Rebirth on the Day She Was Poisoned by an Aphrodisiac - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Reserve

Where to sleep tonight?

Liyang ignored the question, quietly packing away the Go pieces with a calm expression. Only her crimson-stained ears betrayed her. Pei Chen didn’t press; she simply watched the beauty before her. As the twilight deepened, maids lit the lamps, their golden glow reflecting on the lake like a scatter of fallen stars.

“There is a post suited for you,” Liyang said, her slender fingers placing a black stone into the jar. Pei Chen, staring at her face, nodded distractedly. Liyang flicked her gaze up. “Commander of the Infantry.”

“The Empress will not agree,” Pei Chen replied, immediately doubtful. The infantry was too vital a command; why would the Empress hand it to her?

Liyang dropped a handful of pieces into the jar—clack—making the others jump. “Do you have the courage to take it?”

Earlier, Liyang had feared Pei Chen was too timid to command respect. After hearing about the street fight, she had changed her mind. Pei Chen was like a young wolf that had been lying in wait; it was time for her to step into the light.

“Of course,” Pei Chen said, rubbing her bruised wrist. “There’s no fight I’m afraid of, and no soldiers I can’t manage.”

Liyang nodded. “In truth, I don’t even need to speak. The Empress Dowager will propose it, and the Empress will inevitably agree.”

The Empress never refused the Dowager, but she was prone to sabotage behind the scenes. She would grant the promotion but secretly place obstacles in Pei Chen’s path. If Pei Chen couldn’t handle the “overwhelming fortune,” she would have to give it back.

“I’m good at fighting,” Pei Chen mused. “In the eyes of warriors, strength is everything. Perhaps you can take me to the infantry headquarters one day. I’ll just win a few bouts.”

“No. If something happens…”

“Nothing will happen to me.”

The Night of the 8th

As night fell, they moved to the inner courtyard for a dinner of light, summer dishes. Liyang was silent, so Pei Chen focused on her food. When Liyang suddenly rose and left the room, Pei Chen followed her, and surprisingly, she wasn’t turned away at the bedroom door.

The 8th. The moon was bright, the stars sparse.

The maids were dismissed. A lone cicada chirped loudly in the stillness, startling the servants as they hurried away. Within the main hall, silence reigned.

The lamps were blown out. The room turned pitch black, save for the pure white moonlight spilling through the window frame.

In the courtyard, Huangfu Yi sat drinking, looking up at the sky. “Why are you so bright tonight?” she muttered drunkenly. “They say the moon is roundest on the 15th, not the 8th…” She promptly passed out.

Past midnight, Pei Chen woke with a start. The air was heavy with a familiar fragrance. She breathed deeply, realizing someone was beside her. Memories of the night flooded back: porcelain skin, elegant collarbones, the warmth of the “snowy peaks”…

She realized that even without deep romantic love, they could share this intimacy. She watched the moonlight, her racing heart slowly calming. She wondered where the Gu worm was hidden in her body—could she ever force it out? But she knew it was a vain hope; the parasite was part of her now.

She turned to look at Liyang, who was facing the wall, leaving only a silhouette and a spill of long, silky hair on the pillow. Pei Chen reached out to touch a strand but pulled back, afraid to break the dream-like spell.

Liyang, however, was also awake. She stared into the endless darkness. Feeling Pei Chen’s steady breathing, she sat up. She was covered in a light sweat and the lingering scent of Pei Chen’s presence.

Driven by a sudden urge to reclaim herself, she stood up quietly and stepped over Pei Chen to get off the bed. Outside, her maid was waiting with warm water. Liyang slipped away to bathe.

In the dark, Pei Chen opened her eyes. Her heart was thumping like a drum.

The Gift of the Half-Moon

By the 9th, the sun was high. Pei Chen woke in Liyang’s room, noting how austere and “un-feminine” the decor was. A maid entered, asking if the “Consort” wished to bathe.

Pei Chen caught a glimpse of a red mark on her collarbone in the mirror. She smiled. Someone lost their reason last night.

Returning to the Pei Manor at dusk, she found the managers of the Ouyang family waiting for her. Ouyang Yu stood behind them, looking stunned. She couldn’t believe this short, narrow-shouldered youth was the same person who had kicked her through the air yesterday.

Pei Chen accepted the apology gifts. She looked at Ouyang Yu with complex emotions. In her past life, Ouyang Yu and the Third Princess had died together in a suicide pact after Pei Ming massacred the Ouyang family.

Pei Ming won because he was ruthless. Liyang lost because she had mercy.

Pei Chen walked up to Ouyang Yu, who flinched. “I know I was wrong,” Ouyang Yu muttered. “My father made me come apologize.”

“Ouyang Yu, the Third Princess likes money,” Pei Chen said plainly. “She approached you because your family is rich. But… in her own way, she likes you too. She’s just blinded by things. Think about your positions before you decide to keep loving her.”

Ouyang Yu stood frozen as Pei Chen walked away.

Among the gifts was a pair of Khotan jade pendants—two half-moons that formed a full circle when joined. Remembering the moon from the night before, Pei Chen immediately sent one half-moon to the Princess’s Manor.

The Red Lanterns and “Reserve”

Half a month passed. Renovations on the new bridal wing were in full swing. Pei Chen spent her days calling Pei Ming “Nephew” and watching him struggle to call her “Uncle” in return. It was the highlight of her life.

Eventually, Pei Chen went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager. She thick-skinnedly asked about the “Red Lantern” rule the other princesses had teased her about.

“Red lanterns?” The Dowager squinted while eating watermelon. “Why are you asking me about lanterns? I have some that the late Emperor made for me, do you want those?”

Pei Chen blushed and explained the “permission to enter the bedroom” rule. The Dowager burst out laughing. “That’s easy. Just tell Liyang to scrap the rule.”

“What if Her Highness refuses?”

“Then forget it. Just be a bit more reserved,” the Dowager advised.

“But… I don’t want to be reserved,” Pei Chen admitted, her face turning pink.

Just then, Liyang stopped outside the door. She heard the youth inside boldly declaring her lack of “reserve.”

Memories of the night of the 8th rushed back to Liyang, turning her face a brilliant shade of red.

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