Chapter 15

Failed again.

I returned to my room, feeling heavy-headed and light-footed, unable to figure out what had gone wrong this time.

Pei Su never plays by the rules-truly formidable.

Perhaps it’s time for me to pack up and run back to the Third Prince’s Mansion.

But I’m not willing to give up halfway.

The next day was the routine day off for the court, yet Pei Su left early in the morning, his face extremely grim.

Not long after, I received a letter from my lord, delivered by a new Messenger Pigeon.

The moment I opened the letter, I felt as if the words on the paper were about to leap out and bite me.

It was clear that my lord was furious again.

Many of the words were too vulgar to look at, but the gist was simple.

Basically, Pei Su had rushed to the Third Prince’s Mansion early in the morning to go crazy, cursed my lord from head to toe, and in the end even threw a bag of money at him.

Because Pei Su cursed so fast, my lord didn’t even catch why he threw the money at the end.

My lord was livid.

He was furious that Pei Su actually dared to throw money at him.

From those frenzied strokes, I could almost see my lord jumping out of the paper to roar at me.

“I am the Wealth God of the Royal City-does he think he can throw money at me? How much money does he even have?! Is he crazy?!”

“Keep an eye on him! Watch him closely! If you don’t keep him under surveillance, don’t come back!”

“Watch him…”

I kept these words in mind, put the letter away, and sighed reluctantly.

For the next few days, I kept my eyes wide open, watching Pei Su.

When he left the house, I saw him off.

When he returned, I greeted him.

When he wrote, I ground his ink.

Even when he slept, I would linger by the window, watching him for a while.

In short, I followed orders, keeping him under constant, round-the-clock surveillance.

I don’t know what he said to the others in the mansion, but they stopped being hostile toward me, and their gazes even carried a hint of sympathy and respect.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, as usual, I entered the study under the pretense of reading, staying by his side.

And watched him.

For some reason, the more I watched, the redder Pei Su’s face became.

Eventually, he couldn’t even hold his brush steady.

Perhaps feeling thirsty, he reached for the tea on the table. I kindly handed it to him, but in his fluster, he spilled the tea all over the floor.

I fetched a handkerchief to wipe it up, and heard him mutter something under his breath.

I was startled and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He turned his head away, his long, well-defined fingers helplessly covering his nose and lips, pressing so hard that his fingertips sank into his pale skin.

“Don’t keep looking at me…”

I was puzzled. “Why?”

“I can’t help it…”

I was even more confused. “Can’t help what?”

The autumn sun was warm, the sky clear, and the wind rustled the papers on the desk with a crisp sound.

Suddenly, a few soft coughs sounded at the door.

Pei Su snapped back to himself, the blush on his ears deepening. He slowly lowered his hand, trying his best to compose himself.

The Steward stood at the door, bowing respectfully.

Pei Su asked, “What is it?”

“Will you be going to the South Quarter today, sir?”

The South Quarter was where the refugees in the city were temporarily housed.

To comfort the refugees, Pei Su had been running there frequently these days.

Pei Su collected himself and took a gentle breath.

“Yes,” he replied. “Prepare the horses at once.”

“Understood.”

I blinked.

“Can I come with you?”