Chapter 94

 Baoning thought Su Mingyou was a little foolish—her intentions were too obvious, and she spoke without subtlety. The most critical flaw was that, without first earning Baoning’s trust, she had already begun speaking about such private matters. How could one attempt to sow discord like that?

But why was Su Mingyou treating her this way? Baoning couldn’t understand. Things had clearly been fine between them at first—was it because she had fed her too well, that she suddenly had time for such idle scheming?

Regardless, this box…

Baoning fiddled with the tiny, delicate lock on the box. She truly wanted to know what was inside—and she could no longer allow Pei Yuan to keep guarding this secret alone. The more secrets there were between them, the deeper the divide would grow. Today it was Su Mingyou trying to stir up trouble—what if, in the future, someone more cunning came along? Would she fall for it then?

Baoning put the box back on the shelf. Then she changed into a pomegranate-red ruqun that Pei Yuan liked, tidied her hair a little, and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was going to be a novel dish Baoning vaguely remembered from a storybook—braised rice, assorted braised rice.

She chopped up leftover vegetables and meat into tiny cubes, stir-fried them for fragrance, then simmered them together with rice. Once it was cooked, it could be eaten as-is.

Baoning wanted to make Pei Yuan happy tonight, so she slightly improved the recipe. She steamed the rice in a wooden bucket first, then took the tender meat off a leftover pork bone from last night, cut it into chunks, and set it aside. She then prepared sweet corn, potatoes, green peas, sweet potatoes, and a golden-orange little pumpkin from their cellar.

Thinking further, she added a palm-sized piece of smoked ham—a gift from the general of Yunnan, sent over from thousands of miles away.

Baoning had always wondered what exactly Pei Yuan was so busy with every day. She never really understood, but now it seemed he was achieving results—people were sending him gifts: shrimp from Bohai, smoked meat from Yunnan, lychees from Lingnan… Even some official from Jiangxi, whose name she didn’t remember, had sent two massive blue-and-white porcelain vats, which now sat by the front gate housing fish.

She set the corn kernels aside, diced the remaining vegetables and meat, then stir-fried them with oil and salt until fragrant. Soon, the kitchen was filled with a complex aroma.

She spread the fragrant stir-fry and corn over the rice, covered the pot, and let it simmer on low heat. While waiting, she began preparing braised loaches. Loach meat is tender, tasty, and free of small bones—perfect for someone as picky and lazy as Pei Yuan.

Baoning timed the cooking carefully. Just as everything was ready, she heard Nanny Liu call out,
“His Highness has returned!”

By then, the scent of food had filled both the kitchen and the small courtyard. Pei Yuan looked travel-worn and exhausted, but the moment he stepped through the gate and saw the curling smoke from the kitchen, along with the warm yellow light glowing from the house, a smile tugged at his lips.

He handed his coat to Nanny Liu and headed straight into the kitchen.
“What’s for dinner, wifey?” he asked with a grin.

Baoning sprinkled some chopped scallions over the rice and added a ladle of bone broth.
“Lots of meat and fish,” she replied.

The fragrance of scallions and meat wafted into the air like it had eyes, burrowing straight into the nose. Pei Yuan took a deep whiff.
“Smells damned good!”

Baoning smiled at him.
“Take it to the room, and call Nanny Liu too—it’s time to feed the dogs.”

Pei Yuan rolled up his sleeves and carried the pot. As they walked side by side, he glanced at Baoning and found her oddly strange today—she was too gentle and unusually well-dressed. Not that she hadn’t been gentle or pretty before, but today… it was a bit too much.

Baoning followed behind with the fish dish, and asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Pei Yuan got straight to the point:
“Do you need a favor?”

Baoning stared at him, then awkwardly averted her gaze.
“Nonsense, what could I possibly want?”

It was about the box. She wanted to ask him about it—but she couldn’t just bring it up directly. She had to soften him up first, which is why she made a table full of good food. But even though she’d gone through all that trouble, he saw right through her with one sentence—and she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. Why was he so completely oblivious to the mood?

Pei Yuan stepped over the threshold, set down the pot and dishes, raised an eyebrow at her, and asked,
“What happened? Spent all your money? You look so pitiful—here to beg my forgiveness?”

Baoning was sure that the strings in Pei Yuan’s brain were wired differently from normal people. Who would jump to that conclusion?

She shook her head.
“No.”

“Even if you did, it’s fine,” Pei Yuan said, picking up a piece of loach meat with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth. With his free hand, he pinched Baoning’s nose and chuckled,
“As long as you’re not raising a pretty boy on the side or doing anything outrageous, is there anything I can’t cover for you? So what is it—what kind of trouble did you cause to go through all this effort?”

He flicked the earring dangling from Baoning’s ear.
“Dressed up like a pomegranate blossom.”

Baoning’s cheeks flushed. She clutched her bowl in both hands, not knowing how to respond.

“Not going to say?” he asked.

Baoning said, "Isn’t it all thanks to your good sister-in-law!"

Pei Yuan was confused. "What about her?"

Baoning recounted everything that had happened that day in full detail. Watching Pei Yuan’s face grow darker and darker, she finally said, “I didn’t get into trouble. I just wanted to make you happy, and hoped you’d tell me about that little box... Of course, if it’s inconvenient, it’s fine too.”

