Perfect Match – CH 030

Chapter 30

Teng Yue’s emotions, seemingly arising from nowhere, were unfathomable. He simply stared at the person in front of him.

The wind whipped her moon-white skirt, making her already slender figure, weakened by her injuries, appear even more frail.

It was laughable that he had previously thought she was the kind of lazy, carefree person who could always maintain a rosy complexion. Now, it seemed absurd how he had been…

So even after he realized his mistakes, she refused to easily reconcile with him.

Not to mention, no one genuinely believed their marriage was a good match. Yang Youling said she was an unworthy country girl, showing her no respect whatsoever. Madam Zheng only believed she was his mistress, not his wife, and at the time, she had not even argued back.

Teng Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that even she herself felt they were not a good match, that he was not her true love?

Just then, she turned around and, seeing him behind her, was startled.

“General, how did you find your way here?” she asked in surprise, quickly wiping away her tears. “It’s too windy here.”

The man looked down at her.

“I’ve come to offer incense to my parents-in-law.”

He said this, noticing a slight hesitation on her face.

Teng Yue’s heart skipped a beat again.

If she would not even let him offer incense at her parents’ graves, did she truly believe he should not be her husband?

Teng Yue suddenly remembered what Linglang had said earlier—that he was someone else’s uncle…

A strange tightness gripped the man’s heart. He dared not say anything more forcefully, only watching her expression.

Seeing her seem to consider it for a moment, but ultimately hand him the incense.

Teng Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear her ask again, “Today is not a special day. Does the General really want to offer this incense?”

Deng Ruyun actually wanted to say that he really did not need to.

But she could not say it too obviously.

However, the man had already taken the incense from her hand.

“Yes.”

He solemnly lit the incense and, with perfect decorum, placed it before the graves of Deng Ruyun’s parents.

Deng Ruyun did not know what to say; saying too much or too little, too deeply or too superficially, would all be inappropriate.

She was secretly troubled, but Teng Yue sensed a hint of unspoken emotion in her voice.

He did not press her; he simply lit the incense and burned paper money.

Just then, Aunt Juan came down from the hillside.

Aunt Juan noticed he was still wearing a cloak, and his horse was tethered under a tree nearby.

“General, have you just arrived?”

Teng Yue quickly bowed to her. “Yes, Aunt Juan, I’m a little late; I just arrived.”

His manners were impeccable, and Aunt Juan still stepped aside but looked at the two of them as she spoke.

“Not too late, you’ve come at the right time. It’s getting late; dinner’s ready at home. Everyone should go home and eat.”

Teng Yue immediately replied, “Alright.”

But after he finished speaking, his gaze shifted to the person beside him, gently settling on her.

He spoke softly, “Aunt Juan said dinner’s ready; let’s go home and eat.”

His voice was extremely soft, as if even a slight increase in volume would scare away a dragonfly perched on the back of his hand, unlike the harsh, scolding tone he’d used a few days ago.

Deng Ruyun blinked.

And was he relaying a message?

There were only the three of them here; Aunt Juan’s words had been so clear. Why was this person relaying them to her?

Deng Ruyun was a little confused.

She stole a glance at him and cautiously nodded.

“Oh.”

*

At the Deng Mansion, the furniture was not fully tidied up yet.

Aunt Juan asked Xiuniang to tidy up the courtyard a bit, as they were about to set out their dinner.

Teng Yue, on the other hand, simply called for someone to put away all the belongings that had not been put away properly in the courtyard.

However, he discovered a basket of arrows in the dresser in his wife’s room.

Teng Yue glanced at it briefly, then came out, quite surprised. “How come there’s a basket of garrison arrows in Yunniang’s house?”

Deng Ruyun was setting out her chopsticks when she heard his question. She stood up from behind him, turned around, and immediately saw the basket full of arrows.

She froze, and Xiuniang and Aunt Juan beside her were also stunned.

The Deng family was just merchants who ran a pharmacy; how could they possibly have garrison arrows? The only place these arrows could have come from was from the little girl who had secretly followed people and collected them one by one over the years.

Deng Ruyun felt a pang of panic. She put down her chopsticks and said that these were the belongings of her brother, Deng Ruheng.

“Brother always admired the officers at the garrison for their horsemanship and archery skills, so he brought these back. How did they end up in my cabinet?”

As she spoke, before Teng Yue could examine the arrows closely, she took the entire basket from his hands and handed it to Xiuniang.

“Put them back in Brother’s room.”

“Alright,” Xiuniang quickly agreed, grabbing the arrows and running away.

Teng Yue felt she was not telling the truth.

But she had not been telling him the truth for a while.

