Chapter 40: Leaving

Qiu Mingshan didn’t leave until evening. Bao Ning didn’t know what he had talked about with Pei Yuan—whatever it was, they talked for a long time. Seeing it was getting late, she invited him to stay for dinner, but Qiu Mingshan politely declined.

Pei Yuan’s expression had remained calm the entire time.

By now, it was already dusk. Bao Ning had long since finished preparing dinner and left it simmering in the pot. The vegetables were all washed and chopped, just waiting to be stir-fried.

Ah Huang was bouncing around her feet, knocking over the plate of scallions. Bao Ning gave him a light swat on the rear and went to the backyard to pick more scallions. When she returned, she saw Pei Yuan sitting on the kang, fiddling with a box.

The box had a lock, and he was poking at it with a tiny key, trying to open it but clearly struggling.

Bao Ning hadn’t planned to get involved. She simply washed her hands and started chopping scallions. The rhythmic sound of the knife tapping against the cutting board filled the room. Pei Yuan glanced at her, set the box aside, and walked over to her.

Bao Ning dodged him before he got too close. “Hey, don’t touch me. I’m holding a knife—I might cut myself, I’m scared.”

“Just let me take a whiff,” Pei Yuan said, taking the knife from her hand. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing his nose to the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply.

Bao Ning laughed and squirmed, “That tickles! Let go!”

Pei Yuan chuckled softly. Bao Ning turned around and stuck her fingers under his nose. “Here, sniff all you want.”

Pei Yuan turned his head away with a frown. “You smell like scallions. So spicy.”

“Then go away already,” Bao Ning pulled her hand back, her eyes sparkling and her ears flushed red.

Though she and Pei Yuan were already quite close, she still wasn’t used to this level of physical intimacy.

She picked up a small spatula and waved it at him like she was shooing him away. “If you keep being annoying, there’ll be no dinner for you tonight.”

“Do you like it here?” Pei Yuan suddenly changed the subject. “It’s pretty remote, out in the wilderness. Not many people around, but plenty of bugs and critters. There were rats running across the ceiling beam last night—did you hear them?”

Bao Ning shivered. “Why are you talking about that right before dinner? You’re ruining my appetite.”

Pei Yuan grew serious. “I just think this place isn’t suitable for living.”

“We’ve been living here just fine these past few months…” Bao Ning picked up on the implication in his words. “You want to move?”

Pei Yuan gave a quiet “mm”: “Actually, I wasn’t very satisfied with this place from the start. But back then I was disheartened and just wanted to get by. But now it’s different. I’m almost fully recovered, and we’re not without means. Why should we continue to suffer here?”

He tried to soften her with emotion, nuzzling her forehead with his nose. “I’ll take you somewhere better, let you live a good life.”

Bao Ning pushed against his shoulders to put distance between them. “I don’t feel like I’m suffering here. Haven’t we been doing well? We have everything we need… Why are you suddenly talking about moving? Pei Yuan, are you hiding something from me? Did General Qiu say something to you?”

Pei Yuan said, “This place isn’t safe.”

Bao Ning’s brow furrowed for a moment. She thought of those people they had encountered—Xu Guang, Feng Yongjia, Pei Xiao. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, this place was dangerous. If something really happened, no one would be there to help them.

She looked into Pei Yuan’s eyes, holding on to a sliver of hope. Truthfully, she had long wanted to say it herself: they could leave the capital together, go to a quiet little village, live anonymously as an ordinary couple. Work at sunrise, rest at sunset, never think about power or politics—just live a simple, peaceful life.

That was her dream. But she had never dared say it aloud, afraid he wouldn’t agree. Pei Yuan came from nobility, used to a life of comfort. Asking him to give all that up and live such a plain life felt like too much. She had been waiting for the right moment.

Now, it seemed the moment had come.

Bao Ning asked cautiously, “Where do you want to move to?”

Pei Yuan replied, “How about the General’s estate?”

Bao Ning’s face changed in shock. “We have our own home. Why would we go live in someone else’s estate? That’s absurd!”

The gap between her hopes and his response hit hard. Her heart was racing. She lowered her gaze to hide her disappointment. “I don’t like it.”

Pei Yuan gently patted her back. “It’s only temporary. Once things settle down, we’ll leave.”

“Pei Yuan… what are you trying to do?” Bao Ning was beginning to panic. “Why the General’s estate? Wouldn’t it be better to leave the capital? There are so many faraway places we could settle down. Why that place specifically? You know more than I do—aren’t you just throwing yourself into the fire?”

She looked at him directly. “Do you… want the throne?”

“No,” Pei Yuan answered firmly. Bao Ning relaxed slightly.

