Moonlit Reunion

Since Wu Zhen last realized that the young gentleman actually wanted to see her too, she would seek him out whenever Mei Zhuyu had his day off, inviting him to go out and enjoy themselves. Unmarried men and women going out alone was actually quite improper, but Wu Zhen had never been one to follow rules. As for the usually rule-abiding Mei family gentleman, he too cast aside propriety when he saw her. A single smile from her would leave him utterly dazed—how could he possibly refuse her?

Before they knew it, this had become an unspoken agreement between them. Without needing prior arrangements, on his rest days, they would meet with their horses and set off together.

Having only been in Chang’an for a year, Mei Zhuyu was unfamiliar with many places. Wu Zhen, however, had grown up here and knew the city inside out—she knew which shops served the best food and where the finest music and dances could be enjoyed. But considering Mei Zhuyu’s temperament, she didn’t take him to the places she usually frequented. Instead, they visited quieter spots with beautiful scenery, such as the Linjing Temple.

These places weren’t particularly exciting, but Wu Zhen discovered another kind of amusement—the young gentleman’s varied reactions. Truth be told, Wu Zhen found her future husband rather peculiar. When she approached him secretly as a cat versus when she approached him properly as herself, she saw two completely different versions of Mei Zhuyu. In the morning, the young gentleman would gaze indifferently at the cat that leaped onto his windowsill, yet by afternoon, his eyes would be filled with infatuation and brightness as he watched her on horseback.

Thus, Wu Zhen couldn’t resist teasing him, just to see that restrained, bashful expression on his face.

On their way back from Linjing Temple, they arrived first at Duke Yu’s residence, where several carriages had just stopped at the gate, with servants busily unloading goods. The moment Wu Zhen spotted the small glass lantern hanging from one of the carriages, she knew exactly who was inside.

"Cousin Pei, you’ve arrived so early! You should’ve sent word so I could’ve come to fetch you," Wu Zhen said as she dismounted and walked over, rapping lightly on the carriage door.

The door opened from within, revealing a handsome face. The man looked somewhat weary, likely from the long journey. Seeing Wu Zhen leaning against the carriage, he smiled at her. "Zhen, you haven’t changed a bit."

"Cousin, hurry and come down. Surely sitting in the carriage isn’t comfortable," Wu Zhen urged.

This cousin of hers was named Pei Ji Ya, the only nephew of Wu Zhen’s late mother. A few years her senior, he was handsome, gentle-mannered, and refined. Due to certain circumstances in his youth, he had lived at Duke Yu’s residence for two years, making him quite close to his cousin Wu Zhen. His health had always been delicate, and he had been recuperating in Kunzhou. This time, he had traveled all this way upon hearing of his cousin’s impending marriage to congratulate her.

Pei Ji Ya stepped out of the carriage. Tall and graceful, he wore wide-sleeved robes, a stark contrast to the narrow-sleeved Hu-style clothing favored by the young men of Chang’an. He carried an air reminiscent of the elegant noble youths of bygone eras. The Pei family had been a prominent household in the previous dynasty, and though the great families had since migrated south and dynasties had changed, those old aristocratic names still adhered to traditional teachings in raising their descendants.

This cousin of Wu Zhen’s was a much-admired gentleman in Kunzhou. Touched that he had made the journey specifically to celebrate her, Wu Zhen, having not seen him for years, didn’t stand on ceremony. She helped him out of the carriage and introduced Mei Zhuyu, who had been standing to the side.

"This is my cousin, Pei Ji Ya of the Kunzhou Pei Family."

"And this is Mei Jia Dalang, Mei Zhuyu—my future husband."Pei Ji Ya finally gave Mei Zhuyu a proper look after Wu Zhen introduced them. When Mei Zhuyu met his gaze, his brows furrowed slightly. This man gave him an unpleasant feeling—though well concealed, Mei Zhuyu keenly sensed that this cousin Pei harbored malice toward him.

Moreover… Mei Zhuyu had noticed earlier how Pei Ji Ya had stared at Wu Zhen, and that gaze had also left him unsettled.

Pei Ji Ya smiled and greeted Mei Zhuyu warmly, his tone gentle and friendly, showing no signs of anything amiss. For a moment, Mei Zhuyu wondered if he had misread the situation earlier. After a pause, he returned the greeting, though compared to Pei Ji Ya’s amiable expression, his own demeanor appeared somewhat reserved.

Pei Ji Ya then leaned close to Wu Zhen’s ear and whispered innocently, “Why does Mei Jia Dalang seem to dislike this cousin of yours? Have I been impolite in some way?”

Wu Zhen, seemingly oblivious to the strange tension between them, tilted her head slightly toward Mei Zhuyu and teased him affectionately, “My husband is probably unhappy because he sees how close you and I are.”

At these words, Pei Ji Ya’s expression stiffened slightly, while Mei Zhuyu pressed his lips together in mild embarrassment. He glanced at Pei Ji Ya again, reflecting inwardly—was it possible that his discomfort stemmed from jealousy, making him misjudge Cousin Pei’s demeanor?

Pei Ji Ya would be staying at Duke Yu’s residence for some time. As cousins, he and Wu Zhen were close, while Mei Zhuyu was still an outsider and thus couldn’t linger. He soon took his leave. Riding his horse, he had nearly reached the street corner when he couldn’t resist turning back for one last look. Just then, he saw Pei Ji Ya glance his way with a provocative smirk before taking Wu Zhen’s hand and leaning in to speak to her, their postures appearing almost intimate.

