After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 10

The silence may have lasted a short moment, or perhaps a long time. Xie Yunqing could not be sure. He only knew that when his mind finally stopped being a complete blank, the Chancellor had already walked right up to him though separated by the screen and a short distance.

Fortunately, there was the screen and that distance.

Perhaps his extreme tension caused an illusion, but the silhouette of Chancellor Pei on the screen appeared tall and lithe. Despite it being the first time Xie Yunqing had seen him, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

He was still unable to think clearly. This illusion was quickly dispersed by the voice of Old Madame Pei from outside the screen.

“Yanzhi, what are you looking at?”

As she spoke, Old Madame Pei followed Pei Yanzhi’s gaze. In the corner, amidst the hazy lamplight, Xie Yunqing’s shadow was cast upon that plain silk screen. It wasn’t a complete reflection, merely a dim, shimmering outline. However, because Xie Yunqing’s frame was so thin, his slender neck, straight shoulders, and narrow waist appeared exceptionally clear. One could even make out the bare skin of his left shoulder.

It looked like a scene from an ink-wash painting. Old Madame Pei instinctively felt something was amiss. She withdrew her gaze and, after a thought, assumed she had simply forgotten to introduce Xie Yunqing to him.

But just as she was about to speak, she heard Pei Yanzhi say, “I have political matters to discuss with Yandu. I will come to accompany Grandmother for a meal another day.”

Old Madame Pei was somewhat stunned. After a moment of silence, she let out a soft sigh. “So you came to find Xuan-er for business… Very well, very well. State affairs are the priority.” She lowered her head, no longer looking at Pei Yanzhi, and waved her hand. “Go on, then.”

Soon, Xie Yunqing heard the voices of the nannies and maids bidding him farewell. The figure vanished from outside the screen. Coincidentally, Physician Liu had finished changing his dressings, and the two walked out from behind the screen together. The physician took his leave first, leaving Xie Yunqing standing dazed in the hall, looking at Old Madame Pei, whose face was etched with disappointment.

Nanny Qin stepped forward to whisper words of comfort, but they seemed to have little effect. Pei Xuan and Cui Ji soon moved to Old Madame Pei’s side as well.

Pei Xuan said, “Grandmother, regardless, Brother has returned and didn’t say he was leaving tonight. Perhaps he’ll have time to accompany you tomorrow?”

Old Madame Pei sighed but did not respond. Pei Xuan knelt down, took her hand, and looked up with a cheeky grin. “Even if Brother doesn’t come, it doesn’t matter. As long as you aren’t tired of us, Cui Ji and I…” he paused, looking at Xie Yunqing, “and Yunqing can come every day to accompany you for dinner!”

Old Madame Pei finally managed a forced smile and patted Pei Xuan’s head. “It’s just that you don’t want to study at the Imperial Academy anymore.”

She fell silent for a moment. Gazing in the direction Pei Yanzhi had departed, she whispered, “I don’t blame Yanzhi for not accompanying me. I am just worried that he still hasn’t moved on.”

“It has already been over ten years…”

Old Madame Pei did not finish her sentence, but Pei Xuan and Cui Ji clearly knew what she was referring to, and both fell silent.

On the way back, for some unknown reason, Xie Yunqing actually spoke up to ask Pei Xuan about it. Pei Xuan looked quite troubled, his brows knit tightly. “Grandmother means that since my parents passed away, Brother has never shared a meal with us except for a few days during the New Year. She worries he hasn’t reconciled himself with their departure.”

“But I don’t see it that way,” Pei Xuan pursed his lips. “Brother is normal in every other respect; he’s just born with a cold nature and doesn’t like being close to people. He doesn’t eat with us simply because he’s busy. I’ve heard from his attendants that he often gets so caught up in work he forgets to eat entirely.”

“It’s just that Grandmother doesn’t see it that way.”

Xie Yunqing didn’t know how to respond. He suddenly remembered that for a long time after his own mother left even though he was small and didn’t fully understand what her departure meant whenever he did things he used to do with her, he would feel distressed and sad, sometimes crying for no reason.

As he grew older, this didn’t happen as often, yet there were still moments that caused a dull ache in his heart and made his eyes sting. It was like a wound that could never truly heal. Aside from trying not to touch it and doing one’s best to cover it up and forget, there was no other way.

Was the Chancellor… like that too?

Could someone as cold, noble, and awe-inspiring as Chancellor Pei also have such an unhealable wound in his heart?

After escorting Xie Yunqing back to the guest room, Pei Xuan urged him to get plenty of rest, promising to take him for a stroll through the Pei estate the next day before accompanying Old Madame Pei for dinner again in the evening.

Perhaps it was due to whatever was on his mind, or perhaps simply being inside the Pei residence was enough to make him uneasy, but Xie Yunqing did not sleep well. However, Pei Xuan didn’t mind—or perhaps he simply didn’t notice.

In any case, early the next morning, Pei Xuan happily dragged Xie Yunqing toward the gardens of the estate, with Cui Ji following behind with a reluctant expression.

“Pei Xuan, what madness is this? Who looks at flowers this early in the morning?”

