Wei Hour. Pearl and Jade Pavilion.
Zhao Pei had not stepped into the house where she had lived for fifteen years for more than half a year. The furnishings in the house were as clean and dust-free as before. She gently touched the beaded curtain hanging at the door, stroked the calligraphy and paintings on the snow-white wall that she had admired for many years, and sat down quietly in front of the mirror.
Her image was reflected in the bronze mirror, her eyes still shining and bright, revealing a charm that she herself was not familiar with. When she saw the old lady just now, she looked her up and down for a long time and smiled gently, "Pepe is really different from before, look at her eyebrows and eyes, they are getting prettier and prettier."
"Qingqing, do you think I have changed?" She turned around and looked at Qingqing, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and smiled.
Qingqing smiled, took a few steps forward, picked up the ivory comb on the table and walked behind her. Zhao Pei's black hair was like black silk, stretched on her shoulders, full and shiny. She reached out and lifted a strand of black hair, carefully combing it for her.
"Qingqing, you haven't answered me yet." There was a hint of coquettishness in her words.
Qingqing raised her eyes, and the woman in the mirror had a smile on her face like a red lotus. She smiled and said, "To be honest, you are different from a year ago." Back then, she was still a willful and capricious girl who didn't understand the world, but now she is a young woman who is a mother and has a hard time distinguishing her emotions. In just one year, she saw fatigue and helplessness in Zhaopei's eyes. These things should not have appeared in her eyes.
Qingqing felt a trace of heartache, but she just combed her hair silently.
There was a crisp sound of pearls and jade, and the two turned around to look. They saw Du Yuerong, dressed in a light yellow dress, walking in gracefully, smiling and fragrant. Zhao Pei's eyes lit up instantly, just because of the less than one-month-old child in her arms.
Zhao Pei immediately stood up and ran over to take a closer look at the baby girl in her arms. She was lying in the soft green silk, looking extremely cute. She curled up in her mother's arms and fell asleep, with her eyes tightly closed. Zhao Pei looked at her for a long time, stretched out her index finger and touched her little nose, but she sneezed unexpectedly, and then opened her mouth slightly as if complaining. Zhao Pei laughed: "Sister-in-law, how can Zhiyan be so cute?"
Yuerong smiled lightly: "Pepe's baby will be even cuter when he is born." Zhaopei touched her still flat belly and suddenly began to daydream: If such a cute little one comes out of her belly one day, she will be happy for the rest of her life.
Yuerong carefully handed the child to the nurse beside her, took Zhaopei's hand and sat down beside the couch. "Peipei, have you ever thought about having a boy or a girl?"
Zhao Pei tilted her head to think for a moment, then smiled and said, "Girls, girls are more well-behaved."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Jie's laughter came from the door: "Pei Pei was not well-behaved when she was a child." Zhao Pei glared at him and said angrily: "Brother, why do you ruin my show as soon as you come here?"
He walked in with a faint smile and looked at Zhao Pei again: "It's been such a long time since I last saw you, you have changed a lot."
Zhao Pei pursed her lips when she heard this. Everyone was saying the same thing. So she said, "Then brother, tell me, what has changed?"
Zhao Jie stared into her eyes and said seriously, "Eyes."
"Eyes?" Zhao Pei was startled, but then she understood what he meant by his meaningful gaze. She chuckled but it didn't make anyone feel a smile: "Everything is changing, and Pei Pei will naturally change with it."
There was silence for a moment, and Du Yuerong laughed: "Pepe wants a girl? What does Xiao Yi think?"
Zhao Pei was a little embarrassed. She glanced at Zhao Jie and said awkwardly, "He can think whatever he wants. What does it have to do with me?"
The two smiled at each other and shook their heads. Zhao Jie then said, "Pepe hasn't changed in this respect. Very good, very good."
Zhao Pei scratched his head and thought for a while before asking, "Where's Zhao Li? I haven't seen her in half a day."
Yuerong glanced at her and said in a slightly irritating tone, "How come Peipei doesn't know? Didn't Xiao Yi tell you? Zhaoli is getting married next month. Right now, she is being taught in the south wing."
She was stunned. She had never heard of it. Her brows furrowed, and she asked, "Who did Zhao Li marry?"
Yuerong lowered her eyes slightly and said slowly, "It's Li Liangyu, the eldest son of Li Yushi."
"Li Liangyu?" Zhao Pei frowned even more deeply. "I've never heard of him."
Yue Rong shrugged, picked up the fragrant tea and took a sip before saying, "He is a gentle man and will not treat Zhao Li badly."
"But... Zhao Li..." In her impression, Zhao Li had someone in her heart, so why did someone suddenly appear out of nowhere? "Has Zhao Li ever liked that guy called... Li Liangyu?"
Yue Rong was silent, still sipping her tea. She turned to look at Zhao Jie, but he could only shake his head: "Actually, Third Sister, you locked yourself in the room and didn't see anyone."
She felt a lump in her heart, and felt infinitely disappointed. She asked, "How about I go and take a look?"
Zhao Jie immediately denied it: "You'd better stay here. Third sister is always thundering and lightning whenever she sees anyone. Don't join in the fun, or you might get a miscarriage."
Zhao Li was silent for a while. She stared at the rising smoke from the three-legged incense burner and recalled some past events. She stood up with her skirt lifted up and smiled apologetically: "Well, big brother and sister-in-law. I suddenly remembered that there are some things I haven't done yet. I have to go back home immediately. When dad comes back, please tell me that Pepe will be back soon."
"Wouldn't you like to have dinner together?" Yue Rong's call was drowned out by the sound of the beaded curtains colliding.
——————
Pei suddenly felt a little sad. She looked at Zhao Li as if she was looking at her past self. Perhaps, these emotional injuries did not only belong to her. They belonged to every woman, and were destined to happen in every woman's life.
Zhao Li is her sister after all, Zhao Pei thought. She had to talk to Xiao Yi, maybe she could turn things around. Feeling the carriage pass the last bend, Zhao Pei lifted the curtain and looked around. It was not a big deal, she saw a woman in a green bell-shaped dress led by Qiao Yu into the gate.
Zhao Pei was slightly surprised and wanted to see who the woman was, but she found that her face was covered with a veil, which made her look very mysterious. Suddenly, she realized where she had seen that woman before. She was even more surprised and thought that something must have happened.
He sent the driver to stop at the gate of the mansion and jumped out of the carriage quickly.
Someone immediately came forward to support her and greeted her, "Princess! Please take care of yourself."
Zhao Pei stretched her neck to look inside, but she didn't see anyone she recognized. She turned around and asked the person next to her, "Who just went in?"
"I don't know..."
Zhao Pei tilted his head and thought for a long time, then exhaled softly. The woman's attire didn't look like a royal aristocrat, but she looked pretty. He chuckled and shook his head. What was going on? Was he trying to steal her while she was home? (To be continued)