Chapter 46

 "Meng Fan also laughed, 'So young and yet so confident. Do you know who I am?'

The man in front of her was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a very handsome appearance, possibly due to long years spent with the furnace, his face was a bronze color, and his eyes carried a hint of arrogance.

Baoning thought to herself that this was a common trait among successful men in their careers, always thinking highly of themselves.

She asked, 'Who are you?'

Meng Fan squinted, 'Have you heard of Lianheng Pavilion in the capital? It's the largest goldsmith in the dynasty. Many of the hairpins and ornaments worn by the palace ladies are crafted by my shop, designed based on my drawings. I started working with gold at the age of six, became a journeyman at fifteen, and have been in this trade for nineteen years now. Throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, if you can find someone stronger than me, I'll call you Granny.'

Baoning shook her head with a smile, 'Even if we try, we probably won't find anyone.'

Meng Fan raised an eyebrow.

Pei Yuan couldn't sit still anymore. He felt like he was losing his mind, why were they really doing this with Baoning?

She had been upset last night and threw a tantrum. Let her do as she pleased. It would pass, yet he had brought her here to forge the Tiger Seal for nothing. Knowing it was impossible, he had let her suffer in front of others for no reason.

Pei Yuan stood up, grabbed Baoning's wrist, and tried to lead her outside, whispering, 'Let's forget about this. Let's go home, and I'll take you to buy something delicious.'

Baoning didn't move, instead asking Pei Yuan, 'What is the Tiger Seal used for?'

Meng Fan burst into laughter, 'Truly ignorant women. This object is used to command troops! Originally one piece, it was split in half by a single stroke. One half is in the Emperor's hands, and the other half in the hands of the generals. In the event of an emergency, the two halves are joined to mobilize tens of thousands of troops.'

He continued, 'But to prevent counterfeiting, the Tiger Seal has always been made with profound techniques. The original paste is a mixture of gold and bronze, with slightly adjusted proportions resulting in different colors. Combined with the runes and deliberate wear on its surface, each Tiger Seal is unique. Once lost, it's almost impossible to recreate the original.'

Meng Fan frowned, 'I've exhausted all my lifelong learning, but imitation can never match the real thing.'

There was a moment of silence in the room. Baoning suddenly spoke up, 'So...'

Baoning asked, 'Since each piece is unique, and no one remembers what the lost half looked like, why must we absolutely create another half to match it?'

Meng Fan was stunned.

Pei Yuan was also stunned, looking at her.

Baoning continued, 'Let's just hide the half that the Emperor gave away and forge a new pair. We can finish it in two days, right?'

After saying this, Meng Fan looked incredulous.

Pei Yuan suddenly regained his senses, his eyes brightened, staring intently at Baoning.

All along, they had been thinking about forging a piece identical to the original half. It was like a vicious cycle they were trapped in, using every possible method. Yet, they never thought that by breaking free from this cycle, things could become so easy.

In their anxious efforts for half a month, Baoning was the one who jumped out in the end. She did it with just a blink of an eye.

Baoning was still being pulled by Pei Yuan's wrist. She hesitated for a moment and asked, 'You've never thought of such a simple solution?'

Pei Yuan looked at Meng Fan, who was red-faced and embarrassed, not as confident as before, and suddenly smiled.

He stepped forward and hammered Meng Fan's shoulder with a fist, saying coldly, 'Hurry, call someone.'

Meng Fan's voice was hoarse, 'Call who?'

Pei Yuan remained silent.

Meng Fan suddenly understood. Pei Yuan was referring to his arrogant words earlier, saying that if someone stronger than him could be found, Baoning would be called Granny.

Meng Fan was only an inch shorter than Pei Yuan, standing tall like a mountain, Baoning gazing up at him.

"Gr...," Meng Fan gritted his teeth, extremely reluctant, struggling for a while before finally squeezing out, "Granny, I was wrong!"

Baoning laughed, feeling much of the anger she had against Pei Yuan last night dissipate, feeling relieved.

Pei Yuan's eyes softened, looking at her with lowered eyes, reaching out to touch her cheek. Baoning noticed and dodged away.

She threatened softly, 'I'll settle the score with you when we get home.'

Pei Yuan was speechless.

...

Baoning stayed in the small shop until evening. Meng Fan was highly skilled, and she didn't need to intervene in the later stages. Baoning kept thinking about the creatures in her family's nest, and after dark, she returned home.

Pei Yuan followed closely behind her.

Baoning had never been angry with him for such a long time. Pei Yuan had started out calm, but today Baoning refused to say a word to him. Pei Yuan was really anxious.

The carriage was parked outside. Baoning held onto the crossbeam and tried to climb up. After a day of exhaustion, her arms were weak, and she almost missed a step, stumbling.

Pei Yuan supported her waist from behind, 'Slow down.'

Baoning struggled a bit, 'Don't touch me.'

'You can't get up by yourself,' Pei Yuan coaxed her. 'I'll carry you.'

'I used to get on the carriage by myself.' Baoning muttered.

Pei Yuan remained silent. After a while, he softly said, 'Hmm, my fault, I haven't been caring enough for you.'

Baoning was somewhat surprised. She knew that saying this had nothing to do with Pei Yuan. She meant to say that when she was in the Duke's mansion before, she used to get on the carriage by herself.

Pei Yuan seemed to be a bit overreacting now, no matter what she said, he would think about it in a way that was trying to apologize.

