Chapter 51 "If I had known you would be like this, I would have..."
He had just met Ji Shu and learned the general outline of what had happened that day. Whether it was his possessiveness or a sudden change in his feelings for her, he couldn't help but think about the scene of them laughing and talking.
Even though he knew very little, the scenes in his mind seemed to have been witnessed by him, appearing vividly again and again.
It also gave rise to a ridiculous statement:
Why doesn't she even glance at me?
Does the wound still hurt?
Fearing she might be unwilling, he didn't move, remaining lying on his side in his position, his arm loosely supporting her waist.
The person in front of him remained motionless for a long time before finally replying, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Before he could respond, she moved away, avoiding his touch as if she had encountered something dirty.
Ji Jinghe's heart skipped a beat, and he slowly withdrew his hand.
After a long while, she said, "Yu'an, not only Pei Chengyu can help you, but I can too."
She opened her eyes, and the darkness before her amplified her senses. The surroundings were so quiet that she could only hear the cicadas chirping outside the window.
"You didn't help me when I needed you most, and you don't need it now."
Ji Jinghe became anxious: "But now you can clearly use me and use me again. Didn't you do a good job when you went to Changping last time?"
He didn't need her to pretend or hide anything; he just needed her to speak openly and honestly, like an ordinary couple.
He had never thought of it that way before, but now he had changed his mind.
He liked to be needed and longed to be relied upon. This person was not Shen Qiulan, nor Ji Shu... there was only one person, and that was Yu An.
Whenever Zhang Yanche talked about his family in front of him, he would feel extremely envious, and even secretly feel jealous.
This feeling is unbearable and torturous.
"I was ignorant last time, but I won't do it again. You are a wise man, sir, and you should know what you would do with me."
Yu An sighed inwardly, "We might as well take this opportunity to make things clear from the start."
"I'm bound to cause trouble sooner or later. You should make plans early, whether it's a divorce or a letter of separation, the sooner the better."
Ji Jinghe retorted, "Do you think I'm afraid?"
"It's not because the old man is afraid, but because he should leave a way out for his family."
This is why Yu'an insisted on sending Chu Zhuo'an to Jiangling.
Even if something happens to her, the imperial court is powerless to intervene and it won't affect her family.
But Ji Jinghe is different. The Ji family is so big, with the old and the young, that no one can escape.
She didn't care whether Ji Jinghe lived or died, but she couldn't ignore this whole family.
"The old man is the kind of person who plans a hundred steps ahead for every one step he takes. I think I've made myself clear enough."
Yu An finished speaking and fell silent.
She remained silent for a long time, so long that she thought Ji Jinghe had already fallen asleep, when she heard a sound behind her again.
"Xia Zhao's birthday banquet is in two days. I will go. My mother can't go, so you can accompany me from home."
Ji Jinghe had always been at odds with the Xia family, so he shouldn't have gone to a birthday banquet like this.
My mind inevitably wandered into wild thoughts, and the more I thought about it, the more alert I became, until I finally lost all sleepiness and couldn't lie down.
Ji Jinghe's words were true, and when Yu An met Pei Chengyu again two days later, she told him about it.
"I'm going to the Xia family banquet in a few days, maybe we'll see each other again then," Yu An said with a smile.
Pei Chengyu asked in surprise, "Lord Ji is going too?"
She nodded: "Of course, it was precisely because he wanted to go that I went with him. The elders in my family haven't been in good health lately and can't receive guests, so I had to go instead."
Pei Chengyu called her here today because he said his family was sending someone back to Jiangling, to see if she had anything to send to Jiangling.
Things are different now. Yu An has entered the secondary palace and is now rolling in money. He also has money to send gifts to Jiang Ling's maternal grandparents and Chu Zhuo An, and has someone send a whole mahogany box with them.
Yu An watched as the servant placed the box on the horse and then tied it securely with a rope as thick as a finger before feeling at ease.
Pei Chengyu seemed to be thinking about something, and after a moment of silence, he said, "If you don't want to go, will he force you?"
Yu An was taken aback for a moment, thinking he was concerned about her, and casually replied, "Of course not."
Seeing his awkwardness, she smiled and said, "Actually, most birthday banquets are just social gatherings among officials. Going there might not be comfortable. Besides... in my opinion, it's more comfortable to be at home."
Yu An thought his words were insightful, but disregarding their underlying meaning for the moment, she responded first, "It seems you don't want to go."
Pei Chengyu smiled but did not reply.
Once they were in the carriage, the master and servant finally had a chance to talk privately.
"Ever since the young lady said she was going to the Xia family's banquet, the young marquis's expression has changed."
Although they tried to hide it, some things were still noticeable.
Yu An also noticed it.
"He must know about his family's relationship with the Xia family, or rather, he knows more about it than he knows it."
And he didn't want her to see it.
Baozhu: "Is that girl just going to pretend she doesn't know anything?"
"There will be a day when we have to tear each other apart, no rush."
The day when they finally break off all pretense of civility will be the day she seeks justice for her father.
The Emperor and the Xia family have been at odds for a long time, and the officials in the court have accumulated deep resentment. The Pei family must be determined to cut their losses and survive. If they want to live and die with the Xia family, she doesn't mind.
In her heart, Pei Chengyu and the Pei family were two different things. Pei Chengyu had been kind to her, and she would not repay kindness with enmity.
As the only son of the Pei family, they would certainly not allow anything to happen to him.
Before she knew it, the day of the banquet arrived. To make a good impression, Yu An specially chose a dress that wasn't too flashy, which was considered quite formal compared to her usual attire.
