They left the palace. The two of them still shared the same carriage, and Pei You'an remained absorbed in the book he was reading.
Jiafu couldn't help herself—her mind kept replaying the scene of Pei You'an stopping to speak with the female Daoist on the palace path earlier.
It seemed that while he was on his way to fetch her, he had encountered the female Daoist leaving.
Judging by the timing, by the time she had arrived, the two must have already been talking for a while.
Jiafu was certain—when he had looked at that female Daoist, his gaze had been gentle.
Though he had always been polite to her, Jiafu couldn't recall a single time he had looked at her with such tenderness.
When facing her, he was either expressionless, lecturing her, or smiling with obvious tolerance.
Unable to resist, Jiafu stole another glance at Pei You'an beside her.
His lashes lowered slightly as his focus remained fixed on the pages of his book, utterly absorbed.
A sour feeling gradually welled up in Jiafu's heart, and she grew a little sad.
It was clear—the two of them had known each other before. She had already pieced it together in her mind several times.
When Chi Hanzhen had been condemned to servitude, Pei You'an had already left the capital. But Hanlin Chi had long served in the Imperial Academy as a renowned master of calligraphy and painting, holding the position of Chancellor of the Imperial College for many years. Meanwhile, Pei You'an had been celebrated for his talent since youth, passing the imperial examinations at a young age—it was inevitable that he and Hanlin Chi would have crossed paths.
Given their connection, it was no surprise that he knew Chi Hanzhen.
One was a young scholar who had achieved early success, the other a talented daughter of a noble family. The more Jiafu thought about it, the more perfectly matched they seemed.
A sudden thought struck her.
Could it be that in his past life, Pei You'an had remained unmarried his entire life because he had admired this female Daoist? And that she, burdened by her circumstances, had refused to return to secular life, leading him to leave the capital in sorrow, journeying far to the frontier—until he met an untimely end, coughing blood and dying young?
Unable to restrain herself, Jiafu turned to look at Pei You'an again, studying the elegant lines of his profile.
Pei You'an continued reading, then suddenly spoke, "What is it?" His gaze remained fixed on the book.
Startled, Jiafu parted her lips slightly, hesitated, then finally shook her head and murmured, "Nothing," before turning away, disheartened.
Pei You'an glanced at her briefly before flipping a page.
Not another word passed between them for the rest of the journey. Upon returning to the Pei residence, Pei You'an took Jiafu to pay respects at the ancestral hall, then introduced her to various elders of the clan. By evening, the two dined with Old Madam Pei, and finally, with some free time, they returned to their quarters. Pei You'an changed into casual attire and left without telling Jiafu where he was going.
The old madam, sympathetic to Jiafu's exhaustion from the day's events, had specifically instructed during dinner that Pei You'an and she should retire early, sparing her from further duties.
She truly was tired. Last night's wedding had been... indescribable, leaving her with little rest. Today had been a whirlwind of activity, and now, just as she could finally relax...
Yet he had gone off on his own again.
Jiafu felt deeply dejected.
Pei You'an had just been granted three days of leave following his imperial-mandated marriage. Besides, they had already visited the palace this morning. With nightfall approaching, Jiafu doubted he had left for official business.
Either he was meeting friends, or...
A gut feeling told her it might be related to the female Daoist they had encountered earlier.
Jiafu bathed, changed into comfortable clothes, and waited for him in their room.
Night deepened, but he still hadn't returned.
Jiafu climbed into bed, tossing and turning for a while before getting up again, dressing, and heading to his study.Back in Wuding Prefecture, Jiafu had noticed a habit of his—he would keep multiple copies of certain books in different places for easy access whenever he wanted to read them.
Holding a candle, she searched his study and quickly found the book Discourses Weighed in the Balance .
Jiafu took the book back to her room, leaned against the headboard, and began reading by candlelight.
After flipping through a few pages, she started to feel drowsy.
What a dull book. The beginning was full of grand theories, the middle was full of grand theories, and the end was also full of grand theories.
In short, it was a book about the grand principles of heaven, earth, and humanity.
Jiafu forced herself to calm down and read slowly, word by word.
If he liked reading it, then it must be good. She would read it too.
As the night deepened, Jiafu grew sleepier. Holding the book, she dozed off.
Around the middle of the Hai hour (9–11 PM), Pei You'an returned from his outing. Pushing open the slightly ajar door, this was the scene that greeted him.
Jiafu had fallen asleep against the headboard, one arm limply hanging down, a book slipping from her delicate white hand.
Pei You'an approached quietly, stopping by the bed to take a look.
It was the book he had been reading earlier that day.
Her head was tilted slightly, resting against the embroidered pillow, her hair slightly disheveled. Her rosy lips were slightly pursed, and her long lashes fluttered faintly, as if even in her dreams, she carried a hint of grievance.
Pei You'an stood by the bed, silently watching her for a moment before bending down to retrieve the book. The moment he touched it, her lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, recognizing the figure by her bed.
