The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 43

Since Wu Zhen found out that Young Master Mei actually wanted to see her last time, she began visiting him every time he was off, asking him out on a date. It was against the rules for unmarried men and women to go out alone, but Wu Zhen was not one to follow rules. Young Master Mei, who was usually very rule-abiding, threw caution to the wind when he saw her. He was so captivated by her smile that he could not refuse her.

Before they knew it, they had developed a tacit understanding. They didn’t even need to make any appointments in advance. On his days off, they would simply meet up and go out for a ride on their horses.

Mei Zhuyu had been in Chang’an for a year and was unfamiliar with many places. Wu Zhen, however, had grown up there and knew the city well, including which restaurants served delicious food and which places offered good songs and dances. However, considering Mei Zhuyu’s personality, she did not take him to the places she often frequented but instead went with him to some quiet locations with beautiful scenery, such as Linjing Temple.

These places were not particularly interesting, but Wu Zhen found another kind of enjoyment—the various reactions of the young man. Wu Zhen found her future husband quite perplexing, because when she turned into a cat and approached him secretly, and when she approached him as a normal person, she would see two completely different Mei Zhuyus. In the morning, the young man looked at the cat that jumped onto the windowsill with ordinary and cold eyes, but in the afternoon, he looked at her with fascination and bright eyes.

So Wu Zhen couldn’t help teasing him, enjoying his immature expression as if he were trying to endure something.

The two of them returned together from Linjing Temple, first arriving at Duke Yu’s Mansion. Several carriages were parked in front of the entrance, and servants were carrying things into the house. When Wu Zhen saw a small glazed lantern hanging on the corner of one of the carriages, she knew immediately who was inside.

“Cousin Pei, why did you come so early? Why didn’t you send me a message so that I could pick you up?” Wu Zhen dismounted her horse, smiled, and knocked on the carriage door.

The door opened from the inside, revealing a handsome face. The face looked tired, likely from the long journey. He saw Wu Zhen leaning against the carriage door and smiled at her, “Zhen, you’re still the same—you haven’t changed at all.”

Wu Zhen: “Cousin, please get off quickly. Is it comfortable sitting in the carriage?”

This cousin Pei was named Pei Jiya, the only nephew of Wu Zhen’s biological mother. He was a few years older than Wu Zhen, handsome, gentle, and elegant. Because he had lived in Duke Yu’s Mansion for two years when he was young, he had a close relationship with Wu Zhen. He had always been in poor health and was recuperating in Kun Zhou. Upon hearing that his cousin was going to get married, he made the journey to celebrate with her.

Pei Jiya got off the carriage. He was tall and graceful, wearing a long robe with wide sleeves. He was quite different from the young men in Chang’an, who preferred narrow-sleeved Hu clothing. He looked a bit like the elegant children of the old Wang and Xie families. The Pei family was also a noble family of the previous dynasty. Although the noble families had moved south and experienced the change of dynasties, the children of those surnames were still taught according to the old etiquette.

Wu Zhen’s cousin Pei was also a popular young man in Kun Zhou. He had come specifically to congratulate her, and Wu Zhen was naturally touched. Although they hadn’t seen each other for several years, she didn’t feel awkward with him. She invited him out of the carriage and introduced him to Mei Zhuyu, who was standing next to her.

“This is my cousin, Pei Jiya from the Pei family in Kun Zhou.”

“This is Mei Zhuyu, The second son of the Mei family. He is my future husband.”

Pei Jiya listened to Wu Zhen’s introduction and then looked at Mei Zhuyu. When Mei Zhuyu saw his gaze, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. This man gave him a bad feeling. Although it was well hidden, Mei Zhuyu keenly noticed that Cousin Pei harbored some malice towards him.

And… Mei Zhuyu had just noticed that Pei Jiya was staring at Wu Zhen, and that look made him feel uncomfortable.

Pei Jiya smiled and greeted Mei Zhuyu in a gentle and friendly tone, without showing any unusual behavior. For a moment, Mei Zhuyu wondered if he had been mistaken. He paused and greeted Pei Jiya as well, but compared to Pei Jiya’s smile, his own seemed less generous.

Pei Jiya then leaned close to Wu Zhen’s ear and whispered innocently, “Why does Second Young Master Mei seem to dislike me? Did I do something rude?”

Wu Zhen didn’t seem to notice the strange atmosphere between them. She tilted her head slightly to look at Mei Zhuyu and teased him in a friendly manner, “My dear, you may be unhappy because my cousin is too close to me.”

After these words, Pei Jiya’s expression froze slightly, and Mei Zhuyu pursed his lips in slight embarrassment. He glanced at Pei Jiya again and secretly wondered whether his impression of Cousin Pei as unlikable was due to jealousy.

Pei Jiya was going to live in Duke Yu’s Mansion during that period. Since he and Wu Zhen were cousins, and Mei Zhuyu was still considered an outsider at that time, it was not appropriate for him to stay long, so he quickly said goodbye and left. As he rode his horse to the corner of the street, he couldn’t help but turn his head to look back. He happened to see Pei Jiya turning his head to look at him, smiling provocatively, reaching out to hold Wu Zhen, and lowering his head to talk to her. It seemed that the two of them were leaning against each other.

Mei Zhuyu couldn’t help but stop his horse and stayed there for a long time. Only when he saw them go inside did he kick his horse and ride away.

The thorny gaze behind him disappeared, and Pei Jiya curled the corners of his lips. What a sensitive man, he just couldn’t help showing a moment of malice, and it seemed to have been noticed.

“You can still live in this courtyard. I received your letter earlier and asked someone to pack it up. My father will be home tomorrow. You should rest first.” As the host, Wu Zhen personally escorted the guest to the guest house. When she heard Pei Jiya coughing into his hand, she asked, “What’s wrong? Are you tired from the journey and feeling unwell again?”

Pei Jiya’s face was a little pale, and he coughed twice. “It’s nothing, my throat is just a little uncomfortable. It will get better in a few days.” He smiled, but inwardly, he was angry. To be honest, it was all because of Mei Zhuyu. If Mei Zhuyu hadn’t killed one of his clones before, he wouldn’t have been so weakened that even his body couldn’t bear it. And those vicious dogs were killed before they could be released. 

What a pity.

Pei Jiya hadn’t been to Chang’an for several years, and Wu Zhen didn’t want to leave him alone. Additionally, Duke Yu, who had returned to the mansion, warned her not to do so, so she had to stay at home to accompany the guest.

After two days, she got bored. That day, a dozen young men and women came to Duke Yu’s Mansion, eagerly asking her to bring out her wedding dress. At that time, there was a custom where, after the wedding dress was made, the bride’s friends in the boudoir would come to send their best wishes and embroider a flower on the dress with needle and thread. Poor families would cut flowers out of paper or cloth strips, asking each of the bride’s friends to sew a flower on the wedding dress. In rich and powerful families, they would grind gold, silver, agate, and jade into flower shapes or use pearls to make small flowers and then sew them on the dress.