Xie Manyu took a deep breath, eyeing him warily.
Then, she quickly turned around and said, "I'm going to tell my brother."
"Hey, wait a minute."
Pei Yu hurriedly grabbed her arm. Pulling her into a corner, he lowered his voice and said,
"I heard that Bai Baozhu's attitude has changed recently. She wants to reconcile with our cousin, right?"
"You really like Bai Baozhu too, don't you? You want her to stay on as your sister-in-law."
"Let's team up. We can help our cousin and Bai Baozhu get back together. That way, you get to keep hanging out with your favorite sister-in-law, and I can take Bai Liuyue back to Jinzhong with me. It's a win-win."
Xie Manyu glared at him angrily. "You scoundrel! If you liked Bai Liuyue, where were you this whole time? She's already moved into our Marshal's Mansion, and you're only chasing after her now!"
Pei Yu let out a helpless sigh and whispered, "Before, she was too young. She wasn't even eighteen yet, so I couldn't exactly go and propose."
"She finally came of age this year, and I was planning to send a matchmaker to her door. But my father suddenly dragged me off to the Presidential Palace in the North to work, and I ended up slaving away there for over half a year."
"By the time I got back, I found out her grandfather, Bai Wenshan, had already sent her off to the Northwest. So, I rushed over here as fast as I could."
Pei Yu lamented the sheer coincidence of it all, how a series of mishaps had caused them to miss each other.
Fortunately, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
"Little cousin, you'll help me out, won't you?"
The sun must have risen in the west; this was the first time Pei Yu had ever called her "little cousin" in such a gentle tone.
Truth be told, this was exactly what she had wanted, too.
For Bai Baozhu to stay and remain her sister-in-law.
And for Bai Liuyue to leave, so everything could go back to normal.
But as Xie Manyu squeezed the little rabbit pendant in her pocket, her fingers brushing against its fluffy tail, Bai Liuyue's smiling face and the words she had just spoken flashed through her mind.
"That's why I'm a little envious of you, and why I kind of like you."
Suddenly, a lump formed in her throat.
She couldn't bring herself to speak for the longest time.
Pei Yu urged her, "Why aren't you saying anything? You were never this quiet before. Yes or no? Just give me an answer."
In reality, he didn't even need Xie Manyu's help. He just needed her to stay out of the way and not cause any trouble when the time came.
Xie Manyu stammered, "...This is about my brother's happiness. I can't make that decision for him."
"Besides, Bai Liuyue is actually quite nice."
With that, she quickened her pace and headed toward the stairs.
Pei Yu hurried after her. "Hey, fine, don't help me then. But whatever you do, do not tell our cousin about this."
"Why not?" Xie Manyu stopped in her tracks and stared at him suspiciously.
Pei Yu's lips curled into a smooth, easy smile.
"Look, you said yourself that this is about our cousin's happiness. So, you have to let him figure out for himself whether he truly prefers Bai Baozhu or Bai Liuyue."
"If he finds out that I like Bai Liuyue, his masculine pride might kick in, and he might start paying more attention to her just to compete with me."
"But that wouldn't mean he actually likes her more. It would just be his possessiveness and competitive nature acting up."
"That wouldn't be fair to anyone involved, right?"
Xie Manyu nodded thoughtfully.
She figured that even though Pei Yu could be a bit unreliable at times, he still had a good sense of boundaries when it came to the important things.
"Alright, I'll keep your secret. But you're not allowed to play dirty."
"Don't worry, I'll win her over fair and square."
Pei Yu smiled and waved at her. He watched Xie Manyu until she disappeared from sight, then finally let out a long sigh of relief.
This little princess was getting harder and harder to fool.
...
Knock, knock, knock—
Another series of knocks came from the door.
Bai Liuyue peered cautiously through the peephole, only to be met with a pair of striking peach-blossom eyes. The outer corners tilted upward slightly, exuding a sense of reckless abandon and untamed charm.
"It's me, Pei Yu," he said, waving with his signature smile.
"Young Marshal Pei, is there something I can help you with?"
Bai Liuyue didn't open the door, choosing instead to answer through the crack.
Pei Yu shook his head. "Nothing in particular. It's just that I just arrived at the Marshal's Mansion today and I'm not familiar with the layout. Could you show me around?"
"You must be joking, Young Marshal Pei. It would be much more appropriate for you to ask Young Marshal Xie or Miss Xie. I'm merely a guest here myself."
"My cousin is swamped. He's been shut in his study handling military affairs all day. As for Xie Manyu, who knows where she's run off to play? I can't find her anywhere."
"I figured since we're both from Jinzhong, we're essentially hometown friends. For the sake of our shared roots, could you really not just show me around the estate?"
Pei Yu's expressive eyes drooped slightly, making him look incredibly forlorn and helpless.
"After all, I only came all the way to the Northwest for the sake of your Bai family. Grandpa Bai told me that his youngest granddaughter was a warm-hearted and kind girl. That's the only reason I dared to bother you."
"But it seems I've... intruded." With that, he made a show of turning to leave.
His acting was terribly unconvincing.
Bai Liuyue noticed something was off almost immediately.
However, his little performance piqued her interest. What exactly was Pei Yu trying to pull?
Could he be in cahoots with Bai Baocheng?
"Alright. Wait a moment, let me change my clothes."
"Okay, I'll wait for you!" Pei Yu nodded eagerly.
When the door finally opened, a fleeting trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.
Bai Liuyue had changed out of the moon-white satin qipao with red piping she had been wearing that morning. Instead, she was dressed in her usual attire: a short blue jacket and a light pink, straight-collared ruqun skirt.
Nevertheless, she looked as stunningly beautiful as ever.
Bai Liuyue stepped out of her room and asked in a mild tone, "Let's go. Where would Young Marshal Pei like to see first?"
"Anywhere is fine."
"Then let's take a walk through the back garden," Bai Liuyue suggested. "I heard that the late Madame Marshal loved roses, so the entire backyard is filled with them."
Pei Yu readily agreed, nodding repeatedly. "Sounds good."
The two of them made their way down the first-floor corridor and out into the back garden.
The foliage was lush and vibrant. In the center of it all was a large, sprawling lawn enclosed by a wooden picket fence, completely overflowing with blooming roses. The bushes were perfectly arranged in a dazzling, overwhelming array of pale pinks, pure whites, and deep crimsons.
The air itself was thick with their rich, sweet fragrance.
They strolled along, one walking slightly ahead of the other.
Pei Yu watched her from behind, in exceptionally high spirits. The corners of his lips curled up as he couldn't help but ask,
"Have you gotten used to living in the Northwest lately?"
"It's alright."
"You definitely can't be used to it. The Northwest is so dry and full of sandstorms. It's nothing like the mild, humid climate back home in Jinzhong."
"Every place has its own unique charm."
Bai Liuyue suddenly stopped in her tracks, standing right in the middle of the rose garden.
A soft smile graced her lips. As the gentle breeze played with her hair and the hem of her skirt, it was hard to tell which was more beautiful—the blooming flowers or the girl standing among them.
"True, but wouldn't you be much happier back in Jinzhong, surrounded by your own family?" Pei Yu's ulterior motives were becoming glaringly obvious.
However, he was met with total silence.
Instead, he saw Bai Liuyue tilt her head up slightly. She offered a subtle nod toward the figure of a man in a dark military uniform standing on the second-floor balcony not far away.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she were silently mouthing the word, "Brother-in-law."
