Chapter 129: "Look, It’s Mr. Shen Who Knows How to Care for Someone.
Chapter 129: Chapter 129: "Look, It’s Mr. Shen Who Knows How to Care for Someone.
This was the final day of the wake for Mrs. Shen.
The city gates were still sealed. The Pei family was unsure whether to prepare for the funeral procession, and they were consulting with several Mages about choosing another auspicious day for the burial.
But not long after lunch, the Prefectural Magistrate Mansion, which had given them the cold shoulder for days, suddenly sent a messenger with news: the city gates would open early the next morning, and it would not affect the Pei Family’s funeral arrangements in any way.
The messenger was respectful in both word and deed, completely lacking his previous arrogance.
The contrast was stark; their attitude had done a complete one-eighty.
The Pei family was both shocked and delighted. Racking their brains, they realized the only connection in their clan who could command such respect was their in-law, the Duke Mansion.
It must be out of respect for the Duke Shen Mansion, right?
This guess was confirmed that very afternoon when Lord Prefect made a special trip to pay his respects to Shen Tingyu.
Cui Lingyao knew nothing of this.
She was busy preparing for her mother’s funeral procession.
The news came so suddenly. The Pei family had thought the procession would have to be postponed, so when they received the message, they were thrown into a flurry of activity.
They worked until late in the afternoon, when the mourning hall received its final guests.
Lord Prefect and his wife entered to burn incense and pay their respects.
Cui Lingyao, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt to one side and gave a slight nod in thanks.
When the Prefect’s wife’s gaze fell upon her, a smile immediately touched her lips. "I have long heard that the Pei Family’s eldest daughter is a great beauty. Seeing you today, the rumors are indeed true. You are truly striking."
Cui Lingyao lowered her eyes. "You flatter me, Madam."
Seeing this, Second Madam Pei, who was accompanying the Prefect’s wife, reached out and helped her niece to her feet. "It’s a rare honor to have the Prefect’s wife visit. Yaoyao, why don’t you accompany our esteemed guest for a stroll in the garden?"
The rites were already finished, and the mourning hall was being tidied up in preparation for the next morning’s procession.
No more mourners were expected, so there was indeed no need for her to remain kneeling here to greet guests.
Cui Lingyao allowed herself to be pulled up. She had been kneeling for so long that her knees felt weak. She steadied herself for a moment before taking a step.
Just a few steps out of the mourning hall and into the garden, she looked up and saw several men gathered in a nearby pavilion.
Two of them were the two masters of the Pei Family.
They were accompanying Lord Prefect, admiring the scenery.
In addition to them, Shen Tingyu was there as well.
He sat upright on a stone stool, dressed in a cyan robe. His posture was handsome and erect. His long, slender fingers held a porcelain cup as he lowered his head to sip his tea. With his cool, detached expression, he seemed to exist on a different plane from the fawning, middle-aged men chattering beside him.
A complete mismatch.
In a corner of the pavilion, several maids stood quietly in waiting, holding tea trays and other items.
The autumn wind rustled their skirts, creating a picturesque scene.
Pingzhou was a small city. Lord Prefect was the de facto "parent official," holding a fourth-rank position.
That might not be much in the Capital City, but here, he was a man who could blot out the sky with one hand.
Since the man had come to visit in person, Shen Tingyu could hardly refuse to see him.
This was the first time Cui Lingyao had seen him socializing with official colleagues. His composed and detached demeanor surprised her, and she couldn’t help but steal another glance.
It was just one glance, but the man who had been looking down at his tea looked up.
His gaze met hers, and his brow seemed to lift for a fleeting moment.
Beside Cui Lingyao, the other ladies had also noticed the movement over there.
Second Madam Pei smiled. "What a coincidence. The men are talking. Should we go over and pay our respects, or would it be better to stay away?"
Ordinarily, the guest would follow the host’s lead, and she could have made the decision herself.
But the Prefect’s wife was a person of high status, so naturally, her wishes had to be consulted.
In fact, Cui Lingyao’s opinion wasn’t nearly as important.
