The first to notice Pei Cheng’s absent-mindedness was Jiang Yanzhi.
Jiang Yanzhi was a little boy who spoke very little. Perhaps it was nature, or perhaps it was because during the four years in which his memory had gradually begun to form, he had always lived in an oppressive environment.
But it could not be denied that in some ways, the taciturn Jiang Yanzhi was just like his father—utterly stubborn.
Pei Cheng set down his bowl and chopsticks. Seeing that Jiang Yanzhi had stopped eating, he asked patiently, “Why don’t you keep eating?”
As he spoke, Pei Cheng ladled a spoonful of soup and was just about to put it into Jiang Yanzhi’s soup bowl, but Jiang Yanzhi, already full, covered the bowl with his hand, refusing to let Pei Cheng pour the soup in.
Pei Cheng raised an eyebrow. Because of Jiang Yanzhi’s sudden blocking motion, Pei Cheng’s already terrible mood plunged instantly to the bottom. “Take your hand away.”
Jiang Yanzhi shook his head hesitantly. He was full and did not want to eat more, yet he did not know how to explain it to Pei Cheng. For a moment he grew so anxious that sweat covered his forehead.
Pei Cheng flung the spoon away. The porcelain spoon fell straight to the floor with a crack as it shattered.
The atmosphere in the room sank to its lowest point. Erxi, keeping watch nearby, lowered his head and tried hard to diminish his presence, afraid Pei Cheng would vent his anger on him.
Jiang Yanzhi belatedly realized Pei Cheng was angry. He immediately drew back the hand covering the soup bowl and looked at Pei Cheng uneasily. Pei Cheng stood up and paced around the dining table several times. He was just about to say something when he realized Erxi was still there. Irritably, he said, “Get out, and close the door.”
Erxi said, “Yes,” and carefully closed the door before leaving.
When only he and Jiang Yanzhi remained in the room, Pei Cheng could no longer hold back and slammed the table. He was just about to ask what Jiang Yanzhi was throwing another tantrum about, but out of the corner of his eye he caught Jiang Yanzhi’s uneasy expression, and at once the full tide of anger was forcibly swallowed back by Pei Cheng.
Pei Cheng sensed the little one’s oddity, but did not take the initiative to go over and soothe him. Pei Cheng sat down irritably, pressed his lips together, and tried hard to adjust his emotions—ever since he had met with Mother Pei alone once, Pei Cheng had been unable to control his emotions. No one’s life was smooth sailing, including his, Pei Cheng’s.
Ever since he had grown old enough to understand, after learning why he had never been as favored as his elder brother and younger sister in the Pei family, Pei Cheng had stopped shamelessly running to his father and mother to make himself unwelcome.
So after reaching adulthood, when his father married him off as if marrying off a daughter, Pei Cheng actually did not resent it. He had been born with a body meant to be married off; what difference did it make when he married, or whom he married?
But he had never imagined that his father’s ambitions were too great. Time and again, his father contacted Pei Cheng, who had already married into the Jiang family, wanting him to try to steal something from the Jiang family and bring it back to the Pei family.
In his previous life, Pei Cheng had been foolish. He obediently listened to Father Pei and Mother Pei, stubbornly ignoring his own position in the Jiang family, single-mindedly siding with the Pei family against the Jiang family.
Otherwise, given Pei Cheng’s usual nature of keeping to his place and minding his own business, he would not have let Hu Xiayun catch him by the weakness, ending up as a male wife despised even in death.
His legs grew warm. Pei Cheng suddenly came back to his senses, looked down, and froze.
Jiang Yanzhi was lying over his knees, his thin, sallow little face full of worry.
Pei Cheng’s heart warmed, and the gloom in his heart was swept entirely away. He reached out and picked the little one up, saying, “What is it?” Jiang Yanzhi was silent. Just as Pei Cheng was about to give up, he suddenly heard a soft little boy’s voice whisper, “You, you, don’t be angry, angry.”
Pei Cheng: “…”
Jiang Yanzhi: “…”
Pei Cheng finally realized something. “You’re a stutterer?”
Jiang Yanzhi’s body went stiff. He was not a stutterer. He wanted to open his mouth and explain, but when the words reached his lips, it was as if something suddenly jammed; for a long while he could not squeeze out a single word.
Pei Cheng said faintly, “How is it that you’re a stutterer?”
Originally, he had planned to send the little one into officialdom in the future to draw an imperial salary, but now it seemed this plan had invisibly gained many difficulties. Jiang Yanzhi was so angry that the corners of his eyes reddened, but the angrier he became, the less he could say a single word. In the end he could only grit his teeth and lie resentfully on Pei Cheng’s shoulder, trembling all over with anger.
He was not a stutterer!
Pei Cheng patted Jiang Yanzhi’s back and quickly said, “In a couple of days I’ll hire a tutor for you and see whether this problem can be corrected. Don’t be afraid.”
Before he had finished speaking, the little one, as if in protest, buried his head firmly against Pei Cheng’s chest, both hands clutching Pei Cheng’s clothes tightly.
“I, don’t want a tutor,” Jiang Yanzhi said in a muffled voice.
Pei Cheng was startled, then couldn’t help laughing. “All right. Then starting tomorrow, go to your father and learn something from him. With me, you will never learn anything.”
This was not Pei Cheng speaking carelessly. Because from the moment it was decided that for the rest of his life he could only marry another man and bear children for him, the Pei family had never again let him come into contact with any of the subjects a normal man ought to study, nor had he ever once gone to an academy. Of course, he had never touched a woman’s needlework either.
But Jiang Linzhi was different.
In his youth, Jiang Linzhi had been a child prodigy renowned throughout Huacheng.
