Chapter 83 As the night deepened and the dew grew heavier, he finally leaned down, his lips warm, like…
In the hall, Wang Li wore a black brocade robe, with large lotus patterns embroidered in silver thread on the hem, which was both elegant and noble.
Upon seeing Meng Lingyao, he went straight to the point without exchanging pleasantries: "Miss Meng, I have come here today because of the shop on Shifang Street."
Meng Lingyao's eyes flickered slightly as she waited for the next part to continue.
"I've thought about what happened the other day and I feel it was inappropriate. That girl Jingqiu, after she went back..." He gave a wry smile, but his eyes contained a hint of doting and helplessness, "she's been blocking my door almost every day, and even complained to my mother, saying that I was unreasonable and bullied her respected older sister. She also praised Miss Meng in the capital for her skillful management and extraordinary insight, saying she was unparalleled in the world."
He paused, looking sincerely at Meng Lingyao, "Though I am dull-witted, I know that Jingqiu is kind-hearted and has excellent judgment. The person she protects so much must have extraordinary qualities. Furthermore, I have also had a deep conversation with my cousin, and he is indeed undecided. Knowing that someone else was interested in the shop, he took the initiative to give it up. Thinking of this, I feel deeply that my previous wavering has truly failed Miss Meng's sincerity. I have come here today specifically to ask Miss Meng, are you... still willing to take over the shop on Shifang Street?"
What a dramatic turn of events! Manager Qian, who was listening from the side, almost clapped his hands in approval. He forced himself to suppress his excitement, turned his head to look at Meng Lingyao, and waited for her reply.
Meng Lingyao's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. "Young Master Wang, you flatter me. In that case, I still want the shop."
"Okay!" Wang Li seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then added, "To express my apology, I'm willing to lower the price by another 10% from what we originally agreed upon. Consider it compensation for the trouble I caused Miss Meng, and hopefully it will make up for some of the losses caused by the delay."
We're offering a 10% discount!
This was no small sum. A glint flashed in Manager Qian's eyes as he quickly calculated how much could be done with the saved silver.
Meng Lingyao stared intently at Wang Li. His words were earnest, his posture extremely humble, even at the cost of his own interests. His reason was also quite noble—to appease his younger sister and to make amends for his broken promise.
It's watertight and perfectly reasonable.
But it is precisely because he is too perfect that he appears extraordinary. His timing in the Xie family garden that day was impeccable; his overly formal demeanor when trying to avoid suspicion, coupled with his current generosity in offering concessions…
"Young Master Wang is so sincere, it would seem pretentious of me to refuse again." Meng Lingyao smiled, her smile impeccable. "In that case, thank you very much, Young Master Wang. Please also thank Sister Jingqiu for speaking up for me."
Seeing that she agreed, Wang Li smiled. "Miss Meng is straightforward. I will handle the follow-up matters with the broker and complete the land deed as soon as possible. I will not delay Miss Meng's important matter any further."
The matter was finally settled. After seeing Wang Li off, Manager Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest, "Thank goodness, it's finally done! But..."
He lowered his voice and leaned closer, "Miss, I've lived to this age and may not have many other skills, but I do have a good eye for people. This young master Wang, the way he looks at you... seems rather unusual."
Meng Lingyao was pouring tea from the teapot, the emerald green tea flowing smoothly into the celadon cup. Her movements were not hesitant at all, and she only looked up when the tea was seven-tenths full. "Manager Qian is overthinking it."
“A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions.” She put down the teapot, her gaze sweeping across the window facing the street and landing on the increasingly bustling streets of Jinling.
"The benefits he ceded today, and the money he saved, are truly a good deed."
As for the source of this "trace," what thoughts it conceals, and what calculations it harbors—
She picked up the teacup and gently blew on it.
"Nothing else matters."
-
The candles at Dali Temple burn until midnight every day, and lately they've even been burning until dawn.
“My lord,” Yue Meng said, carrying several files that had just been transferred from the Ministry of Justice, as he entered Pei Xu’s office. He glanced at the candlesticks on the table and said, “The candles are almost out.”
"Hmm." The figure behind the desk stirred, and Pei Xu lifted his eyelids. "Put it down."
Yue Meng glanced at his expression, put down the file, and silently swallowed the words "I'm almost burned out too" that were stuck in his throat.
"It's getting late, you should go home soon."
Yue Meng nodded hurriedly, put down the file, and inadvertently noticed the corner of a letter under the paperweight on the desk. The handwriting was delicate yet strong, not like that of an adult, but rather somewhat like... the handwriting of Miss Meng, who had left the capital more than a month ago?
He dared not look any longer and quickly lowered his head, saying, "My lord, you should also rest early."
As I left, I caught a glimpse of the adult picking up the paper again, his fingers lightly tracing the words. In the dim light, his stern profile revealed an indescribable...loneliness.
This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way. Yue Meng remembered that when he reported a murder case that had occurred in Danyang the day before, the magistrate questioned him about the details of the area surrounding the crime scene in far more detail than usual. At the end, he even asked, "Is things still peaceful in Jinling City these days?"
After asking, he himself realized something was amiss, so he fell silent and told Yue Meng to go about his business. Yue Meng, with his years of experience, still replied, "I haven't heard of any cases reported from Jinling recently."
Pei Xu hummed in agreement and said no more.
As Yue Meng left the official residence, he stretched lazily, his bones cracking as he did so. Shen Xiaoshan looked at him with awe, feeling as if there were hidden mechanisms lurking in every crevice of his bones.
