Sixteen thousand and sixteen.

Jiang Xinyue slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed and invigorated.

If she had known that Pei San had stayed up half the night just to applaud her muddled words, she would have gotten up to cheer and then scold him for being foolish.

Their first time together was far from pleasant—it could even be described as tragic.

At that moment, both had drunk a bit of homemade farmhouse wine. Neither knew who started it, but eventually, they both collapsed neatly onto the bed, gazing at each other.

The cramped room was dimly lit, shrouding everything in a soft veil, casting a hazy beauty over the scene.

In that instant, as if bewitched, she found Pei San somewhat handsome.

His sharp brows, a pair of serious yet profound phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge casting a small shadow in his eye sockets, and sharply defined facial contours—not the trendy look of the capital but solemn, rugged, and bold, like a soaring eagle on the grasslands.

Under the flickering light, his ruggedness softened, and the gaze he cast held a hint of tenderness.

So when Pei San rolled over, pulled her beneath him, and asked, "Is this okay?" she suddenly forgot how to refuse.

Kissing could be strange and dizzying. Coupled with the wine she had drunk, her heart raced, and a tingling sensation swept through her veins.

She felt like a little sweet pea being kissed and licked endlessly, her whole body immersed in warm water, floating in bliss.

Then came the pain—intense, far worse than the lash of bandits' whips.

Pei San, unusually flustered, dared not move, awkwardly wiping away her tears.

They were stuck in an uneasy middle ground.

Finally, she steeled herself, thinking that no matter what, it was a lose-lose situation, and braved herself like a warrior ready to charge to death. "Come on," she said.

Pei San looked at her and suddenly burst out laughing.

That was the first time Jiang Xinyue had seen him smile—his narrow phoenix eyes curved with mirth, his brow relaxed, as if a spring breeze had just blown away the snow from the pine branches.

He lowered his head; the muscles on his sweating shoulders flowed with strength, yet his kiss on her was unexpectedly gentle.

But she still felt pain. Before a single cup of tea could finish, the ordeal was over. She was both hurt and happy. After all, the pain was brief and tolerable.

However, Pei San didn't seem in the best spirits; his smile vanished quickly.

Though Jiang Xinyue knew little about such matters, she could guess Pei San had never been with a woman before. At first, he was extremely resistant, and even as he gradually sensed a hint of rhythm, she couldn't help but think:

—Pei San! You brute!

Unfortunately, after waking, she completely forgot what she had said last night.

Outside, dawn was just breaking. The early winter air in the capital carried a chill. She struggled out of the warm bed but was forced back by the cold in the room, realizing the charcoal fire had gone out during the night, which explained the chill.

Saving money shouldn’t be taken this far.

Muttering to herself, Jiang Xinyue quietly got up and changed clothes.

When she arrived yesterday, she had been too wary of Pei San making moves on her to notice how the room was arranged. Taking advantage of the moment while changing, her eyes roamed the room and found many new additions.

Soft pillows she liked, a thick plush carpet, some unidentifiable green plants, and a few vases and ornaments. The decor was similar to their little mountain village in Qingshui Town but clearly of a much higher quality.

This must have cost a fortune; no wonder the charcoal stove only had half a load of charcoal.

Thinking about it, Pei San was a hunter with little savings, and the only valuable horse had been secretly sold by her.

Jiang Xinyue felt a pang of guilt at this thought. She searched herself and could only gather a handful of small silver coins, about five or six taels.

Even a little silver was money. Seeing Pei San still asleep, she quietly placed the coins on the table and slipped out.

She didn’t return directly but wandered around before deciding to go straight to the Xu family to find Xu Yanli.

Originally, she hadn’t planned to tell Xu Yanli about Pei San, but what happened last night made her feel a sense of crisis.

If Pei San slipped up once, he would surely discover the falsehood of her life story. The consequences afterward were obvious. Such matters don’t happen just once; she might dodge it once, but could she dodge it twice?

Pei San’s presence in the capital was a ticking time bomb that could ruin her reputation anytime.

Rather than letting things escalate into a messy entanglement, it was better to have Xu Yanli quietly arrange to send Pei San out of the city before he even realized what was happening.

Her mind flickered to Pei San’s hand resting on his back, his gentle eyes slowly saying he missed her, stirring a slight hesitation.

But that hesitation was like the wind blowing over a hill—soon, nothing remained.

With firm resolve, she walked toward the Xu mansion.