Seeing her distress, Pei Yuan sighed and pulled her into his arms, his hand resting on the back of her head. “But there are things I have to resolve. I can’t just leave with you and ignore the consequences. It would be too dangerous later.”

Bao Ning’s eyes turned red. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to live in someone else’s house. What about my vegetable garden? My chickens and ducks? My dog?”

“We’ll come back,” Pei Yuan cupped her face. “We’re just changing locations for a while. Think of it as a trip into the city. You won’t need to worry about a thing. Just eat, rest, enjoy yourself. At most half a year. After that, wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you.”

Bao Ning said, “I want to see snow—the kind with big, fluffy flakes. I heard in the northwest, snow can pile up to your knees.”

“The northern frontier—I know that place well. We’ll settle down there later. I’ll build you a snow fort, sound good?” Pei Yuan coaxed her, his voice low and gentle. “If you like, we can raise roe deer in the backyard. They’re so dumb—perfect for playing with. They bounce around all silly, just like you.”

“I am not silly,” Bao Ning said, laughing through her tears.

She still felt a little upset, but accepted his reasoning. “When are we leaving?”

Pei Yuan straightened up. “Tomorrow.”

“So soon…” Bao Ning murmured.

That dinner tasted like nothing. After washing the dishes, Bao Ning checked the chicken coop fencing, gave Saifeng (the horse) fresh straw, carried Ah Huang back into the house, and went to check on her leeches in the porcelain jar.

The leech egg cocoons still looked healthy. Bao Ning sighed. She was starting to worry about the future. Once they left this little courtyard and its nearby stream, where would she find pond mud and snails for her leeches?

The yard was small, but she had poured her heart into making it what it was. Leaving it so suddenly made her reluctant to go.

Pei Yuan noticed how listless she looked and tried telling her a joke, but he wasn’t very good at it—Bao Ning didn’t understand the humor. Sitting off to the side, she simply shelled sunflower seeds while he, realizing he wasn’t amusing her, gave up and just sat by the lamp with her, quietly eating seeds together.

By the time it was nearly midnight, they had finally finished the two jin of sunflower seeds. The empty shells made up three large handfuls, which Bao Ning scooped up and tossed into the stove.

Watching the flames flare up with a soft whoosh, Bao Ning clapped the seed crumbs from her hands, feeling a little more at ease.

Pei Yuan laughed at her. “What a strange habit you have.”

“I roasted these myself,” she said. “But it’s embarrassing to carry such a big sack of seeds with me. I couldn’t bear to throw them out, so I just figured I’d finish them all today.”

“Well, don’t come crying when you get a toothache from all that heatiness in a few days,” he said, pulling her hand to guide her up. Tilting his head, he blew out the lamp. “Come on, sleep.”

…

The next day, Qiu Mingshan sent someone early in the morning to fetch them.

Bao Ning packed up the house. They couldn’t take the large items, and there was no need to bring the small odds and ends—everything they needed was already there. In the end, she only took a few sets of clothes, her jar of leeches, and their dog.

Suddenly, she remembered: when she first married Pei Yuan, she’d had almost nothing as well.

Sitting in the carriage, Bao Ning looked at Pei Yuan, dejected. “My little persimmons will rot in the fields… and my chickens… who knows who’ll end up eating them.”

“No one will,” Pei Yuan reassured her. “I asked someone to bring your chickens over and take good care of them. No one’s eating them—they’ll live out their days in peace.” He gently rubbed her fingertips. “If you want to visit them, you can anytime.”

Bao Ning was caught off guard. “That’s a bit… much.”

She lifted the curtain to look at the scenery outside. The passing mountain views were pure and simple. Bao Ning gazed longingly, remembering the promise Pei Yuan had made: that within half a year, he would settle things here and take her north to see the snow in the frontier.

To avoid attracting too much attention, they entered through the back gate of the General’s Manor. Qiu Mingshan had many children and a large residence with several unused courtyards.

Bao Ning chose a secluded one called Qingxiang Pavilion. To make her feel more at home, Pei Yuan found her an elderly maid named Madam Liu.

In the middle of Qingxiang Pavilion stood a large pomegranate tree, already in bloom. The place was quiet and undisturbed.

Living there did have some perks—it was close to her maiden home. Although she rarely got to see her stepmother, she could still visit Ji Yun from time to time.

Life at the General’s Manor wasn’t unpleasant. She didn’t have to lift a finger for chores or meals—it was very relaxing. But with that, she also lost a lot of the joy she used to have.

Pei Yuan suddenly became very busy. Bao Ning didn’t know what he was occupied with; he wouldn’t tell her, and she didn’t feel comfortable pressing him. She worried about his health, but he refused to slow down. Watching the dark circles under his eyes deepen, she grew anxious. The little window of sweetness and intimacy they had shared not long ago now felt like a thing of the past. Life was growing dull again.

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