Chapter 49 She must hate him to death

Pei Yu, who was sitting to the side, lit up when he heard Yan Niang's voice. He probably understood why. Huiyin valued Yan Niang very much, and was even willing to risk her life for her.

He yelled at Yan Niang in a fit of rage yesterday. Hui Yin didn't say anything, but she must have been angry with him.

Pei Yu sat there, a smile on his face, and said softly to Yan Niang, "What kind of berry drink is this? Let me try some too."

Yan Niang stopped in her tracks, glanced at Huiyin who remained silent, and found it somewhat amusing. Why were these two acting like children, bickering? She poured a bowl of drink and placed it next to Pei Yu, smiling as she said, "It's made with berries, sweet and sour, young general, please try it."

Pei Yu picked up the teacup and took a sip. His cheeks were sore from the sour taste. He frowned, wondering why the tea was so sour.

He paused for a moment, then tilted his head back and drank the bowl in one gulp. After the initial sourness subsided, he lied and praised, "It's...delicious, the taste is very unique."

Yan Niang smiled, her eyes crinkling. "If the young general likes it, that's fine." Someone outside was gently calling her. Yan Niang bowed, got up, and went out.

Pei Yu was getting anxious. He secretly glanced at Huiyin. Why hadn't she made a move yet? He had already shown goodwill to Yan Niang, so why was she still angry? Did he have to apologize to Yan Niang in person?

Seeing that Yan Niang was about to leave, and Hui Yin still seemed oblivious to what was happening around her, Pei Yu became furious and raised his voice, "Yan Niang... I was wrong yesterday."

Once those opening words were spoken, the rest wasn't so difficult: "I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you unnecessarily, please forgive me."

Yan Niang was completely terrified and stammered, "Young General...you..."

Pei Yan was still young and at an age where he cared a lot about his reputation. Although he was somewhat surprised that Huiyin had provoked him to apologize to her, he was not too astonished.

Pei Yu, however, was born into a noble family, had made outstanding contributions, and was a high-ranking official of the emperor. Even the crown prince and the Prince of Wu had to give him some respect. In his life, apart from the emperor and empress, no one could make him bow his head.

It was utterly unbelievable that such a distinguished and illustrious person would apologize to a mere servant like her. Yan Niang was at a loss and hurriedly looked at Huiyin.

Pei Yu also looked over, his hands sweating. He had never been this nervous, not even when he led troops in an ambush for the first time.

Huiyin paused in writing, then finished the last word, "Mother Fu, you may leave now."

Yan Niang breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Pei Yu whose expression had softened, and hurriedly left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

After Yan Niang left, only the two of them remained in the room. Pei Yu stepped forward and said, "I have apologized to Yan Niang. You... are you not angry anymore?"

Huiyin hadn't intended for Pei Yu to apologize to Yan Niang, but his sudden outburst startled both Yan Niang and Huiyin.

“Young General, you really don’t need to do this for me,” Huiyin paused, then continued, “You are of noble status, and there are plenty of people willing to serve you…”

Before Huiyin could finish speaking, Pei Yu began to take off his clothes. He moved quickly, and in the blink of an eye, his outer garment was thrown on the ground.

Huiyin paused, "What are you going to do?"

Pei Yu remained silent, only continuing to undress.

Huiyin tensed up and stood up to walk backward, but Pei Yu was not about to let her go. With a single movement of his hand, he easily pressed Huiyin back down.

"Don't do anything reckless." Huiyin looked at him warily, grabbing the bamboo slips on the table in her hand.

Pei Yu leaned forward slightly, and her loose inner garment fell down, revealing, from her angle, the firm and smooth muscle lines beneath the garment all the way down to her waistband.

Several ambiguous red marks were visible below his collarbone. He leaned closer to Huiyin, pulling her close to his chest. "Look."

Huiyin blushed from the heat of his chest, tilted her head back, and shouted angrily, "What are you looking at!"

"Let me go!"

Pei Yu clicked his tongue, gave a faint smile, and said with sharp, bright eyes, "I won't tease you. Take a closer look."

Huiyin blushed with anger and turned away without saying a word.

Pei Yu had no choice but to lower his head and gently blow air into her ear, his voice sounding like a coquettish whisper, "Look at this."

Huiyin's ears turned red, and she glared at him, unable to contain herself any longer, and said irritably, "What are you looking at?"

“This.” Pei Yu pointed to the three red marks on his chest.

Huiyin remained silent for a moment: "The hickey isn't mine, so what?"

Pei Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a soft, enigmatic chuckle. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "Take a closer look."

