By the time Yu Tang and the others had settled in after tidying up, it was already lamp-lighting time. The Yu family’s old clan members learned that the one accompanying the Yu siblings back was Pei Yan, the clan head of the Pei family. Originally planning to exchange a few words of greeting and leave their son there to entertain the guests, they immediately changed their minds. They pulled along Fifth Grand-Uncle, who watched over the Yu family house, added several more dishes, and insisted on drinking a few cups with Pei Yan.

Pei Yan also changed from his previous arrogance and aloofness toward others, agreeing with a smile.

Ever since the incident with Yu Tang, Seventh Uncle who had been caring for Fifth Grand-Uncle was driven away, and the clan arranged for people to take turns washing clothes and cooking for Fifth Grand-Uncle. This month’s duty happened to fall to the old clan patriarch’s nephew’s wife, a very capable woman. Upon hearing this, she immediately put down her work, called her youngest son to fetch wine from the old clan patriarch’s house, and herself went to the Yu family’s back garden to pick vegetables.

Only then did Yu Tang discover that the old residence’s back garden had been turned into a vegetable plot.

Yu Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but Yu Tang felt this was quite good and comforted Yu Yuan: “For farming families making a living, naturally they do whatever is convenient.”

Pei Yan was surrounded by several Yu family elders, standing in the courtyard talking. Seeing the siblings laughing and chatting happily, he very much wanted to go over and join the conversation, but was respectfully invited by the Yu family’s old clan patriarch to sit in the seat of honor.

He had no choice but to patiently sit down with a smile and invite Yu Yuan to the same table.

Yu Yuan saw the young and handsome Pei Yan standing like a crane among chickens in the midst of a group of white-bearded elders, his face full of helplessness. Secretly amused, he suddenly felt that Pei Yan wasn’t so aloof after all.

He hurriedly walked over and, disregarding the old clan patriarch’s expression, forcibly sat in the lower seat, squeezing a clan uncle off the main table. He even proactively stood up to pour tea and water for Pei Yan, causing Pei Yan to let out a long sigh of relief.

Yu Tang smiled with pressed lips, returned to her room and had dinner with Qing Yuan and the others. After washing up, she was just preparing to rest when the banquet in the main hall finally dispersed.

As a junior, Yu Yuan had no way to refuse anyone who urged him to drink. He got thoroughly drunk and had to be carried back to his room by his attending servant. As for Pei Yan, with his status and seniority placed there, the Yu family elders dared not press drinks on him. He also deliberately avoided drinking, and instead got several Yu family elders to collapse from drink while he himself only had a somewhat flushed face.

Watching Yu Yuan stagger away, he thought for a moment, beckoned Hu Xing forward, and said in a low voice, “Tomorrow when we go up the mountain, find a way to keep Yu Yuan down below.”

Hu Xing had been busy all day with all sorts of miscellaneous matters and still hadn’t eaten.

Upon hearing this, he patted his chest and smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything. You just go ahead and do what you want to do.”

Pei Yan nodded with satisfaction and had A’Ming go knock on Yu Tang’s door: “I still have some matters to discuss with Miss Yu.”

Naturally, A’Ming did whatever Pei Yan said.

He went forward and knocked on Yu Tang’s door.

Hu Xing, pretending not to see or hear anything, fled in a flash.

The one who came to open the door was Qing Yuan.

Before coming here, she had vaguely sensed that Pei Yan treated Yu Tang differently. Now seeing Pei Yan, though surprised, she wasn’t so surprised that she couldn’t conceal her emotions. She smiled and curtsied to Pei Yan, then turned to inform Yu Tang.

Yu Tang came out of the room and stood with Pei Yan in the corridor to talk.

“Your family elders took turns coming at me. Fortunately I was clever and spilled a few cups, otherwise I’d be unable to stand right now,” Pei Yan complained to Yu Tang as soon as they met. “Your eldest brother got drunk and collapsed. I’ve already instructed A’Cha to follow along, and also prepared some hangover pills, in case he feels unwell in the middle of the night—there isn’t even a reliable doctor here.”

Yu Family Village only had a veterinarian who delivered livestock and sometimes also treated people.

Yu Tang smiled.

Under the dim yellow lamplight, that smile was like a blooming peony—the color didn’t intoxicate, but the person was intoxicated of their own accord.

Pei Yan narrowed his eyes, staring at her, not making a sound for quite a while.

Yu Tang wasn’t a fool—she immediately sensed something unusual.

Her heart pounded chaotically. Clearly knowing it shouldn’t be, clearly knowing it was improper, yet her feet were as if nailed down, unable to move at all.

“You, you said you were looking for me about something,” she said in a flustered and confused state, her face burning, speaking in a low voice. “What is it?”

Pei Yan came back to his senses, his ears bright red. He lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly and coughed lightly, saying, “Tomorrow I want to go up the mountain early. Although your family only has one mountain, I see it’s quite large. I’m afraid we won’t finish walking it in one or two days. If we go up early, we can finish walking it sooner…”

He spoke incoherently, having no idea what he was saying.

He only knew that Yu Tang’s face was red, her eyelids lowered, like a startled small animal, arousing pity. He was afraid that if his voice was too loud, it would frighten her.

“Then, then we’ll do as you say.” Yu Tang didn’t dare look at Pei Yan, yet felt his gaze on her growing more and more scorching, burning her skin hot. She instinctively sensed danger and didn’t dare stay longer, afraid that if this continued, something would happen that would leave her at a loss, with no way to respond. “Then I’ll, I’ll return to my room first. I’ll tell Qing Yuan—she’ll wake me tomorrow morning…” As she spoke, Yu Tang hastily curtsied to Pei Yan and fled back to her room, closing the door with a “bang.”