“Why not? Aren’t we doing exactly that today?” Pei Xuan was as cheerful as ever, as if no amount of discouragement from Cui Ji could dampen his spirits.

Unfortunately, Cui Ji wasn’t the only one lacking enthusiasm. Xie Yunqing also found it difficult to appreciate the joy of early morning flower-viewing—especially since, in early spring, there weren’t many flowers in the garden to begin with.

Finally, at Cui Ji’s insistent demand, the three stopped wandering aimlessly and halted beneath a wisteria trellis by the lake. In Cui Ji’s words, even an ox would be exhausted walking this much so early; he wanted to sit down, rest, and bask in the sun.

Pei Xuan wanted to protest, but seeing Xie Yunqing’s still-pale face, he finally remembered the other was still injured. He announced that they would stop here for today and continue tomorrow.

Cui Ji didn’t bother arguing; he rolled his eyes and was the first to sit down. Pei Xuan followed suit, pulling Xie Yunqing down beside him. Since Cui Ji didn’t want to talk and Xie Yunqing was naturally quiet, the talkative Pei Xuan quickly became bored.

After aimlessly plucking at the grass beneath him, pulling at the vines above, and yawning nearly ten times, Pei Xuan finally found a new source of amusement—a servant passing by carrying a qin. Pei Xuan immediately stopped the man and asked where he was going.

The servant replied that a qin sent to a master luthier for maintenance a few days ago had been returned, and he was now taking it back to the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard.

“Ah, it’s my brother’s qin,” Pei Xuan’s eyes lit up. “My brother’s instruments are all peerless masterpieces; usually, he won’t even let me look at them.” He beckoned the man over, signaling him to place the qin on the stone table in front of them.

“Today, I’m not only going to look, I’m going to play!” Pei Xuan rubbed his hands together, filled with excitement.

“You don’t even know how to play. What if you break it?” Cui Ji threw cold water on him. “I suggest you give up on that idea, or you’ll be crying and begging your brother for mercy again.”

Pei Xuan froze instantly. A moment later, he hung his head in defeat. “But I really want to hear the tone of this qin.”

Cui Ji knew what he was thinking and slanted a look at him. “Forget it. I don’t know how to play either.”

Pei Xuan immediately turned his gaze toward Xie Yunqing, who was sitting between them. His voice dropped to a pleading tone. “Yunqing, Yunqing, do you know how? If you do, could you play something for me?”

Cui Ji closed his eyes. “Have you forgotten he has a shoulder injury?”

Pei Xuan hesitated for a moment, thought about it, and then said, “But you don’t use your shoulders just to play casually!” He turned back to plead with Xie Yunqing. “Please, Yunqing? Just play a little bit!”

Xie Yunqing’s gaze swept over the seven-stringed qin. From the body to the strings, every part of it emitted a faint, refined luster. For some reason, his eyes initially darted away. But hearing Pei Xuan’s relentless begging, he hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. His voice was inexplicably raspy. “I… know a little. I can try.”

Xie Yunqing carefully lifted his hands, his fingertips resting lightly on the strings. He didn’t begin immediately but stayed silent for a short while, as if preparing himself.

Finally, his fingers moved.

March was when the wisteria was at its most lush, hanging down like floral waterfalls. As a light breeze blew, pale purple petals fell along with shards of golden sunlight, landing on Xie Yunqing’s long hair, his eyelashes, his cheeks, his shoulders, and his slender, jade-like fingers.

While playing, Xie Yunqing actually had no expression. Yet, strangely, he didn’t look as cold as usual. It was as if the petals and the sunlight had carried away the superficial frost from his body.

Pei Xuan finally dared to look closely at his features. Because of this, he made a major discovery—Xie Yunqing’s coldness was actually different from his brother’s. For instance, no matter his brother’s expression or whether his eyes were open or closed, that aura of coldness that kept people a thousand miles away never dissipated. He was like a block of ice that remained unchanged no matter the angle.

But with Xie Yunqing, as long as his brows knit slightly or his eyelashes fluttered, that coldness would thin out, turning into a gentle mist that swirled endlessly like white silk. If his eyes shifted or his lips curved even slightly, the mist would turn to clouds and rain, falling softly and making one instinctively want to reach out.

Sitting beside him, Pei Xuan rarely dared even to breathe loudly, fearing he might disturb him. He likewise heard no sound of breathing from Cui Ji.

The piece ended. Xie Yunqing slowly withdrew his hands, intending to look at Pei Xuan. But before he could turn his head, a round of applause came from nearby.

“Excellently played.”

“And… very beautiful.”

It was Cui Xuan. Xie Yunqing looked toward the voice, his pupils suddenly jolting. Standing beside the smiling Cui Xuan was an even taller, more lithe figure.

Unlike Cui Xuan’s smiling face, that man’s expression was void of emotion, terrifyingly cold. But at the moment their gazes met, a sudden ringing erupted in Xie Yunqing’s ears. His heart began to race, and his cheeks and palms turned burning hot.

Inexplicably, though he had never truly met him, he realized instantly.

That man was Pei Yanzhi.