Chapter 43

 Pei Yuan entered the room without turning on the light, so it was pitch dark inside. Baoning sat on the bed, while Pei Yuan was outside, separated by a green silk partition. Baoning listened to him shouting.

"Ji Baoning, I'll count to three, and you'd better open this door!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

After counting to two, Pei Yuan deliberately waited for a moment. When there was no response, he started to panic a bit.

But he couldn't bring himself to soften his tone, so he forced himself to keep knocking on the door, his voice even harsher: "Have you grown bolder? You dare not listen to me now?"

"I'm giving you one more chance."

Pei Yuan hummed, not sure if he was giving himself an out, and gestured with his fingers in the air: "I'll count again. If you don't open the door after three counts, Ji Baoning, you better think carefully!"

"Three..."

"Two, I'm about to count to two."

"Two!"

Suddenly, the wooden door was pulled open with a swish. Baoning stood on the footrest of the canopy bed, looking down at him with wide eyes: "Pei Yuan, you're as childish as a puppy!"

"Watch your tone! Who do you think you're being rude to?!"

Pei Yuan shot her a glare, his face stern, but he was relieved inside.

Luckily, she opened the door; otherwise, he really wouldn't know what to do.

He couldn't actually break the door down, as that would result in Baoning ignoring him for several days. But he also couldn't lower himself to beg. The best strategy was to have her open the door willingly.

Pei Yuan didn't understand why Baoning was angry or why she had locked him out.

But there was something more important now: What was she hiding on the bed?

"Move aside." Pei Yuan stood up, pushing Baoning to the side, and started searching through her bedding. Finding nothing, he became even more puzzled.

He clearly heard strange noises earlier. He searched again.

Baoning stood by with her arms crossed, lips pursed, unwilling to say anything more.

This man was being unreasonable and had crossed the line.

Not coming home for the night without an explanation, returning in the middle of the night, banging on the door, yelling, and now rummaging through her bed.

He might as well not have come back at all; it would be better if he just left!

Ah Huang lay at her feet, its green eyes fixed on Pei Yuan’s movements.

The canopy bed was like a small room, with a bed inside, a half-step footrest outside, along with a small table and cabinet, and then the green silk partition acting as a dividing door.

Pei Yuan stood on the footrest, staring at the messy bed, deep in thought, finally realizing he might have done something wrong.

Initially, he hadn't suspected Baoning of any wrongdoing. He just wanted to ask her nicely.

But Baoning had shown him a sour face, kicked him down, and refused to let him in. He had to put on a stern face, holding back from giving in.

Now, feeling uncomfortable and a bit regretful, Pei Yuan turned around, masking his voice with coldness: "Why haven't you lit the lamp yet?"

Baoning looked at him in disbelief: "How could you say that? It's completely unreasonable!"

She remembered half a month ago, in the small courtyard, when Pei Yuan had held her gently and apologized for a long time, promising to treat her like a normal couple and to change if he did anything wrong.

She had been deeply moved then, thinking Pei Yuan had really come to understand. But look at him now, back to being the sour-faced monkey.

"I have nothing I can't say." Pei Yuan said seriously, "As the husband, my word is law. When I speak, you must listen."

Baoning was so angry her fingertips felt cold.

Normally, she would still be afraid of Pei Yuan. But today, perhaps emboldened or truly angered, Baoning didn't even want to say anything polite. She walked past him barefoot, sat on the edge of the bed, and pointed outside: "Do as you please. If you want to go crazy, do it outside. Stop disturbing my peace here."

Pei Yuan snorted coldly.

After a while of tension, Pei Yuan conceded, finding the firestone to light the lamp himself.

The room lit up suddenly.

Behind the green silk partition, half of the lamb's head poked out, looking at Pei Yuan's back in confusion. When Pei Yuan turned around and met its eyes.

"Oh my god, what is that!"

The lamb bleated: "Baa—"

Pei Yuan was stunned for a moment, his brow twitching: "Ji Baoning, you better explain this to me."

Baoning looked at him with red eyes: "Pei Yuan, you should stop calling me by my full name. I really don't like it."

She dared to talk back to him now. Pei Yuan was momentarily taken aback, his fist clenched at his side, but he finally relented and changed his tone: "Baoning."

Baoning hummed in response.

She kept her head down, her hair falling gently over her shoulders. From Pei Yuan's angle, he could only see her smooth, full forehead and slightly reddened nose.

When she cried, her eyes would turn red first, then her nose. Pei Yuan had seen it many times. Seeing this, all the anger and frustration in his heart dissipated, replaced by panic and guilt.

"Why are you crying again? We were talking fine just now."

Pei Yuan walked over to her and sat beside her, his tone much softer: "You kicked me to the ground first. How dare you play the victim?"

Baoning kept her head down: "I didn't mean to. I just saw a shadow and thought it was a bad person."

Pei Yuan pinched her chin, lifting her face to see that her eyes were only red without tears, and he felt relieved.

"The General's Mansion is heavily guarded. Not even a strange bird can fly in. There won't be any bad people."

His tone was no longer aggressive, but gentle: "Alright, it's my fault. Next time if I come back late, I'll knock first and won't scare you."

Baoning thought to herself that she had bet correctly. Pei Yuan was someone who responded to softness, not hardness. The more you opposed him, the higher he would raise his hoof, not knowing what kind of madness he would unleash.