She wore a smoky-colored jacket with gold embroidery of begonia patterns, and the collar and cuffs were inlaid with silver thread in the shape of intertwined lotus flowers. When the hem of the jacket swayed lightly, the gold-threaded begonias seemed to bloom with each step.
The white jade belt around her waist was inlaid with gold wire, and three silver bells hung from the corner of her clothes, making a clear and crisp sound as she walked.
Her eyebrows were drawn with intricate black ink to resemble distant mountains, her eyes were lightly tinted with rouge, and her lips were coated with rose ointment, the color delicate yet understated. A pair of pearl earrings further accentuated her porcelain-white skin, and the pearls on her hair ornaments swayed gently with her head nodding. A silver begonia hairpin was tucked diagonally into her temple, occasionally touching the hair ornaments with a very soft sound.
Baozhu sighed, "Girl, you should have dressed up a long time ago."
Yu An glanced at Bao Zhu in the mirror and chuckled, "Yes, it's been so long since I've worn these clothes."
If I don't wear it now, I might not have the chance again.
Just as Pei Chengyu said, after she arrived there, she knew very few people. Even if she knew someone, she couldn't strike up a conversation. Fortunately, there were a couple of women who took the initiative to talk to her, so she wasn't all alone.
They kept talking about her time in the palace, living in the Shou Kang Palace.
“I sent my wife several kilograms of high-quality donkey-hide gelatin. She used it regularly and her blood and energy were restored in less than half a year.”
Yu An nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I'm using it right now, and it really is good."
Having met many people in the palace, she gradually learned to navigate social situations skillfully and was adept at maneuvering through the words of others.
They were willing to approach her, and she didn't resist, laughing and joking along, seemingly a completely different person.
The banquet had not yet started, and after Yu'an got tired of standing in the garden, she went directly to the corridor to rest, accompanied by Baozhu.
"I haven't seen the young marquis today..."
"He must be in the main hall with the old man and the others," Yu'an guessed.
Even after not dressing up for a long time, Yu'an still felt uncomfortable. Her scalp was being pulled, and her clothes were tightly binding her. Ordinary clothes were much more comfortable to wear.
Baozhu sat to the side with a smile, fanning Yu'an with a round fan, and said with a proud look, "Miss often says that she is not as pretty as others, but today I saw from a distance that Miss is the most radiant and beautiful one in the crowd."
Yu An couldn't help but laugh out loud, "It's not that exaggerated!"
"Madam Wang looks much better than me, so don't go around spreading rumors about me."
Baozhu pouted: "That's right."
The master and servant were having a good chat, looking out from the corridor at the bamboo grove that was about to turn to twilight, finding a rare moment of peace amidst the hustle and bustle.
"The Xia family is rich. I'm definitely going to eat my fill at the banquet later," Baozhu whispered.
The Xia family, being particular about etiquette, would prepare special banquets for the maids and servants brought by wealthy and powerful families, but the mealtime would be later than the main banquet.
Yu An was about to speak when a voice suddenly came from in front of her.
"It's you?"
Her figure was similar to Ji Jinghe's, but her tone was very different. In that dazzling moment, the other person happened to be backlit, making it impossible for her to see him clearly.
As he drew closer, Yu-an finally recognized him.
He is Yan Ling, the eldest son of Yan Jun.
The last time the two met was at Shen Qiulan's birthday banquet.
"Lord Yan." She stood up and bowed.
Yan Ling followed suit and bowed.
"Everyone has already moved to the front hall, why is Madam Ji still here?"
"The flowers and plants in Grand Secretary Xia's garden are beautiful, so I wanted to take a closer look. I'm getting ready to go now."
Despite being from the same school, Ji Jinghe rarely had any contact with him, whether to avoid suspicion or for other reasons is unknown.
Yu An was unaware of their private affairs, but she had had contact with Yan Ling, though it had been quite some time and she couldn't quite remember it.
She smiled and asked, "What brings you here, sir? Are you here to enjoy the scenery too?"
Yan Lingren, true to his name, had a cold expression. "I got lost and happened to end up here. I heard a noise in the distance and found it was you."
"What a coincidence..."
Just as Yu An was about to leave, Yan Ling spoke up again.
"I never expected that he wouldn't divorce you."
"Because of your Chu family, you lost your position in the cabinet. When has he ever tolerated such a setback?" he said slowly, his tone still arrogant and domineering.
Yu An smiled wryly, "It seems that Lord Yan really enjoys watching others make fools of themselves."
"Back then, didn't you also enjoy watching others make a fool of themselves?"
To this day, he still remembers the way she drugged the people who bullied her, and how she secretly gloated in the corner after succeeding.
Yu'an knew what he was referring to, and she felt a surge of anger inside. Although she smiled, she wasn't about to let him off the hook.
"The young Grand Secretary remembers such trivial matters clearly. If they hadn't bullied me, why would I have done that?"
Yu An tilted her head. "If I had known you were like this, I should have taught you a lesson back then."
Yu An doesn't usually make harsh statements, but the person opposite him is Yan Ling.
Even Yan Lingye admitted that she knew him, and was even familiar with him.
"Ji Jinghe stepped down from the cabinet, and in the blink of an eye you entered the cabinet..."
"The young Grand Secretary has enjoyed all the benefits, yet he still mocks others behind their backs. This is truly not the behavior of a gentleman."
Yan Ling scoffed coldly.
As soon as Yu An shifted her gaze, she vaguely saw a figure in the distance, and the smile on her face immediately faded.
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