Young widow in her boudoir

As the servant announced his arrival, the man's dark figure appeared silently on the street, walking with a composed gait and a noble, indifferent expression.

Xie Rutang immediately froze.

He always returns to the mansion through the main gate, so why did he go around to the east corner gate?

Could it be that they came to watch the women distribute porridge?

She instantly felt embarrassed.

After returning from Suxue Residence, she calmed down considerably and deeply regretted saying those words.

Pei Zhiheng arrived at the porridge stall in the blink of an eye.

His tall stature blocked Xie Rutang's view as soon as he appeared. His dark official uniform gave her a heavy sense of oppression, and she could smell Pei Zhiheng's cold scent.

His expression today was frighteningly cold.

Xie Rutang subconsciously tightened her grip on the wooden spoon in her hand and lowered her gaze.

Ye Wanyu spotted the figure and immediately stood up from her chair, greeting him with practiced ease, "Second Master is here! Has Second Master come to check on our porridge distribution?"

Pei Zhiheng remained calm and simply hummed in agreement.

Then Ye Wanyu began to talk to him about the trivial matters of the household, how to arrange the distribution of porridge, and how to reassure the old lady, trying her best to show off her ability to manage the household.

From beginning to end, Pei Zhiheng never glanced at Xie Rutang, who was dressed in plain clothes in the corner, as if she didn't exist.

Xie Rutang breathed a sigh of relief, but a faint shadow seemed to fall over her heart, a sense of inexplicable loss.

It's good that she severed ties with him; they won't have any more entanglements in the future.

She and he were already drifting apart, so it's better that things have turned sour now, even though it's made her look very undignified.

Xie Rutang felt relieved; everything was progressing as expected.

Pei Zhiheng chatted with Ye Wanyu for a while about the doctor's visit to the mansion to take the old lady's pulse that day, and then turned around and went through the east corner gate to enter the Shen mansion.

Xie Rutang continued to calmly distribute porridge to the people on the roadside, her eyes lowered, exuding gentleness and compassion.

As the sun grew increasingly intense, there was a small courtyard inside the east gate of the Shen residence. With its green tiles and red eaves, and serene surroundings, the courtyard wall enclosed a quiet haven for the women who tended the porridge kitchen to rest.

The maid had already set out tea and exquisite pastries on the table, and even the cushions on the rose chair were made of the softest silk.

Xie Rutang leaned against it, finally feeling much better, while Ye Wanyu's maid was fanning her.

Xie Rutang was exhausted and staring blankly at the plum blossom patterned window on the opposite wall, while a brightly colored kingfisher perched on a bamboo branch outside. She didn't even notice someone enter the side hall and a tall, slender shadow appear beside her.

The cicadas in July were still chirping tirelessly, making people's ears ring and extremely noisy.

Xie Rutang's gaze was unfocused, fixed on the kingfisher preening its feathers. A slight ripple stirred in her heart, and she couldn't help but feel regret that she didn't even have a bird that longed for freedom.

Her life was destined to be bound to the title of Shen Yuan's widow; she could not have any desires, nor did she need to experience joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

I could vaguely make out that Ye Wanyu asked the people inside if they wanted some food...

Suddenly, a faint, cool fragrance approached her.

A slender, pale hand reached past her sleeve, long fingers extending to take the chilled cake from the pastel dish beside her.

It was Pei Zhiheng!

After Xie Rutang came to her senses, she was stunned to see the man standing beside her, about half a foot away, roughly the size of a palm, with the man's cloud-patterned robe brushing against her soft, watery skirt.

She froze. She had been eating to fill her stomach, but suddenly gripped the pastry in her hand so tightly that crumbs got on her fingertips.

Even if he needed some food, why did he have to be so close to her?

When Pei Zhiheng arrived at the East Corner Gate at noon, he immediately spotted the corner where she was.

The woman, not wanting to steal the spotlight, found a quiet spot to stand and watched the servants distribute porridge and food. Occasionally, she would instruct Jin Yue to fetch some dry food and give it to the poor woman who was holding a child in her arms.

She was low-key and rarely spoke, unlike Ye Wanyu who deliberately sought attention. Wearing a simple dress, she exuded a graceful and gentle charm.

Pei Zhiheng's gaze fell on her skirt again.

The faded blue color usually makes a person look ten years older, but because of Xie Rutang's gentle and charming face, it only made her fair skin, which was reflected in her clothes, appear even more translucent and dazzlingly white, catching everyone's eye.

She sat in the courtyard with delicate eyebrows like the moon, like rain or mist, her beauty as fresh and full as a pink lotus flower placed in a vase for worship.

She hadn't worn brightly colored clothes in a long time.

Pei Zhiheng still remembered when she first entered the Shen family mansion, she often wore flowing, colorful skirts that accentuated her slender waist and graceful figure. In particular, the jade earrings on her soft white earlobes swayed gently with the light and shadow, making her breathtakingly beautiful...

Unfortunately, nowadays all we can see her is wearing plain white or old-fashioned clothes, constantly telling outsiders that she is guarding Shen Yuan.

She was so engrossed in eating that she stared out the window, completely unaware that some crumbs had landed on her chest.

Pei Zhiheng's eyes were dark and unreadable.

Since I told her last time, she really stopped binding her chest and that area.

It resembled the Shen Family Garden, where plump peaches hung high on the branches, heavily soaked with rainwater, growing into even more enchanting and beautiful curves, attracting gardeners to pick them.

Wearing even slightly fitted clothes makes her incredibly alluring.

Seeing the sweat on her pink nose, glistening slightly in the sunlight, and the pink dust on her lips making them appear even more rosy and delicate, I wondered what it would feel like to massage them.

Pei Zhiheng's steady gaze fell on her face, and he said calmly, "Your lips have some cake crumbs on them."

Xie Rutang's cheeks visibly flushed, and she subconsciously glanced nervously at Ye Wanyu opposite her.

Perhaps because of the intense heat, Ye Wanyu didn't notice them and naturally didn't see Pei Zhiheng talking to her.

Xie Rutang's pupils contracted.

I just think he's gone mad!

Surrounded by members of the Shen family, he actually spoke to Ye Wanyu in front of everyone!

Xie Rutang's fingertips trembled, and the jasmine tea cake in her hand almost fell to the ground.

She quickly lowered her head and dabbed her lips with a handkerchief, wiping away the small white crumb of cake. Then, embarrassed, she whispered, "Thank you for reminding me, Second Master..."

Xie Rutang admitted that she was being paranoid because of her guilty conscience, but she was also thinking about her reputation. He was the one who didn't care about anything in the Shen family!

I wonder if Ye Wanyu noticed this.

Didn't he consider what would happen if someone found out?!