sensed her subtle movements but let her be.

Yu Man then released his hair, squinted her eyes, and enjoyed the service of this harem novel male protagonist. Perhaps because of what the system had said earlier, she thought a little more: "I was thinking that even if one day in the future you do something to deceive me, I might be magnanimous and forgive you once because of your excellent service skills."

As she finished speaking, the gentle combing motion behind her continued, but she remained silent.

The only sounds in the air were the continuous rain outside the window and the occasional crackling of the lamp flame.

The pause lasted so long that Yu Man felt something was off. She opened her eyes in confusion and turned to look at him.

Pei Ji gazed at her silently, the dim light casting deep shadows on his profound eyes, obscuring the emotions churning within them. After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up... Xiaoman, have any other people said anything to you these past few days?"