Did Miss become a nun today?

Pei Changyu didn't press the matter. "Jufulou's pastries are also quite good. You should try them."

"Thank you, cousin."

The two remained silent. Pei Changyu's gaze fell on the window, and Xie Yunchu followed his gaze out. The lights of thousands of homes added a touch of haziness to the already bustling capital.

The scenery is beautiful, but... it's a bit strange that my older cousin is always busy and sitting here with her.

"Cousin, you don't need to stay with me. Official business is more important."

"It's alright." Pei Changyu took a sip of tea. "Nothing to do today."

"oh."

The room was quiet, but the outside was bustling with noise.

To the right of the private room is a window offering a view of the bustling street, while to the left is a long corridor. Standing on the corridor, one can see the private rooms opposite and the grand scene downstairs.

Pei Changyu got up and walked to the corridor. The storyteller below was getting to the exciting part, and Xie Yun Chu also became interested.

Leaning against the railing, he listened with great interest, occasionally chuckling along.

"You like it? Jufulou has storytelling every day. If you like it, you can come often," Pei Changyu said gently.

"No need, listening to it occasionally is fine."

Even the best things shouldn't be taken in excess. She preferred reading scriptures indoors to listening to audiobooks.

I glanced up casually and my gaze fell on the open window of the private room across the street.

A familiar figure was reflected in the window.

Pei Changfeng leaned back lazily, his clothes half-open, with a beautiful girl sitting beside him.

The people around him were making a fuss, while the man leaning against the wall had a smile on his lips as he looked at the woman.

At this moment, the storytelling downstairs suddenly quieted down for a moment, and the voices from the other side came intermittently.

"You used to find all sorts of ways to get close to me, but now that no one's watching, why are you hesitating? What tricks do you have up your sleeve, even though..."

Before he could finish speaking, the beautiful woman was pulled away.

Another woman stood in front of him, her eyes wide with anger, glaring at him.

Who else could it be but Su Yao?

Looking back now, it seems that Su Yao was always there whenever Pei Changfeng went out for drinks.

He was on good terms with Su Yu, and she had always thought that Su Yao had gone with Su Yu, but today Su Yu was not by his side, and Su Yao was still there.

Pei Changfeng smiled mockingly, grabbed Su Yao's wrist, and pulled her towards himself.

Before the person fell into his arms, everything suddenly went black.

A large hand covered her eyes gently.

Pei Changyu's clear, flowing voice came from behind, "Stop looking."

Her eyelashes fluttered, brushing against his palm, but his hand didn't move.

The two stood there for a long time. Pei Changyu looked down at her from behind. His eyes were no longer the gentle and indifferent ones they usually had, but rather a dark and turbulent undercurrent that was about to overflow from his eyes.

"If it's so painful, why not give up?"

The sound was like Buddhist chanting, winding its way into Xie Yun Chu's ears.

"Cry if you want to, I'm here for you."

cry?

Why are you crying?

She doesn't like to cry now. When she was imprisoned in the Buddhist temple, she knew that crying was useless. She didn't cry when she was about to die, so what is there to cry about now?

I already knew it, but I just saw it with my own eyes.

My aunt said that it's hard to let go of someone, and she believed it wholeheartedly. At that time, she thought that she liked her second cousin and would definitely like him for a lifetime.

But now it seems that it's not that difficult.

You'll eventually let it go.

*

After leaving Jufulou, they still did not see Pei Changying and the others.

"Should we wait?" she said.

"No need, they're all adults, they won't get lost. Leave someone to wait, we'll go back first."

Pei Changyu helped her into the carriage, and then followed her in.

Xie Yun Chu was taken aback. "My cousin wants to ride in the same carriage as me?"

"My cousin doesn't want to ride in the same carriage as me?"

"..."

She shook her head. "No."

She never shared a carriage with a man, not even her second cousin.

But my cousin isn't an outsider, so there shouldn't be any problem with us sitting together.

The carriage swayed and rocked, but its journey was relatively steady.

She glanced outside every now and then, not paying attention to the people around her, until her shoulder slumped and she froze instantly.

Her older cousin rested his head on her shoulder!

His eyes were closed, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his breathing was steady... Was he asleep?

Her slightly furrowed brows revealed a hint of fatigue, and she couldn't bear to wake her.

My eldest cousin is the pillar of the Marquis's family. He entered the court as an official at a young age and will have to support the family's reputation in the future. He never slacks off and works very hard.

Let's just rely on it; consider it taking care of the child for my aunt.

The carriage sat at the door for quite a while, but no one woke up, which showed that they were truly exhausted.

She called softly, "Cousin?"

There was no movement.

She reached out and nudged him. "Cousin, we're here."

The person beside her opened their eyes, still sleepy, completely unaware that their head was resting on her shoulder.

Pei Changyu sat up straight, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Sorry, I had a lot of official business at the Ministry of Revenue and fell asleep."

"I know you're busy with important matters, but you should also take care of your health."

The two alighted from the carriage. She had barely steadied herself when someone beside her gasped. Pei Changyu swayed, nearly falling. She instinctively steadied him, asking, "Cousin, are you alright?"

Pei Changyu's breathing became heavier. He tried to sit up, but his body was too weak, and he fell back against her.

She was too weak and called for a servant to help her.

He shook his head, waved away the servants, and barely managed to stand firm.

Pei Changyu disliked others getting close to him, but he couldn't bear to see him stagger into the mansion.

He immediately stepped forward to support him, saying, "Cousin, why don't we call a doctor to take a look? Your health is important."

"It's alright, you'll feel better after a good night's sleep."

She carefully supported him, walking very slowly, afraid that he might feel unwell and faint on the road.

Pei Changyu chuckled. "Is my cousin worried about me?"

"You're my cousin, of course I'm worried."

My eldest cousin's illness is a major event in the Marquis's mansion. He fell into the water once when he was young and was sick for several days, which even alarmed the old lady.

Fortunately, it didn't seem to be anything serious. He gradually regained his strength and was able to stand up.

Upon arriving at Shifang Courtyard, Pei Changyu looked at Guanyun behind him.

Guanyun handed her the items he had been carrying all the way.

It was that lantern hanging on the eaves.

"I noticed you've been standing there looking at it for a long time, so I figured you must like it. I picked it for you to play with."

Xie Yun Chu was flattered and felt a warm feeling in her heart. Her older cousin was not feeling well, yet he was still thinking of her. She used to always avoid him, thinking he was scary, which was really wrong of her.

"Thank you, cousin."

Pei Changyu patted her head. "Go back and get some rest."

"Is my cousin really alright?"

He chuckled, "If my cousin is worried, she can come and check on me tomorrow."

Guan Yun lagged behind, and before leaving, she whispered, "If Miss really wants to thank you, please come and chat with my young master more often. Songhe Courtyard is deserted and quite boring."

Having said that, he turned and went after his master.

In the darkness, Guan Yun's eyes disappeared from smiling.

Look at him, his steps are light and his back is straight. He doesn't look sickly at all.