Hu Huzi saw that Shi Feiyu’s expression looked grim and assumed he was angry that Hu Huzi had joked about military supplies.
He hurriedly said, “Look at me. This foul mouth of mine never knows when to stop. That comparison was completely wrong.”
“How could such a huge shipment of life-saving provisions and grain possibly have been coaxed out of some rich widow by a pretty boy? That would be an insult to General Shi’s abilities.”
“If sleeping with someone could really earn this much money, then we’d never have to worry about funding our wars again—”
He did not get to finish before realizing that he was only making things worse.
Sure enough, Shi Feiyu said coldly, “Deputy General Hu.”
“Yes!”
“For violating military discipline, half your pay will be docked this month.”
Hu Huzi was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body. He wailed and begged for mercy. “General, Young Lord, boss, Dad—”
“You can’t dock my pay, General! I haven’t been home in months, and my wife is already treating me like something she scraped off the bottom of a pot. If I bring home less money, I won’t survive long enough to make it back to camp.”
“Jokes are jokes, but you can’t fool around with military pay. If I come home even one coin short, my wife interrogates me for half the night. If the brothels outside weren’t so expensive, and the missing money didn’t add up, I wouldn’t have survived this long, General Shi. If you take away half a month’s pay, the butcher’s knife my wife keeps sharpening will be for my neck.”
“No matter what else I may be, this rotten life of mine can still be put to use on the battlefield.”
Hu Huzi was a hulking man built like a mountain, and watching him cry and throw a tantrum was simply unbearable.
Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji had to spend a great deal of effort before they finally threw him out of the tent.
After all that commotion, it was as if a valve had finally been opened. Shi Feiyu was still stifled with anger, but the pressure in his chest was no longer as unbearable as before.
He left the tent, sent Sanxiang and Siji away, and walked alone through the military camp.
The garrison was no longer short of supplies. Though he and Pei Liang had fallen out earlier, provisions and grain had continued to arrive without interruption. And now, after their great victory, the entire treasury of the Northern Barbarians had fallen into their hands.
Compared with the year before, the army under his command could now be called prosperous.
But Pei Liang’s actions still infuriated him—and, at the same time, made him hate himself for being unable to suppress the hope that kept raising its head despite knowing her true nature.
Her purpose in returning to the capital was an ambitious one. While the capital was left vulnerable and the political order was being reshuffled, she intended to use her identity as an ordinary commoner—someone who should never have been allowed onto the board in the first place—to seize an opportunity and become the person who would one day control the entire game.
But all of that depended on one thing: the capital absolutely could not be breached by the Northern Barbarians.
If the front lines fell and the capital was taken, then forget all her schemes and opportunism—even her life would be in danger.
With Pei Liang’s intelligence and vision, it was impossible that she would cut off his supplies over a mere disagreement between a man and a woman. That was something only a fool would do.
Rationally, he understood her motives perfectly. Yet he could not stop himself from thinking that if she truly felt nothing for him, why would she continue to help him with all her strength, without the slightest resentment, after he had spoken to her so cruelly?
That ridiculous thought was like a weed that could never be uprooted. No matter how often he cut it down and tore it out, it continued to grow back day after day.
And worst of all, his body had begun to miss her as well.
He was in the prime of his life. After breaking through the restraint he had imposed on himself, he had learned the pleasure of desire and could no longer forget it.
When he had been busy fighting, it had been bearable so long as he had an outlet. But now that the situation had settled and the nights had grown quiet, things became much harder.
Again and again, his mind involuntarily recalled the soul-searing pleasure of that night: the warmth of her skin, the sounds she had made as she lost herself, and the alluring charm she had revealed.
“Empty, lonely, and cold” was not merely a saying. When the night deepened and one’s heart was at its most vulnerable, the sense of grievance only grew stronger.
Though he was far from her, traces that reminded him of her could be found everywhere in the military camp.
That day, the food was especially abundant because it was the New Year.
The elite soldiers who had once accompanied Shi Feiyu south to suppress the bandits had since established themselves in the army, each becoming a commander of one rank or another.
