Chapter 90

 Pei Yuan’s finger throbbed with pain. He looked down and saw deep teeth marks.

Trying to stay calm, he raised his hand and wiped off the candy stuck to his face, rewrapping it in the candy paper.

It’s over. Baoning is angry. If it were like before, when she was timid, he could still muster some bravado and scold her a bit to scare her. But not now—she’s no longer afraid. She’s been spoiled rotten and even dares to spit candy in his face.

Pei Yuan didn’t have time to curse whoever spilled the beans about Qingluo Fang. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to fix this.

How can I appease her?

Baoning, still sitting on Pei Yuan’s lap, lifted his chin with her finger and asked in a low voice, “How many more things are you hiding from me?”

“None.” Pei Yuan, in this rather embarrassing position, looked up at Baoning. “Really, that was the only thing!”

Baoning pressed, “Then why did you lie to me?”

Pei Yuan replied honestly, “I was afraid you’d get mad.”

“Why would I be mad? Those are all things you did in the past. I can’t hold you accountable for them. I’m not angry.” Baoning looked at Pei Yuan skeptically, “Or is it that you’ve got a sweetheart in Qingluo Fang? Is that why you’re hiding it from me, because you’re guilty?”

Pei Yuan gasped, “How could that be? I don’t care for those women at all!”

Baoning wouldn’t let up, “What do you mean by that? If it’s not the women from Qingluo Fang, are you saying you’d prefer some respectable, beautiful, and virtuous woman instead?”

Pei Yuan couldn’t argue with her. Baoning wasn’t calm at all right now. Whatever he said would be wrong, so he chose to remain silent.

“Oh, I see.” Baoning grew even angrier and pushed his face away. “You can’t find anything to refute, so you’re just admitting it?”

Pei Yuan inwardly groaned. He had never realized how unreasonable women could be when they got worked up. Baoning had always been sweet and a bit willful but within limits. Now she wasn’t being reasonable at all. Sure, it was his fault for not coming clean in the first place, but she couldn’t just pin everything on him!

Pei Yuan was starting to get annoyed too.

Baoning, still straddling his lap, noticed his sudden change in expression and felt a momentary panic. She quickly steadied herself—after all, she wasn’t the one at fault here, so what was there to panic about?

In truth, she hadn’t seriously thought that Pei Yuan was keeping a mistress. She still trusted him in that regard. Most of what she said earlier was just to provoke him, to make him anxious and to remind him not to keep secrets from her in the future. But now, seeing his sour face, he was throwing a tantrum too.

Baoning had planned to make something delicious for dinner tonight to improve their meals and reward Pei Yuan for all the hard work he’d been doing at Ruyi Tower lately.

But now, she wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t feel like cooking for him anymore—he could make do with pickled vegetables!

Baoning got off his lap, straightened her dress, and made for the door.

Pei Yuan grabbed her sleeve and asked in a low voice, “Where are you going?”

“You don’t want to see me, and I don’t want to see you either.” Baoning wouldn’t look at him, her gaze drifting elsewhere. “You can sit here and cool off. I’m going downstairs to make some pear soup—a big pot of it. If any guests come, I’ll give them a bowl, but none for you. You can go home if you want, or go to Qingluo Fang if that’s where you’d rather be. I’ll be staying at Ruyi Tower tonight to keep my distance from you so we don’t bother each other.”

Pei Yuan’s expression darkened even further. “So what, you’re threatening me with separation?”

Baoning’s wrist hurt from his grip, and all the anger she’d been holding back turned into a wave of grievance. Looking at Pei Yuan, she felt an itching frustration. “Fine, let’s separate.”

Pei Yuan continued, “If you don’t go home, what will happen to those little animals you’re raising? The sheep will starve to death, and the dogs will die too. I’m not cleaning up after them.”

Baoning thought, Why is he being so unpleasant? He’s such a pain.

She pursed her lips and said, “I’ll have someone bring them over soon. They’ll be well cared for, so you don’t need to worry.”

“You sure about that?” Pei Yuan scolded, “I’m giving you one last chance—don’t push it! If you force me to lose my temper, it’s you who’ll be embarrassed!”

Baoning felt a sting in her nose, and her eyes reddened. They had been together for so long, and Pei Yuan had always indulged her, letting her have her little tantrums. She had thought that minor spats were part of married life, nothing too serious. After all, she had only bitten him a little—why was he so angry? Besides, he was the one at fault to begin with.

Was he trying to assert his male dominance again?

Baoning’s heart grew cold. She stopped speaking to Pei Yuan, feeling like all her affection had been wasted on him, a dog that could turn on her at any moment.

