Chapter 93

 Lucky wouldn’t stop barking. He’d grown quite sturdy now, with a fresh layer of fur—looking both ugly and fierce.

If Madam Liu hadn’t rushed over just in time to hold him back, Su Mingyou had no doubt that this ugly dog, taller than her knees, would’ve pounced and torn her apart. She was terrified of him—so much so that she didn’t even want to come to Baoning’s courtyard anymore. But... she had no choice.

She glanced at Zhao Qian and saw his face stiffen. Thinking he was also scared, she reached down and gently grasped his hand.

Zhao Qian’s expression softened, and he gave her a warm smile.

Baoning looked at the two of them strangely, then paused and quietly asked Chen Jia beside her, “Don’t you think Lady Su and that new little maid are acting weird? Just one night and they’ve already grown that close?”

Chen Jia was bowing his head, picking coriander seeds. These days, when he wasn’t practicing martial arts, Baoning always had him doing chores—sorting seeds, sprouting beans, tilling soil, watering plants. All those country skills he learned back home were finally being put to use.

Life was actually pretty good—relaxed and pleasant. He felt like he’d gained a bit of weight.

Everyone who lived with Baoning seemed to gain weight. Like Madam Liu—she used to be a plump middle-aged woman, and now she was a kindly chubby old lady, her cheeks forming little grooves when she smiled.

Chen Jia also thought, The Fourth Prince is really self-disciplined—not gaining weight at all. He eats a lot, but he’s getting more muscular, not fatter.

Speaking of fat, Chen Jia suddenly craved some pork belly. How should he subtly bring it up to Baoning?

Just have her make a little, and let him have a bite or two at dinner—that would be enough.

Meanwhile, Madam Liu welcomed Su Mingyou and Zhao Qian into the house. Chen Jia, still lost in thought, held a handful of coriander seeds and said nothing.

Baoning called his name twice again and asked, “Chen Jia, do you think there’s something off about that new little maid?”

Chen Jia finally snapped out of it. After thinking seriously for a moment, he replied, “Not sure. But when I was young, I heard that when widows are lonely for too long, strange thoughts start to creep in. One of our neighbors back home was a young widow. Her late husband’s family was strict and didn’t allow her to remarry. Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and ended up living with another widow from her maiden village. They called each other ‘sisters.’”

Baoning asked, “And then?”

Chen Jia said, “One day, someone found them sleeping in the same bed, without any clothes on... No one knows what they were doing.”

Baoning’s face gradually turned red. She glanced back at Su Mingyou and the new maid sitting together and couldn’t help but imagine—

Sleeping naked in the same bed... what were they doing?

She had learned something new and strange from Chen Jia.

Baoning quickly put on a serious expression again and instructed, “Chen Jia, keep an eye on that maid. We don’t know her background, and I’m worried she might cause trouble. If anything seems off—or if something happens between her and Lady Su—you must tell me right away!”

Chen Jia replied, “Yes, ma’am!”

…

With a heavy heart, Baoning stepped into the house. Su Mingyou was sipping tea at the table. When she saw Baoning, her expression flickered briefly before returning to normal.

She ordered, “Qian’er, quickly go pay your respects to the Madam.”

With a thud, Zhao Qian knelt down in front of Baoning, eyes red with tears. “Your servant Qian’er humbly begs Madam for shelter.”

The floor was made of stone, and he had knelt hard—intentionally—to stir Baoning’s sympathy. Pei Xiao had ordered Zhao Qian to approach Baoning in the guise of a girl, to win her trust and affection, ideally becoming her personal maid so that future tasks could be carried out more easily.

The best way to gain a woman’s trust was to appear pitiful and arouse her compassion.

Baoning was indeed a little moved. She quickly had Madam Liu help her up and said with a smile, “I didn’t buy you—Lady Su did. If she’s willing to take you in, that’s enough. No need to ask me.”

Zhao Qian’s eyes shimmered with tears as he glanced at Baoning and softly thanked her.

A beauty with eyes like autumn water—objectively a lovely sight. But Baoning was once again struck by that uncomfortable feeling. She remained clear-headed. People from lower backgrounds wanting to rise would inevitably play some tricks—pretend to be pitiful—it was understandable. But this one, Qian’er, was overacting.

