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“Do you dare to look up to the clear sky and tell me… that you—”
But if it wasn’t Pei Shang, how could those clothes be explained?
In her past life, it wasn’t until just before her marriage that she finally returned that crimson garment to Pei Shang.
Yu Mingyao paused for a moment, her expression still as soft as the smoothest silk.
She subtly increased the distance between herself and Pei Shang before lifting her gaze. With eyes like hooks, she slowly reeled Pei Shang closer.
“What exactly happened that day? Tell me. Don’t you know—when that person reached from behind to push me, I sensed the force of the palm. But isn’t that how we usually play around? I thought it was you. Just as I was about to turn around, I didn’t expect…”
Her words halted there. Yu Mingyao drew out a silk handkerchief, her face filled with sorrow, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.
Pei Shang sat beside her. With a slight tilt of his head, he could see the tears spilling from the woman he loved. Hearing her words, how could he not realize that it was because of his repeated teasing that Yu Mingyao hadn’t evaded disaster that day?
Overwhelmed with guilt, he wanted to embrace her and comfort her, but as he stretched out his arms, Yu Mingyao deftly evaded him.
Seeing her instinctive reaction, Pei Shang froze on the spot, momentarily at a loss.
“Yao-meimei, I…”
Was she angry at him? Was she beginning to avoid him like the plague?
While he was in a daze, Yu Mingyao had already composed herself after a few quiet breaths.
Her heart had once again returned to a state of calm, like a still deep well.
“It’s nothing,” Yu Mingyao looked up and gave Pei Shang a sweet smile, her lips seeming to drip with the richest honey. “It’s alright, perhaps I just remembered it wrong.”
Having said that, she rose to leave. At that moment, Pei Shang seemed to sense something and, disregarding everything, tightly wrapped his arms around her waist.
He pressed his forehead against her lower abdomen, his voice muffled.
“I will get justice for you, Yao-meimei. Please don’t give up on me.”
The handsome young man, by the end, even choked slightly.
Yu Mingyao looked down and saw only a dark head of hair, adorned with a white jade lotus hairpin.
The lotus petals were delicately carved, lifelike. If it were anyone else, dressed in a wine-red robe embroidered with golden twin lotuses and wearing such a white jade hairpin, they would surely appear like an elegant noble son, refined and dignified without the slightest impurity.
But Yu Mingyao still preferred the man with the gold hairpin and red flower, with his unrestrained and rakish charm.
That man knew who he was — Pei Shang.
Yu Mingyao raised her hand, just like that night when Pei Shang had grabbed hers and forced her to touch his face.
She gently caressed Pei Shang’s smooth, fair cheek.
“Are you so fond of me?”
Her voice was as soft as the spring breeze in March, like ripples stirred by willow branches in a green pond.
“I would almost give my life to you, meimei — how could you still doubt me?”
Pei Shang mumbled, pressing his face even deeper into Yu Mingyao’s robes.
When the two returned to their seats after more than half an hour, Pei Shang had just sat down when he saw Yu Jinnian beside him glaring with wide eyes, nostrils flaring.
“You brat, don’t think that just because my sister likes you, you can behave so recklessly! If you dare do anything disgraceful, you’ll have to answer for it!”
Onstage, the acrobats were at their climax, and amid the cheers, Yu Jinnian leaned in and threatened Pei Shang in a low voice.
Pei Shang, who had been staring gloomily at his fruit wine, watched the golden liquid shimmer under the sunlight. Though Yu Mingyao treated him as usual, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard Yu Jinnian’s threat.
Yu Jinnian’s rough, intimidating demeanor should have unsettled him—but instead, Pei Shang felt an unexpected surge of joy.
Brother Jinnian is Yao-meimei’s closest kin. If even he says Yao-meimei likes me, then it must be true!
Ignoring his unease, a bright and arrogant smile spread across Pei Shang’s face once more.
“Brother Jinnian, I drink to you!”
Brimming with boldness, Pei Shang lifted his cup and downed it in one go.
Yu Jinnian blinked, confused — wasn’t I just scolding him? Why is this rascal so fired up?
Baffled but coaxed into it, Yu Jinnian too raised his cup.
Pei Bizhu, observing from the side, muttered, “Idiot.”
Then she peeked over curiously at Yu Mingyao. Yu Mingyao sat serenely, calmly pouring herself wine, her demeanor graceful like a celestial consort.
She didn’t even spare a glance at the heir Xie Zhuoguang sitting beside her.
I’m desperate—what do I do if the couple I ship is breaking up?
Back at her seat, Pei Shang’s earlier words still echoed in Yu Mingyao’s mind.
She wasn’t as calm as she appeared.
That cold yet steady hand had once accompanied her through long, lonely nights; it had been her spiritual support to go on living.
If it wasn’t Pei Shang—then who could it have been?
Even if not in this life, could she have misjudged in her past life as well?
Yu Mingyao dared not think further. The bitterness, like silken threads, wrapped around her ever tighter.
Frustrated, she unknowingly drank several more cups of fruit wine.
Just as Pei Shang had said, the wine was fragrant but not harsh, brewed from autumn jujubes, sweet and smooth down the throat.
Coming back to herself, she drank several more cups.
“That’s enough.”
Xie Zhuoguang’s face was cold as he snatched the cup from Yu Mingyao’s hand.
