Rebirth on the Day She Was Poisoned by an Aphrodisiac - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Lovers

Liyang had raised Pei Xi for over ten years. During that decade, she had discarded all thoughts of romance to focus on supporting the young monarch and navigating the treacherous waters of court politics. In her loneliest moments, Pei Xi was always by her side. She had watched Pei Xi transform from a scrappy, brawling little beggar into a graceful, peerless warrior—a woman so extraordinary that countless noble sons vied for her hand in marriage.

Liyang had never imagined that Pei Xi loved her. That final night in her previous life had been nothing more than a desperate indulgence before death.

She closed her eyes. Even now, she couldn’t distinguish whether her feelings for Pei Xi were rooted in deep-seated guilt or profound love.

Every day since her rebirth, she thought of Pei Xi. In this life, she vowed to find her early, to care for her meticulously, and to ensure she would never be harmed by the world again.

As for Pei Chen’s affection, Liyang felt powerless to respond.

Feeling a heavy weight in her chest, she sent Pei Chen away. After sitting in silence for a long time, her guard, Duanqing, came to find her. “Your Highness, we found it.”

For Pei Ming to poison her, he must have made extensive preparations, meaning there was certainly a spy by her side.

Duanqing dragged in a maid, bound tightly. The maid, Cuiye, had a face covered in bruises—clear signs of recent interrogation. Upon seeing the Princess, the maid shrieked, claiming her innocence.

Duanqing, expressionless, kicked Cuiye and said coldly: “She was bought from a broker who claimed she was an orphan. In reality, her parents are alive and well, and she was ordered to monitor you. Your itinerary was leaked to the rebels by her. I also found stolen goods in her quarters—items other servants have identified as your jewelry.”

Old nannies dumped a bag of stolen items on the ground. Cuiye fell silent, knocking her head against the floor repeatedly to beg for mercy.

Liyang’s expression didn’t flicker. Without anger, she gave a simple order: “Gouge out her eyes and send her to the Pei manor.”

Duanqing bowed. Every maid and servant in the courtyard turned pale with fear. Cuiye collapsed, screaming for help.

Liyang remained unmoved, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. “If you wish to serve here, learn to control yourselves. The Princess’s manor does not harbor thieves. If you have done something wrong, tell Duanqing now and I may overlook it. After today, the punishment will be more than just losing eyes.”

She left the remaining matters to Duanqing and exited the manor.

Cuiye was dumped at the gates of the Pei manor. Pei Chen happened to be home and, upon hearing the news, smiled faintly. “Send her to Pei Ming’s bed. Tell him it’s a gift from me.”

The servants carried the girl in and tossed her into Pei Ming’s room. The commotion was so loud it startled Lady Chen. When Lady Chen was brought over and saw the bloody scene, she fainted immediately.

Pei Chen sat in her room playing a solitary game of Go. She looked at the reporting maid, her long lashes casting shadows over the board. She smiled softly. “Go fetch a doctor.”

Lady Chen has enjoyed power for so many years; it’s time she suffered a little.

The Watermelon and the Moon

By late April, Lady Chen had recovered, and Pei Ming was granted an official post: Sixth-Rank Vice Commander of the Imperial Guard.

Pei Chen, now fully recovered, went to the palace to see the Empress Dowager. The Dowager was in high spirits, spending her days tending to flowers. When Pei Chen arrived, Liyang was also there.

Liyang was accompanying the Dowager while eating watermelon. The melons in the greenhouse had ripened early. The Dowager gave a piece to Pei Chen and then went out to stroll in the garden.

Liyang was not warm toward Pei Chen, and Pei Chen didn’t dare to cling too shamelessly. After finishing a slice, Liyang got up to leave.

In the silence of Shou’an Palace, Pei Chen looked at a piece of red watermelon and suddenly crushed it in her hand. Her aura turned dark, her lips pressed tight. Looking at the mess on the table, her heart churned with old memories—memories of how the Princess used to beam whenever she acted spoiled.

Now, acting spoiled wouldn’t work. The only thread connecting them was the Love Poison. She felt both grateful for it and disgusted by it.

Empress Dowager Gu returned and looked at the mess on the table with a mix of helplessness and relief. “Does your heart ache that much?”

Pei Chen didn’t move, ashamed of her outburst.

