Hearing the sound, Song Ruotang turned her head and saw Pei Yu in a golden robe, with a white rabbit - fur lined jacket over it. The cuffs and collar were trimmed with rabbit fur embroidered with cloud patterns, making him look extremely noble.
If it weren't for the arrogant look on his face, he would have had a touch of elegance.
Song Ruotang lowered her eyes, not wanting to look at Pei Yu any more. She just picked up the persimmon cakes and prepared to leave with an umbrella.
Pei Yu quickened his steps and came forward. A hint of dissatisfaction flashed in his eyes. "What? Do you not want to see me so much?"
"No." Song Ruotang replied calmly, but in her heart, she really didn't want to see him.
Pei Yu scanned Song Ruotang from head to toe. She had taken off her fox - fur cloak in the carriage earlier. Now she was only wearing a plain winter dress. She didn't like elaborate adornments and only had a jade hairpin in her hair, looking very simple and elegant.
Seeing the bamboo basket in her hand, and there was nothing valuable in it, Pei Yu's thoughts went back to the first time he saw Song Ruotang. At that time, she was just the same, looking like a village woman, without any air of nobility.
At this moment, a hint of disdain appeared on Pei Yu's face. "On such a snowy day, hasn't your husband even prepared a cloak for you?"
Song Ruotang shook her head. "My lord loves me dearly. He has prepared many clothes for me. I just didn't wear them."
Hearing this, Pei Yu sneered. "Song Ruotang, don't be stubborn. If the old man you married loves you, would he let you go out to buy things on a snowy day?"
"Moreover..." Pei Yu shifted his gaze to the bamboo basket in her hand, his eyes full of disgust. "Buying things that only country folks eat. You're really pitiful."
"Didn't you also give me this kind of food that only country folks eat back then?" Song Ruotang calmly looked up at him. Pei Yu paused for a moment, looking a bit flustered, but then he snorted again. "Eating it once in a while is kind of interesting, but it's still not presentable..."
As he said this, as if suddenly remembering something, the corners of his mouth curled up, and a hint of pride flashed in his eyes. "Song Ruotang, it must be hard for you to be a concubine now, right?"
Song Ruotang lowered her eyelashes, making it impossible for Pei Yu to see the emotions in her eyes. He only heard her calm voice: "I'm living a good life now."
"Humph..." Pei Yu sneered. A gust of wind blew, making Song Ruotang's clothes flutter. Her figure swayed in the loose winter clothes, looking slender and frail.
The hair on her temples fluttered messily. Crystal snowflakes landed on her eyelashes. Her face was pale, and the tip of her nose was slightly red. Her pitiful appearance made Pei Yu feel a little itchy in his heart, and his tenderness for the fair sex was aroused.
He walked towards Song Ruotang, took off his rabbit - fur lined coat and put it on her. Song Ruotang wanted to dodge, but she was already wrapped in the coat. Pei Yu pulled up the collar and leaned her towards him, smiling softly. "It's windy. Keep warm."
As Pei Yu took off his coat, a small handkerchief was revealed at his collar. Song Ruotang took a look. It was the silk handkerchief she had deliberately dropped that day.
Song Ruotang's eyelashes trembled violently as she tried her best to hide her emotions. Pei Yu was very satisfied with her shy and flustered expression. There was a proud glint in his eyes. "Song Ruotang, if you had chosen me back then, you wouldn't have ended up so down and out. It's a pity..."
A hint of pity appeared in Pei Yu's eyes again. Song Ruotang didn't say a word. He didn't need her to say anything either. He just turned around confidently and walked away. After walking a few steps, he said to Song Ruotang without looking back: "Song Ruotang, if you regret it one day, you can come and beg me again. There will always be a place for you among my concubines."
Hearing this, Song Ruotang endured the nausea in her heart and just said coldly: "No need."
But Pei Yu thought she was just pretending to be calm. He smiled softly. "Don't worry. I'll talk to Wanying. If you behave well then, you can still be my concubine."
He said this complacently, as if being a concubine was already a great honor for Song Ruotang.
Song Ruotang didn't say anything else. She turned around and left. When she reached the corner, she disgustedly tore off Pei Yu's coat and stomped on it hard a few times.
But after venting her anger, she endured her disgust and picked up the coat, then returned to the carriage with her things.
Xiaoxi had been waiting for a long time. Her worried face finally relaxed when she saw Song Ruotang. She quickened her steps and came in front of her. "Madam, you're finally here. I went to the shop to look for you but couldn't find you. I was worried about where you had gone."
As she said this, she saw the expensive coat in Song Ruotang's hand and was a bit confused. "Madam, what's this coat?"
"Oh, I met an old woman selling persimmon cakes just now. She said that when she was selling persimmon cakes there today, she met a nobleman. Seeing that she was so cold and pitiful, the nobleman gave her this coat."
Song Ruotang picked up the bamboo basket and motioned to Xiaoxi. "I just bought her persimmon cakes. She thought I was the madam of a big mansion, so she gave me the coat and asked me to return it to the owner. Otherwise, she would feel guilty."
Song Ruotang lied without batting an eyelid, and Xiaoxi didn't notice anything wrong.
The coat in Song Ruotang's hand was very luxurious, obviously belonging to a noble. An ordinary family wouldn't dare to take it, let alone an old woman selling persimmon cakes on a snowy day. If she really dared to accept it, she couldn't keep it either.
So Xiaoxi didn't have any doubts.
"That old woman is quite observant." Xiaoxi smiled. "Our lord is the Minister of Dali Temple. We won't return the coat to the wrong person."
Song Ruotang slightly curled the corners of her mouth, and the emotions in her eyes were unfathomable. "Indeed."
Xiaoxi asked again: "Madam, who does she want to return the coat to?"
Song Ruotang handed the dirty coat in her hand to Xiaoxi, then got into the carriage with the bamboo basket. "She said the person is a young master who goes to work at the Dali Temple. She heard his subordinate call him Young Master Pei."
Hearing this, Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted. She looked at Song Ruotang's calm face and then said: "I'll wash the coat clean when we get back and then send it to the Dali Temple."
Song Ruotang softly responded with an "um". Xiaoxi quickly came over to pour her a cup of tea and put the fox - fur cloak on her. Song Ruotang took a sip of tea to warm herself up, then took out a frosted persimmon cake from the basket and handed it to Xiaoxi. "Do you want one?"
Xiaoxi was a bit flattered and quickly took it. "Thank you, Madam."
Song Ruotang shook her head. "It's just a snack."
When they returned to the mansion, Xiaoxi took Pei Yu's coat to be washed, while Song Ruotang distributed the persimmon cakes to the servants in the yard. Everyone originally thought that since Song Ruotang had won the lord's favor, she would be as arrogant as other concubines in big mansions. But they didn't expect her to be so approachable. They couldn't help but have a better impression of her.
When Pei Zhiyan came back in the evening, Song Ruotang was still waiting for him in front of the corridor. He quickly stepped onto the corridor. Seeing Song Ruotang's little red - frozen face, he frowned a bit. He helped her straighten her cloak. "It's windy outside. Don't wait for me in the future."
"I've been looking forward to reuniting with you every day after work, my lord. How can I not wait?" Song Ruotang looked at Pei Zhiyan with a bit of grievance. Pei Zhiyan couldn't stand her look, and he felt a strange itch in his heart.