Zhen Yaoting had arrived at Cien Temple early. He could faintly hear the sounds of cymbals and wooden fish from the direction of the main hall beyond the wall, indicating that the grand ceremony was underway. Knowing that the head maid was inside, yet unable to enter, his heart itched with impatience. He paced back and forth along the wall for a long time until he found a secluded corner where a locust tree grew, its branches stretching over to the other side. Climbing the tree with hands and feet, he slowly scaled the wall and leaped down, finally managing to sneak in. Concealed by the trees, he made his way toward the main hall. As he drew closer, he spotted servants of the Pei family coming and going at the entrance, occasionally mingled with palace eunuchs. Not daring to approach rashly, he hid behind a large stone tablet by the roadside, peering cautiously. After waiting for what felt like an eternity without seeing anyone, he grew restless. Suddenly, he saw Yuzhu and another maid emerge from the hall, carrying incense baskets as if heading toward the main gate. Overjoyed, he fixed his eyes on her and, as she passed nearby, aimed a small pebble at her back.
Yuzhu felt a slight tap from behind and instinctively turned her head. To her surprise, she saw a head peeking out from behind the large stone tablet—it was the son of the Zhen family, vigorously waving at her. Puzzled, she hesitated for a moment before whispering a few words to the maid beside her, sending her ahead to the incense hall. Once the maid had left, Yuzhu doubled back and stopped by the roadside, asking, "Young Master Zhen, is something the matter?"
Seeing her stop before him and meet his gaze, Zhen Yaoting’s heart raced. He quickly stepped out from behind the tablet and said in a low voice, "We’re leaving today. Just before boarding the boat this morning, I suddenly remembered something. Last time, thanks to your help, I was able to speak to the Old Madam and clear my sister’s name. I realized I never thanked you properly. It would weigh on my conscience to leave without doing so, so I came here early just to express my gratitude."
Yuzhu’s first impression of Zhen Yaoting had been rather poor—she found him frivolous and reckless. But after witnessing him boldly standing up for his sister before the Old Madam, though his actions were rash, she was moved by his protective devotion. Reflecting on her own childhood misfortunes, she thought that if she’d had a brother like him, her circumstances might have been different. Since then, her opinion of him had softened. Now, seeing that he had traveled all this way just to thank her, she was not only surprised but also touched.
Knowing outsiders weren’t allowed in the main hall today, she guessed from his earlier hiding behind the tablet that he must have sneaked in through an unconventional route. Not wanting him to be seen, she glanced around and whispered, "It was nothing. You didn’t have to go out of your way to thank me. You should leave now. I have things to attend to as well—I must go."
With that, she turned to leave.Zhen Yaoting had come from quite a distance, finally managing to catch her, yet before he could even exchange a few words, she was already about to leave. Anxious, he grabbed her sleeve and pulled her behind the large stone tablet where he had been hiding earlier. Seeing her face flush crimson with apparent anger, he quickly released her and whispered apologetically, "Don’t be angry! I just thought a mere thank-you wasn’t enough, so I brought you something." He took out a wrapped handkerchief, unfolded it to reveal a pair of jade bracelets—translucent and richly colored—and held them out to Yuzhu. "Take a look. Do you like them?"
Yuzhu was astonished. "We’re not related in any way—how could I accept such valuable gifts? Please put them away!"
Zhen Yaoting was straightforward. Hearing her refusal, he immediately tucked the bracelets away, then, as if performing a magic trick, produced an intricately carved small box. "I heard you once sent someone to buy styrax from the perfumery. That’s not good. This contains a few pieces of ambergris—it’s not worth much. Take it, sister, to scent your clothes or handkerchiefs."
Yuzhu had no idea how he’d even learned about such a trivial matter. Amused yet exasperated, she frowned. "Young Master Zhen, I appreciate your kindness, but I can’t accept this. Madam Meng uses this very fragrance—how could a mere servant like me dare to do the same? Please leave quickly. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw us. I have things to attend to, so I’ll be going too!"
With that, she stepped out from behind the tablet and hurried toward the incense hall near the main gate.
