Yu Tang’s steps paused slightly.

Pei Yan had already walked ahead.

Yu Tang looked at Pei Yan’s tall, slender figure and broad shoulders, as steady as deep waters and towering peaks. When you didn’t need him, he quietly stayed invisible, but at critical moments, he was always the most reliable.

And he had never disappointed her!

Yu Tang smiled and stepped forward several paces, suddenly draping herself onto Pei Yan’s back.

A faint fragrance wafted from Pei Yan’s body.

At first whiff it seemed like sandalwood, but upon closer inspection, it was somewhat like agarwood.

Very subtle.

Unless you were pressed close, you couldn’t smell it at all.

This reminded her of the scene when he held her tightly in the warm quilts.

All around her would be enveloped in this fragrance.

From initial embarrassment to later familiarity, fondness, and deep love… in the blink of an eye, it seemed like they had walked through an entire lifetime together.

“Xia Guang!” Yu Tang called Pei Yan so softly for the first time. “I can’t walk anymore!”

She wanted to hang on him like this, having him carry her for the rest of their lives.

“On such a hot day!” The mood-killer was always Pei Yan. He exclaimed: “Get down quickly! If you’re not hot, I certainly am!”

Yu Tang smiled secretly.

She knew this fellow wouldn’t indulge her.

Though that didn’t seem quite right either.

He had always been very indulgent with her.

From their first meeting when she brazenly used the Pei residence’s reputation to her advantage, to Gu Xi becoming pregnant before her.

It was just that his “indulgence” was always inadvertent, always at her saddest moments, making her heart feel like it held a warm spring, flowing endlessly.

“But I want you to carry me.” Yu Tang’s voice carried a coquettishness she herself didn’t recognize, like a spoiled child.

Pei Yan paused slightly and said: “There are so many people watching! I’ll carry you when we get back!”

His voice held some hesitation.

Yu Tang was the type to shine with just a bit of sunlight, let alone when Pei Yan himself was wavering.

She immediately said: “Where are there people? Don’t you know your own people? They’ve long since disappeared to who knows where!”

Pei Yan looked left and right. The people who had just been swarming around them like bees had indeed vanished to who knows where.

These fellows had some sense at least!

Pei Yan thought to himself, only feeling that the warm jade on his back was like Tang Monk’s flesh, so fragrant it made the magma in his heart roil and surge.

He smiled smugly to himself.

She had delivered herself to his door—he couldn’t be blamed for going on a killing spree.

“Hold on tight!” Pei Yan said, supporting her with both hands as he hoisted her onto his back. “Don’t blame me if you fall off later.”

Yu Tang lay against his back, her cheeks beside his thick, black hair.

The older generation always said that people with thick, black hair had upright characters too.

Pei Yan had nothing to do with “upright,” but he was indeed a very “direct” person.

Though sometimes his words weren’t pleasant to hear.

But unpleasant words were also part of his nature!

Yu Tang rubbed her cheek against Pei Yan’s hair. It was a bit coarse, but she loved it from the bottom of her heart.

This was what it felt like to be devoted to someone, wasn’t it?

Whether good or bad, in her eyes, she loved it all.

Yu Tang couldn’t help but call “Xia Guang” in his ear and kiss the corner of his temple.

*

The Yang family soon learned of Pei Tong’s choice.

First Madam Yang cursed furiously: “I knew we shouldn’t have let them return to Lin’an. Pei Tong is the elder and had more contact with us. When Pei Fei left the capital, he was still so small—in a few more years, he probably won’t even remember us, his maternal grandfather and uncles. Why did my son-in-law have to die so early! Otherwise, what business would it be of Pei Xuan!”

Back then, when Pei You wanted to enter official service, Old Master Pei didn’t agree, and other clan members also disapproved. Pei You thus developed a rift with the Pei family. Coupled with marrying Yang Shi, whom Old Madam Pei disliked, he grew increasingly distant from the Pei family. In the officialdom, he relied more on the Yang family for mutual support. He had even planned for First Master Yang—when to go to the Six Ministries, when to become a registrar, when to become a vice minister.

Now that Pei You was gone, the Yang family had lost their pillar. Second and Third Masters Yang were about to be permanently barred from office, while Pei Xuan had leveraged the Pei family’s influence to become a vice minister.

That Pei Xuan, a man from whom you couldn’t beat out a fart with three sticks—what qualified him to be a vice minister?

Wasn’t it all because Third Master Pei helped maneuver and scheme?

First Madam Yang hated it so much that sometimes she thought, if Pei You were alive, Pei Xuan’s position would definitely belong to her husband.

She was so anxious that sores appeared at the corners of her mouth. Yet she feared angering Old Master Yang into an early grave. With the Yang family having lost their main force in the officialdom, she could only discuss privately with First Master Yang: “What do we do about this? Are we really going to report the Pei family?”

First Master Yang frowned deeply and said: “What good would reporting the Pei family do now? Not only would we implicate our own family, but if the Third Imperial Prince ascends the throne, they’d even have merit for supporting the dragon. If we’re going to report them, our family can’t be the ones to come forward. Best to make a detour and find someone who wants to deal with Third Master Pei—let them do it! Without Third Master Pei, what is Second Master Pei to fear!”

First Madam Yang nodded repeatedly.

She thought the same.

She even believed that the reason Third Master Pei could be so elevated was because Pei You was gone.

“But we can’t just let Third Master Pei off like this.” First Master Yang thought of the slights Pei You suffered at Pei Yan’s hands when he was alive, and felt very uncomfortable. With a dark expression he said: “I think we need to tell our good grandson about this matter, let him know what the Pei family people have been doing.”