Shi Feiyu was eating together with the other officers when one of them sighed, “It’s hard to believe. Before the New Year, things were still so difficult. Winter was almost upon us, yet the soldiers didn’t even have proper padded clothes, and our meals were growing thinner by the day.”
“The Northern Barbarians were on the verge of invading, while those wine-soaked fools in the imperial court were still dreaming of peace and prosperity. They expected us to fight cavalry with our bare hands, didn’t they?”
“Back then, the general was so worried he could hardly sleep. Any soldier with a bit of sense had already prepared himself to die on the battlefield.”
“But before we had been worried for long, food and weapons suddenly appeared. Cartload after cartload, as though they had fallen straight from the heavens.”
“The soldiers had enough to eat, our weapons were sharp, and we had thought we might not live to see the New Year. Yet here we are, enjoying a feast in peace.”
Shi Feiyu listened and suddenly found that he had no appetite.
The officers, however, had become increasingly animated.
“Speaking of which, the supplies sent by the court were always in terrible condition after passing through layer upon layer of greedy hands, weren’t they?”
“But this time, the grain is solid and properly measured, and the winter clothes are stuffed full of thick cotton and duck down. They’re nothing like the clothes from previous years. Some of those were even padded with reeds.”
“Forget about that now. The corrupt official responsible has already been executed by our general, hasn’t he?”
“The most important thing is that the ironware is sturdy and durable. I don’t know how it was smelted, but they say another kind of refined steel was mixed into it. In the past, our weapons would chip after just a few clashes. This time, when blades met, the Northern Barbarians’ weapons actually broke.”
“Hahahaha! I’ll never forget the look on the Northern Barbarians’ faces.”
“Enough, enough. You can’t call them that anymore. They’re comrades in the army now, after all.”
“And those crossbows were incredible. One volley was enough to make the enemy lose their nerve before they even got close. Naturally, the battle was won with ease.”
Every one of those achievements represented her blood, sweat, and effort. The casualties, which Shi Feiyu had originally expected to be high, had amounted to less than a tenth of that number.
The great victory, the soldiers’ vivid smiles, the harmonious atmosphere, and the open road ahead—all of it was so powerfully present.
How could he deliberately suppress his feelings?
Then, just as if to make matters worse, someone suddenly brought her up.
One of the soldiers who had taken part in the bandit campaign said, “If we’re talking about food on the march, nothing compares to the way Owner Pei arranged it.”
“Those days were rough—we slept under the open sky and ate wherever we could—but as long as we thought about the three meals waiting for us each day, we had something to look forward to no matter what we were doing.”
“Exactly. Those were the best days we ever had during a military campaign. The bandits were easy to suppress, the food was delicious, and Owner Pei’s cooking—well, even in times of peace, with money to spare, it wouldn’t be easy to eat something like that.”
“Has Owner Pei already returned to the capital?”
“She went back long ago. Didn’t Sanxiang and Siji mention it? She returned before the New Year and opened a restaurant.”
“Now that the war is over, once we break camp and return to the capital, we have to go try it.”
Shi Feiyu rose and returned to his tent with an expressionless face.
After settling matters in the rear, Shi Feiyu ultimately had to return to the capital.
News of the Northern Garrison Army’s great victory reached the capital. The people, who had initially been frightened out of their wits by the emperor leading the court southward in flight, began rushing into the streets, cheering and celebrating.
On the day Shi Feiyu returned with several thousand men to take over the imperial palace and rebuild the government, the entire city turned out to welcome him.
Amid the imposing procession of soldiers and ceremonial guards, Shi Feiyu rode at the very front, clad in armor and draped in a scarlet cape.
He had always been the dream lover of countless young women in the capital. Now, having returned victorious from battle, with glory added to his name, he was even more extraordinary and possessed a beauty that seemed almost otherworldly.
In the eyes of the young ladies and married women alike, he was practically a god descended to earth—valiant and peerless. There was no man in the world who could compare with him.
If the victorious army had not maintained such a dignified bearing, marching with solemn, disciplined steps, those young women and wives would have been throwing handkerchiefs and flowers at General Shi.
Tianxiang Tower stood on the busiest street in the city, and Shi Feiyu’s route would inevitably take him past it.
Amid the packed crowds, Shi Feiyu suddenly felt something as he passed Tianxiang Tower.
