At mealtime, Jia Fu heard footsteps outside her door, recognized it was Yin Huan, and quickly lay down fully clothed, closing her eyes.
Yin Huan entered and said, “Young Miss, stop sleeping. The Master has sent me to call you down for dinner.”
Jia Fu replied, “I’m not hungry and couldn’t eat anything. Tell him not to wait for me, he should eat first.”
After Yin Huan left, Jia Fu climbed back into bed and lay down again, just waiting for Pei You’an to come to check on her. To her dismay, she waited and waited until her stomach was nearly flat from hunger and the sky had darkened, yet still, there was no sign of him, nor did Yin Huan come to call her again. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she got up and walked to the window to look down, seeing that the light in his study was already lit.
So he had long finished his meal and gone to his study.
Jia Fu was momentarily stunned. She understood.
He must have seen through her intentions and chose to ignore them.
Jia Fu felt utterly frustrated, suppressing the sense of defeat rising in her heart as she stared at the study emitting light, lost in thought for a long while.
…
By mid-evening, the sky had completely darkened.
Jia Fu came to the study door, knocked several times, then pushed it open and entered. Approaching the desk, she gently placed a white porcelain bowl from her tray beside Pei You’an’s hand, saying softly, “Cousin, I’ve brought you a late-night snack.”
Pei You’an kept his gaze fixed on the book in his hands and said flatly, “You eat it yourself. I’m not hungry.”
Jia Fu said, “Earlier when I went to the kitchen to find something to eat, I happened to see the cook had some soaked snow fungus there, so I made my hometown’s snow fungus and taro milk soup, which I’ve loved since childhood. The cook said you don’t usually eat sweet foods, so I only added one spoonful of honey. I just tasted it myself and it’s passable, so I brought it for you. Please try it, Cousin.”
Pei You’an looked up and glanced at Jia Fu.
Her jet-black lustrous hair was styled in the hanging chignon of an unmarried young lady, with the bun tied atop her head and the ends of her raven hair naturally draped over both shoulders. She wore a light pink dress, as delicate as a newly blooming begonia, standing there beside him, her eyes fixed on him, her gaze slightly nervous yet seemingly full of expectation.
Pei You’an’s brow twitched slightly, but his tone remained even: “So you know to come down for meals now?”
Jia Fu made a sound of agreement and lowered her head: “Earlier I was angry that Senior Cousin wouldn’t take me along, that’s why I didn’t come down… Later my stomach was unbearably hungry, so I went to the kitchen myself… The cook said that you had instructed her to keep hot food for me… Cousin, you’re so good to me, yet I keep throwing tantrums… I know I was wrong again…”
Jia Fu’s voice grew increasingly soft.
Pei You’an silently picked up the spoon, took a bite, and then paused.
“Does it taste bad?”
Jia Fu looked at him anxiously.
Pei You’an took another bite and said, “This is a sweet soup. Next time you could add another spoonful of honey, which would surely make it taste better.”
Jia Fu sighed with relief, her eyes immediately brightening as though stars were flowing within them. She nodded vigorously: “I’ll remember that! Besides this, I can also make my hometown’s beef soup, kueh bowl cake, taro fruit… all things my mother taught me to learn, saying that after I get married…”
She quickly covered her mouth, wide-eyed as she looked at Pei You’an, showing embarrassment, and muttered unclearly: “Anyway, if Cousin wants to eat, I’ll make them for you every day…”
Pei You’an’s expression relaxed imperceptibly as he smiled slightly: “I don’t usually eat late-night snacks, so you don’t need to make them every day. Have you eaten?”
Jia Fu’s face flushed with a faint blush as she said quietly, “I already ate earlier.”
A trace of a shallow smile that even he didn’t notice flashed across the bottom of Pei You’an’s eyes. He nodded slightly, then gestured for her to sit on a chair nearby.
Jia Fu was startled, then heard him ask her to place her hand flat on the table. Only then did she understand, though she was actually somewhat unwilling in her heart, but dared not disobey, so she extended her hand.
Pei You’an gently rolled up her sleeve, his fingers not touching her skin at all, revealing a section of delicately white jade-like wrist. His two fingers lightly touched her pulse, and when finished, he withdrew his hand, picked up his brush to write several lines on paper, and said: “There’s nothing seriously wrong. I’ll have someone prepare medicine according to this prescription for you. Starting tonight, take it two hours before bedtime to help calm your mind for sleep.”
“The medicine won’t be too bitter. Its properties complement mature honey; add some after it cools slightly, which will also nourish blood and yin.”
He thought for a moment, then picked up his brush again and added a few more characters.
Jia Fu gazed steadily at Pei You’an, her eyes gradually glistening with tears. Seeing him turn his face toward her, she hurriedly turned away, raising her hand to quickly wipe her eyes with her fingers.
“What’s wrong? Besides having many disturbing dreams at night, is there anywhere else you feel unwell? Just tell me.”
Pei You’an looked at her, his voice sounding exceptionally gentle.
Jia Fu shook her head and said softly, “I was thinking, Cousin is so good to me, even if I still have nightmares after taking your medicine, I shouldn’t trouble you anymore…”
Pei You’an’s hand holding the brush suspended above the paper paused slightly as he glanced at her.
But Jia Fu didn’t look at him, just kept her head lowered, took a breath, and continued: “Cousin, you’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning, so you should sleep early tonight. I won’t disturb you anymore. Feel free to go, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine at home by myself.”
She raised her face and gave Pei You’an, who was looking at her, a poor smile forced to appear joyful. She stood up, picked up the tray, and left the study, her footsteps light as her figure disappeared behind the door.
