Chapter 70

Chapter 70

When the hairpin was presented, not only Ye Shuang but even Wen Xiang was struck with astonishment. Hairpins, after all, were traditionally tokens of betrothal, and offering one to a woman was tantamount to a public declaration of love. In the current circumstances, it was impossible to avoid misinterpretation.

"This hairpin is far too precious; I truly cannot accept it."

"It's merely a material possession. I only wish to express my profound regret."

Ye Shuang closed the box and pushed it back. "I understand your intentions, but such a gift is unnecessary. You should keep it. Should you meet someone you cherish in the future, you may bestow it upon her."

"But I already have."

Pei Yu's voice was urgent as he reached out to grasp Ye Shuang's hand, but his attempt met only air.

"Then you should certainly reserve it for that special person." Ye Shuang swiftly withdrew her hand, lowering her gaze to evade Pei Yu's intense stare. "Wen Xiang, let us go."

Pei Yu's expression darkened.

"Ye Shuang." He remained motionless, uttering her name for the first time.

Ye Shuang paused, bracing herself for coercion, enticement, or threats.

Pei Yu rose, offering her the hairpin, his carefree smile returning.

"I was merely jesting! Come, I shall escort you back."

Ye Shuang felt a flicker of unease. She wished to decline but hesitated to be overly assertive. Given Pei Yu's influence in Lin'an, his authority over the Ministry of Revenue, and the guilds under his purview, she could not directly offend him. Moreover, he had treated her with kindness, leaving her in a quandary. She stood at the staircase, caught between advancing and retreating.

"What troubles you? You've just offended Jiang Yin, and I fear he might seek revenge. Besides, I was the one who brought you here for the frozen dessert. It is only proper that I see you home to ensure your safety."

Only then did Ye Shuang cease her refusal.

As they descended to the street, a carved sandalwood carriage approached from a distance. Copper bells adorned its four corners, and the silk curtains at its windows swayed gently in the breeze, carrying a faint, elusive fragrance.

Ye Shuang walked ahead. Before she could discern the occupant, a dazzling light flashed—likely sunlight reflecting off the gold foil on the carriage shaft—momentarily blinding her. She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, just as the rumbling of wheels grew louder. For some inexplicable reason, the carriage suddenly accelerated, hurtling directly towards her.

Ye Shuang felt her skirt caught beneath a wheel, pinning her in place. She nearly stumbled.

A sudden gust of wind erupted beside her ear.

Someone whispered urgently, "Watch out!"

The anticipated pain of a fall never materialized. Instead, a pair of strong hands steadied her.

Pei Yu had caught her from behind, but the suddenness of the event still caused Ye Shuang to fall to the ground, her palm scraping a bloody mark on the pavement.

A sharp tearing sound rent the air as the carriage rolled past, ripping her skirt.

The carriage eventually halted a short distance away. A shrill curse emanated from within: "Are you blind? How dare you impede my mistress's path? Do you comprehend the consequences?"

Wen Xiang rushed over to assess Ye Shuang's injuries. Hearing the outburst, she immediately rose to confront the speaker: "It was clearly your carriage that charged out, and yet you dare to hurl insults first!"

The maid inside the carriage was about to retort when a soft voice silenced her.

"Yin Huan."

A hand extended from within, lifting the carriage curtain.

The maid seated on the shaft immediately leaned in, whispering something, then dismounted to unfold a small set of steps from the side before bowing and retreating.

A woman emerged from the carriage, resplendent in luxurious attire and adorned with shimmering jewels. As she descended, her head was slightly bowed, the decorative pins in her hair swaying gently and emitting a series of delicate, tinkling sounds.

Wen Xiang had already helped Ye Shuang to her feet. Raising her head slightly, she finally caught a clear glimpse of the woman's face.

She was a noblewoman Ye Shuang did not recognize. Ye Shuang found herself staring for a moment, striving to recall if their paths had ever crossed.

Noticing Ye Shuang's gaze, the maid named Yin Huan immediately glared. "What are you staring at? Kneel at once in the presence of the Princess!"

Princess?

Pei Yu, having already recognized the woman, bowed. "Greetings, Princess Yongjia."

Ye Shuang had no choice but to follow suit, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Princess Yongjia."

Yong Jia walked directly to Pei Yu. "Rise, Military Advisor Pei."

However, she offered no such courtesy to Ye Shuang.

Trapped in her bowed posture, Ye Shuang had no recourse but to maintain it, desperately racking her brain to recall any information about Princess Yongjia.

Pei Yu cast a sidelong glance at Ye Shuang. Without the Princess's explicit permission, he dared not speak.

"I was unaware it was Your Highness's carriage. I nearly caused an unfortunate incident earlier—I am truly deserving of death! May I inquire when Your Highness returned to Lin'an?"

"Is that all you have to ask me?" Yong Jia disregarded his question, instead pointing at Ye Shuang. "Who is she? Why did you save her?"

"Your Highness, please forgive me."

But Yong Jia persisted, stepping closer. "Do you have feelings for her?"

Ye Shuang finally recalled the identity of this Princess. She was the younger sister of Princess Shouchun, brought to Lin'an as a child to study at the Imperial Academy. She had known Pei Yu since childhood but had returned to her fief after coming of age. It was rumored she had recently been recalled to Lin'an for an arranged marriage.

Pei Yu appeared visibly distressed. "This is a personal matter."

"I don't care! I command you to answer me!"

Unsure how to proceed, Pei Yu knelt once more. "Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Enraged, Yong Jia snapped, "Forgive you, forgive you—is that truly all you can say to me?"

