Chapter 10 Hidden Thoughts For some reason, she no longer wanted to run away...

After nightfall, Chun Tao went into the room to light the lamp, only to find her young mistress sitting at the table, staring intently at the words in front of her.

"Miss, it's getting dark. Shall we look at this writing again tomorrow?"

Lin Zhi then came to her senses. She had been absent-minded ever since she returned from Lanxue Pavilion and hadn't even noticed that it was getting dark.

Turning her head slightly to avoid Chun Tao's concerned gaze, Lin Zhi felt a secret unease: "There's no need to order dinner. Prepare water for my bath."

She submerged herself in the slightly warm petal water, but Lin Zhi's heart remained cold and damp. She felt something was wrong with her. She had clearly planned to live a peaceful life with her second cousin, so why was she so easily swayed by Pei Lang's every move today?

Pei Lang was a prodigy from a young age, with outstanding looks and character, making him someone that many noble ladies in the capital would shy away from. Lin Zhi was no exception; although she was afraid of him, she couldn't hide her admiration. But at that time, she was just proud of her cousin's outstanding appearance.

Pei Lang was like a lotus, only to be admired from afar, but once Lin Zhi came into contact with a living person, she felt that she had changed.

Especially when he looked at her with a cold face, she should be afraid of Pei Lang, as she always had been, but for some reason, she didn't want to run away now, and wanted to receive a word of praise from him.

Scooping up a handful of fragrant water and splashing it on her face, Lin Zhi couldn't tell whether she was becoming more clear-headed or more lost in the moment.

Lin Zhi patted her cheeks with her wet hands, forcing herself to clear her head: "It must be because my second cousin left home, and I'm so lonely. No one's playing with me anymore, that's why I'm overthinking things!"

"Thinking about Pei Lang... he must have been too tired from studying today!"

As Chun Tao wrung out her thick, black hair with a cloth, she glanced at the young lady's delicate, rosy face, which looked like a freshly baked, fragrant pastry bathed in the rising steam.

"Miss, are you not very happy today? You didn't have dinner and you're going to bed so early."

Lin Zhi changed into dry pajamas, but her heart was still not at peace. She shook her head perfunctorily, "Nothing's wrong, I'm just a little tired. You should go back and rest too."

Chun Tao looked back every few steps before quietly closing the door, still feeling somewhat worried.

Miss didn't have dinner today, so Chun Tao thought she would go to the kitchen to inform Yi Sheng that tomorrow's breakfast should be sent early. But she didn't expect that as soon as she came out of the kitchen, she saw the eldest young master being pushed out of the mansion by Xing Yun beside him.

Chun Tao had just seen the doctor come out of Lanxue Pavilion during the day, so she couldn't help but feel a little strange. "Young Master is such a busy man. Even though he's injured like this, he still has to go out to do errands."

The night view of the capital is magnificent, and the most eye-catching building on the long street is the bright and elegant Zuisheng Pavilion.

One after another, luxurious carriages stopped in front of the restaurant, but only the carriages from the Pei residence exuded a refined and elegant air.

Pei Lang was put back into his wheelchair and pushed into a private room on the second floor by Xing Yun. He had just poured himself a cup of tea when the door to the room was pushed open rudely: "Young Master Pei, you really have a refined taste. Even though you're almost crippled, you still don't forget your brothers. Is this your last good meal?"

The young man who flashed in with the sound was dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, the front of which was open to below his collarbone. He casually patted Pei Lang on the shoulder.

"Shiyun, watch your words. Our Master Shao is as powerful as ever."

Before the clear, elegant male voice had even finished speaking, Pei Lang, sitting in his wheelchair, stretched out his long leg and kicked Fang Shiyun's leg hard, the movement graceful and casual: "Even if someone is to be crippled, it will be you, not me."

Fang Shiyun winced in pain and sat down, grimacing: "You're really something. It's been so many years since you've been on the battlefield, and your strength hasn't diminished at all."

"Xie Zheng, does your Dali Temple need any more thugs? Hurry up and find a good place for Junior Tutor Pei. It's a waste of his talents to be Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince."