“Father’s health is not good,” Jiang Yanzhi said in a muffled voice. Compared with Daddy, he did not like his father, who always wore a gloomy face. Pei Cheng frowned. Jiang Linzhi’s weak health was also a problem.
“I’ll discuss it with your father later.” Pei Cheng carried the little one to the bedside, set down Jiang Yanzhi, who was still reluctant to part, covered him with the quilt, and said to himself, “If it really can’t be done, I’ll find you a teacher.”
At the age of four, in other great families of Huacheng, he should long since have entered an academy to learn characters and study. Jiang Yanzhi was already nearly a year late. Jiang Yanzhi looked bewildered; he did not understand, so whatever Pei Cheng said, he simply obeyed.
Pei Cheng was very satisfied with Jiang Yanzhi’s obedience. He let down one side of the bed curtain, tucked in the corner of the quilt with his hand, looked at the little one gently, and said, “Sleep. I’ll stay here and watch over you.”
Sleeping in Daddy’s bed made Jiang Yanzhi feel incomparably content, but seeing that Pei Cheng had no intention of getting into bed to rest, he panicked for a moment, stretched both hands out from under the covers, and caught Pei Cheng’s finger. “Daddy, sleep.”
After saying that, Jiang Yanzhi even solemnly patted the spot on the bed further inside, then looked up at Pei Cheng with eager eyes.
Pei Cheng turned a blind eye to Jiang Yanzhi’s coaxing. He still had things to do later and did not want to sleep now, so he said firmly, “I’ll sleep after you fall asleep.”
Jiang Yanzhi’s mouth drooped, and he closed his eyes unwillingly, not daring to ask for anything more.
Because he had never been indulged, even though Jiang Yanzhi was still young, he understood what it meant to stop while things were going well. A child who knew how to read the room might be easier to care for, but it made one’s heart ache even more.
Only after Jiang Yanzhi’s breathing gradually evened out did Pei Cheng breathe a sigh of relief. He quietly closed the door and left. Just as he closed the door and turned to go, he was startled by Donglai standing behind him.
Donglai took a step back, somewhat embarrassed. “Madam, the Second Master sent me to invite you.”
Pei Cheng frowned. “Is the Second Master waiting for me in the room?”
Donglai shook his head and said, “The Second Master is waiting for you in the study.”
This time Pei Cheng was rather surprised, but he quickly recovered and said, “All right, I understand.”
After saying that, Pei Cheng started walking toward the neighboring courtyard, his steps somewhat light.
Donglai stood in place. Only after Pei Cheng left did he drag his painfully moving body after him.
Those ten strokes had nearly cost him his life.
Without knocking, Pei Cheng pushed open the study door and walked in. He did not know whether it was an illusion, but he always felt that any place Jiang Linzhi had lived in carried a trace of cold desolation.
It always seemed somewhat out of place.
Jiang Linzhi stood at the window, his back to Pei Cheng; it was impossible to tell what he was looking at.
Pei Cheng stopped where he was. He was not as clever as others, but he was more sensitive than most people, so he always reflexively chose the option more advantageous to himself.
“What does the Second Master want with me?”
“I heard that your mother today
…came to the Jiang family today.” Jiang Linzhi did not turn around. “We’re all one family—why didn’t you call me?”
Knowing the man was testing him, Pei Cheng lowered his eyes. “Second Master probably wouldn’t like dealing with people he dislikes.” Before Jiang Linzhi could respond, Pei Cheng continued, “Second Master understands what I mean.”
A smile hung at the corners of Jiang Linzhi’s lips, but deep in his eyes was a cold gloom. “Madam’s meaning, I truly do not understand.”
Not wanting to continue tangling over this topic, Pei Cheng said, “How has Second Master’s health been lately?”
Jiang Linzhi raised an eyebrow, turned around, and said, “Tolerable.”
“Yanzhi is already four.” Pei Cheng reminded him tactfully. “But he is not yet suited to go to the academy. If Second Master has time, perhaps you might teach him a little.”
Jiang Linzhi pressed his lips together. He did not refuse, but neither did he agree at once; instead he answered with an unrelated question. “Yanzhi has never entered an academy?” Pei Cheng said, “When we were in the side courtyard before, Yanzhi had no opportunity. Now there is an opportunity, but it will not be until early spring next year.” Understanding what Pei Cheng was alluding to, the gloom in Jiang Linzhi’s eyes deepened. No matter what Pei Cheng had done before, Jiang Yanzhi was, after all, his only offspring so far; Hu Xiayun and that bunch had truly gone too far.
Jiang Linzhi said, “Starting tomorrow morning, send Yanzhi to my courtyard.”
Pei Cheng let out a breath of relief. At least Jiang Linzhi was not truly one to ignore everything; that being the case, the matters that followed would be much easier to handle.
“Second Master.” Pei Cheng found it somewhat difficult to speak.
Jiang Linzhi looked at him.
Pei Cheng said, “In the middle of next month, could Second Master accompany me home for a visit?”
Jiang Linzhi had probably guessed long ago that Pei Cheng would bring this up with him, so he was not especially surprised.
“Second Master?” Seeing that Jiang Linzhi still gave no response, Pei Cheng could not help calling again. “If Second Master is unwilling, I can take Yanzhi back alone.”
Jiang Linzhi looked at Pei Cheng with an ambiguous smile. “You may.”
Pei Cheng said, “Thank you, Second Master.”
Outside the East Court.
Qiuyi was carrying a food box and looking around at the courtyard gate.
Because she was watching so intently, when Donglai came out from behind her, Qiuyi trembled in fright and almost threw the food box in her hands away.
Donglai’s eyes glared as round as copper bells, with no trace of tender regard for a woman. “What are you sneaking around here for?”
Qiuyi swallowed and for a moment forgot why she had come.