This was not a main thoroughfare, and few people passed by. Those who observed the carriage from a distance dared not approach.

"Are you going to kneel there with her? Very well! Yin Huan! Bring me my whip."

So it was Yin Huan's whip that had whistled past Ye Shuang's ear earlier.

"Your Highness, you must not." Pei Yu's voice trembled.

"Must not?" Yin Huan had already retrieved the whip, and Yong Jia took it in her hand.

"Are you attempting to shield her?"

"I dare not."

"Dare not? Even if you wished to protect her, you likely could not! Do you comprehend why I have returned? Has it truly been only a few years? And this is how you treat me?"

"I do not understand Your Highness's meaning." Pei Yu bowed his head even lower.

Ye Shuang, still in a deep bow, felt her knees aching from the rough stone pavement but could only grit her teeth and endure.

"You don't know? When I departed Lin'an then, I truly never imagined I would return, which is why I left without a word. I lacked the courage to bid you farewell. If you resent me for that, I accept it. But all these years, you have remained unmarried—was it not because you were waiting for me?"

Princess Yongjia had likely endured unimaginable hardships, long shedding any concern for the empty pretenses of the mundane world. Her words were direct and unreserved.

Pei Yu was at a loss for a reply, yet he dared not defy Princess Yongjia, so he could only say, "Your Highness misunderstands."

A searing pain shot through her knees, but she dared not shift even slightly, forcing herself to endure it rigidly. Yet, through this, she came to a profound realization: in the face of absolute power, ordinary people are utterly helpless.

Mere wealth is insufficient; one must also possess power and status.

Princess Yongjia persisted relentlessly: "I don't care! If you claim you have no connection to her, then I shall let her go! Say it, say it!"

Pei Yu lowered his head and remained silent.

"Are you too ashamed to admit it? You waited for me all these years, and now that I have finally returned, you are seen everywhere with another woman!"

Yin Huan shrieked, "It must be this vixen who seduced Military Advisor Pei!"

Ye Shuang chuckled inwardly—how truly unlucky she was, always stumbling over the same obstacle twice.

Just as she indulged in self-mockery, Pei Yu suddenly rebuked Yin Huan sharply: "Silence!"

Both Yin Huan and Princess Yongjia were stunned.

"Yin Huan is my personal maid. To scold her is to scold me!"

Princess Yongjia's voice instantly trembled with tears.

Pei Yu did not retract his words, still stating, "Since she is Your Highness's attendant, Your Highness should exercise greater discipline. If she speaks so carelessly as today, it will only lead others to believe that Your Highness lacks proper control over her subordinates."

"You're scolding me?" Princess Yongjia recoiled repeatedly, as if hearing something utterly unbelievable. "Fine! Very well! You scold me for this strange woman! Do you know how much effort I expended to return? And this is how you treat me?"

Ye Shuang was growing impatient—her knees ached, and her head throbbed even more. She couldn't help but wonder if she had neglected to consult the almanac before leaving home today, encountering such absurd situations twice in a row, each more baffling than the last.

She pressed her temples and spoke softly, "Today's incident was, in fact, initiated by Your Highness's error. I hope Your Highness will consider this carefully."

Princess Yongjia frowned at her: "What did you say?"

Ye Shuang knelt upright, yet her presence was commanding. She replied calmly and respectfully, "Riding or driving horses at full speed is forbidden on South Street. Your Highness, having just returned to Lin'an, may not be aware, but if this matter reaches the Emperor's ears, even if it is known that Your Highness acted unintentionally, I fear some punishment would still be unavoidable. I urge Your Highness to act prudently."

Princess Yongjia surveyed Ye Shuang discontentedly, raising her whip high: "Are you threatening me?"

Ye Shuang did not flinch, meeting her gaze frankly: "I wouldn't dare. I am merely offering a reminder to Your Highness."

Princess Yongjia, consumed by fury and unable to contain her anger, snapped, "Do you truly believe I could have you beaten to death right here on the street, and no one would even question it?"

Pei Yu immediately rose, seizing Yongjia's whip-holding hand: "Qingzhao, stop this foolishness!"

Princess Yongjia's given name was Qingzhao, and Pei Yu rarely addressed her by it—yet now he did so for another woman. A fleeting moment of joy flickered in her heart, only to be replaced by greater indignation, and she struggled more fiercely to break free.

Ye Shuang remained rigidly kneeling, observing their argument with cold detachment, feeling nothing but annoyance.

At this point, Yongjia could not overpower Pei Yu, and he snatched the whip from her hand.

"Enough! What kind of spectacle is this, bickering in the street? You've become increasingly unreasonable since leaving Lin'an all those years ago."

Princess Yongjia's eyes reddened, tears welling as she looked at Pei Yu, unsure whether from anger or hurt.

"That's right, I am being unreasonable. Do you know I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime? The moment I returned to Lin'an, I came to find you first thing. But you weren't at your residence, nor at the government office. The guards said you had gone out, so I came to South Street looking for you, only to see you behaving intimately with a strange woman. How could I not be angry?"

Ye Shuang finally understood: the carriage had intentionally accelerated earlier, aiming for her. No wonder, even though she stood so far away, the wheel still managed to catch her skirt. Or, more accurately, perhaps it intended to crush her legs or even take her life directly.

Ye Shuang raised her eyes to Princess Yongjia, a cold light flashing in her gaze.

This Princess Yongjia was far more ruthless than that County Princess Shuning.

Then, she heard Pei Yu sigh softly, saying gently yet firmly, "She is not a strange woman. She is the one I cherish."

Ye Shuang's heart stirred.