Chapter 102: The Little Greedy Cat Wants to See

Warning: Some “h”

Worried about what Su Mingyou might do if left alone at the manor, and seeing the sky clear up in the evening, Pei Yuan and Bao Ning rushed back to Lihu together.

By the time they reached home, it was just the beginning of the hour of Hai (9:00 PM), and the moon hung tilted in the sky.

Su Mingyou had already packed her belongings and was waiting in her room in a state of anxious misery. She frequently peeked out the door, hoping for Zhao Qian’s speedy return. She had barely touched food or water all day; her face was sallow and haggard. She clutched a pair of scissors, muttering to herself as if possessed. Her young maid, Xi’er, was too terrified to stay in the same room and had fled to hide outside the door.

When Bao Ning stepped into the courtyard, Xi’er rushed up as if seeing a savior. “Madam, I think Lady Su has gone mad! She’s pacing the room with scissors, and I don’t know who she intends to kill! Mama Liu called a doctor at noon, but she chased him out. Madam, what should we do?”

Pei Yuan walked up from behind, glanced at Su Mingyou’s silhouette cast against the window paper, and asked, “When did she start acting like this?”

“I’m not entirely sure… probably around noon,” Xi’er recalled. “Qian-er disappeared for some reason. Lady Su led us to look for him, but we couldn’t find him anywhere in the manor. She suddenly collapsed and cried, then went back to sleep. After she woke up at noon, she became incoherent, muttering things under her breath. She took a pair of scissors and started cutting everything—one moment she said she was cutting paper effigies, the next she said she was cutting the threads of affection. If anyone dares enter, she lunges at them with the scissors, wailing and threatening to cut their throats.”

Wiping away tears, Xi’er showed Bao Ning her neck, which bore a scabbed-over wound. “She even clipped me! Waaaah! “

Pei Yuan frowned. “Wait here. I’ll go in and take a look.”

Bao Ning said worriedly, “Be careful. Don’t let her hurt you.”

“As if she has the ability.” Pei Yuan produced a short blade from his sleeve and spun it in his hand. “From the moment she betrayed us, she ceased to be my sister-in-law; she isn’t even a stranger. For the sake of past sentiment, I intended to spare her life, but if she continues to be so ungrateful, I’ll have no choice but to send her on her way.”

With that, Pei Yuan strode toward the door and, too lazy to knock, kicked it open.

Su Mingyou flinched in fright. Clutching the large scissors, she looked warily toward the door. Meeting Pei Yuan’s hostile gaze, she shrieked, “Who are you!”

“Stop faking madness with me.” Pei Yuan walked slowly toward her, kicking aside a stool blocking his path. “Think acting dumb will help? I’ll still ruin you regardless. You’d better be sensible, put down those damn scissors, and tell me everything clearly. For the sake of the child in your womb, I might just spare your life.”

Hearing his words, Su Mingyou instinctively touched her belly. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t utter a word.

“The reason I rushed back was fearing you’d run, but here you are, waiting like a fool.” Pei Yuan pointed to his temple. “Is there something wrong with your head? Talking about love with a pretty boy who makes a living by climbing into women’s beds? Why don’t you talk about love with a pig? I truly don’t know how you were chosen as the Crown Princess. No wonder Minister Su won’t let you enter his home. He is merciful; if I were your father, I’d throw you into a pigsty. Since you love pigs so much, you can spend your days flirting with a herd of swine.”

After listening to his tirade, Su Mingyou suddenly screamed, “You are presumptuous! I am your sister-in-law!”

Pei Yuan looked at her through half-lidded eyes, his expression mocking. “Oh? You remembered?”

“You know everything? You know everything…” Su Mingyou leaned against the corner of the wall. She clutched her hair as if crazed, then looked up, her eyes bloodshot. “Where is he?”

“Zhao Qian? He’s making money for me at Qingluo Alley. I thought his looks were quite fine, so I’m planning to promote him as my top male courtesan.” Pei Yuan toyed with the short blade in his hand and asked with a smirk, “Since you love him so much, do you want to go with him?”

Su Mingyou swallowed hard. “Did he tell you everything? Did he betray me?”

