Chapter 11: The Love Letter Part 1

“The servants are watching.” Though his lips spoke words of warning, Pei Lianyi still couldn’t help but touch the wound on the man’s face.

His fingertips were cool and moist, like little ice pellets in the scorching summer.

Huo Jingzhao narrowed his eyes at the touch, then released his hand and said, “I have been discourteous.”

Looking at his modest and polite demeanor, Pei Lianyi’s expression turned serious. “The Dragon Boat Festival is about to start. The Leng family has been rampant lately. They dared to come here once, they will come a second time. To ensure a smooth participation in the race, you should move into the Pei Manor.”

Huo Jingzhao raised an eyebrow in surprise, his voice becoming deep. “But my status… I’m afraid…”

He hesitated, looking somewhat troubled.

“Don’t worry. You are already a person about to enter the Pei Manor. No one will dare to gossip.” As he spoke, Pei Lianyi turned and called Cao Xian over, ordering him to arrange accommodations for Huo Jingzhao.

“Cao Xian, later you will bring him back to the manor.”

“Yes.” Cao Xian, who approached, raised his eyes to look at the future Son-in-law. He thought to himself that the Son-in-law indeed had good looks. Although a bit spineless—not even making a sound when his own parents were bullied right in front of him by Leng Huan—such a person was exactly what the Pei Manor needed. No wonder the Master was so eager…

Compared to Pei Lianyi’s urgency, Huo Jingzhao remained his usual slow and gentle self. He sheepishly rubbed his nose and laughed, “Ah, I, Huo, thank Master Pei for his kindness first. But I must inform my parents about this, may I?”

May I? He seemed completely like a polite, well-mannered young man.

Seeing his clear, dazzling smile, Pei Lianyi squeezed the ribs of his folding fan and nodded. “Go ahead.”

With his permission, Huo Jingzhao then walked with steady steps to find the Huo couple.

Watching him leave, Cao Xian slowly proposed, “Family Head, Young Master Huo hasn’t formally entered the household yet. It might be inappropriate to let him move in so openly now. This old servant thinks we should treat him according to the servants’ standards for food and clothing. This way, it follows the rules, and also tempers his temperament. What do you think?”

Pei Lianyi came back to his senses. Thinking of that mysterious, unpredictable Ghost-Faced Man who might appear at any time, he had no choice but to agree.

“Do as you say.”

Thus, with the matter of Young Master Pei’s runaway wedding still unresolved, Huo Jingzhao, carrying a coarse cloth bundle prepared by his parents, entered the Pei Manor under the varied gazes of onlookers.

Arriving at the Pei Manor, Cao Xian didn’t immediately take him to his quarters. Instead, he led him on a tour of the magnificent courtyards and then stopped in front of an arched gate.

“Young Master Huo, please remember well. From this place, this path onward, it is the residence of the Family Head and Little Young Master, called the Main Courtyard and Side Courtyard. Aside from the close servants who attend them, no one is permitted to enter without orders.”

“Yes.” Huo Jingzhao scrutinized the large, jade-colored archway. He agreed first, then scratched his head and asked, “But why can’t we enter?”

He had been walking under the scorching sun for nearly three hours, yet he showed no signs of fatigue, only fine sweat on his face. This showed he was strong and robust. If the Little Young Master consummated the marriage with such a fine man, perhaps he could conceive a child within three months, and the Master could rest easy.

Thinking this and facing Huo Jingzhao’s clear smile, Cao Xian put on a stern face again. “Because in this region, aside from the Master and Young Master, we are all coarse people. How could the Family Head be disturbed by coarse people?” He raised his head and retorted, his words laced with thick arrogance.

Hearing this, Huo Jingzhao looked as if a great truth had dawned on him. He bowed to Cao Xian. “Thank you, Head Steward Cao, for your guidance.”

“Steward Cao, rest assured, this Huo will not wander around.”

Hmm, indeed, he was teachable! Cao Xian nodded, satisfied. Then he pointed to the Crystal Room in the back garden. “Do you see that huge building? That area is full of treasures raised by the Family Head. You absolutely must not touch them…”

“Yes… yes.” All along the way, no matter what he said, Huo Jingzhao agreed with a good temper. Cao Xian even suspected that if he told the man before him to scrub horses in the stable or confined him, he’d run off laughing.

Afterward, Huo Jingzhao was taken to a guest room in the Side Courtyard. It was called a guest room, but there was no bed inside. Instead, there was the large communal sleeping platform used by the servants.

“The manor doesn’t have extra beds at the moment…”

“It’s fine. This place is great.” Before Cao Xian could finish explaining, Huo Jingzhao put his bundle on the floor.

He spread out his arms and flopped onto the dust-stained cotton blanket. “This room is even bigger than my family’s small courtyard.”