She stirred the rice in her bowl. “You just need to know your good sister-in-law is acting strange. If she comes to you later with gossip, don’t believe her.”

Pei Yuan replied blandly, “I’m not that stupid.”

Baoning snuck a glance at him, a bit disappointed. He really didn’t bring up the box—so he didn’t want to talk about it.

They ate in silence. Occasionally, a few dog barks could be heard outside, making the quiet inside feel even more still—only the clinking of bowls and chewing sounds remained.

Halfway through the meal, Pei Yuan picked up a piece of meat for Baoning and said, “If she bullies you again, just kick her out. How can you be mistreated in your own home by an outsider?”

Baoning nibbled at her chopstick and said softly, “But she’s the eldest sister-in-law. The saying goes, ‘An elder sister-in-law is like a mother.’”

“She’s not worthy of that title,” Pei Yuan snorted. “Stop associating with her. I’ll give her a warning tomorrow and make sure she behaves.”

Baoning nodded.

They didn’t talk anymore after that. Once dinner was done, Nanny Liu cleared the table. Pei Yuan went to bathe while Baoning sat on the doorstep, gazing at the moon. The crescent moon hung like a hook, and Ah Huang and Jixiang ran around the courtyard. Baoning held a few raisins in her hand, slowly popping them into her mouth.

Her mood had calmed. The earlier disappointment had mostly faded. She was used to comforting herself. Everyone has scars in their heart. Pei Yuan was a proud man—he wouldn't show weakness in front of others. If there was something he didn’t want to talk about, he’d just lock it away. Baoning could understand.

She didn’t need to dig to the bottom of it. The matter of the box—she could let it go...

A small mosquito buzzed in front of her. She couldn’t swat it away, so she went inside to fetch a long sheer veil, draping it over her head and face, and continued to look up at the moon.

The hazy moonlight looked even more beautiful through the gauze.

“What are you thinking about?” Pei Yuan came out as she was lost in thought. Bare-chested, he sat beside her with a dry cloth in hand, rubbing his hair. He called her, “My little pomegranate blossom.”

Baoning glanced at her skirt—it was pomegranate red. She had even matched her earrings. Being called that by him made her a little upset. “Does it look tacky?”

“How could it?” Pei Yuan leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Our Ningning is the most beautiful.”

Baoning smiled. She turned her head and kissed him back, right on his eyelid. The ticklish feeling made Pei Yuan squint. He tossed the towel to the ground, pulled Baoning into his lap. The gauzy veil slipped from her face and landed on the floor, but he didn’t care—he lowered his head and caught her lips in his.

A sweet, tangy scent of grapes—soft and sweet.

“Baby, open your mouth,” Pei Yuan coaxed gently.

Baoning curled up in his arms, obedient in these moments. Her lips parted slightly. Pei Yuan praised her, “Good girl.”

She could smell the faint cool fragrance on him. It was the first time she realized Pei Yuan smelled so nice.

They didn’t separate for a long while.

Pei Yuan tightened his arms around her waist. Baoning leaned against his shoulder, breathing softly. He was so gentle today. Usually, he liked to bite, always leaving her sore. But not this time.

Ever since he came out of the bath, he had seemed... off.

Baoning, eyes closed, let her thoughts wander. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted. Pei Yuan placed her gently on a floor cushion. When she opened her eyes, something cool had appeared in her hands.

A small, delicate set of keys.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“For you,” Pei Yuan knelt on one knee in front of her and hooked her chin, “Didn’t you want to know what’s in that box? From now on, you’ll keep it. It’s not anything mysterious, really—just the only remaining belonging of my mother, your mother-in-law. It’s the last keepsake of her in this world. I used to think about her a lot. But after I had you, not so much anymore. When she was alive, she said sons always forget their mothers when they get married. Seems like she was right. But... whenever I think of her, it’s never a good feeling. Now that I don’t, I seem more normal. If she’s watching from somewhere, she’d be happy—and grateful to you.”

Pei Yuan was smiling as he said this, but Baoning felt sad looking into his eyes.

She asked softly, “Why is it the last item?”

“When she died, all her things were burned. Because her death was considered inauspicious,” Pei Yuan replied. “If you want to see it, wait until I leave tomorrow and look at it in secret. Don’t let me catch you. It gives me a headache.”

Baoning thought Pei Yuan looked especially fragile now. There was no sadness on his face and his tone was calm, but that made it hurt more.

Her heart filled with love and tenderness for him. Suddenly, a wave of motherly affection overwhelmed her. She spread her arms and said, “Come here. Let me hold you.”

Pei Yuan chuckled. “What for? Don’t try to comfort me. I don’t want to hear it.”

“I won’t say anything,” Baoning leaned in, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested his head against her chest. “I just really want to hug you.”

Pei Yuan’s smile gradually faded. He placed his palm on her back, gently pulling her into his embrace. After a long time, he let out a soft breath.

Baoning heard him whisper, “I’ll do my best to take you to the top. You’ll be able to bully whoever you want, and no one will dare bully you again. And Ningning... you must love me. Never, ever betray me. I’m a sick man. Without you, I’d die.”

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