"Eldest Cousin! You're back!" she exclaimed with delight, immediately throwing off the covers and scrambling up.
Pei You'an took the book and casually placed it on the bedside table. "Go back to sleep. There's no need to attend to me," he said.
At his words, Jiafu, who had wanted to serve him, didn’t dare follow him further. She knelt on the bed, watching as he disappeared into the bathing chamber.
When he emerged, Jiafu mustered her courage and asked casually, "Husband, where did you go tonight?"
"White Crane Temple," he replied offhandedly.
Jiafu's heart skipped a beat.
Her intuition had been right!
She didn’t dare ask why he had gone to White Crane Temple. Her mind was already conjuring images of him discussing poetry and art with that female Taoist, finding mutual admiration.
"Oh," she murmured, falling silent. Pei You'an also seemed preoccupied, lost in thought. "You sleep first. I’m going to the study and will return later," he said before leaving.
He didn’t return until well past midnight. Jiafu was still awake but pretended to be asleep. He climbed into bed quietly, lying down with half a body's distance between them.
On the second night of their marriage, he didn’t touch her. The next afternoon, he went out again.
The Duchess of Zhu and the Marchioness of Anyuan came to visit the Pei household in the afternoon. Naturally, the old madam summoned her newlywed granddaughter-in-law to keep them company.
Jiafu's mind was in turmoil. Her intuition told her Pei You'an had gone back to White Crane Temple. But in front of the old madam, she didn’t dare let any emotion show.
When she smiled, her eyes naturally curved, and even when she wasn’t smiling, the corners of her rosy lips tilted slightly upward. She was beautiful and sweet. The old madam often said that having someone like her, who smiled all the time, would bring good fortune to the household. So as the ladies chatted with the old madam, Jiafu sat at the end, maintaining a demure smile until her cheeks began to ache. Suddenly, her heart skipped again.Several people brought up the recent topic of Chi Hanzhen, the granddaughter of the Chi family, who had drawn considerable attention.
The wife of Duke Zhu remarked, "I heard that the other day, the Empress, out of pity for her, summoned her to the palace to discuss her return to secular life. But she refused. She truly is a woman of strong will."
The wife of Marquis Anyuan sighed, "Isn't that so? Such integrity—how many men, let alone women, could match it? Not only is she beautiful, but she was also a talented scholar in her youth. It's just her misfortune to have encountered the rebellion of the traitorous prince."
Old Madam Pei nodded, "During the imperial examination when You'an passed as a jinshi, her grandfather Hanlin Chi was the chief examiner. There was a teacher-student bond between them. What a pity for that child. I used to know the old Taoist master of White Crane Temple as well. When I have some free time in the coming days, I’ll go pay a visit."
The ladies praised Old Madam Pei for her kindness. Jiafu gradually drifted into thought and eventually saw the guests off.
Pei You'an and Jiafu were newlyweds, and their own courtyard had not yet set up a small kitchen, so they temporarily dined with Old Madam Pei. As night fell and Pei You'an had not returned, Jiafu attended to the old madam during dinner. With no outsiders present, formalities were relaxed, and the old madam invited her to eat together, inquiring about Pei You'an.
Jiafu smiled, "He went to visit friends."
Old Madam Pei said, "I thought as much. But it’s still rather late for a newlywed. I’ll speak to him when I see him."
Jiafu played the role of the virtuous wife, serving soup to the old madam, and sweetly replied, "It’s no trouble. As a man, it’s only natural for him to socialize."
Old Madam Pei nodded, "Good child, you’re truly understanding. But even so, he shouldn’t leave you alone too often during your honeymoon. I’ll still remind him. Tomorrow is your bridal return. When he comes back, rest early tonight to gather your energy."
Jiafu agreed. After the meal, Old Madam Pei dismissed her. It was already mid-evening when Pei You'an finally returned.
He seemed very busy. After changing his clothes, he went straight to his study.
Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Jiafu personally went to the old madam’s small kitchen and prepared a pigeon egg and magnolia milk custard. The snow-white custard held several halved pigeon eggs, adorned with magnolia petals—golden yellow against milky white, fragrant and visually appealing. It even had a poetic name: "Gold Nestled in Snow."
The skill of this dessert lay entirely in the custard, which required slow simmering. While waiting, Jiafu returned to her room, took a quick bath, and changed into a moonlit skirt. The skirt was made of ten panels, each dyed in soft, fresh hues—pink, green, pale yellow, and rosy mist—lightly blended like watercolors. Gathered at the waist with pleats, the skirt swayed with every step, resembling moonlight rippling on water, hence its name.
Jiafu had Tanxiang style her hair into an alluring floral crown bun, applied light makeup, and admired herself in the mirror, radiant and captivating. Then, she personally carried the dessert to the study.
Pei You'an stood with his back to her, engrossed in a thick book on the shelf. Hearing Jiafu’s voice, he didn’t turn around, merely saying, "Leave it there. Thank you for your trouble."
