With Pei Yan’s arrogance and willfulness, he truly was capable of doing such a thing. But with Pei Yan’s pride and intelligence, he shouldn’t have done this.

Yu Tang thought back to all the previous misunderstandings and coincidences between her and Pei Yan.

Could it be that something had happened again that she didn’t know about?

Yu Tang’s mind was in chaos, and she saw her eldest uncle standing on tiptoe, glancing several more times toward the direction of Little Plum Alley.

Was he watching to see why Pei Yan hadn’t arrived yet?

What if Pei Yan really didn’t come?

Should they think of an explanation in advance?

Yu Tang pondered this in her heart when she saw Manager Tong arrive with two servants bearing congratulatory gifts.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Manager Tong could at least be considered part of the Pei family. If Pei Yan truly didn’t appear today, this could barely serve as an explanation.

However, why hadn’t Pei Yan come?

Had Hu Xing delivered the message incorrectly? Or had he been held up by something?

Yu Tang watched as her eldest uncle stepped forward with a beaming smile, clasping his fists in greeting to Manager Tong, speaking warmly and cordially.

Old Master Wu and the others also gathered around when they saw this.

Xia Pinggui squeezed through and whispered a few words in eldest uncle’s ear. Eldest uncle frowned and glanced toward the shop, then helplessly gave Xia Pinggui a few instructions. Xia Pinggui’s brows also showed some helplessness, and then Yu Tang saw him turn and stand on the steps at the shop entrance, loudly calling out “The auspicious hour has arrived!”

The firecrackers that had been prepared for a long time crackled and exploded with a “pitter-patter.”

Smoke filled the air. Children covered their ears and ran, while adults stepped aside.

Yu Tang was so choked by the smoke that she closed the window.

Soon the sound of drums and gongs rose from below.

The lion dance had begun.

Yu Tang quickly instructed Shuang Tao: “Hurry downstairs and see if Third Master Pei has arrived.”

Shuang Tao acknowledged and ran downstairs with quick steps.

Yu Tang stood quietly upstairs for a while before Shuang Tao ran back up, her expression somewhat dejected as she said: “No! Third Master Pei didn’t come.”

“What about other people from the Pei family?” Yu Tang asked.

Shuang Tao said: “They didn’t come either. I didn’t see anyone from the Pei family.”

Yu Tang’s heart felt ice cold.

Regardless of how Hu Xing had conveyed the message, the Pei family had received the Yu family’s invitation, Pei Yan knew about the Yu family shop’s opening—even if he himself couldn’t come or didn’t want to come, he should have sent someone.

Was he acting this way because something had really happened that she didn’t know about but that had made Pei Yan detest the Yu family?

What about the matter of the map?

Yu Tang’s heart grew somewhat anxious as she hurriedly went downstairs.

Outside, the lion dance had already ended, and her eldest uncle, Manager Tong, and others were smiling as they prepared for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Yu Tang prepared to slip out the back door to find Pei Yan.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside, and someone shouted: “Third Master Pei has arrived!”

Yu Tang’s heart leaped with joy. No longer caring whether it was appropriate or not, she lifted her skirts and ran out.

Her eldest uncle and the others were even more delighted by this unexpected turn. They didn’t even cut the ribbon and all swarmed toward Pei Yan’s sedan chair, so no one noticed Yu Tang’s ill-timed appearance.

“Third Master Pei!” Yu Bo hadn’t expected this sudden reversal—just when he had given up in disappointment, Pei Yan had arrived. In his excitement, he reached out to lift the sedan curtain for Pei Yan. Fortunately, Pei Man beside him was quick-eyed and fast-handed, lifting Pei Yan’s sedan curtain before him.

Pei Yan wore a moon-white fine cloth plain襕衫, with a black sable fur coat draped over it, making his complexion appear as pale as plain porcelain glaze—even colder than the north wind that had blown through. Those who didn’t know might think he had come to attend a funeral.