He looked up and saw Pei Liang in one of the private rooms on the second floor.
The window of the room was wide open. She was leaning lazily against the sill, watching him.
When their eyes met, she gave him a smile.
There was no great surge of excitement in that smile, as though his victory today had been only to be expected.
Yet with that single glance, the emotions Shi Feiyu had spent several months barely managing to calm erupted once more, churning like a storm-tossed sea.
His heart was filled with resentment, grievance, and bitterness. But in the very next moment, all of that was replaced by shock, anger, and suspicion.
Because at some point, a young man had appeared beside Pei Liang. He looked to be around the same age as Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji, somewhat immature yet strikingly handsome, with a lively air about him.
He was smiling as he said something to Pei Liang, and she replied to him from time to time.
The young man’s eyes were full of unconcealed admiration. Every word and smile was an attempt to curry favor with her.
Shi Feiyu was so enraged that his mind went blank.
How long had he been gone? And someone had already taken his place?
Well, she was so lavish with her money. As Hu Huzi had said, how many men in this world could possibly resist her?
She would not even need to give that much. With only the little she had once given him, countless shameless pretty boys would have scrambled over one another to get close to her.
But when he thought of it that way, it seemed as though his own persistence was what made him ungrateful and unreasonable.
Shi Feiyu’s thoughts descended into chaos, darkness swimming before his eyes as killing intent radiated from him.
At that moment, he used every ounce of reason he possessed to keep himself from losing control in front of the entire city.
After the threat of the northern barbarians’ invasion, the people had lived in fear for several months. Now that he had returned, he had to give them an unshakable sense of security.
Shi Feiyu shot the young man a venomous glare before forcing himself to turn away and continue onward without delay.
The young man seemed to have been frightened. He shrank behind Pei Liang and said, “Hiss… General Shi is terrifying.”
Pei Liang smiled. “He was glaring at me, not you. If I’m not afraid, what are you afraid of?”
The young man—none other than Jiang Yuying, the youngest grandson of the leader of the Grain Transporters’ Guild—thought to himself that this was no ordinary glare. It was plainly the look of someone who wanted to skin him alive.
Still, Jiang Yuying had a different opinion of this man whom both his grandfather and Sister Liang had deemed worth betting on.
Meanwhile, Shi Feiyu entered the palace directly.
Although the emperor had fled south, the imperial palace was by no means empty. The eunuchs and palace maids who had not been taken along, as well as several neglected consorts, had shut themselves inside the palace gates after being abandoned by the emperor, trembling with anxiety.
If the city’s order had collapsed into chaos, these people would probably have been attacked by rioters and met with disaster. Fortunately, Pei Liang had quickly joined forces with various parties to stabilize the situation.
The people remaining in the palace were living under somewhat difficult conditions, but they were managing to get by.
When Shi Feiyu returned, the consort with the highest rank among those left behind seemed to have found a pillar to rely on and handed control over to him.
After all, in such troubled times, even the emperor had fled. There was no point in continuing to serve him. Even if Shi Feiyu harbored ambitions and sought to seize power, at least he would fight the northern barbarians and protect the people. He was far better than that spineless emperor who had cared only about saving his own life.
Shi Feiyu took over the imperial palace without the slightest obstruction.
The emperor had fled in such haste that, despite ransacking the palace and taking as many valuables as he could, he naturally could not move away the accumulated wealth and resources of an entire dynasty in such a short time.
The vast palace still contained an immeasurable legacy of rule.
After taking over, Shi Feiyu made no attempt to be polite and put the former eunuchs and palace maids to work. They understood the palace better than anyone else, and with each person returning to his or her proper duties, the process of reorganizing and taking control became twice as efficient.
He then gathered the minor and mid-ranking officials in the capital who had not been taken away. He appointed and dismissed them according to their ability to respond to the situation after the emperor’s flight, while also transferring a number of his own people over.
Before long, order in the capital had been restored. It was no longer a situation held together by capable civilians acting on their own.
Shi Feiyu had known that Pei Liang was capable. But after arranging the affairs of the rear and ensuring that he had no worries behind him, he had to admit that, setting aside her heartless betrayal, she had contributed immensely to this great victory and to the stability of the capital.
