Chapter 131 Words That Pierce the Heart
Seeing his son so troubled by love and so stubborn, Pei Yanzhi felt a surge of impatience. The anger that he had been forcibly suppressing in his chest almost ignited instantly.
He frowned, opened the book on the table, unwilling to say another word, his voice cold and hard: "She is now my wife. From now on, I think you should know how to address her."
Pei Xingjian gave a bleak smile and was about to turn and walk out when his sleeve accidentally touched something, and a glint of light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
He turned abruptly, looking at his imposing and unfathomable father, his tone carrying a barely perceptible provocation: "Father, what are you so worried about that you still refuse to let Shuer see me?"
"Let me guess, is Father afraid that Shu'er will really leave with me? Or is it that Shu'er has never loved Father from beginning to end, which is why you are so... insecure?"
"Insolence!" Pei Yanzhi shouted angrily.
Seeing that he was no longer indifferent and aloof, Pei Xingjian smiled smugly. He calmly took out an object from his sleeve, a sachet, the edges of which were frayed from the frequent handling by the man.
It even faded slightly, but that didn't affect the exquisite embroidery on it at all.
Pei Yanzhi's gaze suddenly froze, staring intently at the object in his hand.
Pei Xingjian said calmly, "This was given to me by Shuer when she was in Chongzhou. I believe Father should know what it means for a man and a woman to exchange sachets." His tone was flat, but every word was like a needle.
"Even now, does Father still think she has no feelings for me at all?"
Pei Yanzhi quickly recalled the sachet that Ji Shu had given her. Even though several months had passed, she could still tell that the embroidery on the one in Pei Xingjian's hand was even more exquisite.
The embroidered mimosa flowers on it say it all, symbolizing the deep and tender wish to be with one's beloved day and night.
Seeing his father's inscrutable expression, Pei Xingjian said nothing more, but carefully tucked the sachet into his sleeve, stepped over the threshold, and walked out.
Pei Yanzhi kept his head slightly lowered, and no one knew what he was thinking.
...
Ji Shu sat in the room, feeling a little uneasy, waiting for Pei Yanzhi. The food on the table had been reheated several times.
On the third time, Chunzhi finally couldn't help but whisper, "Young lady, shall we continue to wait for Lord Jun?"
Ji Shu snapped out of her daze, glanced at the table full of cold dishes, and said disappointedly, "Never mind, let's eat."
Pei Yanzhi had not returned by the time they finished dinner, and Ji Shu's left eyelid kept twitching, making her increasingly uneasy.
According to custom, the third day after the wedding is the day of returning to one's parents' home. Ji Shu had already set up longevity tablets for the original owner's parents at Yuqing Temple.
Regardless of the purpose of this marriage, she still hoped to take Pei Yanzhi to Yuqing Temple the next morning so that he could offer incense. That would be fine.
After washing up, Chunzhi quietly stood behind her, gently twisting her wet hair. The room was silent, and neither the mistress nor the servant spoke for a long time.
After a long silence, Chunzhi spoke up: "Young lady, are you still worried about Lord Jun?"
Ji Shu brushed her hair back to her chest and slowly combed it. She did not answer, but whispered, "Tell the kitchen to make a few dishes that the Marquis likes. I will send them over later."
"Yes, young lady."
Ji Shu added, "Now that you have married into the household, you can no longer be addressed as 'young lady'."
Chunzhi understood and smiled, "Understood, Madam!" Then she went to the kitchen to carry out the order.
After 9:45 PM, Ji Shu, wrapped in a cloak and carrying a food box, went to the East Garden Study under the cover of night.
The West Garden is separated from the study by a short walk of about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Seeing the servants waiting at the door, but not Wu Yang, she asked in a low voice, "Where is Captain Wu?"
The servant bowed and hurriedly replied, "Madam, it is said that Lord Wu was injured in the arm by the young master and is currently recuperating."
Ji Shu was stunned. She hadn't expected Pei Xingjian to actually dare to make a move in Wenxin Pavilion. She was flustered and confused. So, was the reason he didn't go to Xiyuan tonight because of Pei Xingjian?
Ji Shu was both annoyed and aggrieved. Who was he putting on this act for? In the end, she, caught in the middle between the two of them, was the one who was in the most difficult position.
One was her son, and the other was her husband for the next ten months. She stood there, stunned, letting the cold wind outside blow her cloak and the chill creep in.
Seeing this, the servant asked in a low voice, "Madam, shall I go in and inform the Lord that he is still handling official business?"
Ji Shu suddenly came to her senses, her eyes already tinged with red. She handed over the food box in her hand and said in a light tone, "No need to disturb us. You can take this food inside and tell the Marquis to take care of his health."
After saying that, she wrapped her cloak tighter and turned to leave.
Inside the study.
Pei Yanzhi lowered his eyes to look at the memorial in his hand, and with each stroke of his pen, he displayed a resolute determination that seemed to penetrate the paper.
After closing the last book, he leaned back heavily, closed his eyes slightly, and pressed his throbbing temples with his fingers.
Seeing that the candle had burned down to about half its original length, I knew it was getting late. Just then, a clear knock came from the door.
"My lord."
"Enter."
The attendant carried in a food box, placed it on the table with the pattern of yellow pear blossoms and birds, and said, "My lord, this is a late-night snack that the lady just brought over. She said that you have worked hard all night and she would like to have some food to warm your stomach."
Pei Yanzhi suddenly raised his head: "Madam came? When did that happen?"
Why didn't you come in and announce our arrival?
The attendant whispered back, "The lady said that the Marquis was dealing with official business and she did not want to disturb him, so she left the food box and left."
Pei Yanzhi closed his eyes, only then remembering that he had promised to have dinner with her tonight, but it was already past midnight.
It was only then that he realized he hadn't had dinner yet, and his stomach was empty. He was truly confused by Pei Xingjian's rebellious son!
He was momentarily lost in thought before asking, "Madam...did she leave any other message?"
No.
"Okay, I understand. You may leave."
He slowly opened the food box, inside which were his favorite soup noodles, a plate of snacks, and a pot of hot tea.
He reached out and took out the food one by one, eating listlessly with his chopsticks. He didn't even realize when he had become so timid and hesitant.
If it were in his usual temperament, he would definitely have gone to Ji Shu to ask her what was going on with that sachet, but now, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
What if the answer isn't what he wants to hear? Can he handle it? He finally managed to coax her to stay by his side, why make himself unhappy?
Ultimately, he lost his appetite, pushed the bowl aside, stood up, looked out the window, and sighed almost inaudibly.
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