Chapter 15 Pei Yu is the object of many women's affections...
Pei Yu's return home was a major event for the Pei family. Madam Pei and Aunt Tao had been busy preparing for it for three days. As a free person in the family, Huiyin only needed to take good care of her own little plot of land.
On the day Pei Yu returned home, Madam Pei sent someone to wake Huiyin early in the morning, instructing her to dress her in a dark purple wide-sleeved curved robe, and then made her dress in front of a bronze mirror for an hour, adorning her hair with pearl hairpins.
Yan Niang argued forcefully, pulling up Huiyin's loose hair to reveal her full forehead. Her hair was styled in two buns, adorned only with a pair of jade hairpins. The young girl was graceful and elegant.
He Jiaying has been quietly recuperating in the courtyard these past few days. Her face is still swollen, and now, with a white veil covering her face, her slender figure has an ethereal quality.
The three sat upright in the main hall, surrounded by servants. At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), a commotion came from the main gate, and soon Pei Yu appeared in the front hall.
He walked over casually, dressed in a sharp, dark outfit, his hair black, with a few specks of dust and bloodstains still clinging to the hem of his clothes. He resembled a sharp blade that had just drunk blood and returned to its sheath, its cold gleam still sharp and its hum still ringing.
His gaze swept past the crowd in the pavilion and landed directly on the purple figure, meeting Huiyin's eyes.
Huiyin suddenly remembered what Madam Pei had said a few days ago: "My son has been fighting on the frontier these past few years, and he has had few close companions. Now that he has you, you must comfort him well. But you must not let him indulge in matters of love and sex, lest he ruin his health!"
Thinking of this, Huiyin's face suddenly burned, and she hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look at Pei Yu again.
Pei Yu stared at Huiyin for a moment; the beads on her earrings were trembling gently. He looked away and met He Jiaying's delighted eyes, then asked hesitantly, "Cousin, what's wrong with your face?"
He Jiaying's face flushed, and she lowered her head in discomfort, remaining silent.
Madam Pei stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, "Your cousin has some growths on her face and hasn't been able to see anyone these days. Alright, look at how dirty you are, go and wash up."
Pei Yu looked down at his armor, which was indeed dirty and disheveled. He was about to return to Shuofeng Hall to wash up when Madam Pei called him back, saying, "Shuofeng Hall is too far. Go to Linshui Pavilion to clean up, and then come to my place for dinner."
Caught off guard by being called out, Huiyin stared blankly at Madam Pei and said, "I don't have any of General Pei's clothes here."
Madam Pei turned her head and ordered, "Send someone to fetch it."
After the two of them left, He Jiaying knelt down next to Madam Pei, lowered her head sadly, and said, "Aunt, how can you let my cousin and Song Huiyin get along? If this continues, how can my cousin still look at me?"
Madam Pei comforted her, "Song Huiyin is just a concubine, a mere trifle. It's her good fortune to win your cousin's favor. How can she compare to you?"
Madam Pei helped He Jiaying up, put her in her arms, patted her back, and coaxed her, "Wait for your aunt to think of a solution."
Huiyin followed Pei Yu out of the main hall. The atmosphere between the two was unusually silent. For the first time, she felt that the road back to Linshui Pavilion was too far.
The two walked in silence. The path was crowded, and the two had to walk very close together. Huiyin deliberately slowed down and lagged behind by half a beat, but for some reason, Pei Yu seemed to keep up with her speed. When she was fast, he was fast; when she was slow, he was slow.
After entering the passageway, their arms were pressed together. Through the fabric of their clothes, Huiyin could feel the muscles and heat emanating from his arms. The scent of his body lingered in her nose, making it hard for her to breathe.
Pei Yu's deep voice sounded in her ear. Huiyin raised her hand to rub her numb ears, listening carefully to his words. He said, "You did a very good job with Tao Ao's matter."
Huiyin felt a chill run down her spine and stared at him in alarm. It took her a long time to realize that although he was not in the capital, there were still plenty of spies in the mansion. She felt uneasy, worried that Pei Yu might already know that she had been following Su Xin.
The waterside pavilion wasn't spacious; the second floor was just right for Huiyin, small and cozy. But for Pei Yu, it felt a bit cramped.
He went upstairs to the second floor and sat on Huiyin's favorite low couch. The soft pillow that Yanniang had sewn for her dented under his buttocks. Huiyin dared not speak out in anger, and dragged her inconvenient wide-sleeved dress to call for someone to clean the bath room.
The second floor was inconvenient, and after a lot of work, the people at Linshui Pavilion finally got it sorted out. Huiyin lifted her skirt and moved slowly to Pei Yu's side, respectfully inviting him to go in and wash up.
Pei Yu nodded slightly, stared at Huiyin, and said, "Not bad." He then turned and walked into the bathhouse.
Huiyin blinked, noticed the unfolded manuscript on the bed, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "To read someone else's manuscript without permission is not gentlemanly!"
Pei Yu disliked being served when he washed up, so he sent all the maids away and bathed alone.