Yet the moment he thought of her, he also thought of the young man standing beside her.
Shi Feiyu had sent people to investigate. Apparently, the young man was the grandson of the leader of the Grain Transporters’ Guild.
Pei Liang had already recruited the guild leader to her side. The Grain Transporters’ Guild lacked neither manpower nor money, but its current leader wished to elevate his family’s status and turn them into a truly prominent clan.
Pei Liang had therefore introduced him to every contender in these troubled times who showed the potential to claim the throne. After comparing them all, the guild leader quickly came to approve of Pei Liang’s judgment.
He chose to invest early.
The reason Pei Liang had been able to transport such a large quantity of military supplies to the capital so smoothly and discreetly was naturally because the Grain Transporters’ Guild had contributed greatly.
The guild’s elderly leader was advanced in years and could no longer travel around conveniently, so the younger generation had naturally taken over the errands, communications, and inspections.
It was said that this youngest grandson was the old leader’s favorite.
The fact that Jiang Yuying was merely a business partner caused Shi Feiyu to relax slightly. Even the stern expression he had worn since entering the palace eased.
Qiu Sanxiang said, “Owner Pei really should have shown a little more restraint. But she has traveled far and wide doing business, so perhaps she simply cannot be judged by ordinary standards. Young Lord, are you at ease now?”
“There was nothing to worry about in the first place,” Shi Feiyu said coldly. “You were the ones making a fuss and sending people to investigate.”
Tsk. What a thing to say. If they had not investigated, everyone around him would probably have been frightened to death by now.
Ying Siji waved his hand and said with a laugh, “Ah, I’m telling you, this worry was completely unnecessary. Owner Pei is a clever businesswoman.”
“When businesspeople associate with one another, every account is kept separate, and nothing is more taboo than becoming personally entangled. Since the Grain Transporters’ Guild is frequently working with Owner Pei, she naturally wouldn’t set her sights on the guild leader’s grandson.”
He had barely finished speaking when he saw their Young Lord stiffen.
That statement did not seem quite so certain after all. By her own logic, did that mean they were not worth cooperating with? Surely they were worth far more than the Grain Transporters’ Guild.
But what had she done to him?
The emotions that had only just begun to settle grew restless once more. Yet Shi Feiyu also felt that if he went back to look for her again, he would be acting like a spineless fool.
So he forced himself to bury his head in official business and forget this tangled mess of feelings—feelings he could not make sense of himself.
The news of the great victory naturally could not be concealed from the court that had fled south. Although the information reached them with some delay, and Shi Feiyu had deliberately exploited the difference in timing, if he wanted to claim all under heaven, he had to use this favorable situation to make his actions legitimate.
Seeing that the time was right, Shi Feiyu had the news released, then personally wrote a report of the victory.
When the Southern court learned of the great victory, it naturally rejoiced. But after the delight of surviving the calamity came the need to confront the sorry spectacle of abandoning the city and fleeing.
The fact that the capital had never ultimately fallen, and that the soldiers at the front had not allowed the Northern Barbarians to advance even one step farther, made the reputation of those who had fled south all the worse.
Thus, from the Emperor downward, everyone began making their own calculations.
After much discussion, they reached a decision: Shi Feiyu would lead his army south to welcome the imperial retinue. No matter how it was handled publicly or privately, they had to restore the imperial dignity that had been lost during the escape.
When Shi Feiyu received the imperial edict, he merely let out a cold laugh and consigned it to the flames. He was in no hurry.
He had been campaigning outside the capital for months. After returning, he had been busy digesting and consolidating his gains, leaving himself no time to relax.
That day was the anniversary of his birth mother’s death. Shi Feiyu brought along his personal guards to pay respects at her grave.
Before the new year, he had still been thinking that, constrained by clan laws and propriety, he could not formally marry his beloved. He had planned to bring her to his mother’s grave, bow to Heaven, Earth, and his parents, and at least establish the substance of husband and wife.
But now, looking back, all that eager anticipation seemed like a joke.
Whenever Shi Feiyu thought of Pei Liang, he became irritated and stifled. He claimed to disdain seeing her, yet in his heart he resented that, despite knowing he had returned to the capital, she had not come looking for him all this time.
