Chapter 24: Calm

When Bao Ning arrived home, dusk had long passed; stars glittered across the sky.

Feng Yongjia lifted the carriage curtain and invited her to step down. Setting everything else aside, Feng Yongjia was quite a refined man—scholarly in demeanor, and always courteous in speech.

“Young madam, please hold my arm. I’ll help you down.”

In that brief moment, Feng Yongjia only caught a glimpse of her outline. She appeared petite and young, so he instinctively added “young” before “madam.”

Bao Ning leaned forward slightly, allowing Feng Yongjia a clearer view of her face.

She was clearly a girl raised with care—her cheeks were soft and fair, tinted with a healthy pink hue. Long eyelashes framed her clear, glistening eyes. She was a beauty unlike any he had seen before.

Feng Yongjia momentarily lost himself in that vision.

“Thank you, but no need,” Bao Ning said, not taking his offered arm. Instead, she held onto the carriage door and lightly hopped down, landing steadily on the ground.

Feng Yongjia looked slightly disappointed. He withdrew his hand and rubbed his fingers together at his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the coachman struggling to unload a wheelchair for Pei Yuan. Realizing what was happening, he quickly went to help.

As the wheelchair was set on the ground, Feng Yongjia was still puzzled—his father had mentioned their benefactor, but why would someone like that need a wheelchair? Was he an old man? Just then, Bao Ning reached her hand into the carriage.

Soon, a large, well-defined hand emerged, grasping hers for support. A man slowly descended and seated himself in the wheelchair.

Feng Yongjia’s gaze was fixed on those clasped hands. His chest tightened with a strange mix of envy and indignation.

Such a young and beautiful woman—how could she have married a cripple? And judging by the rundown courtyard, if not completely destitute, it wasn’t far off. How was it that some men got so lucky? It was utterly unfair. Why couldn’t something like this happen to him?

Bao Ning crouched down to arrange the blanket over Pei Yuan’s legs. Just as she was about to thank the coachman and return inside, she caught sight of Pei Yuan’s darkened expression.

His brows were furrowed, and he tapped the wheelchair’s armrest impatiently with his finger, barking, “Have you stared enough?”

Feng Yongjia jolted in shock, snapping out of his thoughts, only to meet Pei Yuan’s sharp, piercing gaze.

Stunned, he hadn’t expected the person in the wheelchair to be a young man—handsome and imposing. Even seated, his gaze carried a commanding presence that made Feng’s heart skip.

Just a cripple… and a poor one at that.

Thinking this, Feng Yongjia’s briefly deflated mood lifted a little.

He remembered his father saying this man was their family’s benefactor. Perhaps he used to be wealthy and had once helped his father. Now that he had fallen on hard times, helping him was the right thing to do. But having such a stunning wife? That was wrong. How could he deserve that? Life was truly unfair.

Resentful yet helpless, Feng Yongjia could only swallow his frustration and pretend not to notice Pei Yuan’s displeasure, turning instead to Bao Ning to try and impress her.

With a warm smile, he introduced himself, “Young madam, I’m Feng Yongjia, the young master of the Shanyang horse farm. If you ever need assistance, feel free to come to the farm and mention my name.”

Pei Yuan let out a cold laugh, watching him with a mocking expression full of disdain.

Whatever thoughts Feng Yongjia was hiding, Pei Yuan—being a man himself—understood perfectly. He scorned petty men like him, not worth even acknowledging. Dealing with him would only dirty his own hands.

Without responding, Pei Yuan averted his gaze and said to Bao Ning, “Let’s go inside.”

“Mm,” Bao Ning answered softly.

Feng Yongjia stood where he was, watching as Bao Ning opened the wooden fence and pushed Pei Yuan inside. She waved backward, and Saifeng followed. Under the silvery moonlight, her silhouette glowed, dazzling Feng Yongjia’s eyes.

A tan puppy, hearing the noise, dashed out of the house, circling Bao Ning’s feet. Pei Yuan reached out, and the little dog leapt into his lap.

It was a scene of harmony and peace.

A while later, the two of them went inside, shut the door, and lit the lamp—still, Feng Yongjia stood there, staring blankly.

The coachman, finally unable to take it, nudged his shoulder. “Hey, young sir, are we leaving or not? What are you staring at?”

