Chapter 098
Chapter 98: The Gold Arm Cuff
She finished her words and turned away, not sparing Pei Yu a single glance.
Just as she stepped out the door, she saw Yun Wan Yao standing in the corridor. Steward Liu quickly stepped forward with a warm greeting: “Young miss, you’ve arrived.”
“Yes. Uncle Liu, is Eldest Brother Pei inside?”
“He is~” Steward Liu smiled, but a thought suddenly occurred to him. His smile faded as he leaned in close to remind her of something.
However, before he could speak, a delighted male voice rang out behind him: “Yao Younger Sister, you’re here.”
The steward let out a silent sigh and swallowed his words. Shaking his head, he said, “Young miss, this old servant still has other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”
“All right,” Yun Wan Yao replied softly.
She looked up and was immediately met with Pei Yu’s intense gaze. His eyes never left her face, burning with undisguised longing.
[Tsk, he’s showing his affection so openly, yet I was completely blind to it before. I truly was a fool.]
If not for her little sister’s heart voice reminding her, she probably never would have realized it.
After all, they were both betrothed to others. How could she ever have imagined that he, knowing full well she was to marry into Prince Qi’s household, would still fall for her?
“Eldest Brother Pei.” Yun Wan Yao’s eyes suddenly lit up with joy as she looked at him, her cheeks tinged with a maiden’s shyness and hesitation.
That look made Pei Yu’s blood surge with heat. His throat went dry and his words tangled at the tip of his tongue. His gaze clung to her with such hunger it was nearly unbearable.
[Could it be… Yao Younger Sister likes me too?]
[Sigh, as expected. My spiritual power can extend two li from my body right now—any more and it’s no good. But two li is enough. It just barely reaches here to watch the show.]
[The guy in front of Elder Sister must be Pei Yu, right? Look at the way his eyes are about to glue themselves to her. Ugh, it’s so nauseating.]
Yun Wan Yao blinked. [Wait… is that my little sister’s heart voice? Is she nearby?]
She instinctively turned to look around, but apart from a few servants scurrying about, the corridor was empty. There was no sign of Yun Wan Ning.
[What’s going on? My little sister isn’t anywhere nearby, so how am I hearing her heart voice?]
“Yao Younger Sister, what are you looking for?” Pei Yu took a step closer, curious.
Just as Yun Wan Yao furrowed her brows and was about to reply, her little sister’s heart voice floated back into her mind:
[Yeah, what’s Elder Sister looking for?]
[Could it be that her system detected my spiritual power?]
[Should I keep watching?]
[Forget it, I’ve already come this far. If Elder Sister’s system could detect my spiritual power, it would’ve done so already. No point withdrawing it now. Might as well enjoy the show.]
[I really want to see how Elder Sister will deal with this man now that she’s been reborn.]
[This guy came to see Elder Sister today and even brought a gift.]
[He led an army to seize a city in Xuan Kingdom and plundered all sorts of treasures. Among them was a pair of exquisitely crafted gold arm cuffs. He kept them for himself and gifted them to Elder Sister early as her coming-of-age ceremony present.]
[The gift had a legitimate excuse, so Elder Sister accepted it… never expecting that one day, it would become a knife in her back.]
[Later, when he began working with the female lead to sabotage Elder Sister’s engagement with Prince Qi, he flaunted the gift in front of Prince Qi and claimed that Elder Sister had already accepted his affections.]
[At the time, Prince Qi still hadn’t completely given up on Elder Sister. After being misled by Pei Yu, he grew furious at her for her supposed betrayal.]
[That’s why, when he later began his entanglement with Su Qian Xue, he felt perfectly justified. Whatever lingering guilt he had toward Elder Sister was thoroughly erased by this man.]
As the childish heart voice went on, Yun Wan Yao’s brows knit even tighter, her mind spinning with questions.
[My little sister should be in the wet nurse’s room right now. That’s quite far from here… yet I can hear her voice. Could it be that when her spiritual power is released and touches someone, they can hear her heart voice even from far away?]
[That’s too unbelievable.]
“Yao Younger Sister, what’s wrong?” Pei Yu asked with a worried look.
She had been glancing about moments ago, but wouldn’t answer him. Now, she was silent and distracted again—something was clearly off.
[What happened? Why is she suddenly acting so strange? Just moments ago, she looked so pleased and bashful when she saw me.]
Yun Wan Yao collected herself, shook her head gently, and spoke in a soft voice, “It’s nothing. Eldest Brother Pei, when did you return to the capital?”