Yu Bo felt a shiver just looking at him, feeling that his outstretched hand was particularly improper. His speech became stuttered: “Third, Third Master Pei…”

“Master Yu!” Pei Yan interrupted Yu Bo before he could finish speaking, saying, “I apologize for being late. As you know, I’m still in my mourning period, so it wasn’t convenient for me to appear immediately at certain occasions.”

Pei Yan’s expression was still somewhat cold, but his tone of speech was quite peaceful. Moreover, his explanation was reasonable and well-founded. Yu Bo breathed a sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted, quickly saying: “Of course, of course.” After speaking, he suddenly realized that his response was somewhat inappropriate—since he knew Third Master Pei was still in mourning, even if Third Master Pei had politely agreed to attend the opening ceremony, he should have given Third Master Pei a way out and graciously declined.

In this matter, he was in the wrong.

To connect with the Pei family, they had been too aggressive.

“Third Master Pei, please come to the back hall for tea!” Although Yu Bo wasn’t a particularly flexible person, his years of business experience immediately helped him think of a solution. He promptly cleared the way and made a gesture inviting Pei Yan into the shop.

Pei Yan didn’t stand on ceremony, walking into the shop with his head held high and chest out.

Behind him, Pei Man smiled and greeted the gentry or managers he knew, while Hu Xing, following behind Pei Man, kept his head lowered and shoulders hunched like a quail, as if afraid to meet anyone’s gaze.

But he happened to be someone who had served Old Master Pei when he was alive. Even if he didn’t recognize others present, they all recognized him, and they greeted him one after another.

He could only force a smile and lift his head to return their greetings, but he didn’t realize that his smile looked worse than crying.

Everyone was curious, but because Pei Yan was present, they had no time to concern themselves with him, so no one asked him what was wrong.

Over there, after stepping down from his sedan and walking a few steps, Pei Yan saw Yu Tang standing in the corner by the main entrance. She wore a bright blue fine cloth waistcoat, her jet-black hair styled in a double-spiral bun, adorned with a goose-yellow silk twin-lotus flower. If it weren’t for the two dewdrops—made of who-knows-what—on the silk flower that appeared quite novel, she would look no different from a little maid who served tea and poured water.

Pei Yan immediately felt nameless anger rising in his heart.

How could she treat his words as wind passing by her ears again?

How could there not be a moment of peace?

He widened his eyes and glared at her.

Yu Tang was immersed in the joy of Pei Yan’s sudden arrival when she was glared at so directly by Pei Yan. For a moment, she was somewhat dazed.

How had she provoked him again?

Yu Tang immediately reflected on herself… looked down at her plain waistcoat… remembered Pei Yan telling her to “dress properly and neatly” when she came to see him…

She ran back to the rear hall like a wisp of smoke, wondering whether there would be enough time if she went home now to change clothes, when she saw Pei Yan also walking toward the rear hall.

Eldest uncle must be planning to entertain him in the rear hall and serve him tea, right?

For someone like Pei Yan who had arrived, he was naturally the guest of honor. If they didn’t serve him tea separately in the rear hall, were they supposed to have him stand in the shop for people to gawk at?

Yu Tang was so annoyed at her own stupidity that she could have cried.

But at this moment, she had nowhere to go.

Rather than hiding and skulking around like a thief, it would be better to step forward openly, greet him, and offer a few explanations—perhaps that could salvage some impression.

Thinking this, Yu Tang cleared her throat softly, stepped forward, and performed a courtesy to Pei Yan: “Third Master Pei!”

Pei Yan glanced at her from the corner of his eye, arrogantly grunted “Mm,” brushed past her shoulder, and sat down in the grand master’s chair in the main hall.

Yu Bo was momentarily stunned, sensing that Pei Yan seemed very angry, but couldn’t pinpoint where the anger was or why he was angry. He could only quietly instruct Yu Tang to “quickly have someone bring a cup of good tea,” then hurried off to attend to Pei Yan cheerfully.

Even if eldest uncle hadn’t given such instructions, Yu Tang would have entertained Pei Yan with the best tea and refreshments.

She immediately led Shuang Tao to retreat to the adjacent tea room.

