Only Pei You'an and Old Mrs. Hu remained in the hall.
The old madam smiled and said, "What virtue or talent does my granddaughter possess to earn the favor of the Heir Apparent? How could this old woman refuse? However, there is one matter I hesitate to mention—would it be appropriate to speak of it?"
Pei You'an replied respectfully, "Please speak freely, Grandmother."
"I understand the Heir Apparent's intentions clearly. The outside world is likely to be in turmoil for a while. These courtly affairs are beyond my understanding. The matters of the Heir Apparent are surely significant, and I shall not pry. I can also appreciate the current inconveniences the Heir Apparent faces. But to be frank, though A'fu's previous marriage arrangement did not come to fruition, just before your arrival, our family was preparing to arrange another match for her—a local official's family in our prefecture had taken a liking to my granddaughter and recently sent someone to inquire. I was just considering how to respond when, by coincidence, the Heir Apparent arrived today..."
The old madam paused briefly.
A flicker of understanding passed through Pei You'an's eyes, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"That family, of course, cannot compare to the prestige of the Duke's household, but in our region, they are among the most prominent. Several members of their clan hold official positions..."
The old madam sighed.
"Such matters should not be discussed with outsiders, but since the Heir Apparent shares a connection with our Zhen family and is no stranger today, I shall speak plainly without fear of ridicule. You must know something of our family's circumstances—business is difficult everywhere, our household lacks a pillar of support, and my grandson still needs tempering. After careful consideration, I deemed this match suitable. For my granddaughter, it would be a good marriage, and the other family's sincere intentions would also benefit our Zhen family. But then the Heir Apparent came, honoring us with your proposal. Naturally, I cannot refuse, and I shall decline the other offer. However, might the Heir Apparent give us a clearer commitment? A'fu is not too old, but she is at the prime age for marriage—a woman's best years for matchmaking are but a year or two. If we have certainty in our hearts, then nothing else matters. Even if it takes three to five years, we can wait peacefully for Old Madam Pei to send the betrothal gifts. Don't you agree?"
Old Mrs. Hu, shrewd all her life, naturally weighed every aspect of her granddaughter's marriage prospects. After the failed match with the Duke's household, she had resigned herself to a lesser arrangement. Yet Pei You'an's sudden visit today gave her a whiff of something different.
The Emperor and the Prince were about to clash, undoubtedly over the throne. But why would Pei You'an claim he had no time for marriage now? The fact that he came in person spoke volumes about the seriousness of his proposal.
The old madam also knew of the former Heir Apparent's past glory—once a close confidant of the Emperor, he was no ordinary man. Connecting the two matters, she faintly guessed his involvement in the conflict.
This worked to her advantage.
A private agreement could be made without spreading the news. If he were to rise with the clouds and soar like a dragon, ascending to great heights once more, the Zhen family would naturally rejoice in the good fortune. But if, by chance, things went awry, they would not be implicated.This was like a business deal—if successful, it would yield immense profits; if not, the Zhen family's loss would merely be delaying their granddaughter Jiafu's marriageable age, which was negligible compared to the potential benefits for the entire family.
How could Old Madam refuse such an offer? Moreover, apart from this, she was also very satisfied with Pei You'an himself.
She could tell that Pei You'an must have his own reservations about the matter, which was why he hadn’t immediately arranged a formal marriage proposal.
A man who was already so considerate of the Zhen family and her granddaughter was certainly trustworthy.
All that was needed now was for him to give them some reassurance.
Once she finished speaking, Old Madam turned a beaming face toward Pei You'an.
Pei You'an was far too sharp—before the old woman had even finished speaking, he had already grasped her meaning. With a faint smile, he said, "You'an thanks our honored grandmother. Please rest assured—if someday You'an finds himself in dire straits, I will inform you at once, so you may choose another suitable match for my cousin. Should I be fortunate enough to marry her, the Zhen family will be as my own."
He then retrieved a small black pouch from his inner robe, opened it, and took out a jade pendant, presenting it respectfully with both hands. "Words alone are no proof. This was my late father’s parting gift to me, which I have kept close all these years. Today, I leave it here as a token of my pledge. Please accept it on my behalf, honored grandmother."