She broke free from his grip and was about to leave when she suddenly heard him stand up behind her.

In a few quick strides, he was by her side. Startled, Baoning thought he might hit her or something. Just as she was about to dodge, she heard a loud “Woof!”

Baoning stared at Pei Yuan in shock.

“Woof! Woof!” Pei Yuan barked again as he leaned in closer to her. Baoning, initially surprised, burst out laughing and retreated a few steps until she fell into a wicker chair. Pei Yuan leaned on the armrests, his nose just an inch from hers, and continued, “Woof! Woof!”

“Stop it, stop it! My ears are hurting from all that barking,” Baoning laughed so hard she was doubled over.

Pei Yuan pressed down on her shoulders and growled one last menacing “Woof!” before saying, “I told you, don’t push me—otherwise, it’s you who’ll end up embarrassed!”

Baoning’s eyes were misty with laughter. In the span of a few minutes, her emotions had swung wildly—from finding him annoying, to being angry at him, to now thinking Pei Yuan was the most endearing person in the world. She cupped his face in her hands, rubbing it gently, thinking to herself that Pei Yuan really had lost a bit of weight from all the work recently. She should take care of him.

As for the Qingluo Fang issue, it wasn’t all that important anyway. She’d forgive him—after all, he was adorable when he barked like a dog.

Pei Yuan nuzzled his forehead against hers and squinted, asking, “Not angry anymore?”

Baoning wrinkled her nose and responded with a playful “Meow.”

Pei Yuan laughed too. Seeing that Baoning’s mood had calmed, he squatted down and finally dared to explain, “I didn’t lie to deceive you. There’s no one else out there, but this matter is just too embarrassing to talk about. You know how sensitive you are—don’t say things like ‘I wouldn’t have been mad if you had told me earlier’...”

Baoning glared at him, “Am I really that sensitive?”

“Well… I suppose it’s my fault for assuming the worst,” Pei Yuan said, gently biting her finger. “You’re very generous.”

Baoning replied, “You also shouldn’t have snapped at me earlier.”

“I’ve got my pride,” Pei Yuan admitted. “All men need to save face. You have to understand that. And I know girls like to throw tantrums, but you can only do that with me, not with others—not even Ji Yun. If you want to act spoiled, save it for me. At home, you can do whatever makes you happy, okay?”

Baoning asked, “And what about when we’re not at home?”

“When we’re not at home, you have to give me some face. Let people see that I’m the one who wears the pants in this family.” Pei Yuan rubbed her fingers. “Can we agree on that?”

“Got it,” Baoning said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Pei Yuan’s neck. She whispered in his ear, “I’ll take good care of you too, so that other husbands envy you.”

Pei Yuan lifted her by the waist, grinning, “So are we good now?”

“Not so fast,” Baoning leaned against his shoulder. “Don’t think you can get away that easily. You’re cooking dinner tonight—I want braised pork.”

“I don’t know how to make that. Pick something easier.”

Pei Yuan walked around the room with Baoning in his arms, and she seemed to enjoy snuggling against him. It gave him the feeling of having a daughter, as though he were comforting a child.

He liked the feeling of being depended on by Baoning.

“Fine, I’ll make the braised pork, and you cook the rice,” Baoning said with a smile. “What else do you want to eat?”

“I want your fried meatballs.”

“Then you’ll have to help me mix the meat.”

Pei Yuan pouted, “Then give me a kiss.”

Baoning laughed and pushed his face away, “Get away from me—no way, no way!”

Pei Xiao had been waiting for Baoning in the teahouse for almost two hours.

The person he sent to Ruyi Tower saw Baoning there, saying she had gone upstairs to a private room with Pei Yuan. Baoning didn’t seem to be in a good mood, appearing angry. Soon after, they indeed heard sounds of arguing.

Pei Xiao was somewhat pleased. He was waiting for Pei Yuan to storm out in a fit of anger, or for Baoning to leave in a huff, and then he would make his move. Or perhaps, when Baoning left, he could step in to intercept her.

But as the sun began to set, and he drank cup after cup of tea, there was still no further commotion from Ruyi Tower.

Yuanzi, accompanied by a dark-skinned bodyguard named Chen Jia, was playing on a wooden rocking horse by the door, grinning with his teeth showing. Standing by the window, Pei Xiao suddenly felt as though Yuanzi, Baoning, and Pei Yuan were a family of three. He, on the other hand, seemed like an outsider.

He was usually busy with affairs every day, but today, he had taken the whole day off. Was it just to watch his own son having fun with someone else?