Leaving everything else aside, was she not afraid that all the effort she had invested in him would go to waste?
In a foul mood, Shi Feiyu headed back. He dismissed his guards and wandered aimlessly with only Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji accompanying him.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Tianxiang Tower once more. Since the three of them had often visited before, the staff there recognized them.
Shi Feiyu had not intended to go inside, but when one of the attendants saw him, he called out, “Isn’t that Young Master Shi? Have you come to see the proprietor?”
“Unfortunately, the proprietor isn’t here today. But Chef Lin’s roast duck is exceptionally beautiful today. Why don’t you come in and try it?”
Shi Feiyu hesitated, then entered the Tianxiang Tower after all.
After buying the Tianxiang Tower from the Wei family, Pei Liang had not renovated it. When the Wei family had operated it, the establishment had mainly served high-ranking officials and noble families, so its appearance was naturally already excellent. Apart from replacing a few ornaments and furnishings, she had simply reopened it.
Shi Feiyu did not enter a private room. Instead, he chose a spot on the second floor with a good view.
He ordered several dishes with Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji. While waiting for the food, he looked around and assessed the Tianxiang Tower.
When the Northern Barbarians had invaded in winter, the people of the capital had been terrified. Every household had kept its gates tightly shut, and most shops had closed.
With the city in such imminent danger, naturally no one had been in the mood to venture out merely to satisfy their appetites.
Now that the frontier had won a great victory and even the Northern royal court had been destroyed, the capital’s people had regained their sense of security. At the same time, the desire to spend that had been suppressed for months erupted all at once.
Business was now booming in every establishment. Commercial activity had resumed, and the entire capital quickly regained its vitality.
Watching the smiling faces of the people passing by, Shi Feiyu felt rather comforted.
At that moment, the conversation of a nearby table drifted into their ears. The men there were drinking and chatting.
One customer complained indignantly, “When we first married, my wife was gentle, considerate, and attentive. It hasn’t even been three years, and now she’s perfunctory in everything she does and looks down on me.”
“For no reason at all, she’ll curse me a few times before she’s satisfied. This life is impossible to live.”
Another customer at the table laughed at him. “You already think it’s impossible to live? It’s still early.”
“Oh? Brother Zhu, what do you mean by that?”
The man surnamed Zhu said, “My wife and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up together, and our affection for each other was naturally deep.”
“When we first married, we were deeply in love. Nothing could have torn us apart.”
“But in the second year, her temperament turned cold. By the third year, she was just like Brother Zhou here—everything about me displeased her. The slightest thing would set her off, and then I’d be subjected to a thorough scolding.”
“Now we’ve been married seven years. My wife treats the donkey at the mill better than she treats me. Often, we’ll be eating, and she’ll suddenly smack me and say that just looking at me annoys her.”
The customer who had been complaining said, “How outrageous! As the head of the household, how can you allow yourself to be humiliated like that? Brother Zhu, you shouldn’t indulge your wife.”
The man surnamed Zhu replied coldly, “If you have the ability, Brother Zhou, then go vent your anger directly on your own wife. Don’t just sit here drinking and complaining to us.”
So love could disappear?
Listening to this bit of gossip from the streets, Shi Feiyu’s thoughts inexplicably turned to the conclusion that, by comparison, Pei Liang had actually treated him rather well.
She claimed she was keeping him, but she had never lacked the care, attentiveness, and tender affection that ought to exist between lovers. Moreover, according to Hu Huzi and these men’s accounts, those unfortunate husbands who had married shrewish wives did not seem to possess even a shred more dignity than he did.
At least he was unlikely to be smacked twice in the middle of a meal. Though their relationship involved humiliation, Pei Liang was not the sort of person who took pleasure in trampling on and insulting others.
On the contrary, she cared deeply about his feelings and self-respect. That was also why he had failed to realize that the bastard had deceived him into sleeping with her.
At this thought, Shi Feiyu suddenly came to his senses.
Something was wrong. Why did his thoughts sound as though he were making excuses for that bastard?
Just as he was condemning himself, the men at the neighboring table continued.