Old Madam took it and examined it in her palm. The pendant was carved with intertwining vines on the outside and hollowed with orchid motifs in the center—smooth, lustrous, and clearly a piece of fine jade. Carefully tucking it away, she smiled. "You are most thoughtful, Eldest Young Master. Then I shall keep it safe for you for now."
...
Meng Shi hugged her daughter and comforted her in a low voice, then suddenly remembered something. "The Eldest Young Master seemed to imply that he is currently in some difficulty and wants us to keep you here for now, waiting until he can formally propose later. Just as we were discussing this, your grandmother sent me away. I don’t know what she intends to say—if it turns out unfavorable, I should go back and see."
Jiafu grabbed her sleeve and shook her head. "Mother, if Grandmother refuses, then she refuses. There’s no need for you to go back and say anything."
Meng Shi gave her daughter a puzzled look. "Do you no longer wish to marry him?"
Jiafu whispered, "I’m not worthy of him."
Meng Shi was taken aback, then quickly understood. Suppressing her sorrow, she hugged her daughter’s shoulders again and comforted her gently. "A'fu, your elder cousin saved you. He must know what happened to you, yet he still came in person to propose. That means he doesn’t hold it against you. Where else could you find another man like him? Don’t overthink it. I’ll go see what’s happening."
Just as she stood up, her son’s voice came from outside the door. "Mother, the Eldest Young Master is leaving. Grandmother sent me to fetch you."
Meng Shi was startled and immediately opened the door. "He just arrived—hasn’t even finished a cup of tea. Why is he leaving so soon?"
Zhen Yaoting scratched his head. "I don’t know either."
Meng Shi hurried out and returned shortly after, dismissing the servants and closing the door behind her. Her face lit up with joy as she whispered, "Good news! Your grandmother has agreed to the Eldest Young Master’s proposal! She said we’ll just wait for him to come back and propose formally later. She also warned me—this matter must not be spread. No one else is to know except you!"Madam Meng was extremely satisfied with Pei You'an, but his request to keep her daughter at home for now and formally propose marriage at a later date was somewhat unusual. She had initially worried about needing to persuade Old Madam, but unexpectedly, the matter was settled so smoothly. Overjoyed by this pleasant surprise, she hurried back to personally relay the news to Jiafu to set her mind at ease, adding, "I repeatedly urged the eldest young master to stay, but he insisted he had urgent matters to attend to and must leave now. I'll go see him off first. You can rest assured now, don't overthink things!"
Madam Meng departed hastily again, leaving Jiafu in a whirl of emotions. After pacing her room several times, she finally resolved herself and hurried to the front hall, pausing outside the door.
Pei You'an stood with his back to her. Her grandmother, assisted by her mother, rose from her seat with a beaming smile and said, "Since the eldest young master has pressing matters, this old woman won't detain you further. Safe travels, and may we soon receive your happy news."
Pei You'an bowed in farewell. When Old Madam insisted on escorting him out personally, he declined politely. At that moment, Jiafu stepped forward and announced, "Grandmother, Mother, I'd like to speak with Elder Cousin alone for a moment."
The hall, besides Old Madam and Meng Shi, also held Zhen Yaoting, Zhang Da, and several maidservants. Her sudden declaration drew everyone's startled gazes.
Silence fell.
Pei You'an turned and glanced at Jiafu standing behind him. Their eyes met.
From the moment he'd been welcomed through the gates, his face had worn a faint smile—as it did now.
But Jiafu clearly saw that the warmth that once filled his gaze when looking at her was gone.
He smiled, yet his eyes were cool and slightly surprised, as if taken aback by her sudden appearance.
This observation sent Jiafu's heart into turmoil.
Though brief, her time in the small round tower at Wuding Prefecture—despite all her foolish schemes before Pei You'an—now seemed so heartwarming in memory.
His protection and tolerance had allowed her to regress in his presence, becoming as bold and unrestrained as a reckless child.
He'd also given her an intuition—that he would always tolerate her this way, no matter what she did.
It was precisely this intuition, and the courage he'd instilled in her, that enabled her to act as she had that night when suddenly faced with being sent away with no alternatives.
His visit today had confirmed her intuition once more.
She had indeed succeeded, though some time had passed.
