Chapter Sixteen: Bare from the Waist Up

“Grand Dowager Consort Qi has granted me a few days off. I don’t need to report for duty until the day after tomorrow.”

Pei Zhouwu didn’t respond, his curiosity about her situation only growing deeper.

But afraid of upsetting her, he didn’t dare ask.

“Or… if Lord Pei is unwilling to let me stay here, I can leave.”

Hearing that, Pei Zhouwu exhaled softly. “See, you’re always demeaning yourself. If I had any intention of rejecting you, I would’ve left you in the pool last night to fend for yourself.”

“Yes.”

Liu Fuying seemed to smile through her tears, her tone lightening.

“Lord Pei is a good man.”

Her relaxed demeanor also eased some of the tension in Pei Zhouwu’s body. The way he swung her clothes gently over the fire became more natural.

“In this world,” he replied, “you might be the only one who still thinks I’m a good man.”

“How could that be? I’m sure your family still believes in you.”

“Belief is one thing. Blame is another.”

“Then…” Liu Fuying hesitated, finally voicing the question she had long wanted to ask. “Is it for your family’s sake that you’re unwilling to escape this place?”

Pei Zhouwu didn’t respond right away. His eyes stayed on the clothes in his hands, as though he were focused on keeping them from falling into the fire.

But in truth, his mind had wandered far away.

“You should know already,” he said quietly. “I’ve been imprisoned here awaiting investigation. If I escape, it would be a sign of guilt—proof that I do indeed harbor treasonous intentions. When that happens…”

His family, his parents, even the Empress and the Crown Prince… they would all be implicated.

Liu Fuying thought to herself: Just as I guessed.

He was enduring it all to protect his loved ones from suffering.

“I don’t believe you’re a traitor. Someone must’ve framed you.”

Her words came out with unwavering certainty, as if she had already uncovered the truth. If her earlier words were part of her act, this one came straight from the heart—because she truly didn’t believe Pei Zhouwu could commit such a crime against the throne.

“You’re that sure?”

Though his words questioned her, his sideways glance was filled with hope.

“Of course.” Liu Fuying didn’t hesitate. Her trust was firm. “If you were really some ruthless rebel, why bother saving me? What good would it do you? Having me here could only bring you trouble. But you not only saved my life—you sent me back safe and untouched.”

“I don’t believe a word they say.”

Pei Zhouwu’s eyes were like stars, though he didn’t respond to her directly. He only said, “You’re still weak. You need rest.”

“Alright, alright.”

Liu Fuying agreed sweetly, turning her back to him as a small, victorious smile curved her lips.

He hadn’t said much—but she could feel the distance between them shrinking.

At this rate, she’d have his child soon enough.

When Pei Zhouwu finished drying her clothes and tentatively turned to look, he saw that Liu Fuying had already pulled the blanket over her bare form.

Upon closer look, his eyes softened entirely.

He’d seen enough of her bare upper body earlier—any more would have been counterproductive.

So she’d covered herself up at just the right time.

After hanging her dry clothes, Pei Zhouwu’s face was damp with sweat. Roasting clothes by the fire in the summer heat—even at night—was stifling work. Yet not once had he complained or sought credit; he just did what needed to be done.

To the outside world, it looked like Liu Fuying had fallen asleep.

But inside, her mind was restless with awe and admiration.

She found herself thinking the same thing again and again—If only Pei Zhouwu were Shen Xiunian, how happy I’d be.

Before long, Pei Zhouwu quietly carried the brazier out.

He blew out the lamp, closed the door, and left only the sound of wind rustling the bamboo leaves outside.

Liu Fuying found a comfortable position and fell into a deep sleep.

It was the soundest rest she’d had in ages.

When morning came, she didn’t find Pei Zhouwu in the courtyard or by the pond. She figured he must be in the main hall up front—which gave her the perfect opportunity to leave.

She entered the water again, soaking the clothes Pei Zhouwu had painstakingly dried the night before.

She returned briefly to Changming Temple.

By the time Pei Zhouwu appeared at the door of the bedroom with a bowl of porridge, the room was already empty.

He knocked a few times, but no one responded.

Did she catch a cold last night? he wondered.

He knocked again—louder this time—but still no answer.

Convinced she had fallen ill, he pushed the door open—only to find the bed completely empty.

Setting down the bowl, he turned and rushed outside.

He already knew there was no one in the courtyard. His first stop was the pond behind the house.

Still and quiet. Empty shores.

He checked the bamboo grove too—but this whole area wasn’t that large. There was nowhere else for her to hide.

Which left only one possibility—she had left.

And she had left so suddenly.

But then he remembered—last night, she mentioned setting a trap in the woods. Perhaps she had gone to check it. She’d also said she was off-duty for a few days and wouldn’t leave the mountain until the day after tomorrow.

If so, she would return.

He returned to the bedroom and sat down by the window, just like he had on countless other quiet days. But this time, his heart felt different.

When there’s someone to wait for… the days feel a little easier to bear.

The porridge on the table cooled from steaming hot to ice cold.

The sun rose higher, past noon. The guards delivered lunch. She still hadn’t returned.

Pei Zhouwu hadn’t touched a single bite.

So much time had passed—enough to climb a mountain and come back again. Why hadn’t she returned?

His reflection shimmered in the surface of the pond, steam rising into the strong midday sun. But he stood still for a long time.

Did something happen to her while checking the trap? Did she fall down a cliff again like last time?

Or… was she taken back by the prince’s household?

A deep unease took root in his chest, growing more unbearable by the second. Finally, he took a step into the water—but immediately froze.

He turned and looked back toward the courtyard.

A large bell hung in front of the guard station. If he vanished, the bell would be rung. Its sound could reach all the way down to the capital. And once it did, the imperial guards would descend upon the entire Pei family.

He pulled back his leg silently.

But the tightness in his expression didn’t ease one bit.

“Su Yueying.”

“What is it with you?”

“You make me pity you, miss you—and every time, you leave me with no peace of mind.”

He looked up, squinting at the sun. Then, as if making a firm decision, he stepped into the water again.

This would be his third time leaving the pond.

The first had been a secret investigation.
The second, when he sent her away.
And now—this was the third.

Thankfully, the chain on his hand wasn’t as short as the one on his ankle. He had enough movement to manage. Fortunately, he was a strong swimmer—otherwise, he’d never get through the long underwater tunnel.

When he finally emerged from the water again, his first instinct was not to breathe.