…
Yin Huan brought the prepared medicine along with a jar of cooked honey, waiting nearby for the medicine to cool slightly before adding the honey. Jia Fu said she would add it herself and sent her away.
After Yin Huan left, she picked up the medicine and poured it into the soil of a rhododendron bonsai in the corner of the room.
It was obvious that Pei You’an’s understanding of the Zhou Prince’s wife and Xiao Yintang was far less profound than her bone-deep, engraved-in-heart knowledge.
But there were some things she couldn’t explain clearly to him.
Regardless of whether Xiao Yintang would make a move against her next, or when he might do so, she wanted to follow Pei You’an. Wherever he went, she wanted to go too.
Tomorrow morning he would leave, so this night, she decided to stay awake the entire night, seizing the last opportunity to take one more gamble.
She truly desperately wanted him by her side. Only when she could see his figure at all times could she feel completely at ease.
The night deepened, and Jia Fu climbed out of bed again, coming to the window once more. When she looked toward the study, her heart skipped slightly.
The lamp that had been burning in the study was now extinguished. In the moonlight, she saw a figure walking out from the study. Pei You’an was heading toward his bedroom. After taking a few steps, his figure halted and he turned his head.
The moonlight tonight was clear and bright; she could see him distinctly. His face was turned in her direction, precisely at this window where she was.
She hastily withdrew, waiting for her pounding heart to gradually calm down. A moment later, she peeked out again cautiously.
There was no one there anymore. The courtyard was empty, with only white moonlight casting a clear luminescence.
…
The next day, Pei You’an rose before dawn. The attendants and guards who would accompany him had already arrived, a convoy waiting outside, fully equipped and ready to depart.
Jia Fu was absent from the morning meal. When Pei You’an was about to leave, she still didn’t appear to see him off. He looked back several times, his footsteps slightly hesitant.
He wondered how she had slept last night after taking the medicine he had prescribed.
Pei You’an was about to call Yin Huan to inquire when he suddenly realized that today it was still early after daybreak, and it wasn’t that she was late, but rather that he was rising earlier than usual. At this moment, she was probably still in her dreams, so he dismissed the thought.
Pei You’an was escorted out through the second gate hall by the steward and others. He recalled how she had confided her fears to him that day, having nightmares due to Xiao Yintang’s coercion. He couldn’t help but turn back and look once more at the round tower behind him. Although he had given instructions before, after some thought, he called over Yang Yun, the captain of the guards who had been ordered to stay behind to protect her, and cautioned him once again.
Yang Yun promised solemnly.
Pei You’an knew his martial skills were excellent and that he had always conducted himself steadily, which slightly set his mind at ease. He continued toward the exit. At the main gate, the steward led the servants who had followed out to respectfully bid him farewell.
Pei You’an ordered everyone to disperse and took the horsewhip from a guard’s hand. As he was about to leave, the image of her coming to his study after being coldly treated by him last night suddenly appeared in his mind.
He hadn’t slept well last night either. His sleep was light; when he closed his eyes, hazily, it seemed he saw her afraid of his anger, forcing a smile while silently seeking his understanding.
Pei You’an suddenly felt some regret for his cold treatment of her.
She was sulking, unwilling to come down for dinner, wanting him to coax her—this was natural human emotion, just a young girl’s little thought. Although childish, it was harmless.
He couldn’t help but turn back once more to look at the round tower behind him.
It was still early, the morning sun had not yet risen, and the tower was shrouded in a hazy dawn. All around was silent, with only the occasional sound of horses’ hooves hitting the ground outside the gate, urging him to depart.
Pei You’an exhaled, withdrew his gaze, and turned to leave when his eyes suddenly fixed on something.
Behind a pillar of the side hall’s veranda near the main gate, there was a figure.
Jia Fu was there, though who knew when she had arrived. Her petite body allowed her to hide behind that pillar, with only part of her dress visible and half her delicate face exposed, her eyes wide open, looking at him.
Their gazes met, and like a startled rabbit, she immediately pulled her head back, hidden by the pillar, her face no longer visible.
Pei You’an’s palm suddenly felt warm. He returned the horsewhip to the nearby guard, instructing him to go out first and wait outside the gate, while he strode quickly toward her.
Jia Fu flustered, turned hurriedly to run, but Pei You’an had already taken a step up onto the stairs and called out “Cousin.”
Jia Fu stopped in her tracks, slowly turned her head, and softly called back “Elder Cousin,” lowering her eyes.
Just like yesterday, beneath her eyes was a circle of faint bluish bruising, her face full of weariness.
“Still didn’t sleep well last night?” Pei You’an studied her and asked.
Jia Fu put her hands behind her back and shook her head: “After taking the medicine, I slept much better than usual and didn’t have nightmares either. Don’t worry, Cousin.”
Pei You’an knew she was lying. After hesitating a moment, he changed the subject: “Why did you come here so early? When did you get up?”
Jia Fu slowly raised her small face, her teeth tightly biting her lip until it turned white, yet she only gazed at him expectantly, without making a sound.
The early morning light was faintly white, with cool breezes flowing past, gently stirring a few strands of hair by her ears. Pei You’an looked at her, slightly dazed, as before his eyes suddenly appeared the image of her that night when he had seen through her tower-jumping trick, crying with tears and mucus in a sorry state. The left side of his chest, that patch of area, gradually softened.
“Be quick, go change your clothes…”
Jia Fu’s eyes suddenly brightened. Before he could finish his instructions, she immediately turned around and hurriedly said: “I’ve already packed everything. Wait for me, Cousin, I’ll be right out!”
Before her words had fallen, she had already raced back inside.
Pei You’an turned to watch her retreating figure, somewhat taken aback.