The biting cold wind blew in through the open window, lifting the black hair of the person beside him. That stunningly cold face crashed into his sight without any defense.

He turned away his gaze in disarray, his peach blossom eyes returning to lifelessness.

Too similar. From the moment he saw this person, her cold temperament, tea-colored eyes, the scent of grass and wood, or even that handkerchief just now, all had that person’s shadow.

If she had answered just now that the bamboo embroidered on the handkerchief symbolized Changning, straight and tall, bending but not breaking.

He might have mustered the courage to ask her, “Are you Liu Changning, the village woman from Xiqiao Village years ago? Do you remember Liu Yuanshi from Xiqiao Village back then?”

But…

The handkerchief embroidered with green bamboo had no hidden meaning.

How ridiculous, he was obsessively searching for similarities to that person in the one before him.

How could someone who had died reappear before him? Although he gave himself countless excuses in his heart, that person had truly gone, it was just that he himself was unwilling to move on.

Pei Yuanshao clutched his chest and sat back in the red lacquered wooden chair. He tiredly rubbed his temples, losing the desire to continue conversing with her.

He was exhausted. After the news of that person’s death reached Jinling City, half of his heart had been violently dug out, never to be found again.

What supported him now was only the cold court and responsibilities he couldn’t shirk.

His sister was too young. If he let go, with Jing Huan at the helm of the noble families in power, he feared that the Pei family’s dynasty would be cursed by future generations.

The waiter brought the food into the private room, immediately seeing this scene.

The man in red looked into the distance, exuding a strong sense of desolation. The woman in white sat diagonally across from him. She seemed to want to offer some comfort, but seeing the waiter enter the room, she stopped.

The waiter laid out the bowls and plates on the square table.

Pei Yuanshao suddenly turned his head and commanded in a deep voice, “Bring two pots of pine blossom wine.”

The waiter replied with a smile, “Certainly! Please wait a moment!”

She turned and left the private room.

Pei Yuanshao’s dark, deep eyes swept over Liu Changning. His usual fake smile hung on his lips as he said with a light laugh, “Would Liu Xiucai care to join this prince for a cup of clear wine?”

The man opposite, his eyes dark and deep, the glimmer from earlier completely gone, restored to a silent inky color.

Although he was smiling, this smile carried a sense of defeat. It was nothing like his vibrant appearance from two years ago.

Liu Changning’s fingers drummed on the table as she frowned in silence.

Her convenient husband had regained his status and returned to the capital these past years. He must have experienced some unspeakable major events.

Thinking carefully, back then when he was falsely accused and drifted to the North, he had still managed to persevere on his own strength. He hadn’t become dejected or resentful.

Even when pretending to be that kind of dissolute character, being cursed and criticized by the world, he could endure it all and accept it calmly.

For such a Pei Ziyuan, she couldn’t guess what kind of devastating event he must have encountered to strike down this invincible person to such a state.

This person didn’t like to drink. He had once disdainfully said to the lady of the tavern reeking of alcohol, “If drinking could really dispel worries, wouldn’t the world be free of troubles!”

But now he had developed a taste for drinking.

Liu Changning’s eyes flickered slightly as she met his pitch-black eyes. She frowned, glanced at him, and said softly, “Drinking harms the body. Your Highness would do well to drink less.”

Pei Yuanshao slapped the embroidered handkerchief in his hand onto the wooden table with a “pa” sound, and sneered, “Liu Xiucai is truly boring to the extreme. Take back this handkerchief, this prince does not use items of unknown origin.”

A look of understanding flashed through Liu Changning’s eyes. She took back the handkerchief from the table and said softly, “Oh… This humble one was inappropriate and offended Your Highness.”

The man in red across from her leaned sideways in the wooden chair. He took out a plain silk cloth from his bosom and slowly wiped his fingers.

He mocked unhurriedly, “Liu Xiucai has no heart. When a man gives a lady an embroidered handkerchief, it should be to express his love for you. Yet you give it to others to use, truly wasting your junior disciple’s sincere feelings.”

Liu Changning had a bewildered expression. Was this person joking? It was just a handkerchief for wiping sweat… just a handkerchief.

Her convenient husband must have read too many story books, his ability to imagine scenarios was first-rate.

The old cadre kept a cold face, glancing at him incomprehensibly.

The little bit of pity she had felt for this person earlier instantly disappeared.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The cold wind blew the open wooden window, making it creak. The lady before him suddenly fell silent.

Pei Yuanshao gave her a cold sidelong glance, leaning back in the wooden chair, coldness spreading.

A lady of outstanding talent and beauty naturally attracts admirers like bees to flowers. But she was good, not only not knowing to avoid suspicion, but casually accepting a handkerchief embroidered by a man’s own hand. When he reminded her of this, she seemed not to understand at all, showing no signs of regret.

Truly…

She was the Liu Chancellor who had given him dignity in his past life after his death. Now that he was reborn, he should be kind and pleasant to her, repaying the kindness of that one garment from years ago. He shouldn’t feel such harshness.

Pei Yuanshao repeated this to himself, forcibly suppressing the irritation that suddenly arose in his heart. He narrowed his eyes, concealing all his exposed emotions.

The pine blossom wine was brought to the table.

He no longer looked at the person across the table, lowering his head to drink alone.

The bamboo chopsticks rested motionless on the white jade celadon bowl.

The clear wine was poured into his mouth cup after cup, the liquid sliding down from the corners of his lips, entering his inner garments through the half-open collar.

His chest was wet, a patch of coldness.

After downing a pot of clear wine, he felt it wasn’t enough. He took another pot of wine from the table and filled the wine cup again.

But his wrist was firmly grasped by someone.

Pei Yuanshao leaned on the eight immortals table, his vision somewhat blurry. He wasn’t good at drinking.

If it wasn’t for times of utter despair, he would usually stay far away from alcohol.

The person before him today had evoked deep despair in his heart. For years, he never dared to think of the village woman Liu Changning. Because just mentioning her would make him unable to go on.

Desperate and helpless.