In the end, she'd won and achieved her goal.
Yet she felt such sorrow.
She hadn't expected that winning would leave her feeling this way.
Ignoring the others and meeting his gaze unflinchingly, Jiafu said softly, "Elder Cousin, I have something important to tell you."
Old Mrs. Hu frowned slightly.
How could she not guess that something must have happened between her granddaughter and Pei You'an during her disappearance when he rescued her? That would explain why he couldn't forget her, leading to today's marriage proposal.
Regardless of her granddaughter's personal wishes, Old Madam had accepted and informed her daughter-in-law. The girl must know by now.
For her to appear so abruptly wasn't just improper—her demeanor suggested something might have changed.
Old Madam exchanged a glance with her daughter-in-law.Meng Shi hurried forward and whispered, "A'fu, what's wrong? Come with me first..."
Jiafu didn't move, still staring at Pei You'an.
Pei You'an turned to Old Madam and said, "If you trust me, Grandmother, may I first hear what my cousin has to say?"
Old Madam paused briefly before smiling. "Of course. You may speak here. But A'fu has been rather spoiled by us. If she says anything inappropriate, please be lenient."
Pei You'an smiled. "Cousin is gentle, courteous, virtuous, and kind. You worry too much, Grandmother. You'an thanks you for the consideration."
Old Mrs. Hu shot her granddaughter a glance before leading her daughter-in-law out, and the others gradually followed until the room was empty.
With everyone gone, the spacious hall fell into silence, leaving only Jiafu and Pei You'an.
Jiafu hadn't expected his visit today and wasn't dressed for guests. She wore only a simple everyday outfit—a plain silk blouse paired with a finely pleated long skirt of sheer gauze, unadorned except for a band of embroidered crabapple blossoms along the hem. Standing by the threshold, a breeze from the nearby window stirred her skirt. Her pale face and delicate frame made her resemble a lotus trembling on water—pitiable to behold.
Under his indifferent gaze, she stepped forward slowly, stopping a few paces away beside a folding screen. After a moment of silence, she spoke. "Eldest Cousin, I just heard from Mother about your purpose in coming. I'm grateful, but let's drop the matter. I'll speak to Grandmother myself. You needn't trouble yourself with this any longer."
Pei You'an's brows furrowed slightly, but he remained silent, his eyes fixed on her face.
Jiafu lowered her gaze.
"This was all my scheme. At the time, I was too frightened and only wanted to cling to you, heedless of everything—especially of how it might affect you. After returning home, I've had time to reflect, and I realize there's nothing to fear. I deeply regret it. It was entirely my fault. You've done nothing wrong, and it would be unjust for you to marry me like this..."
The man across from her stayed silent, letting her ramble on. The air between them grew heavier, and Jiafu felt increasingly stifled. When she glanced up again, she saw his frown had deepened, his gaze darker than before. Flustered, she added, "Eldest Cousin, I'm not lying this time. Everything I said is true... Please believe me..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Is this what you wanted to tell me?" he asked after a pause.
Jiafu gave a soft "Mm."
Pei You'an nodded, his tone softening slightly. "Let me ask you—if the Heir Apparent targets you again, what will you do?"
After a brief silence, Jiafu replied lightly, "Heaven never seals off all exits. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Besides, those were just my own imaginings. Since he failed last time, he may have already forgotten me and won't trouble me again..."
She didn't want to dwell on the topic and turned her face away, staring out the window."...In short, I deeply regret my past actions. That matter didn’t concern me, and I only said those things at the time to cling to you. But now I’ve changed my mind—I don’t want to cling to you anymore... Cousin, you truly did nothing wrong, so there’s no need for you to dwell on it..."
Pei You’an followed her gaze out the window, noticing her staring at a cluster of banana leaves. Frowning slightly, he said, "What should be done, I already know. That’s enough! As for your grandmother, I’ve already spoken with her. If I’m fortunate enough to return someday, I’ll keep my promise and marry you as I vowed. I have other matters to attend to now, so I’ll take my leave."
With that, he walked past Jiafu, stepping over the threshold.
Jiafu turned her head, watching his figure gradually disappear down the garden path without so much as a backward glance. A lump rose in her throat, and with a quiet sniffle, tears once again fell.
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