Chapter Five: I Missed You

Concubine Zhao was Liu Fuying’s birth mother.

After marrying into the Shen family, Liu Fuying had moved her mother’s memorial tablet to Changming Temple and donated a great deal of incense money, even having a separate room dedicated for her mother’s worship.

So, her trip to the temple to fulfill a vow—and to add some offerings for her mother—was perfectly reasonable.

“Miss, the Taoist priests are chanting scriptures in the front hall right now. The other areas are all empty, and no one ever comes to this room, so it’s safe.”

Jinli was helping Liu Fuying change clothes, her voice trembling with nerves.

“Miss, please be extra careful this time—don’t go falling off a cliff and getting yourself hurt again.”

Liu Fuying gently touched her face, smiling playfully. “I thought you were going to tell me to be careful not to get caught.”

“Let them catch you then. Worst case, people mock you a little, or we go back to living a hard life. I’ll be with you either way—as long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

How could Liu Fuying not be moved by those words?

After a deep hug, she opened the door.

Just outside, behind the side wall, was a small door. Perhaps because no one had come through it for so long, the wooden door was rotting and about to collapse. But that only meant the area was safe enough.

“Miss, please be careful.”

Jinli didn’t go with her—she stayed outside to keep watch.

“Don’t worry. Close the door behind me.”

Lifting her skirt, Liu Fuying stepped into the tall grass. She hadn’t gone far before seeds and burrs clung to her hem. Though the weeds were dense, the path did eventually lead downhill. Avoiding the main road, she followed the way from her memory. Who knew how much time had passed—it only felt like the sun was growing hotter.

She finally reached the spot, panting heavily.

Still, now that she’d made it once, the path would be easier next time.

Though the sneaking around was exhausting, it was also thrilling—and made her even more eager to see Pei Zhouwu. Once again, she understood a certain kind of man’s pleasure all too well.

She didn’t bother tidying herself. Her skirt was messy and she let it stay that way.

Step by step, she entered the water, her emotions rippling like the splashes.

Once submerged, she swam like a fish toward the deeper part.

After all that effort, she had to make this trip count.

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At the restricted area of Xiang Mountain.

Pei Zhouwu sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. The clear tea in his cup had long gone cold. He stared at it without moving.

A breeze stirred, messing up his hair.

He kept his eyes lowered, not even blinking.

Just as Liu Fuying had thought, being alone in a place like this for too long could drive a man mad. At this point, Pei Zhouwu was barely more than a living corpse.

Suddenly—

His long lashes lifted slightly, and a bit of life returned to his gaze.

There was movement near the backyard pond.

Occasionally, rocks from the mountain would tumble into the pond—but today’s splashing wasn’t caused by falling stones. It sounded like someone—someone not very good at swimming—was flailing around.

A person. Someone was in the pond.

He rose with suspicion. As his long sleeve swept past the table, it knocked over the teacup.

The iron chains on his ankles dragged noisily over the stone path as he approached the pond. From a distance, he saw someone lying by the water, gasping for breath.

Judging by the clothing, it was a woman.

A woman who had come up from the water.

Pei Zhouwu’s expression darkened. Aside from the woman he had saved before, no one knew about the pond’s secret.

He stopped far away, not daring to move closer.

Perhaps… this was just his imagination.

After all, aside from the guards outside, the only person he had seen in all this time was that woman. He had been alone for so long that maybe he had created an illusion to keep himself company.

But Liu Fuying sensed his gaze.

Of course she knew.

His bedroom was not far from the pond. That kind of loud splashing was bound to attract his attention.

Her heavy breathing was deliberately exaggerated—to make it look like she had barely survived the swim.

She stood slowly, her steps still unsteady.

Her soaked dress dragged behind her, occasionally tripping her as she walked. The short distance felt like a struggle.

But eventually, she stood in front of Pei Zhouwu.

“L-Lord Pei… it’s been a while. D-Do you still remember me?”

Her real presence shattered his illusion.

Her voice, her face, the wetness clinging to her, and that radiant smile even brighter than the sun—everything about her was vividly real. So real it left him unnerved.

Yet… the deadness in his eyes began to fade.

Little by little, he seemed to come back to life.

“…Why are you here?”

His voice was strange—strained from disuse, like someone who hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

“Because I missed you,” Liu Fuying said bluntly and passionately.

Pei Zhouwu’s brows furrowed in confusion. Given their relationship, those words were far too suggestive.

But Liu Fuying only smiled more brightly, tilting her head in a playful manner.

“I’m just joking. What I meant to say is—I came to repay you.”

“That’s not funny,” Pei Zhouwu said sternly.

He turned his back and began walking away, step by step.

“If you came to repay me, there’s no need. This isn’t some scenic spot for a carefree outing. You should leave.”

Lies.

Liu Fuying could see he had concerns, but the flicker of joy in his eyes earlier had been real.

Naturally, she didn’t leave. She followed him closely, chasing him to his bedroom.

When they reached the door, Pei Zhouwu suddenly stopped.

He turned and looked at her with firm resolve. “Miss, I didn’t save you expecting repayment.”

“I know.”

Her voice was firm and steady.

She was willing to say anything now—all for the sake of having a child.

“But even if I were to repay you with my life, it still wouldn’t be too much.”

“With your life?” Pei Zhouwu pointed toward the front, indicating the guards who patrolled multiple times a day. “If they find you here, it won’t just end with your life being in danger.”

“Hm… then I’ll hide under the bed.”

She glanced toward the bamboo bed inside—it was low but could probably conceal her.

When she looked back, Pei Zhouwu’s expression had darkened considerably. He asked in a harsh voice, “What exactly do you want?”

Liu Fuying’s smile froze, as if startled by his tone.

She lowered her head, her voice turning soft and aggrieved.

“What can I want? I nearly drowned just to find you. If not to repay you, what else could it be? These past days, I’ve been practicing holding my breath in a basin, just so I could last longer underwater.”

Hearing that, Pei Zhouwu’s expression did soften a little.

He hadn’t thought much of it at the time—it was just a simple act of saving someone by sharing air underwater. He hadn’t dwelled on it afterward. But now, that moment came rushing back to him unexpectedly.

It hadn’t meant anything then. But in this moment, recalling it… the memory seemed faintly romantic.

He turned away awkwardly, the icy look on his face melting slightly.

“…Maybe I can’t do much,” Liu Fuying said, “but even if I’m only here to keep you company and chat with you, that’s something, right?”