But if you ignored him and shed a few tears, he would immediately become compliant.

Baoning said softly: "I waited for you all night yesterday."

Pei Yuan, distracted by the lamb, didn't hear her clearly and asked again: "What?"

"Where were you last night? You didn't even send me a message. Were you that busy?" Baoning looked at him, "I didn't know what you were doing and was very worried. I waited for you all night, but you didn't come back."

"Don't you think that's too much?"

Pei Yuan was speechless.

Last night, he had been discussing important matters until very late and felt too tired to return. He spent the night in Qiu Mingshan's study, forgetting to inform Baoning. He had thought about sending a message but didn't see the need, thinking it was unnecessary. He didn't realize Baoning would wait for him.

Feeling even more guilty, Pei Yuan now regretted his earlier actions. His fingers fidgeted, unsure of what to do to make amends.

Baoning hadn't expected him to feel remorse. She just wanted to express her feelings. If Pei Yuan could notify her next time, she would be satisfied.

"After all this fuss, you must be tired." Baoning sighed and started making the bed. "Let's rest early. Don't you have to get up early tomorrow?"

Pei Yuan stared at her back, suddenly grabbing her arm: "Wait a moment."

Baoning, now calm, continued making the bed without turning around: "What is it?"

"Close your eyes first." Pei Yuan said, "Close your eyes and do as I say. I want to show you something."

"Stop being mysterious. Just show it to me." Baoning finished making the bed, kneeling and looking at Pei Yuan, "Aren't you tired?"

Pei Yuan pressed his lips together: "Just listen."

Baoning, exasperated, closed her eyes: "Hurry up then."

Feeling uneasy, Pei Yuan coughed and sat with his back to her, pointing to his head: "Put your hands here."

Baoning did as told. Pei Yuan then touched her thigh, making her gasp: "What are you doing?"

"Just follow along." Pei Yuan snapped, "Don't open your eyes, and follow my movements."

Baoning pursed her lips, feeling her legs being lifted. She sensed her legs were placed on his shoulders.

"What are you doing..." Baoning was nervous, "Don't mess around, I'm scared."

"Don't worry, you won't fall." Pei Yuan assured, "Are you steady?"

Baoning nodded nervously. She regretted opposing Pei Yuan earlier, realizing she had no advantage in strength. What was she thinking? Now she felt tricked.

Pei Yuan lifted her other leg and suddenly hoisted her up.

Baoning cried out, opening her eyes to find herself in an awkward position, sitting on Pei Yuan's shoulders, her legs hanging down his chest, her fingers instinctively gripping his chin.

She was riding on Pei Yuan's shoulders like a child playing horsey with their father.

"If you scratch me, I'll throw you off." Pei Yuan hissed, "Retract your claws."

Baoning, bewildered, complied, touching his skin gently with her fingertips.

Pei Yuan, holding her legs for balance, stood up steadily.

Baoning's view suddenly expanded. From her current perspective, she felt like a giant, the room in full view, with Ah Huang and the lamb staring at her in surprise.

"I..." Baoning was scared but wanted to laugh. Her earlier frustration vanished. She touched Pei Yuan's face and couldn't help but laugh: "What are you doing..."

"I'm making amends for my mistake, trying to cheer you up?" Pei Yuan's hands slid down to hold her ankles, "Enjoy it. This is a one-time thing. You're the first person to ride on my shoulders."

"It's not like I forced you..." Baoning pouted, "Besides, I'm not that mad."

Pei Yuan chuckled: "You know yourself."

Baoning laughed even more.

However, concerned about Pei Yuan's leg, Baoning didn't dare to mess around too much and quickly asked to come down.

Pei Yuan didn't feel tired, just a bit embarrassed. Even after lowering her, his face remained tense.

His earlier action was purely impulsive. He couldn't stand seeing Baoning look so aggrieved. Unfortunately, he was not good with words; sweet talk was as difficult as climbing a mountain for him, so he had no other choice but to act this way.

He didn't have the energy to care about the lamb anymore. He went and blew out the lamp, didn't wash his face or feet, and lay down on the bed, saying coldly, "Sleep."

Baoning snuggled next to him and tentatively asked, "Shall I massage your leg?"

"Didn't you hear me tell you to sleep?" Pei Yuan angrily slapped the bed. "We have to get up early tomorrow. If you dare make another sound, I'll throw you out."

Baoning was used to his behavior and didn't mind. She smiled, tucked him in, and lay down on the other side.

Pei Yuan seemed truly tired; he fell asleep quickly and started snoring lightly.

Baoning lay on her side, secretly pulling at Pei Yuan's hair, thinking that their relationship was quite strange. They hadn't had a proper conversation for a long time. When they finally met, instead of sharing affection, they ended up arguing.

But there were some benefits. The subtle sense of distance between them had disappeared, and it felt like they were back to the way they were in the small courtyard. More importantly, she dared to speak her true feelings to him now.

And Pei Yuan was indeed changing little by little.

The next day, Baoning got up very early. She was somewhat familiar with the kitchen staff and shamelessly borrowed a pot to make a hearty breakfast for Pei Yuan as a reward for his hard work these past days.

Pei Yuan, rarely still asleep, made the room very quiet. Baoning watched his sleeping face for a while, suddenly remembered something, and felt a pang of anxiety.

She quietly rolled up his sleeve to check the poison on his wrist.

..................................................................................................................

Previous                                                                                        Next