Chapter 428: Chapter 157: Annoy Him_2
But his response was merciless.
"I have matters to attend to tomorrow."
Lu Tong: "..."
She felt somewhat disappointed.
The sum of two months’ worth of rest days was no more than three days, and two had already passed. If she couldn’t make it to the tea garden tomorrow, she would have to wait until the rest day next month, delaying quite a bit of time.
The light in the room was dim, as she frowned slightly and her eyes dulled, making her slender shoulders seem all the more pitiable.
Pei Yunmeng’s gaze shifted slightly.
After a moment, he suddenly said, "I’ll come and get you tomorrow at Si Time."
Lu Tong looked at him in surprise.
His eyes lowered, it wasn’t clear what he was thinking, his expression very calm, as if the words he had just uttered were just a casual, thoughtless remark.
Lu Tong thought for a moment, "Thank you, Doctor, for your medicine..."
"Just treat Treasure Bead. I don’t need it," he interrupted Lu Tong, enunciating each word, "I don’t need it."
Lu Tong’s lips curled up.
She felt that at some point, she too might have picked up some of Du Changqing’s bad habits—for instance, she found tremendous comfort in seeing Pei Yunmeng trying to suppress his anger.
It seemed like only in these moments she could witness an aspect of helplessness in this otherwise effortlessly graceful man.
A trivial amusement, yet so intriguing.
He glanced at Lu Tong, and seeing that she was in good spirits, he paused before speaking, "The day is getting late and you’ve been busy all day; you should go back and rest. I’ll see you out."
Lu Tong: "No need."
Pei Yunmeng frowned.
"A single man and a single woman, it’s not proper to be seen together at night. West Street is crowded, and should someone see us, it could lead to gossip," she said with a gentle tone, "My fiancé would also dislike it."
Pei Yunmeng raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile.
"I almost forgot, Doctor Lu has a fiancé."
His tone carried a teasing note, yet he did not persist further, saying, "I will have Qingfeng escort you."
Lu Tong did not decline again.
Qingfeng drove a carriage over, and Pei Yunmeng accompanied Lu Tong to the entrance of Pei Mansion. After Lu Tong got into the carriage and it disappeared into the depths of the night, he turned to walk back, only to take a couple of steps before he saw Pei Yunshu hurrying out from the neighboring residence, her expression full of annoyance as she looked towards the direction the carriage had gone.
"Why are you out here?" Pei Yunmeng asked.
Pei Yunshu glared at him with a hint of reproach, "Didn’t I tell you to send Doctor Lu back to the Medical Officer Institute yourself? Why did you have someone else do it?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "yourself."
Pei Yunmeng smiled carelessly, not addressing her question but noticing that Pei Yunshu was holding a box. The box looked vaguely familiar, and he couldn’t help but pause, "What’s this?"
Pei Yunshu looked down, "I was just about to talk to you about this. Doctor Lu came by today and brought a gift for Treasure Bead. I thought it was some herbs or local goods, so I didn’t refuse. After she left, Fangzi opened it and discovered it wasn’t. Look—" She had already opened the box to reveal a pair of exquisite Golden Swallowtail Butterflies.
Lying on the black silk, the butterflies seemed to have spread their delicate wings, with wings adorned with sparkling pink gems shining brightly in the night, immediately indicating their high price due to the complex craftsmanship.
Pei Yunshu continued, "I was thinking, with Doctor Lu serving at the Medical Officer Institute, her salary is not very generous, and this gift is overly precious. Maybe we should find a chance to return it... Ah Ying, are you listening to me?"
Pei Yunmeng came to his senses and looked at the butterflies on the black silk, ready to take flight, laughed softly after a while.
"...She really doesn’t like to owe people favors."
In the end, Pei Yunshu accepted the pair of Golden Swallowtail Butterflies.
Pei Yunmeng told her it was just a piece of jewelry, after all, and since it was intended for Treasure Bead, they should accept it. He could find another opportunity to repay Lu Tong the favor in a different way.
Pei Yunshu, thinking it over, agreed. It always seemed rude to return a gift sent by someone else. Since Pei Yunmeng put it that way, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, so she accepted the gift.
After Fangzi helped Pei Yunshu back, Pei Yunmeng also entered the house.
The lamp in his study was still on, the oil in the Bronze Flower Lamp warm to the touch. He pushed the door and entered, immediately noticing the mess on the floor.
Blocks from the Wooden Pagoda that Lu Tong had knocked over were scattered everywhere. His study’s decor was always simple, sometimes even to the point of feeling too empty, but this was the first time it had been this disordered, making the usually empty space feel less stark, almost crowded and lively.
He bent down, stooping to pick up the fallen blocks.
The pagoda had been something he’d arranged a long time ago, block by block, and it had been standing for many years.
He never allowed outsiders in his study, so the pagoda had remained intact for many years.
Who would have thought that on the first time he let Lu Tong in, she would knock it over.
With a slight touch, the tower-like pagoda cascaded down like a waterfall, collapsing without mercy.