Chapter 4

Qi Yunmiao meticulously divided the persimmons she had brought home, doing so with perfect care. What she did not know was that Pei Ze would not return home until very late that night.

Late autumn, midnight at the Zhou Residence.

A solitary, cool young man sat alone at the table, flipping through the manuscript in his hands.

The candle in the room was about to burn out when a maid entered to replace it with a fresh one.

An elderly man in his sixties with graying hair came in from outside, holding two plump persimmons. After placing them aside, he asked with concern, “Jingxuan, are you still not planning to go home?”

“Teacher,” Pei Ze looked up. His face, like polished jade, glowed faintly with a warm, yellowish light in the dark night.

Yet his hands were cold.

“Just a few pages left. I’ll finish proofreading and then go back,” his voice was chilly as well.

The old man sighed, “Jingxuan, I asked you here to help with proofreading not so that you would find excuses to avoid going home and ruin your health.”

Pei Ze hesitated, “But Teacher, I really have only a few pages left…”

The old man glanced at the thin manuscript remaining in his hands. “A few pages can wait until tomorrow. It’s already late at night.”

Pei Ze pressed his lips tightly, saying no more.

The old man could only say, “Jingxuan, I’ve recently heard about your father’s situation. Is Chancellor Pei truly your father…”

“Teacher, I do not blame him for remarrying.”

Pei Ze sighed softly. Ever since Pei Xun married, wherever he went, people would almost always ask about it.

“Then what have you been sulking about these years with your father?” the old man asked again.

Pei Ze’s eyelids drooped slightly, as if weighed down by frost and snow. He stared blankly at the vague silhouette on the desk.

He did not rush to answer.

Over the years, ever since his mother passed away, Pei Ze had grown colder in temperament in the eyes of others.

Especially between him and his father, rumors circulated that the chancellor and his son were estranged; the father unwilling to care for the son, the son unwilling to yield to the father. They never spoke harmoniously, their words and deeds failing to align.

“I can’t forget my mother.”

Finally, facing the silhouette on the desk, a chill surged through Pei Ze’s body as he spoke.

The old man let out a sigh.

He knew.

He had always known.

Pei Ze’s mother was the late Lady Liu, the former mistress of the Pei Residence, who had passed away eight years prior.

Rumor had it that on the night Lady Liu died, Chancellor Pei was not at home. Only the six-year-old Pei Ze was by her side. When Pei Xun returned the next day, Lady Liu had already been dead for several hours, her body cold.

The estrangement between father and son had begun from that time.

“That was so many years ago, Jingxuan. Have you ever considered that perhaps Chancellor Pei was truly burdened with urgent affairs…” Lord Zhou began to explain.

But Pei Ze interrupted, “If he truly had official duties, he should have explained to me long ago.”

“…”

Zhou Yong fell silent.

He just looked at his student again and said, “Since you can’t let go of your mother, all the more reason to take care of your body. Your body and hair are gifts from your parents. You are still young and have yet to take the imperial exams. You cannot exhaust yourself to ruin your health.”

“Yes, Teacher, your advice is well taken. I will finish proofreading these last few pages for you, then return.”

Seeing his stubbornness, Zhou Yong could only shake his head helplessly. “If you feel too tired then and don’t want to go back, the Zhou Residence has beds—you can rest here for the night.”

“Alright.” Pei Ze nodded.

Zhou Yong turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something. “By the way, the persimmons have ripened this autumn. Today, the Song Household sent over a basket, saying their young master and the young ladies picked them. I tried them—they’re quite sweet. So I brought you two as well. Try them when you’re done.”

—

Qi Yunmiao slept somewhat better that night than the night before.

Perhaps the fatigue of attending school and climbing persimmon trees took its toll, for after running around the residence delivering persimmons, she nearly closed her eyes before her mother returned.

Fortunately, she waited and handed the last persimmon to her mother before falling asleep contentedly.

Today, Qi Yunmiao was to attend the Song Family’s school again.

The Song Family’s school observed a rest day every ninth day; before she arrived, classes had been held for six consecutive days regardless of weather. She had to attend two more days at the Song Residence before getting a day off.

Because she had given persimmons to Chancellor Pei and her mother last night, Qi Yunmiao shared breakfast this morning with both of them.

At the table, Chancellor Pei inquired about her recent situation, asking if she was accustomed to living at the Pei Residence and whether she found the Song Family’s academic progress manageable.

Living there was fine, but the coursework at the Song Residence… to be honest, was somewhat difficult.

She was never fond of studying at home and was only half-hearted at best. Sitting in the Song Family’s school yesterday, she found most of the teachers’ words hard to understand.

Qi Yunmiao never lied about such things. Since Chancellor Pei asked, she answered honestly, “Everything else is fine, but the coursework at the Song Residence is a bit challenging…”

Pei Xun immediately laughed, apparently surprised at her straightforwardness.

“Dr. Su is an old scholar from the Imperial Academy. You only attended a private school outside for less than a year before suddenly entering Dr. Su’s classes. It’s common not to keep up. Don’t worry—if you don’t understand something, you can always ask me, your mother, or your elder brother when you return home.”

Qi Yunmiao nodded.

“By the way,” she said no more, but Pei Xun suddenly remembered something and turned to the steward. “Did Jingxuan not come home yesterday?”

“The young master went to Lord Zhou’s house to help proofread manuscripts. It got late, so he stayed there for the night. The Zhou Residence sent word last night.”

“That boy…” Pei Xun’s cheerful expression faded instantly.

So Pei Ze had not returned home last night.

Qi Yunmiao quietly ate her meal, curious about which family the Zhou Residence was.

