On the way back from Yifu Hall to Anle Residence, Shen Ninghuan remained very quiet.
The morning light filtered through the courtyard's flowers and trees, casting mottled shadows on her face. Her steps were unhurried, her skirt lightly brushing against the bluestone slabs, her posture as dignified and proper as always, yet her thoughts had already drifted far away.
Rebirth.
This word echoed repeatedly in her heart.
The fragmented scenes that had previously surged from Shen Ningyue's mind—the glory of Pei Ciling being enfeoffed as a duke and appointed as a general in their past life, her own honor as a duke's wife, and the determination of "finally snatching it this lifetime"—were already irrefutable evidence.
Her younger sister.
Had been reborn!
It was just that everything after this rebirth didn't seem to be going her way!
Shen Ninghuan lowered her eyes slightly, concealing a faint trace of irony in their depths. The foolish sister only felt bewildered by the differences between the past and present lives. Although she hadn't seen the whole picture, she understood a thing or two.
Interesting.
Truly interesting.
Shen Ningyue fully believed that by being reborn, she could seize the initiative and take away everything from her. Little did she know that the karma in this world was like a giant spider web; pulling one thread would move the whole thing. If she had peacefully followed the path of her past life, she might have achieved a similar ending. But she just had to climb into Pei Ciling's bed and snatch the position of the heir's wife—this single move had already tangled all the threads.
How did Pei Ciling step by step reach a high position in the previous life?
Shen Ninghuan carefully recalled the fragments that flashed through Shen Ningyue's mind—border wars, court struggles, imperial favor... It seemed logical, but upon closer inspection, every crucial turning point vaguely had shadows of her own mediation and management.
That was it.
Since she had married Pei Ciling in her past life.
With her temperament, as husband and wife, she naturally would have assisted him with all her heart. With her means and connections, maneuvering for him in the court, stabilizing his foundation in the inner courtyard, and even devising strategies for him... she probably did quite a lot.
And as for this person, Pei Ciling—
Shen Ninghuan remembered his crazy, reckless appearance for "love" when they met in the corridor just now; she remembered his foolishness in repeatedly claiming "mutual affection" in the main hall in front of the elders of both families; she remembered his impulse to defend Shen Ningyue when he couldn't even withstand a few warning words from his mother, Madam Li...
Such a man who is easily swayed by emotions, acts regardless of consequences, and lacks sufficient wrist and shrewdness, if no one was by his side to carefully guide and manage everything for him.
Could he really reach the position of a duke on his own?
Shen Ninghuan highly doubted it.
Although Marquis Weiyuan's Mansion was a noble family, there were countless people in the court eyeing those highest positions.
Military promotion relied not only on military merits but also on the emperor's favor, court connections, and a stable rear. If Pei Ciling continued to act so emotionally and recklessly, let alone making any earth-shattering contributions, it would be a blessing if he didn't fall into pits dug by others.
"The me in my sister's memories of the past life... sure had it hard."
Shen Ninghuan sighed lightly in her heart, but felt no regret and not much emotion.
Since the trajectory of life had changed, all those things from the past life had nothing to do with her. Moreover, she had never experienced this past life to begin with. Since Shen Ningyue longed for the honor of being a "duke's wife," let her fight for it herself.
But—
Shen Ninghuan's eyes deepened.
With Shen Ningyue's limited vision and means, she probably couldn't even handle this small inner courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, yet she wanted to assist Pei Ciling to a high position? In the end, she probably wouldn't even be able to secure the position of a concubine.
Just as she was pondering, a slender hand suddenly waved in front of her eyes.
Shen Ninghuan snapped back to reality and looked up—
Pei Cijing had stopped walking at some point and was standing in front of her, leaning over slightly, looking at her with a pair of eyes containing a smile and a bit of confusion.
The sunlight spilled from behind him, plating his silhouette with a layer of pale gold. In that casual expression, there was actually a rare trace of focus.
"What's wrong, Husband?" Shen Ninghuan steadied her mind and asked gently.
The two had returned to the door of the main room of Anle Residence. The maids and servants tactfully retreated to the corridor, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard.
Pei Cijing coughed lightly, and an unnatural, almost shy look actually floated on his face.
He pulled out a palm-sized white jade bottle from his sleeve. The bottle was warm and translucent, gleaming with a lustrous shine in the sunlight.
"Wife, I have a gift I want to give you."
He gently placed the jade bottle in Shen Ninghuan's palm.
The bottle still carried his body heat.
It felt slightly warm to the touch.
Shen Ninghuan looked down—the bottle contained a pill the size of a longan, completely black, but faintly revealing a very light jade-colored luster. A faint medicinal fragrance escaped from the mouth of the bottle, clear and refreshing. Just smelling it made one's mind feel clear.
She already knew in her heart what this was.