Anyway, she had many secrets she did not want to share with him.

The man lowered his eyes, deciding not to ask further.

But that evening, when she asked Xiuniang to prepare a room for him, he stopped her.

He said there was no need to bother anymore, “I will stay with you tonight.”

She was slightly reluctant, but the house was a mess, and she was not sure if she could even make a decent room.

Seeing that she reluctantly agreed, Teng Yue followed her into her room and sat down.

The furniture in her room was different from the others; it was clearly made of more solid materials, and the carvings were exquisite, showing that his parents-in-law had once doted on her.

However, she seemed to have intended to sell all of these things before, but since Deng Yaocheng and his wife had been sentenced, there was no need to sell them.

He looked at the bronze mirror on her dressing table and glanced at her in it.

“Do not sell these things. If Yunniang needs money, just tell me.”

As he said this, he saw her turn slightly, the candlelight elongating her fine eyelashes and casting them on her delicate nose, like the long wings of a dragonfly.

He glanced at her again, only to hear her say, “The yamen has awarded me five hundred taels of silver, so there’s really no need to sell these. I’m not short of money.”

Her words implied she would not ask him for money.

Teng Yue knew it was impossible to get her to ask, so he did not reply and instead called Tang Zuo over.

“Go and withdraw one thousand taels of silver for Madam’s daily expenses.”

As he said this, Xiuniang, who was carrying tea to the door, almost spilled it upon hearing this.

Deng Ruyun was also stunned.

Who spends one thousand taels of silver for daily expenses? This person was far too extravagant.

Besides, if she were given this money, she would not know how to explain it when Old Madam Lin returned.

She quickly shook her head.

Teng Yue saw her little head in the bronze mirror, shaking it faster than a rattling drum, as if he had given her a hot potato instead of money. She added, “It’s better to let the household accountant manage this money.”

If the household accountant managed it, she was even less likely to spend it.

He put down the bronze mirror, turned his head, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “It’s troublesome to always have this money go through the accountant. Let Yunniang manage it for me; this can be considered our private savings.”

It was not unusual for each household to have its own private savings, but Deng Ruyun was hesitant about whether to manage the money for this person.

But then she heard him say, “Yunniang, think about it slowly.”

Deng Ruyun: “…”

Could she really think about it slowly?

She said, “Alright. Then, General, you can leave it with me.”

At worst, she could mention it to the Old Madam when she returned and just make sure the accounts were kept correct.

She agreed, and a relaxed smile appeared on the man’s lips, though she did not notice it.

Her bed was not as spacious as his in Jinzhou, but it was small and warm.

Perhaps due to the loss of energy and blood she had previously suffered, her body still felt cool.

If Teng Yue were to ask her to come into his arms, she would definitely refuse. However, perhaps because she was sleeping on her old bed, she fell asleep quickly.

Long, even breaths drifted down like snowflakes. Teng Yue turned to look at her, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her ear. She was oblivious, fast asleep.

Perhaps only at this moment could she speak to him more easily.

No, not easily, but there was no need to speak at all.

Teng Yue simply reached out and pulled the cool-bodied woman into his warm embrace.

The moment she landed, despite her coolness, the man felt a strange sense of peace.

… …

In the morning, Deng Ruyun woke up sweating.

Her forehead was covered in sweat, as if she had been covered by a thick, self-heating blanket the night before. She groggily looked up, her nose bumping into something hard.

She let out a soft groan, but looking up again, she realized she’d bumped her nose into someone’s chin.

He even kindly asked her, “Did it hurt?”

“…No.”

Deng Ruyun replied, but was even more surprised to find herself sleeping in his arms.

Was…was her bed too small?

She felt a little embarrassed and wanted to get out of his arms first, but then she heard him ask, “Are you still cold?”

Cold? She was practically dying of heat.

But could it be that she was too cold at night and had sleepily snuggled into his arms for warmth?

She’d never slept with someone in winter before. Did the cold mean she had become improper?

Deng Ruyun sweated even more, her face burning. She could not recall what had happened last night and awkwardly got up.

“Nothing much is happening today; let’s go back to Xi’an.”

The man also sat up, slowly putting on his clothes, his expression not much different from usual.

“Alright.”

Deng Ruyun’s embarrassment lessened somewhat.

She thought to herself that she must not do anything like this again when she sleeps.

*

Before noon, Teng Yue and Deng Ruyun’s group packed their things and set off.

However, as they passed through a town, they heard rumors circulating about a major incident that had just occurred.

Deng Ruyun did not know what had happened and was about to call Xiuniang to open the carriage window and ask when she heard people on the street talking about how the local gentry and rogue, Xue Dengguan, had been murdered yesterday at noon.