Huiyin gritted her teeth and looked closely. In the center of the tiny red mark was a wound the size of a pinhole, which looked like a mosquito bite.

“I did go there yesterday, but I didn’t go there to indulge in debauchery,” Pei Yu said solemnly. “I said I wouldn’t betray you, so why would I touch other women?”

Huiyin's expression froze for a moment, and Pei Yu took the opportunity to let go and hug her, deeply inhaling the fragrance on her neck. Only then did his restless heart calm down.

Pei Yu was absolutely certain that he had been poisoned by a deadly poison called Huiyin, but he accepted it willingly.

He whispered, "Don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Huiyin didn't speak, so he leaned closer, gently rubbing his face against her ear and lightly pecking her cheek.

Huiyin instinctively clenched her hands, her nails digging deep into her palms, trying to remind herself through the pain not to make another foolish mistake. Men's words cannot be trusted.

The image of him and Li Yingyue standing together, smiling, in the Feiliu Water Pavilion flashed before her eyes. Madam Pei had meaningfully asked him to come to the Li family in five days, and he hadn't refused. He was about to be engaged to someone else, yet here he was telling her that he wouldn't let her down.

Whether they're men or not, they're all like this: making promises lightly and then just as easily forgetting them.

Huiyin wanted to laugh, but was afraid that she would burst into tears if she laughed. She pushed Pei Yu away, her face showing a mocking expression that Pei Yu had never seen before. "Young General, if you go to the Nanqu Pavilion, with your looks and sweet words, you will definitely be the one most popular with the Madam."

Nanqu Pavilion, the largest Chu-style restaurant in Chang'an, exclusively catered to female guests.

Pei Yu's eyes were icy cold, and his voice sounded like it was being squeezed out between clenched teeth, "What did you say?"

Huiyin gave a mocking smirk, suppressing the harsh words in her heart. She was afraid that if she really went too far, Pei Yu would not be able to resist kicking her out. At least for now, she could not leave the Pei residence.

She suppressed her anger, turned her back and apologized, "I was momentarily enraged and spoke falsely. I hope the young general will forgive me."

Pei Yu stared intently at her retreating figure, feeling as if he had fallen from heaven to hell in an instant. He couldn't understand why Huiyin would act this way when everything had been explained clearly just moments before.

Pei Yu suppressed his anger and reached out to pull her away, saying, "Explain yourself clearly."

Huiyin avoided Pei Yu's hand and said calmly, "I was wrong."

Pei Yu felt a rush of blood to his brain, his temples throbbing and throbbing with pain, and a deep sense of powerlessness wrapped around him like vines, making it hard for him to breathe.

The windows creaked and swayed back and forth in the wind, seemingly mocking how ridiculous his earlier groveling had been.

He whispered, his voice devoid of its previous tenderness, filled only with anger: "Song Huiyin, you're really something!"

Pei Yu slammed the door shut and left. The force was so great that the already overburdened wooden door collapsed, startling the two people talking in the courtyard.

Yan Niang quickly ran to the door and saw Huiyin standing stiffly in the center of the room, her drooping fingertips tightly gripping her dress.

Huiyin's voice was very soft, "Mother Fu, he is getting engaged."

Yan Niang's breath hitched. This was too fast. She had heard that Madam Pei was looking for a noblewoman for Pei Yu, but she had kept it from Huiyin for fear of upsetting her. She thought it wouldn't be decided anytime soon, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but Huiyin turned around first and smiled at her, "Have someone come and fix the door."

Her tone was unreadable, but her forced smile and reddened eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

Yan Niang waved for someone to carry the fallen wooden door out. All repairs to the houses in the palace had to be reported to the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household Department), so it was estimated that it wouldn't be repaired anytime soon.

She found a piece of gauze curtain and hung it on the door frame. The tassels hanging at the bottom swayed gently, and the light and shadow flowed around them.

For the next few days, Huiyin acted as if nothing had happened, eating, drinking, and sleeping well. When she had nothing to do, she would accompany Yanniang to do some needlework and go out for a stroll with He Jiaying. Yanniang's heart finally settled down.

The day before Huiyin's birthday, He Jiaying came running over excitedly. She was wearing a ruqun embroidered with begonia flowers, and she twirled around, her eyes sparkling and her demeanor bright and lovely.

"Huiyin, Huiyin, do I look good in this outfit?"

Huiyin had been quite sleepy these past few days. Madam Pei was angry and treated her as if she didn't exist. With Pei Yu not around, no one paid any attention to her either. She didn't get up until 9 AM. Her cheeks were rosy and full from just waking up, and her soft hair was draped behind her.

