Chapter 1016: After This, There's Me

Seeing her tilt her head and scrutinize him, Zhao Zhi assumed Pei Mianman was interested in him. He smiled suavely and said, "Oh, by the way, there's something I should warn Miss Pei about. Among the imperial envoy's retinue, there's a man named Zu An. He's a lecher, shameless, and despicable. Miss Pei, be careful not to let such a man take advantage of you."

Pei Mianman's expression turned cold. Zu An was indeed a bit lecherous and somewhat shameless, but that was for *her* to say; it was unacceptable for an outsider to remark on it.

At this moment, Pei Shao, standing nearby, interjected, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Manman has always been steady and reliable in her dealings." At the same time, he was curious. He had seen Zu An once at the previous banquet, and the man was highly cultivated and talented, completely unlike how the Prince of Qi's heir described him. Why would Zhao Zhi speak of him that way?

Zhao Zhi chuckled, "Yes, yes, I was overthinking it. Miss Pei can certainly handle herself."

Pei Mianman said coldly, "I'll go complete my task now. Remember the promise you made." With that, she turned and left. She didn't want to see his face anymore, worried that if she stayed, she would lose her temper.

Watching her swaying figure as she turned away, Zhao Zhi felt his heart flutter. "Shall I escort Miss Pei for a bit?"

"No need!" Pei Mianman didn't even look back.

"Then I wish Miss Pei swift success!" Zhao Zhi didn't take offense and said with a smile. This time, Pei Mianman ignored him completely, her figure quickly disappearing into the distance.

Zhao Zhi's eyes narrowed. "This woman is feisty, fiery! I like her! Conquering a woman like that brings a true sense of accomplishment."

Behind him, Han Fengqiu subtly frowned. This woman didn't seem to like the Prince's heir much, but the Prince's heir clearly hadn't noticed. Should he find a chance to remind him? However, seeing Zhao Zhi's excited expression, he dismissed the thought. Why dampen his spirits and displease him? He figured it was just a young girl throwing a tantrum; her attitude would change later.

With Pei Mianman gone, Zhao Zhi lost interest in staying at the Pei manor. After chatting with Pei Shao for a while, he rose to take his leave.

"Farewell, Your Highness!"

After seeing Zhao Zhi and his entourage off, Madam Pei couldn't help but complain: "My dear, what was that about? Not only did you not stop her just now, but you even went along with that wretched girl's words! Now a perfectly good marriage alliance has been ruined! You may not want to be the Prince of Qi's father-in-law, but I certainly want to be his mother-in-law!"

"Who says it's ruined?" Pei Shao stroked his beard and smiled mysteriously. "The key to this marriage is whether the Prince's heir likes her. If he doesn't, all the agreements in the world are useless. If he does, even a verbal cancellation of the engagement won't matter."

Madam Pei's eyes lit up. "Now that you mention it, the Prince's heir *does* seem quite interested in that wretched girl. Hmph, just like her mother, a born enchantress, a fox spirit who seduces men."

Pei Shao's face darkened. He merely grunted and left with a flick of his sleeve. Madam Pei sneered at his retreating back, a hint of triumph in her smile.

***

Meanwhile, Zu An was strolling through the streets of Yunzhong Commandery, leading his horse. The northwest was prone to wind and snow, and now the entire Yunzhong City was a world cloaked in silver. Despite the cold, the streets were still bustling, filled with various shouts and cries, many of which sounded like local dialects Zu An couldn't understand at all.

Yunzhong Commandery was located at a key passage in the northwest, serving as a stop for traveling merchants from all corners of the land, including even merchants from the demon race. Although the demon and human races had once fought great wars, civilian trade between them was flourishing. Many pro-human factions among the demon race, having good relations with humans, could naturally obtain travel permits to trade between the human and demon worlds. As a result, the street markets in Yunzhong City were far more diverse and abundant than elsewhere.

Zu An was naturally not there for sightseeing; he was visiting and investigating the whereabouts of the Yunzhong Duke's personal guards. The Yunzhong Duke's closest guard unit consisted of thirty-six men. A small portion had followed Gong Pan and defected to Yu Yanluo; Zu An had thoroughly investigated these individuals and found nothing suspicious. Another small portion had been reassigned to various other positions. Although this was called a promotion, everyone knew they would never regain their former glory. While these individuals were not currently in a good situation, they were clearly not the worst off.

