Font Size:
He never thought he’d make her cry
Pei Lianzhu held a brocade handkerchief in her hand. When she saw her, her smile softened even more.
She quickened her pace and walked up to Yu Mingyao. Upon seeing her, she immediately grasped her hand, her face glowing with the joy of reuniting with an old friend.
“It’s been so long since we last met, Sister Yao. Is your health much better now? If you don’t mind me being forward, please come visit me often. You know aside from attending to Grandmother every day, I only do some embroidery and tend to flowers and plants. I’ve long hoped for a fairy-like person such as you to grace my humble home.”
As Pei Lianzhu spoke, she covered her mouth with her handkerchief and smiled with gentle grace.
Yu Mingyao stood opposite her but could not force a smile at all. Her cold gaze swept past the maids and older servants following behind Pei Lianzhu, before she barely tugged the corners of her lips into a faint curve.
“Sister Lianzhu, what are you saying? When you got married, you were the model of all noble ladies in the capital. I hardly had time to get close to you, how could I dislike you? On the contrary, Sister, you’re still in the prime of youth, don’t belittle yourself.”
She spoke as if she was genuinely concerned for Pei Lianzhu.
A widow is often overly sensitive to such words. In her past life, Yu Mingyao had been close enough to Pei Lianzhu to know that although she appeared gentle, as the eldest granddaughter of the Pei family, she had a proud and lofty heart.
Sure enough, as soon as the words fell, a faint stiffness appeared on Pei Lianzhu’s face. After a moment, she squeezed out through gritted teeth, “Then I must thank Sister Yao for her kindness.”
After finishing, she curtseyed slightly under the pretext of having urgent matters to attend to for the old Madam Pei, and then left.
Yu Mingyao stood where she was, gazing at her departing figure for a long time.
The entanglements of her past life, when examined closely, were like a tangled mess. Sometimes, she desperately wanted to unravel everything clearly, and sometimes she simply felt weary and disinterested.
As long as her elder brother and maternal grandmother were still alive, she only needed to protect those she most wanted to protect. The rest didn’t matter.
Oh, and add Yanyue too.
Thinking of that maid standing akimbo with such presence made her smile involuntarily.
In her previous life, Yanyue hadn’t been so assertive. When Yu Mingyao’s own life wasn’t good, Yanyue worried along with her. Even when she came of age, she refused to marry, insisting on staying by her side.
This life, she would find her a good husband!
Lost in thought, Yu Mingyao soon realized she had wandered far from Rongjingtang and was now standing by a pond.
The emerald green water shimmered under the sunlight, giving off a soothing and serene feeling.
Yu Mingyao followed the waterside pavilion toward the pavilion at the heart of the pond.
A breeze stirred, the green gauze curtains rippling under the pavilion. The plump red and golden koi in the pond, enjoying the sunny weather, all surfaced, swaying gracefully.
After being cooped up in Lihua Courtyard these past days, seeing this scene eased the tension she had been holding onto.
She smiled gently, her eyes soft and unblinking as she watched the koi.
If only she had some fish food in hand.
As she watched the koi swim by in groups, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Hey!”
Just as she was immersed in the scene, a hand suddenly patted her shoulder from behind!
Startled, Yu Mingyao nearly lost her footing and almost toppled into the pond.
At that critical moment, Pei Shang rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her.
In his embrace was her soft-as-cotton figure, and the cool fragrance enveloping him was intoxicating. The moment Pei Shang hugged Yu Mingyao, he was utterly dazed, everything else he had in mind evaporating like mist.
He grinned widely, delighted beyond measure.
His roguish, frivolous demeanor gave Yu Mingyao a headache as she furrowed her brows deeply.
Expressionless, she stomped hard on his foot.
“Oww—!”
Pei Shang hopped back, clutching his leg and howling in pain.
“Who told you to act like this again? Always trying to scare me? Once wasn’t enough—you did it again this time?”
Yu Mingyao crossed her arms over her chest, staring him down.
Pei Shang, grimacing in pain, glanced cautiously at Yu Mingyao’s expression. Seeing her cold face unmoved by his wailing, he straightened up, stopped crying, and thick-skinnedly approached her again.
“Sister Yao, didn’t you want some fish food? Just call me, and I’ll get everything ready for you properly.”
“Pah!”
Yu Mingyao blushed and spat at him.
She didn’t know where he’d learned such improper language—never anything decent!
Furious, she pinched the tender flesh inside his elbow hard!
“Where did you learn all these bad habits? It’s one thing to amuse yourself, but now you’re dragging me into it! What kind of person am I to you? Do you think so little of me?”
She had only intended to scold him a bit, but unexpectedly, as she spoke, a wave of grievance surged within her.
“If I had known earlier…”
If she’d known earlier, she wouldn’t have been so lenient with him that night.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her nose reddened.
Seeing he’d made her cry, Pei Shang panicked, slapping himself hard twice.
“Sister, hit me. You can beat me to death if you want. I swear I’ll never speak such nonsense before you again.”
“If you’re still not satisfied, push me into the pond, I don’t care!”
Pei Shang genuinely didn’t know what to do. It was his first time liking someone—he thought about her all day, dreamt about her at night. His heart was completely exposed to her.
He never thought he’d make her cry.
“My good sister,” he cautiously approached, heart aching as he saw her eyes reddened like rouge, making his own heart twist painfully.