Jiafu set it down but lingered, adding, "Husband, remember to eat it while it’s hot. It won’t taste as good when cold."
Pei You'an finally turned his head, his gaze lingering on her briefly before quickly looking away again. He murmured, "Understood. I’ll eat it later. You should rest; don’t wait for me. I still have work to do."
With that, he didn’t turn back again.Jiafu had no choice but to silently leave the study and return to the bedroom. She took off her clothes and, in a fit of pique, decided not to wait for him, climbing into bed by herself.
He returned late at night again. Just like the previous evening, Jiafu pretended to be asleep, and he didn’t disturb her.
Her heart tangled with emotions, Jiafu naturally had a restless night. The next morning, she woke up with faint dark circles under her eyes. Worried about looking unwell for the return visit, she applied several layers of powder, tidied herself up, and boarded the carriage with Pei You’an to return home.
Since her daughter had just married, Meng Shi was naturally still in the capital, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pei You’an and Jiafu early in the morning. Pei You’an wore a smile and was extremely respectful in his demeanor. Seeing her daughter and her ideal son-in-law, Meng Shi was thoroughly satisfied and warmly entertained them. After lunch, it was time to leave, but Meng Shi was reluctant to part. Pei You’an smiled and said, “Mother-in-law, why not let A’fu stay a little longer? I also have some matters to attend to. You two can talk, and I’ll come back later to take her home.”
Meng Shi would soon return to Quanzhou, and each meeting with her daughter was precious. Delighted by her son-in-law’s thoughtfulness, she personally escorted him to the gate before returning to chat endlessly with Jiafu in her room.
Jiafu was somewhat distracted, responding to her mother absentmindedly. By mid-afternoon, Meng Shi stood up, saying she would ask the kitchen to prepare snacks for Jiafu. Having no appetite, Jiafu also rose and said, “Mother, before we left this morning, Grandmother and the others thought I’d return by noon. Grandmother expects me to attend to her, and who knows when my husband will be back? I should head back first. When he returns, you can just let him know.”
Meng Shi thought it reasonable and said, “Attending to the Dowager is important. It’s best you return now. I’ll have Zhang Da escort you.”
Jiafu agreed with a smile. Meng Shi saw her daughter off into the carriage and instructed Zhang Da to take her back to the Duke’s residence. When they arrived at the usual gate, Jiafu was helped down by Liu Momo and entered, only to stop immediately. Once Zhang Da had left, she went back out and boarded the carriage again, directing the coachman to White Crane Temple.
Liu Momo and Tanxiang, who were accompanying her, were baffled. But seeing Jiafu’s tone brooked no argument, they had no choice but to comply. The carriage arrived at White Crane Temple in the southern part of the city, its gates wide open, with female devotees carrying incense bags coming and going in small groups.
Jiafu had rushed here in a fit of anger, but now that she had arrived, she didn’t know what to do. Entering to search for someone herself was utterly beneath her dignity and absolutely out of the question. Asking Liu Momo to investigate would inevitably require explaining the reason, and Jiafu didn’t want anyone else to know about this matter.
Unable to enter yet unwilling to leave empty-handed, Jiafu sat in the carriage, lost in thought for a moment, then instructed the coachman to park by the roadside and wait for Pei You’an to emerge.
Liu Momo and Tanxiang, clueless about the situation and unable to get any answers, could only sit in the carriage, exchanging bewildered glances as they kept watch over Jiafu.
As the sun gradually dipped westward, the flow of people at the temple gate dwindled. Peering out from the carriage window, Jiafu’s eyes grew weary from staring, but there was still no sign of Pei You’an. Recalling that he had returned after dark the past two nights, she realized he was likely still inside. But she couldn’t wait until nightfall to return, especially with Liu Momo incessantly pressing for answers. Her heart felt as if it were being clawed by a cat."My dear young mistress! You've been staring at that Taoist temple gate all afternoon! You could stare the flowers into bloom! What exactly are you looking at? It's getting dark, if we don't leave now, we'll surely be questioned when we return!"
Liu Momo was extremely anxious.
Jiafu felt like crying but had no tears left, replying weakly: "Let's go back."
Liu Momo muttered a prayer and quickly rose, about to urge the coachman to depart when suddenly they heard his voice outside the carriage: "Young master?!"
Jiafu's heart skipped a beat. Before she could straighten up, the carriage door was pushed open. Turning her head, she saw Pei You'an standing at the entrance, his gaze fixed intently upon her.
Jiafu froze. Liu Momo and Tanxiang exchanged bewildered glances before hastily rising to greet him.
"You two, get out."
This command, delivered in a calm yet authoritative tone, was clearly directed at Liu Momo and Tanxiang.
Not daring to disobey, the two women murmured assent and scrambled out of the carriage.
Pei You'an entered, shut the door behind him, and the carriage immediately began moving forward.
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