“This crispy pork is really excellent. Shall we order another plate?”
“Forget it, forget it. I don’t have much money left in my pocket. We have to save wherever we can.”
“I say, the two of you are far too stingy. It’s not easy to get a table at the Tianxiang Tower. Since you’ve finally come, you should eat to your heart’s content. Why quibble over the price of one or two small dishes?”
“Brother Cai is lucky. His sister-in-law is gentle and virtuous and never restricts him, so naturally he can live freely.”
“We’ve already spent nearly all our money for the month. Of course we can’t compare with Brother Cai’s extravagance.”
“It’s only the third day of the month, and you’ve already run out? What did you spend it on?”
“On this meal, of course.”
Brother Cai glanced at the dishes on the table. None of them were expensive signature dishes; they were all ordinary fare.
He laughed. “How have the two of you become so hard up?”
“If our wives don’t give us money, how are we supposed to be generous?”
“We each get only a few coins a month. Even when buying a sesame cake, we have to think it over two or three times. The fact that we managed to get together today is already because our wives, mindful of this great victory, were feeling unusually generous.”
“Don’t tell me you two don’t have any private savings? With your ability to earn money, Brother Zhou and Brother Zhu, surely you’ve managed to hide away a little for spending.”
“Silver? What’s that?”
“Isn’t the largest denomination of currency in this world the copper coin?”
“Hahaha, your wife has tricked you. My wife clearly told me that there was gold hidden inside copper coins. So now, every time I spend one, I’m afraid I might be losing out, and I’ve become even more frugal.”
Brother Cai shook his head. “Brothers, you should hide away some private money. It’s pitiful to see you like this.”
“Private money?” The two men sneered.
Brother Zhu said, “Didn’t I disappear for half a month last year? What do you think that was about?”
“What was it about?”
“I had hidden more than a dozen copper coins inside the wall. They were discovered, and I nearly lost half my life.”
Brother Zhou said, “You were too careless. More than a dozen copper coins—a fortune like that hidden in one place? You got beaten, and the money flew away too. Next time, hide one coin in each place. At least then, if you take a beating, it’ll be worth it.”
Brother Cai: “...I-I’ll go buy some pastries my wife likes on the way home. Thank Heaven for sparing me a beating.”
Shi Feiyu, Qiu Sanxiang, and Ying Siji: “…”
Was this what married men were like these days? By comparison, being kept really did seem like the more cost-effective arrangement.
Shi Feiyu thought that, at the very least, Pei Liang had always been extravagantly generous with him. He had never had to suffer the misery of racking his brains over a single coin. Just to make him smile, Pei Liang had spent an enormous fortune showering him with fine clothes and exquisite accessories.
And even after they had fallen out, she had continued to provide generous support. The value of all those supplies alone was difficult to estimate.
Everything was afraid of comparison. Looked at this way, Shi Feiyu suddenly felt that he seemed superior to others in every respect.
Had she simply given him too much?
Shi Feiyu had never considered himself a man whose mind could easily be changed by others. Yet at that moment, alarm bells suddenly began ringing in his heart, as if something fierce and unstoppable were bearing down on him—something even his iron will might not be able to withstand.
His dignity was barely holding out against attacks from every direction when another group of guests came upstairs.
They were regulars at Tianxiang Restaurant, familiar even to Shi Feiyu.
After sitting down and ordering their food, they casually asked whether Owner Pei was the head chef today.
When they learned she was not, they were a little disappointed.
One of the guests said, “Owner Pei hasn’t been spending much time at Tianxiang Restaurant lately.”
“Ah, Owner Pei has a happy occasion coming up. We should be understanding. Besides, Chef Lin and the others have already gotten the hang of things, so the food tastes just as good.”
“Oh? What happy occasion does Owner Pei have coming up? Where did you hear that?”
“Isn’t there a handsome young gentleman who’s been coming and going with Owner Pei lately? Someone made inquiries. Apparently, he’s an old acquaintance from the years Owner Pei spent studying culinary arts in the south.”
“That young man is the very picture of refinement, and he’s attentive to Owner Pei in every way, doing everything he can to please her. Some busybody teased him and asked whether he was planning to marry Owner Pei. Do you know what he said?”