“Don’t drop precious pearls for a scoundrel like me. Didn’t you want fish food? I’ll go get it now. Besides fish food, do you want anything else? My heart and liver—I’ll give them all to you!”
Yu Mingyao sat on the stone bench, turned away from him, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief, ignoring him.
Pei Shang grew even more flustered, his chest feeling hollow.
“Sister Yao, please don’t ignore me…”
He clutched his chest. “It hurts here.”
Hearing his softened voice, Yu Mingyao looked up and saw his eyes redder than hers, making her both angry and amused.
After wiping her tears twice, her earlier sadness also faded.
“Didn’t you say you were going to get fish food? I’ll wait here for you. Go.”
She lifted her chin, her expression cool and aloof.
Yet this indifferent look made Pei Shang grin from ear to ear.
“Sister Yao, you’re so good.”
“How could someone like you exist in this world?”
He gazed at her face in a daze for a long while before his feet floated as he turned to leave.
Seeing him like that, Yu Mingyao hurriedly called him back, shaking her head repeatedly.
The usual arrogant little tyrant with red-rimmed eyes like this—if others saw, who knew what rumors would spread?
“What is it?”
Pei Shang spun around instantly, his bright eyes full of light.
“Come here.” Yu Mingyao didn’t say much more.
When Pei Shang approached within a foot of her, she told him to lower his head.
His face instantly flushed red, his neck and above tinged with rosy clouds.
He stammered, “In broad daylight, isn’t this inappropriate?”
Despite his words, he cautiously lowered his head and closed his eyes.
“…”
Yu Mingyao really didn’t know what was in this man’s mind.
Sighing deeply, she felt her own brain might soon become like his if she stayed with him any longer.
“Open your eyes…”
She weakly uttered.
“Oh.” Pei Shang obediently opened his eyes and let her use her handkerchief to carefully wipe the tears from his face.
Although he cooperated well, Yu Mingyao couldn’t help but speak up as she wiped.
“What on earth are you thinking? How could I possibly…”
She trailed off, glaring fiercely at him and wiping harder a few more times before continuing, “You should know I called you back because you looked like this, and it wouldn’t do if others saw.”
“A man shouldn’t shed tears lightly. You’re always favored. Even if it’s not your grandmother’s birthday today, on usual days, you draw plenty of attention and could stir up trouble.”
“Oh.” Pei Shang mumbled like a gourd, saying nothing else.
Seeing him like this, Yu Mingyao didn’t feel like arguing further. She just told him to hurry off.
Once his lively footsteps gradually faded, Yu Mingyao glanced around. Seeing no one, she turned back to the pond, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Why bother fussing with someone whose mind is like a three-year-old!
Pei Shang was clueless and tactless, but she knew better.
The koi flipped nearby, and Yu Mingyao leaned against the railing, her thoughts drifting farther.
It had been a long time since she thought of Xie Zhuoguang.
Before, she had thought of him day and night, worrying when he didn’t return home, angry and resentful when he did.
In the last two years, after he joined the court, the political matters increased, and between them, aside from what happened in bed, there was no other interaction.
Even when there was, it was because Pei Shang had unknowingly provoked him again, making him come home jealous and torment her.
Seven years of marriage—no children, no close family ties.
Over time, Yu Mingyao increasingly felt life was bland and meaningless.
Perhaps Heaven had mercy, giving her a second chance.
The image of Pei Shang’s reddened eyes resurfaced in her mind.
Yu Mingyao felt perhaps she could start anew.
If she could paint her life like a blank sheet into whatever she wanted and grow old with this foolish man, surrounded by children and grandchildren—perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad.
She smiled, her heart sweet as honey.
She didn’t know how long had passed when footsteps sounded again. Yu Mingyao thought Pei Shang must have returned with the fish food and didn’t pay much attention, smiling as she spoke, “What took you so long, I—”
Before she could finish her sentence— plop —
She had already been pushed headfirst into the pond.
Someone! Someone had forcefully shoved her from behind—it wasn’t Pei Shang!
The icy pond water flooded her eyes and nose, and darkness surrounded her. All she could hear was her own racing heartbeat.
Who was it?
She struggled, forcing her stinging eyes open. In the blur, she saw the back of a very ordinary-looking man walking away.
She couldn’t see his face…
Despair flooded her heart as the water dragged her downward. The trauma of drowning from her previous life surged back all at once.
Cold, so cold!
Yu Mingyao fought and struggled, feeling herself being pulled deeper.
This pond is so deep… If Pei Shang returns and doesn’t see me, he’ll cry again, won’t he?
With his temperament, if he finds out it was because of him that I fell into the water, he’ll feel guilty for life.
Yu Mingyao slowly closed her eyes. After Pei Shang’s tearful face faded, another face appeared.
— It was Xie Zhuoguang.
At sixteen or seventeen, he was so handsome.
Elegant as green bamboo, graceful and refined, exuding an untouchable coldness.
Precisely because of this, she especially liked his expression when he lost control.
He was always afraid she’d laugh at him, always pretending, never honest. He wouldn’t even directly say what he wanted, his thoughts winding and twisting endlessly.
Being with him was tiring.
But she was entangled in it anyway.
Who wouldn’t love such a man, who only showed his vulnerability to you alone?
Yu Mingyao smiled. Unfortunately, such a good person—she probably wouldn’t be able to touch again.
Grandmother, Brother, I’m sorry.
I’ll come find you in the next life.
She calmly closed her eyes, letting herself sink deeper.