Maybe a man would fall for it, but she wasn’t a man, and she just found it fake and annoying.

Zhao Qian, in turn, was studying her.

She looked about fifteen or sixteen, delicate and beautiful, with pale skin like pear blossoms, willow-leaf eyebrows, and lips red as cherry drops. She still had a girlish innocence about her, but also a touch of the charm of a married woman.

In short, a sheltered noble daughter—naive, pretty, no guile, easy to fool. You could tell just by her eyes.

Still... quite lovable.

Zhao Qian eagerly stepped forward to pour tea for Baoning, filling the cup seven-tenths full, testing the temperature with his fingertip, and said, “Madam, please enjoy. It’s a little hot, so please sip slowly.”

Baoning shot a glance at Su Mingyou and caught a flash of displeasure in her eyes—it looked like jealousy.

This only confirmed what Chen Jia had said. Su Mingyou had bought Qian’er for her looks and was now clinging to her to relieve her loneliness. Otherwise, how could one explain them holding hands so intimately the very next day?

Baoning wasn’t sure how to handle this kind of situation. She’d wait for Pei Yuan to return. After all, it involved his sister-in-law. Whether or not to break up a pair of lovebirds—she’d leave that decision to him.

But right now, Baoning didn’t want to see them anymore. They were truly an eyesore.

She drank her tea silently and said nothing more, hoping Su Mingyou would get the hint and leave on her own.

But she refused to go.

Reluctantly, Baoning invited her to stay for lunch.

After the meal, Su Mingyou still wouldn’t leave. She settled herself on the soft couch and said she wanted to “exchange embroidery skills” with Baoning. But Baoning didn’t want to. If they did, they’d have to talk, and she didn’t want to talk to Su Mingyou at all. So instead, she called for A-Mian, brought out the embroidered ball, and started playing toss with the lamb.

The lamb had grown into a full-sized sheep, now taller than Su Mingyou’s waist, its head pressing straight into her stomach.

Zhao Qian was dumbfounded.

He had seen many noblewomen and mistresses from official families, but he had never encountered one who kept so many strange animals at home. What was going on with this Fourth Prince’s Consort? Had she given up hope on the Fourth Prince's comeback and decided to let everything go at home?

Still, it was kind of charming. Unusual. Intriguing.

Zhao Qian raised an eyebrow.

Su Mingyou, however, had serious matters on her mind—she was thinking about how to subtly sow discord between Baoning and Pei Yuan. But Baoning barely spoke to her, instead offering her a pile of snacks and tea, sending her off to the latrine three times already, without saying anything useful. Su Mingyou was growing anxious with frustration.

A’mian got tired from headbutting the embroidered ball and lay down at Baoning’s feet to rest. Baoning called Liu Momo over to bring a plate of small dog shrimp—caught fresh from the Bohai Sea. The Assistant Minister of Revenue had somehow obtained over ten pounds of these fresh shrimp and sent them as a gift to Pei Yuan.

The tiny shrimp were no longer than half a pinky, but their meat was firm and incredibly fresh and sweet—delicious.

Baoning thought to herself: Pei Yuan had really made a name for himself now—even people were sending him gifts.

She washed her hands clean and personally peeled one shrimp, placing it on a small dish in front of Su Mingyou with a smile:
“Big sister-in-law, have some shrimp to whet your appetite.”

“Thank you, little sister-in-law, but I’m already full,” Su Mingyou replied, her face not looking too good. She had been here half a day, doing nothing but “whetting her appetite.”

She glanced at Zhao Qian and noticed he was staring intently at Baoning’s hands. Su Mingyou’s heart sank—she remembered how Zhao Qian had served tea to Baoning earlier, and a sour feeling surged in her chest.

Seeing Su Mingyou not eat, Baoning asked again:
“Big sister-in-law, is there anything else you’d like to eat?”

“I don’t want anything!” Su Mingyou suddenly stood up, a bit agitated. She couldn’t stay here any longer—her back ached, her stomach felt off, and Zhao Qian was making her increasingly uncomfortable. She wanted to return to her own courtyard.
“Baoning, I’ll just—”

As she was walking out, saying her goodbye, her toe accidentally kicked the embroidered ball, which rolled under a nearby cabinet. The sheep quickly ran after it, but couldn’t stop in time and crashed into the cabinet with a loud bang. A few small vases fell and shattered, and a small box from the top shelf was knocked to the ground.

