Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang was firmly locked in by that gaze, and for a moment she had nowhere to hide. Her cheeks flushed red, and she hurriedly lowered her eyelashes, which trembled slightly.

She frowned, suddenly feeling as if she were having an affair in the Shen residence. She instantly regretted having provoked him there.

What does he mean now? Is he unhappy that she ended their relationship so abruptly?

Having been in a high position for a long time, he needs to be careful in everything he does and is used to controlling the overall situation...

Just then, Shen Xiaoxiao heard that Pan Peizhiheng had arrived at the courtyard of the East Corner Gate. Without delay, her skirt, which resembled a butterfly spreading its wings, appeared at the doorway.

When Shen Xiaoxiao arrived, she saw Pei Zhiheng, unusually, appearing in the side hall, surrounded by female relatives.

The man's appearance was pure and untainted, and coupled with the illustrious Pei family and his busy schedule in the court, he was rarely at ease, making it extremely difficult to find him in ordinary times.

Shen Xiaoxiao had been searching for Pei Zhiheng all day long, and now she had finally found out his whereabouts.

Without thinking, she called out in a clear voice, "Brother Pei!"

This instantly broke the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere that had just filled the hall.

When Xie Rutang caught a glimpse of the pink figure under the eaves of the courtyard in the distance, she immediately stood up from her chair and took two steps back.

The woman stood gracefully at a distance from Pei Zhiheng, keeping a respectful distance and avoiding him.

As Shen Xiaoxiao approached, she noticed Pei Zhiheng standing rather close to Xie Rutang. She paused for a moment, then pursed her lips and asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"

Xie Rutang's heart tightened, her fingers clenching slightly. She quickly and calmly offered an explanation: "I was just chatting with Second Master about the pastries on the table. It's so hot now, and these pastries have become sour and astringent from being left out for so long. I was just about to take them out and throw them away."

Then, she picked up a plate of untouched mung bean cakes from the table, handed it to Jin Yue, and told her to take it out and throw it away.

Shen Xiaoxiao had no doubts and immediately stepped forward, wanting to get closer to Pei Zhiheng.

After all, Xie Rutang was a married woman. Shen Xiaoxiao must have lost her mind to think that the man she admired would be interested in a widow. She couldn't possibly have any other ideas.

Pei Zhiheng watched Xie Rutang's eagerness to cover up her embarrassment without saying a word. When she was embarrassed just now, she lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, revealing a hint of girlish shyness, not at all like a married woman.

Most of the women in the side hall wore powder and lipstick, but Xie Rutang was bare-faced. Although her face was plain, it could not hide the brilliance in her eyes and brows, making her even more alluring.

She seemed to have no desires and was indifferent to worldly affairs.

Pei Zhiheng's eyes turned slightly cold, but if he hadn't heard her words, he wouldn't have known that she was such a vain person.

Indeed, if she weren't vain, how could she have gotten involved with Shen Yuan?

At first, Pei Zhiheng thought that she and Shen Yuan were not a good match. He also did not know that Shen Yuan would be so infatuated that he would not marry a noble lady but marry Xie Rutang, who came from a merchant family.

He never believed that she and her deceased husband, Shen Yuan, were truly in love.

He always felt that it was because she was vain and sought opportunities to create chance encounters with Shen Yuan that she seduced him.

Therefore, Pei Zhiheng looked down on Xie Rutang, believing that she used her looks to please men.

If he were to give her that precious hibiscus hairpin with dangling pearls, wouldn't that only make her more successful? It would only make Xie Rutang more arrogant and conceited.

He is not Shen Yuan, nor can he stoop down to pamper anyone.

Pei Zhiheng frowned, his aloof gaze shifting slightly from Xie Rutang, instead listening to Shen Xiaoxiao chattering beside him.

To him, Shen Xiaoxiao was almost like a younger sister.

Having been raised in a secluded mansion since childhood, Shen Xiaoxiao had never lifted a finger to do housework. However, she found distributing porridge fun and novel, and wanted to take this opportunity to impress Pei Zhiheng. So she said to Xie Rutang with a straight face, "Sister-in-law, you can leave the porridge distribution to me. You don't need to worry about it anymore."

Xie Rutang frowned subconsciously, somewhat disliking Shen Xiaoxiao's assertive tone.

But that's fine too. She was already exhausted from the morning, so she was happy to be the one to shirk her responsibilities.

Xie Rutang smiled faintly and said, "Okay."

Just then, Zhu Lan, dressed in a green dress, came looking for him. Seeing Pei Zhiheng under the blazing sun, she quickly stepped forward, "Second Master, I've finally found you."

She was pretty and charming, and presented a lacquered box with both hands. Her voice was full of concern, "The sun is so scorching, how can Second Master stand in the sun for long? I specially prepared this fragrant herb drink, which will help Second Master cool down and relieve the heat."

The man glanced down at the medicine in the cup and simply said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Seeing this, Ye Wanyu, who was inside the room, waved her peony silk fan and said with a smile, "Miss Zhulan is so considerate. I wonder if there's any Xiangru drink for us."

Ye Wanyu's teasing was quite obvious.

