The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 36

By the time Yunxia arrived at the Pei residence with Ying Xue, it was already evening.

Yunxia’s expression was frantic, and her eyes held a sorrow unlike anything she had ever felt. The moment she saw Yunqiu, she grabbed her sister’s hand and asked urgently, “Sister, is Brother-in-law home?”

Yunqiu’s face flushed slightly as she whispered, “Ashu, he went to the palace. I heard something happened at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, so he headed there early this morning.”

Yunxia’s heart raced with panic. Her eyes grew red, and her voice trembled. “Sister, Sister, you must ask him to help me. I have to see her. She is hurt.”

Yunqiu did not understand what was happening, so she could only pull Yunxia into her arms and try to soothe her. “Xiaxia, do not worry. Speak slowly. Who is hurt?”

Leaning into Yunqiu’s embrace, Yunxia could no longer hold back her emotions. The fear, sadness, and longing she had suppressed all came pouring out. Between sobs, she haltingly explained everything that had happened to Lu Zhao.

Whenever Yunqiu struggled to follow the story, Ying Xue stepped in to help explain. After a long while, Yunqiu finally understood: Xiaxia was actually with the Regent! No wonder the Regent’s expression had been so terrible the last time he visited and saw Xiaxia injured. After overcoming her immense shock and calming Yunxia down, Yunqiu waited at the courtyard gate for Pei Shu, marking the first time she had ever taken the initiative to wait for him.

Finally, as the last rays of the setting sun draped over her, Pei Shu stepped into the small courtyard. He saw Yunqiu standing under a tree, her head bowed as she waited.

Yunqiu wore a light purple gown and stood silently. Her slender, snowy neck was exposed, and her expression was as gentle and serene as ever, though a faint gloom seemed to hang between her brows.

Pei Shu’s heart stirred. This was the first time she had ever waited for him like this. He walked quickly to her side, placed his hand over her brow, and said softly, “Qiuqiu, do not be unhappy. I am back.”

He was naturally tall, and as he looked down at Yunqiu, his presence felt slightly overwhelming.

Yunqiu’s heart quickened. Her small earlobes turned a natural shade of pale pink. She looked up and pleaded, “Ashu, tomorrow, could you take Xiaxia to the Eldest Princess’s Manor to visit the Regent?”

Pei Shu narrowed his eyes, watching her with interest. “Why? What does Xiaxia have to do with the Regent?”

Yunqiu nodded and hurriedly explained the situation to him.

Pei Shu toyed with the jade pendant on his belt. As he watched Yunqiu’s small, red lips move, his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

Before she could finish, Pei Shu pulled her by the waist, drawing her so close that their bodies touched. He looked down at her with a half-smile. “It is not impossible. But if I take her, how will you repay me?”

Suddenly enveloped by his scent, Yunqiu’s instinct was to resist, but his hands held her waist firmly, leaving her unable to move. Heat rose within her, and her face flushed crimson. When she spoke, her voice was unexpectedly charming. “How, how do you want me to repay you?”

Pei Shu lifted Yunqiu’s chin, staring straight into her misty eyes. His voice was deep and laced with a hint of entreaty. “Qiuqiu, let us get married. We had an agreement, did we not?”

Yunqiu’s heart thundered like a drum. In that instant, everything around her seemed to lose its sound and color; she could only see the earnestness in Pei Shu’s eyes. They were so close she could feel his hot breath. As if possessed, she nodded.

In the next second, Pei Shu leaned down and captured her lips. His cool tongue slipped into her mouth, intertwining with hers.

Later that night, Yunqiu and Yunxia lay in bed together. Yunqiu caught a glimpse of Yunxia in the moonlight and asked cautiously, “Xiaxia, Ashu will take you to the Eldest Princess’s Manor tomorrow. But, if the Emperor truly has decreed a marriage for her, what will you do?”