After all, a distant magistrate is no match for the official on the spot.
The Prefect’s wife smiled, pressing her lips together. "Since we’ve run into them, there’s no harm in going over for a chat."
It was just their respective husbands, and there were no unrelated men present.
And even for an unmarried young woman like Cui Lingyao, wasn’t her fiancé sitting right over there?
The separation of sexes in Great Yue wasn’t *that* strict.
Over there, the other men merely glanced sideways as their wives approached. Only Shen Tingyu’s expression shifted slightly. He actually put down his porcelain cup and rose to greet them.
His figure was as tall and slender as bamboo, his features clear and bright—gentle, handsome, and proper.
Watching him, Second Madam Pei covered her mouth and chuckled. "Look at that. Mr. Shen is the one who knows how to dote on someone."
In the past forty-odd days, who in the Pei Mansion hadn’t seen how deeply this eldest grandson of the Duke Mansion was in love with their family’s eldest daughter?
Cui Lingyao pressed her lips together, feeling a little awkward. In the blink of an eye, he was standing before her.
"Are you cold?" Shen Tingyu frowned, looking at her thin clothes. "The wind is strong today. Why didn’t you come out with a cloak on?"
The ladies beside them watched, their eyes filled with amusement.
Cui Lingyao’s ears burned. She quickly shook her head. "I’m not cold."
Shen Tingyu studied her carefully for another moment and was about to say something when servants brought over more stools. Second Madam Pei waved them over. "Yaoyao, come quickly! You’ve been walking for so long, come and rest for a bit."
Everyone was waiting, so Shen Tingyu had to cut himself short and pull her down to a seat.
Right next to him.
His movements were completely natural, while Cui Lingyao felt stiff and awkward as he led her to her seat.
Shen Tingyu held her cool fingertips with one hand and picked up the teapot with the other, pouring her a cup of tea. "Drink some hot tea. Warm yourself up first."
He had taken her pulse before and knew her body had been weakened after being poisoned with the seductive powder.
An unmarried young woman is young and has a strong constitution, so such a weakness might not seem like much on a normal day. But if she were to catch a cold or fever, it would flare up and cause trouble.
Sickness comes like a landslide but leaves like pulling silk from a cocoon.
She might not take it seriously, but since he had noticed, he felt he had to remind her properly.
Their hands were still clasped. The men, who had spent the afternoon seeing only Eldest Young Master Shen’s cool and indifferent face, were all stunned by this gentle and considerate display.
In unison, they turned to look at Cui Lingyao.
Seeing the whole table staring at them, especially with the two Pei madams’ teasing smiles, Cui Lingyao felt her ears grow hot again.
Feeling extremely uncomfortable, she pulled her hand back and began to sip from her teacup.
She felt so awkward she didn’t even dare to lift her eyes.
Seeing her reaction, Shen Tingyu looked at the others. "Please, carry on with your conversation. She’s thin-skinned, so don’t tease her."
Since he had spoken, the others certainly wouldn’t continue to stare at a young woman.
The conversation at the table soon shifted to another topic.
Somehow, the matter of the city’s lockdown came up.
Second Master Pei asked, "Have all the Qiang people been captured?"
The city gates had been closed for days, and the city was under martial law.
The atmosphere was one of extreme tension, with everyone fearing for their own safety.
Everyone was concerned about the fate of the Qiang people.
Lord Prefect’s surname was Qian. He was approaching his forties and wore a long beard.
Hearing this, he stroked his beard and said, "This matter is of great importance and is being handled personally by Prince Yu. I am not privy to the details, but since His Highness has lifted the city lockdown, I presume they have all been captured."
With foreign clansmen entering his jurisdiction, he, the "parent official," had also been on tenterhooks these past few days.
Especially since Xie Jinbai was a cold-faced King Yan, whose murderous reputation was widely known. He was a man who showed no mercy and cared nothing for personal connections.
Without so much as a word of notice, he had led his troops to suppress the city by force, bypassing him, the "parent official," and taking control of all military and administrative affairs.