The Second Madam tenderly tucked the quilt around Gu Xi, saying gently, “How could this be considered troublesome? Don’t men work outside precisely so their families can live better lives? If he won’t even help with this much, how could he have the face to call himself your elder? Rest well, don’t worry about anything else. You have me, you have your Third Aunt, and you have your Second Uncle and Third Uncle too!”

Gu Xi had lost her mother at a young age and grown up wearing armor before her stepmother. Even the occasional warmth she received was false and calculating. When had she ever been cared for and cherished by elders like this?

Her eyes grew moist, not knowing what to say.

Seeing this, Pei Tong quickly thanked his wife on her behalf.

The Second Madam sighed and said to Pei Tong, “As for the elders, you needn’t worry. I’ll have your Second Uncle personally write to the Old Madam. But regarding your mother, I’m afraid you’ll need to explain things yourself. Speaking of which, I’m also at fault in this matter. I clearly knew you’d just gotten married and had no elders watching over you—your Second Uncle specifically reminded me about it—yet the Eldest Young Madam still… If your mother questions you, just say it was my fault. Say I failed to help her take proper care of things. Your wife is also feeling terrible about this, so in some matters, you must be understanding!”

The implication was clear: make absolutely sure the First Madam didn’t vent her anger on Gu Xi.

Pei Tong did harbor some resentment toward Gu Xi, feeling she had announced the pregnancy to the elders before three months had passed just to manipulate him, and then failed to take care, resulting in the miscarriage.

But since the Second Madam had spoken to this extent, no matter how much displeasure he felt, he could only suppress it.

Besides, what the Second Madam said made sense.

He was a man and should be more magnanimous.

“I know what to say,” Pei Tong assured the Second Madam. “I won’t put A’Xi in a difficult position.”

The Second Madam nodded with satisfaction.

However, Gu Xi turned her face away, blinking hard to keep tears from falling.

Pei Tong had been the best man she could grasp at the time. She had made up her mind to marry him, but hadn’t expected the Pei family to be even better than she’d imagined.

In that moment, she secretly resolved never to do such foolish things again. From now on, she would live properly with Pei Tong and do her utmost to mend the rift between the First Madam and the Pei family members.

This thought made Gu Xi feel much better.

The Second Madam and Yu Tang couldn’t stay long. After chatting for a while, they took their leave.

Pei Tong escorted them to the door.

The Second Madam and Yu Tang walked unhurriedly along the covered corridor. When Gu Xi’s courtyard was out of sight, she lowered her voice and said to Yu Tang, “I don’t even know what to say. Earlier I was thinking of buying some medicinal herbs for her postpartum recovery, but what happened? The herbs ended up being used early. I just hope the First Madam will listen to her son’s counsel.”

Yu Tang’s feelings were complicated.

She hoped Pei Yan was right—at least no life had been lost. But she also hoped Pei Yan was wrong—at least Gu Xi hadn’t turned that bad yet.

Yu Tang sighed and said, “I hope she’ll be well, and that in a few days there will be good news again.”

The Second Madam sighed and nodded in agreement.

When the imperial physician came the next day, the Second Madam and Yu Tang waited together behind a screen for the results.

The imperial physician prescribed several doses of health-tonifying and blood-nourishing medicine and left.

It appeared there was nothing seriously wrong.

Both the Second Madam and Yu Tang breathed sighs of relief.

By the time a reply came from the First Madam’s side, it was already past mid-July.

Just as the Second Madam had predicted, in her letter the First Madam thoroughly berated Gu Xi, also scolding Pei Tong for being spineless and unable to stand firm, unable even to manage his own household.

These were minor matters.

The key point was that the messenger told Pei Tong that the First Madam wanted to take this opportunity to bring the Second Young Master to the capital to visit Gu Xi and care for her health.

Pei Tong couldn’t help but hesitate.

Gu Xi immediately said, “Husband, if Mother-in-law wants to come to the capital to visit her natal family, that’s natural human affection. It’s just that the timing is wrong—if she has a dispute with Second Aunt, what are we as the younger generation supposed to do?”

Given the First Madam’s temperament, she might very well say things to upset the Second Madam.

Pei Tong said, “But we can’t refuse to let her come either!”

In his view, his mother coming to care for Gu Xi was false; wanting to return to the capital to visit her natal family was the truth.

Gu Xi decided to prevent the First Madam from coming to the capital.

The Yang family matter had just been resolved—she didn’t want the First Madam’s arrival to create new complications.

She discussed with Pei Tong, “What if I return to Lin’an instead? She’s living alone in Lin’an, and my brother-in-law is busy with his studies, so she must be very lonely. If I go back, I can both care for Grandmother and fulfill my filial duties to Mother. It would kill two birds with one stone.”

Pei Tong was indecisive.

But this way, he would be alone.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t live without Gu Xi, but having someone managing the household by his side was still quite different.

Pei Tong said, “Let me think about it carefully.”

Gu Xi agreed verbally, but in her heart she grew increasingly disappointed in her husband.

Not decisive at all.

If her older brother were here, agreement would mean agreement, refusal would mean refusal. Having one’s heart stirred but being unable to make a decision—such a person, even if a high position awaited him, probably couldn’t sit well in it or hold it long.

Gu Xi suddenly felt she had no hope for their future life together.

Afterward, she waited several days, but Pei Tong made no decision. He simply continued as before, rising each morning to practice calligraphy and read, then after the midday meal either going to the Yin family or the Gu family to study with Yin Mingyuan and Gu Chang.

As if the First Madam’s matter didn’t exist.

Gu Xi grew somewhat anxious. After thinking it over, she went to discuss the matter with the Second Madam.

