Jiang Sihe looked at the delicate object and really didn't know what gift to give in return.
She was a bit embarrassed. "Cousin Qin, please give me a few days to think..."
"How about you, cousin, make some snacks with your own hands?"
Hearing this, both Lady Da and the Marquise of Anyang smiled. So he had this in mind!
"I think it's a good idea. Cousin Sihe's snacks are so delicious that you can't buy them outside. It's a great deal for you, brother..."
After Qin Yue said this, she couldn't help but nudge Jiang Sihe and give her a wink.
"Snacks are fine, but won't it be too perfunctory..."
"Not at all. When Sihe makes snacks for him, make some savory ones and let him eat less sweets!"
The Marquise of Anyang couldn't help but tease.
They talked at the door for a while longer. When the carriage from the Marquise of Anyang's mansion arrived, they left first.
Lady Da led Jiang Sihe back. A servant of Jiang Zongyuan came towards them. "Madam, the master requests your presence in the study."
"The study?"
"Yes. There's an honored guest in the study. He has some matters he'd like to ask you about!"
Lady Da replied, "Okay, I'll go right away!"
She turned back and instructed Jiang Sihe, "You've been tired today. Go back early to take a bath and rest!"
Jiang Sihe nodded and led Danfeng back.
When they were almost at the gate of Chunhua Pavilion, Xiuyue came back.
"Miss, I..."
Jiang Sihe took a look at Xiuyue. Seeing that she looked rather disheveled, she knew something unexpected had happened. Not daring to talk outside, she quickly pulled Xiuyue into the room.
"What happened to you?"
Xiuyue pouted. "It was all that guard. He was so vigilant. As soon as I got close, he noticed me. He was also very good at martial arts. He grabbed my arm directly and held me down to question me..."
Jiang Sihe felt it was all her fault for leaving Xiuyue alone at that time. She lovingly patted the dirt off Xiuyue.
"Did he make things difficult for you?"
"Of course he didn't dare. I didn't suffer either. I bit his wrist and secretly stole this from his waist..."
Xiuyue took out a black token from her waist. Jiang Sihe was so shocked that she took several steps back.
"Is this from that guard?"
Xiuyue nodded. "I took it when he wasn't paying attention!"
Jiang Sihe had seen this kind of token in the marquis's mansion in her previous life, but it was different from the one in Xiuyue's hand. The one she had seen had a crane on it, while the one in Xiuyue's hand seemed to have a tiger...
But she knew that this was something used to enter and leave the palace. She was afraid that this time they had really offended someone they shouldn't have...
"Do you know which family that guard belongs to?"
"Later I asked Mo'er. She said he was a guard of Grand Tutor Pei..."
When Jiang Sihe heard the words "Grand Tutor Pei", she gasped. Why did they still manage to offend this person?
"Miss, who is Grand Tutor Pei?"
Xiuyue had always been in the inner courtyard. Naturally, she didn't know anything about the affairs in the court, let alone whom they had offended...
It was very likely that Lady Da was called to the study because of this matter...
Suddenly, she realized that the guard of Grand Tutor Pei seemed to be inquiring in the mansion about the person who had bumped into him that night...
That person was her...
Why did he want to inquire about her?
Jiang Sihe felt her head was in a mess. She held the token in her hand and sorted things out bit by bit. Soon, she figured it out.
That night when she went to the flower hall to check, Grand Tutor Pei must have noticed something. That was why she bumped into him. He must have wanted to find out why she had gone out secretly that night...
He had a background in the Ministry of Justice. He must have seen through someone as suspicious as her at a glance. That was why he sent the guard to investigate her in the mansion...
She calmed herself down and analyzed the information she had.
Since he sent the guard to investigate her from that night, from the conversation between the guard and the maid, he didn't know who the person who had bumped into him that night was...
Otherwise, he could have just interrogated her and questioned her.
"Xiuyue, what else did he say to Mo'er?"
"Oh, he asked Mo'er about a young lady on the day of the master's birthday banquet..."
Jiang Sihe's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, he was looking for her...
"Does Mo'er know anything?"
"There were so many guests that night. Mo'er said that the young lady he was inquiring about was most likely from another mansion. It was impossible to find her!"
Hearing this, Jiang Sihe breathed a sigh of relief.
The most troublesome thing now was the token in her hand. How could she return it without making Pei Yanchao suspicious?
"Did the guard see your face clearly?"
Xiuyue shook her head. "He held my arm down and didn't let me raise my head at all. He definitely didn't see clearly..."
Rather than waiting for Lady Da to find out, it would be better for her to take the initiative...
"Danfeng, help me change my clothes." After Jiang Sihe said this, she seemed to think of something. She turned her head and said, "Xiuyue, go to the kitchen and bring a bowl of summer-cooling perilla drink. I'll take it to father in the study later..."
Danfeng helped Jiang Sihe change into a plain dress. Xiuyue also came back with the perilla drink.
"Miss, I specially added ice to it. The master likes to drink cold drinks at this time of the year..."
Jiang Sihe nodded. "Good!"
The sky had already darkened. The lanterns in the mansion's corridors had been lit. She walked along the corridor to Jiang Zongyuan's study in the front yard.
Before she reached the door of the study, she saw a servant of the mansion holding a lantern and searching for something in a patch of orchid flowers in front of the study...
Jiang Sihe thought for a moment, then stepped around the patch of orchid flowers in front of her. She threw the token in her hand onto a small path in the orchid flowers, then quickly left. As she turned around, the hem of her dress gently brushed against the stamens of the orchid flowers.
Danfeng watched as the miss did all this. She was a bit confused but didn't ask.
Jiang Sihe led Danfeng towards the study. On the corridor on one side of the study, she saw Pei Yanchao. He was wearing a jujube-brown round-collared robe with wide sleeves and a dark gold-inlaid jade waistband. His tall and straight figure and cold, solemn face showed no expression as he stood at the door of the study.
Her father, however, was slightly hunched, standing beside him with a flattering smile on his face.
Her mother was instructing several maids to do something. Jiang Sihe guessed it was to look for something for Pei Yanchao.
She walked forward slowly and first saluted her father and mother.
"Father, mother, I've brought you perilla drink!"
Lady Da was a bit surprised to see Jiang Sihe coming. She stepped forward. Just as she was about to speak, she remembered there was an outsider, so she said softly, "Sihe, this is your father's colleague, Grand Tutor Pei!"
Jiang Sihe had already felt Pei Yanchao's scrutinizing gaze. That day at the moon gate, he hadn't seen her clearly. If she still hung her head like that day, it would only arouse his suspicion...
So, Jiang Sihe raised her head and stared directly at Pei Yanchao. Not only didn't she salute, but she also seemed a bit impolite.
"Cough..."
Jiang Zongyuan was very dissatisfied with Jiang Sihe's unruly behavior. He coughed lightly to remind her.
"Lord Pei, you're really handsome!"
Instead of receiving her father's reminder, Jiang Sihe shocked everyone with her words!
There was a bit of a young girl's appreciation and amazement for beautiful things in her words, which made everyone stunned!