Jiafu had never known she could run so fast. Fearing that Pei You'an might change his mind if she delayed, she not only dashed back to the round building but also sprinted up to the third floor without stopping. She hurriedly changed into the servant’s attire she had asked Yinhuan to fetch the day before—a short jacket and trousers. She tied her long hair atop her head in a masculine style, covered it with a square scarf, and slipped on leather boots. Once dressed, she glanced at herself in the mirror and saw a handsome young servant staring back. Grabbing her bundle, she rushed back to the entrance, stopping only when she was completely out of breath, her chest heaving.
Her chest was far from voluptuous, but neither was it entirely flat. In her haste, she hadn’t bothered to bind it, and now, standing before Pei You'an, she noticed his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe, lingering briefly on her chest. Instinctively, she looked down and realized how conspicuous her figure appeared in this attire. She quickly clutched the bundle to cover herself, but Pei You'an had already turned away indifferently, pointing to a small carriage parked at the entrance. “Get in,” he said.
Her face flushed, Jiafu murmured a soft thanks and hurried over. Placing the bundle on the carriage footboard, she climbed in unaided, scrambling up with hands and feet. Under the watchful eyes of dozens of onlookers, she ducked inside with her bundle and finally exhaled deeply once seated.
Pei You'an glanced at his attendants and guards, who had been eyeing the carriage and then her, and said expressionlessly, “Let’s go.”
…
Having stayed up all night, she was exhausted. Now that her worries had dissipated, Jiafu lay down in the carriage and fell asleep despite its jolting.
Throughout the day, she drifted in and out of sleep, occasionally sitting up to peek through the carriage window at Pei You'an’s back as he rode his horse. She couldn’t get enough of the sight, feeling a long-lost happiness welling up inside her. That evening, they stayed at a courier station, and her room was next to his. Knowing he was just beyond the wall, close enough to hear his footsteps, she slept peacefully that night.
On the evening of the third day, they arrived at Mengmu.
The chieftain of Mengmu, surnamed An and named Jigui, was the thirty-fifth generation ruler of Mengmu Prefecture. He held Pei You'an in high regard because Pei had once saved his only son. Having learned of Pei’s arrival, An Jigui personally rode out dozens of miles to welcome them and escorted the group into his residence.
Jiafu shared a courtyard with Pei You'an, their rooms adjacent. Over the next few days, minor chieftains from nearby regions arrived one after another. Pei You'an was kept busy, coming and going with An Jigui and attending nightly banquets. During the day, Jiafu had little to do, but in the evenings, she sometimes managed to wait for his return, serving him tea and exchanging a few words. These moments became the highlight of her days.
A few days later, she noticed something unusual.
The chieftain had a daughter named An Longna, about Jiafu’s age—fifteen or sixteen. One evening, as Jiafu stood at the courtyard gate eagerly awaiting Pei You'an’s return, she spotted An Longna rushing ahead of her to intercept him.
From a distance, Jiafu couldn’t hear what An Longna said, but she instantly recognized the look of a maiden’s infatuation.The look in her eyes was all too familiar to Jiafu—it was practically a mirror of her own expression.
Jiafu's heart skipped a beat as she quickly hid behind the door, peeking through the crack with nervous anticipation. Fortunately, Pei You'an appeared just as he had during their first encounter—polite yet distant—and it didn’t take long for him to dismiss Anlongna before entering the courtyard.
Jiafu let out a quiet sigh of relief and naturally didn’t bring it up in front of him. The night passed, and by the next evening, as she waited for him as usual, she suddenly heard the jingling of ornaments accompanied by light footsteps behind her. Then, a sharp female voice rang out: "Hey! What are you to Lord Pei?" The tone was far from polite.
It was Anlongna. Now at close range, Jiafu could clearly see the chieftain’s daughter—her long hair braided and adorned with trinkets, dressed in a flowing blue robe with an embroidered sash, wearing leather boots. Though she was beautifully dressed, the gaze she fixed on Jiafu carried a hint of hostility.
