The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

Pei Yan buried his head in her hair and forced a bitter smile.

His body was stiff, like a clay sculpture that had been suddenly dried out.

The minty scent in the room suddenly became pungent, making him feel suffocated.

He did not save that woman.

He never uttered those shocking, unrewarding words.

He never gave the woman a single tael of silver.

That's his brother.

That twin brother who always wore a warm smile, as dazzling as the sun, and was dashing and upright.

From a young age, Pei Yan knew that his brother was different from him.

His parents chose his older brother and devoted all their efforts to raising him, while he was merely a shadow existing only to protect his brother.

He learned treacherous and despicable schemes in the dark attic, while his brother learned the sagely virtues of governing the world and saving people in the sunlight.

Even the initial stirring in Shun Shun's heart was because of her brother.

If he had been the one to attend the lantern festival back then, what would he have done?

At that time, he was filled with gloom and was at the point when he resented his parents and brother the most.

Perhaps he wouldn't care at all, or perhaps he would only order his servant to jump down and pull her up after the woman had already jumped.

That's it.

"Prime Minister?" Jiang Guo'er nudged his arm in confusion when he didn't speak.

This person is strange; why does she seem unhappy when she brings up the past?

Could it be that he's still jealous of his past self from four years ago?

Pei Yan's eyes trembled, and he swallowed back the surging smell of blood.

"You remember those old stories quite well."

"Don't you want me to remember?" Jiang Guo'er leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Prime Minister is the best."

The kiss was gentle and warm, but Pei Yan felt as if it were a branding iron, sizzling and searing his rotting flesh, causing him excruciating pain that gripped his very internal organs.

He released her, stood up, and straightened his clothes.

"I suddenly remembered that the Ministry of Justice sent over a few backlogged case files, which need to be reviewed tonight. You can rest now, don't wait for me."

Having said that, without waiting for Jiang Guo'er to ask any further questions, he strode out of the inner room.

His back was ramrod straight, but his steps were hurried, as if he were fleeing in panic.

Jiang Guo'er sat on the couch, somewhat bewildered.

This person is so unpredictable. They were all lovey-dovey just a moment ago, how could they just leave like that?

She rubbed her aching lower back. These past few days, she had been following Xue Lingyi's advice to control her diet, and her stomach wasn't bloated as much.

Since he had to attend to official business, she decided to rest early.

She kicked off her embroidered shoes, pulled out the silk doll from under her pillow, and poked its face with her finger.

"Look at your master, his temper is even more unpredictable than thunder and rain."

She muttered to the doll, skillfully combing its messy hair, "You're still the best behaved."

Jiang Guo'er clutched it tightly to her heart, pulled the thin blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.

Immersed in the immense joy of about to overturn the verdict against her father and brother, she relaxed and soon fell asleep.

In the study, a single lamp flickered dimly.

Pei Yan sat alone in the armchair, completely enveloped by the heavy shadows.

A warm, squeezing sensation suddenly came from her chest, followed by the heartbeat that was unique to Jiang Guo'er.

She was asleep, hugging the doll.

Whenever she is most unguarded, Pei Yan's empathy with the doll is amplified to the extreme through her.

But tonight, the tingling sensation in his body could not soothe the fear and pain in his heart.

Pei Yan slowly raised his hand, weakly supporting his forehead.

"The one you like is my brother."

He spoke softly in the dimly lit study, his laughter hoarse and broken.

"The one you're in love with is the kind-hearted, virtuous Pei Yan, not this shadow with blood on his hands, who has survived to this day through despicable means..."

He buried his face in his hands, his broad shoulders trembling slightly.

If that tragedy hadn't happened back then, if she were still Murong Shunshun, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan...

If she knew that the man who had captivated her at the lantern festival was now just a handful of dust.

And now, she is possessed by a monster who has lacked love since childhood, a grotesque and vile creature...

If she hadn't become his concubine out of a desire for revenge...

Will Shunshun still like him?

Just as he fell into the ice cave, the words of comfort that Master Longchuan had once given him suddenly flashed through his mind.

How can the living lose to the dead? Now, the one by her side is me, not her brother!

Pei Yan raised his head, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his bloodshot eyes.

My brother is dead.

Regardless of who made her heart flutter back then, the one who now loves her, protects her, holds her in his arms every night, and helps her avenge herself is him!

Why should we give way to a dead person?

He wanted to erase the traces left by his brother little by little and fill her with his own imprint!

Having figured this out, Pei Yan forcefully suppressed his inferiority complex with his growing possessiveness and quickly cheered himself up.

……

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival.

