Chapter 59: Knocking on the Window

One knock after another, calm and composed.

The day before her departure, Yu Mingyao dressed elegantly and bid farewell to Shi Luoshi.

At the Shi household, all of the daughters-in-law from the third branch had come. Everyone knew that the beloved daughter-in-law of their mother-in-law was about to leave for the capital to get married. The journey was long, and this might very well be the last time they saw each other in this lifetime.

As soon as Shi Luoshi saw Yu Mingyao’s graceful and dignified appearance, tears unconsciously welled up in her eyes. This caused Yu Mingyao’s eldest aunt to quickly pull out a handkerchief and offer it to her.

“The matriarch is saddened, but our Mingyao is going to the capital to enjoy a prosperous life. Perhaps in the future, she will even be honored with a noble title. You mustn’t be too upset, take care of your health.”

Everyone standing nearby echoed their agreement.

Shi Luoshi had originally planned to accompany Yu Mingyao to the capital, but given that her daughter would stay behind with just a little child, and with such a big event taking place, she had wanted to go, no matter the cost. Even though she trusted the Pei family, she wanted to protect her precious daughter during her marriage, not wanting the two siblings to be looked down upon or mistreated in the absence of elders.

Unfortunately, just two months ago, she had fallen severely ill. Perhaps due to her age or the shock from the return trip to Suzhou, the doctor had advised complete rest and forbade any strenuous travel.

In the midst of her illness, Yu Mingyao had been in tears for days, losing all thoughts of the wedding. Fortunately, Shi Luoshi recovered, and with encouragement from everyone, she reluctantly wiped away her tears and agreed to leave on schedule.

Now, as soon as the topic of parting was mentioned, Shi Luoshi’s sadness became overwhelming once again, and she began to weep.

Seeing the elderly matriarch and the young lady both quietly shedding tears, the third daughter-in-law of the Shi family quickly stepped in with an exaggerated tone, trying to lighten the mood: “Mother, do you think Mingyao looks beautiful in this outfit? I think her headpiece is particularly elegant, maybe made by the famous Zui Jin Ge. Oh, this really is a perfect example of how a girl grows up. Mingyao is now a beauty that could topple a country!”

Her words were a little exaggerated, but they managed to divert everyone’s attention from the sadness of parting to Yu Mingyao’s appearance.

In just over a year, the once childish young lady had blossomed into an even more stunning, radiant beauty. Those in the Shi family, who had long grown accustomed to her, couldn’t help but admire her whenever they saw her now. If someone were seeing her for the first time, they would be absolutely stunned.

Her figure was graceful, and under the splendor of her elaborate dress and makeup, she looked like a true young lady, too dazzling to even look at directly.

Shi Luoshi, now calming down after hearing her daughter-in-law’s words, started to appraise Yu Mingyao.

Her looks were exquisite…

Taking a deep breath, Shi Luoshi tilted her head slightly: Would her beauty be too striking?

For a moment, the image of the cold, aloof heir of the Duke of Xie’s family appeared in her mind.

Two years ago, when they had first visited the capital, that boy had been quietly hiding his affections, though he never spoke of them.

Now that Mingyao had become this stunning, she shouldn’t… have any problems, right?

For some unknown reason, as Shi Luoshi looked at Yu Mingyao’s smiling face, which seemed shy when speaking of her future husband, an unsettling feeling lingered in her heart.

She hoped everything would go smoothly and that nothing would go wrong.

After leaving the Shi family’s residence, Yu Mingyao sat in the carriage, reflecting on Shi Luoshi’s lingering gaze before their farewell.

She felt that the gaze was strangely familiar, as if her grandmother had looked at her the same way before her wedding in her previous life, wanting to speak but holding back.

But in her previous life, it was because of her marriage to Xie Zhuoguang, which had not been a dignified one. In this life, there was nothing disgraceful about either Pei Shang or the Pei family. So why was her grandmother worried?

She furrowed her brows and remained silent.

Yan Yue, sitting across from her, noticed her troubled expression and teased, “Miss, you seem reluctant to leave the old lady behind. Does that mean you’re not planning to marry and are thinking of staying at home forever?”

“Well, if that’s the case, someone might be heartbroken.”

In the past year, although Pei Shang hadn’t visited in person, letters had arrived regularly, often more than once a month, with sometimes as many as ten in a single month.

Even though they were separated by a thousand miles, the letters came with frequent updates, and Pei Shang always included trivial details, such as winning a lantern riddle at the Lantern Festival in the capital.

More than once, Yu Mingyao had complained to Yan Yue about how wasteful this was, saying that once they married, she wouldn’t allow Pei Shang to spend so much money on trivial things.

Though Yan Yue often teased her, Yu Mingyao didn’t mind. She gave Yan Yue a faint glance and then began to turn the conversation toward her own matters.

“You’re always talking about me, but have you thought about your own future?”

She was about to marry, and Yan Yue was only half a year younger than her. In both their lives, the two were more like sisters than maid and mistress. Yu Mingyao didn’t want Yan Yue to suffer the same fate as other maids who would have to leave once married, so she had even suggested that Yan Yue settle down in Suzhou. With a little help from her family and some silver, she would live comfortably.

