Chapter 28 -

Chapter 28: Chapter

The spicy, sweet taste of ginger and brown sugar filled the dark room. Zhengyu swallowed slowly, his dark eyes never leaving her face.

Yimei blew gently on another spoonful, her hand steady as she brought it back toward his lips.

"You don’t seem curious about where I went today," Yimei said softly, her voice light and conversational. "Normal husbands would ask their wives why they left so early and returned so late. But you won’t ask, because you already had your men tailing me all day."

Lin Feng, still standing near the door, froze slightly, his hand instinctively tightening over his sword hilt.

Zhengyu didn’t look surprised at all. He took the second spoonful from her, his sharp lips curving into a faint, mocking line.

"Since you already know I had you followed," Zhengyu said, his deep voice carrying a dangerous chill, "why bother playing the dutiful, caring wife?"

Yimei smiled faintly, setting the small bowl back onto the tray.

"Because a trail only tells you where I went, Husband," Yimei murmured, leaning in slightly, her dark eyes fearless and sharp. "It doesn’t tell you why."

"If you ever have questions about where I go or what I do, there is a simple method called ’asking,’" Yimei said, her voice remaining smooth and measured. "I really wouldn’t mind giving you an answer. But do not keep tabs on me. I find it quite uncomfortable."

She paused, leaning back just an inch, her eyes locking onto his with sharp clarity. "If you enjoy monitoring my every move, I can easily return the favor. Only, instead of just watching you from the shadows, I will invade your privacy directly."

A sly, dangerous smile touched the corner of her lips.

Seeing that the small bowl of ginger soup was finished, Yimei stood up smoothly, her red dress brushing against the wooden floor. She placed the empty small bowl back onto the tray next to the pot.

"I will come feed you ginger soup every night at this exact time," she added, her tone light and casual, as if settling a simple daily routine. "So make sure you are ready."

She picked up the wooden tray, turning toward the quiet doorway. But just as her hand reached out to push the door open, she paused in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder.

"And thank you," Yimei said softly, her dark eyes flashing with a knowing glint. "...for the carriage."

Without waiting for his response, she stepped past Lin Feng and walked out into the cool hallway, leaving the room in complete silence.

In the dim bedroom, silence stretched heavy and quiet after the door clicked shut.

Lin Feng stepped inside, his hands clasped low as he looked at his master. "Young Master... should I replace the carriage driver tomorrow?"

Bai Zhengyu sat motionless in his wheelchair, the lingering heat of ginger and sweet brown sugar still warm on his tongue. He stared at the closed wooden door where Yimei had just stood, his dark eyes deep and unreadable.

She had known everything. She knew Lin Feng had tailed her through the snowy streets, and she knew the mysterious carriage driver waiting at the storm-swept market was no random stranger. Yet, instead of panicking or acting like a helpless victim, she had calmly walked into his room, fed him hot soup, and threatened to invade his privacy if he stepped out of line again.

A low, quiet laugh escaped Zhengyu’s throat—a dry, dangerous sound that startled Lin Feng.

"No," Zhengyu said, his deep voice slicing through the chilly air. "Keep the driver there. Let us see how far my new wife intends to take her game."

He shifted his gaze toward the cold, empty hearth in the corner of his room.

"And Lin Feng," Zhengyu added, a faint, sharp glint in his dark eyes. "Tomorrow night... make sure the door isn’t locked."

Yimei walked down the dark corridor, carrying the wooden tray back to the kitchen. After setting the empty bowl away, she made her way through the quiet courtyard and pushed open the door to her own chambers.

Inside, the room was a stark contrast to the icy, gloomy air of Zhengyu’s quarters. The high-quality coals Yimei had secured were burning brightly in the brass brazier, filling the space with cozy, radiating heat. Warm lantern light reflected off clean wooden furniture, and on the soft bed lay her fresh night clothes, neatly folded and waiting.

Qinqin, who had already changed and dried off, poured a hot cup of fragrant herbal tea and brought it over as Yimei sat down by the small table.

"Miss," Qinqin asked softly, her eyes full of curiosity as she handed over the steaming cup. "How did it go in the First Young Master’s room? Did he... actually drink the soup?"

Yimei took a slow sip of the warm tea, letting the smooth herbal flavor settle on her tongue before setting the cup down.

"He drank it," Yimei said, a faint, amused smile playing on her lips. "Although he tried his best to pretend I wasn’t there at first."

Qinqin gasped, leaning in slightly. "He took it from you?"

"He didn’t have much of a choice," Yimei murmured, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the dancing flames in the coal burner. "His room is as freezing as a ice house. If I hadn’t fed it to him, he would have sat there all night stubborn as a mule."

Qinqin shook her head in disbelief, a small smile breaking out on her face. "Only you would dare walk straight into the First Young Master’s room and force him to take his medicine, Miss."

"It’s not just medicine, Qinqin," Yimei said smoothly, her eyes gleaming with sharp calm in the warm light. "It’s setting the rules of this courtyard. He now knows that locking his door or sending guards after me won’t keep me out."

She stood up, untying her heavy outer robes to prepare for sleep. "Get some rest, Qinqin. Tomorrow morning at eight, our carriage will be waiting at the side entrance. We have a tea house to launch."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Xiao Yue, the courtyard’s second maid, stepped into the warm room. She bowed quickly, her face filled with news.

"Young Madame," Xiao Yue said in a low voice. "I just came from the main kitchen, and the entire manor is in a rush. Old Master and his two younger brothers, Madame Liu’s husband and Madame Zhang’s husband.... are returning tomorrow evening! The Manor Madame has already ordered a grand family banquet to welcome them back."

Qinqin gasped, dropping the cloth she was holding. "Tomorrow evening? All the masters are returning?"

"Yes," Xiao Yue nodded quickly. "Since early this evening, Second Young Madame An Yulan and the other misses have been picking out their finest dresses and silk jewelry. The main courtyards are busy decorating. Only our Northern Courtyard hasn’t done a single thing to prepare, because you were out all day, Miss, and First Young Master doesn’t care about these gatherings."

Yimei unfastened her hairpins, letting her long, dark hair fall smoothly over her shoulders. Her face remained completely calm, a small, knowing smile touching her lips.

An Yulan and the other branches of the family were already dressing up to shine at the banquet, hoping Yimei would show up unprepared and make a fool of herself in front of the entire Bai family elders.

"It doesn’t matter," Yimei said smoothly, her voice quiet and confident. "Let them dress in their finest silks. Tomorrow night, we will attend as we are."

She looked at Qinqin and Xiao Yue, her dark eyes sharp in the firelight.

"Go to sleep early," Yimei added gently. "We have the tea house launch in the morning, and a family banquet in the evening. Tomorrow will be a very busy day."