According to regulations, preparations for the burial at the imperial mausoleum are still underway, and the Ministry of Rites is extremely busy in order for the new emperor to ascend the throne as soon as possible.

The Book of Rites states, "The emperor is buried after seven days and after seven months of mourning." During the period of national mourning, no celebrations are allowed.

Shops dared not hold extravagant events, and even dragon boat races were suspended.

However, holding a small ceremony in one's own backyard behind closed doors to ward off evil spirits is a tradition passed down from our ancestors.

After discussing it with the old lady, Pei Yan decided to set up a "Zongzi feast" in Qingyi Garden.

According to the customs of the capital, early in the morning, "pu swords" made of mugwort and calamus are hung on the lintels of each courtyard to ward off evil spirits.

Pomegranate flowers, garlic, and dragon boat flowers were also placed under the eaves, making up the "Five Auspicious Symbols".

Jiang Guo'er sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, watching the maids busy themselves, and couldn't help but mutter to herself.

These past few days, she has been allowed to eat meat, but Lingyi is keeping a close eye on her, only allowing her to eat a few slices of meat at each meal.

She had been looking forward to the Dragon Boat Festival for a long time, and she really wanted to hug that fat, juicy duck and take a big bite.

Just as he was grumbling to himself, Pei Yan, dressed in a green robe, lifted the curtain and walked in.

He wasn't wearing court robes today, and his cool and dignified features revealed a touch of human warmth.

As soon as he entered, his deep eyes were fixed on Jiang Guo'er.

Seeing that there were many people in the courtyard, he walked to the table expressionlessly and rolled up his sleeves.

"I'll help you," he said casually, as if it were business.

Jiang Guo'er laughed and teased, "You, the Prime Minister who never lifts a finger, can't even tell the difference between rice and wheat, can you? Don't spill glutinous rice all over me later."

Unexpectedly, Pei Yan not only knew the difference between rice and glutinous rice, but also had very long and nimble fingers.

Following her movements, I actually managed to wrap a decent-looking triangular rice dumpling.

Not only did he wrap the rice dumplings, but he also patiently sat beside her, carefully picking out the grass leaves and tying them into a bouquet of five auspicious flowers, which he then handed to her.

His knuckles would always brush against the back of her hand, intentionally or unintentionally.

Jiang Guo'er's heart trembled from the heat, and her ears turned red little by little.

At noon, to liven things up, the old lady specially arranged a cooking competition among several of the household's concubines, and offered them silver as a reward.

Jiang Guo'er and Xue Lingyi were seated at the head of the table to serve as judges.

Aunt Sha served up a plate of roasted lamb chops.

It was sprinkled with cumin and chili, making it stand out wildly among the bland dishes.

"Eat up! I grilled these lamb chops myself, they smell amazing!"

Jiang Guo'er only dared to take one bite.

"Aunt Sha's dishes look delicious, but in this weather, I'm afraid you'd have to drink three pots of herbal tea to calm your temper."

"Also, this lamb is roasted like a shoe sole, it's tough on my teeth."

Xue Lingyi sat beside her, unable to resist a slight smile, and picked up a piece of delicate hibiscus cake with her silver chopsticks to taste it.

"I think Green Ripple's 'Moonlight over the Lotus Pond' dish is more clever."

Finally, Pei Yan generously rewarded Lü Yi, who won first place, with a pair of silver bracelets, and gave the rest a handful of copper coins.

After lunch, the sun gradually began to set in the west, and the summer heat outside dissipated somewhat.

Pei Yan took Jiang Guo'er's hand and led her to his outer study.

On the long table, a square sheet of Chengxintang paper, about ten feet in size, had been laid out long ago, with various colors of paint prepared beside it.

"The old 'Lotus Picking' painting was really too small. Today we have some free time, so I'll paint a larger one with you, and we can hang it in this study so I can see it every day."

On the large desk, he spread out raw Xuan paper, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his broad chest pressed tightly against her back.

One hand grasped her delicate hand holding the pen, guiding her to sketch on the paper.

"Why do you have to paint so close to the canvas in broad daylight? It's so hot!"

Jiang Guo'er's ears burned, yet she also craved this moment of tenderness, her hands following his strength as they wandered.

The pen tip first blurred a large expanse of emerald green lotus leaves on the paper, then carefully outlined two red koi carp.

Half an hour later, a brand new, extremely large "Lotus Picking Picture" appeared on the paper.

Pei Yan personally hung it on the most conspicuous wall in his study, took two steps back, and stared at the painting with a dark look in his eyes.

Brother, you won't blame me, right?