Chapter Sixteen: Different People

Holding the fabric still clutched in her hand, Shen Zhi Ning trembled in shock, her ears suddenly flushed red. How on earth had she ended up lying in Pei Zhi’s arms?

Quickly, she let go and rolled over to the side seat, her expression both embarrassed and slightly annoyed.

“Um... let me explain first. That earlier incident wasn’t my fault—I don’t even know how I woke up there...”

The temperature inside the carriage had dropped to near freezing, and she wished she could just disappear into a hole.

The man, who had been sitting upright moments ago, now reclined against the soft cushions of the carriage, his dark robe torn open by the woman’s movement, revealing a delicate collarbone.

Pei Zhi sat up, straightened his robe, and lowered his eyes. Unlike the cold and distant gaze from before, his dark eyes now stirred with a ripple of emotion as they looked at her.

Did she treat other men the same way?

He suddenly recalled that a few days ago, when she had gone out with the son of a wealthy family, they had shared a carriage on a rough mountain road. Had she also lain in someone else’s arms then, just as she had today?

These thoughts surged like a tide, stirring turmoil in his heart.

Pei Zhi furrowed his brows and silently stared at the woman sitting to his right.

Shen Zhi Ning, who had been sneaking glances at his reaction, felt her heart race under his gaze and hurriedly lowered her eyes.

“Cousin, I truly regret what happened,” she said, her cheeks burning with shame, her voice carrying an indescribable coquettishness.

Pei Zhi withdrew his thoughts and looked down.

Her face was flushed, her eyes shimmering with a springlike sparkle, as if about to overflow. Her lips, bitten nervously, revealed a vivid blush.

Yet, thinking of this cousin’s flirtatious ways, he could not help but feel displeased.

Perhaps it was because he was accustomed to the dignified and proper demeanor of noble ladies, and this unruly cousin was simply hard for him to accept.

So, he calmly looked away.

“The roads are rough, and carriages often jolt on mountain paths. You need not feel guilty. But don’t be so frivolous in the future; after all, there is a difference between men and women.”

Shen Zhi Ning pouted; he seized every opportunity to lecture her.

Men and women different? To her, what Pei Zhi truly meant was that their statuses were different.

She curled her knuckles and lowered her hands sheepishly.

Indeed, he was the legitimate son of the illustrious Pei family, noble and aloof, while she was merely the daughter of a minor county magistrate, even a subject of gossip.

If not for her father’s old friendship with the Grand Tutor Pei, she might never have dared to so much as brush against Pei Zhi’s sleeve in this lifetime.

She supposed he had never truly taken her to heart.

The journey continued in silence. The tea on the table cooled and warmed repeatedly, and after an indeterminate time, a knock sounded at the door.

“Young master, we have reached the outskirts of the capital. In just over ten minutes, we will arrive at the estate.”

Returning once again to the capital, Shen Zhi Ning felt a twinge of melancholy. Looking out the carriage window, everything was as she remembered from her previous life.

Pei Zhi did not understand: it was the cousin who insisted on coming to the capital, yet she was the one who appeared so sorrowful upon arrival.

He lifted his gaze to appraise her, then lifted the tea cover and stirred the leaves. Though his words were few, they cut like ice.

“When we reach the crossroads, you should get off the carriage.”

Shen Zhi Ning was puzzled. “Walk back from there?”

The ride to the Pei estate took more than ten minutes by carriage; if she had to walk back, she would surely wear out her legs.

Pei Zhi frowned, his face still cold, but his voice softened somewhat.

He set down his teacup and said calmly, “Luo Xue has prepared a carriage at the crossroads. You may take that one.”

Now she understood his meaning: he feared others would see them sharing a carriage and sully his pure and noble reputation.

Though others might not understand Pei Zhi, Shen Zhi Ning, who had faced him through two lifetimes, knew him all too well.

She nodded, consenting to the Pei heir’s suggestion.

By evening, the carriage arrived at the Pei estate.

The Pei family of the capital was one of the most prominent in Da Qing, their ancestors producing generations of talented men, like brilliant stars illuminating the past and present.

Pei Zhi’s grandfather was even enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, ensuring the family’s honorable legacy. Aside from his father’s prestigious position as Grand Tutor, the family’s branches all flourished, sharing in each other’s fortunes and misfortunes.

The Pei family upheld strict teachings, placing great emphasis on education and propriety, ensuring their heirs upheld decorum, integrity, and uprightness. Pei Zhi, the eldest legitimate son of this generation, was their brightest star—he had begun his studies at four and mastered the Four Books and Five Classics by school age.

Before Shen Zhi Ning even stepped down from the carriage, she heard the bustling sounds outside.

No need to guess—those were the servants the matriarch had sent to welcome her eldest grandson, and she had nothing to do with them.

Shen Zhi Ning closed her eyes, trying to shut out the noisy clamor in her mind.

In her past life, she had witnessed grand ceremonies at the ancestral temple and countless officials paying homage; now, she only felt overwhelmed.

Beside her, Yu Zhu, who had never left Yun’an County, looked uneasy.

Through the carriage window, they saw the vermilion main gate with ancient bronze ring knockers. Above hung a golden plaque inscribed with bold, dragon-like characters: “Pei Estate.”

Beneath the eaves stood a well-organized group of servants, led by a man in a sapphire blue robe, whose demeanor was gentle and refined.

Yu Zhu’s heart tightened. “Miss, there are so many people…”

Shen Zhi Ning smiled knowingly and squeezed Yu Zhu’s hand reassuringly.

“Don’t be afraid. These are only people welcoming Young Master Pei home. We shall act as we always do—openly and confidently.”

Yu Zhu nodded. She sensed that after coming of age, her mistress had changed somewhat, though she couldn’t say exactly how. It was as if an aura of authority now enveloped her, similar to what Young Master Pei exuded.

When the carriage came to a halt, Luo Xue opened the door, and a pair of embroidered silk shoes stepped out.

A tall, slender figure descended gracefully. The man wore a dark blue robe and had black hair, his face refined and serene.

In the fading sunset, his brows and eyes softened, yet his cold aura remained sharp, inspiring awe.

As Pei Zhi reached the gate, the assembled group immediately stepped forward.

“Welcome home, elder brother. You have endured wind, frost, rain, and snow on your journey. We are grateful for your efforts.”

The speaker was the man in the sapphire robe.

Pei Zhi glanced up and replied faintly. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at the carriage behind him.

Shen Zhi Ning, supported by Yu Zhu, stepped out.

With a light, elegant step, she stood obediently behind Pei Zhi and said, “I am Shen Zhi Ning. I greet Young Master Pei.”