Seeing He Jiaying's excited face, she couldn't help but feel happy too. "You look beautiful. Are you going out?"

He Jiaying covered her lips, revealing only her bright eyes, "This was sent by Guo Lian through someone."

Huiyin didn't need to go out, and she didn't bother to dress up much. She was wearing a comfortable and soft crimson robe and was having breakfast under the eaves. Upon hearing He Jiaying's words, she suddenly found the food in front of her tasteless, and after taking a couple of bites, she had it taken away.

He Jiaying cherished that dress; every move she made was even more ladylike than usual, her walking, sitting, and lying down were exemplary.

After showing off, she leaned close to Huiyin mysteriously and asked, "Did you hear my cousin arguing?"

Huiyin held up a finger to her forehead, pushed her away, and said helplessly, "Don't meddle in things that have nothing to do with you."

He Jiaying said angrily, "Don't think I don't know. You two were inseparable just a couple of days ago, practically glued to each other. But these past few days, my cousin has been staying in the garden and hasn't come back. What else could it be but a fight?"

"Is it because my cousin is getting engaged to Li Yingyue?"

Huiyin paused in her act of getting up, then walked back into the inner room as if everything had happened, her tone calm, "No, don't make wild guesses."

He Jiaying hurriedly got up and followed her, forgetting even to protect her beloved dress. She lifted her skirt and ran up to stop Huiyin, "I only found out today. Tomorrow, my aunt is going to bring my cousin to formally visit the Li family. If they really go, this matter will be settled!"

Huiyin: "What does this have to do with me?"

"How can it be unrelated?" He Jiaying suddenly raised her voice, "Do you really want your cousin to marry someone else?"

Huiyin shook her head with a wry smile, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. "Who he chooses to marry is none of my business."

Huiyin gave a self-deprecating laugh and walked past He Jiaying into the building.

He Jiaying stood there helplessly. How could Huiyin be helpless? Couldn't she do anything?

“Huiyin…”

“He Jiaying,” Huiyin’s weary voice came through, “I don’t want to hear any more of this.”

He Jiaying was about to persuade her again when Yan Niang pulled her away in time, giving her a meaningful look. Huiyin appeared fine on the surface these past few days, but in reality, she had been on edge the whole time.

Yan Niang sighed, "Miss He, my wife knows all this, but she is just a concubine. How can she interfere in my husband's marriage?"

He Jiaying sat down sullenly, cupped her face in her hands and muttered, "I tried to persuade my aunt, but she wouldn't listen. And my cousin too, how could he agree to that!"

Yan Niang pursed her lips and didn't say anything. She had seen countless men in her life, and she couldn't find a single good one out of a hundred. She had thought Pei Yu was an exception, but she never expected him to be just another ordinary man.

He Jiaying continued to complain, "Huiyin is dignified and generous, elegant and refined, intelligent and kind-hearted, beautiful inside and out. We are not satisfied with her. What can Li Yingyue do to compare with Huiyin except for her family background! If it were before, she couldn't even compare with her family background."

Yan Niang wholeheartedly agreed with He Jiaying's words and found her more and more pleasing to the eye. She poured herself a pot of tea and sat down next to He Jiaying to chat with her.

Ah Heng hurried in from outside, glanced at He Jiaying subtly, and gestured for Yan Niang to come over.

Yan Niang clapped her hands, walked over, and asked, "What's wrong?"

“A young man has come to see you, my lady,” Aheng whispered.

Yan Niang looked suspicious and told A Heng to keep quiet while she went out to take a look. There were three people standing not far from Yingfeng Pavilion. She recognized the one in the lead very well; it was Wang Huan, who had almost become engaged to Huiyin.

Behind him were two servants in dark robes, one carrying a wooden box and the other with a tall wooden box about half his height standing at his feet.

After recognizing the person at a glance, Yan Niang calmly returned to the courtyard and made up a few words to dispel He Jiaying's doubts. Taking advantage of her inattention, she secretly slipped into the house and found Huiyin.

Huiyin thought she had misheard, "Wang Huan?"

Yan Niang affirmed, "I am not mistaken, it is indeed Young Master Wang."

Huiyin guessed that Wang Huan had come to deliver ancient books to her, but Wang Huan was always very proper, so why had he come in person today? If Madam Pei saw him, she would surely get another scolding.

She went straight out of the house. He Jiaying was sitting under the eaves playing backgammon with Aheng, unaware of what was happening on her side. Huiyin felt relieved and went out to see Wang Huan, avoiding everyone.

Wang Huan was dressed in a pristine white robe, his black hair flowing like a waterfall, tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and his eyes and brows were gentle.

