When the guard came in, Xu Yin had just finished his bath. He strode out from behind the curtain, "The princess left?"
"She did." The guard stepped forward and whispered something in his ear.
After listening, Xu Yin’s eyes flickered slightly. He paced a couple of steps and said, "Very good. Keep an eye on Prince Rong’s Mansion, inform me if there’s any news."
After dismissing the guard, Xu Yin called for Lian Rong: "Who has been appointed the Imperial Grandson’s teacher?"
Lian Rong replied, "It is scholar Zou Yisheng from the Hanlin Academy."
Xu Yin nodded, "Find a gap, grease some palms. Within half a month, I want progress."
At night, the capital city was peaceful and harmonious.
Fu Zhen accompanied Pei Zhan for some tofu pudding, then walked back along the alley, her steps particularly light.
In a good mood, she began to talk a lot.
As they passed the entrance to the alley leading to the Ning Family, Fu Zhen pointed at the wall of the Ning Mansion, "Look, on the night I proposed to you, Xu Yin was playing the flute under that wall."
Pei Zhan said, "I know! I saw him."
Fu Zhen looked at him: "Do you know why he was there?"
Pei Zhan walked ahead with his hands behind his back, "I don’t want to know."
"Aren’t you curious?"
"Not curious. Why should I be curious about a scumbag?"
Pei Zhan stopped, "Why are you not speaking?"
Fu Zhen said, "You’ve already said you’re not curious, so what else should I say?"
Pei Zhan was momentarily speechless.
Fu Zhen grinned and hugged her arms, lightly tapping her elbows with her fingers, "You’ve never asked me why I hate Xu Yin.
"Back when I was persuading you to marry, I explicitly said I had a vendetta against Xu Yin, but since we got married, you haven’t asked a single word. That doesn’t match your character as General Pei in the slightest."
Pei Zhan’s gaze flickered as he looked away to the night sky, "Everyone has their past, I just need to know you hate him, why must I ask why?"
"That reason is insufficient."
Fu Zhen said as she walked forward.
The moon stretched their shadows long, sometimes overlapping, sometimes apart.
Pei Zhan suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty. He said with a shaky breath, "Why would you bring this up? Are you thinking of Xu Yin?"
Fu Zhen looked at the ground, "I am thinking of him."
Pei Zhan’s heart clenched again, "Why?"
"Because I can’t forget."
The heart that had clenched dropped with a thud, making Pei Zhan’s mind dizzy. He looked blankly at the person who stopped in front of him, his lips moved several times but no complete words came out.
Fu Zhen turned, smiling soothingly, "Just teasing you."
Pei Zhan gave her a faintly reproachful look.
Fu Zhen spoke seriously, "Xu Yin and I knew each other long ago, but unfortunately, he broke a promise between us and later tried to take my life.
"I’m thinking about him because I’m considering how to take revenge."
Pei Zhan’s face suddenly felt warm, "I know he’s bad, and I know he did you wrong, but why tell me this? You don’t have to if you don’t want to."
Fu Zhen smiled, looking at the embroidery on his lapel, "Because I’m very grateful to you, asking for your help, you deserve to understand."
Before Pei Zhan could speak, Fu Zhen started walking slowly ahead again, "I used to think you were serious, rigid, and black-hearted, not cute at all from head to toe.
"But now I realize my judgment of people is really poor. It’s clear you have a generous heart. I needed to use your identity as a general’s wife, and you agreed without hesitation.
"Whenever I needed your backing, you never fell short.
"You are so genuine; I don’t want to deceive you. Especially regarding why Xu Yin and I became enemies and why I appeared here. I think even if we’re just nominally husband and wife, you’re my benefactor who came to my aid, some things—"
Before she could finish, Pei Zhan already reached out to cover her mouth, "You don’t need to say!"
Their eyes met, and as if touched by boiling water, Pei Zhan abruptly withdrew his hand.
He placed his hand behind him, with a wooden expression said, "These things aren’t important. I don’t need your gratitude!" Official source is novelFirｅ.net
Fu Zhen was silent for a moment, then stuck her head in front of his eyes, "Really don’t want it?"
Pei Zhan took a deep breath, "I don’t want it!"
Fu Zhen pulled out a White Jade hairpin from her sleeve, sighed heavily, and said, "Then I guess I was overthinking, this hairpin, I personally chose the jade, designed the pattern myself, studied for a long time the style you like, had it meticulously carved by the craftsman in our family’s shop.