Moonlit Reunion [子夜归]

Chapter 30

After receiving news of failure from his ghost servant, Pei Jiya spat out a mouthful of blood. Accustomed to this, he calmly picked up a cup of tea to rinse away the metallic taste in his mouth.

'Could it be that the Mei family is naturally destined to clash with me?' Pei Jiya couldn't help but wonder why every failed plan seemed to involve a Mei family member.

First, there was Mei Si. Things had gone smoothly at first when Pei Jiya used his specially crafted spirit pen to draw evil spirits. But before the spirits could cause any trouble, they were swiftly neutralized. According to his investigations, Mei Si was a naive and timid person, yet he decisively destroyed the spirit pen, not only disrupting Pei Jiya's control but also inadvertently alerting Wu Zhen, nearly exposing him.

Then, there was Mei Zhuyu, who turned out to be a well-trained daoist with significant cultivation. During a previous encounter at an old estate, Pei Jiya had tried to eliminate him, only to lose a duplicate of himself. Even the demon dogs he'd raised for mayhem were wiped out in a single encounter. Pei Jiya had always known that daoists with high cultivation were ascetic and avoided marriage, yet this wretched daoist somehow ended up interfering with his plans.

And most recently, there was the 'Cat Pelt' he had unleashed the previous day. This was a type of creature, crafted from the skin of an animal and brought to life through peculiar arts. The 'Cat Pelt' could envelop a person, transforming them into a cat. Pei Jiya had experimented with 'Dog Pelts' and 'Wolf Pelts' before, but he'd never been satisfied with them. This 'Cat Pelt' was his finest work yet, specifically intended for Empress Wu. He had calculated that it would attract the empress, transform her into a cat, and trigger chaos—he was certain that if she turned into such a creature, Wu Zhen would lose all thoughts of her wedding.

But instead of Empress Wu, it was Consort Mei who was transformed into a cat.

Mei Si, Mei Zhuyu, Consort Mei—their repeated interference in his plans was stifling. As he brooded over this, Pei Jiya spat out another mouthful of blood. Having dabbled in so many bizarre practices, his own body had become a mess. He barely cared, though, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief and contemplating his next steps to successfully stir up chaos and disrupt Wu Zhen's wedding without revealing himself.

He couldn't afford to be careless; he knew Wu Zhen well. If she discovered his involvement, she would show no mercy—and this ruthlessness was precisely what he admired about her.

No sooner had he thought of Wu Zhen than she appeared. She visited him daily, always showing a particular fondness for him, her cousin with whom she'd spent two years of childhood.

Pei Jiya took out a set of tea-ware, preparing to brew tea for her. The weather was gloomy and stuffy, hinting at rain. They sat by the open window, the occasional breeze bringing some relief, while the bubbling sound of boiling water added a touch of tranquility.

The garden where he entertained guests was filled with peonies, all in full bloom. White peonies, Pei Jiya's favorite, adorned the garden, with varieties like Zhaoyu Bai, Song Yexiang, Qingqiong, Snow Tower, and Jade Spring Snow.

In a vase inside, two branches of Jade Spring Snow were arranged. Wu Zhen, waiting idly for her cousin to finish brewing tea, absent-mindedly plucked at the petals.

While many people brewed tea with additional ingredients, Pei Jiya preferred a simpler method, using only dried tea leaves ground into powder and boiled with water. He poured her a cup, saying, "The nobles of the southern regions now favor this clear tea. Try it, Zhen, see if it suits your taste."

Wu Zhen finally let go of the flower and politely took a sip, then honestly told her cousin, "It's too bitter and astringent for me—sweet tea is more to my liking." She was accustomed to adding dates or longans to her tea, and while she found his refined taste admirable, the flavor itself was less than enjoyable.