Chapter 48 Transactions
Ji Shu pinched the flesh on her thigh, the sharp pain bringing her back to her senses. She continued, "I know that I have come to bother Marquis Yan at this time. If you are willing to help, please feel free to make any requests you may have. Ji Shu would not dare to refuse."
Only then did Pei Yanzhi seem to hear what he wanted to hear, his brows twitching almost imperceptibly.
His tone was flat, with a hint of sarcasm: "What do you think you have that would catch my eye?"
"Real estate, shops, estates? Which one of them is worth my attention?"
Ji Shu remained silent for a long time. She naturally knew that these things might be of some use to others, but to Pei Yanzhi, who was so noble and powerful, they were nothing but dust.
The tiny bit of air he casually let slip from his fingertips was enough to support him for the rest of his life.
Ji Shu understood. After a long while, she looked up at him and said, "As long as you're willing, I'm willing to serve you... willing to serve you for a year, after which we'll have nothing to do with each other..."
This was the only thing Ji Shu could think of along the way. Since he wanted her, she would stay with him for a year. A year would be enough for him to get tired of her.
Trading a year for a lifetime for the Ji family is worth it.
At this point, Ji Shu's eyes grew even calmer as she continued, "For the past year, I've been available whenever you call, but I haven't entered the manor and have kept my identity a secret from outsiders. I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble."
Ji Shu's tone was indifferent, but unwavering.
Pei Yanzhi looked at the beauty in her eyes and narrowed his gaze slightly. He was certain that she would agree.
If I don't agree, she'll probably just open the door and leave.
Pei Yanzhi pointed to the seat next to him: "Sit."
As he pressed one palm against the edge of the table, he leaned back, his posture languid yet undeniably imposing.
Upon hearing this, Ji Shu sat down with him, and he stared intently into her eyes: "We will return to Yanzhou in seven days. Be prepared."
Ji Shu asked instinctively, "What?"
He seemed not to realize for a moment that the man wanted him to return to Yanzhou with him.
What about Chongzhou? This is where she has always lived.
"You want me to go back to Yanzhou with you?" Ji Shu felt a tightness in her chest.
Pei Yanzhi picked up the teacup on the table, took two sips, and said to her indifferently, "What? I've already agreed to help you, and now Madam Ji is going back on her word?"
“I…” Ji Shu didn’t expect it to be so sudden, and her brows furrowed. “But…”
"There are no 'buts'." He interrupted her, saying each word clearly, "Whether I set you free a year later, or you travel all the way from Chongzhou to Yanzhou when you feel I need you!"
She knew this was impossible, and with a forced smile, she finally lowered her head and said, "Okay, I'll go back and pack."
After leaving his bedroom, Ji Shu didn't speak for a moment. Chunzhi saw that the young woman's clothes were neat and without wrinkles, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Young lady, has Marquis Yan agreed?"
"Yes, I agree."
"Then why do you still look so gloomy?"
Ji Shu stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at the closed door five meters away, and said in a low voice, "I don't know if my decision is right or wrong, Zhi'er. We can't go back to our carefree and leisurely days, at least not for this year."
After she left.
Drowsy and sleepy, Pei Yanzhi dreamed of that day at Furong Pavilion again.
She pleaded with him, her voice piercingly sweet, a seductive lament.
Even after a flash of pain in her eyes, she continued to pester him relentlessly, much more sensible than her gentle charm during the day.
The curtains swayed gently, vaguely revealing the absurdity within.
In my dream, I gently kissed her from beginning to end, even when our passion was at its peak.
He also restrained himself from leaving a little bit, just to please her.
Suddenly, the sound of the night watchman's drum, "bang bang," seemed to be right next to my ear.
Pei Yanzhi suddenly woke up, sat up straight, closed his eyes briefly, and then opened them again.
His own labored breathing shattered the tranquility of the room.
He lifted the covers, but what he saw inside was no longer worth seeing. This dream had made him completely understand.
Perhaps he had already figured it out that day at Furong Pavilion, but he had been deceiving himself all along.
He knew from birth that the higher one climbs, the colder it gets; he had never known comfort or ease in the decades before his birth, and from the moment he was born, he shouldered heavy responsibilities.
Only when facing Ji Shu did he experience the greed, anger, and delusion that ordinary people have. He asked himself that very little in this world truly belonged to him.
If even this last remaining desire has to be given up, what is the point of such a life, which can be seen to be over at a glance?
After getting up, he instructed Lu Changming, "Change all the bedding."
Because Pei Yanzhi usually disliked having anyone serving him, he had no maids in either Chongzhou or Yanzhou, only Lu Changming and Wu Yang.
"yes."
After his lord left, Lu Changming remembered the strange look on his lord's face and went into the inner room.
Only when he saw the bed did he realize what was happening.
...
Within a single day, there was no further news of Ji Congwen's family in Chongzhou.
Some say he offended the gambling den, couldn't pay his debts, and was punished.
Some say they angered a powerful figure, and the entire family was wiped out.
Amidst the various rumors, Ji Shu was unaware that she was already on her way to Yanzhou.
She left a letter for someone to deliver to Madam Rui, informing her that the shop would need her continued care, as she would be away from Chongzhou for a year.
For Mrs. Yu Rui, it was just a small favor; having this favor would make future cooperation easier.
Ji Shu didn't pack much, just some essential items, and seven days later she boarded a carriage outside the mansion.
What she didn't expect was that she hadn't seen Pei Yanzhi for several days in a row, and had been traveling for seven or eight days. Sitting in the carriage, she lifted the curtain.
All we could do was watch his tall, strong figure sitting high on horseback from afar.
This also made her breathe a sigh of relief. She really hadn't figured out how to face him, how to face someone she was about to share a bed with.
She had no idea what awaited her in Yanzhou. She lowered the curtain, concealing the complex emotions churning in her eyes.
Lu Changming glanced at the carriage behind him, feeling somewhat puzzled. To be honest, he was also confused by the current situation. Over the years, he had witnessed how much his lord cared about Lady Ji.
He even witnessed it that day. When Lady Ji and the young master embraced, the murderous intent in the lord's eyes was unmistakable. If the other party had not been the young master, his son, the lord would probably have already drawn his sword and killed him.
These past few days, the lord has taken cold baths at least three times. We thought that after all the trouble the lord went through to force Lady Ji to return, he would surely—
Unexpectedly, this left Lady Ji standing to the side, feeling utterly helpless.
As night fell, the group camped in the wilderness. At that time, most post stations were located every hundred li.
They set off before dawn and camped at nightfall every day, with Ji Shu and Chunzhi spending the entire day in the carriage, and not just one day at a time.
The thought of spending the entire next month in a carriage made Ji Shu want to cry.
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