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Of course, she was unwilling! Life in the capital was busier, and she had to deal with a group of people she found disagreeable, but aside from that, there was nothing bad about it. Take her clothes, for instance; a single outfit cost about twenty taels of silver, and that was just the most ordinary among her wardrobe. Whenever she pleased, she could easily buy ten or so at a time.

This was actually a relatively minor part of all her expenses.

But in Qingshui Town, she simply couldn’t find anything worth looking at; it was difficult even to spend twenty taels of silver. She glanced cautiously at the man before her, pursed her lips, and said, “I am willing, but I have some matters to attend to first. It wouldn’t be proper for me to leave just like that.”

“What matters?”

“Earlier, I mentioned that our young lady and I encountered bandits on the road. At first, I thought it was just a common accident. But recently, I discovered that one of the maids... after returning to the capital, failed to report the news, which delayed the search.”

“That’s Miss Jiang’s personal affair.”

“That’s not quite right. I grew up alongside the young lady; I cannot just stand by and watch her in peril.” Jiang Xinyue tugged on his sleeve gently, shaking it twice. “Please wait for me, okay? Once this is settled, I will surely ask the young lady to release my servitude contract and follow you home.”

Pei Yannian said nothing, silently allowing his young wife to tug at his sleeve.

Though he had spent several years at the border, enduring hardships without much care for food or clothing, his status here meant he had seen all kinds of fine things and could tell that the outfit his wife wore was far from cheap.

Rather than the girl who had just passed by, half covered by a red cloak and claimed as the Jiang family’s legitimate daughter, his own young wife seemed more like a refined lady from a noble household; her entire demeanor was unmistakable.

But if his young wife were truly from the Jiang family...

Pei Yannian’s eyes darkened with deep thought, his mind racing with many considerations.

Jiang Xinyue was still pondering how to persuade him; if all else failed, she would shamelessly seek help from Xu Yanli. But unless absolutely necessary, she did not want others to discover the nature of her relationship with Pei San.

While she was racking her brains, Pei San asked, “Will you be in danger?”

“Not likely. Since those behind this can only resort to such dirty, covert means, they certainly wouldn’t dare be too reckless once in the capital.”

Jiang Xinyue blinked and leaned closer to ask, “So, do you agree?”

Pei Yannian looked at her bright, delicate face before him but said nothing further, which was as good as agreement. Yet he made one request: “Meet me every other day.”

Jiang Xinyue wanted to negotiate; meeting so frequently—what if someone noticed?

But she glanced at the tense expression on the man’s face and came up with an idea. “Do you have a place to stay in the capital? I have saved up quite a bit and bought a small courtyard. Why don’t you live there? When I’m free, I’ll come to find you.”

The courtyard was in a remote area, with few neighbors. She had bought it when she was young, tired of her restrictive attire and wanting a place to change clothes and sneak out to play.

Now it would be just right for Pei San to stay there.

Pei Yannian initially wanted to clarify his identity but reconsidered and agreed to go along.

This had to be kept from Qingfei Qingcui. Jiang Xinyue instructed two maids to wait outside a teahouse while she led Pei San through several twists and turns before entering a secluded courtyard.

Tall bamboo lined the entrance. Pushing open the door revealed a square courtyard, flanked by fruit trees, though their leaves had long since fallen, leaving bare branches. The ground was littered with decayed leaves and dust, uncleaned for a long time, looking utterly disordered.

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It was clear no one had visited for a long while.

However, a courtyard like this in the capital was not cheap. Even a maid with enough silver to buy it wouldn’t let it go to ruin for so long.

Jiang Xinyue hadn’t realized her words had already revealed so many loopholes. Holding up her skirt, she tiptoed across the dirtiest patch.

As her skirt fluttered past the dry branches, she glanced back, “Come over, see the place. It should have everything you need; it just needs tidying up.”

Seeing the man still standing by the entrance, she tilted her head in curiosity, “Why are you still standing there?”

Though married, she still dressed as a young girl, her hair like clouds and mist, her delicate features elegant and refined. In the sunlight, her eyes sparkled with an innocent yet alluring beauty.

Jiang Xinyue swore she hadn’t done anything improper, yet she saw the man’s gaze gradually change. Having been together so long, she knew exactly what those eyes meant.

Her heart skipped a beat, recalling those moments that made her blush and pound with excitement. To be frank, Pei San could be described as having a taste for this, to an almost scandalous degree.

