Chapter 24

 By the time Bao Ning arrived home, it was already past 7 PM, and the sky was filled with stars.

Feng Yongjia lifted the curtain and invited Bao Ning to step out of the carriage. Setting aside other matters, Feng Yongjia was a very refined young man, somewhat scholarly, and spoke with great politeness.

"Young madam, please hold onto my arm. I'll help you down."

In a fleeting moment, Feng Yongjia only caught a glimpse of Bao Ning's outline. Seeing her petite figure and guessing she was young, he instinctively added the word "young" before "madam."

Bao Ning leaned forward, and Feng Yongjia finally saw her face clearly.

She was a girl who had grown up in a pampered environment, with fair and tender cheeks that glowed with a healthy pink hue. Her long eyelashes framed clear, sparkling eyes, making her a beauty he had never encountered before.

Feng Yongjia couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.

"Thank you, but there's no need." Bao Ning didn't take his arm. She held onto the carriage door and lightly jumped down, landing steadily on the ground.

Feng Yongjia felt a bit disappointed. He retracted his hand and let it hang by his side, rubbing his thumb and fingers together. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the coachman busy unloading Pei Yuan's wheelchair, and he quickly went to help.

As the wheelchair was set down, Feng Yongjia was still puzzled about the identity of the benefactor his father mentioned. Who could it be, using such a device? Could it be an old man? Then he saw Bao Ning extend her hand into the carriage.

Soon, a pair of large, well-defined hands reached out from inside, grasping Bao Ning's, leveraging her support to slowly get down from the carriage and sit in the wheelchair.

Feng Yongjia's thoughts were focused on the intertwined hands, and he was momentarily dazed, feeling a pang of jealousy and a sense of injustice.

How could such a beautiful and young woman end up marrying a disabled man? Looking at this dilapidated courtyard, it was almost barren. Why was it that some men had such good fortune? It was truly unfair. Why couldn't he have such good luck?

Bao Ning crouched to help Pei Yuan adjust the small blanket over his legs. Just as she was about to thank the coachman and head back into the courtyard, she noticed Pei Yuan's displeased expression.

Pei Yuan's eyebrows were furrowed, and he impatiently tapped the armrest with his finger, shouting, "Have you seen enough?"

Feng Yongjia was startled by the shout and met Pei Yuan's fierce gaze as he came to his senses.

Feng Yongjia was taken aback, not expecting the person in the wheelchair to be a young man. With an impressive appearance and an air of authority, even though seated, his gaze was as commanding as if he were looking down on others, making Feng Yongjia feel a chill.

Just a cripple, and a poor one at that.

With this thought, Feng Yongjia's previously dispirited mood was reignited.

He recalled his father's words that this person was a benefactor to their family. Feng Yongjia thought that perhaps this person had once been wealthy and had helped his father, but now that he was poor, it was their duty to support him. However, having such a beautiful young wife was undeserved. How could he be worthy? Fate was indeed unjust.

Feng Yongjia's heart was filled with resentment, but there was nothing he could do to change it. He could only suppress his anger and, ignoring Pei Yuan's displeasure, turned to Bao Ning with courteous words.

With a friendly expression, he introduced himself, "Young madam, my name is Feng Yongjia, and I'm the young master of Sanyang Horse Farm. If you need any assistance, just look for me at the horse farm and mention my name."

Pei Yuan let out a sneer, watching him with a half-smile and eyes full of disdain.

He knew exactly what thoughts Feng Yongjia harbored. As a man, it was clear to him. Despising such a person wasn't worth his time; dealing with him would be beneath him.

Pei Yuan didn't even bother to acknowledge him, shifting his gaze away and saying to Bao Ning, "Let's go."

Bao Ning responded affirmatively.

Feng Yongjia stood there, watching Bao Ning open the fence gate and push Pei Yuan inside. She waved her hand, and Sai Feng followed. In the silver moonlight, Bao Ning's silhouette glowed softly, mesmerizing him.

A little yellow dog heard the commotion and rushed out from the house, circling around her feet. Pei Yuan reached out, and the dog leaped onto his lap.

The scene was peaceful and harmonious.

After a while, they entered the house, closed the door, and turned on the light. Feng Yongjia remained there, staring blankly.

