Yu Wen hastily sat up straight and said to Yu Tang: “What did you come for? Did your mother send you?”

Yu Tang didn’t answer, instead saying with a beaming smile: “I made some snowflake cakes for Father. Try them—do you think mine taste better, or Mother’s?”

Before the pastry even entered his mouth, Yu Wen was already smiling indulgently: “Of course our A’Tiao makes them taste better. Your mother’s skill has been the same for ten years. You’re young and know how to adapt. Last time you added almonds and olives to the snowflake crisps—quite a unique flavor. Even Master Wu praised how delicious they were!”

Yu Tang smiled radiantly as she brewed a pot of fine West Lake Dragon Well tea for Yu Wen.

Yu Wen had already consumed one piece of cake. Drinking the hot tea his daughter brewed, the sweet taste was diluted by the slightly bitter taste of green tea, leaving only a pleasant sensation filling his mouth.

He nodded slightly, saying: “A’Tiao, the Pei family matter is between your mother and me. You needn’t worry about it, but you can rest assured—I won’t let you suffer any loss.”

Seeing her father voluntarily bring up this matter, Yu Tang felt somewhat settled and smiled: “Father, everyone thinks this marriage alliance is quite good. Why do you think it’s not good?” After finishing, without waiting for Yu Wen to speak, she continued: “I know Father, you must have your reasons. Can you tell me? Then I’ll go persuade Mother. This way you won’t have to quarrel with Mother, and Mother won’t get angry either. How does that sound?”

Hearing this, Yu Wen couldn’t help feeling somewhat tempted.

He and Chen Shi had been married all these years and had never been this angry with each other. His heart actually felt very uncomfortable.

Yu Wen thought for a moment and said: “I just feel that life is short and bitter—there’s no need to be so exhausting. Never mind anything else—just talking about your dowry, if you only married into an ordinary family, our household could easily prepare your dowry properly. But marrying into the Pei family, everything must be better than before. If you suffer grievances in the future, it won’t be easy for me to go to their door to demand answers. Just thinking about it, I feel this marriage alliance is meaningless.”

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, saying: “What about Third Master Pei himself—do you think there’s anything bad about him?”

Yu Wen pondered: “Speaking of bad… it’s just that he’s too cold and distant toward people…”

He couldn’t put on the airs of a father-in-law before him.

He only had this one daughter, Yu Tang, so could only have one son-in-law. If he couldn’t put on the airs of a father-in-law before his son-in-law, wouldn’t his daughter be given away to another family for nothing? Just thinking about it made him feel uncomfortable.

Yu Tang said: “Have you thought about personally going to ask Pei Yan how he plans to handle these matters in the future?”

Yu Wen froze.

Yu Tang smiled: “Father, sitting here thinking no matter how much is useless. Rather than guessing like this and hurting your brain, I think it’s better to call Third Master Pei over and ask him clearly. If he feels our family is asking too much, this marriage alliance can be reconsidered. Do you think what I’m saying makes sense?”

That’s right!

Even in business, there’s starting with a high price and negotiating down. This was marrying off his daughter—how could he marry her off so muddleheadedly like this?

This was much more important than those business deals!

Yu Wen slapped his thigh: “How did I not think of that? You’re right. I’ll have someone take a message to Third Master Pei right now, telling him to come see me. If he still has that same attitude as before, this marriage alliance will be called off immediately.”

Yu Tang nodded repeatedly, saying: “Have A’Tiao send the message. He’s followed you in and out of the Pei residence several times—the gatekeepers should recognize him.”

Yu Wen felt this made sense and immediately called A’Tiao in, having him take his calling card to summon Pei Yan over.

A’Tiao tremblingly agreed and flew out of the study.

Yu Wen worried again: “What if he doesn’t come?”

Yu Tang immediately said decisively: “Then our family won’t form a marriage alliance with their family.”

“Well said!” Yu Wen loudly agreed, his mood comfortable.

Yu Tang smiled gently.

Yu Wen then complained to her at length about Master Wu, saying Master Wu didn’t go along with him in responding but instead spoke for the Pei family. Yu Tang listened quietly, occasionally echoing her father’s words, making Yu Wen feel much more comfortable in his heart.

Chen Shi, waiting outside for news, learned that Yu Wen was calling Pei Yan over for questioning. Cold sweat formed in her palms. After whispering with Wang Shi for a long while, she found an excuse to call Yu Tang out of the study and asked: “How could you give your father such an unreliable idea? What if Third Master Pei gets angry and is unwilling to form a marriage alliance with our family? Third Master Pei’s temperament isn’t very good—you’re not unaware of this. He’s not just that way toward your father alone. What’s there for you to fuss about?”

Perhaps her marriage prospects were truly too difficult. Having finally found someone with excellent character and learning, Chen Shi and Wang Shi valued it extremely highly.

Yu Tang could only placate them with a smile: “I haven’t been able to marry into the Pei family yet. If Third Master Pei isn’t even willing to give me this bit of face, how much can you expect him to respect me in the future!”

Wang Shi and Chen Shi had nothing to say.

Yu Tang then gave Xiang Shi a meaningful look, pushing and shoving the two women toward the hall: “When Third Master Pei comes later, who knows how long he’ll talk with Father. The weather is so hot—you should sit inside where it’s cool!”

Chen Shi and Wang Shi still had their brows tightly locked, but in the end still went to sit idly in the hall as Yu Tang suggested.

