Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Xiao Lin's border inspection would last at least a month, possibly several. In his absence, Ye Shuang's life became more peaceful than ever. The bookshop's business steadily improved, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

The previously established strategies proved effective. Ye Shuang regularly adjusted operations based on profit and loss, tallying the daily accounts almost every night. Any issues were addressed the very next day. Every ten days, she conducted a phased analysis and planned the list of storybooks for sale and lending for the following ten days.

A reading room was partitioned off on the first floor, offering free book borrowing within the shop, along with sweet soup sold at slightly lower prices than elsewhere. Wen Xiang’s culinary skills were excellent, and with the summer heat, the north-facing reading room provided a cool respite. Soon, more and more people began visiting. Some arrived as soon as the shop opened and stayed until closing time in the afternoon. If they found books they liked, they would take a few home. Word spread throughout the city about Wensi Workshop’s reading room—not only was the sweet soup delicious, but the book selection was also larger than other bookstores. As more people came, business gradually flourished.

Ye Shuang became increasingly busy, with no time to dwell on other matters. Days passed swiftly, and before she knew it, it was already August—more than a month since Xiao Lin had left.

Although he was the only one who had departed, Ye Shuang felt as if the entire city of Lin'an had suddenly grown quieter.

Yet life always follows such patterns: after a period of calm, troubles inevitably arise. Truly peaceful days are rare, which is why Huanglong Huikai’s verse in "In Praise of the Ordinary Mind as the Way" resonates: "If you have no idle worries lingering in your heart, every season is a good season."

One day, while Ye Shuang was out shopping, she encountered a group of frivolous fops who appeared much younger than her but behaved with unwarranted insolence.

Since opening the bookshop, Ye Shuang had interacted with many people and rarely wore a veil when going out. This time, she was restocking at a familiar paper supplier and had dressed casually, going without her veil.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she left the shop, she was accosted by these young men, who called out to her with flirtatious and improper language.

She had only brought Wen Xiang with her and had no intention of engaging with them, hoping to leave quickly.

But the group persisted, following closely behind and uttering increasingly vulgar remarks.

"Which family does this young lady belong to? She’s quite pretty."

The leader stared shamelessly at Ye Shuang: "This young lady is truly beautiful. How have I never seen her before?"

As he spoke, he reached out to touch her.

Ye Shuang stepped back to avoid him.

Wen Xiang stepped in front of her and boldly berated them: "Where did these blind fools come from, running amok in broad daylight? Do you think you can afford to offend my lady?"

Instead of being intimidated, the young men sneered even more arrogantly.

One of the lackeys, sharp-faced and monkey-like, looked down on Wen Xiang: "Do you know who our young master is? There’s no one in Lin’an he fears."

Another lackey whispered a reminder: "Well, there is one—we can’t afford to provoke the Marquis of Yongding!"

The leader smacked him on the head: "Fool! What’s there to fear about the Marquis of Yongding? Besides, he’s been sent away by His Majesty. Even if he returns, he might not be able to save himself! What does he have to boast about? Just that he fought alongside His Majesty a few years ago!"

The lackey, realizing his mistake, quickly agreed: "Yes, yes, yes."

"In my opinion, he was just lucky. His whole family perished, but he survived and was taken in by His Majesty."

Another lackey, not to be outdone, chimed in more fervently: "Exactly. If His Majesty had taken in our young master back then, the title of Marquis of Yongding would be his now. I bet his parents died because of his curse!"

The three of them grew increasingly offensive. Wen Xiang couldn’t help but glance at Ye Shuang’s reaction.

Ye Shuang also found their words intolerable but didn’t want to intervene rashly. After quickly weighing her options, she devised a plan and pretended to laugh involuntarily.

The young master indeed became displeased, tilting his head arrogantly and looking down on Ye Shuang: "What are you laughing at?"

"I’m just impressed by your courage, daring to challenge the Marquis of Yongding. To be honest, I can’t stand him either. Why don’t you confront him directly? If you win, my lord, I’ll do whatever you ask."

The young master was pleased and chuckled: "Really?"

"Of course. But may I ask where your residence is? I’d like to express my gratitude."

The young master hesitated, but one of his lackeys lifted his chin and said condescendingly: "Why should we tell you? Mind your own business. Just know that our young master is more than capable of taking care of you."

They assumed she was out working to make a living.

The leader, however, couldn’t contain himself and waved his hand: "No harm in telling her."

"This is the Chengwu Lang, personally appointed by His Majesty. Show some respect!"

