After the delicate and soft-spoken wife gave up, the aloof and powerful minister embraced her and sh

Chapter 412 Join forces

Wen Jiayue felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

The sudden turn of events left her speechless; she had never imagined that a beggar would be so honest in returning lost property.

Wen Jiayue stared blankly as Pei Huaijin, who was walking ahead, slowly turned around.

The next moment, Pei Shijing pulled away from her arm, squatted down, and took the hairpin from the beggar's hand.

"Thank you, thank you," she said with a smile. "This is my hairpin."

Wen Jiayue was somewhat surprised. Why would Pei Shijing help her?

The beggar was stunned for a moment; he clearly saw that it had been dropped by another nobleman.

But it didn't matter. He chuckled and said, "My esteemed sir, since I reminded you, could you perhaps reward me with some loose change?"

Who knows if this hairpin is gold-plated? If it doesn't sell for a good price, he'll suffer a huge loss.

For him, tangible money is the most important thing.

Pei Shijing put away the hairpin and was about to take off her purse when Pei Huaijin handed the loose silver to the beggar.

"Let's go."

He turned and left.

Wen Jiayue's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down. She glanced at Pei Shijing, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Unfortunately, Pei Huaijin was right in front of her, and she didn't say anything.

The three of them walked silently upstairs in the inn.

“You two can sleep together tonight,” Pei Huaijin said gently. “I’ll be next door. If you need anything, just call me.”

Pei Shijing responded with an "okay".

Wen Jiayue simply nodded and walked into the house.

She closed the door and opened the window.

On the dimly lit street, the dozen or so people were still there. They would definitely be keeping watch tonight, otherwise Pei Huaijin wouldn't have felt so comfortable leaving her and Pei Shijing together.

“Madam Shen, stop looking,” Pei Shijing said. “You can’t leave.”

Wen Jiayue turned to look at her and said softly, "Thank you for what happened earlier."

If Pei Shijing hadn't taken the initiative to claim the hairpin, her fate would have been dire. Pei Huaijin would have kept a close watch on her, and might have even put shackles on her to prevent her from escaping.

At that point, she might not even have a chance to talk to anyone; she would be completely trapped.

“I’m not helping you,” Pei Shijing said, pursing her lips. “I’m helping myself.”

Today, Wen Jiayue slept the whole way, and Pei Huaijin watched her the whole way, without giving her a single glance.

Pei Shijing pondered all the way. As long as Wen Jiayue was around, her brother wouldn't pay attention to her.

If Wen Jiayue could leave, her brother would definitely not have a chance to take her away. After all, Lord Shen would take precautions and might even send someone to arrest her brother.

By then, she will be the only one keeping her brother company, and he will see her sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Pei Shijing looked at Wen Jiayue seriously and asked, "Do you want to go back to the capital?"

Wen Jiayue's heart skipped a beat: "You want to help me?"

“I can help you. My brother knows I won’t leave, so he definitely won’t pay too much attention to me. But you’ll have to figure out a solution yourself,” Pei Shijing said sincerely, “because I can’t think of one.”

Wen Jiayue paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Whether it succeeds or not, I thank you."

Pei Shijing shook her head and looked out the window.

Her once relaxed brows and eyes now seemed to be etched with a layer of sorrow, and the brightness and liveliness of the past could no longer be seen.

Wen Jiayue looked at her and felt unfamiliar, because she couldn't find a trace of the Pei Shijing she had first met.

Back then, she was a little girl who would act coquettishly towards her brother, and every smile and frown of hers was incredibly cute.

Now, however, she resembles a lonely, resentful woman who loves but cannot have the one she desires.

Wen Jiayue tentatively asked, "Why did you fall in love with Pei Huaijin?"

Pei Shijing remained silent for a long time.

Wen Jiayue thought she wouldn't answer, but unexpectedly she suddenly spoke up.

"The day my brother returned from Liuzhou, my father, mother, my second brother, and I went to Shiliting to pick him up."

"My second brother is so annoying. He always teases me, smears mud on me, and catches bugs to scare me. I've never been so embarrassed before, and I've never seen so many bugs. I was so scared that I cried."

"So much so that I missed the moment when my brother came back. It was only when my brother got into the carriage that I saw him."

He threw the bug away, gently wiped the mud off my face, and said seriously: "If Huaiying bullies you again, come to me. I am also your brother. My name is Pei Huaijin."

"I have never met such a gentle man, but... he is my own brother."

"Unexpectedly, when I went to see him that night, I overheard some things and learned that he was not my parents' biological son. So I used the guise of siblings to get close to him and grew to like him more and more."

Pei Shijing was already lost in memories, her face unconsciously showing a look of happy anticipation.

“My brother knows about my background, but he is still good to me. No matter how unreasonable my requests are, he always gives in to me.”

“At that time, I thought that when my brother’s identity was made public, I would be the one standing next to him. I never expected that he already had someone he liked. He cared for me and looked after me only because I was his nominal sister.”

Pei Shijing gradually became saddened, and her voice grew softer and softer.

Wen Jiayue asked, "Did you agree to help him take me away voluntarily? What about your parents?"

“I can’t worry about anything else. I just want to stay with my brother forever,” Pei Shijing said, biting her lip. “I will definitely repay their kindness in raising me in my next life.”

Wen Jiayue sighed deeply. She looked exactly like Shen Funian when she insisted on eloping.

Saying such things only brings me a little peace of mind.

Pei Shijing didn't want to talk about this anymore, so she changed the subject and asked, "Have you thought of a way to escape?"

Wen Jiayue shook her head: "I can't escape alone. Pei Huaijin has so many followers, I'll be caught sooner or later. So, I want to leave marks along the way so that the people from the Jing'an Marquis's mansion can find me by following the marks."

Pei Shijing suddenly realized: "So you deliberately threw away the hairpin just now to let it circulate? If Lord Shen sees it, he will definitely continue to investigate along this line."

Wen Jiayue said with a wry smile, "It's a pity that the beggar didn't want it, for some reason."

"It's alright," Pei Shijing comforted her. "I'll help you throw them away later. Besides the hairpin, is there anything else?"

Wen Jiayue took off the jade bracelet, thought for a moment, and then handed her the handkerchief embroidered with a crescent moon.

Neither of these items is particularly conspicuous; Pei Huaijin should not have noticed them.

Let's keep her hairpin for now; if her hair is bare, it will be noticed immediately.

As Pei Shijing packed the things away, she said, "Remind me where you put them later, and I'll find another opportunity."

Wen Jiayue nodded and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Pei Shijing suddenly asked, "But are you sure Lord Shen will send someone to look for you?"

“Yes,” Wen Jiayue said firmly, “definitely.”