From those mutterings in Pei Cijing's heart, she had long known of the existence of this "Face Preserving Pill"—produced by the system, one pill could preserve one's youth for a hundred years. He had planned in the main hall of the Shen family to save enough points to exchange for a bottle, giving one pill to his parents, one to himself, and one to his future wife.
Now, this "future wife" had become her, and he had indeed delivered the pill to her hands.
Shen Ninghuan's heart warmed slightly, but on the surface, she still feigned curiosity, looking up at him: "Husband, what is this?"
Pei Cijing's ears turned slightly red, and his eyes darted around before he lowered his voice and said, "A few days ago, I met an old Taoist priest with a fairy-like demeanor outside the city. He said he had an affinity with me... ahem, with this face of mine."
As he spoke, he even pretended to be serious and stroked his chin, looking like "I'm handsome and I'm helpless about it too."
"The Taoist priest said he couldn't bear to see my handsome face fade with time, so he gave me a bottle of pills called the 'Face Preserving Pill'. Taking one pill can keep one's face unchanged for a hundred years." Pei Cijing spoke solemnly, but his eyes flickered a bit. Obviously, even he felt a little guilty making up this excuse. "I thought... since we are husband and wife, we should naturally share our blessings. So I am giving one of these pills to you, my wife."
Shen Ninghuan listened quietly, the smile in her eyes deepening.
She could naturally "hear" the true sequence of events in Pei Cijing's heart—
That day at the Shen residence, witnessing the huge drama of the "marriage swap" firsthand, as one of the core victims, the system had settled a full one thousand gossip points. He was ecstatic in his heart at the time and almost laughed out loud in the solemn main hall. He forcefully held it back, and the first thing he did upon returning to the mansion was to open the system mall and heroically exchange for that bottle of Face Preserving Pills he had been longing for.
Valued at five thousand points, one bottle contained five pills.
Not sold separately.
His remaining gossip points were left with a fraction of 399.
As for this rhetoric about the "old Taoist priest"...
Shen Ninghuan looked at Pei Cijing's expression of "I made this up very seriously, please believe me" and almost laughed out loud. This husband of hers, even when telling a lie, was so... plain and cute.
She naturally had to cooperate attentively!
"An old Taoist priest?" Shen Ninghuan tilted her head slightly, her eyes timely revealing a bit of perfectly measured surprise and curiosity. "There is actually such a strange person? I wonder which immortal mountain this master is from?"
Pei Cijing coughed dryly, his eyes drifting to the osmanthus tree in the courtyard. "Well... the Taoist priest's whereabouts are ethereal, and he never mentioned his origins. He only said that people gather when fate comes and part when fate ends. Giving the pills was just to conclude a predestined relationship, and if we are fated in the future, we will naturally meet again!"
He made it sound incredibly mysterious, but inside, his heart was secretly pounding: I definitely cannot mention the System. If I do, she will not understand, and it will be too easy for her to think I am out of my mind. Anyway, the System is just an emotionless program; it will not jump out and expose me...
Shen Ninghuan could not help but smile. She lowered her eyelashes, hiding the swirling amusement in her eyes.
She did not press the matter further. Instead, she gently held the jade bottle in her palm. When she looked up at him, a warm, soft light rippled in her eyes: "Thank you, Husband. I really like this gift."
She truly did like it.
It was not just because of the pill's miraculous effects, but more so because of the heartfelt intentions of the one who gave it.
Seeing her accept it, Pei Cijing visibly breathed a sigh of relief. His brow relaxed, and he returned to his usual lazy smile: "As long as my wife likes it."
Shen Ninghuan looked up at him.
Sunlight fell into his smiling eyes, rippling like shattered gold. Deep within that smile hid a faint tenderness that perhaps even he himself had not noticed.
Shen Ninghuan's gaze softened.
She suddenly reached out and gently tugged at Pei Cijing's sleeve.
Pei Cijing was taken aback.
"Husband." Shen Ninghuan lifted her face, the sunlight reflecting in her clear eyes. The smile in them was light but sincere. "Unchanging beauty is certainly tempting, but compared to a face that remains the same for a hundred years, I would much rather be with you, Husband—sharing one heart and one mind, year after year."
Her voice was very soft, yet every word was clear.
Pei Cijing felt as if something had gently bumped against his chest. A tingling sensation spread from there, rushing all the way to the tips of his ears.
He looked at her calm features, at the gentle yet firm curve of her lips, and suddenly felt that this marriage, which had begun with a switched bride, might truly be the greatest surprise heaven had gifted him across two lifetimes.
"Alright." He turned his hand to grasp hers, his palm warm, enveloping her slender fingers in his grasp. "Year after year, sharing one heart and one mind."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
The rich fragrance of osmanthus in the courtyard drifted over with the wind, wrapping around the quiet tenderness of this moment, brewing into the sweetest wisp of warmth in the early autumn.