The most tragic fate befell the remaining fifteen guards: nine of them were crippled or injured for various reasons and had to retire. The other six had not even managed to preserve their lives. He had just left the ninth injured person. He had verified each of these individuals; although the reasons for many of their injuries were clearly suspicious, he didn't pay too much attention, as they were still themselves, albeit injured or disabled, and not the target Zu An was looking for.

"It seems the person I'm looking for is among those six deceased," Zu An mused, when suddenly a charming voice called out from beside him: "Young master, are you lost? Would you like a local guide?"

Zu An turned his head and his eyes lit up. Pei Mianman was standing not far away, smiling and looking at him, her peach blossom eyes truly conveying a gentle affection. She was wrapped in a fiery red cloak, and she truly looked like a winter plum blossom blooming in the snow.

"How did you find me?" Zu An was both surprised and delighted. Seeing her nose slightly red from the cold, he quickly reached out, cupped her cool cheeks, and warmed them with the heat from his hands.

"Hmph, some people never came back after having their fill, so I had to come out and find you myself. How could a woman not find her own man? I'm not like some people." The weather was so cold that white mist was visible with every breath, yet it couldn't hide the deep resentment on Pei Mianman's face.

Zu An felt a pang of apology. "I'm truly sorry. I've been investigating the Yunzhong Duke's case lately, and I've been too busy to focus on anything else."

"Hmph, it's true what they say: once a man gets a woman, he forgets all about her." Pei Mianman had initially intended to tease playfully, but as she spoke, genuine emotion welled up, and her lips pouted in annoyance.

"Who says I forgot about you?" Zu An, as if performing a magic trick, produced a string of bright red candied hawthorns from behind his back. "I was just walking around the street, thinking what gift I could buy for you, and when I saw these candied hawthorns, I specifically bought them for you."

"How did you know I like candied hawthorns?" Pei Mianman's eyes lit up. Forgetting her anger, she took the hawthorns and carefully nibbled one near her red lips.

"Because I heard you mention how your mother bought you candied hawthorns when you were a child, and it made you happy for days," Zu An said, dotingly stroking her head. Who would have thought that such a stunningly beautiful woman had such a childish side?

"I can't believe you remembered," Pei Mianman's peach blossom eyes were full of smiles, with no trace of her previous resentment. If Zhao Zhi had witnessed this, he would likely have been furious enough to vomit blood. For days, he had been buying the most expensive pastries and delicacies from Yunzhong City's best restaurants and sending them to the Pei manor, but Pei Mianman hadn't even glanced at them, giving them all to her maids to eat, and she hadn't smiled once. Yet now, a few coppers for candied hawthorns bought by another man on the roadside could make her smile as bright as a flower?

"Is it good?" Zu An watched her curiously.

"It's delicious, just a bit big, mmph mmph..." Pei Mianman initially just licked it a few times, but the sweet taste made her eager to put the candied hawthorn into her mouth, causing her cheeks to puff out.

"Careful not to choke," Zu An gently wiped away what was on her lips.

After finally swallowing what was in her mouth, Pei Mianman's lovely face showed an expression of contentment. "Since my mother passed away, I haven't eaten candied hawthorns. Every time I tried, they tasted bitter. Thank you for helping me find that feeling of happiness again."

Zu An held her small hand tenderly. "Everything is in the past now. You have me from now on." Although she hadn't spoken about it in detail, it was easy to imagine how difficult life must have been for a child who lost her mother young and was born out of wedlock.

Pei Mianman hummed softly and gently nestled into his embrace. They walked like this in the snow, and in her heart, she wished this path would never end.

Unfortunately, after a while, their peace was broken by the sound of horse hooves. A burly man rode up, and upon seeing Zu An, quickly dismounted and saluted. "Master Zu, I've found what you asked me to investigate." It was then that he noticed Pei Mianman beside Zu An, and he was momentarily stunned. "Could there truly be such a beautiful woman in the world? And that enchanting aura about her, truly, a single glance could make one's body go limp. No wonder Master Gao and Master Pei have been persistently asking to become his disciples these past few days. Master Zu is truly a role model for men."

"Thank you for your trouble. Please continue investigating the others," Zu An said with a smile, taking the slip of paper from his hand.

The big man cupped his hands. As he left, he couldn't resist sneaking a glance at Pei Mianman, only to meet her beautiful, innocent peach blossom eyes. Feeling guilty, he quickly averted his gaze and hurried away, blushing. Having experienced such gazes since childhood, Pei Mianman was long used to them. She didn't take it to heart, as there was no malice, and turned to Zu An. "A'Zu, what's wrong?" She noticed her beloved's brows gradually furrowing as he read the contents of the slip of paper.