"Huiyin, I've brought you all the ancient books you requested."

Huiyin looked at the wooden box held in the arms of the servant behind him. It was heavy and had a considerable weight. "You could have just had someone bring it to me. Why did you have to come all this way yourself?"

Wang Huan's eyes seemed to hold starlight, his gaze calm and sincere. "Tomorrow is your birthday, I definitely have to come in person."

Huiyin let out a soft breath, lowered her eyes and smiled wryly, "You still remember."

“I’ve always remembered that today is your eighteenth birthday. This is my birthday gift to you.” Wang Huan took the life-sized wooden box from the servant behind him and handed it to Yan Niang behind Huiyin.

Huiyin asked, "What is this?"

Wang Huan said softly, "Nine Heavens Jade Pendant".

The Nine Heavens Jade Pendant was a twenty-five-stringed zither passed down to her by her mother. Its tone was clear and melodious, soaring straight to the heavens, grand and majestic. It was also Huiyin's favorite item in the past.

This item was very valuable. When the Song family was in trouble, it was confiscated along with their mansion. Huiyin thought she would never be able to play this zither again, but unexpectedly, Wang Huan found it for her.

For her, the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant was not just a beloved object, but also a keepsake from her deceased mother.

"Thank you..." Huiyin choked up a little, biting her lip to keep herself from being impolite.

Wang Huan sighed inwardly. He had seen Huiyin and Pei Yu being intimate on the mountain that day and had convinced himself not to disturb them. But today, upon hearing that Pei Yu was about to get engaged to Li Yingyue, he could no longer sit still and used the excuse of delivering a gift to find Huiyin.

Wang Huan raised his hand and gently patted Huiyin's head, then said resolutely, "Huiyin, no matter what, I will always be behind you. Don't be afraid."

Huiyin lowered her head, not daring to look up at Wang Huan. She had actually understood Wang Huan's feelings a long time ago, but she had been running away from them and couldn't respond to him.

"Wang Huan, I am no longer the Huiyin I once was, you mustn't..."

Wang Huan gently interrupted her, "Huiyin, let's not talk about this for now, okay?"

Huiyin was in a state of confusion and nodded haphazardly in agreement.

Meanwhile, He Jiaying was hiding behind the door, gritting her teeth and peeping. Luckily, she was clever enough to pretend she knew nothing and play around, otherwise Huiyin would have found an excuse to send her away, and she wouldn't have seen this scene.

He Jiaying cursed inwardly. She used to admire Wang Huan, but she never expected him to be a hypocrite. He took advantage of her cousin and Huiyin's quarrel to sneak in, giving her gifts and patting her head. He wanted to steal Huiyin from the Pei family, but he would have to see if He Jiaying would agree.

——

At midday, the drill ground, which should have been a quiet place for rest, was filled with a clamor of voices. In the center of the field, several layers of red-armored soldiers surrounded the area.

Pei Yu was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit. He had broad shoulders and a narrow back, and his tall stature was like a standing figure. He casually held a long wooden stick in his hand, with the tip of the stick touching the ground. His piercing gaze swept over the dozen or so strong bodyguards who were surrounding him but dared not approach.

Pei Yu scoffed, "Haven't you eaten yet?"

A dozen or so guards exchanged glances and, without further hesitation, gripped their wooden sticks and charged forward. The muffled thuds of their collisions, heavy breathing, and groans of pain mingled together, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat and dust.

Chi Yan squatted on the ground in utter helplessness, counting the days on his fingers. It had been four days already; the young general had been training troops in the garden for a full four days.

For the next four days, he spent every morning training his troops on the battlefield, practicing archery and horsemanship, eating and living with his soldiers and officers from morning till night without rest. The entire Tiger Warrior Battalion was constantly complaining about how tough it was.

The Tiger General, who had just been beaten and left with a bruised and swollen face, complained, "This is even more tiring than the days His Majesty went hunting to set up defenses. What's wrong with the young general? Why is he so angry?"

Chi Yan stroked his chin, he roughly understood what had happened, and he sighed softly, "What do you think of a young man who has just broken his virginity and suddenly been kicked out of his room?"

The man instantly understood, gave a sly smile, and stopped complaining. After all, who would be upset with a man left alone in an empty house, especially one who had just lost his virginity?

Chi Yan squinted at the blazing sun high in the sky. He should be taking a nap on his cool, soft bed right now, not watching a bunch of burly men spar. If Fang Mu were here, he could at least crack a few jokes to lighten the mood, no matter what.

He squinted, propped himself up on one leg, and dozed off when he heard a familiar, sharp voice, "Do you know who I am!"

