Chapter 35
Seeing the obvious weariness between Pei Jin's brows, Qi Yu knew that he hadn't rested well, so she gently lifted the quilt, carefully walked around Pei Jin, got out of bed and put on her shoes.
After rearranging the bed curtains, Qi Yu turned around and heard the door being pushed open.
It was Okra who led the way, carrying a copper basin in.
Qi Yu went to the other side to wash up and said to Qiu Kui, "My husband came back late and is still asleep. There's no need to disturb him."
Okra nodded, and while helping Qi Yu wash her face, she said, "At midnight, I heard some noises inside the room. I called out and found out that it was Master returning. At that time, Master had not yet fallen asleep. However, when I left, one of the lights in the side room was on, so I guess Master was still busy with unfinished official business."
At this point, Qiu Kui frowned. The adults were busy with official duties but only lit a dim lamp; it might be bad for their eyes.
Qi Yu's eyes flickered slightly, wondering if Wu Shiyan and Pei Jin had bumped into each other.
Pei Jin returned too early, while Wu Shiyan might not leave until dawn. However, since Pei Jin went to the side room, they might not have run into each other.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have slept so well all night, and wouldn't have woken up in the morning with Pei Jin lying next to her.
Moreover, Pei Jin also looked like he hadn't slept all night.
After having breakfast, Pei Jin still hadn't gotten up, so Qi Yu took Qiu Kui back to Yuzhao Courtyard.
She still remembered the colorful rope that Wu Shiyan had asked her for.
Even the emperor, Wu Shiyan, still kept that thing; she really couldn't just throw it out of her mind.
Everything at Yuzhao Courtyard was as usual. After all, the lady had only stayed by the master's side for a few days, which was not enough to throw them into disarray.
In retrospect, it was their dereliction of duty that they failed to notice that the lady had caught a cold.
Qi Yu summoned Yue Lu and asked, "Did you see the colorful rope I wore on my wrist that day?"
On the day of the Qixi Festival, the egrets lagged far behind and had no idea what they bought later, so there was no need to worry that a bracelet would give them away.
Yuelu remembered it. She said, "After Yaozheng was washed, Yuqin took it away and put it in the dressing case. If you want to get it, Miss, I will go and call Yuqin."
Yuqin had always been in charge of managing the girl's room, and she was the one who put things away and retrieved them. Gradually, they got used to the girl's trust in Yuqin and her care for the things in the room.
Therefore, the moon heron made this statement.
"No need, I'll go get it myself." Qi Yu left the okra there to keep Yue Lu company and went inside.
She found the colorful rope in her dressing case, and just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed that the cabinet door next to the bed was slightly ajar. From her angle, she could see that the large cabinet contained only rolled-up clean bedding, as if it were ready to be unfolded at any time.
She was slightly taken aback.
Pei Jin slept on the floor at Yuzhao Courtyard.
Qi Yu took two steps forward, but before she could react, a maid came in and said with a light smile, "Madam, you're back."
It is Yuqin.
Immediately afterward, Yuqin noticed that the cabinet door was not closed properly, her face turned pale, and she immediately admitted her mistake, saying, "Madam, it was my oversight. When I finished tidying up the bedroom this morning, I forgot to close the cabinet door properly when I left."
Fortunately, it was Madam who returned today. If Yuelu had found out, it would have been disastrous.
Qi Yu carefully observed Yu Qin's expression and gently reassured her, "It's alright."
Yuqin breathed a sigh of relief. Then she thought about how Madam was so indifferent. Could it be that Madam and Master were going to live a good life together?
The thought of this possibility filled Yuqin with joy.
She was bought into the Pei family by the madam after her marriage. At that time, she was seriously ill and had no skills. The madam bought her, cured her, and trained her. Naturally, she was extremely loyal to the madam and was willing to help the madam maintain the nominal marital relationship between her and the master.
Therefore, she was the one who usually tidied up the lady's bedroom.
However, Yuqin also hoped that the lady's position could be more secure, and it would be best if she could be truly protected by Lord Pei.
Yuqin advised, "Madam, the master has taken you to Hengwu Courtyard and is taking good care of you. In my opinion, he must have fallen for you. Why don't you seize this opportunity?"
“There is no more outstanding young talent in the capital than Lord Pei. He is a trusted minister of His Majesty, holds a high official position, and has no scandals in his household. Although I do not know why you, Madam, want to be a fake couple with Lord Pei, if you put your mind to it, this fake marriage may very well become real.”
Yuqin spoke too quickly, and Qi Yu fell silent for a moment. After a while, she said, "I know what I'm doing."
Yuqin stopped trying to persuade her. In her opinion, this was what the lady was thinking about. If in the end the lady still maintained a nominal marriage with Lord Pei, it would be a decision made after careful consideration.
The lady knows best what she wants.
The fake couple mentioned by Yuqin deepened Qi Yu's doubts, but she only began to feel dazed after leaving Yuzhao Courtyard with Qiu Kui.
It's perfectly normal that Pei Jin is impotent and can only pretend to be married to Zhao Wanyi.
But Qi Yu felt that this fake marriage was more like the result of a three-point agreement, not only because Pei Jin was impotent, but also because of Zhao Wanyi's choice.
After all, it was only Pei Jin who was impotent, so why should the two of them pretend to be a loving couple in public and then sleep in separate beds after returning home?
One slept on a bed, while the other slept on a mat on the floor; they kept this a secret from the maids in the courtyard as well.
Furthermore, according to Yuqin's words, Zhao Wanyi and Pei Jin had no prior relationship; otherwise, Yuqin would not have concluded that Pei Jin had fallen for her simply because he took care of her.
Qi Yu's thoughts were a bit chaotic, but she gradually realized that what she should do now was to keep her distance from Pei Jin.