“They say an arrow appeared out of nowhere, piercing Xue Dengguan’s throat instantly, killing him on the spot.”

Some said his death was good, a cause for celebration, while others wondered who had committed the murder.

But no one knew. “The Xue family reported it to the authorities, but the officials arrived inexplicably late, and when they did, they found no trace of the killer. They could only guess the arrow came from the mountain, but there was no one there. Everyone said that Heaven could not tolerate his evil deeds and let him die!”

Xiuniang and Aunt Juan were both astonished, but Deng Ruyun inexplicably glanced at the man outside the carriage.

He noticed her gaze, lowered his head, and asked her softly with a gentle smile.

“Why are you looking at me, Yunniang?”

She suspected he was the murderer.

Otherwise, who could possess such skill in archery?

But had he not stayed in Jinzhou on other important business?

Deng Ruyun was a little confused.

But she could not say that now; if someone overheard and suspected him, would that not bring trouble upon him?

She was startled and suspicious, only blinking at him briefly.

“The wind and sand are strong today; the ground is littered with broken branches. General, please be careful on horseback.”

His gentle gaze fell on her eyes. “Thank you for your concern, Yunniang.”

Deng Ruyun felt uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly lowered the carriage curtain.

Xiuniang could not help but clap her hands and cheer, “That scoundrel is finally dead! Not only us, but everyone in the world will have a better life!”

She was exaggerating a bit, but Deng Ruyun could not help but smile. Aunt Juan also said, “Now life in Jinzhou is finally peaceful. Heaven bless us; may our lives get better soon, too.”

Xiuniang, however, said she was already better. “Just consider the five hundred taels the yamen awarded in compensation. Add that to the money we saved before; should that not come in handy?”

She looked at Deng Ruyun.

Deng Ruyun wanted to save up to buy a small pharmacy in Xi’an Prefecture. Previously, she was always seven or eight hundred taels short, but now, with these five hundred taels, she was just one step away from that goal.

Deng Ruyun felt as if the sky in Xi’an Prefecture had brightened considerably.

But then she heard Xiuniang mutter under her breath, “If we could use that thousand taels from the General, we could just buy Cixin Hall when we get back. Then we could decide what medicine to sell! Why would that donkey-headed physician be holding us back?”

Deng Ruyun laughed at this. She said to Aunt Juan, “It seems that if Sister Xiuniang gains money and power, she will settle scores with those who tormented us before.”

She asked with a smile, “We have not done anything wrong, have we? Are you keeping a record of it, Sister?”

Seeing her teasing, Xiuniang stamped her foot angrily, “What are you saying, Miss? Am I holding a grudge for you? Did that donkey-headed physician not torment us too?”

Speaking of this, Deng Ruyun also remembered.

She had made a bet with that Physician Bai—no, Physician Fu—and wondered how the medicine sales were going. She should take some time to check on it.

Yes, as long as Teng Yue was not home.

*

At Cixin Hall.

Another man came to buy medicine. “I heard you have your new Huanglian Qingwei Pills. Give me a few quickly. I drank wine and ate mutton yesterday, and today I’m suffering terribly from this internal heat.”

The physician at the door looked at him strangely.

“Are you sure you want this medicine? It’s very strong; it’s bad for the stomach.”

The man did not care at all. “I just want to get rid of this internal heat quickly. I have to continue working tomorrow. What’s the point of a rough old man taking delicate medicine? I’ve heard that your pills are cheap and effective. Enough talk, just give them to me!”

The physician at the door felt awkward and could only go and get the medicine for him. Looking down at the medicine jar, he saw that the pills were almost gone.

The man bought the medicine and left, but the physician sat at the door with a wry smile.

His servant came over and asked, “Sixth Master, no, Sixth Brother, what are you laughing at? You look like you’ve drunk something awful.”

The man replied, “What’s there to laugh about? I lost a bet. I was thinking of making some money in Xi’an now and then traveling to other prefectures, but now that I’ve lost the bet, I will probably have to stay in Xi’an for a few months.”

As he spoke, he glanced outside. There were only passing pedestrians, not the person he was waiting for.

The young master surnamed Liang was quite composed; he had not shown himself for days.

Could it be that he’s also using a fake identity?

The man basked in the sun, his gentle eyes half-closed, pondering for a moment.

*

At the Teng Mansion.

Deng Ruyun followed Teng Yue home.

Teng Xiao, hearing that the two of them had returned together, came to Liumingxuan courtyard.

“Second Brother went to Ningxia, and Sister-in-law returned to Jinzhou? Did you two run into each other at the city gate?” the little girl asked in surprise.