Mei Zhuyu reined in his horse and remained motionless for a long while, only urging his mount forward again after watching them enter the gates.

Once the prickling gaze at his back had vanished, Pei Ji Ya curled his lips slightly. What a perceptive man—it seemed that even the briefest flicker of malice hadn’t escaped his notice.

“Cousin, you’ll stay in the same courtyard as before. I had it prepared as soon as I received your letter. My father will return home tomorrow, so rest well for now.” As the hostess, Wu Zhen personally escorted her guest to his quarters. Noticing Pei Ji Ya covering his mouth to cough, she asked, “What’s wrong? Has the journey been too taxing? Are you unwell again?”

Pei Ji Ya’s face was slightly pale as he coughed twice. “It’s nothing, just a sore throat. It’ll pass in a few days.” Though he smiled, inwardly he seethed. Truthfully, this was all because of that Mei Zhuyu—had he not destroyed one of Pei Ji Ya’s avatars earlier, his spirit wouldn’t have been damaged, leaving even this body weakened. And those vicious hounds—such a pity they’d been killed before he could unleash them.

Having not visited Chang’an in years, Pei Ji Ya’s stay meant Wu Zhen couldn’t simply abandon him to amuse herself. Compounded by Duke Yu’s stern reminders after returning to the residence, she had no choice but to remain at home to entertain her guest.After two days, she grew bored. On this day, over a dozen young men and women from Duke Yu's residence arrived, clamoring noisily for her to bring out her wedding dress. There was a custom at the time—after the wedding dress was made, the bride's close friends would come to offer their blessings by sewing a flower onto the gown. Poor families would cut flowers from paper or cloth strips, allowing each of the bride's friends to stitch one onto the dress. As for wealthy families, they would craft flowers from gold, silver, agate, or jade, or arrange pearls into small blossoms before sewing them onto the garment.

Among Wu Zhen's close friends, aside from Liu Taizhen, there were only two other young women she was particularly close to—Sun Niangzi and Xie Niangzi. Both often joined her, Cui Jiu, and Mei Si in their escapades. Sun Niangzi was bold and straightforward, while Xie Niangzi was more reserved but remarkably daring—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to keep up with their crowd. Naturally, the two came this time as well, specially preparing golden flowers to sew onto the dress.

Traditionally, this was something only female friends participated in, but Cui Jiu and the other young men insisted on joining the fun, loudly demanding to add flowers to Wu Zhen's wedding dress. Unable to shake off their pestering, Wu Zhen waved her hand and let them have their way. The delighted youths cheered, carrying her wedding dress to the side as they eagerly picked out which flowers they would sew on.

Then, a group of them clumsily held needles and thread, haphazardly stitching the flowers onto the fabric. Watching these young men—some tall, muscular, and broad-shouldered—fumble with the delicate task, Wu Zhen feared her wedding dress might be ruined. She stepped out for a stroll, only to return and find the room nearly erupting into chaos. Sun Niangzi stood with hands on her hips, shouting, "One flower per person! What are you all doing?!"

"Exactly! What’s this about sewing extra ones?!"

"I’m close with Sister Zhen—what’s wrong with sewing an extra flower?!"

"Why should you get two? Then I want two as well!"

Wu Zhen glanced at the dress they were tugging at and remarked dryly, "If you keep sewing, I won’t even be able to lift this dress to wear it." The hem was already weighed down with a jingling mess of ornaments.

Xie Niangzi spoke softly, "Alright, I’ll remove the extra ones." With a snip of her scissors, she cut off each excess flower, eliciting a wail from one of the young men each time.

Wu Zhen watched their antics with amusement, only shooing the rowdy crowd away when the evening drum signaled the closing of the city gates. That night, however, Liu Taizhen suddenly appeared in Wu Zhen’s room. Without a word, she took out a heavy golden flower and sewed it onto the wedding dress before silently leaving. The next morning, Wu Zhen immediately guessed who had done it. She lifted the now unbearably heavy dress and briefly considered tearing off all the messily stitched flowers—but in the end, she didn’t.

If she really removed them, those fellows might actually cry.

The wedding dress, displayed in her room, reminded her that the wedding day was drawing closer. Unlike most brides-to-be, Wu Zhen felt no shyness or nervousness. She carried on as usual, occasionally transforming into a cat to visit Mei Zhuyu at the Ministry of Justice offices—though she no longer sought him out for private outings, as Duke Yu had returned from the temple and was keeping a close watch on her.

Left with no choice, Wu Zhen could only accompany her cousin for strolls around the estate."Zhen, the wedding date is approaching, yet I don't see any joy on your face. Could it be that you're actually not satisfied with this marriage?" Pei Ji Ya gazed at her with concern. "I didn't know before, but these past two days I heard it was your uncle who forced you to agree to this match. As your cousin, I'm worried about you. If you truly don't wish to go through with it, perhaps I can think of other solutions for you."

Wu Zhen glanced at him and suddenly laughed, swirling the wine cup in her hand. "Cousin, where did you hear such nonsense? If that were the case, I would have married long ago—why would I have waited until now? My little husband-to-be is quite amusing; I truly want to marry him. There's no reluctance on my part."

After speaking, she carelessly set down the wine cup. "This wine is tasteless. I don't like it."

After Wu Zhen left, the smile faded from Pei Ji Ya's face. He shattered the wine cup in his hand and, with a darkened expression, pondered for a moment before suddenly drawing a line in the air with his pale fingers, pulling out a shadowy mass from the void.

"Only seven days remain until the wedding. Thinking you can just smoothly take what's mine—it won't be that easy."

"Go."