Zhao Wanyi will eventually return. They are a fake couple, and it would be bad if Zhao Wanyi felt unfamiliar with her relationship with Pei Jin.
Back at Hengwu Courtyard, Qi Yu's expression had returned to calm.
After getting up, Pei Jin didn't even have breakfast. He just changed his clothes, instructed the servants to take good care of his wife, and then hurriedly went to the government office.
The two naturally missed each other.
But Qi Yu felt somewhat relieved; it was good that she had avoided it.
Before long, the steward arrived at Hengwu Courtyard with an invitation, inviting Madam Pei to the mansion for a chat. The invitation was signed with the character "Wu".
The steward assumed the invitation was from Princess Yunping, but Qi Yu knew it was Wu Shiyan's handwriting. The invitation was somewhat similar to Wu Shiyun's, but not entirely the same.
Qi Yu is more inclined to believe that Wu Shiyan did it on purpose.
After all, it would be much more convenient to call her out by using Princess Yunping's name.
Qi Yu checked the date and saw that it was today, so she accepted the invitation and had Qiu Kui deliver it to the housekeeper.
"Is Madam going to keep her appointment?" Okra asked after returning.
She wasn't quite sure about the relationship between the lady and Princess Yunping, but that didn't stop her from thinking how impressive the lady was, as even the princess had sent her an invitation.
Qi Yu covered the invitation: "Of course."
In the short time it took Qiu Kui to leave, she had already looked through the invitation inside and out and recognized that the words on it were all written by Wu Shiyan.
They made no attempt to conceal their identities.
Calculating the days, it is indeed time to detoxify Wu Shiyan.
Thinking of the deep scar on Wu Shiyan's face, Qi Yu asked, "Does your household have any good medicine for treating external injuries?"
Qiu Kui brought out the ointment, the very one Pei Jin had used when he helped Qi Yu apply medicine last time.
Qi Yu was reminded of the ointment when she saw it; the red marks had indeed disappeared in less than half a day that day. She put the ointment into her sleeve, intending to apply it to Wu Shiyan after seeing him.
The invitation was for the afternoon. Wu Shiyan sent a carriage to stop at the Pei residence. Qi Yu did not bring Qiu Kui.
Qiu Kui assumed that Yue Lu was by the lady's side, since Yue Lu had told her that she was the lady's most trusted maid and that she should take her everywhere she went when they were at Yu Zhao Yuan that morning.
Naturally, the lady would bring Yuelu with her when she went to keep the appointment.
As soon as Qi Yu boarded the carriage, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side, right next to his arm.
"Your Majesty." Qi Yu looked at the person beside her, feeling relaxed, and smiled.
Wu Shiyan's act of waiting in the carriage pleased her.
The moment Wu Shiyan saw Qi Yu's smiling eyes, his cold and hard heart softened instantly.
Qi Yu raised her wrist and shook it, saying in a cheerful tone, "I've found the bracelet."
She looked down and saw the colorful string on Wu Shiyan's wrist, which matched hers perfectly, so she placed her hand in Wu Shiyan's palm.
Wu Shiyan then slipped his fingers between Qi Yu's fingers, their fingers intertwined.
He just made up an excuse yesterday to get her to admit her mistake.
Even if she doesn't come back, he won't feel any resentment.
But Qi Yu was found, and Wu Shiyan felt overjoyed as he looked at the colorful ropes binding the two of them.
He pulled her into his arms: "Ayu, I love you."
Qi Yu nestled in Wu Shiyan's arms, and even through his clothes, she could feel his great physique; he truly was a product of battlefield experience.
She sincerely replied, "Your Majesty, I also love you."
I like Your Majesty's body.
Wu Shiyan whispered his longing for Qi Yu. In his words, without her, everything around him seemed tasteless, and he thought about how to see her as soon as possible every moment.
Every sentence is filled with longing.
In short, he cannot live without her.
As Qi Yu listened, she couldn't help but marvel at how Wu Shiyan would say anything to get rid of the poison.
Seeing his attitude, Qi Yu became even more serious about getting along with Wu Shiyan.
After all, you're about to go to sleep, and being in sync with someone's emotions is different from feeling resentful.
The former can enjoy the pleasure of going to Wushan together, while the latter has the mentality of killing the other party and gets more and more excited as they do it.
Qi Yu blinked, quickly shifting her attention away from this. She wanted to take out the ointment to apply to Wu Shiyan, but found that the carriage had already stopped.
Wu Shiyan got off the carriage first, then extended his hand, and Qi Yu placed her hand on his.
This house was right next to the Pei residence, occupying the entire street. Naturally, when Qi Yu got off the carriage, there was no one on either side.
Wu Shiyan took Qi Yu's hand and led her into the house.
Qi Yu followed Wu Shiyan and noticed that the closer they got to the main courtyard, the more nervous Wu Shiyan became, and the tighter his face became. Coupled with the scars on his cheeks, he looked even more terrifying.
The passing guards all kept their heads bowed low.
But Qi Yu had never been intimidated by Wu Shiyan's imposing presence since the first time she met him after transmigrating, let alone now.
She felt that Wu Shiyan had a more mature man's charm, and she even secretly glanced at him several times, which is why she was so aware of his reaction.
But for an emperor, a scar on his face is ultimately undesirable, so she brought the ointment with her.
As you walk along, a bright red backdrop comes into view.
Qi Yu was taken aback, her steps faltering as she stared intently at the main courtyard, a bright red and festive space filled with thoughtful details, a stark contrast to her first visit.
It goes without saying who gave the orders and made the arrangements.
Wu Shiyan, standing to the side, looked at Qi Yu with a hint of nervousness, wondering if she would like it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
