Faced with Jiang Sinian's sudden sarcasm, Pei You unceremoniously dumped the heavy package in her hands onto him, grabbed the teacup from the table, and brought it straight to her lips.
Jiang Sinian steadily caught the package and patiently waited for her to finish the water in the cup before slowly pointing at it. "Mine."
Pei You wiped her mouth and, with a completely nonchalant expression, poured herself another cup of tea and drank it. "Once I drink it, it's mine."
Jingting Lvxue, worth a thousand gold per liang, was being chugged down like common water, yet neither of the two present found anything wrong with this.
"What stray cat or dog? I didn't rescue any." After sitting down, Pei You raised her chin at Jiang Sinian, gesturing for him to open the package.
Jiang Sinian had already guessed what it was, but he obediently opened it anyway, unable to hide the surprise on his face.
"So much? Didn't you save any for yourself?"
Putting on a composed and generous facade, Pei You declared, "I said I was going to support you, and I mean it!"
Hearing this, Jiang Sinian merely smiled. When the young girl was clear-headed, she was always proud and headstrong, puffing out her chest and flashing her claws at people like a little cat from time to time. Only when she was vulnerable would she quietly nestle in his arms and call him older brother.
A knock sounded at the door. Pei You got up to open it, took the tea and pastries from the servant's hands, and placed them on the table.
Jiang Sinian did not refuse or push them away; instead, he accepted them quite naturally, and then handed a rosewood brocade box to Pei You.
Pei You had not expected to receive another gift today. She excitedly reached out and opened the box, but the moment she saw what was inside, her eyes turned red.
A set of water-blue pearl brocade garments was neatly folded inside the brocade box, complete with matching jewelry. Stroking the exquisite narcissus embroidery on the dress, Pei You remembered that when she left the village, this skirt was already nearing completion in Auntie Wang's hands. Now, it was resting safely inside the box.
She looked inquiringly at Jiang Sinian. Seeing the affirmative answer in his eyes, Pei You smiled, her expressive eyes curving like crescent moons and two small dimples appearing, looking both vibrant and lovely.
"Aunty is always the best to me!" After her initial excitement, Pei You suddenly realized something. "I've only been in the Capital for half a month; how did you manage to bring this dress here?"
Jiang Sinian picked up a chess piece and kept his eyes on the board. "I brought Zhuifeng along."
The Zhuifeng horse could travel a thousand miles a day, as swift as the wind. Its mane was typically long and thick, and when it ran, its posture was light and graceful, resembling a stroll among the clouds. Thus, Pei You's Zhuifeng horse was named Yunjian.
Jiang Sinian was much more casual about it—his Zhuifeng horse was simply called Zhuifeng. Not even the villagers would give such a casual name, yet in the end, it turned out that only Jiang Sinian's horse was named Zhuifeng.
Pei You's eyes lit up when she heard Zhuifeng's name. "That's perfect! I want to fetch some medicinal herbs from the village, but the round trip takes too long. Having Zhuifeng would make it so much easier."
Meeting Pei You's expectant gaze, Jiang Sinian turned a deaf ear and continued to focus on the chessboard, prompting the young girl to impatiently tug at his sleeve.
Jiang Sinian was worn down until he had no temper left, yet he felt annoyed that Pei You was making such a plea just to save someone else. He pinched Pei You's chin between two fingers and gently lifted it up.
"You want medicinal herbs?"
Hearing this, Pei You immediately nodded. "A healer has a benevolent heart; how can I stand by and watch someone die?"
Jiang Sinian narrowed his eyes, his slender, phoenix-like eyes taking on a dangerous edge. "Are they dying?"
Pei You shook her head. Seeing Jiang Sinian's lips press into a straight line, she added, "He's paying too much."
Jiang Sinian suddenly laughed, the frost congealed between his brows melting into a spring in that instant. "Bring the money you earn from him to me, too."
Pei You felt no sense of loss whatsoever. She had intended to give it to Jiang Sinian anyway, so whether he found out sooner or later made no difference.
Seeing Jiang Sinian nod, Pei You beamed with joy, her curving eyebrows bringing a sudden itch to Jiang Sinian's fingers.
He reached out and pinched Pei You's cheek, the skin beneath his fingers soft and delicate.