It was a delicate little box, rimmed with a ring of dark purple patterns.

Su Mingyou’s eyes lit up:
“What is that?”

Baoning shooed the naughty sheep away, then told someone to clean up the mess. She picked up the small box and dusted it off.
“It’s the Fourth Prince’s. Not sure how it ended up here, but I’ll just put it back.”

Su Mingyou asked:
“Aren’t you curious about it?”

Baoning turned around, surprised:
“Curious about what?”

Su Mingyou gave her a meaningful look:
“What’s inside the box. The Fourth Prince hasn’t told you, and you’re not curious?”

Baoning thought for a moment—Pei Yuan used to frequently handle this box. It had a delicate golden lock, and he would fiddle with it using a key, but never opened it. But lately, he hadn’t touched it at all.

The box had gathered dust on the shelf.

She was curious about what was inside. Her intuition told her it was something very important to Pei Yuan—and something he didn’t want to face.

At first, their relationship wasn’t close enough for her to ask. Later, she forgot about it. Now it came to mind again.

Su Mingyou looked as if she was struggling to say something, then added:
“Never mind. It’s better if you’re not curious. Inside that box is…”
She stopped herself.

Baoning tapped the box with her fingers, listening for any clues—but couldn’t tell anything from the sound.

She smiled and asked:
“Big sister-in-law, do you know what’s inside?”

Su Mingyou frowned:
“I know a little…”

She had heard about the box—back when the remains of Pei Yuan’s mother had just been found. A pile of bones, in a cave beneath an artificial hill in the imperial palace, already moldy.

Pei Yuan had seen it with his own eyes and was mentally unstable for a long while. A bit deranged. He would carry this box with him, wandering around the hill, dragging a long knife with a steel ring in his hand.

The emperor couldn't stand it anymore and sent someone to secretly take the box, wanting to see what was inside. But Pei Yuan found out—and chopped the man’s hand off.

After that, Pei Yuan’s already terrible reputation worsened, and few dared to approach him.

Su Mingyou said to Baoning:
“What’s inside is something that would make you sad.”

Baoning looked at her, puzzled.

“It’s something belonging to a woman who was very important to the Fourth Prince,” Su Mingyou said, speaking half-truths to manipulate her.
“Very important. No one dares mention her in front of him.”

Baoning asked:
“Why can’t I ask him?”

Su Mingyou said, “Baoning, I’m speaking from experience—that’s why I’m advising you. We women always make the same mistake: we think too highly of ourselves, believing we’re indispensable. But really, we never know when we might be replaced by someone new. I suggest you take things lightly and focus on living your own good life. Whether the Fourth Prince had an old flame in the past or finds a new love in the future, don’t let it trouble you.”

Seeing Baoning’s increasingly shocked expression, she put on a sorrowful look and added,
“What I’ve said is all just speculation—it's for your own good. I don’t actually know much about the Fourth Prince’s past. Just listen and let it go—don’t let it affect your relationship.”

Baoning looked down at the box in her hands, then at Su Mingyou’s face. After a moment, she smiled and said,
“I understand.”

Su Mingyou had only intended to plant a small seed of doubt between Baoning and Pei Yuan. Their love seemed strong, but if she wanted to drive a wedge between them, it couldn’t be done all at once—it had to be gradual. If today Baoning began to feel suspicious of Pei Yuan, then her goal would be accomplished.

Su Mingyou thought to herself:
Their relationship was never that stable to begin with. Men are lustful by nature—Baoning rescued Pei Yuan from danger, so of course he’d treat her well for a while. But when all’s said and done, it’s only been just over half a year—how deep could that affection truly be?

She didn’t believe it.

With a smile, Su Mingyou gestured toward the door.
“It’s getting late, I’m feeling a bit tired. I’ll head back first.”

Baoning saw her out.

Once back inside, Baoning sat cross-legged on the cushioned couch, turning the small box over in her hands, her mind replaying all the things Su Mingyou had said.

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