The gentle and refined young man sat down at the table and chuckled, "I can't afford to employ Pei Lang. Why don't His Majesty and the Crown Prince dismiss me from my position as Junior Minister?"

"Lord Pei, you don't come to our halls without a reason. Now is the perfect time for you to 'recuperate' yourself, so why did you call us out?"

Pei Lang smiled, his long legs landing gracefully as he stood up from his wheelchair and sat down between the two of them. "As expected of the 'Jade-Faced Asura,' you are indeed much smarter than those money-grubbing imperial merchants."

Fang Shiyun clicked his tongue but didn't refute it, since it was the truth.

"If you want to ask about Prime Minister He, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The old man knows that you're recuperating from your injuries and not attending court, and he's beaming every day, as if he can live another ten years to oppose you."

Pei Lang chuckled: "No, it's more important than that."

What do young girls who have just reached the age of marriage need on a daily basis?

Fang Shiyun had been listening intently to what royal secrets Pei Lang was going to reveal, but then he said something like this, causing him to spit out his fine tea that he had just taken a sip.

"Pei Lang! Have you been possessed? Or have you gone mad?"

"How could such words come out of your mouth? Tell me! What kind of demon or monster are you?!"

Pei Lang ignored him. He knew that Xie Zheng had a younger sister who was about the same age as Lin Zhi, which was why he called her out.

Xie Zheng didn't react that strongly, but he still found it strange: "Are you asking because of your little cousin at home? Aren't you always distant from your family?"

Pei Lang filled his cup with wine and said with emotion, "No matter how close we are, I am still Pei Mingli's older brother. Before he went to war, he repeatedly told me to take good care of my cousin."

But when he came out with this explanation, not only did his two friends not believe him, but he himself also found it absurd.

Under their gazes, Pei Lang raised a thick eyebrow: "Alright, I'll just say this to you two, don't let it get out."

"Pei Mingli's mother intends to match them up, and this cousin might become my brother's wife in the future. How could I refuse?"

Fang Shiyun chuckled, "I didn't expect you to treat your younger brother so well. But if he were even slightly greedy, you would have dealt with him long ago."

"I don't know if he's really smart or really stupid."

“But I heard that your cousin is an orphan who lost her parents at a young age. How can someone of such social standing be worthy of the Pei family? She would be barely fit to be a concubine.”

Pei Lang understood perfectly well, but he didn't want to say anything more. He simply had Xingyun write down what Xie Zheng had mentioned and told him to buy it back in the correct quantity.

The next morning, Lin Zhi, with her dark circles under her eyes, waited at the entrance of Lanxue Pavilion for Lan Xin to open the door.

However, after opening the door today, Lin Zhi keenly sensed that Lan Xin's hostility towards her seemed to have deepened considerably. Yesterday, she at least maintained a semblance of civility, but today she wouldn't even give her a proper look, which angered Chun Tao so much that she wanted to speak several times, but Lin Zhi suppressed her words each time.

"Miss! What's with that Lan Xin's arrogance? No matter how respectable she is, she's still just a servant! How dare she give you attitude!"

Lin Zhi frowned slightly: "Shh, this is my cousin's territory. Do you think I can overstep my bounds and discipline his people?"

"How did she upset her cousin?"

Pei Lang's voice came from behind the two girls, startling them so much that they couldn't help but clasp their hands together.

Lin Zhi paused for a moment, then turned around with a polite smile and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, cousin."

"Just now, Chun Tao said a few words casually. Miss Lan was just being herself and did not offend A Zhi in any way."

Pei Lang's gaze swept across her face, and he remained silent for a moment as if he didn't believe her, but ultimately said nothing.

"Since there's no problem, come and practice your calligraphy. Since you're by my side, you must work hard and not slack off."

"Yes." Lin Zhi followed behind Pei Lang while giving Chun Tao a wink.

"You're not allowed to say those things again."

Chun Tao hadn't expected to be caught red-handed by her master, and nodded somewhat fearfully, pursing her lips.