Chapter 66

 Pei Yuan stumbled back to the courtyard in a daze.

Along the way, a part of him still foolishly hoped that Qiu Lingyan was sent by Bao Ning to scare him. How could Bao Ning have left? Where could she possibly go? Maybe she was just upset and playing a little temper with him.

But when he saw the desolate and empty courtyard, two words flashed through Pei Yuan's mind—It's over!

It was truly over.

Just as Qiu Lingyan had said, Bao Ning had made up her mind this time. She didn't want to leave anything behind for him. Even the two vibrant clusters of flowers under the window were dug up, leaving only exposed soil. In the courtyard, a large porcelain jar where fish used to swim was now empty. Even the reclining chair under the pomegranate tree was gone.

Entering the house, the table was still in the same state as last night, scattered and pitifully overturned on the floor. Broken teacups littered the ground, untouched by anyone. Half of the bedding was gone, Bao Ning's pink quilt was missing, leaving only his blue one. Opening the wardrobe, only a few plain black outer robes remained; all of Bao Ning's colorful dresses and skirts were nowhere to be found.

Pei Yuan's heart twisted, wandering aimlessly through the house like a lost soul. Wei Meng stood at the doorway, watching him. Even this man who never fretted over matters of love and affection couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy.

Almost self-torturously, Pei Yuan searched through Bao Ning's makeup box, hoping it was all just a childish game of hide-and-seek.

She had hidden it away, but left no clues for him.

...Pei Yuan couldn't find Bao Ning's makeup box at all.

The dressing table was clean, all the drawers empty except for a brass mirror. She had really steeled herself—turning from a cat into a little leopard, leaving him without a single thought. Pei Yuan guessed that if the mirror on the dressing table wasn't so difficult to remove, she would have taken that too.

With a wooden expression, Pei Yuan paced around the house, the soles of his shoes crunching on broken porcelain. He was certain now—Bao Ning had truly taken everything that belonged to her.

He felt his entire heart constricting.

The panic deep within him expanded slowly, the last remnants of hope vanished. Pei Yuan's mind was now consumed with thoughts—Does Bao Ning not want me anymore? Does she really not want me anymore? I know I was wrong, acted unreasonably, spoke harshly. But Bao Ning, do you really not want to give me another chance?

Come back, stop playing around. If you come back and slap me again, will that be enough?

Or maybe I should bark like a dog for you to hear, huh? Yes, I was wrong, I came back to find you, I'll keep my promise, I am just a dog. Meng Fan isn't a dog of a man, I am. I shouldn't have made you cry, shouldn't have delayed in consoling you, shouldn't have acted so arrogantly. I am not a human being, I deserve to die a thousand deaths.

With this foul temper of mine, no brains, and nothing at all, I still have to keep face. If I had realized yesterday, would you still be so angry? Would you still leave?

Where did you go, Bao Ning?

...

Knowing that Bao Ning had left, Pei Yuan was initially stunned, feeling empty inside, as if in a dream.

Subconsciously, he truly believed he was dreaming. He wasn't fully awake from the alcohol yet. But slowly, as he searched the house and couldn't find Bao Ning, he gradually came to his senses. This wasn't a dream. He had really messed up and lost Bao Ning.

Regret, loss, and confusion.

He had been tough all his life, facing dangers and challenges head-on, growing up in the military camp, mixing with rough characters like Wei Meng, drinking heavily and eating heartily. He always thought of himself as a tough guy who couldn't be swayed by feminine words of weakness and delicacy.

But now, Pei Yuan was truly at a loss. He thought, if he could go back to last night, he wouldn't care about his dignity at all. He would rush back, even if he had to cling to Bao Ning's feet to stop her from leaving.

He had really hurt her heart.

Wei Meng saw Pei Yuan inside the house spinning like a top, round and round, his eyes reddening.

Wei Meng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt dry and he couldn't speak. He wiped his eyes, surprised to find them moist.

Initially, he found it somewhat amusing—a spirited young general encountering a formidable opponent, seeing how disheveled he looked. But as Pei Yuan seemed to lose his mind bit by bit, Wei Meng also felt uneasy.

This empty house, no one would feel good seeing it. What was once a happy home had been turned upside down by a single incident, now devoid of any vitality.

Pei Yuan couldn't stop himself. Whenever he sat down, he felt uncomfortable all over. He stood in front of the dressing table and looked into the mirror. In the reflection, he saw himself disheveled, with stubble on his face, none of the cleanliness that Bao Ning liked. Pei Yuan took a deep breath, wiped his sleeve across his face, then went back to the bedside and pulled open the curtains, finding nothing.

He crouched down to look under the bed, attempting to find Ah Huang, but there was nothing there either.

Suddenly, Pei Yuan remembered the leeches. Had Bao Ning taken the leeches as well?

If she had taken them, did it mean she still cared about him, still remembered his quirks?

If so, it meant she was just throwing a tantrum, hiding somewhere, hoping he would hurry to find her, waiting for him.

... The jar of leeches was neatly placed on the shelf, untouched when Bao Ning packed up in the middle of the night.