Ye Shuang looked puzzled and turned to Wen Xiang: "What rank is Chengwu Lang?"

Wen Xiang shook her head: "I don’t know either. I’ve never heard of it."

The Chengwu Lang was instantly enraged: "What did you say?"

Ye Shuang quickly smiled: "Don’t be upset, young master. It’s normal for us women to be unfamiliar with your title."

The Chengwu Lang grinned: "You have good judgment, young lady. Come, return to my residence with me today! I’ll treat you well!" As he spoke, he moved to embrace Ye Shuang. She stepped back to avoid him, but he pressed forward, relentlessly closing in. With her back against a bush and a wall behind it, she had nowhere to retreat.

Ye Shuang’s mind raced for a solution as Wen Xiang stood firmly in front of her, refusing to yield.

"How dare you! Do you know who my lady is?"

"Wen Xiang," Ye Shuang called softly, signaling her to stop.

The Chengwu Lang paused, but seeing Ye Shuang’s reaction, he grew bolder and sneered: "What background? Enlighten me. You’re out running errands at noon without even a carriage—what prestigious status could you possibly have?"

Exchanging smug glances with his lackeys, he let out a contemptuous laugh.

"Come on, take this young lady back to my residence."

The two lackeys responded with sinister smiles and slowly advanced.

Ye Shuang’s mind raced. If it were just the fop, she and Wen Xiang might have been able to resist together, but there were three of them, all physically stronger. Though Ye Shuang had some experience with horseback riding and archery, she wasn’t trained in martial arts. Without any useful weapons or tools at hand, she glanced behind the Chengwu Lang and saw that a crowd had gathered, yet no one dared to intervene. Someone who looked their way was immediately scolded by one of the lackeys: "What are you staring at? Mind your own business!"

A scholarly-looking man attempted to speak up: "Three men bullying two weak women—what kind of behavior is that!"

"This is the Chengwu Lang. I suggest you wisely back off!"

The scholar, seemingly not yet in office, didn’t know what Chengwu Lang meant. But given the lackeys’ arrogance and the fact that they were in Lin’an, the imperial capital, he assumed it was someone powerful and didn’t dare say another word.

Ye Shuang was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead. The summer heat was intense, and standing on the street for so long had already made her hot. Her hair was damp with sweat, her cheeks flushed pink, and her jade-like skin glowed with a rosy hue, making her appear even more delicate and charming.

The Chengwu Lang couldn’t take his eyes off her, eagerly waving to his lackeys: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"

He couldn’t bear to look away from Ye Shuang, as if missing a single glance would be a loss.

His gaze was deeply unsettling. Ye Shuang felt extremely uncomfortable but couldn’t show it. Though she had come this far, in the face of Lin’an’s powerful aristocracy, she felt utterly powerless, at the mercy of others.

Just as the Chengwu Lang issued his order, his lackeys didn’t move. He was about to scold them when he turned and collided with someone, instantly stammering in fear.

"Pei… Military Advisor Pei, what are you doing here?"

Pei Yu unfolded a folding fan, gently waving it in front of him. Though the fan was plain, it seemed invaluable in his hands.

He lifted the fan to push aside a branch in his path and walked toward Ye Shuang with a smile, naturally extending his hand to fan her with the fan.

At the sight of this, the Chengwu Lang’s face turned deathly pale.

“Mi... Military Advisor, do you know this young lady?”

Pei Yu had not acknowledged him at all up to this point, but the Chengwu Lang was not angered; instead, he continued with an obsequious smile, "No wonder this young lady carries herself with such extraordinary grace—so she is acquainted with the Military Advisor."

"And what are your intentions here?"

Only then did Pei Yu turn to the Chengwu Lang, raising his folding fan to create a makeshift awning over Ye Shuang’s forehead, shielding her from the sun.

Ye Shuang felt somewhat embarrassed but had to endure it for the moment.

The two attendants hurried over, their jaws dropping at the sight. They exchanged glances, already recalling whether they had made any reckless remarks earlier.

The Chengwu Lang forced a dry laugh, "This humble official saw the young lady out alone and thought it unsafe, so I was just preparing to escort her on her way!"

"Oh? How... conscientious of you."

The Chengwu Lang’s face had already turned grim, but he forced a smile, "Yes... yes! The Military Advisor must be busy with official duties—what brings you out at this time?"

Pei Yu turned his gentle gaze to Ye Shuang, a smile playing on his lips as he retorted without looking up, "What do you think, Jiang Chengwu? This official had an appointment with this young lady, but she was long overdue, so I came out to look for her. If not for that, I wouldn’t have had the chance to run into you, Chengwu. Or perhaps you think my appearance is ill-timed?"