“What?”
“He said, ‘What virtue or ability does Yu Ying possess to dare entertain such a fantasy? Sister Liang’s beauty and character are peerless. How could an ordinary man possibly be worthy of her? I, too, am only a common man, and naturally I long for the happiness of being treasured at the center of someone’s heart and indulged in every way.’”
“‘If Sister Liang would only favor me, I’d gladly be her ox or horse in my next life. It would all be worth it.’”
Everyone loved this sort of scandalous gossip.
But Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji’s teeth nearly ached from the sweetness of it.
Perhaps because their Young Lord had personally demonstrated the phenomenon recently, they now understood that some men’s words and actions could carry a distinct whiff of tea.
Now that they were hearing about the young master of the Grain Transport Guild through someone else’s account, they could practically smell that overpowering tea fragrance from him.
The two men turned around, intending to express their disgust to their Young Lord, only to see the expression on his face.
He looked like a vengeful ghost.
The sight frightened them so badly that they both shuddered and dragged their chairs several inches away.
Someone suddenly remembered something. “Wait, wasn’t it said that Owner Pei and General Shi—”
Another person sighed. “Ah, well. No matter how you look at it, a noble family and a businesswoman aren’t a good match.”
“With Owner Pei’s looks and abilities, she hardly needs to marry into a noble household only to lower herself and endure humiliation.”
The group was chatting enthusiastically when, for no apparent reason, a chill ran down their spines. They turned around and saw General Shi standing right behind them.
His expression was grim enough to frighten them into complete silence.
Shi Feiyu abruptly rose to his feet and walked straight out of Tianxiang Restaurant.
Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji followed. When they saw that their Young Lord was heading directly toward the Pei residence, they followed along with grim determination—and some trepidation.
The gate guards at the Pei residence did not stop Shi Feiyu when they saw him.
But he was radiating such murderous intent that he did not wait to be announced. He went straight to the dining room and kicked the door open.
It was dinnertime, and Pei Liang was in the middle of a meal, with Jiang Yuying dining beside her.
The two were sitting very close together, chatting and laughing. Jiang Yuying was even serving Pei Liang food, attentive to the point of obsequiousness.
The sight sent jealousy surging through Shi Feiyu, and his fury soared to the heavens.
When Pei Liang saw him, she merely raised an eyebrow. Without even setting down her chopsticks, she asked lazily, “After our last parting, I thought General Shi would never visit my humble home again. What brings you here today?”
Shi Feiyu did not answer her. His eyes remained fixed on Jiang Yuying as he asked Pei Liang instead, “Why is he here?”
Jiang Yuying set down his chopsticks. His entire air was pure and sweet, almost disarmingly well-behaved—the sort of appearance that easily inspired goodwill in ordinary people.
Even Shi Feiyu, who had never paid much attention to matters between men and women, knew that Jiang Yuying’s looks and bearing were precisely the sort women found attractive.
At that moment, Jiang Yuying completely ignored Shi Feiyu’s hostility. He smiled softly and said, “I came to the capital alone, with no one to rely on.”
“Of course, I have relatives and old family friends I could stay with, but we’re ultimately strangers, and it would be awkward. Sister Liang and I have always been close. She’s kind and warmhearted, so although the capital is unfamiliar and intimidating, being with Sister Liang leaves me without a care in the world.”
This was an outright lie.
What wealthy young master in this era traveled alone? Jiang Yuying was the young master of the Grain Transport Guild. How could he possibly have made the journey without a sizable escort?
Yet here he was, putting on an act of helpless fragility. The sight made Shi Feiyu’s temper flare.
He ignored Jiang Yuying and asked Pei Liang directly, “What is your relationship with him? Is it—”
Pei Liang glanced at Jiang Yuying. She was not quite heartless enough to answer carelessly.
After all, when she had first met the boy, he had only been thirteen or fourteen, barely more than a child. She had practically watched him grow up. No matter how heartless she was, she would never make a move on a child she had raised in all but name.
But in Shi Feiyu’s eyes, that brief look at Jiang Yuying took on an entirely different meaning.
It was as though Jiang Yuying had originally not been interested, but had now reminded her to consider the possibility.