Just as she finished her question, her little sister’s voice returned.
[Huh? Elder Sister is being so calm with Pei Yu. She must be acting, right?]
Yun Wan Yao winced.
[Just knowing her little sister’s bizarre spiritual power was hovering overhead like a watchful eye made her feel strangely guilty.]
“We achieved victory on the frontier. I returned last night,” Pei Yu answered. Then, with a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, he added, “By the way, Yao Younger Sister, I heard that the Grand Commandant’s daughter has been clinging to Prince Qi relentlessly. Is that true?”
[Ah, here it comes. He’s probing now.]
[By the way, the current storyline’s completely off track. Mo Yuan Hao and Su Qian Xue haven’t gotten involved yet, so Pei Yu never caught them together either.]
[In this situation, who knows whether he’ll still try working with Su Qian Xue.]
[He’s naturally the type who’d do anything to achieve his goals. He’s even worse than my second brother—more cunning, more ruthless.]
[Before he fell for Su Qian Xue, he definitely wouldn’t have given up on Elder Sister. No telling what sort of tricks he’ll pull.]
Yun Wan Yao ignored the voice and let out a gentle sigh, putting on a conflicted expression.
“It’s true. For a while, Su Qian Xue did chase after Prince Qi quite persistently. But lately, she seems to have quieted down. Perhaps she’s given up.”
[As if. That girl will never give up.]
Her little sister had mentioned before that the arrival of the system was meant to reset the broken plot and help Su Qian Xue reclaim the fate that had been taken from her.
And the male lead of this world—Mo Yuan Hao—was key to that goal.
Even if no one knew exactly what her current task was, Su Qian Xue’s mission would definitely revolve around Mo Yuan Hao in the end.
No matter what Su Qian Xue truly thought, there was no way she’d let go of him for good.
“A fly doesn’t buzz without a crack in the shell, Yao’er. What kind of man is Prince Qi? For him to let that fool hang around for so long without doing anything… perhaps he enjoys it. Maybe he finds it flattering,” said Pei Yu, eyes gleaming as he delivered the line with careful venom.
[Yikes. He’s really trying to stir things up.]
[No wonder my little sister’s heart voice kept saying over and over again that he loves to sow discord.]
[Now I believe it. No wonder I was so easily deceived in the original plot.]
[Yup, he’s a master at this.]
Without her little sister’s whispered warnings, Yun Wan Yao’s mind, still muddled by trust, might have truly believed this man’s every word was spoken out of concern.
Because her father favored him, she had always assumed he was someone extraordinary. So when he spoke, she took it as truth. If he told her that Prince Qi held her in his heart, she would never have doubted it.
“Really? Brother Pei, then what should I do?” Yun Wan Yao lowered her voice, wearing a look of timid worry. Her pitiful expression stirred jealousy in Pei Yu’s heart. He clenched his fists tightly within his sleeves.
“Don’t fret just yet, little sister,” he said gently. “Let me investigate quietly. If Prince Qi truly has entanglements with Su Qian Xue, I will certainly help you.”
“Will you? Brother Pei, you’re too kind.” Yun Wan Yao looked at him, eyes shimmering with gratitude, her voice soft and sweet. And in her tender calls of “Brother Pei,” Pei Yu lost himself.
“Oh, right. Little sister, I brought you a gift. Come with me,” he said, turning into the main hall.
Yun Wan Yao watched his back, a flicker of disgust flashing through her eyes.
[Ah, here comes the arm-ring of gold.]
[In the original plot, elder sister loved it—wore it every day, never taking it off.]
[Wonder how she’ll handle it this time.]
[If you ask me, let the wolf give what he wants. It’s pure gold, after all—might as well take it.]
[No reason to turn down gold. Worst case, just melt it down later. That way, he can’t claim you accepted gifts with secret intentions.]
[But remember, elder sister—take the gift, yes, but do not give one in return. That’ll only give them something to talk about.]
Little sister was right. No reason to argue with gold. Yun Wan Yao clenched her teeth, then stepped inside.
When Pei Yu saw her come in, a delighted smile appeared on his face. He lifted the brocade box on the table and opened it.
Inside, a pair of golden arm rings lay coiled like twin serpents. Thirteen loops in total—starting with a serpent’s head, ending with its tail. Tiny pearls sparkled on their surface, and delicate patterns adorned the curves. The glow of gold dazzled the eyes—lavish, exquisite, utterly breathtaking.