Baoning pursed her lips and smiled. She felt it was nice that men couldn't be too indulgent.

'Then don't carry me.' Pei Yuan squatted down and pulled her ankle up to his shoulder, 'Do you think this will work?'

Baoning looked down at him, a strange thought crossing her mind.

She hardened her heart, stepped on his shoulder and got up, sitting steadily in the carriage. Pei Yuan soon followed suit, sitting next to her.

The inside of the carriage was pitch dark. Baoning leaned against the wall, closed her eyes and rested. She could hear Pei Yuan's breathing. He must have been staring at her.

He pulled back and touched his nose.

After a while, he felt that being so timid didn't seem like him. How could he not hug his own woman? With determination, Pei Yuan approached with a shy face and pulled Bao Ning into his arms.

Bao Ning turned her head and fiercely bit into his shoulder. Pei Yuan endured it and didn't let go.

Bao Ning's bite was solid. She was angry that Pei Yuan always only thought about himself and didn't consider her opinion. This person had a stubborn temper, like a stubborn rock. Bao Ning had endured him for a long time and finally caught the opportunity to teach him a lesson.

She didn't let go of her bite. The pointed tips of her tiger teeth sank into Pei Yuan's flesh, tasting a faint taste of blood, before lifting her head.

"Does it hurt?"

Pei Yuan looked ahead expressionlessly, one hand still on the back of her head, and replied lightly, "It doesn't hurt."

Bao Ning gritted her teeth. The slight sympathy she had for him vanished. She wanted to bite him again but was stopped by Pei Yuan gripping her chin.

"In this world, you're the first person to dare to bite me."

"And then?" Bao Ning asked.

Pei Yuan looked into her clear, watery eyes, reflecting a tiny image of himself.

Pei Yuan softened and said, "Forget it."

He adjusted Bao Ning from his left side to his right by lifting her knee bend, and leaned his shoulder over. "If you like, bite the other side."

Bao Ning had no words.

As a husband, Pei Yuan had many shortcomings. He wasn't attentive enough, had a quick temper, rarely showed affectionate gestures, and when he got angry, he disciplined her as if she were one of his soldiers.

But his strengths were also evident. Within the boundaries he set, she could do as she pleased. He could also compromise, albeit only in action. His stubborn mouth guarded his dignity as a man.

Bao Ning just wanted to hear a few soft words that girls loved.

Pei Yuan looked at her. Seeing Bao Ning hanging her head without a word, he was more uncomfortable than when she had bitten him fiercely just now. "Don't want to bite my shoulder anymore?"

He leaned closer, rarely taking this initiative, which was somewhat embarrassing for him. "Or would you prefer to bite somewhere else?"

Pei Yuan kissed the corner of her lips. "It's soft here and won't waste your strength."

Embarrassed, Bao Ning pushed his face away. "Don't you feel ashamed to get close to me now? Yesterday in the study, didn't you deliberately keep your distance from me?"

"You've already punished me. Staying so cold for so long hurt my feelings." Pei Yuan rubbed her face like an annoying dog.

"I just worry you won't learn." Bao Ning said with a straight face.

"I've learned. I won't do it again." Pei Yuan said. "Give me another chance."

Bao Ning was a small bundle. Pei Yuan held her in his arms and rubbed her, using his strength to comfort her. He kissed her cheek affectionately, starting from her chin and moving up along her nose. His lips were rough, and Bao Ning's skin was tender, making her feel sore. But she couldn't push him away and, in a hurry, reached out to scratch him around his waist.

Pei Yuan's figure suddenly paused. Stopping his hand, Bao Ning had already been drooled on his face. She quickly jumped off him and wiped her face with her sleeve.

"You're really annoying."

"I'm annoying again." Pei Yuan repeated her words. He was a bit anxious, more confused.

Facing Bao Ning, he couldn't figure it out. He tried to coax her carefully. "What should I do then?"

After saying that, he felt that it undermined his dignity as a man. Pei Yuan's face darkened, and he tried to achieve his goal through intimidation, his tone harsher. "Listen to me. Stop causing trouble."

Bao Ning widened her eyes. "You said you've learned. Have you forgotten this morning's agreement?"

Pei Yuan shut up.

Imitating Pei Yuan's way of scolding her, Bao Ning scolded, "Fold up your annoying attitude. From now on, in this house, I'm the boss. You have to listen to me unconditionally!"

Pei Yuan was shocked.

The carriage stopped. The coachman heard the noise inside and knew Pei Yuan's temper. He didn't dare to let Pei Yuan know that he had seen him embarrassed and didn't dare to open the door. He just knocked, "Fourth Prince, Princess, we've arrived."

Bao Ning pointed to the carriage door, urging Pei Yuan, "Hurry up and open the door, help me back to the house. Then go to the kitchen and cook. I'm hungry, Ah Huang is hungry, and Little Lamb is hungry too. I want vegetarian buns and crystal shrimp dumplings. Ah Huang wants chicken liver porridge, and Little Lamb wants milk with bone powder. Also, the little leeches in the porcelain jar need to eat snails. Before bed, I want to eat a hundred melon seeds, and you'll peel them for me. I also want to rinse my mouth, wash my face, wash my feet, with rose petals in the footbath and jasmine essential oil added. Oh, making the bed is your job too. Remember to wipe the floor before bedtime. I don't like others entering my room, so you have to do it."

Pei Yuan's hand rested on his knee, already clenched into a fist.

Bao Ning smiled with her eyes curved. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

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