“It’s not the first time he’s betrayed you,” Pei Yuan said. “Back when the eldest brother lost power, why did Zhao Qian become Pei Xiao’s guard overnight? Is Pei Xiao kind-hearted, or is he a scavenger who takes in useless guards from the enemy side? It was Zhao Qian who sold you out then; he treated your affairs as his ticket to promotion. You didn’t know?”

Su Mingyou’s gaze was a mix of humiliation and disbelief. Her fingers gripping the scissors turned white. Suddenly, she threw the scissors to the floor and began banging her head against the wall, wailing loudly.

Pei Yuan watched her coldly. Outside, Bao Ning was startled by the loud noise and rushed in, only to be stunned by the scene.

Pei Yuan said, “Let her bang. If she kills herself, it saves me from getting blood on my hands. Consider it an act of merit for me.”

Bao Ning couldn’t bear to watch and turned her head away.

After a long while, Su Mingyou finally stopped. She turned around and let out a long breath. “I know I misjudged the man, and I shouldn’t have been ungrateful to you. I admit all of it. Whatever you do to me, I accept. However, I still don’t think what I did was wrong! I was merely pursuing what I wanted. Every woman wants happiness. If I couldn’t get it from my husband, am I not allowed to get it from another man?”

Bao Ning said, “You could have sought a divorce.”

“Exactly.” Pei Yuan looked at Su Mingyou with contempt. “If you had divorced, I’d respect you as a person of character. But you couldn’t bear to part with the luxury and status of a Crown Princess. What are you? A whore who wants a monument to her chastity? How shameless can you be, talking about happiness to me? Are you even worthy?”

Su Mingyou looked at them, speechless.

Pei Yuan added, “However, you are still my eldest brother’s wife. If I kill you, I fear he will blame me when he returns. Here’s the deal: there is a secluded temple at the peak of Yandang Mountain called Dajue Temple. Cut your hair and become a cloistered nun there to find peace. Do not step out of those doors until my brother returns. You’d better spend your days chanting sutras and praying for his return. Otherwise, you can grow old and die on that mountain peak.”

Su Mingyou reacted violently. She lunged to grab Pei Yuan’s sleeve. “No, you can’t do that to me! How can I cut my hair…”

Pei Yuan threw the short blade; it embedded itself in the floor right in front of her feet, barely half an inch from her toes. Su Mingyou trembled and stopped.

Pei Yuan led Bao Ning away and summoned Chen Jia. “Watch her. Tomorrow at dawn, find someone to escort her away.”

On the walk back, Pei Yuan remained silent. The moonlight was brilliant above them. Bao Ning held his hand as they walked along the shaded path lined with banksia rose trees.

Pei Yuan suddenly asked, “Are people always bound to betray?”

Bao Ning was confused. She looked up and asked, “What?”

Pei Yuan said, “Why is there always betrayal? Zhao Qian betrayed Su Mingyou, Su Mingyou betrayed me, Zhao Qian betrayed Pei Xiao so easily again, Pei Xiao and Jia Ling are betraying Imperial Father, and Qiu Mingshan is also betraying him. Actually, I am betraying him too—at least I want to kill Pei Xiao and side with Qiu Mingshan. To my father, that is a form of betrayal. And my Imperial Mother…” At this point, Pei Yuan stopped.

He didn’t know how to continue.

He knew that his mother might not have been entirely faithful to his father, but he had no concrete evidence—only a suspicion, one he was extremely unwilling to accept.

Pei Yuan stopped talking and looked up at the moon.

Bao Ning hugged his arm, leaning her head against it. She said softly, “People in this world are always chasing fame and profit, wanting to live better. Fame and desire pull at them, leading some to do bad things. But there are others with virtue and integrity in their hearts who will never betray. Pei Yuan, you must believe me—I will never betray you. Just like you, you could never commit regicide to steal the throne, because your father was once good to you, and you are grateful for that kindness.”

Pei Yuan stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at Bao Ning, his eyes growing darker and deeper. Bao Ning could meet his gaze calmly at first, but soon her heart began to flutter. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but it certainly wasn’t anything “innocent.” Her heart gave a leap, and she turned to walk away.