Old Master Wu, Manager Tong, and others all crowded into the rear hall, while Hu Xing dejectedly went to the tea room.

He recognized Yu Tang. Seeing her preparing tea there, he greeted Yu Tang: “Miss Yu, may I rest in your family’s tea room for a bit?”

Hu Xing was the head steward of the Pei family. Although he was ranked third, he also represented the Pei family’s face. Yu Tang naturally hoped his relationship with the Yu family would be as close as possible.

“Please make yourself comfortable!” she said warmly. “Shuang Tao, go pack another plate of the refreshments we just prepared for Third Master Pei for Manager Hu to try. These are what my father bought in Hangzhou City some days ago.”

As Yu Tang spoke, she casually poured Hu Xing a cup of tea.

“I couldn’t possibly, I couldn’t possibly!” Hu Xing immediately stood up, quickly bending to receive the tea cup, and said to Shuang Tao who was going to pack refreshments for him: “Little miss, don’t trouble yourself. How could I eat the same refreshments as Third Master? Just take them to Third Master.”

Yu Tang wanted to build a good relationship with him and smiled: “Even though they’re said to be for Third Master, won’t Manager Tong also taste them? Our family doesn’t have anything particularly fine. You’re someone who travels everywhere and tastes food from all over—I don’t know if you’ll think much of these. If they don’t suit your taste, please be understanding!”

“Oh my, listen to what Miss Yu is saying.” Hearing this, Hu Xing’s eyes rolled, and thinking of how Yu Wen had brought Yu Tang along several times when visiting the Pei family, an idea formed in his mind.

“Miss Yu, will you be busy in a bit?” he asked Yu Tang tentatively.

The Yu Tang of her previous life wouldn’t have caught the implication in Hu Xing’s words, but the Yu Tang of this life had already learned these social subtleties.

“Shuang Tao is in the rear hall!” she said with a smile. “I’m just here to help keep an eye on things. What could keep me busy?”

“That’s good, that’s good!” Hu Xing sighed theatrically, putting on an appearance of wanting to share confidential matters with Yu Tang, and said: “You don’t know! For the sake of your Yu family, I’ve offended Third Master severely. After this matter is finished and I return to the Pei residence, I wonder if I’ll still be the Third Head Steward of Pei Manor!”

Yu Tang’s heart stirred upon hearing this.

The first thought that arose in her mind was—could it be that Hu Xing wanted to extort money from the Yu family?

“What do you mean by this?” She immediately put on an expression of shock and asked with concern.

Hu Xing again pretended to sigh wistfully and said: “I saw that your father and our Third Master had a good relationship, and there were such precedents before, so when your family sent the invitation, I took it upon myself to agree that Third Master would come to offer congratulations. Who knew that Third Master…”

He still remembered the iron-blue expression on Pei Yan’s face when he went to remind him that it was getting late and he should leave to congratulate the Yu family… He couldn’t help but shudder.

“You see, haven’t I done a bad deed with good intentions?” he continued complaining to Yu Tang. “Although Third Master still came, who really knows what Third Master is thinking?”

Third Master only came this time because he, Hu Xing, had misunderstood and handled the matter incorrectly—it had nothing to do with the Yu family’s face. Why should he do a good deed without leaving his name and receive no gratitude?

This matter must be told to someone from the Yu family.

And it must be said without leaving any trace.

Yu Tang was dumbstruck.

So all of this was a misunderstanding?

Pei Yan had been forced to attend their Yu family’s opening ceremony!

Yu Tang thought of Pei Yan’s face just now, which looked like snow falling on the coldest day of winter, and also shuddered.

“Then why didn’t you send someone to tell us earlier so we could have explained to others!” Yu Tang felt her family couldn’t take the blame for this and said urgently: “Whether Third Master Pei comes or not doesn’t matter. If you came, or any manager from the Pei family came, it would be the same.”

Before her words had even finished, she felt a chill on her back.

Yu Tang couldn’t help but turn around.

She saw Pei Yan standing at the tea room doorway, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.