Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang was startled by his tone, thinking that her ignorance had spoiled his mood and displeased the Second Master. Moreover, she had just mistaken him for Shen Yuan.

She hurriedly covered her clothes and sat up from the bed. "I didn't mean to."

"I thought the Second Master wouldn't be coming tonight..."

Pei Zhiheng's face darkened. "Who told you that?"

Xie Rutang gently bit his lip, not even noticing how late it was.

Pei Zhiheng's gaze fell on her pale pink earlobes. The faint fragrance in the woman's room relaxed his tense nerves after a long day, and his expression softened. "I was quite busy today. Local criminal cases must go through the initial trial by the prefecture and county, the second trial by the provincial judicial commissioner, and then be transferred to the Court of Judicial Review for my review and examination. It took me a whole day to review and report them to the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty, which is why it was delayed for so long."

"But since I promised to come, I won't go back on my word."

It turned out to be the case.

Xie Rutang felt even more embarrassed. Logically, she should have helped him to rest, but she went to bed early instead.

If the old lady found out about this, she would scold her for not knowing the rules. She could only close her eyes and fall asleep peacefully if the second master went to bed first.

Seeing that Pei Zhiheng was still wearing his official robes, Xie Rutang got off the bed, lowered her eyes and head, and said, "Let me help you change, Second Master."

She had already prepared herself mentally, so there was no need to pretend to be reserved and chaste. Wouldn't it be hypocritical and pretentious to continue like that?

Xie Rutang knew exactly what she wanted: she wanted to have a child with Pei Zhiheng so that she could inherit the Chengxin Painting Shop left by her deceased husband.

She wanted to use her status as a lay Buddhist to sell her paintings and expand her art shop, so that she, a woman, could establish herself in the world and gain a foothold.

At least, who the father of the child is is not important.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Rutang arrived in front of him.

Pei Zhiheng lowered his gaze and saw that she was wearing a light pink silk inner garment, which made her look as beautiful as a flower. He had only seen her wearing such brightly colored clothes when she first entered the Shen family as a new bride. She also wore a pair of green jade earrings, which looked like green mist rippling in the water. At that time, she had just arrived at the Shen family, and not a single man among the guests could help but look at her.

Unexpectedly, a year later, she transformed from a young girl into a woman, gentle and tender.

He neither spoke nor agreed.

Knowing that Master Pei was always aloof and taciturn, and whose moods were unpredictable, Xie Rutang mustered up her courage and stepped forward to help him change his clothes.

Her fingers rested on his jade-embroidered black belt, making her fingertips appear exceptionally white. Because she was a widow, her nails were not dyed with balsam juice like other women, nor did she wear nail guards or precious rings; her nails were a natural pale pink, and her fingertips looked extremely white and soft.

Pei Zhiheng looked away, suppressing the urge to grab her fingers. He frowned slightly; he wasn't some naive young man experiencing first love, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

This was the second time Xie Rutang had helped the Second Master change his clothes, and he was much calmer than last time.

Her long, black hair hung softly over her shoulders. As someone who had previously served Shen Yuan, her movements were skillful and gentle, just like an ordinary wife helping her husband change clothes and rest.

The lights were already on inside.

Pei Zhiheng surveyed her boudoir.

He hadn't looked closely last time, but tonight he was the one who seriously examined her room.

The window screens were a pale indigo color, and there was no bright or colorful brocade in the room. Two light ink landscape paintings hung on the walls, and a celadon vase sat on a wooden shelf. There were no other decorations. In the inner room, there was a canopy bed and a rosewood dressing table. After Shen Yuan left, the cosmetics on the dressing table were never seen being used again.

Near the window, facing the sun, stood an old elmwood desk, complete with all the necessary painting tools. Pei Zhiheng could even imagine her sitting alone at the desk, quietly painting when she had nothing to do, her brushstrokes gentle and soothing, her profile revealing a beautiful and refined woman.

Pei Zhiheng looked around the elegant and quiet house, which was enough to glimpse the privacy of this widow's daily life in the Shen family, and couldn't help but make people's imaginations run wild.

Pei Zhiheng felt her slender fingers gliding over his body through his clothes, like a tickle through a boot.

He responded calmly, his eyes serene. "I have already given Zhulan a little warning. From now on, I will teach her to restrain her temper. She is the daughter of my mother's former trusted nanny, so I cannot deal with her. However, if she remains obstinate and causes trouble, then I will hand her over to my mother for her decision."

"From now on, I will deal with those in the household who are biased and prone to gossip, and I will not let them disturb your peace again."

Pei Zhiheng's gaze fell on her dark hair, and he reached out to stroke her soft earlobe. His fingertips were rough and slightly cool, and he liked the feel of her skin. "From now on, you just need to serve me well, and you don't need to worry about anything else."

The word "serving" makes it sound like she was his concubine and possession, except that she still had a fig leaf to cover it up. The old lady would keep it a secret for her, and no one in the Shen family or the Pei family would know that she had an affair with the second master...

However, someone as prominent as Pei Zhiheng would never understand her pride.

Xie Rutang was not the kind of person who wallowed in self-pity.

She calmed herself down and hummed in response, "This humble servant thanks Second Master for his kindness..."

She should be content that Pei Zhiheng was able to uphold justice for her; she didn't expect anything more.

Pei Zhiheng was surprised by her calm demeanor and frowned subconsciously. He had thought she would be pleasantly surprised. "I'll make it up to you if there's anything you like."

Ultimately, it was because of him that she suffered several days of injustice.

Xie Rutang was taken aback, realizing that he wanted to compensate her with some valuable jewelry and precious stones.

The Pei family was wealthy and prosperous, and he was extremely generous with his money.

She shook her head slightly, "I don't need anything."

Pei Zhiheng's expression became even more inscrutable as he stared intently at her.

Xie Rutang reached out and removed the loose undergarment from his shoulders. When his chest and well-defined abdominal muscles were revealed, her eyelashes fluttered, and she was so frightened that she dared not look him in the eye. Her breath felt hot.

His physique... was even better than she had imagined.

Pei Zhiheng was tall and slender, usually appearing delicate and slender in a brocade robe. However, beneath the robe lay a broad and robust frame, completely unlike his frail appearance. He was better muscular than her late husband, and even more impressively muscular…

As a married woman, Xie Rutang dared not look closely and hurriedly looked away.

Realizing that Jin Yue had retired early and was not serving in the outer room.

Xie Rutang realized that he hadn't had a drop of water since arriving at Cuiwu Courtyard, so she looked up and said, "Second Master, you came from Suxue Residence, you must be thirsty. I'll go and get you some water."

She was just about to go to the gauze-covered cabinet to pour him a glass of water.

Xie Rutang's palms were damp; she still couldn't get used to the presence of a strange man in her room.

Pei Zhiheng leaned in from behind, and Xie Rutang's heart pounded. The man's large, warm hand was already on her flat stomach. He glanced at the bed and said, "It's late."

"Get some rest."