Chapter 49: The Day of Departure

“I don’t care.”

Liu Fuying hooked her arms around his neck, pulling Pei Zhouwu down toward her.

“I’m burning up, I need you to cool me down. It’s so hot.”

She only had this one month. She had to seize every opportunity, with the sole purpose of conceiving a child.

“…”

Pei Zhouwu was about to offer more comforting words when she pressed her crimson lips against his.

The memory of their intimate moments under the moonlight instantly flooded his mind.

That kind of extreme pleasure was addictive—once tasted, it was hard to give up. With just a little provocation, the fire ignited. Before he knew it, he was pulled down by Liu Fuying, the bamboo bed creaking, uncertain whether it could withstand the same fervor as the night before.

“Husband… husband.”

Liu Fuying’s eyes were filled with pleading and greed, wanting more than just these thirst-unquenching kisses.

“A Ying, you…”

“Pei Zhouwu!” A loud shout suddenly came from outside. It was the guard’s routine reminder, “Mealtime!”

Hearing this, Pei Zhouwu instantly sobered up.

He immediately tried to get up, but the person beneath him refused to let go of his neck.

“Just leave it outside, like yesterday when we fetched it ourselves later.” Liu Fuying wouldn’t let him go. The fire had just been lit; how could it be extinguished so casually?

“I have something to attend to today. I need to go for a while.”

Pei Zhouwu was still quite capable of restraint. For the sake of a more relaxed future, he could endure the present pleasure.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry. Someone from the Pei family has come. I have something to discuss.”

He stood up and pulled Liu Fuying to her feet. His fingers brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, tidying them neatly. As desire gradually faded, his eyes returned to their gentle, tender state.

“I’ll be back soon.”

After adding this, he turned and left the room.

Liu Fuying watched the closed door and sighed softly. She still had a month left. With them spending every day together, there would surely be opportunities.

Front courtyard.

After seeing Pei Zhouwu, the servant who had delivered the meal from the Pei family turned to leave, reassured. The family’s Madam had instructed him to check on Pei Zhouwu’s condition and report back immediately if anything seemed amiss.

Just as he was about to leave, Pei Zhouwu called out to stop him.

“Young Master.” The servant turned around in surprise and hurried over, asking through the bars, “What are your orders, Young Master?”

Although the Pei family’s rules were strict, its masters were not harsh. Pei Zhouwu, in particular, was an exceptionally good person—kind, humble, and never mistreated the servants. When he learned that Pei Zhouwu had been imprisoned here due to an incident, he had been deeply saddened for a long time.

“Wait here. I have a letter I need you to deliver to my mother.”

“Of course, Young Master. I’ll wait right here.”

The guards nearby exchanged glances and immediately grew vigilant, perhaps fearing that Pei Zhouwu might try to secretly pass something incriminating out. They subtly moved closer, ready to intercept if anything seemed amiss.

Soon, Pei Zhouwu emerged from the front room, holding a half-folded piece of paper in his hand.

He passed it through the bars to the servant.

As the servant took it, he felt something thicker underneath the paper—a small, neatly folded square. He immediately understood: the top sheet was merely a decoy; the one beneath was the real letter meant for the Madam.

“Young Master, rest assured. I will deliver this letter to Madam intact.”

With that, he nodded and bowed to Pei Zhouwu.

A clever person needs no further explanation; a single glance is enough to convey all that remains unsaid.

Then, the servant turned around.

The family letter was still clutched in his hand, but the one beneath it had long been discreetly hidden elsewhere.

The guards at the door exchanged a look, and one of them immediately followed the servant.

“What are you doing?” the servant asked, turning around to stop upon noticing.

The guard wore a smile, amused by the servant’s feigned ignorance. “What do you think I’m doing, young man? Pei Zhouwu is a prisoner. Anything he sends out must be inspected. If there’s any oversight and His Majesty holds us accountable, you wouldn’t be able to explain it either, would you?”

The servant hid the paper behind his back, a forced smile on his face.

“Didn’t you see it just now? It’s just a family letter. What oversight could there be?”

His attempt to hide it only deepened the guard’s suspicion.

“How would we know without looking? On the surface, it may seem like just a family letter, but who knows what’s actually written? It could very well be passing messages or plotting something.”

Before he could finish, the guard lunged to snatch it.

“How dare you! This is a letter from the Grand Duchess. You are not worthy to read it!”

The mention of the Grand Duchess gave the guard pause.

The Grand Duchess was Pei Zhouwu’s mother, the birth mother of the current empress, and the emperor’s mother-in-law.

Yet, the more he tried to intimidate with authority, the more suspicious it seemed.

The guard’s expression darkened, now even more convinced the letter was problematic. He reached out to grab it, even calling others to help pin the servant to the ground. Despite this, the servant stubbornly protected the letter, and it took several men prying his fingers open one by one to finally seize it.

“You scoundrels! Just because our young master is in trouble, you think you can bully us like this? Even a simple family letter you snatch by force. It’s clear how much our young master has suffered at your hands. I will report every detail of this to the State Elder. His Majesty hasn’t even convicted our young master yet. How dare you treat him with such disrespect!”

“…”

The guard who had taken the letter unfolded the paper and read it from start to finish, his face turning pale.

The letter was filled with Pei Zhouwu’s apologies and remorse to his family, with no trace of any scheming or treacherous intent.

“Our young master may be in temporary trouble, but the State Elder’s household is not to be trifled with. You want this letter? Fine, you can have it!”

“Wait…”

The servant turned to leave, and the guard hurriedly chased after him.

The State Elder’s household was indeed not to be trifled with. Dealing with mere guards like them would be as easy as turning over a hand.

“Young man, don’t be angry. We’re just doing our duty. If anything goes wrong, our heads are on the line too.”

The servant remained silent, continuing forward without pause.

“Young man!”

The guard grabbed him and shoved the letter back into his arms.

“Bah!”

After spitting out the curse, the servant strode away once more.

With this commotion, the matter of the other letter was completely overshadowed.

Inside the kitchen, Pei Zhouwu quietly withdrew his gaze and continued arranging the food from the stove onto a round tray.

Returning to the bedroom, he found Liu Fuying lying on the table, lost in thought.

Upon seeing him, her face lit up with a smile.

“Husband, I was about to go looking for you if you didn’t return soon. I thought they had discovered what happened with the incense last night.”

“Rest assured, I wouldn’t do that unless I was certain.”

After setting down the tray, Pei Zhouwu carefully arranged the dishes on the table, then handed the chopsticks to Liu Fuying.

“Eat,” he said, taking a seat as well.

“Husband,” Liu Fuying held the chopsticks but hesitated to begin eating. “I want to tell you that I’ll be going away for a while soon, and I may not return for several days.”