Listening to his exclamation, Cao Xian smirked smugly. Then he lowered his eyes and said with feigned respect, “Then please rest first, Young Master Huo. The Kitchen and Woodshed are right next door. I will have the servants prepare water and dinner. You can come and fetch them yourself.”

“This old servant takes his leave.”

Seeing him about to leave, Huo Jingzhao, who had just been lounging lazily on the sleeping platform, scrambled to his feet. “Thank you, Steward Cao. Many thanks…”

“No need to see me off, no need.” Cao Xian quickly left the Old Courtyard, which hadn’t been slept in for years.

And behind him, the man on the bed slightly raised a finger. Using his Internal Energy, he lifted a corner of the roof tiles. His handsome face instantly turned cold.

“Sang, come out.”

At his command, the dark purple figure on the eaves transformed into an ink dot, kneeling before him in an instant.

“What is the Young Sect Master’s command?”

Huo Jingzhao lowered his head and bit his index finger. Seeing the dark red blood bead emerge from his fingertip, his smiling voice was somewhat excited. “I want to send him something.”

“…Yes.”

Near evening, after returning to the Main Courtyard where Pei Lianyi was, Cao Xian was already panting heavily. But he still hastily straightened his clothes and began recounting Huo Jingzhao’s behavior in the manor.

“Ah, the fruit on this tree is enough for my family to eat for half a month…”

“Wow! Such a big pond! Do the fish here eat cooked meat? My family only eats river shrimp.”

Watching him mimic Huo Jingzhao so vividly, Pei Lianyi, who was having his meal, lightly swept his sleeves, pursing his lips in a suppressed smile.

In his own bedroom, he seemed much more relaxed than usual.

At this moment, his raven-black long hair fell loosely behind his ears. He was wearing a single-layered garment with embedded silver floral patterns, not tied with a sash but loosely closed on his body. Yet this only accentuated his mature, taut figure.

“Family Head, if you ask me, this Young Master Huo’s family background is simply too poor…” Seeing Pei Lianyi’s rare smile, Cao Xian shook his head helplessly.

Pei Lianyi leaned back into his chair and said lightly, “Being poor is good. That way, he will listen to me and Ziying.”

“The less he’s seen, the easier to control, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Family Head, you are absolutely right.”

“What time is it?” Pei Lianyi suddenly asked, glancing at the sky outside.

“Replying to the Family Head, there is one more hour until the doors close for the night.”

Hearing Cao Xian’s reply, Pei Lianyi abruptly gripped the armrest of the chair. A flush rose on his cold, reserved face.

“One hour…” He murmured hoarsely. The Ghost-Faced Man’s hot breath seemed to linger in his ears.

—I will come again tomorrow night.

“Family Head, Family Head…?”

“What—?” Pei Lianyi shuddered violently at Cao Xian’s call, light rippling in his eyes.

Gazing at his darting eyes, Cao Xian worriedly asked, “Your complexion isn’t good, Family Head. Are you feeling unwell?”

“…Nothing.” Pei Lianyi turned his head away and was silent for a moment, then stood up. “I’m not very sleepy tonight. Come and walk with me in the courtyard.”

Tonight, the Pei Manor courtyard was busier than usual. The lanterns were just lit, it was rest time. A newcomer had arrived, and everyone gathered, wanting to more or less see what the future Son-in-law was like.

The courtyard’s big fellow, Li Qi, the Guard, took the lead. He placed a ceramic jar on the stone table and waved a few small sticks under Huo Jingzhao’s nose.

“Young Master Huo, give it a try?!”

Huo Jingzhao showed a gentle smile amidst the crowd. “What… what is this?”

“Hey, Young Master Huo doesn’t even know about cricket fighting?”

Before Li Qi could answer, a servant beside him grabbed the small stick from his hand with a grin. “Even three-year-olds know this!”

Hearing this, Huo Jingzhao, with his hands clasped in front of him, looked even more bashful. “Since I was young, I’ve been helping my family work to earn money. I rarely have free time for such amusements. I’m truly… sorry.”

As he spoke, his tone was very calm, but it drew a wave of sympathy from the nearby maids.

“Hey! Stop teasing Young Master Huo! He’s already so honest!”

“Yes, yes…!” The maids stared at the men like protective hawks guarding their chicks.

Huo Jingzhao smiled faintly, saying nothing. He rubbed his hands, covered in thin calluses. “How about you all play, and I will learn by watching, alright?”

With him saying so, Li Qi and the others put aside their displeasure at being scolded by the maids and demonstrated cricket fighting for him.

Li Qi and the servant were very skilled. Soon, the male crickets in the jar locked onto each other and began fighting fiercely.

Everyone craned their necks to watch intently, even the maids who feared bugs were clapping.