Seeing her walk away without accepting anything, Zhen Yaoting grew desperate. Ignoring all else, he rushed out from behind the tablet and chased after her. "It’s really not valuable! No one will know—why must you be like this? If you don’t dare use ambergris, I also have frozen borneol! My sister never cared for incense before, but just before coming to the capital, she specifically asked me to fetch a box of this from the storeroom for her to use—she didn’t even want the ambergris. My sister has refined tastes, and if she likes it, surely you would too. Let me go back and get some for you—"
Yuzhu had never encountered someone like him before. Shouting for help would embarrass Madam Meng and Jiafu, but if she didn’t, he’d keep pestering her endlessly. Torn between irritation and embarrassment, she heard his voice growing louder. This path was the only way from the main gate to the great hall—if someone saw them, it would be disastrous. She stopped abruptly, about to scold him sternly, when she suddenly looked up and saw the master approaching from the opposite direction, followed by Jiafu and her maid. Her heart leaped in fright, and she quickly stepped forward, greeting him with a "Master," then glanced back at Zhen Yaoting, hastily covering, "I was just fetching incense from the hall and happened to meet Young Master Zhen. We exchanged a few words about fragrances. He was just leaving..."
Jiafu had spotted her brother from afar. Yuzhu’s expression told her he must have said something inappropriate again.
But right now, that was the least of her concerns.
She had heard her brother’s words clearly. Her heart pounded violently.
Steadying herself, she stole a glance at Pei You'an, who had stopped ahead of her.
She could only hope he hadn’t paid attention to what her brother had said.
But soon, Jiafu realized—this was nothing more than her own wishful thinking.Pei You'an said nothing but halted his steps. He turned to look at her, his gaze resting on her face with an extremely peculiar expression.
Jiafu's face flushed rapidly, turning so red it seemed blood might drip from it.
He studied her for a moment, then slightly furrowed his brows.
Jiafu's heart pounded even harder. Subconsciously, she took a small step toward him and parted her lips, but his expression had already turned cold.
He no longer looked at her, merely nodding slightly at Yuzhu before turning to continue walking forward.
She stood frozen, staring at the receding figure ahead.
He knew—she had lied to him that day.
She stood there dumbly, the flush on her face quickly fading, leaving her pale again. Her heart felt stifled, unbearably so.
"Little sister? What brings you here?"
Zhen Yaoting's voice sounded beside her ear.
Jiafu finally snapped out of her daze, suppressing the overwhelming frustration rising in her chest. She turned to Yuzhu and said, "My brother didn’t even inform my mother before running off like this. If he caused any offense just now, please forgive him, Sister Yuzhu."
Seeing her pallor, Yuzhu was too concerned to mind such things. "What’s wrong? Are you unwell? Let me help you inside to sit and have some water."
Jiafu steadied herself, shook her head, and forced a smile. "I’m fine. We’re leaving the capital today, and everything was ready for departure when we realized my brother was missing. I came to fetch him back. If there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave now—my mother is waiting. If anyone mentions this matter to the Old Madam, I’d appreciate it if you could put in a good word. My brother was truly too reckless and has inconvenienced you greatly."
Hearing this, Yuzhu didn’t press her to stay. "It’s no trouble. Let me see you out."
Jiafu glanced at Zhen Yaoting, who still seemed reluctant to leave. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Brother, aren’t you coming? Mother was frantic earlier. Do you really want to make her ill?"
Only then did Zhen Yaoting follow Jiafu out, albeit grudgingly. Once they left the main hall, he noticed his sister walking swiftly through the temple gates without a word, clearly upset. He hurried after her, muttering, "I left a message, didn’t I? I know what I’m doing. I would’ve returned once I finished my business—there was no need for you to rush over like this..."
Jiafu suddenly stopped and turned to face him. "Brother! I’m younger than you, and it’s not my place to lecture you. But when will you ever grow up? Do you know why Grandmother insists on marrying me into the Pei family? It’s because our family lacks a man who can uphold our household! Father is gone, and Mother depends on you to stand firm so she has someone to rely on. You’re not a child anymore, yet you still act so recklessly! I even begged Grandmother to let me learn how to manage affairs, but she refused! You could be supporting Mother and our Zhen family, yet you fritter your time away without a care! I hate that I wasn’t born a man..."