The coachman couldn't stand it anymore and patted Feng Yongjia's shoulder. "Hey, young master, are you leaving or not? What are you staring at?"

Feng Yongjia, lost in thought, mumbled, "Life is unfair, so unfair. How is he worthy..."

The coachman couldn't understand his mumbled words and impatiently said, "If you don't leave now, you'll have to run back yourself. I'm heading back to the capital."

Feng Yongjia suddenly sighed, clenched his right hand, and struck his left palm, stomped his foot, and climbed back into the carriage.

The coachman stared at him, muttering, "Crazy." Then he mounted his horse and left.

...

Inside the house, Bao Ning knelt on the heated brick bed, laying out the blankets. After being away all day, the fire in the stove had gone out, and the room was cold. When she put her hand under the blanket, it was also icy.

Bao Ning had Pei Yuan sit on a stool, draped a cloak over his shoulders, and instructed, "Fourth Prince, sit here for a while. I'll boil some water, then we can wash up and go to bed."

She patted her skirt and started to leave.

Pei Yuan called her back, gesturing. "Come here."

"What's the matter?" Bao Ning walked over to him. Pei Yuan, being tall, wasn't much shorter than her even when seated. He reached out and touched her shoulder.

He gently pressed down. "Squat down."

Bao Ning didn't understand but obediently gathered her skirt in front of her and squatted, looking up with a smile. "What's going on?"

Ah Huang, their yellow dog, circled Bao Ning and then stopped, jumping up to place its front paws on Pei Yuan's knee.

Pei Yuan looked at the two pairs of black eyes before him and couldn't help but laugh. The house wasn't big, and the two people and the dog looked at each other calmly, making Pei Yuan feel a rare sense of peace.

He reached out and removed the hairpin from Bao Ning's hair.

Bao Ning was puzzled, feeling her hair lighten. She reached up to touch it, and without the hairpin to hold it, her hair was already loose.

Pei Yuan ran his hands through her hair, undoing it completely, and said in a low voice, "You look better this way."

"Why did you take out my hairpin?" Bao Ning complained. She gathered her hair, patting the ends and feeling sorry for it. "It's touching the ground now."

Pei Yuan, resting his chin on his hand, watched her for a while. He liked Bao Ning like this, with her long hair cascading over her shoulders, making her skin look even fairer and her face softer and more charming.

Pei Yuan picked up Ah Huang and said to Bao Ning, "Call me something else. Don't use that title; it sounds too distant."

Bao Ning thought for a moment, realizing he meant when she called him "Fourth Prince" earlier.

She smiled. "Then what should I call you?"

Pei Yuan replied, "I have a name, don't I?"

Bao Ning tried tentatively, "Pei Yuan?" She said it cautiously, testing, and Pei Yuan felt pleased.

He teasingly reached out to touch her chin, coaxing, "Call me 'big brother'."

Bao Ning's cheeks turned red, and she slapped his hand lightly, whispering, "You're so annoying."

She rubbed her hot earlobes, stood up, and walked out. "I'm going to boil some water."

Returning home late, both were tired. Bao Ning prepared warm water for Pei Yuan to wash up and, after thinking for a while, also filled a hot water bottle and placed it in his bed.

She remembered what Aunt Ming had said, worrying about Pei Yuan's health, fearing that catching a cold would worsen his condition. She wanted to be more considerate.

Pei Yuan disdained such things, feeling hot even in light clothing, but Bao Ning insisted on treating him like a woman in confinement. He wanted to refuse, but seeing her worried look, he relented.

Bao Ning, reassured, left the room, calling Ah Huang to follow. She blew out the lamp before leaving.

Pei Yuan lay down, pushed the hot water bottle to the foot of the bed, and closed his eyes.

Late at night, exhausted from the day's events, he couldn't sleep. Staring at the ceiling, he began to think about the future.

Previously, he was alone, and it didn't matter what he did. Life or death was his own business. Now things were different; he had someone else to care for, a new responsibility.

He couldn't be reckless anymore.

...

In the west wing, Bao Ning finished washing up, wrapped herself in a blanket, and looked at the jar of leeches Aunt Ming had given her.

Afraid of insects, she hesitated for a long time, not daring to open it. Finally, she made up her mind, opened the lid slightly, and peeked inside.

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