Chapter 6: Eyes That Betrayed The Heart

Yan Chiyun returned far too early.

Jing Chun looked at the face before her—still unadorned with full makeup, fair and softly beautiful.

Afraid that Pu Jinyu might do as she had before and suddenly show herself, Jing Chun hastily raised her voice.

“Miss, please don’t move, or the powder will smudge.”

Not only did she say this, she even stepped in front of Pu Jinyu, afraid she might ignore the warning and turn around directly.

That sentence was “just so” heard by the man entering the room, and he instinctively glanced this way.

What he saw was the straight-backed figure of a woman seated properly before the dressing table.

She had likely just risen and had not yet changed clothes; after washing up, she had gone straight to do her makeup.

As for Madam Pu’s fondness for “beauty,” after more than three years under the same roof, Yan Chiyun no longer found it strange.

After all, she even applied powder and drew her brows before sleeping at night, so he felt no suspicion.

The bronze mirror was not large, and Yan Chiyun was tall; looking over, he could only glimpse the woman’s delicate chin and full lips reflected in it.

“Good morning, husband,” Pu Jinyu said in greeting without standing.

Yan Chiyun recalled her rare initiative on the bed a few days ago and paused slightly.

He then hummed in acknowledgment and nodded before heading into the bath chamber.

He had been interrogating a case yesterday and had almost gone without sleep all night.

He had planned to bathe at the office, but the bathing facilities at the Jinyiwei were truly dreadful—the tubs were all broken—so he had simply ridden back at speed.

After Yan Chiyun left, Jing Chun quickly applied Pu Jinyu’s makeup.

She finished her look and then arranged her hair before Yan Chiyun came out.

Today, Yan Mingshu was returning to her natal home with her husband, and as the matron of the Yan household, Pu Jinyu could not afford any misstep in word or deed.

Jing Chun chose a water-pink dress for her, with a misty blue shawl; together they brightened her complexion without being overly eye-catching.

Back in the day, Lord Pu had been famous in the capital for his handsome looks, and Madam Pu’s beauty went without saying.

Their union produced Pu Wange, who had been stunningly beautiful since childhood and was crowned the capital’s foremost beauty before she even came of age.

But only those who had seen Pu Jinyu knew what true beauty was.

Her looks were not merely striking; they eclipsed all others, compelling one’s gaze to rest on her alone, unwilling to move away.

Every time Jing Chun applied powder and rouge for her, she used extra blush to conceal that unforgettable beauty, and only then dared to paint Pu Wange’s face.

Now, Pu Jinyu was indeed still beautiful, but much of it had been restrained, leaving only an air of noble composure and dignified grace.

When Yan Chiyun came out, Pu Jinyu was already waiting.

His gaze fell upon her flawlessly adorned face.

Unlike usual, after paying her respects she did not lower her eyes.

She looked at him, her gaze more intent than before—almost fixed on him.

He found himself unable to look away for a moment, the two of them locked in silent eye contact.

It was not until the maid Jing Chun coughed softly and said that the time was nearly up and they should head over that Yan Chiyun finally averted his gaze and walked out, with Pu Jinyu following at his side.

Watching their perfectly matched figures from behind, Jing Chun’s worry resurfaced.

How could Third Miss stare so directly at the lord just now—was she not afraid he might notice something amiss?

And now that Matron Wu was not around, there was no one left to remind or restrain her at all.

What was more, thinking of Matron Wu’s face—scratched raw—and her inexplicably hoarse voice, Jing Chun hesitated even at the thought of reporting this to Madam Pu.

If she really spoke up, would she end up like Matron Wu?

Although Matron Wu’s sudden illness seemed unrelated to Third Miss, it had come on far too abruptly—and right after she had delivered pear soup.

Jing Chun could not help but draw connections.

Soon, they arrived at the main hall of the Pu residence.

Today was Yan Mingshu’s homecoming, and not only were the members of the main branch nearly all present, even relatives from several other branches of the Pu family had come.

After Pu Jinyu and Yan Chiyun entered the hall, they separated to receive guests, accompanying uncles and aunts in conversation.

At the same time, Pu Jinyu had to recheck whether the servants’ preparations contained any mistakes.

The Yan family ranked among the capital’s foremost noble houses, their ancestors having rendered illustrious service and earned enshrinement in the ancestral temple.

General Yan even held a hereditary title.

