May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

"Yes." Chunhua held it in both hands and walked away carefully.

Seeing Bai Tong's thoughtful gaze, Wen Yuanshu was slightly taken aback: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Bai Tong shook her head, her eyes gleaming: "Madam, I didn't mean to test you, but... who exactly is that person?"

“He’s a… friend.” Wen Yuanshu lowered her head.

She was also...someone she had wronged.

Bai Tong came from Rouge Lane and had seen countless lovers. She was very experienced in this area and could judge people accurately at a glance.

With an inscrutable expression, she picked up her teacup, blew away the foam on top, and said, "Madam, in my opinion, that young master has feelings for you."

“That’s impossible,” Wen Yuanshu said without hesitation.

Facing the curious gazes of hundreds of people, Wen Yuanshu pursed her lips and said, "I... broke off my engagement with him before."

So, it's already good enough that Lu Chengyuan doesn't hate her.

Bai Tong had just taken a sip of tea into his mouth when he immediately spat it out.

She coughed as she wiped the water droplets from her lips with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with shock.

After a long pause, Bai Tong finally said, "Madam, I'm not trying to be mean, but your eyesight before... was indeed... a bit off."

From appearance to figure and demeanor, how could that person not be miles ahead of Pei Zeyu?

Bai Tong really couldn't understand why Wen Yuanshu would choose Pei Zeyu over the better ones.

Wen Yuanshu chuckled softly, "I think so too."

Bai Tong put down his teacup and said, "Anyway, you're going to get a divorce in the end. Maybe you can rekindle your romance with that person!"

Wen Yuanshu shook her head: "...Don't think that far ahead."

Seeing that she didn't want to continue, Bai Tong glanced at the sky outside, pulled her cloak back up, and left.

-

The next morning, Bai Tong was about to go find Pei Zeyu when she was stopped by someone: "Auntie, Madam Xie is inside, please go back."

Bai Tong's eyebrows twitched, and he looked at the closed door of the study with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Since Pei Zeyu and Xie Qianjiao had their argument, neither of them spoke to each other. Bai Tong originally thought that Xie Qianjiao had given up or was waiting for Pei Zeyu to back down, but unexpectedly, it was Xie Qianjiao who took the initiative to back down.

Bai Tong turned and left thoughtfully, then paused before heading to the main courtyard.

At that moment, Xie Qianjiao took out the pastries she had made early in the morning.

The pastries were fresh out of the oven, still steaming hot, and their sweet aroma filled the study. Pei Zeyu's previously stiff expression immediately softened.

"Cousin..." Xie Qianjiao sat down next to Pei Zeyu and carefully tugged at his sleeve. "Cousin, these are some snacks I made myself this morning. They're our favorite when we were kids. Would you like to try some?"

Pei Zeyu hummed in agreement, picked up a piece of pastry, and put it in his mouth.

The familiar sweetness melted between his lips and teeth, and Pei Zeyu looked surprised.

"This is……"

Xie Qianjiao lowered her head: "This is a recipe I learned from my mother... Is it delicious?"

Pei Zeyu nodded with a complicated expression.

The taste was exactly the same as he remembered.

In a daze, the days of my youth unfolded slowly before my eyes like a scroll painting.

The two were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little; those were the happiest days of his life.

"Cousin," Xie Qianjiao moved a little closer to him, "Are you still angry with me about what happened before?"

Pei Zeyu sighed, her heart softening in the end: "How could I be angry with you?"

Tears of emotion welled up in Xie Qianjiao's eyes: "Cousin, I didn't explain back then because I knew you would believe me!"

Pei Zeyu couldn't bear it, so he reached out and pulled the person into his arms: "Alright, alright, it's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore, okay?"

Even though he had a hundred grievances before, they all vanished in the face of this youthful painting.

Xie Qianjiao was his childhood sweetheart and cousin, his first woman, and the one who bore him his eldest son.

Pei Zeyu used a little more force in his hand, his heart softening completely.

Xie Qianjiao hugged him, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.