The Chengwu Lang repeatedly insisted, "I wouldn’t dare."

But Pei Yu suddenly turned stern, lowering his voice, "Jiang Yin, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to? You’re quite notorious. Three months ago, you allowed your servants to assault someone and your pay was docked for a month. You’ve only just lain low recently, and now you’re back to making trouble again, even more brazenly."

Jiang Yin, recalling the past incident, grew even more resentful, "Since we’ve come this far, I might as well speak plainly. Pei Yu, don’t think I don’t know who leaked that matter back then. I’ve no intention of pursuing it now. If you stay out of my business, we can still maintain appearances. But if you insist on opposing me, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

Pei Yu showed no fear at this empty threat, "And if I insist on intervening, what will you do?"

"If you insist on opposing me, I... I’ll make sure you regret it!"

"I’ve heard that His Majesty recently intends to tighten military discipline and rectify court affairs. For someone like Jiang Chengwu, who has recently been punished, if this matter reaches the Censorate, I wonder if you’ll be stripped of your title as Chengwu Lang?"

Jiang Yin’s face flushed and paled alternately, looking utterly discomfited.

"Fine! Pei Yu, you’re something else! Just you wait! And you—I’ll remember this."

He pointed at Pei Yu, then at Ye Shuang, but his feet were already backing away. He retreated to the roadside, turned, and left. The two attendants followed, muttering a few curses before scurrying after him.

The crowd of onlookers dispersed.

Seeing the situation defused, Ye Shuang breathed a silent sigh of relief and stepped aside, "Thank you for today. I will properly thank you another day."

Pei Yu replied, "No need. Anyone who witnessed such a situation would have stepped in."

Wen Xiang interjected, "Not necessarily! None of the people gathered earlier dared to step up!"

Ye Shuang gently called out to stop her, "Wen Xiang."

Pei Yu was at a loss for words.

Ye Shuang added, "Regardless, you helped me today, and I should properly express my gratitude. Otherwise, I would feel uneasy."

A flicker of disappointment passed through Pei Yu’s eyes but vanished quickly, replaced by his usual smile, "Since you insist on repaying me, then paint a fan panel for me."

Pei Yu closed his folding fan as he spoke, "I just acquired this plain fan today and haven’t had time to paint it. If you insist on repaying me, use this fan panel as your token of thanks."

Ye Shuang looked down at the fan, unaware of the trace of anxiety in Pei Yu’s eyes.

"Alright," Ye Shuang readily accepted the fan.

Pei Yu inwardly sighed with relief, gazing at Ye Shuang with unconcealed delight.

Ye Shuang was busy unfolding the fan to examine it, completely oblivious.

Pei Yu watched her almost longingly.

"However..."

Ye Shuang suddenly looked up, and Pei Yu quickly masked the surge of emotion in his eyes, resuming his usual smile.

Pei Yu asked, "What is it? Is there a problem?"

"Nothing major, but I must mention one thing first: I have little skill in painting and rarely paint. I can’t even appreciate masterpieces, so I fear I might ruin this fan panel."

Pei Yu breathed another inward sigh of relief, "It’s fine. Just paint something simple."

Ye Shuang said nothing more, "Very well."

She made to leave.

"Miss Ye," Pei Yu called after her.

"Do you have any urgent matters later, miss?"

"Nothing pressing."

"Having stood in the street for so long, you must be thirsty. I know a teahouse nearby that serves quite good chilled cheese. Would you care to join me for a visit?"

Ye Shuang initially intended to refuse, but considering he had just helped her, turning down his offer immediately seemed impolite.

"It’s very close, just at the south street corner."

Seeing Ye Shuang hesitate, Pei Yu added eagerly.

Sensing that Pei Yu likely had something to say, Ye Shuang smiled, "Very well."

When they arrived, Ye Shuang realized she had never been to this teahouse before. The second floor had private seating, and they found a spot by the window.

Ye Shuang brought up the matter from that evening, "I heard from Wen Xiang that you wanted to borrow some storybooks. Did you manage to get them later?"

Pei Yu, who had been arranging the tea set on the table, looked momentarily startled before recollecting, "Oh! It was for my younger sister. But she later said it wasn’t necessary—perhaps she borrowed them elsewhere."

Ye Shuang’s eyes curved like crescent moons, "Is that so?"

Pei Yu realized his slip but could not backtrack without making it worse, so he pretended not to notice.

