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Six years ago, on a winter night, Yue Zhi quietly vowed in her heart to protect him for a lifetime.

Time passed, and over the years, she earned a fair amount of silver with her embroidery and tailoring skills. Pei Heng, meanwhile, studied and taught, mastering not only reading but also gardening and cooking, even taking on chores like washing clothes and folding bedding.

He would say, “A seamstress’s hands must be well cared for; she mustn’t do any rough work,” and naturally, he nurtured her into a delicate lady who couldn’t lift or carry heavy things.

But Yue Zhi knew he didn’t care about the small earnings from her embroidery; he worried about her wearing herself out with work and late nights. Every day, he would prepare nourishing meals to replenish her energy and protect her health, afraid she might harm herself.

“I’ve reached the age to take the civil service exam soon, and our family has no shortage of money. Don’t take on so much work,” Pei Heng said as he picked up a basket of vegetables and went to wash them by the well.

Yue Zhi smiled. “You’ve said that so many times, and I’ve heard you, but Miss He’s daughter is close to me. She begged me to make her new clothes. How could I refuse?”

The young man glanced at her sideways, his gaze deep and steady.

Pei Heng was no stranger to extraordinary beauty, but compared to those stunning faces, Yue Zhi was like a flower blooming on a cold moonlit night—soft, gentle, with clear, moist eyes like a tranquil lake. Whenever she looked at him, ripples seemed to stir deep within her gaze.

Unnaturally, he turned his face away, suddenly realizing he had spent the past two years deliberately and inadvertently staring at her face... like that foolish Wang Qiushi next door, utterly infatuated.

His throat tickled slightly, so he cleared it twice.

“A student offered half a rack of ribs as a gift. I’ll cook you soup with it tonight.”

Curious, Yue Zhi looked into his book box. Among the books and brushes, there was indeed a half rack of fresh pork ribs wrapped in oiled paper.

“Which family is so wealthy?”

“They have many children. Those ribs are the gift from three of them. I thought you liked pork, so I agreed.”

Yue Zhi chuckled softly. She had only cooked diligently during the first six months after coming to Wangshan Village. Later, Pei Heng spent more time in the kitchen, and gradually learned her cooking skills. Now, his dishes were even better than hers by a noticeable margin.

From chopping firewood and washing vegetables to reading and practicing martial arts, there was nothing he couldn’t learn or do well.

“Don’t rush to cook just yet.” She rose and fetched a garment from inside, handing it to him. “This piece just needs a few more stitches to finish the edges. Try it on and see if it fits.”

Pei Heng stood, wiped his hands with a sweat towel, and took the garment she gave him—a pale blue gauze robe worn over his outer clothes. It fit perfectly.

Sunlight streamed down, filtering through the gauze to cast mottled, flowing shadows on his blue outer robe—quite beautiful.

Yue Zhi couldn’t help but smile.

She had thought such a scholarly and refined outfit wouldn’t suit a boy his age, but once he wore it, he looked noble and distinguished—not a mere scholar, but like a young master born into a wealthy family, cherished and pampered.

She stepped before him, smoothing the collar carefully.

Her admiring gaze shifted from the garment to the sharp contours of his jawline. Noticing his slightly moving Adam’s apple, her heart tightened, and she quickly looked back at the garment.

“It looks very good on you, just a bit loose at the waist. I’ll cut it a few inches, and it’ll fit perfectly,” she said calmly, though her heart suddenly fluttered without reason.

Strange—she hadn’t done anything unusual.

Yet her heart beat uncontrollably.

Lost in thought, Pei Heng quietly studied her from above—her jet-black hair, soft shoulders, and slender frame as if he could easily wrap his arms around her.

That reliable and warm figure he had seen in childhood was actually so slender.

“Yue Zhi, you’re still too thin,” he murmured softly, then spoke more seriously, “Eat more tonight.”

His few words made her laugh out loud, and her heart settled. She simply replied, “Okay.”

---

In the summer, pork spoils quickly. Pei Heng made yam and pork rib soup and specially selected a few thin ribs to prepare sweet and sour ribs, as usual bringing two bowls over to the Wang family next door.

On a quiet summer night, the two sat in the courtyard, eating and chatting about amusing events. A gentle warm breeze carried the fresh scent of the mountain’s green plants, refreshing and calming.

* * *

Yue Zhi finished sewing the dress for Miss He and waited for Aunt Wang to enter town to sell grain, planning to ride back with the Wang family.

Wang Qiushi drove the cart ahead, loaded with several large sacks of grain, while Yue Zhi and Aunt Wang sat at the back, quietly chatting.

“You wouldn’t believe it. A few days ago, a new family arrived in the village. Old Liu thought they were as easygoing as you and your brother, so he went over to help renovate their house and nearly got beaten up.”

“Huh?” Yue Zhi frowned. “How could they hit someone?”

Aunt Wang made an exaggerated face. “That’s a man in his twenties, living alone. Nobody knows why he came to the village. He looks fierce and unfriendly to everyone. The neighbors are all scared and don’t dare knock on his door.”

The more Yue Zhi heard, the more she felt this man must be guilty of something.

Over the past few years, seven or eight families had moved into Wangshan Village. Nobody knew their pasts, but everyone lived peacefully now. It was rare to see someone so openly wicked. Just hearing about him felt dangerous.

Learning the man lived at the northern end of the village, far from her home, Yue Zhi felt a little relief—she’d just avoid that area.