Yan Mingshu was a legitimate daughter, so her marriage partner was naturally outstanding as well—also a legitimate son from a ducal household in the capital.

With such ties between the two families, not a single detail could go wrong.

Otherwise, it would disgrace the Yan family and make the other side feel slighted.

In this lifetime, although she did not wish to entangle herself further and only sought to extricate herself for revenge, this was not yet the moment to tear everything apart.

Pu Jinyu maneuvered among her sisters-in-law as she always had.

Seeing this, Jing Chun, who followed at her side, relaxed slightly.

Nothing should go wrong, right?

Before long, Yan Mingshu arrived with her husband.

They greeted the elders, paid their respects, offered tea, and addressed everyone properly.

The main hall, already lively, grew even more boisterous.

Even after breakfast, the crowd did not disperse.

Pu Jinyu stayed beside Madam Yan.

When others spoke to her, she responded briefly, but for the most part she listened, rarely interjecting.

Everyone teased Yan Mingshu and her husband, urging them to have children soon so the household would be livelier.

When the topic of children came up, some inevitably glanced toward Pu Jinyu.

She remained calm and unembarrassed.

Yan Mingshu blushed and said, “Uncles and aunts, please don’t keep pressing us.

Elder Brother and Sister-in-law, and even the younger brothers and sisters, should be urged equally.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

“That’s true.”

The speaker was the wife of the Pu family’s second branch.

She asked Pu Jinyu, who was nearby, and Yan Chiyun, standing beside General Yan, whether they had heard.

“You two are elder brother and sister-in-law—you must set an example!

Work harder in your daily life and add children and grandchildren to the family.”

Yan Chiyun’s gaze swept toward Pu Jinyu.

The two of them answered together and agreed.

“Don’t just agree verbally and then forget it.

Wange, what do you say?”

Pu Jinyu lifted her eyes.

Her heart was utterly unmoved, yet she smiled as usual.

“Daughter-in-law will certainly heed your words and work harder.”

Hearing this, Yan Chiyun could not help recalling her unusual behavior a few days earlier.

So she truly had been “working harder.”

Madam Pu must also be eager to have a child.

“Chiyun must remember this too!

Don’t let your wife always keep an empty bed.

No matter how busy official duties are, family matters must not be neglected.

Otherwise, what use is a high position?

Look at your cousins—each of them has sons and daughters enjoying their knees’ warmth.

Only the two of you are lacking.”

This time, Pu Jinyu caught the hidden barb and smiled without responding.

Not only did she and Yan Chiyun remain silent, even Madam Yan’s smile faded slightly.

The second-branch wife was outwardly urging childbirth, but inwardly mocking them.

Soon, other relatives shifted the topic away.

While it was lively inside, the outside grew lively as well.

A young maid announced that the Third Young Master had returned.

Today, the Yan family’s main branch was nearly all present; only Yan Huaixiao had been absent earlier.

Breakfast had already been eaten, yet he arrived late.

As soon as he entered, Madam Yan immediately pulled a long face.

Seizing the chance, she feigned anger and vented the displeasure she had suffered from the second-branch wife, demanding to know where he had gone.

Did he know what day it was today?

Did he even have his Second Sister in his eyes?

Madam Yan stressed her final words heavily.

How could the second-branch wife fail to hear the indirect rebuke?

She raised her teacup, lifting a brow slightly and hiding a sneer behind it.

Pu Jinyu naturally understood the undercurrents at play.

In her previous life, she had long grown accustomed to the Pu family’s sisters-in-law—harmonious on the surface, barbed behind the scenes—and had grown utterly weary of it, so she remained silent.

Yan Huaixiao had indeed been avoiding Madam Yan these past two days.

The imperial examinations were not yet here, but they were close.

He needed to prepare for the exams and for entering officialdom, hoping to make his mark in court after passing and fulfill his ambitions.

He did not wish to marry so early or speak of romance, yet Madam Yan refused to relent, nagging him about marriage the moment he returned.

She claimed that marriage would not hinder his exam preparations at all.

Yan Huaixiao had carefully explained the pros and cons to her several times, but she still insisted, forcing him to meet daughters of noble families.

She even brought them into the house behind his back.

To escape the noise, he had already moved out to stay at the academy.

Today was his Second Sister Yan Mingshu’s homecoming banquet.

With the aunts stirring things up, he would certainly be singled out again.

That was why he had arrived late, hoping to steal a moment of peace.