Though she had enjoyed it too, several times in one day was a bit much.

She quickly looked away. “I’ll open the door. See what it’s like inside.”

But she overlooked one thing: the door hadn’t been opened for a long time, and as she pushed it, dust cascaded down, stinging her face. She staggered back two steps and bumped into Pei San, who was coming from behind.

Pei Yannian steadied her, knowing how much she liked cleanliness. With a sigh, he said, “Is there a towel here? I’ll clean up first, then you can come in.”

“I think so.” Jiang Xinyue peeked inside and pointed to a small side door. “Look in there.”

Pei Yannian stepped inside, found some cleaning tools, then asked where the well was located. He brought a wooden bucket and a hemp rope to draw water.

He tied the rope to the bucket’s handle, tested the tension, and flipped the bucket upside down before lowering it into the well.

Pulling on the other end, he felt the bucket fill with water, then wound the rope around his arm and hoisted it up.

The weight forced him to bend slightly, his back curved in a graceful arc, the lines of his shoulders and arms taut and clear.

Without changing his breath, he poured the water into a wooden basin, soaked a cloth, and began cleaning.

The man’s strength was an advantage here; moving tables and chairs was as effortless as handling toys, quickly tidying up the main hall.

Jiang Xinyue stood at the door, watching Pei San work.

Finally unable to resist her conscience, she lifted her skirt to step inside. But seeing her clean, light-colored embroidered shoes, she hesitated—she couldn’t bear to get them dirty.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to come in and help.”

Following the man’s gaze, she saw he was looking at her shoes. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward.

After all, she had lived in Qingshui Town for so long; a little dirt was nothing.

But before her shoe touched the ground, her arm was caught. Looking up, she saw Pei San pull her back a couple of steps and handed her a duster.

“Stand outside and just sweep the dust off the door.”

With that, he went back inside and began mopping the floor.

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Jiang Xinyue felt insulted holding the duster, yet seeing Pei San’s sweat-drenched forehead and the dust clinging to his clothes, she couldn’t bring herself to enter.

But when making someone work, you must offer some kindness. She forced a smile, “You’re so good to me.”

So, one cleaned inside, the other stood outside, sweeping symbolically, the courtyard once quiet now filled with the soft, coquettish praise of a young woman.

Sometimes Pei Yannian felt helpless. He didn’t need a woman’s praise to satisfy his vanity, but seeing his young wife happy with the duster, he said nothing.

Time passed unknowingly.

Jiang Xinyue checked the time and decided to leave. “I’m on night duty today. If I don’t go back, the young lady will surely scold me. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come to see you in a couple of days. You should also think carefully if you find anything among the bandits’ belongings related to the Jiang family.”

She felt she had been very reasonable, staying with Pei San for half a day. Saying this, she turned to leave.

But as she tried to go, her wrist was grabbed.

The woman’s skin was delicate everywhere. Feeling the softness, Pei Yannian couldn’t help but rub his thumb gently, then asked, “Just going like this?”

“What else?” Jiang Xinyue was shocked.

Surely he wasn’t expecting her to bow and thank him for cleaning the place she would live in?

Pei Yannian looked into her wide eyes, unsure what she was thinking, and patted her head bluntly. “You said you missed me. Isn’t there any other way to show it?”

After speaking, he glanced subtly at her lips.

Though subtle, his deep, dark eyes were bottomless, and Jiang Xinyue could feel the emotions without looking directly.

“Close your eyes.”

Pei Yannian sighed. Unable to wait for her to act first, he did something he had wanted to do from the start. When the familiar touch came, his whole body stiffened, a sigh almost escaping as if all the dissatisfaction accumulated over these days was vented in that kiss.

The slanting sunset light streamed in, falling on the freshly cleaned hall and his clean, relaxed features, casting a soft golden rim and adding a touch of tranquility.

Yet the tightly clenched jawline and the blue veins bulging on his neck revealed his mood was not as calm as it appeared.

With a swallow, his Adam’s apple rose and fell as he leaned in to explore further.

Having been together so long, a kiss was only natural.

Jiang Xinyue thought she wasn’t at a loss and resolved to endure.

But as the man kissed her, her stomach churned violently, as if she would vomit. Imagining the horror of spitting into his mouth, she shuddered and without hesitation pushed him away.

Pei Yannian, immersed in the kiss, opened his eyes, the emotion still lingering in them, and his voice was husky.

He bent down slightly, resuming the kiss, frowning in displeasure. “Hmm?”