The two couldn’t help discussing the marriage with the Pei family. But one had Yu Wen opposed, the other had Yu Tang unconcerned. Chen Shi and Wang Shi felt neither was someone to talk with, so they simply excluded Yu Tang and pulled Xiang Shi aside to quietly speak intimate words.

Yu Tang could only return to her own room.

But before she had finished making half a silk flower, Shuang Tao walked in with a somewhat strange expression, quietly saying to her: “Miss, A’Ming came over saying Third Master wants to see you now—he’s at our family’s back door.”

Yu Tang was quite surprised.

If she asked him to come over, he should just come—why go to her family’s back door first?

Yu Tang pondered whether Pei Yan had something to say to her. She hastily changed clothes and, accompanied by Shuang Tao, went to the back door.

The sun beat straight down on their heads. Though two arm-thick old locust trees were planted by Yu Tang’s family’s back door, the windless alley was still very hot.

Pei Yan held a plain white bamboo-handled Sichuan fan over his head, wearing thin white fine gauze robes with a white silk sash at his waist, looking fresh and cool. But upon seeing Yu Tang, he said: “Why are you only coming out now? It’s hot enough to kill someone!”

Seeing his face pale and sweatless, not looking hot at all, Yu Tang couldn’t help saying: “How about I have Shuang Tao go get a cattail fan to fan you?”

Pei Yan said: “Forget it! The main matter is important. Master Yu summoned me—do you know why?”

Hearing this, Yu Tang thought to herself: At least you’re thoughtful, knowing to come see me first to inquire before seeing my father.

She said pleasantly: “He probably has some questions to ask you.”

Pei Yan said uncomprehendingly: “Whatever questions shouldn’t he tell the matchmaker? Why does he suddenly want to ask me personally? I don’t understand those betrothal and engagement matters either. How about I go back and call someone who understands these things to come instead?” For the last sentence, he used a consulting tone to ask Yu Tang.

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, saying: “It’s probably not about those things.” Feeling she couldn’t explain clearly in a moment, she simply said: “Just go see my father. Whatever he asks you, you answer.”

“How can that work!” Pei Yan firmly objected. “In these matters, answering wrong can be fatal.” He even complained to Yu Tang: “How can you not take this seriously at all?”

Yu Tang glanced at Pei Yan.

Could it be he was actually very nervous?!

Her heart softened. Her eyes and brows immediately revealed some tenderness as she said consolingly: “My father feels it’s an unequal match. Most likely he wants to ask you why you want to marry me.”

Pei Yan coldly nodded his head. Yu Tang clearly felt he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

She was about to reveal a few more things to him when Pei Yan already said: “So it’s just insecurity? Fine, I know how to handle your father!”

Yu Tang immediately glared angrily, wanting very much to reach out and hit someone, saying: “Is that how you speak?!”

“What did I do?” Pei Yan looked greatly startled, retreating several steps: “What’s with that expression? You look like you want to eat me alive. You’re not usually like this. What did I do to provoke you now?”

Yu Tang was so angry she stomped her feet, not wanting to say one extra word to the person before her.

“Then just answer my father’s questions properly. If you answer well, this marriage alliance might succeed. If you answer poorly, we two will be fated but not destined to be together!” She tossed out these few sentences, turned and entered the house, slamming the door with a “bang” and shutting Pei Yan outside.

Pei Yan’s expression changed drastically. Furious, he paced back and forth several times, sweat also appearing on his forehead.

“Look at this—what kind of situation is this?” he said indignantly to Hu Xing who had come with him. “She actually dared give me attitude.”

Hu Xing wished he had a crack in the ground to crawl into. He steeled himself to advise: “Master Yu is after all Miss Yu’s father. She definitely doesn’t want to hear others criticize Master Yu…”

Pei Yan frowned: “When did I criticize Master Yu?”

Hu Xing, thinking he might truly not know, softly reminded him: “You shouldn’t have said Master Yu was ‘insecure’…”

Pei Yan didn’t make a sound.

Seeing this, Hu Xing continued: “What you said is of course correct. However, that is after all Miss Yu’s father. Speaking that way is somewhat hurtful!”

Pei Yan stood there motionless for a long while, eyes downcast, not knowing what he was thinking.

Hu Xing carefully asked: “So should we go see Master Yu?”

“Of course we’ll go see him.” Pei Yan raised his head, saying: “Why wouldn’t we go see Master Yu?”

Since Yu Tang didn’t like him speaking of Master Yu that way, he would just be careful in the future.

Hu Xing hastily smiled and made a “please” gesture, saying: “Then let’s first go to the Yu family to pay a visit.”

Pei Yan nodded lightly, led by Hu Xing to the Yu family’s main gate.

Yu Tang’s mood was somewhat irritable.

This Pei Yan had no consideration at all. When he met her father shortly, who knew if they would argue needle-point to wheat-awn.

If such a scene truly occurred, what should she do?

Yu Tang locked her brows in difficulty, called Shuang Tao, and took a detour to the back courtyard of Yu Wen’s study.

The study’s window shutters were wide open, clearly showing the scene inside the study.

Pei Yan and Yu Wen sat facing each other on the right and left sides of the desk. Yu Wen was waiting for A’Ming to be instructed to brew a pot of fine West Lake Dragon Well tea. He even said to Pei Yan: “This was brought back to me by our young lady when she went to Hangzhou.”