The voice sounded familiar. Chi Yan turned his head to look and saw that the woman standing in front of the two soldiers, hands on her hips and shouting angrily, was none other than his spoiled daughter, He.

Seeing that the two soldiers were sticking to the rules and wouldn't let her go, He Jiaying got angry and wanted to force her way in. Chi Yan quickly sat up and rushed over to mediate.

Chi Yan waved his hand and dismissed the soldier who had been scolded mercilessly by He Jiaying. He then looked at He Jiaying ingratiatingly and said, "Miss He, what brings you here?"

He Jiaying stood with her hands on her hips, her face flushed, and muttered, "Those two people are so clueless! I told them Pei Yu is my cousin, but they still wouldn't let me go!"

Chi Yan smiled apologetically, "They're just following the rules."

He Jiaying waved her hand impatiently, looking around, "Take me to see my cousin quickly, I have something urgent to do."

“Miss He, the young general is training the troops. It’s not a good time to call him. Why don’t you wait a bit?” Chi Yan asked hesitantly. The young general had a bad temper, and he didn’t want to provoke him at this time.

"I can wait, but if Huiyin gets angry because I'm late, I won't care." He Jiaying crossed her arms, squinted her eyes and smiled, looking like she was keeping someone in suspense.

Chi Yan immediately said, "Please wait a moment, I'll go and call them right away."

Chi Yan squeezed into the circle in a flash. Pei Yu had already taken down three groups of people and was about to fight the fourth group when Chi Yan rushed over and grabbed Pei Yu's arm.

"Young General, Miss He has something urgent to discuss with you."

Pei Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, and the veins on his forehead were even slightly bulging, throbbing impatiently. He stared at Chi Yan expressionlessly, "What is she doing here? Tell her to leave."

Despite Pei Yu's imposing presence, Chi Yan continued, "She said it concerns Lady Song."

The name "Song Niangzi" seemed like a magic pill. Before Chi Yan could react, he saw his young general swiftly drop the wooden stick in his hand and stride away.

Chi Yan followed closely behind him, offering him a clean handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and led Pei Yu to the main room where He Jiaying was.

As they entered, He Jiaying was pacing anxiously around the room. Upon seeing them, she rushed forward and shouted, "Cousin, do you know that tomorrow is Huiyin's eighteenth birthday!"

Pei Yu paused in wiping his sweat, slightly lifting his eyelids. "What did you say?"

He Jiaying rushed up to the two of them, speaking very quickly, "Today, Wang Huan came to Huiyin's door and gave her a zither, saying it was a gift for her eighteenth birthday. He also said some random things and touched Huiyin's head!"

"Cousin, if you don't go back soon, Huiyin will be taken away!"

Pei Yu's face turned cold when he heard that Wang Huan had given Huiyin a zither as a birthday gift. When he heard Wang Huan touch Huiyin's head, his jaw tightened, and his originally handsome face became extremely tense, revealing a sense of suppression.

Hearing He Jiaying's words, he scoffed, his brows furrowing. "Let her do whatever she wants. If I interfere, I'm a dog!"

"You..." He Jiaying couldn't help but curse, "How dare you be angry? You're the one who wronged her, you're the one who wanted to get engaged to Li Yingyue, how can you blame her!"

Pei Yu froze as he turned to leave, his gaze turning cold as he stared at He Jiaying. "Who am I to be engaged to?"

“Li Yingyue! Haven’t you already met her? You even promised your aunt that you would go to the Li family with her tomorrow.”

He Jiaying was furious. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Huiyin. "You treat her so badly. If I were Huiyin, I would hate you to death!"

After she finished shouting, her nose was red and her eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful. Seeing Pei Yu's gloomy face, she couldn't help but feel scared again, so she pushed past him and ran out.

Chi Yan was forced to listen to this, and couldn't help but grit her teeth. She glanced at Pei Yu's ugly face, said nothing, and chased after He Jiaying out.

Pei Yu was the only one left in the main room. The words, “If I were Huiyin, I would hate you to death, I would hate you to death,” kept echoing in his ears.

He took a deep breath, his chest aching with a dull ache. Pei Yu covered his face with one hand and knelt on the ground, his eyes uncontrollably welling up with hot tears.

The stinging sensation in his nose made it hard for him to breathe. He recalled Huiyin's unusual behavior yesterday. When Huiyin leaned against him, she knew that he was getting engaged to someone else while still trying to coax her and say those nonsense things. He wondered what she was thinking.

She must be in great pain, even more so than he is now. She must hate him to death, despise him, and never want to see him again.