Chapter 115: Reaching Heaven in a Single Step
Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Reaching Heaven in a Single Step
Cui Lingyao realized the man possessed an intimidating aura, one that commanded respect without a hint of anger.
She had seen this kind of aura on her father and brothers, as well as on Xie Jinbai.
It was a natural quality for those who had long held positions of power.
Yet, ever since they first met, he had never revealed this side of himself to her.
Or rather, he would never speak to her in such a tone.
He had always been very respectful of her.
And now, his current behavior toward the Pei family elders was clearly intentional.
Whether the Pei family hoped to curry favor or had other schemes in mind, he had already made his stance clear.
Everything was for the sake of Mrs. Shen’s funeral.
All else was secondary.
The Pei family wasn’t foolish; they immediately agreed.
Second Master Pei quickly replied, "This is as it should be. We would have made these arrangements even if you hadn’t mentioned it."
By this point in the conversation, any warmth from a long-awaited family reunion had completely vanished.
The atmosphere in the hall had grown rather stiff. Coincidentally, as the sky darkened, it was time for the evening meal.
A welcoming banquet had been set in the side hall, where several of Pei Shuyao’s cousins were waiting with expectant eyes.
Their parents had all instructed them to treat this cousin, back from the Capital City, with the utmost hospitality.
The childhood friends hadn’t seen each other in three years. In that time, their cousin had transformed from a commoner into a phoenix, becoming a noble lady they could no longer hope to approach. Moreover, her fiancé possessed an overwhelming aura that they feared even their own Lord Governor couldn’t hope to match in person.
It was truly a sight to behold.
Pingzhou was a small city. It could never produce a young master like Shen Tingyu, who hailed from a top-tier noble family and was raised at the very center of power.
And what’s more, he was so... exceptionally handsome.
A girl from their very own family—an orphan, no less—had somehow managed to land such an outstanding fiancé. How could they not be filled with envy?
Cui Lingyao was in no mood to dine with the Pei family.
She ignored her cousins’ eager gazes, rising to politely decline. "I am in deep mourning. It would be inappropriate for me to join a lively gathering with my cousins. I just want to return to my room and rest."
Shen Tingyu rose as well. He said nothing, merely lifting his chin slightly, clearly indicating he had no intention of attending the banquet.
Seeing they both wished to rest, Old Madam Pei said quickly, "Yaoyao, why don’t you stay in my courtyard for a few days?"
Cui Lingyao shook her head, politely refusing again. "I haven’t returned in many years. I want to go back to my own courtyard, to see it as it was when Father and Mother were still here."
Then she added, "Mr. Shen will be busy managing my mother’s funeral arrangements. It would be best if he stayed in the guest courtyard of our main branch."
The Pei Family was a prominent household in Pingzhou. Though they had declined, their ancestors a few generations back had been high officials, so the family estate was vast. As the eldest son of the main line, Pei Shu had been given a separate section of the estate exclusively for his branch of the family after he married.
It even had its own independent guest quarters.
It was an entirely natural request, yet the members of the Pei family fell silent for a moment, their expressions turning troubled.
Cui Lingyao raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is it inconvenient?"
"It’s convenient, of course it is! It’s just... things have changed a lot around the house in three years. We wouldn’t want you to get lost,"
Second Madam Pei rose with a smile. "Why don’t your third aunt and I escort you over? We can fill you in on the way."
Soon, the two madams of the Pei family were personally leading a retinue of servants to escort them.
Cui Lingyao and Shen Tingyu exchanged a glance and followed.
The autumn sunset was slowly fading from the horizon as twilight settled. Walking along the familiar paths, Cui Lingyao didn’t understand the Pei family’s unnatural expressions until she passed a certain courtyard. Only then did it dawn on her.
This was Harmony Hall, where Mrs. Shen had once lived. The plaque had been handwritten by Pei Shu himself. But now, the plaque hanging above the courtyard gate read ’Yu Shuzhai.’
Seeing her gaze fixed upon the plaque, Second Madam Pei gave a dry laugh and explained, "The year before last, your eldest cousin married, and last year they had twin sons. The children are quite boisterous and their old place was too small and confining. So, your grandmother decided to let their family move in here."
Pei Shu was dead, leaving the main branch without an heir.
The eldest cousin from the second branch was now the eldest grandson of the direct line in this generation of the Pei family. He was destined to inherit the family estate.
Moving into the main branch’s primary courtyard was always just a matter of time.
’But I didn’t expect that someone would have already occupied the courtyard of the main branch’s mistress while she was still alive,’ Cui Lingyao thought.
The Pei family had clearly never imagined Mrs. Shen would return alive.
They hadn’t even left her a place to call her own.
As for her, the eldest daughter of the main branch, she was completely overlooked.
’A daughter is just someone to be married off with a dowry.’
They just never expected the Duke Shen Mansion to place so much importance on a daughter from a lesser branch, even sending their own heir apparent to escort her spirit tablet back over such a great distance.
And on top of that, they had even arranged the granddaughter’s marriage.
To the Pei family, this meant the granddaughter they had never given a second thought to would one day be the future Duchess.
For a family of the Pei Family’s status, calling this ’ascending to the heavens in a single step’ was no exaggeration.
If the eldest grandson’s family hadn’t already been living there for two years, making it impossible to restore the layout and furnishings to their original state, the Pei family would never have risked antagonizing this granddaughter over the matter.
The two Pei madams explained in hushed tones beside her, "These past few years, the family has celebrated several happy occasions, and with new mouths to feed, space has become..."
"That’s enough," Cui Lingyao cut them off coolly. "Is my old courtyard still available?"
"It is, it is!" Seeing that she didn’t intend to press the issue, Second Madam Pei nodded repeatedly. "Your courtyard was cleaned and prepared for you days ago."
With that, she turned to Shen Tingyu and said politely, "Since the two of you are engaged, Mr. Shen isn’t an outsider. How about he stays in the courtyard adjacent to yours?"
Shen Tingyu nodded. "Acceptable."
Cui Lingyao also had no objection.
The two Pei madams breathed a collective sigh of relief, then instructed the courtyard servants to attend to them with care.
It was getting late. Cui Lingyao glanced around the courtyard, then politely asked them to leave.
As soon as they were gone, the Pei family servants arrived with the evening meal.
Shen Tingyu hadn’t left yet. Seeing him standing before her with no intention of taking his leave, Cui Lingyao asked out of politeness, "...Why don’t you stay and eat with me?"
’In any case, we’ve already lost count of how many meals we’ve shared on the road. What’s one more?’
As it turned out, Eldest Young Master Shen had been waiting for just that invitation. He sat down at once without a hint of ceremony.
Cui Lingyao: "..."
They both washed their hands and picked up their chopsticks.
Shen Tingyu didn’t adhere to the custom of silence during meals when he was with her. After placing a morsel of food in her bowl, he asked, "Are you angry about how the Pei Family has acted?"
’If she is,’ he thought, ’I could...’
Cui Lingyao shook her head. "It’s fine. They’re strangers to me, really. As long as I can fulfill Mother’s last wish, that’s enough. It’s best to avoid any other disputes."
’She wasn’t Pei Shuyao. She felt neither disappointment nor indignation toward these relatives. She had come to Pingzhou purely to honor her mother’s memory and had no intention of using her new status to humiliate the Pei family.’
Shen Tingyu nodded, then asked, "After my aunt’s funeral is settled, will you remain in Pingzhou to prepare for your wedding, or return to the Capital City with me?"
’Their engagement was already null and void—a fact they had both agreed upon. So, he was really asking whether she planned to marry Xie Jinbai from the Pei Family estate here, or from the Duke Mansion.’