His voice, as always, carried a chill, like tiny jade beads scattering crisply on a stone floor — clear and cold.
Pei Bizhu glanced back at them briefly.
“Heh…”
Seeing her cup taken, Yu Mingyao said nothing. She simply leaned back lazily in her chair, her face tinged with mockery.
With what right do you control me?
Though she said nothing, the meaning in her eyes was clear as day.
Xie Zhuoguang’s face darkened.
Since Yu Mingyao’s arrival, his gaze had scarcely left her.
This woman had always been delicate. The waters of that cold pond were so chilly that even his robust body had needed two days to recover after returning home.
And here she was — not yet fully healed, yet abusing her body like this!
Xie Zhuoguang couldn’t stand it.
Seeing his disapproving expression, Yu Mingyao’s heart brimmed with contempt.
Of course — the performance was at its most riveting, everyone’s eyes fixed on the stage. No one was watching here; that’s why he dared act this way toward her.
If others were around, he’d still be the untouchable Sixth Young Master Xie.
He would never show even a trace of affection toward her.
Yu Mingyao leaned forward casually and, with slender fingers, tried to snatch the cup back from Xie Zhuoguang’s hand.
But he gripped it too tightly. After two or three tries, either he wouldn’t let go, or he evaded her.
Irritated, Yu Mingyao glanced toward the upper left corner and spotted another cup with some wine remaining.
She didn’t bother with her own cup anymore and swiftly seized the one on Xie Zhuoguang’s table, downing it in one gulp — wine stains and all.
Seeing her brazen actions, Xie Zhuoguang felt both embarrassed and angry.
At that moment, his peripheral vision caught sight of the mutton-fat jade bracelet on Yu Mingyao’s wrist.
That bracelet…
The heat on his face instantly cooled.
That bracelet was no ordinary item—it had been bestowed by the late Emperor to Pei Shang’s maternal grandmother, the Princess of Huiyang, and passed down to Lady Zhen.
Now, it was on Yu Mingyao’s wrist. The meaning was obvious.
A flash of pain crossed Xie Zhuoguang’s eyes, and he no longer rebuked her outlandish behavior.
Heh—this man, stirring up emotions and then retreating when it suits him, made Yu Mingyao even more indignant.
Why should he get to toy with her heart and let people misunderstand her at will?
She was no longer the naive teenage girl of her past life — swayed by petty tricks. If Xie Zhuoguang thought he could still do this to her now, he was dreaming!
Yu Mingyao gave a cold smile. Under the cover of the long tablecloth, she discreetly lifted her embroidered shoe and brushed the arch of her foot against Xie Zhuoguang’s calf twice.
When he looked over, she met his gaze with a brilliant smile and deliberately tossed her handkerchief in front of his legs.
She bent to retrieve it.
Onstage, drums thundered. Below, a soft, lightly amused female voice drifted into Xie Zhuoguang’s ears.
“That day, some scoundrel took advantage of me when I fell into the water and stole my innocence. If I find out who it was, I’ll never forgive him!”
This sentence echoed in Xie Zhuoguang’s mind long after the banquet had ended.
Pei Shang, along with Li Qing, saw off the guests one by one.
When it was Yu Mingyao’s turn, he was especially reluctant. In front of Yu Jinnian and Pei Bizhu, he tugged at Yu Mingyao’s sleeve, refusing to let go.
Yu Jinnian fumed. “Broad daylight, such impropriety!”
Yu Mingyao gently pried Pei Shang’s fingers open, her face still soft and tender. “It’s not like we won’t see each other again. Why cling like this? I put much thought into your birthday gift today—you should hurry back to see it.”
Pei Shang, full of complaints moments ago, was instantly coaxed into a broad grin.
“I’ll open it right away! Yao-meimei, you’re not tricking me, are you?”
“I’m not.” Yu Mingyao pried open his last finger. “If you want anything else, I’ll give it to you.”
Pei Shang froze, then immediately seized the opportunity.
“Didn’t you embroider a green bamboo sachet? I’ve coveted that sachet for a long time. Good meimei, won’t you give it to me too—?”
In front of everyone, Pei Shang pestered endlessly.
Xie Zhuoguang, standing a few paces behind, coldly watched the scene.
Hearing this, Yu Mingyao’s smile stiffened. Pei Shang could ask for anything — but that sachet…
Unconsciously, her gaze drifted to Xie Zhuoguang behind Pei Shang.
In her past life, she had embroidered a similar sachet, and in the end, it was given to her husband—Xie Zhuoguang.
Seeing Yu Mingyao hesitate and sneak a glance behind her, a dull ache rose from the depths of Pei Shang’s heart.
He took a deep breath and reverted to the proud, beautiful heir of the Pei family.
“If it troubles you, forget it. There’s still plenty of time ahead. I won’t let you down.”
“Bah, who cares whether you do or not?” Yu Jinnian huffed, pushing Yu Mingyao to leave quickly and not listen to such nonsense.
Once everyone had gone, Pei Shang waved Li Qing away.
In an instant, the vast main courtyard held only him and Xie Zhuoguang.
Facing his closest friend—closer than a brother—for the first time Pei Shang’s face turned thoroughly dark. He turned and coldly confronted Xie Zhuoguang.
“Do you dare to look up to the clear sky and tell me — you have no feelings for her?”