Chapter 12: Casting a Wide Net, Under the Gaze of Heir Pei

Perhaps because of a guilty conscience, Shen Shuyi felt that Pei Dongzhou’s words were directed specifically at her. Could it be that he hadn’t actually lost consciousness and knew it was she who had kissed him, and was now using this method to intimidate her?

But upon reflection, given Pei Dongzhou’s temperament, if he were certain she had stolen a kiss, he would have already confronted her directly. There would be no need to use such tactics to test her.

"I think my cousin is excellent in every way, except perhaps for being a bit too aggressive. If a young lady expresses her love for the Heir Apparent, it is only because he is charming; this is a good thing. In any case, my cousin didn't lose anything, and he even enjoyed the favor of a young lady for no reason at all—he should be pleased." Having said this, Shen Shuyi’s eyes brightened. "Grandmother is coming out. I’ll go keep her company."

She walked quickly to the side of the Old Madam of the Pei family, yet she could still feel Pei Dongzhou’s gaze following her like a shadow. It wasn't just her overthinking; Pei Dongzhou was indeed suspicious of her, which made her quite anxious. If Pei Dongzhou confirmed that she was the one who had kissed him, her favorability rating might drop straight to the "erasure" threshold. If that happened, she would be well and truly dead, so how could she finish her mission? And that aphrodisiac—wasn't it supposed to be very potent? Why would Pei Dongzhou know someone had kissed him?

Seeing Shen Shuyi’s dim expression, the Old Madam assumed she was unwell. "Are you feeling uncomfortable? If you aren't feeling well, you must tell your grandmother."

Shen Shuyi regained her composure, took the Old Madam’s arm, and smiled. "I am perfectly fine, Grandmother, please don't worry. I am already seeing a miracle doctor; if I am lucky enough, I will be able to restore my health."

Seeing Shen Shuyi’s optimistic and positive attitude, the Old Madam loved her all the more. "In a few days, I will properly arrange your marriage..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Shuyi held up her hands in a gesture of refusal. "With my health, let's forget about that for now. Let’s wait until I am better; otherwise, I would only be a burden to others. Besides, I cannot bear to leave you, Grandmother. I want to stay by your side for many more years. If possible, I would prefer never to marry at all."

The Old Madam said softly, "What silly talk is this? I am old, and while I am still in relatively good health, I want to find you a good match—"

Shen Shuyi gripped the Old Madam’s arm even tighter. "Grandmother is still so young; how could you be old? In any case, I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life!"

As she spoke, she suddenly noticed Pei Dongzhou talking to Xia Nianchu. Then, Pei Dongzhou suddenly looked over, his gaze locking directly with hers. This was truly terrible. If there were no surprises, Xia Nianchu must have told Pei Dongzhou that she was the culprit behind the drugging. If Pei Dongzhou believed Xia Nianchu, her favorability rating would surely continue to plummet.

Later, as the Old Madam went to interpret her fortune, Pei Dongzhou walked up to Shen Shuyi.

"Cousin, come here. I have something to ask you." Pei Dongzhou ordered her, then walked a short distance away.

Shen Shuyi followed as instructed. Sure enough, as soon as she reached his side, she heard him say, "Cousin Xia says that you were the one who instructed the novice monk to use the drug."

"Does Cousin Xia have any proof?" Shen Shuyi frowned and retorted, "Why would I drug you, Cousin? Furthermore, I only have A-Jian and Mother Dai serving me; you are welcome to investigate their whereabouts."

Pei Dongzhou scrutinized her expression. His eyes were not sharp, yet they made Shen Shuyi feel a profound sense of pressure.

"Wasn't the medicine packet in your hand the day before yesterday proof enough?" Pei Dongzhou’s voice was low. If she weren't guilty, why wouldn't she let him examine the packet?

Shen Shuyi laughed at this. "It is a pity that my cousin serves in the Supreme Court, yet you are so quick to convict someone without any concrete evidence. Must I bear the weight of every sin just because I have made mistakes in the past?"

Pei Dongzhou was silent. He was indeed only guessing, and because Shen Shuyi had a criminal record, his first instinct was that she had been up to no good.

"I will get to the bottom of this," Pei Dongzhou said, then quietly instructed Qingzhu to investigate the movements of Shen Shuyi and her servants over the past few days.

Shen Shuyi was not afraid of his investigation. She had already made preparations; it was impossible for her to have left behind any evidence for him to find.

[Impromptu mission triggered: Give a safety amulet to Pei Beizhou.]

Shen Shuyi’s face changed. If Pei Dongzhou hadn't been there, she would have really wanted to ask the system if it was messing with her on purpose. Where did all these impromptu missions come from?

Pei Dongzhou saw Shen Shuyi’s pale face and assumed she was having a health episode. "Are you alright, cousin?"

Shen Shuyi gave a bitter smile, not forgetting to play the victim. "How could I be alright after being falsely accused by you?"

As she spoke, she headed toward the Mahavira Hall. Pei Dongzhou watched her retreating figure, seeing how lonely she looked. He looked back at Cousin Xia, the other Pei ladies, and the noblewomen of the capital, who were all chatting and having a lively time—only Cousin Shen was alone. He followed her silently, though not too closely, merely to ensure she wouldn't suddenly collapse in some unknown corner and cause their grandmother grief.

Shen Shuyi did not know that Pei Dongzhou was following her from a distance. Because she had received an impromptu mission and it seemed simple enough, she decided to finish it quickly. Thinking about how much Pei Beizhou loathed her, she suddenly realized she couldn't deliver it in person, lest the Fourth Young Master hate her even more.

She found a novice monk, handed him the safety amulet she had just bought, and gave him some instructions. The monk was kind-hearted and readily agreed to help. She followed the monk quietly, wanting to see if he could successfully deliver the amulet to Pei Beizhou. In the original story, the male lead, Pei the Fourth, was gloomy and twisted—a total psychopath. Honestly, she didn't want to deal with him at all.

But in order to complete the mission, she had no choice but to push through. The monk soon found Pei Beizhou and handed him the amulet. Shen Shuyi saw this and suddenly realized a possibility: did the safety amulet require her to deliver it personally?

Sure enough, after waiting a moment without receiving a mission completion notification, her shoulders slumped.

"System, does this mission require me to personally deliver the amulet to Pei the Fourth?"

[The host is clever!]

Shen Shuyi could already guess the system’s patterns. She peeked out again and saw that as soon as Pei Beizhou took the amulet, he turned and tossed it away. Once she confirmed he had walked far enough away, she picked up the amulet. Since she had to personally hand it to him, this item would have to be reused.

She was unaware that her pathetic actions were all being observed by Pei Dongzhou. He had watched the entire convoluted process of her trying to give the amulet to his younger brother. Two days ago, she had given him a jade pendant, and today she was giving an amulet to the Fourth—she was clearly casting a wide net. If his suspicions were correct, why hadn't she given it to the Fourth herself? By using a monk, Pei the Fourth wouldn't even know it came from her. This woman’s behavior was very strange and worth pondering.

After picking up the amulet and blowing the dust off it, Shen Shuyi caught a glimpse of a shadow on the ground. She turned around abruptly to find the Heir Apparent standing silently behind her. He stood against the light, his eyes dark and gloomy, and he asked her gently, "What treasure has my cousin picked up from the trash heap? Let me have a look."