"The master seems to be in a bad mood lately," Shen Xiaoshan said.
"Even you noticed?" Yue Meng stroked his chin and sighed, "That's only human nature."
"Why?" Shen Xiaoshan asked, puzzled. "The master and Miss Meng are already engaged, and General Zhao has set off for the northern frontier. There should be... nothing to worry about."
"You didn't know that Miss Meng went to Jinling?"
"I understand." Shen Xiaoshan nodded. "But the time will be almost up when she comes back, right? It won't be long before they can get married."
Yue Meng's eyes lit up, and he patted his shoulder heavily. "That's well said! Remember to mention it more often in front of the adults next time!"
Shen Xiaoshan nodded a few times, still somewhat bewildered.
When the third watch drum sounded, Pei Xu returned to Jingguan Courtyard. Dan Yue hurriedly came to greet him, her face beaming, "My lord, there is a letter from Mr. Zhang."
As she reached out to take it, Dan Yue keenly noticed a slight, almost imperceptible hesitation in the adult's usually steady hand.
He silently lowered his head and withdrew.
Pei Xu unwrapped the sealing wax and pulled out the letter inside. It was a thick stack, much heavier than the ones she had sent before.
The handwriting was as neat and skillful as Mr. Zhang's, and the content was also detailed. Several subtle movements in the officialdom of Jinling, the current situation of the canal gang's docks... these were all official matters. However, between the lines, the few words that Mr. Zhang inadvertently embedded were like pebbles thrown into a cold pond, stirring up layers of undercurrents beneath Pei Xu's seemingly calm face.
"...As soon as Miss Meng arrived in Jinling, she became close friends with Xie Jingqiu, the youngest daughter of the Xie family, and they were as close as sisters. Miss Meng treated Xie Jingqiu very well, and even made a special fragrant dew for her. Xie Jingqiu was overjoyed and treasured it as a precious gem..."
"...The matter of the Juxianglou shop was quite complicated. Initially, the owner reneged on the deal and refused to sell it to Miss Yu. It was later discovered that the owner was Wang Li, the young master of the Wang family."
Pei Xu's gaze lingered on the name "Wang Li" for a moment.
The letter continued, "...Young Master Wang initially declined, citing a promise to his cousin. Miss, however, was extremely decisive, resolving the matter immediately without any lingering...I had intended to offer the shop in Jinling, but two days later, the situation reversed. Young Master Wang personally visited, his attitude softening. He not only agreed to resell but also offered to concede 10%, saying it was out of 'respect for Miss's character' and gratitude for Miss Jingqiu's 'righteous words.' The final transaction was settled at Huafangzhai..."
"...Young Master Wang used Xie Jingqiu's name to meet with Miss several times. Miss could not bear the harassment and went to the meeting once."
His gaze slid slowly over the words "specially made perfume," "respect for the young lady's character," and "several appointments." Pei Xu's face remained expressionless, but the fingertips gripping the edge of the letter tightened slightly, revealing a cold, hard quality like jade.
He only had one letter from Meng Lingyao, which she had sent when she first arrived in Jinling. It simply said that she had a safe journey and arrived safely. Scattered in the letter were a few withered yellow willow leaves, which she said were from the willows of Jinling. After that, she was mostly busy with trivial matters and there was no further news.
When Pei Xu ran into Meng Shaoqing, he probed him slightly and learned that the Meng family had also received only one letter, which contained more information than his own.
Meng Shaoqing muttered under his breath, "I'm afraid his heart has already wandered off to other places."
He offered her words of comfort, saying that she was new to Jinling and there were many things to deal with; she needed to sort things out before he could share the good news. Besides, with a storm brewing in the capital, her absence might not be a bad thing.
The second half of the sentence was spoken so softly it was almost inaudible.
But Meng Shaoqing heard this, gave Pei Xu a deep look, and unusually gave him a kind expression.
Pei Xu comforted Meng Shaoqing in this way, and he also comforted himself in the same way.
While undressing and bathing, Pei Xu poured out a few willow leaves from the sachet he carried with him. To prevent damage, he specially sought out an experienced craftsman in the capital to seal them with nearly transparent medicinal wax, thus preserving these leaves, which had traveled thousands of miles, intact to this day.
After looking at them one by one, he carefully put them back.
The candlelight flickered dimly. Pei Xu had finished bathing and was only wearing a snow-white undergarment. The room was so quiet that one could hear the soft popping of the candle wick. He rolled up the cuff of his right sleeve. His arm was sleek yet powerful, and in the candlelight, two scars extended upwards along the inside of his forearm.
Because the scar removal cream wasn't applied promptly enough, a small mark was left.
A lighter shade, with almost smooth edges, leaving only a line of white that is lighter than skin tone.
The other one was much more gruesome, a diamond-shaped scar with slightly deeper edges, about an inch above the crook of the arm.
His long, slender fingers, still cool from the recent cold shower, slowly covered the wound. His gaze fell upon it, deep and dark, as if piercing through the barriers of time, and he saw her moist eyes once more.
Slowly but firmly, I rubbed the wound with my fingertips. It had long since healed, yet it still seemed to throb with warmth. Pain rose faintly from beneath the dormant skin and spread continuously.
After a long while, he leaned down, his warm lips, like a soft feather, gently touching the wound.
The breath brushed against my skin, softer and more delicate than the veins of a newly sprouted willow leaf.
Outside the window, the dew grows heavier as the night deepens.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Why take a cold shower? That's hard to guess! [droopy-eared rabbit head]
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