Deng Ruyun also wanted to know the answer, but saw that the other person only smiled and remained silent.

Teng Xiao guessed, “Could it be that Second Brother heard Sister-in-law returned to Jinzhou and rushed after her?”

Her use of “rushed after her” was a bit too vivid this time.

Teng Yue cleared his throat and glanced at his sister, but his gaze returned to Yunniang.

However, she did not focus on that but instead told his sister about using the hidden arrow.

She had gone into Madam Zheng’s private mansion wearing Xiao’er’s hidden arrow and shot Madam Zheng, who was trying to stab her with a hairpin, directly in the way.

She briefly explained, and her younger sister’s eyes lit up.

“Good heavens, it really came in handy? Sister-in-law, you think the hidden blades I made are useful?”

She nodded repeatedly. “They are very useful. Thank you so much, little sister.”

She thanked her little sister profusely, her gratitude heartfelt.

The man watched from the side, his lips slightly pursed.

She only thanked his little sister, not saying a word to him.

Now, the two of them, talking about the hidden blades, walked inside hand in hand. His little sister then said she’d had a few more personal weapons made to her measurements.

She said, “Little sister is so kind.”

Yes, his little sister was kind, but he was not.

Teng Yue could only think these words to himself, never daring to say them aloud to her face.

But when the three of them ate together that evening, he pulled her chair, and she herself, closer to him, within arm’s reach.

She could not possibly have only his little sister on her mind while eating, could she?

Sure enough, as soon as he pulled her chair closer, she turned to look at him.

Teng Yue pretended not to understand the question in her eyes and simply placed a piece of duck meat in her bowl.

“Eat more.”

Deng Ruyun: “…”

What was the necessary connection between eating more and pulling up a chair?

Deng Ruyun could not understand, but Liumingxuan became lively again because of their return.

Outside the courtyard, Nanny Wei’s expression was extremely strange. She had specifically inquired and learned that Teng Yue had not returned directly from Ningxia; he had detoured to Jinzhou to help her sort out her family’s mess before bringing her back.

Upon hearing this news, Nanny Wei’s old face gained three more wrinkles.

“This…How could Second Master do this?”

This was completely different from what she had expected. Her original intention was to keep Deng Ruyun and Second Master separate for a while.

How did it come to be that Second Master somehow got wind of her return to her hometown and rushed to Jinzhou, managing everything for her in just half a month, even escorting her all the way back to Xi’an?

Nanny Wei felt dizzy.

It was as if her worst fears had come true; she could barely stand.

“Second Master… has he fallen for her? How can he possibly marry another noblewoman like this?”

Nanny Wei staggered, unable to bear the commotion in Liumingxuan any longer, and walked home in shock and sorrow.

In Liumingxuan courtyard.

Deng Ruyun suddenly remembered these things.

Deng Yaocheng and his wife had heard about some big deal in Xi’an Prefecture, which was why they rushed to get their hands on her belongings, leading to all the subsequent events.

But how could a big deal in Xi’an Prefecture suddenly come to their ears?

She instructed Xiuniang carefully, “Have Changxing carefully inquire with the steward of Second Uncle’s family about this big deal, who informed them, and where that person is now.”

She looked thoughtful.

If someone else was behind this, how could she pretend not to know?

Xiuniang immediately went to find Changxing after receiving the instructions.

After giving her instructions, Deng Ruyun went to speak with Teng Xiao.

Her sister-in-law had just used her homemade hidden weapon for the first time, and used it so well! She did not want to leave Liumingxuan’s room, wanting to spend the whole night discussing the weapon’s practicality and any improvements with her sister-in-law.

She wished she could sleep with her sister-in-law that night. Deng Ruyun was naturally willing, but Sister Xiao had been sent away by someone.

The younger sister did not want to leave and even asked him if he wanted to sleep in the outer courtyard, “I will stay in Liumingxuan with my sister-in-law for you.”

The man’s face stiffened slightly, and he only asked her, “Are you too idle? Want to go back to school?”

Just one question, and Teng Xiao practically ran out of Liumingxuan’s room.

The man shook his head and chuckled in exasperation.

Deng Ruyun did not understand what the two siblings were up to, only finding it somewhat amusing.

But before going to sleep that night, she hinted to herself that the bed in Liumingxuan was big enough, and the room was not cold; she did not want to recklessly end up sleeping in someone else’s arms again.

Anyone who did not know better would think she had some ulterior motive…

However, when she woke up the next day, she found herself sleeping in Teng Yue’s arms again.

She was stunned.

Even after getting dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed, her mind was still a little fuzzy.