The Dowager continued: “Liyang is cold-hearted, her methods are ruthless, and her temper is stiff. But remember, she is only eighteen. She likes the things ordinary girls like. If she is a block of ice, use fire to melt her. If she is the moon, stay by her side every night. I have lived through this, A-Chen. Do not follow your mother’s path.”

Pei Chen looked up, suppressing her nervousness. “What happened to my mother?”

“Your mother… she couldn’t let go of her own thoughts. Forget it, let’s not mention her. You two have already been intimate; whether you marry is up to you. Just don’t force it. If she doesn’t love you, learn to cut your losses in time.”

“Grand-Aunt, if it were you, would you cut your losses?” Pei Chen asked, her voice wavering.

The Dowager sighed. “There is no logic that says one cannot live without another. At most, the dead suffer a bit, but the living should still live happily. Forgiving oneself is a form of happiness.”

Pei Chen didn’t understand. She sat in silence for a long time.

“You are still young,” the Dowager added. “Maybe we think differently. Romance is good, but you must value your own life. Pursue her, create ‘accidental’ encounters—it’s better than just sitting here being angry.”

“Take a watermelon home with you.”

The Encounter

In early May, the Second Princess, Minglan, got engaged to the heir of the Marquis of Jinyang. The betrothal gifts filled an entire street, the envy of the capital.

The Princesses went to Minglan’s manor to drink. Liyang emerged later, looking tipsy, and Pei Chen went to meet her.

Liyang’s cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms, her eyes shimmering with a drunken spring-like glow. Her hand rested on Duanqing’s arm.

Pei Chen greeted them: “Greetings, Auntie Duanqing.”

Duanqing’s face chilled. “I am seventeen. I am not your ‘Auntie’.”

“No, no, I misspoke. Greetings, Sister Duanqing.” Pei Chen nearly bit her tongue. Duanqing and Jueyi were Liyang’s right-hand women—twin sisters who looked identical, except Duanqing was older by half an hour and Jueyi had a mole beneath her lip.

Duanqing tried to lead Liyang away, but Pei Chen reached out to take her. When Duanqing resisted, Pei Chen whispered: “Do you have a red birthmark on your lower back?”

Duanqing froze.

In that moment of hesitation, Pei Chen successfully took Liyang into her arms. Liyang buried her face in the crook of Pei Chen’s neck. Duanqing was furious, but Pei Chen smiled. “Don’t be angry, Sister. I won’t tell anyone. We are very ‘intimate’; she won’t be mad.”

Liyang, who had been faking her level of drunkenness to avoid prying eyes, suddenly whispered fiercely into Pei Chen’s ear: “If you dare speak another word of nonsense, I will throw you in the river to feed the fish.”

“Shall I see you home, Your Highness?” Pei Chen was smug. The Empress Dowager was right; “accidental” meetings were wonderful.

Liyang ordered Duanqing to fall back. She leaned against Pei Chen, their bodies pressed together without a gap. She could feel Pei Chen’s hot breath, which made her entire body go stiff. Her face burned even hotter.

Once they boarded the carriage, Liyang immediately pushed Pei Chen away and sat up straight. “How did you know about Duanqing’s birthmark?”

“Her lover told me,” Pei Chen joked.

The carriage began to move, the rumbling of the wheels filling the silence. Liyang felt a strange itch in her heart, like a cat scratching it. “Duanqing has no lover.”

Pei Chen nodded. “I had a dream. I dreamt that years from now, Sister Duanqing had a lover. They had a spat, and the lover blurted out that she had a birthmark on her back, making her different from Jueyi.”

Liyang couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. She quickly composed herself. “You guessed right. She does have one.”

“How do you know?” Pei Chen asked, surprised.

“Like you, I had a dream. A very similar one,” Liyang said without thinking. In the future, Duanqing indeed had a little lover who was quite loud-mouthed during arguments, making the birthmark common knowledge in the Princess’s manor.

Pei Chen was about to respond when a roar came from outside: “Assassins! Protect Her Highness!”

The laughter vanished. Pei Chen instinctively pulled Liyang into her arms to shield her. Outside, the sound of clashing blades rang out. A moment later, the carriage curtain was ripped open by a gust of wind followed by the sound of a blade piercing flesh.

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