Chapter 26: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Chapter 26: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Lan He said nothing.

Pei Yuhuai grew even more curious, guessing back and forth, but to no avail.

With the night wasted like this, there was no time to attend to anything. Everyone went back to their rooms to rest until morning.

No luck.

Except for Pei Rongjing, that is.

Heading back home, the brothers Pei Yuhuai and Pei Rongjing rode in one carriage together.

Lan He rode alone in his own.

In the carriage.

Pei Rongjing looked so distracted it was too suspicious. Pei Yuhuai couldn't take it anymore and grabbed him, asking, "Spill it, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Brother..."

Pei Rongjing blushed, hemming and hawing for a long while before whispering: "Brother, what do you make of the Venerable Nun?"

Pei Yuhuai was totally confused: "What? What do you mean, what do I think?"

"Uh, I... I want to convince the Venerable Nun to leave the convent. What do you think, Brother?"

"??? Have you lost your mind?!"

Pei Yuhuai shot up to stand, but he stood up too fast and smacked his head on the carriage roof.

"Brother, are you okay?"

"What's wrong with me? I think you're the one with the problem!" Pei Yuhuai rapped him on the head. "Are you out of your mind? She's a nun, a Buddhist nun, and you want her to leave the convent???"

"I... I'm in love with her."

"Whoa, didn't you say you didn't want to get married? You came today to draw a fortune slip to convince Father, not to fall for some other woman, and a nun at that."

"..."

Pei Rongjing hung his head in shame, fidgeting with the hem of his clothes like a kid who'd been caught misbehaving: "Don't be mad, Brother. I was being foolish."

He fessed up so fast that Pei Yuhuai was stunned.

"Ahem. It's fine. Owning up to your mistake and fixing it makes you a good kid. We can't just get a crush on anyone who's good-looking, right? You gotta consider the lady's status. Don't forget what we're really here for."

Pei Rongjing nodded in a daze, looking crestfallen: "I'll remember, Brother. Don't worry."

"Good. Don't tell anyone about this, and especially don't let Dad find out."

"Alright."

Pei Yuhuai let out a sigh of relief.

Once he sat back down, it suddenly hit him—he'd just given Pei Rongjing such a righteous lecture, yet he himself...

Was probably just as bad.

He'd also said he wanted Lan He to leave the convent, hadn't he?

No way. Birds of a feather flock together? How come they're both into people who've taken vows??

Pei Yuhuai quietly peeked through the curtain to look behind him. Lan He's carriage was right behind.

Just thinking about that guy sitting in there with his eyes closed, resting, made him restless. He couldn't help feeling restless, wanting to snuggle up to him and tease him a bit.

"Brother?"

"Huh?" Pei Yuhuai quickly dropped the curtain and sat up straight.

Pei Rongjing looked at him with wide, innocent eyes: "Brother, I still don't get it, why can't Dad know? If the Venerable Nun agrees to leave the convent, then I..."

"Hold on!"

Pei Yuhuai now realized he was just as bad, so he couldn't lecture him anymore without feeling like a hypocrite. So he just changed the subject: "Let's just see what happens. We'll talk about it later. The most important thing now is how you're gonna convince Dad to call off the marriage."

"Oh, right."

At that, he immediately started to panic.

If he had to get married, then even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do about it.

Pei Yuhuai silently thought, what a naive kid, so easy to fool. If someone scammed him, he'd lose his shirt and then some.

Back at the estate.

Pei Yuhuai made a beeline for his fourth brother Pei Siming's courtyard. He thought the Venerable Nun really had some skills and wanted to see if he could bring his fourth brother to see her.

When he got to Pei Siming's courtyard, Su Zichen was there too.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"No need for formalities. How's Aming?" Pei Yuhuai rushed in to see.

Su Zichen said with a smile: "The Prince has come at just the right time. The Fourth Young Master's mind has cleared up a lot these past two days. He'll recover in no time."

Hearing that, Pei Yuhuai was thrilled: "Really?"

"Indeed."

"Where is he?"

"The Fourth Young Master is in this room. This way, Prince."

Su Zichen walked over to a small room nearby and opened the door: "Aming, the Prince is here. Come on out."

Pei Yuhuai narrowed his eyes, silently checking out this Imperial Physician Su.

He hadn't been keeping an eye on this side for a while. He hadn't expected this Imperial Physician Su to have gotten so close to his fourth brother, even calling him Aming like that.

Pei Siming heard the voice and ran out happily, flinging himself into Su Zichen's arms: "Brother Su, Aming made a little doll. It's for you, Brother Su."

The simple child took out a small clay figurine and carefully handed it to Su Zichen.

Su Zichen took it happily, patting his head with joy: "Aming, you're so good. I love it. Come on, Aming, your big brother is here to see you."

Pei Yuhuai: Jealous, twisted.

Previously, Aming would always run into his arms, never into anyone else's. He never expected that he would now become the second choice.

Jealousy changes a person.

Pei Siming ran into his arms, grinning, "Brother, you haven't come to see Aming in a long time."

Pei Yuhuai patted his shoulder: "Well, I'm here now, aren't I? Aming has grown taller and looks better. Looks like Imperial Physician Su has taken good care of Aming."

This was also said for Su Zichen's benefit.

Su Zichen smiled: "Fourth Young Master has been very well-behaved lately, eating on time, and his health has indeed improved a lot."

That's right.

Pei Siming had grown quickly, now reaching Pei Yuhuai's eye level. The young lad was strikingly handsome, a real looker when he was quiet.

"Imperial Physician Su, you said Aming has improved. How exactly?"

"Try it yourself, Young Lord."

As the two of them talked, Pei Siming tugged at Pei Yuhuai's sleeve in confusion: "Brother, are you talking about Aming? Aming recently learned to make clay figures. Would brother like one?"

Pei Yuhuai: "?"

He hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Aming, you can't just play around all the time. Have you been studying properly?"

"Of course, of course." Pei Siming quickly ran into the room and brought out a book, "Brother, look, this is what Aming has been reading these days. Aming really loves it. Brother Su has already promised to give me another one."

He smiled happily, stroking the pages, reluctant to put the book down.

Pei Yuhuai leaned in to look.

"Love on the Wall"??

"You like this kind of book? Do you actually understand it?"

"I understand it. Aming also wants to read 'The Romance of the Western Chamber.' Brother, wanna hear about it? Aming can tell you!"

"Hmm... alright, go on, tell me."

The three of them sat around the table.

Pei Siming started telling the story from the book nonstop, and at his favorite parts, he'd make a point of opening that page and reading it out loud to Pei Yuhuai.

Meanwhile, Su Zichen sat to the side watching, occasionally showing a fond, indulgent smile.

Before they knew it, it was almost dark.

Pei Yuhuai was both surprised and pleased, and couldn't help but bow to Su Zichen with his hands clasped in gratitude: "Thank you, Imperial Physician Su, for your meticulous treatment. Aming has indeed improved greatly."

Su Zichen smiled: "No need to be so formal, Young Lord. The Marquis has been especially concerned about Fourth Young Master's condition, and the Imperial Son-in-Law has also repeatedly reminded me. Since Zichen has agreed to treat him, I will surely see Fourth Young Master recover."

Pei Yuhuai frowned: "Imperial Son-in-Law?"

"Yes." Su Zichen, unaware of the details, said directly, "The Imperial Son-in-Law has also sought me out multiple times, telling me about Fourth Young Master's condition. With his help, we achieved such results."

Ji Huaiyu.

What exactly does he want?