Making Things Up in Your Head Is an Illness-Get It Treated

"Big sister, let me tell you, Junior Minister Pei is my idol," Ning Hui told Ning Sang-sang, his face utterly earnest.

Ning Sang-sang nodded to show she understood, then said inwardly:

[Little brother, you idolize Pei Xingjian, but Pei Xingjian...]

"Ahem." Afraid Ning Sang-sang might say something unpleasant and offend Pei Xingjian, Madam Jiang hurriedly cleared her throat to cut her off. "Sang-sang, come along. Mother will take you to see the flowers."

She could not stay here a moment longer.

At those words, Ning Sang-sang's attention immediately shifted, and she stopped letting her thoughts wander about Pei Xingjian.

Pei Xingjian: "..."

But what about me? Go on, explain it in detail!

Let's see just how worthless I am in your eyes!

"Chengxiao, Hui, take Junior Minister Pei for a stroll elsewhere. Don't follow us. Mother wants to have a little woman-to-woman talk with Sang-sang." Madam Jiang did not want Pei Xingjian following them, so she found an excuse to send him away.

Pei Xingjian understood what Madam Jiang meant and had the sense not to follow her.

Seeing that their mother wanted to have a woman-to-woman talk with their sister, Ning Chengxiao and Ning Hui did not follow either.

The three stood where they were and watched Madam Jiang and Ning Sang-sang walk away.

Recalling Ning Sang-sang's words, Ning Hui thought, Junior Minister Pei is already so old, yet he doesn't have a single woman by his side. Could he really like men?

At that thought, he could not resist sneaking a glance at Pei Xingjian, an odd expression on his face.

"Junior Minister Pei, you..."

He opened his mouth and was just about to ask something when Pei Xingjian cut him off. "I don't like men, and I'm not interested in you."

After coldly tossing out those words, Pei Xingjian turned and left.

Ning Hui watched his retreating figure and scratched his head in frustration.

"Second brother, I think I've offended Junior Minister Pei."

He spoke to Ning Chengxiao beside him, looking rather troubled.

Ning Chengxiao told him with complete seriousness, "Ning Hui, making things up in your head is an illness. Get it treated. Even if Pei Xingjian liked men, he wouldn't be interested in someone like you."

Ning Hui: "..."

Madam Jiang led Ning Sang-sang far away. Only after confirming that Pei Xingjian had not followed did she breathe a sigh of relief. If they had stayed any longer, she truly feared her daughter would say something even more offensive and anger him.

Still, after what her daughter had said, she too began to wonder whether Pei Xingjian liked men. After all, he was already so old, yet he had no woman by his side. Even the servants attending him were men. How could anyone not be suspicious?

It seemed she would have to make Ning Hui take a detour whenever he encountered Pei Xingjian from now on. Her youngest son was handsome, and men who liked men might well harbor improper thoughts about him. At that thought, a scene involuntarily took shape in her mind...

Bah!

What nonsense am I imagining? Pei Xingjian doesn't look like that sort of person. Stop letting your thoughts run wild.

Startled by the scene she had conjured up, Madam Jiang shook her head inwardly. She felt she must have truly lost her mind to imagine something so indecent.

She steadied herself, tried her best not to let her thoughts wander, and concentrated on walking.

Wanting everyone to know that she had found her daughter, Madam Jiang took Ning Sang-sang to pay her respects to Princess Yongle.

In the hall in the rear courtyard of the Chancellor's Residence.

Duchess Su and several lavishly dressed noblewomen were keeping Princess Yongle company. Princess Yongle was the emperor's younger sister, born of the same mother, and he doted on her. Everyone wanted to win her favor.

The other noblewomen all showered Princess Yongle with flattery, while Duchess Su remained neither servile nor overbearing. She did not deliberately cater to her or fawn over her.

Princess Yongle was very pleased with Duchess Su's manner. Then she looked at Su Miaoling, who sat demurely beside her, and a glimmer of approval crossed her eyes.

"Duchess Su, your daughter is such a well-behaved girl. I really do like her," Princess Yongle praised with a smile, her gaze rather like that of someone appraising a future daughter-in-law.

These noblewomen from distinguished families all knew perfectly well why Princess Yongle had held the Flower-Viewing Banquet: she wanted to choose a wife for her son. Hearing her praise Duchess Su's daughter, they could not help regretting that they had not brought their own daughters along to keep Princess Yongle company.

Duchess Su smiled faintly. "Commandery Princess Yunluo is very well-behaved too."

Commandery Princess Yunluo was Princess Yongle's daughter. The emperor doted on Princess Yongle, and his love for her extended even to the crow on her roof: after she gave birth to a daughter, he bestowed the title of commandery princess on the child.

"How could that little rascal be as well-behaved as Miaoling? Getting her to sit quietly with me for a while is simply impossible. Look, I don't even know where she's run off to romp about now." Princess Yongle smiled, her voice full of helpless affection.

Duchess Su said softly, "The commandery princess is still young. It's only natural for her to be a little playful."

Princess Yongle parted her lips and was just about to say something when she saw Madam Jiang approaching with Ning Sang-sang.

A few days earlier, Princess Yongle had already learned from her son that Duke Ning's wife had found her biological daughter, who had been lost and living elsewhere.

Now, looking at Ning Sang-sang beside Madam Jiang, she immediately guessed who she was.

As she watched Madam Jiang approach, Duchess Su's brows drew together almost imperceptibly. Madam Jiang had been her rival in love when she was young, and every time she saw her, she felt deeply unsettled.