Chapter 40 – He Doesn’t Seem to Know He’s a Genius【Lightly Edited】

“Really?”

Pei Che likes her.

The sisters were so certain about it that she almost believed it herself.

Though she didn’t receive any particularly useful advice, Jiang Shiyuan really liked the atmosphere here. The moment she walked in, it felt like stepping into a warm and cozy family.

“This place is really special.”

Pei Zanxue said, “I knew you’d like it. This is the women’s charity hall run by Shopkeeper Liu. It used to be a bookstore, a place her husband left her before he passed.”

Pei Zanxue pointed at the round-faced lady who had been so welcoming just now as she introduced her.

“To support her younger brother, Shopkeeper Liu was sold to human traffickers by her biological father when she was a child. She drifted from place to place and suffered a lot, until at fifteen, she met her husband. He rescued her from the traffickers and taught her accounting and literacy…”

Something stirred in Jiang Shiyuan’s heart.

In a way, Pei Che had also taught her arithmetic and how to read.

Ten years ago—

Pei Che confiscated her cat. She climbed over the wall to get it back, but accidentally knocked over the lamp in his study and burned down half the room.

She didn’t get the cat back. Instead, Jiang Shiyuan had to sell herself into servitude to become Pei Che’s study attendant.

Pei Che had definitely looked down on her.

She remembered how dark his expression had been as he stared at the charred study. He didn’t say a word before kicking both her and the cat out.

But Jiang Shiyuan hated owing favors. She insisted on repaying the debt with her life.

Pei Che refused, so Jiang Shiyuan made a scene—she took the cat and followed him to his academy. He would say one sentence, the cat would meow, and she’d follow with a comment of her own. She even stuffed sachets and handkerchiefs from his admirers into his sleeves and books.

Whatever others didn’t dare to do, she insisted on doing.

Pei Che, at his wits’ end, confiscated the cat again.

And finally agreed to her debt repayment plan.

She remembered that day clearly. Pei Che, face dark as a storm, held the cat in one hand and her collar in the other, dragging both back to his private residence.

From then on, Jiang Shiyuan became a little drudge—after school, she served him tea, swept floors, wiped tables, watered flowers, and pulled weeds.

She wasn’t afraid of hard work or being ordered around. What she feared most was homework.

Because every time she did homework, Pei Che would criticize her mercilessly.

If he was in a good mood, he’d give her one word: “Stupid.”

If in a bad mood, two words: “Rotten wood.”

Sometimes, when he was especially annoyed, he would grab her hand and write it for her in a huff.

Jiang Shiyuan had never met anyone as impatient as Pei Che.

It was as if he didn’t realize he was a genius—and the ‘rotten wood’ in front of him was just an ordinary person, an ordinary eight-year-old child.

Who else could glance once and know the answer, or memorize everything after a single reading?

Did he not realize he was a terrible teacher at Luming Academy?

People only tolerated him because he was a top scholar. That’s why they flattered him.

Pei Zanxue’s voice continued, pulling Jiang Shiyuan back to the present.

“By the time Shopkeeper Liu was eighteen, she was already capable of handling everything herself. Her husband asked her if she wanted to go out into the world on her own or stay and try a life of calm and peace.”

“She chose to stay. But the good times didn’t last,” Pei Zanxue sighed. “They were only married for six years before her husband passed away.”

“For a while, she drifted aimlessly, keeping the bookstore running. Later, she decided she wanted to do something meaningful… So, she turned the bookstore into this charity hall, taking in homeless girls—just like how her husband once took her in.”

So that’s how it was.

After listening, Jiang Shiyuan looked at Shopkeeper Liu with mixed feelings.

Her husband must have been an incredibly gentle man.

Pei Che’s face appeared unbidden in her mind.

Though Young Master Pei was strict and impatient, he once built her a snowman on a snowy day…

One for a father, one for a mother, and a little one of her—holding a tiny cat in her arms.

Jiang Shiyuan really liked it here. It brought a sense of peace.

“Zanxue, how did you find this place?” she asked. “And how do you know so much about Shopkeeper Liu’s story?”

“Well, I—”

Pei Zanxue tilted her head, just about to answer, when—BANG!

The door to the bookstore was suddenly flung open from the outside, and a group of stern-looking officials with blades stormed in.

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Wangxian Tower.

In a private room on the second floor, the subtle probing continued. But after several rounds of wine, though everyone had tried to coax or test him, no one could get a single useful word from Grand Tutor Pei.

They were used to this by now.

If Pei Che didn’t have such self-control, he wouldn’t be serving at the emperor’s side.

Everyone eventually gave up. The Vice Minister of Rites finally raised his cup in a toast.

“Grand Tutor, I offer you this drink. I heard your wedding is coming soon—allow me to congratulate you in advance.”

It was a courteous remark. He didn’t expect Pei Che to entertain it.

To their surprise, the man who hadn’t touched a drop all night actually picked up his cup and returned the toast. “Thank you, Lord Zhang.”

Vice Minister Zhang was taken aback by the honor and quickly asked, “May I ask which family’s daughter the Grand Tutor will be marrying?”

As soon as the words fell, everyone pricked up their ears.

Even if they couldn’t dig out imperial secrets, hearing some gossip about Grand Tutor Pei would be interesting.

After all, this man was famously indifferent to worldly pleasures—his estate didn’t even have a single favored maidservant.

Everyone was curious: who on earth had the ability to bring this aloof god down to earth?

Just as they were wondering, Pei Che’s calm and steady voice rang out, every word crystal clear:

“The daughter of the Zhen Guo General’s residence.”

The room fell instantly silent.

Those quick-witted enough had already made the connection—one by one, their eyes widened.

The Zhen Guo General’s residence? Wasn’t that the Empress Dowager Jiang’s maiden family?

If Grand Tutor Pei was marrying a Jiang girl, then wasn’t this a clear sign he was aligning with the Third Prince?

Everyone looked excitedly toward Pei Che. This wasn’t just a subtle hint—this was as obvious as it could get.

Pei Che looked around the room, then set down his cup and said calmly, “Thank you all for your company. That will be all for today. Next month, after my wedding, I will host you all again—with my wife.”

With that, Pei Che rose and left the room, heading downstairs.

He had just exited the restaurant and was about to get into his carriage when Pei Zanxue, dressed in men’s clothing, came running from a distance and cried out:

“Uncle! Something’s wrong—Auntie has been taken away by the constables!”

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