Even so, he had prepared an excuse for his tardiness.

“Mother, it wasn’t that I intended to be late.

I had to go to the city gate to receive a close friend today.

I promised him long before Second Sister’s homecoming.

A gentleman values his word and cannot break a promise, so I arrived a bit late.”

Yan Huaixiao handed over the congratulatory gifts he had prepared to Yan Mingshu and her husband, offering auspicious words for a harmonious union and early children.

He begged them not to take offense, then shifted aside and introduced the man who had entered with him.

“Mother, this is Cheng Wenque, a close friend I met years ago in Lanling.

He has now transferred to the capital and is my academy classmate.”

As soon as his words fell, the man in blue stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed, introducing himself to the Yan family elders.

Pu Jinyu had merely raised her eyes casually, yet her gaze froze.

It was not just that he shared the same surname Cheng—his features also bore some resemblance to her sworn elder brother.

But she knew clearly that he was not her brother.

Her brother had labored for years, his skin tanned dark, his build tall and sturdy.

The man Yan Huaixiao brought in was also tall, but fair-skinned—a refined scholar at a glance.

Even so, her gaze still drifted, momentarily lost.

She had not seen old acquaintances from those years for a long time—especially those who had been so kind to her.

Even a similar outline or shadow was enough to unsettle her.

Yan Chiyun had little interest in his younger brother’s classmate.

After returning the man’s courtesy, he withdrew his gaze.

But as his eyes shifted back, he casually glanced to his right—

—and saw his always proper, rule-abiding wife, Madam Pu, staring distractedly at the newly arrived male guest in the center of the hall.

Madam Pu had always been dignified and restrained, never overstepping in anything she did.

She was adept at social interactions, knowing exactly when to advance or retreat.

Yet today, she was gazing at a male guest in a daze, so absorbed that she did not even notice the look from her rightful husband.

What was she thinking?

Could it be that she knew this man, an old acquaintance?

But Madam Pu was a legitimate daughter of a noble family—what ties could she have with a man from far-off Lanling?

Moments passed, and she was still looking.

Yan Chiyun’s brow furrowed slightly as he redirected his gaze toward the man she was watching.

Cheng Wenque was responding to questions from the Yan elders, as though unaware of Madam Pu’s attention.

Or perhaps he had noticed and was pretending not to.

It was improper to stare at a guest for too long, especially for him as the head of the Yan household—every word and action of his was subject to scrutiny.

Yan Chiyun suppressed his doubts and withdrew his gaze.

Yet as he did so, he almost imperceptibly swept his eyes toward the woman on his right again.

She had already withdrawn her gaze and lowered her eyes.

Her expression was unreadable, her thoughts unclear.

When Madam Yan learned that Cheng Wenque had just arrived in the capital and had yet to settle down, she immediately invited him to stay at the Yan residence.

Her main concern was that Yan Huaixiao would again find excuses to run out.

As long as his friend stayed at home, he could not help but return.

And once he returned, arranging meetings with noble ladies would be much easier.

Yan Huaixiao naturally refused, saying he had already arranged lodgings outside for Cheng Wenque and did not wish to trouble the family.

Moreover, with so many female relatives in the house, it would be inconvenient.

Madam Yan said the estate was large and spacious and would not cause any inconvenience, and she settled the matter decisively, insisting that Cheng Wenque stay.

“Wange, you handle this matter.

Don’t let Huaixiao’s friend feel wronged.”

Pu Jinyu nodded.

“Yes.”

Yan Huaixiao could not help lamenting inwardly.

What kind of situation was this?

He had only wanted half a day of peace and had dragged Cheng Wenque along—who would have thought he would end up lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot?

It was infuriating.

With all the elders present, he could not leave Cheng Wenque awkwardly caught in the middle.

So he did not argue further with Madam Yan, planning to speak later.

Cheng Wenque thanked Madam Yan and Pu Jinyu with respectful compliance.

When his eyes met Pu Jinyu’s polite smile as she said it was no trouble, he paused for the briefest moment before quickly looking away.

No one else noticed this fleeting instant, but Yan Chiyun, who had been observing closely, did not miss it.

Over the course of the day, Yan Chiyun kept a portion of his attention on them.

He saw no interaction between Madam Pu and Cheng Wenque, and her gaze never again lingered on him as it had earlier.

After dinner, Yan Mingshu and her husband took their leave.