Huiyin held the torn part of the soft pillow and touched it with heartache. It took Yan Niang three days to sew it back together, and Pei Yu broke it as soon as he arrived.
He hadn't washed or groomed himself for several days, and Huiyin felt that the room was filled with a foul smell of sweat.
She got up, opened the window to ventilate the room, then took out some perfume balm, diluted it with water, and sprinkled it throughout the room until it was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the bed, and before she could even catch her breath, she heard Pei Yu calling her from the bathroom.
"Song Huiyin, come in."
Huiyin secretly rolled her eyes as she lingered at the bathroom door: "General Pei, what are your orders?"
Pei Yu leaned back against the wooden tub, staring at the graceful figure outside the screen. His voice, hoarse from the heat, said, "The change of clothes wasn't brought in."
Huiyin looked around. The clothes that had been delivered were placed on the clothes rack on the left. She picked up the tray, but her steps suddenly stopped. She and Pei Yu were not yet a real couple, and he was taking a bath at this moment. How could she go in?
Huiyin put down the tray, approached the bathhouse, and said, "I'll go find a maid to deliver this to you."
The person inside the bathroom said impatiently, "Please, just bring it in. My mother is still waiting."
Huiyin was speechless. He didn't say anything when the maid was there, but now he's making things difficult for her.
She picked up the tray and went into the bathhouse. The room was filled with steam, and Pei Yu's figure was hidden in the bathtub.
Huiyin looked up and saw his chest, which was faintly visible. The muscles were smooth and firm, not bulging and savage, but every inch contained a powerful burst of energy, like a young leopard ready to pounce.
The humid, warm air of the bathroom enveloped her, the sticky, sultry feeling making her heart tighten.
She lowered her head in a panic, unsure where to look, and put down the tray to turn and leave.
The man then said, "It's too far, I can't reach it."
Huiyin walked in carrying clothes, stopped at the bathtub, and handed the clothes over. She didn't dare to look around; there were no flower petals in Pei Yu's bathtub, and the water was crystal clear.
Pei Yu leaned lazily against the bathtub, his hands behind his head. After several days of travel, his whole body was softened by the hot water, and a feeling of comfort spread to every part of his body.
He didn't answer for a long time, so Huiyin had no choice but to put the clothes on the wooden rack next to the bath tub, turn around and ask him with her back to him, "General Pei, is there anything else you need?"
Pei Yu glanced at her from the side; Huiyin had her back to him, her body swaying slightly, her earlobes behind her hair a vibrant, luscious color, like ripe cherries, tempting one to eat them. He inexplicably felt the water was a little hot, and his throat was dry and sore.
Pei Yu chased the person out. He found it amusing to watch Huiyin's hasty retreat. He lost his appetite for bathing and got up to dress. He strode out of the bathhouse, picked up the cool tea on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.
Strands of hair dripped water onto his shoulders. Pei Yu took a handkerchief and wiped them haphazardly. Huiyin was no longer on the second floor. He turned around and looked at Huiyin's boudoir. The room was filled with a light fragrance and decorated in a simple and elegant style.
The bamboo slips on the table had already been collected. He turned and walked to the exit of the pavilion to look out at the lake.
After a while, he went downstairs. Huiyin was in the tea room on the first floor, holding a soft pillow in her arms, huddled together with her mother, talking about something.
She must have heard the noise, because she turned to look at the stairs, and when she saw Pei Yu, she seemed a little awkward.
Afterwards, she composed herself and looked at Pei Yu, saying, "Madam has already sent someone to invite you. If General Pei is ready, let's set off."
Pei Yu, looking down at Huiyin, instructed her: "Pull up my hair."
Huiyin clasped her hands together and pointed to Asang, who was wiping a ceramic vase beside her, "I don't know how to style my hair, Asang, you come here."
After Pei Yu finished getting ready, Huiyin remembered her lesson and deliberately lagged behind him. The two of them walked slowly towards Zhengyang Courtyard, one in front of the other.
Inside the Zhengyang Courtyard, five low tables were set up. Madam Pei sat at the head of the table, while He Jiaying was nowhere to be seen. Two tables were placed to the left and right of her.
Pei Yu entered and went straight to the first low table on the left. Huiyin pondered for a moment, then sat down opposite him. If she wasn't mistaken, one of the other two tables was for Pei Yan, and the other was for He Jiaying.
Logically, Huiyin, being a concubine, was not entitled to sit down to eat and had to serve her mother-in-law. However, neither Madam Pei nor Pei Yu spoke up, and she did not want to cause herself any trouble.
In the center of the room was braised beef brisket, stewed until tender and sweet. In addition, each low lacquered table had four plates of game, five kinds of side dishes, and freshly sliced sea bass, as thin as cicada wings, served with mustard sauce, plum sauce, and shredded scallions.
Huiyin picked up the lacquered glass and savored the wine, noting its unique flavor—first sour, then sweet.
Pei Yu had eaten some dry rations before returning to the mansion, so he wasn't hungry. Madam Pei seemed preoccupied; she moved a couple of times and then stopped, looking at Pei Yu as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Huiyin was the only one who kept her head down and ate her food. After a while, she realized something was wrong, looked up, and found Pei Yu staring at her without blinking, a mocking smile on his lips.