Just then, the chilled cheese arrived, though it was different from what Ye Shuang had imagined. She had expected two small plates of chilled cheese.

The waiter brought up a wooden bucket, about the size of a three-tiered food container, and set it aside. As soon as the lid was lifted, a misty coolness, like immortal air, wafted out, carrying a chill that seeped through her thin sleeves onto her arms.

Ye Shuang shivered from the cold and quickly withdrew her arms.

Inside the bucket was the chilled cheese. The waiter scooped two bowls for them on the spot before removing the bucket. The utensils were exquisite—the celadon bowls for the chilled cheese were adorned with lotus leaf patterns.

"This is what sets this place apart. They bring the chilled cheese and serve it fresh to keep it from melting too soon. Try it quickly and see if it suits your taste."

Ye Shuang picked up a porcelain spoon and took a small taste, her eyes lighting up immediately, "It melts in the mouth, sweet but not cloying, with just the right coolness. It’s truly delightful."

Pei Yu smiled, "I’m glad to hear that."

Ye Shuang took two more bites.

Pei Yu, seeing that she liked it, waved to the waiter again. "Prepare two more bowls for this lady to take away later."

Ye Shuang, who was pondering how the bingluo was made, said quietly, "This bingluo is truly excellent."

She glanced back at Wen Xiang and served her another spoonful. "You should try it too."

Wen Xiang was also pleasantly surprised. "It really is delicious. It feels even more refreshing than sweetened water."

"I think so too. I wonder how this bingluo is made."

As they were talking, they noticed the waiter had come back without them noticing, and only then did they hear what Pei Yu had said.

The waiter was also troubled. "Sir, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but our shop has never done takeout for this. Bingluo is different from ordinary snacks—it melts quickly, and it loses its texture. The owner is afraid it would damage our reputation, so he explicitly stated that bingluo cannot be taken out and must be consumed in the shop."

Pei Yu was about to say something more, but Ye Shuang heard this and quickly interjected, "That’s alright, no need to trouble yourself!"

Pei Yu then gave up.

"Alright, I originally wanted you to take two bowls back to try."

Ye Shuang smiled politely. "It’s fine. Besides, since I was just feeling hot, it’s not good to have too much cold food."

Pei Yu said nothing more.

Ye Shuang actually wasn’t sure how to react to Pei Yu’s sudden show of kindness. She felt awkward but didn’t feel it was appropriate to say so directly.

"Did Master Pei have something important to tell me?"

Ye Shuang steered the conversation elsewhere.

Pei Yu was surprised. "Why are you calling me Master Pei again?"

Wen Xiang couldn’t help but laugh.

Ye Shuang: "..."

"Just call me Pei Yu from now on. If you call me Master Pei again, you’ll have to pay me back for the bingluo!" Pei Yu joked, his tone clearly affectionate.

Ye Shuang sensed that Pei Yu was deliberately trying to make them closer, but she didn’t go along with his words.

Pei Yu decided to stop beating around the bush and brought up what he had intended to say. "Actually, I’ve always owed Miss Ye an apology."

Ye Shuang’s brow furrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Back when you attended the banquet at the Pei residence, you accidentally lost a gold hairpin. Do you remember?"

"I remember. What about it?"

Ye Shuang’s expression became a bit uncomfortable. She lowered her head and stirred the melting edge of the bingluo with her porcelain spoon. After sitting for a while, the edges had begun to melt.

"At the time, due to my hesitation and misjudgment, the hairpin ended up in Xiao Lin’s hands by accident. I heard it led to a big fight between you and him. That was never my intention."

"It’s all in the past. Why bring it up again?"

Ye Shuang looked down, her emotions unreadable.

"I understand. I’ve thought about it many times and wanted to bring it up with you, but I was afraid it would bring back painful memories. However, after observing you recently, Miss Ye, you seem much stronger than I imagined. These old matters probably don’t bother you anymore, so I finally dared to mention it."

"There’s no need to worry about it. Besides, you already apologized back then."

Pei Yu was stunned again. "I apologized?"

"Yes, before the banquet, when we happened to meet in the imperial garden, you already apologized then."

Pei Yu thought about it again and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It seems I did apologize, but I didn’t know things would turn out like this later... In any case, I am partly to blame. A simple apology back then wasn’t enough, so I specially had a hairpin made as an apology gift. I hope you’ll accept it."

Pei Yu took a wooden box from his sleeve and placed it between them.

The box was partly open, revealing an intricately patterned, exquisitely crafted hairpin that was clearly extremely valuable.

"I can’t accept this! It’s too valuable."