Feng Yongjia looked dazed, mumbling, “So unfair… so unfair… How could someone like him deserve this…”

The coachman couldn’t understand a word of his muttering and grumbled impatiently, “If you’re not coming, walk back to the capital yourself. I’m heading off.”

Feng Yongjia suddenly let out a long sigh, clenched his right fist and smacked it into his left palm, stomped his foot, and climbed into the carriage.

The coachman stared blankly for a moment, then muttered, “What a weirdo,” and drove off.

…

Inside, Bao Ning knelt on the kang bed, laying out blankets. Having been out all day, the fire in the stove had gone out. The room was cold, and even the bed felt icy when she slipped her hand in.

She helped Pei Yuan to sit on a stool and draped another coat over his shoulders. “Fourth Prince, sit here for a bit. I’ll go heat some water. We’ll wash up and then sleep.”

She patted her skirt lightly and was about to head out.

Pei Yuan called her back and gestured, “Come here.”

“What is it?” Bao Ning walked over to him. Pei Yuan was tall—even seated, he wasn’t much shorter than her. As he raised his hand, it touched her shoulder.

He applied gentle pressure downward and said, “Squat down.”

Bao Ning didn’t understand but obediently gathered her skirt and folded it in front of her abdomen, then squatted and tilted her head up, asking with a laugh, “What is it?”

Ah Huang circled around Bao Ning, then stopped and jumped up, placing its front paws on Pei Yuan’s knees.

Pei Yuan looked at the two pairs of dark eyes in front of him and couldn’t help but chuckle. The room wasn’t large, and with just the two of them and the dog quietly facing each other, Pei Yuan felt a rare sense of peace in his heart.

He reached out and removed the hairpin from Bao Ning’s hair.

Bao Ning was confused. She only felt a lightness on her head. Reaching up, she found the pin gone, and her hair had already come loose without it.

Pei Yuan reached out and gently ran his fingers through her hair several times, loosening it all the way down. In a low voice, he said, “You look prettier like this.”

“Why did you take out my pin?” Bao Ning asked in mock annoyance. She scooped up her hair and patted the ends with concern.

“It’s touching the floor now.”

Pei Yuan rested his chin in his hand and stared at her a while longer. He liked Bao Ning like this—long hair cascading over her shoulders, making her fair skin seem even paler, her face soft and gentle, with a touch of alluring grace.

Pei Yuan picked up Ah Huang and held it in his lap. Then he said to Bao Ning, “From now on, call me something else. Don’t use that title—it sounds so distant.”

Bao Ning thought for a moment and realized he was referring to her calling him “Fourth Prince” earlier.

She smiled sweetly. “Then what should I call you?”

Pei Yuan replied, “I do have a name, don’t I?”

So she said carefully, “Pei Yuan?” She tested the name cautiously. Hearing it made him feel content.

He teasingly hooked her chin with a finger and coaxed, “Call me ‘gege’ (older brother).”

Bao Ning’s cheeks flushed. She smacked the back of his hand lightly and whispered, “You’re so annoying.”

She rubbed her warm earlobes and stood up, saying, “I’m going to boil some water.”

They had returned home late and were both tired. Bao Ning prepared warm water for Pei Yuan to wash up, then, after some thought, filled a hot water bottle and tucked it into his bed.

She recalled what Aunt Ming had said and worried about Pei Yuan’s health—afraid he might catch cold and worsen. She wanted to be extra careful.

Pei Yuan scoffed at such things. He was full of yang energy and often felt hot even in a single layer of clothing. Bao Ning, however, insisted on treating him like a woman in postpartum confinement. He initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the worry in her eyes, he gave in.

Relieved, Bao Ning headed out, hooked her pinky, and Ah Huang wiggled along behind her. Before leaving, she blew out the lamp.

Pei Yuan lay down, kicked the hot water bottle toward his feet, and closed his eyes.

The night was quiet and deep. Though he was exhausted from the day, he couldn’t sleep. He lay there staring at the ceiling, thinking about the future.

Before, he had been alone—however he lived or died was his own concern. But now, things were different. There was a little burden beside him now, someone he cared about.

He couldn’t be reckless anymore.

…

In the west wing, Bao Ning had finished washing up. Wrapped in a blanket, she went to examine the jar of leeches Aunt Ming had given her.

She was afraid of insects and hesitated for a long while, not daring to open it. Holding her breath, she finally mustered the courage. She lifted the lid slightly and peeked inside.

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