Chapter 3: What Kind of Decent Man Gives His Fiancée Smutty Books?!

When Jiang Shiyuan returned to her room, Nanny Qin immediately asked, “Yuan’er, what do you think of Lord Pei?”

Jiang Shiyuan had no idea why Nanny Qin suddenly brought up Pei Che—with that starry-eyed look on her face no less, grinning so wide it nearly reached her ears.

She, however, couldn’t smile at all!

Her awe of Pei Che was deeply ingrained—it followed her like a shadow!

Because the very first time she ever got hit in her life… was thanks to that man!

That was ten years ago, when she was still a student at Luming Academy.

The Zhou Dynasty was relatively open-minded—girls could attend school too. But in the end, exams and officialdom were still a man’s domain. Families sent their daughters to school more for social connections than academic success. Once girls received basic education, if they didn’t cause trouble, they were left to their own devices.

Only the temporary instructor Pei Che held strict standards. All it took was her zoning out in class, and he called her up and smacked her hand in front of everyone—and even confiscated her things.

Pei Che said he didn’t believe that studying was just for boys, nor did he think it was only for chasing fame and fortune. He believed reading cultivated one’s character. Whoever sat in his class—man or woman—would be punished for slacking.

Back then, Pei Che was only sixteen, yet stricter and more old-fashioned than the senior scholars at the academy.

After getting her hand slapped in public, Jiang Shiyuan never dared to slack off again and ended up studying harder than ever. When the course ended six months later, she graduated top of her class with perfect marks.

True to his word, Pei Che rewarded fairly too. He not only returned the items he had confiscated but also put her name at the top of the academy’s honors list.

It was her first time ever being recognized—and the academy’s first time placing a female student at the top of the board.

During that time, Jiang Shiyuan practically walked on air.

But all in all, her feelings toward Pei Che leaned more toward fear than admiration.

Even now, she sometimes dreamed of being publicly dragged out in the middle of a banquet or on a busy street.

The most outrageous dream?

She dreamt she was getting married—bridal chamber, red veil, everything. Shy and full of anticipation, she waited for her groom… when suddenly, her veil was lifted—not by hand, but with a ruler.

That stone-faced man stood there in festive red wedding robes, holding a discipline ruler, looking down at her with a slight curl to his lips.

“Hold out your hand,” he said.

…Ugh.

Jiang Shiyuan shivered and shook her head, trying to banish the absurd dream from her mind.

Still—

She wasn’t marrying Pei Che anyway. Having someone like him as a principled, clear-headed elder might not be so bad. If she ever had disagreements with Pei Ziye in the future, at least she wouldn’t be bullied too badly.

With that thought, Jiang Shiyuan’s fear gave way to a touch of flattery. “Lord Pei is wonderful. With him around, I feel at ease.”

Nanny Qin’s eyes curved into delighted crescents. “Right? How could the match your aunt arranged be anything less than perfect?”

Lord Pei was young, capable, and accomplished. With him as her husband, no one would dare look down on her—whether at home or out in public.

High status, no need to manage a household—she’d be able to enjoy a peaceful, cushy life as the Grand Preceptor’s wife.

Just the thought of it made Nanny Qin tear up with joy.

If this marriage had gone through three years ago, she could be holding a little miss in her arms by now.

She dared not even imagine—Lord Pei with his otherworldly looks, Miss with her unmatched beauty… their child would be gorgeous.

“Well, since Miss has no objections, I’ll go write back to the Noble Consort.”

Back at the General’s Manor, Nanny Qin sprang into action immediately.

Jiang Shiyuan’s parents had long been away; she was raised solely by Nanny Qin. After their passing, it was Nanny Qin who managed the entire manor and treated Jiang Shiyuan like her own child.

Now that her “daughter” had found a good match, how could she not be thrilled?

With only a month until the wedding, she had to start sorting the dowry right away.

Back in her room, Jiang Shiyuan had just lain down to rest when she heard Hong Dou call from outside, full of glee: “Miss! Miss! Someone from the Pei household brought over the engagement documents!”

The engagement documents?

Jiang Shiyuan sat up in surprise. “Already?!”

Hong Dou nodded, smiling so hard her face was glowing.

No one had ever seen an engagement move this fast—met in the morning, documents delivered in the afternoon. Clearly, they were very pleased with their Miss.

As expected, Lord Pei had great taste—not like some blind fools who didn’t know what they had in front of them.

Her Miss was stunning, clever, and unmatched in the capital. Who wouldn’t be smitten?

“Besides the engagement documents, they also sent over quite a few things.”

Hong Dou beamed like she was presenting a treasure trove, ordering servants to carry in box after box of food containers until they filled the whole table.

Jiang Shiyuan turned and looked at the table full of pastries, her eyes sparkling in delight.

“And this—Young Master Pei specifically asked that this be delivered straight to Miss.” Hong Dou handed her a bundle.

Jiang Shiyuan glanced from the pastries to the package, which looked vaguely like a stack of books.

Could it be…

Could someone have actually taken her offhand comments to heart?

She opened it—her eyes lit up—

It was The Flower Hairpin Chronicles, the most talked-about book in the capital! So scandalous it had been banned, nearly impossible to find!

Don’t be fooled by its innocent title. That was just camouflage—once you cracked it open, it was nothing short of gasp-inducing.

Jiang Shiyuan hurried to cover the bundle again.

Well, Pei Ziye wasn’t entirely useless after all.

Not… not dirty. Just… he clearly had taste in idle books.

Now, Jiang Shiyuan truly felt this engagement might turn out well. Love was unpredictable—but at least married life wouldn’t be boring.

——

Two hours earlier—

Grand Preceptor’s Residence—

Pei Ziye carried a stack of books into the study. “Little Uncle, here are all the trending novels on the market.”

Pei Che didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “Second shelf from the top, near the window.”

Then, as if realizing something, he looked at the shelf again and added, “Put them in the center.”

Pei Ziye’s eyes widened. “On the bookshelf? What do you mean? You’re keeping them in your study?”

Everyone in the Pei household knew Little Uncle was cold and dignified. His study mirrored his personality—filled with classics and scholarly texts. You couldn’t even find a travelogue, let alone novels.

Now he wanted these smutty street books placed prominently on his shelf?

Was this still the same strict, no-nonsense Grand Preceptor?

Pei Ziye stared at his uncle, then suddenly had a revelation—

He forgot! His Little Uncle was getting married soon!

These books… they were clearly for his future aunt-in-law.

But that only made it more shocking—

Who said his uncle was stiff and boring? This was proof the man had game!

Pei Ziye felt like he had stumbled upon a national secret. Though waves of emotion rolled through him, he kept a straight face.

He quickly organized the books, then pointed to a few in the middle.

“Little Uncle, if you’re looking for something good, these few are the best. Girls love them. Bookstores can’t even keep them in stock—I went through a lot of trouble to find these.”

Pei Che gave a soft “Mm.”

Pei Ziye bowed out, barely holding back a laugh.

Usually, tricks like this wouldn’t fool his uncle.

But this time? Just maybe…