Since they were in the chieftain’s estate, and to outsiders, Jiafu was merely Pei You'an’s personal attendant, she had no intention of stirring trouble. She addressed her respectfully as "Wuzhe," the local honorific for a chieftain’s daughter, and turned to leave. But Anlongna quickly caught up, blocking her path. She looked Jiafu up and down with a sneer. "Look at you—neither man nor woman! I’ve heard that among Han people, there’s a type of man called a catamite—the lowest and most depraved, kept solely for their master’s pleasure. Are you one of them?"
Jiafu understood.
Anlongna must have been rejected by Pei You'an first, and now, seeing Jiafu sharing the same courtyard with him, she was here to vent her anger. Suppressing her own irritation, Jiafu replied, "Wuzhe is indeed knowledgeable, but you’ve mistaken me for someone else. Lord Pei will be back soon, and I have matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave."
She turned to go, but the back of her collar was suddenly yanked by Anlongna. With a sharp rip , the fabric tore, followed by a stinging pain on the back of her neck—likely scratched by Anlongna’s nails. Before she could react, Anlongna lunged at her again, this time aiming her sharp nails straight for Jiafu’s face.In her past life, Jiafu had actually been a lively child by nature, especially in front of her doting father—she was a little crybaby who loved to act spoiled. But after her father passed away when she was thirteen, all her innocence and joy left her. Later, arranged by her grandmother, she first married Pei Xiuzhi, and not long after, she ended up by Xiao Yintang’s side. Until the day she died, she remained a gentle and demure woman—but that wasn’t her true nature. It was merely suppressed obedience and a gradual numbness that became habit.
But at this moment, because of this unreasonable little girl who came to provoke her, all the grievances and anger Jiafu had accumulated over two lifetimes seemed to find an outlet. Seeing that the girl had already gotten the upper hand and still refused to back down—determined to scratch her face beyond recognition—Jiafu’s temper flared. In that instant, she forgot she had lived two lives, forgot this was the Tusi’s residence, and completely lost control of her emotions. She reached out, grabbed the girl’s hair, and yanked hard. An Longna let out a shriek, and the two began tussling fiercely. At first, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand, but eventually, An Longna, being stronger, pinned Jiafu down and started pounding her with her fists. Unable to break free, Jiafu resorted to her trump card—clutching An Longna’s hair with all her might and refusing to let go. Both of them were a mess.
Just as An Longna’s fist was about to strike Jiafu again, a low voice barked out, and Jiafu was suddenly lifted away by a pair of hands. Only then did she see—it was Pei You’an. Meanwhile, An Longna was also seized by a young man in brocade robes. Wailing loudly, An Longna pointed at Jiafu and cried, “Brother! She bullied me! She grabbed my hair and wouldn’t let go! She’s going to pull me bald! It hurts so much!”
Trapped between Jiafu’s fingers was indeed a clump of hair she had yanked from An Longna’s head. Seeing Pei You’an’s gaze fall on her, she quickly hid her hand behind her back and discreetly loosened her grip. She was just about to speak when An Longna’s cries turned into a scream:
“She’s a girl? She’s actually a girl?”
Wide-eyed, An Longna stared at Jiafu, whose hair had come loose, then at Pei You’an, who was still holding Jiafu in his arms. With a loud “wah,” she burst into tears again, stamped her foot, and ran off.
“Does it hurt?”
Pei You’an’s gaze skimmed over the back of Jiafu’s neck as he gently set her down, frowning as he asked.
Catching her breath, Jiafu smoothed her disheveled hair—tousled from the fight—and only then felt overwhelming shame. Suppressing the pain, she shook her head. “I’m fine. Cousin, I’m really sorry, I…”
Pei You’an had already turned to the finely dressed young man who was staring fixedly at Jiafu. “Cangzhu, this is my cousin. She dressed as a man for travel convenience. If she offended your sister just now, I apologize on her behalf.”
An Cangzhu snapped out of his daze and quickly waved his hand. “No harm done. I know my sister—she must have started it. Please ask your cousin to forgive her.”
Pei You’an smiled faintly. “Of course. I’ve arrived now, Cangzhu—no need to escort me further. Please, stay here.”