Pei Xiao realized how foolish his actions were and furrowed his brows in frustration. He didn’t want to wait any longer. Bringing along Changxi and two armed bodyguards, he left the teahouse and headed straight for Ruyi Tower.

"Young Master! Young Master!" Changxi called from a distance.

Out on the street, it wasn’t appropriate to shout “Your Highness” or “Little Prince,” so Changxi used “Young Master” instead. Yuanzi had never heard this title before and didn’t respond. He continued rocking back and forth on the wooden horse.

Chen Jia, who knew they would come, didn’t react much either, quietly squatting nearby, watching ants build their nest.

Changxi felt utterly ignored and, for a moment, was embarrassed. Just as he was about to call out again, Pei Xiao stopped him. Pei Xiao walked up to Yuanzi, awkwardly patted his head, and said, "Yuanzi, I’ve come to take you home."

Yuanzi looked up at him, confused. When he finally recognized the face, disappointment flickered in his eyes. "Oh," he said, getting off the wooden horse and running toward the building. "Auntie! Auntie!"

Changxi felt even more awkward. Weren’t they here to pick up the child? The joy they had expected from Yuanzi, or the shock and sadness they anticipated from Pei Yuan’s family, didn’t happen. From beginning to end, it felt as if they had been putting on a play. After waiting so long and preparing their expressions and words, it seemed the other party simply didn’t care.

Despite the turmoil within, Pei Xiao remained outwardly calm, his expression serene. He watched Yuanzi’s retreating figure and followed him inside.

Baoning was at the counter, calculating with an abacus, while a female accountant next to her reconciled the accounts. Pei Yuan had gone to great lengths to hire this female accountant, paying her three times what a male accountant would earn. In her thirties, she was highly efficient at her work. Next to the counter was a pot of narcissus flowers, not in bloom, but their leaves were lush and green.

Baoning was mentally preparing dinner for the evening and reflecting on her earlier argument with Pei Yuan. She had forgiven him too easily. Now, in hindsight, she felt Pei Yuan had used some kind of tactic on her. What was it called? Feinting to the east while attacking the west?

Baoning couldn’t figure it out and sighed inwardly. Just two barks from him had tricked her, and now the chance to properly put Pei Yuan in his place was gone.

Yuanzi’s cries brought her back to the moment. When she looked up, she saw Pei Xiao standing at the door.

He was dressed in a deep purple robe, with a black belt around his waist and a long sword hanging at his side. His demeanor was noble, refined, and gentle.

Baoning quickly looked away. In her heart, she categorized Pei Xiao as a bringer of misfortune. Every time she saw him, bad things followed. She wanted to send him off as quickly as possible.

Baoning hugged the approaching Yuanzi, gently pinching his nose. “Alright, your family is here to take you home. I packed your things last night—grab your bundle and head back. I even made you some sweet cakes.”

Yuanzi knew he had to leave today, but when the moment of parting came, he still cried, his eyes turning red. Baoning comforted him for a few moments and then asked Chen Jia to escort Yuanzi.

Chen Jia held the bundle in his arms and asked Pei Xiao, "Do you have a carriage?"

Changxi, still stunned, dumbly answered, "Yes."

Chen Jia nodded. He didn’t know who Pei Xiao was, as Pei Yuan hadn’t told him. Chen Jia assumed Pei Xiao was just some wealthy merchant or official. When he saw how Pei Xiao stared intently at Baoning, it made him uncomfortable.

"Hey, mister," Chen Jia growled, grabbing Pei Xiao’s sleeve and pulling him outside. "If you’re not buying anything, don’t block the door. And watch your eyes—keep staring like that, and you might not live to see tomorrow."

Changxi gasped in shock. "You!"

Pei Xiao stopped him. “Forget it.” This was something he had never experienced before. Normally, if someone had treated him like this, he would have been furious. But since Baoning had driven him out, he wasn’t so angry—just intrigued. Pei Xiao rubbed his forehead. He had a headache. Every time he encountered Baoning, something happened that made his head hurt. But still, he couldn’t resist seeing her again.

Chen Jia lifted Yuanzi into the carriage, urging them to leave quickly, lest the carriage block the street and get them fined by the city patrol.

Changxi was fuming, his face twisted in frustration, but since Pei Xiao didn’t order him to retaliate, he didn’t dare to curse the man.

Pei Xiao settled into the carriage, leaning back against the soft cushions as it began to move. The silhouette of Ruyi Tower gradually faded in the distance. He closed his eyes to rest.

After a while, he turned his head and asked Changxi, "Did the note get to her?"

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