She recognized that smile all too well; it was exactly the same one he had used to mock her that day, calling her "nothing special." Without a doubt, he was thinking to himself that she was a reincarnated starving ghost who couldn't resist food.
Huiyin silently complained to herself, "If you were dragged out early in the morning to get dressed for an hour and not allowed to eat breakfast, you would be just as hungry as I am."
Huiyin ignored his gaze and continued to eat. The Pei family might not be good at other things, but their food was extremely delicious. Food is the most important thing for people, so she should eat her fill first.
Pei Yu saw the girl opposite him glance up at him, then lower her head and continue eating. He was speechless. Didn't she see all the glances he gave her? She was only focused on eating. Did the Pei family not feed her?
Seeing that his mother couldn't control herself and was about to talk to him about his cousin, Pei Yu coughed heavily. The person opposite him still didn't react, so he got up and walked to Huiyin's side, grabbing her head that was buried in the food.
Huiyin was caught off guard when someone grabbed her by the neck and lifted her head. Pei Yu's figure came into her view. She chewed twice and swallowed the fish slice in her mouth. She then reached out and grabbed a wet cloth from the lacquer tray next to her maid to wipe her mouth.
Pei Yu sat down next to Huiyin, pushing her out of the table by more than half. The two of them were pressed together on one side, which seemed extremely affectionate to Madam Pei.
She swallowed the words that were on her lips, gave a stiff smile, and then brought up another matter.
Huiyin also sensed something from Pei Yu's unusual behavior and Madam Pei's expression. She silently moved a little distance away, avoiding Pei Yu's sharp gaze, and poured him a glass of wine in a flattering manner. She slowly pushed it towards him, looking up at him with bright eyes.
Pei Yu was momentarily stunned by her bright eyes. He awkwardly raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, listening to Madam Pei speak.
Madam Pei, unlike her usual energetic self, said listlessly, "There are still half a month until the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third lunar month. This year, His Majesty will be performing a purification ritual and bathing by the Dongliu River, followed by a banquet by the water. The Empress has sent word that our family members, including Huiyin, must go."
Huiyin asked, "Is it permissible for a concubine to attend such an occasion?"
Madam Pei waved her hand, forcing a smile, "It's no big deal that Her Majesty likes you. Go and see what's going on."
Huiyin turned to look at Pei Yu, seeking his opinion.
Pei Yu nodded and said calmly, "Then it's settled."
Madam Pei was in a bad mood. After finishing her business, she dismissed Pei Yu and Huiyin and allowed Aunt Qiao to help her back to her inner room.
Huiyin knelt on the spot, while Madam Pei's maids methodically tidied up the lacquer table in the hall. The eight maids, without prior arrangement, avoided Pei Yu and Huiyin and quickly took the items and left the room.
Just as she was about to get up and leave, a strong force pressed her back down onto her shoulder. Huiyin slowly turned her head to look at Pei Yu, who was standing next to her with a gloomy expression.
Unlike usual, his indifferent eyes stared straight at her, his eyes drooping, his gaze extremely sharp, and his other hand impatiently tapped the lacquered table.
Pei Yu said impatiently, "Are you a reincarnated starving ghost? Do I need to remind you what you need to do? Did I bring you back here just to raise you for nothing?"
Huiyin gently pulled her hand away from his shoulder. It was indeed her oversight today. She raised her left hand and swore sincerely, "It was indeed my fault today. I promise this will never happen again."
The injury on her palm had mostly healed; the scabs had formed and were dark in color, standing out starkly against her smooth, fair skin.
"What happened to your hand?" Pei Yu asked.
"It's nothing, I just bumped into it by accident."
Huiyin withdrew her hand and put it in her sleeve. Pei Yan, that brat, went to study at the Imperial Academy the day after he injured someone, and didn't return home until five days later.
Pei Yu didn't ask any more questions. He got up and went outside. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, long arms and legs. Backlit, Huiyin couldn't see his face clearly, only his jawline.
Even though Huiyin disliked him, she had to admit that he was handsome, had an outstanding temperament, and had become famous at a young age. He was extremely powerful and there was no other young man in Chang'an who could compare to him.
When she was young, she overheard her older sisters chatting about marriage, and Pei Yu was the first man they all preferred.
After a while, Huiyin heard him say, "Regarding my cousin, go and persuade my mother to give up the idea."
Huiyin was puzzled: "Why is General Pei so opposed to this matter? Cousin He is beautiful and is favored by the Madam. Taking her as a concubine would only bring benefits and no harm."
She didn't want to go. He Jiaying already disliked her, and if she brought it up again, He Jiaying would skin her alive.
Pei Yu turned his head and sneered, "Don't worry about things that have nothing to do with you. If you can't handle this matter, there's no need for you to stay in the Pei residence any longer."
Huiyin had no choice but to agree.
She got up and put on her shoes. The skirt was so intricate that she could only walk slowly, swaying back to the waterside pavilion.
A note from the author:
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