Young widow in her boudoir

It is said that Pei Zhiheng was naughty when he was a child, climbing trees to steal birds' nests and catching fish in rivers and streams.

When Pei Zhiheng was young, he slacked off from his servants and ran away from the mansion to play. He even went missing once and was almost kidnapped by human traffickers. The Pei family reported the incident to the authorities.

In the end, Pei Zhiheng escaped using his intelligence and hid alone in the deep mountains and forests for a night until the traffickers left.

Gu Zhifei had heard all this from the man's great-grandmother.

Xie Rutang was surprised. He hadn't expected that Pei Zhiheng had been so mischievous as a child. It was hard to reconcile this with the serious and unsmiling Pei Zhiheng he remembered today.

Perhaps because of her illicit relationship with Pei Zhiheng, Xie Rutang simply drank her milk pudding and listened quietly without interrupting.

Today's private chat has warmed up the relationship between the two women.

Gu Zhifei couldn't help but quietly bring up some women's topics, and said, "When I first married into the Pei family, one day before dawn, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk in the garden by myself. The morning mist shrouded the flowers and trees, and the dew wet the tips of my shoes. I had just walked to the old poplar tree when I unexpectedly bumped into my uncle practicing his sword there."

"He held a green-bladed sword, was shirtless, his shoulders and arms were taut, you wouldn't believe how firm his abs were, almost without an ounce of fat..."

Gu Zhifei blushed and felt embarrassed when she saw this, and quickly left with her maid.

Xie Rutang blushed.

She silently repeated to herself, "I've seen it, I've touched it, just last night."

As they talked, Gu Zhifei brought up the upcoming engagement between Pei Zhiheng and Su Yao, the daughter of the Su family. Yesterday, Pei's mother had planned for the man to spend the Qixi Festival night with Su Yao and go to the temple fair.

Xie Rutang remained silent, as if Pei Zhiheng's matter had nothing to do with her.

There were still many hours left in the afternoon, so Xie Rutang taught her some double-sided embroidery. The maid brought over a small embroidery stool and laid out the embroidery hoop, various silk threads, and fine needles on the pear blossom table. The two sisters-in-law slowly passed the time.

When it was four quarters past Shen Shi (3:40 PM), Xie Rutang wanted to take this opportunity of leaving the mansion to visit Chengxin Painting Shop again.

Originally, it would have been enough to have a maid escort her out, but since Gu Zhifei had eaten too much pastry and tea, it would have been better to escort her along the way so she could digest her food.

As they arrived at the front yard, the lingering heat of July still hadn't dissipated. The two walked along the covered walkway, Xie Rutang holding a thin silk fan embroidered with lilies of the valley, which accentuated her slender and delicate fingers.

As a result, they ran into the man who had just returned to the Pei residence.

Pei Zhiheng was dressed in a black, round-necked, wide-sleeved robe, which made his face look cold and indescribably noble. He was covered in styrax incense, a fragrance that could be smelled from the hem of his robe when you approached him.

Gu Zhifei was the first to see him, so she took the initiative to call out, "Uncle."

The man had intended to turn off on the veranda and head elsewhere, but when his gaze fell upon them, he stopped in his tracks and saw them coming from the backyard.

Pei Zhiheng's eyes were filled with a deep, unsettling light as he stared intently at Xie Rutang, who stood beside Gu Zhifei.

He had just returned to the Pei residence from the palace and was going to the study to retrieve an important seal when Xie Rutang happened to arrive at the Pei family home.

Ignoring the crimson dress Zhifei was wearing, Xie Rutang remained as pure and elegant as jade. In the height of summer, she wore a dark blue dress, as graceful as an orchid. The thin fabric of the dress outlined her exquisite figure. At this moment, she lowered her eyes and did not look at him. She was obedient and did not overstep the boundaries.

Xie Rutang recalled the memories of last night and suddenly felt a little nervous.

Xie Rutang quickly lowered her head; she could feel Pei Zhiheng's gaze fixed on the top of her head.

Last night, he didn't know his own strength and took her several times. The man felt a pang of pity and wanted to carry her to the bathhouse to wash her body. However, Pei Zhiheng was summoned to the palace that night and had no time to linger.

Now that she thinks about it, Pei Zhiheng also feels that it was somewhat inappropriate, after all, she had suffered too much.

I wonder how she felt this morning, and if she had any discomfort.

Pei Zhiheng snapped out of his reverie and calmly nodded to Pei Xuannan's wife, Gu Zhifei, "Sister-in-law."

At this moment, Pei Zhiheng also called Xie Rutang, according to seniority.

Xie Rutang suddenly felt a little afraid to look him in the eye, and only responded softly, not daring to look at him.

Pei Zhiheng lowered his eyes and asked, "Where are you two going after coming out of the backyard?"

He may have wanted to appear approachable in the Pei residence, but his status and perfect, noble features made it impossible for anyone to relax; they remained tense.

Gu Zhifei, however, reacted first and responded to his words.

"My sister-in-law invited Madam Shen to my room for a short visit today, and I'm about to see her off."

As he spoke with Gu Zhifei, Xie Rutang kept her eyes fixed on her pink lotus embroidered shoes. Then, she inexplicably noticed that Pei Zhiheng's dark gold-embroidered robe, hanging on the ground, was very close to hers. Whether it was intentional or not, Xie Rutang dared not make any wild guesses.

She shook her head inwardly. How could that be? Pei Zhiheng was used to being aloof.

After saying goodbye to him, Gu Zhifei and Xie Rutang walked a distance away.

Gu Zhifei's heartbeat finally calmed down slightly. She had just been gossiping about her uncle in her room that afternoon, and then she ran into Pei Zhiheng as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard. How could she not feel guilty?

Gu Zhifei patted her chest. "You scared me to death! Why did Uncle suddenly come back to the manor?"

Moreover, Pei Zhiheng has always been cold and taciturn, and he would never say a word more than necessary to these women of the Pei family.

But why did I start talking to her today?

Gu Zhifei frowned, somewhat puzzled, and thought to herself that perhaps Pei Zhiheng was in a good mood today.

As soon as they stepped out of the corridor, Pei Zhiheng slowly turned around, subconsciously searching for that figure as ethereal as spring mist.

Then they saw that Xie Rutang and Madam Gu had already walked far away, and they could still hear their voices from a distance.

Gu Zhifei's voice carried a hint of curiosity, "Back pain? You probably just finished your period not long ago, your lower back is still a little sore, it'll be fine in a few days..."

Pei Zhiheng's clear, snow-like gaze fell upon Xie Rutang's soft, graceful back, her gait somewhat strange.

The garden's winding corridors were lush with flowers and trees, and the pomegranate blossoms were dazzling. In the blink of an eye, Xie Rutang's figure disappeared beyond the flowers and could no longer be seen.