The forging arts of the Xuan Kingdom far surpassed those of Great Wu. In all of Great Wu, such fine ornamentation could not be crafted.
Yun Wan Yao stared, speechless. No wonder her little sister had said elder sister once adored it. Even now, she found herself deeply drawn to its beauty.
What a waste it would be to melt such craftsmanship.
“Do you like it, little sister?” Pei Yu asked with confidence, clearly proud.
Snapping out of her daze, Yun Wan Yao replied, “It’s beautiful, but Brother Pei, this gift is too valuable—I really can’t accept it.”
“Why not?” he asked gently. “I had it made especially for you. In a little over three months, you’ll come of age. But the borderlands are in chaos—I may not be able to attend your ceremony. So I’ve brought your gift ahead of time.”
“This is my coming-of-age gift. Would you truly reject it?”
His voice carried a hint of sorrow, eyes laced with gentle hurt.
Yun Wan Yao almost laughed. In the past, she hadn’t realized just how good he was at pretending.
“Then… thank you, Brother Pei,” she said, finally accepting the gift.
From the moment she heard Yun Wan Ning’s inner voice, she’d never intended to refuse. This man had ruined her completely in the original story. What harm was there in accepting a pair of arm rings as repayment?
Her earlier resistance was all an act. He had brought the gift himself. As if a single “I can’t accept this” would make him take it back?
Once the gift was in hand, Yun Wan Yao didn’t hesitate to show him the door.
“Brother Pei, it’s getting late. You should head back and rest,” she said with a polite smile.
Pei Yu froze for a breath, then looked at her, eyes dimmed with disappointment. “Do you really want me to leave?”
Yun Wan Yao paused. [Yes, yes, and yes. Every second longer, my eyes ache.]
She smiled sweetly. “What are you saying, Brother Pei? I just didn’t want the servants to be careless in their manners. If you don’t mind, please sit and rest here. My father will be returning soon—you might even get to greet him.”
“But I truly must go.”
As she turned to leave with the brocade box in her arms, Pei Yu sprang up and caught her arm.
She turned, gazing calmly at the hand holding her.
Then she smiled.
“Brother Pei, men and women should keep a proper distance. If Prince Qi were to find out, he might be angry.”
Pei Yu froze, then slowly let go, awkwardly rubbing his nose. A shadow passed through his eyes.
Prince Qi again. Always Prince Qi.
“I overstepped. I apologize. But… little sister, do you truly love Prince Qi?”
Yun Wan Yao blinked at him in surprise. “Why would you ask such a thing, Brother Pei?”
“It’s a marriage decree from the late emperor. Does my liking him even matter?”
“It matters,” Pei Yu said suddenly, voice filled with determination. “If you don’t love him, then I’ll find a way to help you.”
“What way?”
This time, Yun Wan Yao was genuinely curious. “It was arranged by the late emperor. Do you really think there’s a way out?”
Pei Yu sighed. “Everything can be changed with effort. As long as you want it, I will help make it happen.”
To him, a marriage contract was nothing. If Prince Qi fell in love with someone else, or if Yao’er’s reputation were to fall, or if strife grew between them, the engagement could be broken.
The best option? Let her reputation fall. Perhaps she could even become pregnant with another man’s child before marriage.
Then, he was certain—Prince Qi would never marry her.
After all, Prince Qi was the emperor’s younger brother. If he asked for the engagement to be annulled, the emperor would surely allow it.
Pei Yu’s mind began to spin with wicked plans, one after another.
Yun Wan Yao gave a soft laugh. “Oh, I was only joking. Please don’t take it seriously. Why wouldn’t I like Prince Qi?”
“I’ve liked him since I was very young. In this life, I will marry no one but him. So please, Brother Pei, don’t speak of this again. It makes me unhappy.”
She could tell from his expression—whatever he was plotting, it wasn’t anything good. Maybe even something harmful to her.
Yes, she wanted to be rid of the engagement. But not by sacrificing herself or her family’s name.
The Duke’s manor didn’t only have her. There were still her elder brothers, her little sister. If her reputation were ruined, how would they face the world?
So while she rejected Pei Yu’s “offer,” she didn’t forget to twist the knife.
Didn’t he claim to love her?
Then fine. She would tell him plainly: her heart belonged to Prince Qi.
Let him suffer.
Let him hate.
And if he were to lose control and go after Prince Qi, well, all the better. Perhaps they’d destroy each other.