Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 163 Canglan Ferry (33)

Yan Zhen: "...I never thought of it that way."

Pei Ji's fingers suddenly tightened, clenching into a fist.

Whether from injury or anger, his face grew paler and paler: "Then don't provoke me. You always say you're a doctor, and that patients don't distinguish between men and women in your eyes, but I'm not. I'm a man. If you sit on me, I'll get aroused. If you get close to me, I'll have all sorts of wild thoughts. You can't provoke me and then reject me at the same time!"

After listening to his accusations, Yan Zhen remained silent for a few seconds, then took a few steps back: "I'm sorry, I neglected your feelings. I won't do it again."

After saying that, she turned and went into the inner room.

Pei Ji watched her retreating figure, feeling a mixture of disappointment and anger. He roughly and self-destructively put on his official robes, wincing in pain, and then went out to his post after getting dressed.

Because of this incident, Pei Ji was in a bad mood all day.

When he returned from his shift in the evening, he was slightly taken aback to see a sumptuous dinner laid out in the bamboo garden.

Yan Zhen came out from the inner room and said to him, "You're back. Let's eat."

Although Pei Ji felt a little awkward, when he got closer, he saw that the table was full of light, home-style dishes to cater to the patients' appetites and injuries.

He sensed from this detail that Yan Zhen was trying to coax him.

This improved his mood, which had been gloomy all day. After washing his hands, he sat down at the table and casually asked, "Did you make this?"

"How could that be? My cooking would kill someone." Yan Zhen served him a bowl of white jade tofu soup. "I ordered the main kitchen to make it."

Pei Ji paused for a moment, then thought of it as a second-best option: well, at least she chose the dishes.

It's good that she has the intention.

Halfway through the meal, Yan Zhen picked up where he left off in the morning and began to inquire: "Have you thought of a solution to the Yan family matter?"

"Not yet. I need to observe for a while longer, collect more evidence, and then find an opportunity to submit it."

"This is too risky. I have a solution, would you like to hear it?"

Pei Ji put down his chopsticks: "You speak."

"Are there any ministers in the court who are at odds with Grand Tutor Yan? Preferably those who can directly enter the palace to meet the emperor."

Pei Ji blurted out, "Lord Zhang, the Grand Secretary."

The Grand Secretary was a second-rank civil official whose duty was to assist the emperor in handling government affairs and to be in contact with the emperor every day.

The Grand Secretary Zhang Baichen and Grand Tutor Yan were sworn enemies. Because of their differing political views, they would argue in the Golden Palace every few days, a fact known to the entire court.

"The Grand Secretary—" Yan Zhen felt that this official title sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

She searched her memory for a while and suddenly remembered that the daughter of the Grand Secretary was the first major customer of Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream!

When Madam Feng attended the lotus appreciation banquet, a young lady from a prominent family accidentally tripped and fell while boarding the boat, breaking her forehead. Madam Feng stepped in and used Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment to stop the bleeding, and from then on, she became famous.

That noble lady was the daughter of the Grand Secretary.

Later, when the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream went on sale, it cost 20 gold coins per box, and she bought three boxes at once.

Yan Zhen became excited and said to Pei Ji, "What do you think about us getting in touch with the Grand Secretary's family and having Lord Zhang expose this matter?"

Pei Ji, unaware of her inner thoughts, frowned and said, "This matter involves a power struggle within the imperial court. The Zhang family never participates in any factional disputes, so I'm afraid Lord Zhang is unwilling to get involved."

“Then let’s get him involved.” Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow. “Ming Zhe protects himself because it doesn’t concern him, but what if this matter involves the Zhang family’s interests? Then Lord Zhang won’t be able to stand idly by.”

Pei Ji asked thoughtfully, "What do you plan to do?"

Yan Zhen said calmly, "This is where I'll have to step in. The daughter of the Grand Secretary really likes Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream. I'll find a day to visit the Zhang family, and that'll be how we make the connection."

-

Yan Zhen acted immediately, spending several days developing a moisturizing cream. He then sent a visiting card to the Zhang family, inviting Miss Zhang to a meeting.

Before going, Yan Zhen did his homework and inquired about Miss Zhang's preferences from Madam Feng.

The young lady of the Zhang family, named Zhang Shulan, is fifteen years old this year. She was recently engaged to the second son of the Crown Prince's tutor. Now she stays at home embroidering her wedding dress and rarely goes out.

The invitation sent to the Zhang family received a response quickly, and Zhang Shulan invited Yan Zhen to visit the next day.

The next day, Yan Zhen brought gifts to the Zhang family.

When I met Zhang Shulan, she was a very shy young girl. She was slightly chubby, and her round, chubby face was quite endearing. Although she grew up in a wealthy family, she had none of the arrogance or haughtiness of a noblewoman.

When she learned that Yan Zhen had come specifically to deliver the newly developed moisturizing cream to her, she was pleasantly surprised. After trying it, she liked it very much and immediately placed an order for three boxes.

Yan Zhen wanted to befriend her and had a very pleasant conversation with her, spending most of the day at the Zhang family's house.

When it was lunchtime, Zhang Shulan left a message saying that he would like to have lunch.

Yan Zhen did not refuse.

When the servants brought lunch, Yan Zhen noticed that the dishes were divided into two parts. One part consisted of main dishes for entertaining guests, all of which were placed on Yan Zhen's side. The other part consisted entirely of vegetarian dishes, which were placed in front of Zhang Shulan.

Watching her eat her vegetarian food in small bites, Yan Zhen felt like he was watching a little lamb slowly grazing.

She asked, puzzled, "Do you usually only eat vegetarian food?"

Fourteen or fifteen years old is a time when they are growing, how can they just eat vegetarian food?

Zhang Shulan said in a low voice, "No, I ate meat before, but my mother said that I will be getting married next March, and a woman should be more slender so that her husband will like her more. She told me to eat less meat so that I can lose weight."

It's clear now, she's on a diet.

Over the next two weeks, Yan Zhen visited the Zhang family twice more.

As Yan Zhen spent more time with Zhang Shulan, he discovered that she was not as lively as she appeared on the surface, and sometimes even showed signs of anxiety and insecurity.

Under her mother's repeated reminders, she felt that she was not pretty enough, or that she was not as slender as other women, and worried that her husband would dislike her after she married him.

When Yan Zhen saw her for the fourth time, she had gone from being a vegetarian to eating only a little bit of green vegetables every day, and she didn't even dare to drink much water at other times.

After all that, she did lose some weight, but she was so hungry that her face was pale and she looked listless.

Yan Zhen stayed at the Zhang family's house for lunch as usual. Halfway through the meal, Zhang Shulan, who was sitting opposite him, suddenly started to sob softly.

Yan Zhen put down his chopsticks and asked, "What's wrong?"

Several maids and nannies rushed forward, trying to persuade and coax them.

Zhang Shulan ignored him, initially only sobbing softly, then bursting into tears, looking extremely aggrieved.

The maids and nannies were at a loss because of her crying. Just as they were about to call Madam Zhang over, Yan Zhen stopped them: "No, let her vent for a while. She must have been holding it in for a long time."

Because of her words, Zhang Shulan suddenly burst into tears.