The Second Madam wasn’t surprised to hear this, but smiled bitterly and said, “Your Second Uncle also mentioned this to me. We’re also afraid she’ll meddle in the Yang family affair. I’ve heard that during this time, the daughter who married into the Peng family has been getting very close to the Yang family’s Eldest Young Madam. My heart feels uneasy.”

Gu Xi told the Second Madam about her idea of returning to Lin’an, saying, “This way, all problems would be solved!”

This was removing the firewood from under the pot, leaving the First Madam without an excuse to come to the capital.

The Second Madam was deeply moved. She took Gu Xi’s hand and said, “I know you’re a good child. But we can’t do this—you and the Eldest Young Master have just married and haven’t yet borne an eldest son. How could we let you return to Lin’an at this time! Just settle your mind and stay. Even if the sky falls, you have your Second Uncle and Third Uncle to hold it up! Don’t worry, just focus on nursing your health back to wellness and bearing a healthy baby boy—that’s what matters.”

These were words of genuine concern for her wellbeing.

Gu Xi’s tears were about to fall.

The Second Madam urged her to return, “Your Third Aunt and I have received your kind intentions. Don’t concern yourself with this matter anymore. Just live properly with the Eldest Young Master. Even if the First Madam comes, it won’t matter much. The Yang family still needs to rely on our Pei family, so they’ll have to weigh their actions carefully.”

But the Yang family still held leverage over the Pei family!

The words reached Gu Xi’s lips but she swallowed them.

Since she could think of this, the Pei family elders should be able to as well.

Recently Pei Tong had been treating her as an invalid, and indeed they hadn’t been intimate for quite some time.

Perhaps, as the Second Madam said, she should first bear an eldest son before making other plans?

Gu Xi pondered this as she returned to her residence.

Pei Tong, who had been practicing calligraphy in the study earlier, was nowhere to be seen.

She asked the servant boy attending the study, “Where is the Eldest Young Master?”

The boy quickly replied, “The Yang family’s Eldest Uncle came, and the Eldest Young Master is keeping him company in the flower hall drinking tea!”

Gu Xi didn’t trust anyone from the Yang family. She felt that unless there was trouble, Yang Eldest Master wouldn’t come to see Pei Tong.

After thinking, she sent He Xiang to eavesdrop at the flower hall while she returned to her room to remove her hairpins, wash up again, and change into an everyday hangzhou silk jacket. He Xiang ran back looking somewhat flustered, “Eldest Young Madam, this is bad! The Eldest Uncle is interrogating the Eldest Young Master in the flower hall! He’s saying the Eldest Young Master is unfilial—that after the Old Master passed away, not only did he fail to support the family, but he also allowed the Pei family elders to suppress the First Madam and prevent her from entering the capital. He’s forcing the Eldest Young Master to write to the Old Madam, demanding the Pei family agree to let the First Madam bring the Second Young Master to the capital to visit you.”

The Yang family was meddling far too much!

In that moment, Gu Xi felt utter disgust for the Yang family.

No wonder the Pei family members all disliked them.

People like them could find trouble where none existed.

Gu Xi hurriedly stood up, saying, “Come, let’s go see.”

He Xiang agreed and quickly led the way, telling Gu Xi en route, “The Eldest Young Master wasn’t very willing, so the Yang family’s Eldest Master said he was ungrateful, recognizing thieves as fathers, and even cursed the Third Master—such foul language! I was afraid the household staff would discover me, so I rushed back to report to you.”

Though the Pei family members each lived in separate courtyards and didn’t usually dine together, the ordinary servants serving the Pei household were mostly brought from Lin’an. They were experienced hereditary servants, some having even done menial work in Old Master Pei’s or Old Madam’s quarters. For anything that happened on Gu Xi’s side to completely avoid these Pei family hereditary servants was impossible.

Gu Xi’s heart filled with anxiety, fearing Pei Tong might say something inappropriate before Yang Eldest Master that would reach Pei Yan’s ears, causing the Pei family’s displeasure and affecting Pei Tong’s standing before the Pei family elders.

Last time, if not for her, Pei Tong would definitely have chosen the Yang family.

Now that they had chosen the Pei family, whether they lived or died, they could only walk this one path to the end. They should break with the Yang family when breaking was needed.

Breathing heavily, she arrived at the flower hall only to find that neither Yang Eldest Master nor Pei Tong were there.

Gu Xi inexplicably felt a chill down her spine and asked the maid cleaning up teacups and fruit plates in the flower hall, “Where did the Eldest Young Master go?”

The maid quickly stopped her work and said, “The Eldest Young Master went out with the Yang family’s Eldest Uncle.”

“Do you know what they went out to do?” Gu Xi asked in alarm, then realized she’d asked the wrong person.

A maid doing menial work in the flower hall—how could she possibly know where Pei Tong had gone?

As Gu Xi expected, the little maid said, “This servant doesn’t know where the Eldest Young Master went. But most likely he’s with the Yang family’s uncle. I heard the Yang family’s uncle say something like if the Eldest Young Master doesn’t believe him, he should follow along—he’d show the Eldest Young Master evidence. The Eldest Young Master seemed very agitated, his eyes turned red. This servant didn’t dare keep listening.”

What evidence? Why would evidence need to be shown to Pei Tong? Why didn’t Pei Tong push this matter onto the family elders instead of following Yang Eldest Master?

Thinking this, Gu Xi shuddered.

Could the evidence Yang Eldest Master mentioned be the leverage over the Pei family he’d mentioned before?

But what did this have to do with Pei Tong?

And what did it have to do with them?

What was Pei Tong thinking?