Chapter 7: Does the Cousin Insist on Her Cousin Taking Action?

Shen Shuyi felt a wave of panic, yet she feigned composure to usher her guest away. "Men and women should keep their distance. Cousin Heir, your uninvited presence is damaging to my reputation."

She glanced at A-Jian, signaling frantically with her eyes. "A-Jian, see Cousin Heir out."

It was a joke; how could she possibly hand over the medicinal packet to the Heir of Pei?

A-Jian was actually terrified of the Heir. Among the four Pei cousins who had suffered at her mistress's hands, the Heir was clearly the most gentle and kind-hearted, yet his methods were the most ruthless.

Summoning her courage, she walked up to Pei Dongzhou. "I shall see the Heir out."

Pei Dongzhou acted as if he hadn't heard her, his mild, harmless gaze fixed on Shen Shuyi. "Does Cousin insist on me taking action myself?"

A-Jian startled, subconsciously looking toward her mistress.

Shen Shuyi did not believe for a second that Pei Dongzhou would lay a hand on her. This Heir went out of his way to avoid her; how could he possibly resort to physical force? Furthermore, since his favorability rating toward her was at a precarious -98%, she dared not provoke him further. After weighing her options, she simply turned, walked back to her bedroom, and dove under the covers, convinced he wouldn't dare follow her inside.

Pei Dongzhou had not expected such a reaction from Shen Shuyi. He rose and walked to the entrance of the bedchamber, looking through the beaded curtain at the girl huddled in the bed. She had tucked herself and her head completely under the quilt, leaving only a lump visible.

Cousin Shen was betting that he would not overstep, hoping to dismiss him with this maneuver.

"Cousin Heir, please leave. I am unwell and feeling quite exhausted; I cannot entertain you any longer," Shen Shuyi said, her voice muffled as she played dead beneath the blankets. Even if Pei Dongzhou were to pull back the quilt, she had already hidden the medicine. Unless he turned her entire bedroom upside down, he would never find out what she had bought.

Pei Dongzhou stood for a moment, then said in a gentle voice, "Cousin would do well to avoid any further unsavory behavior, otherwise..."

Shen Shuyi reached a hand out from under the quilt. Her grass-green wide sleeves slid down, revealing a slender, porcelain-white arm. She waved her hand dismissively. "I likely don't have many days left to live, and I wish to forget the grievances of the past. Cousin Heir, please be magnanimous and do not hold it against me. Please, Cousin Heir."

Perhaps the light was too dim, but Pei Dongzhou felt as though the girl’s snowy wrist was glowing. He averted his gaze, pressed his lips together, and left the Fulsang Courtyard.

Only when she was certain the Heir had gone far away did A-Jian enter to remind her: "The Heir has left, Miss. You may come out now."

Her mistress was truly clever; she had escaped another crisis.

***

Shen Shuyi felt a lingering fear as she emerged from the covers. She could not understand why she was always caught in the act whenever she did something wrong. The Heir, who had never once stepped foot in Fulsang Courtyard alone, had actually come today—could he have taken the wrong medicine?

Time was of the essence. She sent A-Jian to keep an eye on Xia Nianchu’s movements so she could orchestrate a "chance encounter."

Given her current situation, if she were to kiss Pei Dongzhou, even if she weren't torn to pieces, his favorability toward her would drop to -100%. There was only one way: she would kiss Pei Dongzhou but make him believe it was Xia Nianchu. This way, she could save her life, frame Xia Nianchu, and make Xia Nianchu believe she had been helped in the process.

The plan was perfect.

A-Jian was reliable; before long, she ran back to report that Xia Nianchu was currently in the West Garden, flirting with Pei Xizhou.

Shen Shuyi only needed to wait near the West Garden to "bump into" Xia Nianchu, giving her the chance to form a partnership. She walked through the winding corridors, gasping for breath by the time she neared the West Garden. This useless body was truly pathetic; she could barely hold on after walking for a quarter of an hour. With A-Jian’s support, she sat in a pavilion to rest her legs.

"A-Jian, my body is so frail; I don't know if I truly have much time left," Shen Shuyi sighed, feeling powerless. Every task the system assigned was incredibly difficult. The "kiss the Heir" mission was hell-level difficulty—she didn't even dare show her face to Pei Dongzhou, fearing that if he saw her, his favorability would drop directly to the "elimination" threshold. In such circumstances, wasn't kissing him just courting death? The system was truly heartless.

Receiving no reply, she looked over to see A-Jian with red-rimmed eyes.

"Miss will live to a hundred," A-Jian choked out.

Shen Shuyi pulled A-Jian down to sit, gently wiping her tears. "For our little A-Jian’s sake, I shall live to be a hundred."

A-Jian broke into a tearful smile and threw herself into her mistress's arms.

"Why are you still acting like a child? Look, if one day I am really gone..."

"Miss is not allowed to say such unlucky things!" A-Jian burst into loud sobs.

Shen Shuyi tried to coax and comfort her, but A-Jian continued to wail. With no other choice, she gave A-Jian a firm peck on the cheek. Startled, A-Jian finally stopped crying.

"If you cry again, I'll kiss you again!" Shen Shuyi threatened.

A-Jian dared not cry anymore, and Shen Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief.

***

She stood up and stretched. Turning around, she saw Pei Xizhou and Xia Nianchu standing just outside the pavilion, and judging by the look of things, they had been there for a while.

"Third Cousin, Cousin Xia, what a coincidence," Shen Shuyi said, stepping out of the pavilion to greet them.

Pei Xizhou possessed a pair of amorous peach-blossom eyes and was wearing a flamboyant red robe today, his expression full of sentiment. Standing next to the delicate and beautiful "white lotus" Xia Nianchu, they looked like a perfect match.

"I heard you were ill, Cousin?" Pei Xizhou examined her from head to toe.

The girl before him had skin as white as snow, though her complexion was sickly pale. She wore her hair in a double-snail bun and was dressed in a grass-green dress with embroidered edges, tied with a silk sash that accentuated her impossibly slender waist. Having just kissed her little maid, her cherry-like lips were slightly pale. It was strange; he hadn't noticed her being this captivating the last time he saw her.

Xia Nianchu was displeased to see Pei Xizhou's gaze fixed on Shen Shuyi. She had originally thought the Heir was too hard to approach, but Third Cousin was known for his flirtatious nature; if she couldn't marry the Heir, perhaps Third Cousin was a decent alternative. Yet, he treated her with indifference and barely looked at her—why was he now unable to tear his eyes away from this fickle Shen Shuyi?

Shen Shuyi dared not offend Pei Xizhou and answered obediently, "My health is indeed poor; the doctor said I must take good care of myself."

Pei Xizhou, a regular at the Bai-Xiang House, was well-acquainted with beauties, yet he couldn't help but take an extra look at Cousin Shen today. It was truly bizarre. Not dwelling on it further, he said, "I have business outside the estate; you two cousins please enjoy yourselves."

Before Shen Shuyi could speak, Xia Nianchu stepped in front of her, the heroine saying crisply, "Take care, Cousin."

Pei Xizhou did not look back, walking away with a flamboyant gait until he disappeared from their sight.

Only then did Xia Nianchu look at Shen Shuyi, asking suspiciously, "Why has Elder Cousin come to the West Garden?"

Could it be that after hitting a wall with the Heir, she was now trying to compete with her for the flirtatious Third Cousin?