Yunxia turned over, her back to Yunqiu. She closed her eyes, and tears silently soaked into her pillow. She took a breath and replied in a muffled voice, “Sister, I am just going to see how badly she is hurt. If there really is a marriage decree, I do not know what to do. Before she left, she told me to believe her. I have to wait for her to wake up and hear it from her own lips.”

Yunqiu’s breath caught. Their mother had suffered greatly as a concubine, and the two sisters had endured endless scorn and insults because of it. They had once promised each other that even if they never married, they would never become someone’s concubine. She had not expected Xiaxia to say she did not know. Aching for her sister, Yunqiu reached out to hold Yunxia’s thin shoulders. “Do you truly love the Regent that much? Did you not say before that you would never be a concubine?”

Yunxia gripped the blanket until her knuckles turned white. Tears covered her face, and her heart felt as if it had been crushed by a wheel; even breathing was painful.

After a long silence, Yunxia covered her heart and said through sobs, “Sister, if it is her, I feel like it would not be so hard to accept. When I think about the possibility of her being gone, the pain here is unbearable. I cannot let her go.”

Yunqiu sighed. This girl had fallen far too deep. Since they were children, Yunxia had always been able to let things go; she was decisive and independent. She rarely cried like this; even when she was beaten or scolded, she would grit her teeth and endure it.

Early the next morning, Yunxia disguised herself as a servant boy to follow Pei Shu to the Eldest Princess’s Manor.

Inside the room, Pei Shu, as the new Top Scholar who had just started his post at the Hanlin Academy, was not particularly close to Lu Zhao. However, because so many people had come to visit recently, the Eldest Princess did not think much of it and led them directly into the room.

Lu Zhao’s dark hair was spread out behind her, making her complexion look even paler. Her eyes were tightly shut, and she lay on the bed devoid of any vitality.

Yunxia had never seen Lu Zhao so weak. It felt like a knife was twisting in her heart. She fought the urge to rush to her side and could only watch her from a distance behind Pei Shu.

Gao Han choked back tears and whispered, “It has been two days, and Azhao still has not woken up. We have sent people to find the lingzhi, but we do not know when they will find it. If, if they do not find it soon, I am afraid.”

Song Jin stood by, supporting Gao Han and offering comfort. “Aunt Han, do not say that. Sister Zhao will surely get through this.”

Yunxia stood as if frozen, her eyes filled with heartache as she stared at Lu Zhao. She wanted to stay and take care of her, but she had no right.

Seeing this, Liu Xiangru beckoned to Yunxia. “Do not just stand there like a fool. Come here and give me a hand.”

Liu Xiangru had recognized Yunxia long ago and took the opportunity to call her over.

Yunxia gave him a grateful look and whispered to Pei Shu, “You head back first.” Then, she hurried over.

Liu Xiangru pressed a bowl of medicine into Yunxia’s hands. “Help me feed her this.”

Turning to the others, he said, “The Regent needs rest. Perhaps everyone should step out for a moment.”

Once everyone had left, Yunxia was alone in the room. She gazed at the person on the bed with deep longing, tracing every detail of her features. Lu Zhao was so beautiful; her eyes were her best feature, always cold and detached when looking at others, but full of patience and affection when looking at Yunxia.

Yunxia let out a soft laugh and slowly slid her fingers between Lu Zhao’s, interlocking them. But Lu Zhao’s palm was not as warm as it used to be; it even felt a bit chilly.

Yunxia raised their joined hands and gave a charming smile, as if Lu Zhao could hear her. She tapped Lu Zhao’s heart. “If you do not wake up soon, I will hold someone else’s hand and make you regret it!”

The person on the bed simply lay there, motionless.

In an instant, Yunxia’s eyes grew red. She leaned down against Lu Zhao’s chest, listening to her faint heartbeat, and said helplessly, “Sister, you said you were coming to marry Xiaxia. Does that still count?”

Yunxia looked up and kissed Lu Zhao’s chin. Recalling their past, tears streamed from her eyes as she murmured, “Sister, if you leave, Xiaxia will go with you.”

Still, there was no answer, only a crushing sense of despair.