The sun gradually shifted west as an hour slowly passed.
Outside, guests occasionally passed by in twos and threes, but fortunately, Liu Qingping and Zhou Yunyi sent them all away.
Inside the private room, it was utterly silent.
Cui Mingrui and Shen Tingyu sat facing each other, neither speaking a word.
In the inner chamber, separated by a screen, the young woman's breathing gradually calmed, no longer heavy and strained.
The effects of the seductive powder had worn off.
Cui Lingyao's thoughts gradually cleared.
Memories of what she had done while drugged surfaced one by one, making her body stiffen inch by inch.
Her current identity was Pei Shuyao, the cousin of the Duke Mansion.
She was no longer Cui Lingyao of the Changping Marquis Mansion.
But under the drug's influence, she had seen her brother and clung to him for dear life, as if he were her only salvation.
And her brother, surprisingly, had been truly willing to protect her.
To protect a complete stranger.
Cui Lingyao blinked her tear-soaked lashes as memories flooded her mind.
There were the original owner's three years of infatuation, as well as her own brief memories since arriving in this body.
And then there were the memories from the ten years of her last mission in the Great Yue, of the meticulous care from her parents and brother.
'My death was so swift and clean. How devastating it must have been for them.'
There was no sound from the inner chamber for a long time.
Cui Mingrui and Shen Tingyu exchanged a look, both assuming that the young lady, having recovered from the drug, was too ashamed to face them.
After all, she was an unmarried young woman.
To be poisoned with an aphrodisiac and seen by so many men who were not family—someone more sensitive would likely have died of shame and indignation.
Cui Mingrui set down his teacup and glanced toward the inner chamber. "Miss, are you awake?"
"..."
After a moment of silence, a soft, low "mm" came from behind the screen.
"My mind was addled earlier, and I mistook you for my brother. It was a ridiculous mistake. Please, don't take offense."
The young woman's voice was hoarse and dry, nothing like his little sister's. Yet, Cui Mingrui couldn't help but feel that her phrasing and cadence sounded just like her.
'It's been three years, and I still can't accept my little sister's sudden death,' a bitter feeling welled up in Cui Mingrui's heart.
'To think I keep seeing traces of Yaoyao in a strange girl.'
Unwilling to dwell on it further, he stood up decisively. "Since you are lucid now, Miss, please rest well. I will keep today's events confidential, so your reputation will not be harmed."
A true gentleman. Every word he spoke was like a refreshing spring breeze.
'This is my brother.'
'My good, kind brother.'
Cui Lingyao clenched her fists and said in a raspy voice, "...I thank you, Princely Heir."
Through the screen, he could vaguely see the girl on the bed sit up, but she clearly had no intention of coming out to thank him in person.
Cui Mingrui glanced over once more, said nothing further, and turned to leave.
The door was left ajar.
Bright sunlight streamed in, dispelling the gloom in Cui Lingyao's heart.
Meeting her brother but being unable to acknowledge him... it was agonizing.
But her reason told her that coming back from the dead and possessing another's body was a paranormal anomaly in any world. It could never be revealed.
'So, this is for the best.'
'I have to leave sooner or later anyway. What good would revealing myself do?'
'Just to make my family grieve a second time when I complete my mission and leave again?'
'...There's no need.'
With Cui Mingrui gone, only Shen Tingyu remained in the room.
After a moment of silence, he glanced toward the screen. "I hope you learn your lesson from this and never do something so foolish again."
Cui Lingyao completely agreed.
'The original owner truly was a fool.'
'She threw her life away for an unrequited obsession.'
'So pitiful, so tragic.'
She took a light breath, stood up, and walked out from behind the screen.
The sight of the man standing by the window made her falter, her steps halting for a moment.
The man was about twenty years old. Dressed in a long, wide-sleeved cyan robe, he stood with his hands behind his back by the window. His figure was tall and straight like a bamboo stalk, and the lines of his profile were smooth and elegant. Bathed in the sunlight, he appeared exceptionally gentle.
Peerlessly handsome.
Those two words flashed through Cui Lingyao's mind.
'What a devastatingly handsome face.'
'No wonder the original owner fell in love at first sight, remained infatuated for three years, and refused to give up despite repeated rejections, even willing to become a concubine just for a sliver of his affection.'
'He could charm young girls without even trying.'
She had spent three years looking at Xie Jinbai's face and prided herself on being accustomed to beauty, certain she wouldn't be easily swayed. Yet, even she was momentarily stunned, which spoke volumes about this man's appearance.
After grumbling internally for a moment, Cui Lingyao collected her thoughts, curtsied, and said, "Thank you for your advice, Cousin. I will remember it."
With the drug's effects gone, her expression was back to normal, though her hair was still a little disheveled. A light sheen of sweat moistened her cheeks, and a trace of lust-filled red lingered at the corners of her eyes.
In the same dress and hair ornaments, she no longer had that vibrant, seductive allure from before.
Instead, she had a disheveled look about her.
One that held an unconventional beauty.
Shen Tingyu's heart gave a sudden lurch.
He instinctively averted his gaze. "It's good that you'll remember. I won't tell Aunt about what happened today, so you don't need to dwell on it."
'Even after being schemed against like this, he was still willing to protect her reputation. And now he even promised not to tell her mother, planning to just let the matter drop.'
'This cousin of hers truly was a gentle and magnanimous man.'
Thinking back, the original owner had offered herself to him several times, only to be flatly rejected.
Faced with a gentleman who was as principled on the inside as he appeared on the outside, Cui Lingyao couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration.
"Thank you, Cousin. Through this experience, I have realized my mistake. I also understand how much trouble I've caused you these past few years. Please rest assured, Cousin. I will never do it again."
Every word was uttered with the utmost sincerity.
Shen Tingyu grunted in acknowledgment and said nothing more, only, "Tidy yourself up. Han Yue sent someone looking for you just now. It's about time to head back."
Shen Hanyue was the eldest young lady of the Duke Mansion, Shen Tingyu's full-blooded sister, and Cui Lingyao's cousin.
Today, Cui Lingyao had come in the same carriage as her.
Since she had sent someone to find her, the lotus appreciation banquet must be ending soon.
Cui Lingyao glanced down at her clothes, then asked, "Where did Zhiqiu go? Do you know, Cousin?"
Shen Tingyu replied, "...At Yingfeng Pavilion."
Zhiqiu was her personal maid. To prevent any further schemes between the mistress and servant, Shen Tingyu had his attendant keep an eye on her after discovering the seductive powder in the wine.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, which was starting to ache, and said flatly, "I'll have her come over."
Cui Lingyao didn't ask any more questions, simply curtsying again. "I thank you, Cousin."
Her slender back was straight, her tone was calm, and her posture was respectful and polite.
Neither servile nor overbearing, but poised and graceful.
Shen Tingyu keenly noticed the change in her.
This cousin of his had lost her father at a young age and was raised by his aunt like a precious treasure. After coming to the Capital City, she felt she was living under someone else's roof, which made her personality a mixture of inferiority and arrogance, full of petty insecurities.
When she did something wrong, she would just cover her face and run away, seeking her mother's protection.
Or she would stubbornly argue her case, refusing to admit she was at fault.
She would never have admitted her mistake so openly.
Moreover, the way she referred to herself had also changed.
To appear cute and endearing, she had always referred to herself as 'Yaoyao' in front of others.
And then there was her gaze.
Her eyes, as she looked at him, were calm, devoid of that tiresome obsession.
It was as if, in that brief instant, she had truly let him go.
Shen Tingyu's lips thinned into a line. He gave her one last look, then turned and left.