Pei Yuan grabbed her sleeve and asked hoarsely, “When are we going to consummate our marriage?”

Bao Ning looked at him in shock. He was being so thick-skinned as to say such a thing while still on the road. She stomped her foot. “Talk about it when we’re back in the room.”

“Fine, I’ll rephrase it.” Pei Yuan squeezed her wrist. “When are you going to sleep with me?”

“…” Bao Ning’s face turned crimson. She didn’t know how to answer and hesitated. Seeing her looking even more beautiful and delicate under the moonlight, Pei Yuan licked his dry lips.

“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as a ‘yes’.”

Bao Ning said, “Don’t…”

Before she could finish, Pei Yuan scooped her up by the waist, threw her over his shoulder, and strode toward the courtyard. “Save those two words for when we’re on the bed.”

The light was still on in Mama Liu’s room as she waited for their return. Hearing the noise, she hurried out to greet them, only to see the two returning in such a manner. As a woman of experience, she understood immediately. She stood awkwardly at the door. Pei Yuan shot her a look, and Mama Liu smiled knowingly, gave a bow, and retreated into her room.

Bao Ning felt even more like dying of shame, clutching the fabric of Pei Yuan’s shoulder tightly. “Put me down!”

Pei Yuan pushed open the door, set her on the ground, and bolted it from the inside before lighting the lamps.

“Since it’s our first time tonight, to give you a deeper impression, let’s play something fresh.” Pei Yuan deliberately lit all the candles, making the room as bright as day so that every corner and private detail could be seen clearly. He rubbed his wrists, shed his outer robe, threw it aside, and sat in a round-backed chair. “Come here.”

Bao Ning clenched her fists at her sides, sensing that Pei Yuan was up to no good. She felt afraid and didn’t dare approach.

Pei Yuan beckoned with his finger and narrowed his eyes. “Come here. Don’t make me say it a third time, or don’t blame me for being rough.”

Bao Ning walked over warily. Pei Yuan rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a smirk. Suddenly, he said, “Take off your clothes.”

Bao Ning was shocked. She covered her collar. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t you know?” Pei Yuan sat with his legs apart, flipping the hem of his robe to one side. “You.”

Even though she had some experience with him, Bao Ning still couldn’t stand his wanton language at times like this. She stared at him with wide eyes, unwilling to move.

“We agreed: below the bed, I listen to you. On top of the bed, you listen to me. So now, you have to listen to me.” Pei Yuan tapped the armrest and tilted his chin. “Take them off. We’re doing something fresh today.”

Bao Ning clutched her collar, still unmoving. Pei Yuan grew a bit impatient and barked, “Hurry up!”

Bao Ning had no choice but to take off her outer garment, leaving only her short inner tunic. She refused to take off anything more, and Pei Yuan let it slide for now. The view was already quite good—a glimpse of her white waist, half-hidden and half-revealed. He said again, “Come closer, right in front of me.”

Blushing, Bao Ning walked over.

Pei Yuan smiled and gestured downward. “Understand?”

Bao Ning pursed her lips tightly. The lights in the room were too bright; she was both ashamed and angry, and her eyes began to mist over. Pei Yuan said, “Don’t cry. You know that at a time like this, the more you cry, the more I want to… mess with you.”

He leaned back against the chair and smiled shallowly. “I’m making you do this for your own good. If you do it once now, you won’t be so rushed later, and you’ll feel better, right? This is called using the mouth above to save the ‘mouth’ below.”

Bao Ning’s lips moved; she hated Pei Yuan’s current wickedness. Whenever it came to this, he was as predatory as a wolf.

But she had no choice. If she didn’t listen to him now, who knew what other tricks he would come up with later.

Closing her eyes, Bao Ning knelt shamefully before him… Pei Yuan’s gaze darkened.

Who knows how much time had passed—fifteen minutes, or perhaps longer—before he was finally satisfied.

Bao Ning’s mouth was filled with that flavor. She covered her lips, sobbing softly while looking for a place to spit it out.

Pei Yuan wouldn’t let her. He gripped her jaw and gave it a little shake. “Swallow it. Otherwise, why would we call it a ‘new flower’?”

Bao Ning looked into his eyes and, forced by necessity, swallowed it.