Zhu Lan blushed and couldn't help but steal a glance at the man beside her. Unfortunately, Pei Zhiheng's gaze didn't fall on her. Zhu Lan smiled and said, "Of course, I've prepared some for the ladies."

Zhu Lan truly lives up to her reputation as a top maid trained by the Pei family. She is meticulous and thoughtful in everything she does, shrewd and capable, and incredibly clever. Everyone who sees her will like and admire her.

Because of Zhu Lan's appearance, Xie Rutang stood under a nearby pillar, clenching her palm, which was already damp.

How dare she speak so recklessly at Su Xue Residence? What is Pei Zhiheng's status? He is the eldest grandson of a prestigious family and a trusted minister of His Majesty.

If she hadn't married Shen Yuan, she probably would never have had the chance to meet someone like Pei Zhiheng in her entire life.

She feared that Pei Zhiheng, in his anger, would reveal their past relationship to the public.

Such an incident was hardly a stain on his noble status; it was merely a romantic tale. However, for her, a widow, it was a fatal blow, enough to make it impossible for her to maintain her position in the Shen family.

Xie Rutang pretended nothing was wrong and didn't even glance at Pei Zhiheng and Zhu Lan.

Zhu Lan is the future concubine of Su Xueju. She is very beautiful, and Pei Zhiheng might have slept with her long ago.

Xie Rutang didn't know where her grievances from the past few days came from. Now, looking back, she just found it laughable. She didn't even know what was wrong with her back then, why was she arguing with Zhulan? They were family!

Xie Rutang was holding a teacup in her hand, which she had just used to drink flower tea to quench her thirst.

The appearance of Zhu Lan deepened her concerns. She was distracted and gripped the teacup tightly. Suddenly, a chip on the rim of the cup cut her skin.

Caught off guard, Xie Rutang instinctively hissed softly.

Upon hearing the sound, Jin Yue stepped forward to take a closer look and saw that blood was seeping from the delicate, white fingertips; they had been cut.

Jin Yue's face darkened as she scolded, "These maids are truly despicable! They're lazy and sloppy in their work, and they don't even check things carefully beforehand. They dare to serve their master with a chipped and broken cup!"

Spots of crimson blood fell on the woman's fingertips, a shocking sight.

However, Xie Rutang's wound did not cause the slightest ripple in the eyes of the man not far away. He remained indifferent as usual, perhaps because the man remembered that she had thrown the box of Jade Skin Cream back to him.

Xie Rutang only frowned slightly, gently pressing her other hand against the wound. "No need to raise your voice. It's just a minor injury. There's no need to make things difficult for them."

She always maintained a compassionate persona while at the Shen residence, and she must not let this trivial matter ruin all her previous efforts.

Moreover, the servants of Yunyue Courtyard were in charge of the tea break today. If they were to make trouble or hold anyone accountable, it would be a slap in the face to Ye Wanyu, the mistress of the house.

Seeing that she was about to return to Cuiwu Courtyard, Shen Xiaoxiao walked over, completely disregarding her injured finger. "Sister-in-law, my handkerchief is missing a pattern. Could you embroider a few crabapple blossoms on it for me later?"

Xie Rutang stopped at the threshold and did not reply immediately.

She was unwilling to continue serving her sister-in-law, but with Pei Zhiheng and Zhu Lan present, she desperately wanted to avoid the situation, so she reluctantly agreed, "Okay, I'll embroider for you when I have time."

Shen Xiaoxiao was finally satisfied, and gave a bright smile as if bestowing a gift, "Sister-in-law is the best to me!"

Perhaps she noticed Xie Rutang's coldness towards her last time, and she didn't want to lose the benefits she had gained from her sister-in-law.

Therefore, Shen Xiaoxiao's tone towards Xie Rutang has become ingratiating, which Xie Rutang pretends not to notice.

……

Back inside, I bandaged my finger wound.

The summer heat was oppressive, and the sun made people feel drowsy. Outside the window, a hibiscus tree stretched its branches and leaned obliquely into the room.

Perhaps it was Pei Zhiheng's all-knowing gaze today that made Xie Rutang have a dream about Shen Yuan. In fact, even she had almost forgotten this memory.

When Xie Rutang first met Shen Yuan, and Shen Yuan fell in love with her at first sight, it was Xie Rutang who orchestrated it.

Shen Yuan, who was once famous throughout the capital, was the best choice for her dream husband.

Upon learning that Shen Yuan and his friend Pei Zhiheng would be climbing Xuanlu Mountain on the outskirts of Beijing on Qingming Festival, Xie Rutang put on light makeup, chose a silk skirt embroidered with hibiscus and orchids from her wardrobe, and went with them.

She pretended to have gotten separated from her maid by the roadside, hoping to bump into the Shen family's carriage.

As it turned out, her wish came true.

Seeing her pitiful state and noticing the dark clouds gathering in the sky, indicating that it was about to rain, the owner of the carriage asked the driver to invite her into the carriage.

Xie Rutang's eyes brightened slightly, her girlish face, like a peach blossom, held a hint of adoration and shyness, and because she was wet from the rain, a faint fragrance emanated from her neck.

As soon as she lifted her skirt and boarded the carriage, she saw Pei Zhiheng sitting upright in the carriage, as pure and noble as snow.

—Shen Yuan's good friend.