Young widow in her boudoir

Pei Zhiheng's gaze traced her face, and he gently tapped the table with his long fingers. "Come sit down and eat with me."

But Shen Yuan's death left her with no one to rely on, so she could only knock on his study door with a bowl of soup to seduce him.

Xie Rutang still dared not move.

Pei Zhiheng frowned, his eyes suddenly turning dangerous and imposing, carrying a strong sense of pressure. "What are you afraid of? Do I look like a monster?"

"This is a Buddhist sanctuary; I will not touch you."

Xie Rutang hesitated for a moment, then believed him. So she shifted her position and sat down on the stone bench opposite her.

Xie Rutang's beauty is too striking, making her prone to trouble. It's likely that the old lady thinks the same way. Rather than letting Xie Rutang find a man of another sex and benefit an outsider, it's better to let him inherit the family line. He's a child that Old Madam Shen has watched grow up since childhood, and the old lady is afraid that her daughter-in-law might hook up with some powerful person and run off with him.

But Pei Zhiheng wouldn't do that, because his future wife must be a lady from a prominent family. Secondly, Xie Rutang, as a woman, could teach him about life and enlighten him, killing two birds with one stone.

After she sat down, Pei Zhiheng's gaze slowly swept over her lower abdomen, which was cinched by a belt. During the few days she was gone, he had taken care of everything on his own.

For some reason, he remembered the two nights he stayed in Xie Rutang's room. Her voluptuous body was incredibly soft, causing him to lose control frequently.

He picked up his teacup, casually asking, "Have you been taking your medicine properly these past few days at the temple?"

Xie Rutang was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to the fertility-enhancing drug that the old lady had given her.

She placed her hands on her knees with a stiff and dignified posture, and explained politely, "I haven't drunk any of it these past few days on the mountain. I only took the medicine the night after we had sex and the next morning."

Xie Rutang answered earnestly, but when she looked up, she met the man's deep, unfathomable eyes.

At first, she didn't feel anything was wrong, but then her graceful body stiffened.

Xie Rutang's soft eyelashes trembled, and she bit her lip in embarrassment, her pearly teeth making her lips appear even redder.

The way she said it...it sounded like she was hinting at the Second Master!

It was as if she was sexually frustrated.

Xie Rutang bit her lip deeply, the blush spreading to her collarbone. She quickly explained, "That's not what I meant."

He was busy with official duties, and she did not mean that he had to stay at Cuiwu Courtyard after she returned to the Shen family.

The man put down his teacup, making a soft sound.

Pei Zhiheng, dressed in a casual robe, sat in the pavilion. After deep thought, he lowered his eyelids and said, "During my stay at the Shen family's residence, I will not visit you every day. At most, I will visit Cuiwu Courtyard for two nights out of ten days."

This frequency is enough for her to conceive this month, not to mention that she is also taking herbal medicine, so she will get pregnant sooner or later.

Pei Zhiheng silently stroked the rim of the bamboo leaf green teacup.

Although he had agreed to inherit the Shen family's main branch, he had to set rules for Xie Rutang to prevent her from becoming too arrogant.

She is, after all, a member of the Shen family, and we cannot allow her to interfere too much in our lives, lest she disregard her duties.

She was indeed very good, but she had been touched by others after all. Pei Zhiheng did not think that he would be bewitched by beauty and follow in Shen Yuan's footsteps.

Even though Xie Rutang is beautiful and charming, and is only eighteen years old this year, which is the most beautiful time of her life, it is still difficult to shake his mind, and he will not delay his future marriage and career for her.

Xie Rutang's expression changed slightly, and she lowered her eyes. She knew all too well that Pei Zhiheng was wary of her, afraid that she would covet the Pei family's business.

Hearing him say that, Xie Rutang felt slightly relieved. "Yes, I will listen to Second Master."

"I will definitely behave myself and not cause any trouble for you, Second Master."

Unexpectedly, she was calm, bland, and uninteresting, like a flower without fragrance in a vase, even though when she married Shen Yuan, she was like the most delicate spring flower blooming on the branch in the garden, full of dew.

Pei Zhiheng suddenly felt that the tea in his hand was somewhat tasteless.

Yet he also felt that this was how their relationship should be. He was inherently old-fashioned and conservative, and the woman's understanding and thoughtfulness made him feel especially comfortable.

Pei Zhiheng slowly relaxed his sword-like eyebrows; this was just right.

Xie Rutang was naturally gentle and weak, and at this moment she still kept her slender neck down in the pavilion, not daring to look him in the eye. Today she simply tied her hair into a bun, and her black hair fell gently down her sides. Her jade-like ears were still not wearing earrings, and there was a very small black mole on them.

He slowly lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the white jade hairpin with red beans in her hair, a gift that Shen Yuan had brought back for her from Jiangnan, which she cherished dearly.

During his short stay at the Shen residence, he saw her wearing it several times.

After the last time at Cuiwu Courtyard, Pei Zhiheng watched her use this hairpin to tie up her hair. Her fair fingers casually grabbed at it and combed it into a woman's bun. She was facing away from him as she grabbed her hair with her hands, and a large expanse of her fair and smooth skin on the back of her neck was exposed in front of him, which was quite charming and aroused his interest. She was woken up by him in the middle of the night.

After looking at it for a while, Pei Zhiheng found the hairpin quite irritating. However, it was Xie Rutang's freedom to choose what jewelry she wore, and he had no right to interfere.

A gentle breeze blew through the mountains, and the man subtly looked away.

Soon after, Pei Zhiheng told her to go back to the temple first.

Xie Rutang was finally free, leaving this oppressive place. She lifted her skirt, picked up the food box, and went down the mountain. She was still not used to spending time with the Second Master during the day. Instead, she would just close her eyes and the night would pass by in the dark on the bed.