Fu Xia had been waiting at the Shen family's gate since early morning. As soon as she saw Shen Yun Jiao get off the carriage, she immediately ran over happily.
"The young lady is back." Seeing Shen Yunjiao return safely and unharmed, Fu Xia finally felt relieved.
Shen Yunjiao rubbed her temples slightly and forced a smile at Fu Xia. "I'm a little tired. I'll go back, take a shower, and go to sleep. I don't need to eat lunch."
"Please wait a moment, young lady." Fu Xia leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Young master, no, Prince Pei has come to see you."
"Pei Zhixuan? Where is he?" Shen Yunjiao asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Prince Pei was originally waiting at the main gate, but later the young master felt that he was standing outside like a debt collector, attracting passersby to stop and watch, so he had no choice but to invite him into the Shen residence. He is standing in the courtyard now." Fu Xia finished telling the whole story in one breath, looking at her master cautiously, afraid that her master would be angry.
Fortunately, Shen Yunjiao remained calm. "Since he's here, let's go see what he wants to do."
The sun was shining brightly, and the sky was high and clear.
In the courtyard in front of the flower hall of the Shen Mansion, the trees are lush and green, and the cicadas are chirping.
Pei Zhixuan, dressed in white, stood under the paulownia tree with a blue jade pendant hanging from his waist, a gift from Shen Yunjiao on their wedding day.
His face was as fair as jade, and his lips were very pale, just like the handsome young man described in the storybooks.
Seeing Shen Yunjiao approach, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Yun Jiao," Pei Zhixuan called softly.
After not seeing him for many days, Shen Yunjiao was surprised to find that Pei Zhixuan was now extremely thin, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
She walked up to Pei Zhixuan, frowned, and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Shen Yunjiao's gaze fell on the other person's snow-white face, and then met his cold eyes.
"Didn't we agree that you wouldn't bother me anymore?" Shen Yunjiao quickly added.
She soon noticed that Pei Zhixuan's face stiffened, and he seemed to have become much paler and weaker.
What's wrong with him? He looks like a sickly person.
Never mind, it's none of my business.
Shen Yunjiao forced herself not to pay attention to Pei Zhixuan's illness.
She didn't want to have any more entanglements with Pei Zhixuan.
Pei Zhixuan looked down at her, his gaze focused yet somewhat reserved.
After a moment, he slowly said, "When I went to the Dali Temple to sort out case documents, I heard from my subordinates that you had encountered some villains a few days ago. So I thought I'd come and see if you were alright."
Pei Zhixuan knew that Shen Yunjiao had always been timid; before their marriage, she had been frightened to tears by a street brawl.
Pei Zhixuan was worried that she would be even more frightened this time, and he was very anxious.
He disregarded his previous promises not to bother her anymore and went straight to the Shen residence to find her.
“I have already imprisoned that person, so you don’t need to worry about running into him again.”
Pei Zhixuan's voice was cold and indifferent, devoid of any emotion.
He didn't tell her that when he found out that the man had such filthy thoughts and wanted to take liberties with Shen Yunjiao, his first reaction was to chop off both of the man's hands.
Of course, he did it secretly later, but he did it discreetly enough that no one knew.
Pei Zhixuan only knew that he would not allow anyone to bully Shen Yunjiao now.
He also didn't want Shen Yunjiao to know about the intense love he harbored in his heart.
Pei Zhixuan spent countless nights filled with regret after Shen Yunjiao left.
Life is unpredictable. He missed Shen Yunjiao, who was devoted to him and insisted on marrying him despite everyone's objections, waiting for him for two whole years.
Now he understands his own feelings, but he can no longer win back Shen Yunjiao's true love.
In order to ensure that Shen Yunjiao would not feel burdened or resistant when facing him, his deep affection was destined to be kept hidden.
"Thank you." Shen Yunjiao replied briefly. She looked at Pei Zhixuan, her clear eyes filled with a sense of detachment. "Young Master Pei, if there's nothing else, please go back first. I'm exhausted."
Looking at that beautiful face, which showed obvious fatigue and worry, Pei Zhixuan said in a low voice, "I know you run the clinic by yourself and it must be very tiring, so I brought you a few helpers. These people are not only good at management and planning, but also very skilled in martial arts. With them protecting you, no dirty thing will dare to come near you."
Fearing that Shen Yunjiao would refuse outright, Pei Zhixuan added, "Don't worry, these people are all loyal servants who have followed your father since childhood. Now that they are following you, they are your loyal followers and will not serve anyone else. They have no ulterior motives."
Pei Zhixuan paused, his throat slightly itchy. He coughed softly and said with difficulty, "I will be going on a long trip in a few days, but I can't stop worrying about you, Yun Jiao. I don't ask you to love me again, but could you please accept this sentiment from me so that I can feel at ease?"
Pei Zhixuan lowered his eyes, not daring to look into those clear almond-shaped eyes, afraid that the next moment, those eyes would show the same indifference and resistance as before.
Shen Yunjiao was stunned. Pei Zhixuan must have a particularly important mission to undertake when he went on a long trip at this time.
It is highly likely that this is closely related to the current internal strife within the court.
If Shen Yunjiao's guess is correct, Pei Zhixuan should be heading to Liangyun and Liangzhou, where the Ruiwang army is stationed in the east, to seek reinforcements for Xiao Huaijin.
The original text states that the day before Pei Zhixuan was to depart, he sat alone in the ancestral hall of his home all night.
Shen Yunjiao thought that he must have been in great distress at that time, with a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind that were hard to sort out.
He didn't know whether Prince Rui was a friend or foe.
Will they be reported to Yongjing as traitors, and will the entire Duke's mansion be implicated as a result?
Pei Zhixuan had far too many things to worry about.
But now, to Shen Yunjiao's surprise, she herself has become a part of his worries.
He was probably worried about his personal safety; if unrest broke out in the capital, these bodyguards could protect her.
However, Shen Yunjiao was unwilling to accept his feelings.
"Pei Zhixuan, you can keep these people for yourself, I don't need them."
Shen Yunjiao refused, saying, "Your mother and your wife are in the Duke's mansion; these are the people you need to protect. You don't need to waste your energy on me."
“Pei Zhixuan, you don’t need to be nice to me, it’s useless.”
Upon hearing this, the expectation in Pei Zhixuan's eyes vanished instantly. He felt a dull pain in his heart, a pain like being slowly sliced apart, each cut a slicing wound.
“Shen Yunjiao, I’m good to you not for any personal gain.” Pei Zhixuan gave a bitter laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged for people to be by my mother’s side. As for my wife…”
Pei Zhixuan's eyes were deep and focused as he looked at Shen Yunjiao and slowly said, "I divorced Fang Ziyu the day before yesterday."
"I do not have a wife now."
Shen Yunjiao's eyes widened slightly.
What did he say?
Wasn't he willing to die for Fang Ziyu before? Now he's just throwing his mind away like that?
Pei Zhixuan is truly a scumbag.
Pei Zhixuan saw through Shen Yunjiao's thoughts at that moment, and his hands hanging at his sides unconsciously clenched slightly.
"I know that I wronged you first, and then I wronged Fang Ziyu."
"It was my fault, please forgive me."
The once tall and handsome man now had red eyes, his voice trembling, and he humbly begged Shen Yunjiao for forgiveness.
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