Pei Yuan's fingertips trembled.

It's really over. There was no glimmer of hope left. Bao Ning simply didn't want him anymore.

"Young General," Wei Meng spoke up hoarsely, "don't wander around aimlessly. What's the use of that? It's just been half a day. She couldn't have gone far. Let me instruct the brothers to go and search. Maybe we can bring her back."

Only then did Pei Yuan snap out of it. He had lost his composure just now and had forgotten to send people out.

There was no use crying and wailing here. The urgent matter was to find her as soon as possible. If she wanted to scold or hit him when she returned, so be it. He could endure a few more slaps. After all, he was tough-skinned and it wouldn't hurt much.

Pei Yuan ordered himself to calm down, to clear his mind. After pondering for a moment, he instructed in a deep voice:

"Wei Meng, take the Brothers of Benlang to search outside the city. Four city gates, eight side gates, a total of twelve small roads. Send thirty men on each road to search. Keep searching even if you don't find her immediately. No one is allowed to return early!"

"For the city, I'll leave it to Qiu Mingshan. He's responsible for the mess his two daughters caused. Even the tiniest corner of the capital city, don't let it go unchecked!"

"And the Ji family, assign someone to watch them, especially Ji Yun. Find out who delivered letters to their home, where their servants went to buy groceries. Investigate everything thoroughly for me."

"And... " Pei Yuan's gaze swept over Qiu Lingyan, who had been squatting in the corner all this time. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Lock her up for me. Until we find Bao Ning, neither of these sisters is allowed to run!"

Pei Yuan walked briskly out with his hands behind his back, his voice as cold as ice: "Wei Meng, go tell Qiu Mingshan. If we don't find Bao Ning within three days, I'll kill his daughter first, then burn down his house. I can't live in disgrace. Let him see if I can do it!"

"He's gone mad... This young madman has really gone mad this time..." Wei Meng looked at Pei Yuan's back, sighed heavily, then loudly acknowledged the order and went to carry it out.

...

While Pei Yuan frantically searched for people, Bao Ning was peacefully staying in the manor, lying under the grape arbor, basking in the sun.

The journey from Li Lake to the capital wasn't particularly close or far—it took most of the day for the carriage to arrive. Here, Ji Yun had arranged everything well: the house was regularly cleaned, and there were plenty of clothes and bedding. Bao Ning bathed, dried her hair, and half-closed her eyes, listening absentmindedly to Liu Mama chattering nearby.

Layers of large grape leaves shielded the harsh sunlight, creating a cool and comfortable shade underneath. The pleasant chirping of cicadas eased Bao Ning's melancholy mood since last night.

Liu Mama sighed, "The Fourth Prince must already be frantic! Madam, shall we send a letter to the Fourth Prince? He should realize his mistake by now. It's normal for young couples to quarrel. It shouldn't be something irreparable."

Bao Ning opened her eyes and looked at her sternly, "No one is allowed to go out and deliver any letters. If I find out, you'll be kicked out!"

Liu Mama was startled by her tone and quickly nodded in agreement.

Bao Ning picked up a sweet date from the small table beside her and put it in her mouth, saying, "Also, from now on, don't mention anything about him. I don't want to hear it."

Surprised by Bao Ning's serious expression, Liu Mama sighed and complied.

"Go about your business. I'll manage on my own later," Bao Ning said.

Liu Mama respectfully left. After taking a few steps, she couldn't help but glance back at Bao Ning. In her heart, she thought admiringly, Bao Ning's demeanor was becoming more and more like that of a mistress of the house.

With no one around, Bao Ning slowly relaxed her tense posture. She stared at her fingertips, but Pei Yuan's face gradually appeared in her mind again. Bao Ning chewed another date angrily, trying to forget him.

She wasn't a heartless person. Despite all the annoying things Pei Yuan had done in the past, making her cry so many times, she had forgiven him and treated him well, coaxing him. Bao Ning wanted to be a loving couple with Pei Yuan, understanding each other's flaws, tolerating them, and improving together.

But this time, Pei Yuan had clearly crossed her bottom line. She couldn't find a reason to forgive him anymore.

A man taking a concubine...

Just thinking about the look on Pei Yuan's face when he said those words made her heart tremble with anger.

Let him go and take a concubine. She could live here alone. Was she unable to live without Pei Yuan?

Bao Ning stood up, brushed off her skirt, and walked toward the shelf. Ah Huang and Ah Mian stopped playing and happily followed her. The sun was setting, casting long shadows of them. Ah Huang looked majestic, like a big dog.

Bao Ning turned around and patted their heads, smiling, "Would you like to have some fresh flower cakes?"

Ah Huang and Ah Mian barked softly. Bao Ning's anger towards Pei Yuan dissipated as she leaned down to stroke their fluffy faces.

"You two are much better than him."

Bao Ning lifted her skirt and ran towards the kitchen, winking at them, "The first one to catch up with me gets two pieces!"

...

Pei Yuan hadn't slept a wink for two days in a row.

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