A wave of sorrow washed over Jiafu, tears welling in her eyes.Zhen Yaoting saw that his sister seemed about to cry and finally panicked, circling around her with endless apologies and cursing himself for being a scoundrel. Jiafu turned her head away, wiped her tears, and boarded the carriage. Yaoting breathed a sigh of relief and quickly mounted his horse, following alongside as they returned.
When Madam Meng saw her son had been found and learned he had indeed sneaked off to Cien Temple to harass Yuzhu privately, she was furious. Fortunately, Yuzhu was kind-hearted and didn’t hold it against him, helping to cover it up so they didn’t lose face in front of the old madam and the Pei family. In her rage, Madam Meng grabbed a feather duster and thrashed him, while Liu Momo and others tried to intervene. Amid the chaos, the Zhen family’s ship finally left the dock and began its journey south.
The waterways of the capital gradually faded behind them.
Jiafu remembered clearly—not long ago, this very same ship had carried her along this same bustling waterway as they slowly entered the imperial city. Back then, her heart had been filled with a mix of resolve, unease, and a vague uncertainty about the unknown future.
At the time, she had thought that if heaven took pity on her and she was lucky enough to successfully escape this marriage, how happy she would be.
But now, she couldn’t feel joy. For the first few days, her spirits remained low, though she forced a smile in front of her mother to avoid worrying her.
As the days passed and the ship reached the halfway point, Jiafu finally let go.
So be it. With the marriage ended like this, there would likely be little interaction with the Pei family in the future. As for Pei You’an, they would never cross paths again. She had achieved her goal—that was the greatest fortune. What did it matter what he thought of her, whether his impression was good or bad?
In her past life, their encounter had been fleeting, their paths crossing briefly before diverging onto separate journeys.
This life, she supposed, would be no different.
Quanzhou was almost in sight. There was still much she needed to do. Living her life well from now on—that was what truly mattered.
Slowly, Jiafu’s mood lifted from its initial gloom and despondency.
One day, as the ship passed Fuming Island, where they had stopped on their previous journey, they happened upon the year-end Dharma assembly at Guanyin Temple. Madam Meng decided to take her daughter ashore once more to donate incense oil. She ordered the ship to dock and disembarked with her children and attendants, heading toward the temple.
The island was crowded with worshippers, and the assembly should have been lively. But as they neared the temple, they saw a flood of panicked devotees rushing out of the gates. Madam Meng quickly sent Zhang Da to find out what was happening. He soon returned and said, “Madam, we can’t worship today! We must leave quickly! Many soldiers have arrived—they’re arresting the monks, saying a wanted criminal is hiding among them!”Madam Meng was startled and murmured a prayer, then turned to leave. She had only taken a few steps when shouts erupted behind her. The pilgrims quickly made way, and Jiafu turned to see a group of soldiers emerging from the temple gates, accompanied by grim-faced Brocade-Clad Guards. They were escorting seven or eight young monks, all novices no older than thirteen or fourteen, bound in iron chains. The soldiers looked fierce and menacing. Some of the young monks were crying, protesting their innocence, while others were so terrified they collapsed to the ground, being dragged forward by force. The pilgrims lining the path turned pale, bowing their heads and not daring to breathe loudly. Only after the soldiers had marched the young monks away did the crowd begin to murmur, speculating wildly.
What kind of imperial fugitives could these young novices be, to warrant even the Brocade-Clad Guards? Madam Meng’s face was ashen, and she had no intention of staying any longer. Once the soldiers’ boats had departed, she hurriedly boarded the boat with Jiafu and her two children. Zhang Da ordered the ropes untied, and just as the boat was about to push off, several men rushed to the shore. One of them called out to Zhang Da, “Hey! Is this boat heading to Quanzhou? Our young master also has business there. We passed by Fuming Island today, intending to stop and pray for blessings for our old madam, but we ran into those soldiers arresting people—they even commandeered our boat. Could you give us a ride? We’ll pay well!”
Jiafu, who hadn’t yet entered the cabin, turned at the sound and glanced casually.
Xiao Yintang!
It was actually Xiao Yintang!
He stood beside the man who had just spoken, squinting slightly as he watched the distant official boats gradually disappear. Though dressed as an ordinary traveler, she recognized him instantly.
Even if he were burned to ashes, she wouldn’t mistake him!
As if struck by lightning, Jiafu froze in place, her eyes wide, her heart pounding so violently it felt like it might leap from her throat.
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