First Madam Yang’s eyes darted around: “You mean?”

“I’ll handle this matter personally.” First Master Yang said through gritted teeth. “You don’t need to worry about it. As for Second and Third Brothers, since the Pei family has promised to help, we’ll wait until the Pei family makes their move.”

They wanted to have their cake and eat it too!

The Yang family had grown accustomed to taking from both ends when Pei You was alive. Disgusting the Pei family people in the process—they felt that was quite good.

First Master Yang sneered several times, then personally went to apologize to Pei Tong. He blamed himself for not managing the inner household properly, allowing his wife to say inappropriate things in front of Pei Tong. He had already severely reprimanded First Madam Yang and sent her to a temple to eat vegetarian food and cultivate herself for a while. As for the two Yang uncles, they would have to rely on the Pei family’s efforts. If their lives could be preserved, that would already be a tremendous favor. Anything else, they dared not think about, nor dare to demand.

He even sighed in front of Pei Tong, saying that if he had known it would come to this, he should have retired after Pei Tong’s father passed away, so two good families wouldn’t have reached such an ugly impasse today.

Hearing this, Pei Tong couldn’t help feeling somewhat guilty.

But he had already made his choice and could only continue down this path.

He forcibly suppressed the sadness in his heart and made small talk with his eldest maternal uncle for a long while, knowing that from now on, the Yang and Pei families would have a rift and could never be as intimately close as before.

Pei Tong sighed inwardly, not knowing how to explain this to his mother when he returned to Lin’an.

Perhaps mother would truly bring Pei Fei to sojourn in the capital.

He smiled bitterly as he saw off First Master Yang, then turned to go to Gu Xi’s quarters.

Gu Xi had called people from the silk shop over and was selecting fabrics suitable for making children’s clothes with her wet nurse. Seeing him, she stood up with a beaming smile and greeted him gently: “You’re back!” She enthusiastically instructed the young maid to bring tea.

The wet nurse quickly withdrew with the silk shop people.

That day they had returned home in silence, neither saying a word about the pregnancy or the Yang family matter.

Pei Tong had also assumed Gu Xi’s supposed pregnancy was to coerce him, but seeing her just now happily making little clothes, he felt he might have misunderstood Gu Xi.

He couldn’t help but ask hesitantly: “Are you well?”

“Very well!” Gu Xi smiled radiantly, her hand unconsciously moving to her belly as she smiled: “I didn’t expect it either.”

Had the child come this quickly?

Pei Tong, after all being a first-time father, felt somewhat embarrassed and smiled: “If you want to eat or drink anything, tell the wet nurse, or tell Second Aunt. Second Uncle instructed Second Aunt—you needn’t be polite.”

“I know!” Gu Xi smiled with a face full of happiness and said: “Husband should study well. I’ll take good care of myself.”

Pei Tong made a sound of agreement, not knowing what else to say.

Gu Xi was more forthcoming, asking with concern about studying with Yin Mingyuan: “Are you adjusting well? If not, have Elder Brother find you another tutor? Or we could ask Second Uncle to intervene!”

“It’s fine!” Pei Tong, having found a topic he could discuss, breathed a sigh of relief. He thought this was good—before going to Second Uncle’s place, he had been determined to help the Yang family. Knowing Gu Xi opposed it, he hadn’t consulted her beforehand. Gu Xi, not wanting him to help the Yang family, had brought up the pregnancy. Both had their wrongs. By today, they were even. Best to act as if nothing had happened before.

His mind wandering, he instinctively began discussing his studies.

Gu Xi listened with a face full of smiles.

Her wet nurse, however, was anxiously stamping her feet.

What Gu Xi was “carrying” was the Pei family’s eldest grandson. If she couldn’t produce a child when the time came, how would she explain it to the Pei family elders!

How could she be so foolish!

Of all excuses to use, why use “pregnancy”?

Would she really have to fake a “miscarriage” when the time came?

Gu Xi’s wet nurse was so worried she couldn’t sleep.

Pei Yan and Pei Xuan, according to their previous promise, worked to help Pei Tong’s two maternal uncles. Though they couldn’t secure their complete exoneration, they at least avoided permanent dismissal from office and had the sentence changed to exile in Lingnan.

That was the Tao family’s territory.

The Yang family inevitably came again asking Pei Yan to help make arrangements.

Once the Yang family matter was settled, Xu Xuan gave birth to a healthy, plump eight-pound son.

The Yin family was overjoyed. Various aunts and young ladies came one after another to visit. Even Yin Hao’s wife rushed over from their hometown.

Xu Xuan was utterly annoyed but had to patiently entertain these female relatives.

Yu Tang didn’t go disturb her, instead helping Second Madam prepare Fifth Miss’s dowry.

The Qin and Pei families set the betrothal ceremony for the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month.

When Xu Xuan heard, she protested: “Couldn’t it wait until August? I also want to attend your A’Dan’s minor betrothal ceremony.”

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips and said: “You just stay home properly! Old Madam Zhang said she would help you properly recover your health. You can’t leave the residence for three months.”

This provoked another round of complaints from Xu Xuan.

When Second Madam heard about this, she asked Yu Tang rather nervously: “Is that the custom in the capital? Must one sit through three months of confinement to show proper respect? I heard Madam Yin invited a midwife into the house as soon as she became pregnant. Young Madam is also with child. Tell me, should we also invite a midwife to stay at home? After all, we’re not her proper mother-in-law—doing more is better than doing less. Besides, it’s just another mouth to feed and a few more taels of silver.”