In the quiet summer night of the countryside, without a human voice, the sound of the closing door was like thunder, not only startling Pei Yan awake but also startling Qing Yuan, who had been shut outside.

What just happened?

She had only been distracted for a moment, thinking about what kind of breakfast to arrange for Miss Yu tomorrow morning—how did she end up left outside, staring blankly at Third Master?

Instinct made Qing Yuan act before thinking too much, quickly hiding behind the pomegranate tree beside the corridor.

Pei Yan stood there in a daze, but his thoughts spun like a spinning top, turning rapidly.

Did Miss Yu… sense that he felt differently about her?

Otherwise, why would she run away in such embarrassment?!

She must have sensed it…

Pei Yan felt somewhat elated, yet also somewhat worried.

What if he had guessed wrong?

Should he tear down this layer of gauze regardless of everything? Or should he pretend not to know and continue with the slow-cooking approach?

Pei Yan furrowed his brow in distress.

Yu Tang leaned against the door panel, suppressing her breathing. Only after quite a while did she dare to breathe.

It was as she thought, wasn’t it?

The way he looked at her was clearly different from usual, wasn’t it?

She shouldn’t have guessed wrong, right?

But how could it be?

He was Third Master of the Pei residence, the person in power of the Pei family… He had seen so much of the world, knew so many things… How could he possibly be interested in her…

She kept denying it in her heart, yet a tender sprout still emerged in her heart, winding past the stone slab pressing on it, quietly poking out a tiny head.

Yu Tang couldn’t help but rush to the window lattice and peek out furtively.

The quiet courtyard, the bright white moonlight, the dark green fruit trees, and Pei Yan standing in the moonlight.

He stood tall and jade-like, like bamboo swaying gracefully, yet his face couldn’t be seen clearly.

Yu Tang bit her lip and leaned back against the window lattice.

What exactly did he mean?

Why did he care about her family’s affairs?

Such ambiguity was not a good thing!

She thought of his flawlessly handsome face and turned around again to spy on the courtyard scene.

Under the glimmering moonlight, the tranquil courtyard was empty of people.

Yu Tang was stunned.

He, he left just like that?

She couldn’t help but “whoosh” open the window lattice and poke her head out to look.

There really wasn’t a single person!

Was, was she mistaken?

Only then did Yu Tang discover that her legs were soft as cotton, like cooked noodles, unable to support her body.

Indeed, she had overthought it.

Yu Tang held onto the window lattice, feeling somewhat unable to catch her breath…

She tossed and turned until the sky grew pale. When Qing Yuan woke her, she finally broke free from her chaotic thoughts.

They were originally two unrelated people. It was she who, having contacted more noble people, grew bolder in heart and thought more, which led to such anxiety about gains and losses.

Yu Tang took a deep breath. Thinking that she still had to go up the mountain with Pei Yan today, she immediately put away those unnecessary romantic notions and rose to have Qing Yuan attend to her grooming.

Sitting before the dressing table, she discovered she looked as if she had gone out at midnight to commit theft—not only were her eye circles dark, but her complexion was also haggard.

She instructed Qing Yuan, “Find a way to cover this up a bit, otherwise I won’t be able to go out and see people.”

Qing Yuan thought Yu Tang was simply not used to the bed. She quickly smiled and said, “I’ll apply some concealer for you. I guarantee no one will be able to tell.”

Yu Tang nodded, feeling as if she were painting a skin—in reality, her heart was already full of straw, quite unbearable…

But Pei Yan slept very well.

When he got up, he was not only refreshed but his complexion was rosy, his spirits high. He was even more handsome than usual, causing Hu Xing, who came to pay his respects, to look and look again, unable to resist asking if something good had happened.

Of course it was something good!

Although it was said that a gentleman pursues a fair lady, how could that compare to mutual affection and harmonious union!

Though his smile wasn’t large, it was extremely brilliant. He said to Hu Xing, “How did you handle the matter I asked you to take care of?”

Hu Xing quickly threw that bit of speculation to the back of his mind and assured him again that everything went smoothly: “Young Master Yuan has a hangover and is still sleeping. They say he can’t be woken up no matter what.”

Pei Yan was too lazy to ask about those details. After breakfast, he went to Yu Tang’s place.

Yu Tang was still having breakfast. Pei Yan decided to wait for her in the courtyard.

In the early morning courtyard, the thin mist had not yet dispersed. A cluster of purple roses in the corner of the wall was blooming perfectly.

Pei Yan walked over and picked several roses still bearing dewdrops. After Yu Tang finished breakfast, he handed the flowers to Qing Yuan: “Find a glass vase to display them and place it at Miss Yu’s bedside.”

Qing Yuan agreed with a smile.

Yu Tang stared almost jealously at his radiant face, very much wanting to ask if he had eaten a complete tonic pill—his handsome face shone in the morning light as if a layer of glaze had been repolished.

But when Pei Yan saw Yu Tang, he was greatly startled, saying, “What happened to you? Did you not sleep all night?”

You’re the one who didn’t sleep all night!

Yu Tang felt guilty, both anxious and angry, but didn’t know how to retort, so she could only glare at him fiercely.

Pei Yan was baffled.

Yu Tang didn’t want to talk to him and asked Shuang Tao, “Is Young Master not better yet?”

With Qing Yuan around, everything would be arranged well, so Shuang Tao had become somewhat lax.

She hadn’t paid attention to Yu Yuan’s situation at all. Upon hearing this, she immediately said, “I’ll go invite Young Master over right away.”

Of course Yu Yuan couldn’t possibly get up.

Pei Yan then said to Yu Tang, “After a hangover, people feel terrible. Why don’t we go up the mountain first and leave A’Cha here to attend to him? Once his spirits are better, he can come up the mountain.”