"I heard you've been grounded lately?" As soon as the question left his mouth, he watched as the energetic young girl drooped her head and nodded after a long moment.
"How did you know?" Pei You lowered her gaze, batted away the offending hand on her face, and looked thoroughly dejected and pitiful.
"There are rumors flying around outside, saying that the little girl who just returned to the Marquis's Mansion is something fierce..."
"I didn't bully Chen Yunxin!" Pei You interrupted him, looking at Jiang Sinian with reddened eyes.
Pei You had also heard the servants of the Marquis's Mansion gossiping behind her back, saying that she had deliberately made Chen Yunxin lose face in the palace. If the second young master, Chen Yunyan, hadn't happened to be there and taken Chen Yunxin away, there was no telling what kind of trouble Pei You would have stirred up.
Pei You desperately wanted to explain that it wasn't like that—she had only found out Chen Yunxin entered the palace from the palace guards at the gate—but not a single person was willing to listen to her explanation.
Reaching out to pat Pei You on the back, Jiang Sinian's heart ached for her.
Little Youzi was inherently kind; she would pour her heart out to anyone who showed her even the slightest bit of goodwill, completely unaware that that kindness was merely a disguise.
So be it. Where would a girl pampered and spoiled by him and the whole village since childhood get any vicious schemes? He would just have to keep a closer eye on her.
He picked up the cup and poured a cup of tea for Pei You, whose eyes were still red, and scraped the tip of her nose with his bent finger. "I know. It's already a wonder if you don't let others bully you; where would you find the ability to bully anyone?"
Pei You opened her mouth, but in the end, she said nothing and sipped the tea in her hands. Her expression only softened when she caught sight of the brocade box on the table.
Just as Pei You was lost in thought, she felt a flash of bright light before her eyes. It was a string of deep blue jade beads, their base color lustrous and crystal-clear, making Pei You fall in love with it at first sight.
Turning the jade over and over in her hands to examine it, Pei You, who had just been teary-eyed, instantly dried her tears.
She gathered up her loose hair, obediently waiting for Jiang Sinian to put the necklace around her neck.
"The rest of the jewelry will be made up to you later." Jiang Sinian had only recently found this entire piece of high-grade jade and originally intended to wait until a complete set was carved before giving it to Pei You.
However, remembering his informant at the Marquis's Mansion reporting that the eldest young master, Chen Yunwen, had only brought gifts for Chen Yunxin upon returning home, leaving his little girl to watch longingly from the sidelines, Jiang Sinian could no longer wait for the entire jewelry set to be finished. The moment the necklace was completed, he couldn't wait to present it to the young girl.
Pei You nodded in response, unable to tear her hands away from the necklace.
"This jade is rich with spiritual energy. Wear it often, and it will be easier for your inner energy to recover." With that, Jiang Sinian took Pei You's hand, using his own inner energy to help her dredge her unstable breath little by little.
Pei You's meager martial arts skills were learned solely for self-defense. Without using internal energy for a long time, it was inevitable that the transition would not flow smoothly, requiring someone to guide her.
Feeling the familiar internal energy flow into her body, guiding her to draw Qi into her system, Pei You let her gaze linger on Jiang Sinian's face for a split second before closing her eyes and patiently operating the circulation within her.
Once she was able to complete a cycle smoothly and without obstruction on her own, Jiang Sinian withdrew the hand he was using to transmit his energy.
"Pay no mind to the gossip of the world. I'll take care of it for you," Jiang Sinian instructed.
His gaze swept over the young girl. The subtle air currents formed by drawing Qi into her body had not yet left Pei You's side. A strand of blown-about hair drifted to her lips, the dark hair like a cloud forming a stark contrast against her delicate, fair, oval face. Noticing Jiang Sinian's gaze, those autumn-water-like eyes involuntarily looked away. Her cherry lips, her slender willow waist—she was already a blossoming young girl, radiantly dazzling.
Jiang Sinian lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, feeling his mouth dry. The young girl was not even fifteen yet and already so radiant. He felt both proud and worried, and could only protect her even more tightly.
If he kept looking, something bad was bound to happen. Jiang Sinian gave a low cough. "It's getting late. I'll take you back."