The last thread in Shi Feiyu’s mind was close to snapping. Jiang Yuying, however, seemed to think the pressure was still insufficient.
He said, “Sister Liang and I are naturally as close as brother and sister. We share everything. To me, Sister Liang is just like my own sister. Our relationship couldn’t be more innocent.”
“General Shi, please don’t misunderstand.”
Yet no sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Yuying leaned over and snatched away the last piece of pastry Pei Liang had just picked up.
With a bright smile, he said to Pei Liang, “The last one belongs to me.”
Shi Feiyu was so furious he nearly drew his sword. Jiang Yuying seemed to sense it and turned around, offering an embarrassed smile.
“My apologies for making General Shi witness that. I’ve always enjoyed fooling around with my sisters at home. Everyone’s used to it, and no one minds. I treat Sister Liang like my own sister, so I was merely being overly familiar and forgot there was an outsider present. That was inappropriate.”
Then he asked Pei Liang timidly, “General Shi doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood. Do noble families place great importance on propriety? Did I embarrass you and Sister Liang?”
“I’m sorry, Sister. I didn’t mean to.”
Qiu Sanxiang and Ying Siji, who had followed Shi Feiyu inside, drew in a sharp breath.
Good heavens. They had already heard about this boy’s behavior from other people and had been mentally prepared on the way here.
But the rumors hadn’t even conveyed one ten-thousandth of the real thing. It had only taken a few sentences for the tea-like sweetness of his act to become so overpowering that they nearly retched.
Pei Liang knew that Jiang Yuying was sly by nature and fond of acting spoiled. This was simply how they had always interacted, so she thought nothing of it.
But Shi Feiyu was another matter entirely. If he had not still been mindful of the greater situation, Jiang Yuying would never have walked out of that room in one piece.
Grinding his teeth, Shi Feiyu growled at Jiang Yuying, “Get out!”
Who could have imagined that Jiang Yuying would not be cowed by the murderous aura? Instead, his eyes filled with mist, growing completely dewy.
He looked utterly aggrieved. His brows took on a melancholy shape, and the corners of his eyes suddenly became so pitifully appealing that he resembled an abandoned puppy, impossible not to feel sorry for.
He said, “I-I see. So I really am the sort of person no one likes?”
“General Shi, I’m sorry. I was in poor health when I was young, and my sisters at home often indulged me. Ever since we met, even Sister Liang has treated me with the utmost consideration. As a result, I’ve developed the habit of causing trouble for others without realizing it.”
“If I’ve offended you in any way, please feel free to tell me, and I’ll correct myself. If possible, I truly would like to get along with every one of Sister Liang’s companions.”
Shi Feiyu had already drawn half his blade when Ying Siji rushed over and held him back. Qiu Sanxiang then stepped forward, clapped a hand over Jiang Yuying’s mouth without a word, and dragged him outside.
Only after leaving the courtyard did the two men let go. They glared at Jiang Yuying and said, “Don’t say another word. Every single thing you say gives us the creeps.”
“If the two of us hadn’t reacted quickly, pretty boy, you’d be a corpse beneath General Shi’s blade by now.”
At that moment, however, Jiang Yuying’s expression shifted. The aggrieved look vanished without a trace, replaced by a faintly mocking smile.
“If I had already become a corpse beneath his blade, then it would be even more impossible for me to understand why Sister Liang and Grandfather chose General Shi.”
At his words, Siji was left looking utterly baffled, while Sanxiang fell into thoughtful silence.
Meanwhile, inside the dining hall, only Shi Feiyu and Pei Liang remained.
Shi Feiyu stepped forward, swept Pei Liang up into his arms, hoisted her over his shoulder, and carried her toward the inner room.
Pei Liang had already been surprised that he had returned to find her so soon. His behavior now was even more unlike his usual self.
She asked, “What are you doing?”
Shi Feiyu pressed her down onto the bed and said with solemn gravity, “During the war, Owner Pei generously provided funds, enabling our army to advance victoriously. The value of the supplies you added on several occasions is impossible to measure.”
“Such immense kindness can never be repaid. I, Shi, can only offer my body in return for a fraction of it.”