Calming her fear, Aunt Wang quietly urged her, “You’re twenty-one this year, and Ah Heng is old enough to take the civil service exam. Have you ever thought about your own future?”

“Me?” Yue Zhi was caught off guard.

Aunt Wang clicked her tongue and leaned close to whisper, “I mean marriage. Have you thought about getting married?”

Hearing this, Yue Zhi felt a bit nervous.

She had only ever seen the daughters of wealthy families blush or smile shyly when marriage was mentioned. She herself only cared about making garments and embroidery designs, never thinking about such matters.

She shook her head, and Aunt Wang pulled her closer.

“All women marry. Having a man at home means you don’t have to work so hard or worry about bad people coming by. You should seriously consider it.”

“But we have Ah Heng...” Yue Zhi said.

“That body of his can’t compare even to Qiushi’s,” Aunt Wang shook her head repeatedly. “Even if he can support you for a while, can he take care of you forever? You’re siblings after all. Eventually, you’ll both marry and go separate ways.”

Listening to this seasoned advice, Yue Zhi’s thoughts gradually expanded—

No wonder she sometimes felt unsettled when she saw Pei Heng recently. It was because they had both reached the age for marriage.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Once Ah Heng passes the exam, I’ll consider marriage.”

Aunt Wang smiled. “Good. Ah Heng’s smart and will pass for sure. I’ll be your matchmaker and find you the best man in the neighboring eight or ten villages. Double happiness for your family.”

The ox cart slowly entered town.

Yue Zhi delivered the garment to the He residence. Miss He was not at home, so Yue Zhi didn’t linger. She took two taels of silver as thanks, bought some food and necessities in town, then rode back with the Wang family’s cart.

When the cart reached the path dividing the fields, the Wang family began loading newly harvested wheat onto the cart, so Yue Zhi, carrying her bundle, walked ahead to return home.

In the sunset glow, a burly man working in the fields stared dreamily at her retreating figure.

Aunt Wang patted her son on the back, calling him back to reality. “Why didn’t you make a move to escort Yue Zhi earlier? She’s already gone so far, and you’re still just watching.”

Wang Qiushi lowered his head gloomily. “Mother, she’s too good... I don’t think I’m worthy of her.”

Aunt Wang shook her head in frustration. “You don’t even know her feelings and you’re already down? Once Ah Heng passes the exam, I’ll go to her house and arrange the match. Stop daydreaming and go work.”

---

Walking along the ridge path, Yue Zhi glanced back at the busy Wang family mother and son before entering the village, smiling knowingly.

If only she could be like Aunt Wang, marry someone she loved, bear a pair of well-behaved and filial children, and live the rest of her life free from worries.

But she might not be so lucky.

Yue Zhi counted the men she knew: Su Jingyun far away in the imperial city, the shopkeeper Li, Miss He’s cousin... She had spoken with them and thought them kind, yet she couldn’t imagine any of them wanting to marry her.

Embarrassed by her wandering thoughts, she pinched herself lightly and stopped daydreaming.

The summer dusk was long, and a cool evening breeze blew by. From a nearby haystack came the laughter of children playing.

Yue Zhi paused to look toward the distant green mountains, her heart at peace.

Suddenly, a smoky puff drifted by her side—like cooking smoke carried by the wind. It choked her, making her cough and tear up. Raising her hand to clear it, she suddenly felt weak.

A rough hand suddenly appeared beside her, grabbing her wrist and forcibly pulling her into a deserted, dilapidated courtyard.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Yue Zhi gasped, struggling weakly and dropping her bundle.

The man strode forward, almost dragging her as he entered the courtyard, roughly throwing her onto the weed-choked ground.

Tears squeezed from her eyes, blurred vision revealing a completely unfamiliar face—a burly, weather-beaten man with a fierce expression, roughly thirty years old.

The man sneered, “Don’t you remember me?”

Yue Zhi shook her head. “Have mercy, brave sir.”

He squatted down, gripping her skirt harshly. “Six years ago, on the exile road, we servants suffered together under our master’s burden, but I heard a maidservant was living the high life by cozying up to the disgraced crown prince.”

“I saw you from afar back then. Now you’ve grown even more beautiful.”

His rough, bark-like hand brushed her face, frightening her into curling up. Her smoke-clouded eyes couldn’t hold back tears as she coughed and begged.

“Brother, I never provoked you. The exile and punishment were the emperor’s orders. Why take it out on me?”

The man laughed. “I’m not here to kill you. I heard you’re the most profitable woman within ten miles. I’m unmarried. We’re both castaways. Marry me, and I’ll spare you.”

Yue Zhi dared not respond.

When she was in the palace, she had heard from other seamstresses that many were forcibly married to rich families, then sent to the palace. The rewards earned there belonged to their husbands’ families, and they had to train more embroiderers to earn money—worse than slaves.

This man clearly had such intentions. He gripped her skirt tightly and his hand was far from innocent.

Trembling, Yue Zhi sat up and feigned thoughtfulness. From her waist, she pulled out a small knife and swiftly stabbed at the man’s neck.

The man, formerly a guard for the Changsun family, skilled in combat, dodged the fatal blow. His neck was slashed, and feeling the pain, he angrily knocked the knife from her hand and shoved her to the ground.

“You little bitch! How dare you strike me so viciously!”

He raised his hand, and Yue Zhi’s face filled with terror.

Before his slap landed, a sizable stone hurtled through the air, striking the man’s face and sending him flying into the wall. He coughed up blood.