He nodded at An Cangzhu, then led Jiafu inside. The moment they entered, he asked, “How did you end up in a fight with someone?”His tone was unreadable, neither angry nor pleased. Jiafu still felt ashamed and, fearing he had a poor impression of her, didn’t dare meet his eyes. She mumbled, “She thought I was a man. As soon as she came over, she blocked my way and started hurling insults, saying I was your… She even struck first, tearing my clothes…”
Those two words were too vulgar for her to repeat, so she skipped over them, her face flushing crimson.
Pei You’an seemed to understand. He frowned, washed his hands, then took out a box of ointment and told Jiafu to turn around.
Knowing he intended to apply the medicine for her, Jiafu obediently turned her back, quietly gathering her loose hair and lowering her head to expose the nape of her neck.
Her delicate, snow-white skin was marred by several scratches of varying depths, the deepest of which had already drawn beads of blood—a sight that was painful to behold.
Pei You’an gently wiped away the blood with a clean cloth, then dipped his fingers in the ointment and carefully applied it to her wounds.
Jiafu winced at the sting, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath.
“Bear with it. The pain will fade soon,” he soothed softly.
“You’re no match for her in strength. Fighting foolishly will only bring you harm. If something like this happens again when I’m not around and there’s no one nearby, shout for help or run to where there are more people. Understood?”
His tone carried a hint of earnest admonishment, as if exasperated by her recklessness.
Jiafu finally relaxed, a sweet warmth blooming in her chest. “Thank you, cousin,” she murmured.
Pei You’an asked, “Are there any other injuries?”
Jiafu shook her head, then glanced at him, her courage suddenly surging. “Cousin, does the chieftain’s daughter like you? I saw her… stopping you before…”
Pei You’an seemed momentarily taken aback. He shot her a look, put away the ointment, and turned to leave.
Jiafu trailed after him like a persistent shadow, shamelessly pressing, “Is it true, cousin?”
Pei You’an sighed, as if resigned. “She’s just a foolish girl. Don’t spout nonsense.”
“Cousin, then why haven’t you ever married?”
As if possessed, the question that had long plagued her slipped out.
Jiafu knew that even in her past life, when he had died alone in the distant Suyeh City, he had remained unmarried. Before that, during the years Xiao Lie ruled as emperor, Pei You’an had reached the pinnacle of wealth and power, standing as the highest-ranking official. The only reason for his refusal to marry must have been his own choice.
His gaze darkened slightly.
The moment the words left her mouth, Jiafu regretted them. But she stubbornly held her ground, refusing to avert her eyes, instead widening them to meet his gaze.
After a long silence, Pei You’an seemed to finally yield beneath her bright, soft yet unyielding stare. He rubbed his temples and smiled faintly. “I was born with a weak constitution. Though I’ve undergone treatment, my vitality has always been lacking. Moreover, I suffered a severe injury in the past. I’m not fated for longevity—why should I marry and waste a woman’s youth?”
With that, he left her behind and went to wash his hands.
Jiafu stared at his retreating figure, her chest suddenly tight with sorrow. Yet slowly, her blood began to boil, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Cousin, if you don’t mind me, I’d be willing to serve and care for you! You’ll surely recover and live a long life!”Pei You'an bent slightly to wash his hands by the water storage jar outside the door. His figure paused for a moment before he continued, washing his hands unhurriedly. When he straightened up and turned around, he offered a faint smile and said in a comforting tone, "I know you have many fears in your heart. Since I've promised to protect you, I won't go back on my word. Even now, if in the future you marry and your husband's family cannot provide sufficient shelter, I will still look after you. Should anything happen to me, I will ensure everything is properly arranged for you before then. Does this set your mind at ease?"
Jiafu was taken aback before realization dawned on her.
He thought she was scheming again to cling to him.
Something surged in her chest, and her face burned. "Cousin, I—"
"That's enough. Don't dwell on such pointless matters anymore. I cannot grant your wish."
His expression turned stern as he brushed past her without another glance.
Like a deflated ball, Jiafu watched his retreating figure, her spirits instantly crushed.
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