Pei Yunshu, however, raised her face and smiled, "Let’s not talk about these things. Since it was an idea you and Miss Lu came up with together, with mother absent, it’s my duty as your sister to plan for you. I’ve been taking care of your salary, land, and shops for years. When Miss Lu enters the door as your wife, I’ll hand it all over to her to manage, which will save me from worrying about these matters every day..."
"The exchange of your betrothal gifts has been done and your astrological charts were compatible. Now you just have to choose an auspicious day..."
"Right, the betrothal gifts haven’t yet been sent out. I’ll have someone take inventory of the things in the storeroom. You can’t mistreat the girl you’re marrying... I’ll also prepare the wedding clothes on our end... What else is missing? Oh, the guest list for the wedding celebration. Write down the names of your colleagues from the Palace Front Office for me..."
She prattled on as if the wedding ceremony would take place the next day. All the doubts and confusions that had been in her mind a moment before were now cast aside as she busied herself with preparations.
Pei Yunshu was full of support and enthusiasm for her brother’s marriage matters. When word of this reached the Palace Marshal’s Mansion, all five hundred of the ducks in the mansion fell silent.
Xiao Zhufeng sat at the table, looking completely disgruntled, his voice sharp as he asked, "How did he manage that?"
Both of them had been struggling on the rough seas of love, and suddenly one of them reached the shore first. The situation was indeed hard to swallow.
"I know, I know!" Duan Xiaoyan, who had just finished feeding Zhizi, walked in from outside, eagerly explaining: "Previously, Yun Ying went to Su Nan and happened to encounter Doctor Lu falling ill. Although I don’t know what illness it was, it seemed serious at the time. As the saying goes, adversity reveals true feelings. During the days Doctor Lu was ill, my brother stayed by her side, never leaving. They are both young, so over time, didn’t love just naturally develop?"
Xiao Zhufeng scoffed in disdain.
"Maybe, it’s the charm of Duan Xiaoyan’s ’Peach Blossom Red String’. Pei Yunmeng glanced at him, saying leisurely, "You should wear it every day, perhaps one day it will work."
Xiao Zhufeng: "Ridiculous."
"Fine, I’m ridiculous." Pei Yunmeng took a sip of his tea, calm and unhurried, "But I will be busy preparing for the wedding these days. Deputy Envoy Xiao, when you’re not busy, you might as well come to my house and help." He leaned in and lowered his voice, "Especially if you still want to compete to become my brother-in-law."
Xiao Zhufeng: "..."
Pei Yunmeng chuckled lightly and stood up to leave.
Duan Xiaoyan asked, "Brother, where are you going?"
"Off to pick out Wedding Geese; there are many things to do for a wedding." He waved his hand lazily, while Duan Xiaoyan gestured speechlessly for a moment. Then, suddenly looking up, she exclaimed, "Vice Envoy, why do you look so upset?"
Xiao Zhufeng clenched his teeth: "...Show-off."
...
Within the Imperial City, rumors and news always spread fast. The news of Pei Yunmeng’s engagement to Lu Tong reached the Palace Front Office and, naturally, the Medical Officer Institute as well.
When Ji Xun came to administer acupuncture to Lu Tong again, his demeanor was much more somber than usual.
The room was quiet, with Yin Zheng helping Miao Liangfang sort through the herbs at the front. The two sat opposite each other at the table. Silver needles were carefully placed between the skin, one after another. Ji Xun leaned over, focusing on the acupuncture points, and asked, "You’re going to marry Marshal Pei?"
Lu Tong was somewhat surprised he would ask this directly and replied, "Yes, but it won’t be too soon."
Ji Xun said nothing.
Actually, during her illness in Su Nan, there had been rumors about Pei Yunmeng and Lu Tong in the Medical Officer Institute. At that time, Pei Yunmeng had also spent day and night by her sickbed, so it was not unnoticed, but Ji Xun’s heart never wanted to accept it.
It seemed that some things, once acknowledged, left no room for turning back.
He had always acted openly and directly, never avoiding his heart’s direction in anything except for this matter, where he had been deceiving himself. Now, he could no longer even manage that deception.
"Why have you decided on the engagement so early?" he asked slowly, his motions of inserting the needles precise as though his question was just something in passing, "Marriage is something that should be taken seriously."
Not expecting that this normally reticent colleague would be inclined to make conversation today, Lu Tong looked surprised for a moment before smiling back and saying, "Doctor Ji knows I’ve never been one to be careful."
"When it comes to saving lives, I act boldly without hesitating. Likewise, when there’s someone in my heart, I’ll be with them. No one can tell what the future holds, so it’s best to take care of the present," she said.
At the words "someone in my heart", Ji Xun paused in his action. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
With the last silver needle placed at the wrist, he raised his head and looked at the person in front of him.
The woman sat across the table, looking at him.
Since leaving the Medical Officer Institute to return to West Street, her days must have been quite good. Her complexion was much better than before, with less solemnity in her eyes and hints of liveliness that had been absent before. He had already noticed that here, Lu Tong smiled much more often than she did at the Medical Officer Institute.
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