But Yan Yue refused, insisting on accompanying her to the capital.

As usual, Yan Yue responded with her typical line, “I want to serve you for the rest of my life, so I’m not planning to marry so soon.”

Once a maid married, she could no longer serve her mistress. After having children, she would only visit occasionally.

But Yan Yue didn’t want that. She had been bought by the Yu family when she was young and raised alongside Yu Mingyao and her brother. She didn’t want to live like the other maids.

“God bless, I hope everything goes smoothly on our way to the capital. I’m just waiting for you and Pei Shang to marry.”

Yan Yue looked at her expectantly, and Yu Mingyao, following her lead, fell into daydreams about the future.

Yes, once they reached the capital and she married Pei Shang, all the nightmares from her past life would disappear.

This time, she would be a good wife, a good daughter-in-law, and live happily with Pei Shang, raising children together. The heart that had been adrift since the death of her parents would finally find a home.

Getting married would solve everything.

A long procession of dowries would follow, just as in her previous life, but this time it was a completely different path.

This time, besides her brother Yu Jin Nian and Yan Yue, no one else was accompanying her to the capital. Shi Luoshi, not feeling at ease, had sent her most trusted servant, Shi Zhuang, along with them.

After a long journey, over a year since their last visit, they arrived in the capital again.

It was spring, and the journey was just as beautiful as before.

The carriage stopped in front of Yu Mansion. A few months earlier, Shi Zhuang had already sent someone to renovate the house in the capital. Though not as grand as the Pei family’s residence, the house was still a decent seven- or eight-courtyard estate. In the capital, where land was precious, it was good enough to live in.

On the Pei family’s side, Pei Shang’s father, Pei Bai, had sent his trusted stewards, Li Huaisheng and Li Qing, along with a few servants, to assist.

The wedding was set for ten days later, and both the Yu and Pei families had much to prepare.

Pei Bai had sent these two men to help, and with their assistance, the Yu family had much less to worry about.

Shi Zhuang, feeling relieved, thanked them profusely.

Li Huaisheng, as the head steward of the Pei family’s main branch, was a very astute man. He quickly declined Shi Zhuang’s thanks, saying it was simply the Pei family’s goodwill and that any help provided to the Yu family was already insufficient.

Li Qing stood behind his father, his eyes darting around.

According to custom, a couple couldn’t meet before marriage. However, before coming to the capital, Pei Shang had instructed Li Qing to make sure he met Yu Mingyao in person.

He wanted to see if she was happy, if she felt sad about leaving her family, if she still had feelings for him, and if she was looking forward to the wedding.

Li Qing eagerly awaited the chance, but upon arriving, he saw Yu Mingyao wrapped in a veil, escorted by Yan Yue inside.

Shi Zhuang was ahead, so Li Qing couldn’t speak to Yu Mingyao directly.

After the greetings between their fathers were finished and it was clear that they would soon be heading back to the Pei residence, Li Qing became anxious, wondering how he could fulfill his task.

Seeing his unease, Shi Zhuang quickly asked, “What’s going on?”

Li Qing, unable to contain himself, forced a smile and replied, “Young Master asked me to pass on a message to Miss Yu.”

Shi Zhuang immediately froze for a moment when he heard this.

Li Huaisheng, with his sharp intuition, grabbed Li Qing by the arm and slapped him across the head, scolding, “How dare you speak so impolitely? What do you think of Miss Yu? Even if you’re longing to see each other, you can wait just a few more days. The wedding is coming soon!”

Li Huaisheng scolded him sharply, but Shi Zhuang could tell he was actually making an excuse for Li Qing.

Shi Zhuang waved his hand, “Alright, just this once. But be careful not to overstep. Let Yan Yue inform her first. If she agrees, then you can pass on the message from afar.”

Moments later, Li Qing returned with a downcast expression.

Li Huaisheng raised an eyebrow, “What happened?”

Li Qing, almost in tears, responded weakly, “I didn’t get to see Miss Yu, but Yan Yue passed on the message for me.”

“Well, that’s good enough,” Li Huaisheng said with a laugh, giving his son another slap before leaving with Shi Zhuang.

As they left, only Li Qing knew why he was feeling so uneasy.

Miss Yu! Now, Young Master is really going to scold me!

After Li Qing left, with no one else around, Yan Yue approached Yu Mingyao and asked, “Why didn’t you see him? Didn’t you miss Pei Shang too?”

Yu Mingyao smiled and replied, “Do I look beautiful now?”

Yan Yue nodded, “Of course.”

“Exactly. That’s why I need to keep this captivating beauty for the wedding night,” she said with a playful glance at Yan Yue. “You wouldn’t understand since you don’t have anyone you fancy.”

Yu Mingyao’s smile held a secret meaning that Yan Yue couldn’t quite comprehend.

What she didn’t know was that, over a year ago, these two young lovers had already secretly promised to marry each other.

Yu Mingyao had promised him that she would teach him all the joys of life.

As the saying goes, “The three great joys of life”—the wedding night was one of them. She wouldn’t let anyone else teach him about it.

That night, Yu Mingyao, full of thoughts, went to bed. Before she fell asleep, she heard a few knocks at the window outside.

One after another, calm and composed.