They first saw the couple off, then escorted the other elders—everything proceeding in orderly fashion.

Yan Chiyun then escorted Madam Yan and General Yan back and, in passing, discussed official matters with the general.

They spoke of recent cases in the capital and the situation between the Northern and Southern Jinyiwei.

Even though Yan Chiyun already understood the situation well, General Yan still could not help advising him.

“The one from the Yu family may appear unruly and eccentric, but in truth he is cautious and ruthless.

You must be especially careful when dealing with him.”

“I understand,” Yan Chiyun reassured him.

He knew very well what kind of person Yu Jue was, as the one who controlled the Southern Jinyiwei.

“Mm.”

General Yan said no more and dismissed him.

When Yan Chiyun returned to the courtyard, candles were lit inside, and all was quiet.

Before entering the study, he asked casually, “Where is the young madam?”

A young maid replied that Pu Jinyu had gone to tidy up the courtyard for the Third Young Master’s guest after seeing off the elders.

Hearing this, Yan Chiyun paused slightly, then said nothing more and merely hummed in acknowledgment.

Perhaps Madam Pu really did know that man—an old acquaintance.

That was not strange.

Everyone had close friends, regardless of gender.

Her momentary distraction today might have been because, before her marriage, they had shared some unspoken past.

But that was already in the past.

Madam Pu had always been upright, courteous, gentle, and compliant.

Since marrying into the Yan family, she had never once put a foot wrong.

After three years sharing the same bed, he trusted her character well enough.

Moreover, their marriage alliance was no small matter.

Madam Pu would never, for personal reasons, do anything improper.

And he was not a petty man.

He would not pursue old matters over a fleeting glance and chase after illusory doubts.

Yan Chiyun returned to his study to handle the documents brought back from the office, flipping through and reviewing them.

Not long after, faint sounds came from outside the door.

He lifted his eyes.

Through the door and screen, he saw a water-pink figure.

Madam Pu had returned.

Pu Jinyu had already learned from a maid that Yan Chiyun had asked about her whereabouts, but she did not take it to heart.

As usual, she instructed a maid to prepare a pot of eye-brightening soup for him, then went to the bath chamber first.

She wished to bathe alone, without attendants, but Jing Chun insisted on accompanying her, ignoring her cold looks and following her stubbornly.

After Pu Jinyu finished bathing, Jing Chun applied her makeup for her inside the bath chamber.

“You put makeup on me day after day—aren’t you tired of the trouble?

You’re so skilled; why not just make me a false face?

That wouldn’t waste rouge, and perhaps it could even be made into a mask.”

Pu Jinyu spoke leisurely with a smile on her lips, yet Jing Chun felt she was being mocked.

“Third Miss is joking.

If it were a false face worn all day, wouldn’t that be terribly uncomfortable?”

Pu Jinyu said, “And is how I look now not the same as wearing a false face all day?”

Jing Chun did not know how to respond.

She could only laugh stiffly and change the subject.

“Liufang Pavilion has brought in a new batch of even better rouge and powders.

This servant has already sent someone to buy them.

When they arrive, would you like to take a look?”

Pu Jinyu did not respond.

Jing Chun fell silent in embarrassment.

When Pu Jinyu came out of the bath chamber, Yan Chiyun was still busy at his desk in the study.

He had already said she need not wait for him, so she went straight to bed.

As soon as she lay down, she reverted to her unrestrained sleeping posture.

Jing Chun corrected her, urging her to lie properly and not let anyone see.

Pu Jinyu knew that telling Jing Chun to leave would be useless, so she ignored her as usual, not bothering to respond.

Jing Chun was so anxious she wanted to fix Pu Jinyu’s posture herself, but she did not dare.

She had planned to wait until Pu Jinyu fell asleep and then quietly adjust her, but before Pu Jinyu could sleep, Yan Chiyun had already come out of the study.

Jing Chun had no choice but to withdraw.

Thinking that it was nearing the end of the month and the beginning of the next—time for the couple to share a bed—Jing Chun finally let out a reluctant sigh of relief.

Yan Chiyun bathed and purified himself, then extinguished the candles as usual and prepared to go to bed.

Tonight, the moonlight was exceptionally bright.

The window lattice was wide open, casting light into the room, unlike the usual darkness.

By the moonlight, as he lifted the bed curtains—

He met, straight on, a pair of moist, round, crystal-clear eyes, hidden beneath the thin quilt and staring directly at him.