The tangled network of families in the capital was truly complicated, with one lord on the left and another on the right. Since she entered the Pei Residence, she had heard of the Pei, Song, and Zhou families constantly, but besides Pei Xun, she had yet to meet any of the others.

“Is Lord Zhou the former dean of the Imperial Academy?” Qi Yunmiao was wondering when her mother’s voice suddenly rose.

“Yes, he was the previous dean, Zhou Yong,” Pei Xun replied. “Jingxuan is his last disciple, so they often interact.”

“That’s a good thing, having frequent contact with the dean,” Shen Ruozhu said gently. “Jingxuan is grown now; the chancellor can’t always keep him tightly controlled.”

“Ah…” Pei Xun sighed deeply, shook his head, and seemed to want to drop the subject.

The three finished breakfast together, and Qi Yunmiao prepared to depart for the Song Residence again.

This time, her mother personally escorted her to the Pei Residence gate. With Fang Momo, who had chosen the book boy Green Wax for her yesterday, as companion, Qi Yunmiao, now more familiar, leaned on the carriage, waving goodbye to her mother and dozing lightly along the way. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the Song Residence.

Thanks to yesterday’s persimmon picking, Qi Yunmiao had already established good relations with the girls studying at the Song Family.

Although she struggled somewhat to keep up with the coursework, she played happily with the Song children.

In autumn, school let out in the mid-afternoon. Today, after classes ended, the children could no longer go picking persimmons, and Qi Yunmiao felt a little regretful. But soon she heard that the Lady of the Song Family had prepared delicious snacks and invited all the children to the flower hall for refreshments.

She immediately brightened and ran along with the others toward the flower hall.

A group of children burst into the flower hall.

Seated on one side, Madam Qu, the Prefect of Jingzhao’s wife, eagerly asked, “Which one is the new young lady from the Pei Residence?”

It turned out that the flower hall at the Song Residence today was not only filled with Song family ladies. Several had come specifically upon hearing that the Pei Residence’s new young miss was studying here, eager to meet Qi Yunmiao.

Madam Song pointed to the splash of verdant green in the crowd to show them.

Qi Yunmiao wore a dress of fresh green today, with matching green ribbons in her hair. Her small, round face was flushed with rosy color, looking fresh and adorable.

“This… isn’t as striking as your Qingyu, yet how come her mother is said to be some celestial fairy descended from the heavens?” Madam Qu whispered with a covered mouth, laughing softly.

“Don’t say that. I have met her mother, and she truly was like a fairy descending to earth. No wonder the chancellor suddenly lost his mind and insisted on marrying her!” Madam Tang from the Censorate laughed.

“Ah, really? How come you all have met the real person but I haven’t?” Madam Qu was unsatisfied.

Madam Tang smiled without answering, then added, “But with the new lady and daughter entering the household, it must be hard on Jingxuan. I heard Jingxuan stayed last night at Lord Zhou’s house and did not return to the academy or home.”

“Ah, when there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather too. Fortunately, the Liu family is no small or destitute household. If Jingxuan were mistreated, I doubt the Liu family would let Chancellor Pei and the new lady off.”

“That’s true.”

As they chatted and laughed, they saw Qi Yunmiao finish two pieces of horse milk cake and start sipping the brown sugar yogurt each was given.

“You do have a good appetite,” Madam Qu laughed again.

“All right, sisters, we’ve seen the person. Today I have prepared some snacks for you all. Please come with me to the back courtyard to enjoy them,” Madam Song said, finally unable to sit still after hearing their gossip, and invited everyone to the rear garden.

After most had left, Madam Song stayed behind, leisurely watching Qi Yunmiao for a few more moments before walking over to her.

“Yunmiao,” Madam Song bent down and said, “You’re new here. Auntie doesn’t know what you like to eat yet. Have you gotten used to the food at home? How do you find the horse milk cake today?”

Caught mid-bite, Qi Yunmiao was surprised to see Madam Song before her. Hastily swallowing the yogurt, she nodded, “It’s delicious. The horse milk cake is very good, and the brown sugar yogurt is tasty too. Thank you for your kindness, Madam!”

“As long as you like it.” Madam Song gently patted her head. “Coincidentally, Yunmiao, your elder brother grew up under Auntie’s watch, and he’s liked horse milk cake since he was little. Today Auntie also prepared an extra portion. Will you take it home for him?”

“Take it home for my brother?” Qi Yunmiao was even more surprised.

“What, Yunmiao, don’t want to?” Madam Song looked at her.

“No.” Qi Yunmiao hurriedly shook her head. “I did bring persimmons to my brother yesterday, but he seemed not to have come home last night. If he doesn’t come home today either, what should I do with Madam’s gift?”

Such a sensible little girl.

Madam Song smiled, “So you brought persimmons to your brother yesterday? If he doesn’t come home today either, then this box of snacks will be for you. You can share it with your mother and the chancellor. How about that?”

Qi Yunmiao thought for a moment and finally nodded.

Madam Song was pleased, “Truly a thoughtful child.”

Thus, after finishing her own snacks and waiting a while longer in the flower hall, once Madam Song brought out the snack box meant for Pei Ze, Qi Yunmiao was finally free to return home.

What she did not know was that watching her departure, the nanny standing beside Madam Song whispered, “Madam intends to see how this girl brought by the new lady behaves?”

Madam Song replied slowly, “Jingxuan is the only child under Sister Liu’s care. Now that Sister Liu is no more, I must look after him properly. If the mother and daughter get along well, that’s good. If not, I will certainly stand up for Jingxuan.”