Pei Yuan laughed and picked her up, setting her on his lap. “Is it tasty?”

Bao Ning shook her head while sobbing. She didn’t want to speak; the moment she moved her tongue, the musky taste would return, reminding her of the scene just now—the lights were so bright, she had seen everything clearly…

Pei Yuan kissed her cheek and coaxed softly, “Call me ‘Brother’ ( Gege ).”

Bao Ning didn’t open her mouth.

Pei Yuan said, “Not calling me? I’ll hit you if you don’t.”

Closing her eyes tightly in his arms, she yielded to him and whispered, “Brother.”

Pei Yuan laughed. “Calling me ‘Brother’ yet eating Brother’s stuff… Oh, are you a little greedy cat?”

Bao Ning snapped her eyes open, her face burning, looking at him in disbelief. Pei Yuan burst into laughter. He reached up to wipe a faint white trace from the corner of her mouth, refusing to let her off. He continued, “Is it good? You should eat good things often.”

Bao Ning said indignantly, “Why don’t you eat it yourself!”

“I have my own, but I can’t reach it.” Pei Yuan grinned wickedly. “So I can only eat yours; it’s a fair exchange.”

As he spoke, he stood up, intending to place Bao Ning on the stool. Bao Ning pushed his hands away. She wasn’t as thick-skinned as him and said urgently, “No, no!”

After several attempts, Pei Yuan gave up. He withdrew his hands in disappointment. “Fine, we’ll talk about it next time.”

He took off his tunic as well and rummaged through a small cabinet by the bed. A moment later, he brought out a small bottle and shook it at Bao Ning. “This contains ointment. It’ll provide some lubrication and make you more comfortable. Come, apply it for me.”

Pursing her lips, Bao Ning slowly walked over. She closed her eyes and, in her nervousness, applied it haphazardly.

Pei Yuan’s gaze grew deeper and deeper.

Holding the thing in her hand, Bao Ning felt increasingly afraid. She had heard that the first time would be very painful, and seeing Pei Yuan’s current fiery state, he didn’t seem gentle at all. She began to regret it. She opened a slit of an eyelid and looked at the large, glistening thing rearing its head before her. Her hand shook, and the bottle dropped to the floor.

“No, I’m afraid of the pain… Will it hurt a lot?”

Pei Yuan laughed and pinched her ear. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

Bao Ning didn’t believe him at all. The way he smiled didn’t seem sincere in the slightest. She truly regretted it…

Impatient, Pei Yuan hugged her and tried to head for the bed. Bao Ning pushed back a few times when she suddenly heard a sharp, piercing cry from outside—it was agonizing. It sounded like a cat’s wail, but also like a child crying.

“What was 그 sound!” Bao Ning stood up abruptly and walked toward the door anxiously. “I’m going to go look.”

Pei Yuan let out a “hiss.” “At a moment like this, why the hell are you going out!”

Bao Ning said, “I have to see what’s making that noise. What if there are bad people!”

With that, Bao Ning broke free from Pei Yuan’s grip and quickly ran out the door. Pei Yuan cursed and hurried to follow.

Ah-Huang and Jixiang had also run out of their little wooden house, huddling together in fear while staring at the corner of the wall. Bao Ning walked over and was startled to see two cat silhouettes under the large pumpkin leaves! One was crouching on the back of the other, and the one on the bottom was screaming like a child being snatched by a ghost.

Bao Ning wasn’t stupid; she realized immediately what they were doing. Her heart trembled as she muttered to herself, “Does it actually hurt that much?”

Pei Yuan stood behind her. “It’s just two stray cats in heat. What’s there to see? Get back inside.”

Frightened by the two cats, Bao Ning was determined to avoid tonight. She had a sudden flash of inspiration, looked up, and pointed at the moon. “A-Yuan, look! What’s that!”

Pei Yuan frowned and looked up. “What is it?”

Taking advantage of his distraction, Bao Ning bolted back into the room and locked the door from the inside. By the time Pei Yuan realized what happened, it was too late. He rushed to the door and banged on it in exasperation. “Ji Bao Ning, what are you doing!”

Bao Ning leaned her back against the door and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

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