Chapter 47: Good Brother

Bao Ning lounged comfortably on the bed, her left arm wrapped around Ah Huang, her right hand holding a book. After reading a couple of words, she would glance up at Pei Yuan, who was bent over, sweeping the floor.

He was doing a sloppy job, clearly just going through the motions—poking around here and there, dragging the chair legs across the floor with a screech.

Unable to bear it any longer, Bao Ning spoke up: “Slow down a bit—how do you expect to sweep up anything like that?”

“There’s nothing to sweep in the first place!” Pei Yuan flung the broom to the ground, exasperated.

“I really don’t get why you’re so obsessed with cleaning—this floor’s shiny enough to reflect light, and you still want it swept!”

“There is something,” Bao Ning pointed at his feet. “That’s a hair.”

Pei Yuan skeptically looked down, prodded with the tip of his foot, and sure enough, spotted a long hair. He picked it up and held it to the light before grumbling, “It’s yours.”

Bao Ning replied, “A bet is a bet. You lost, so just do your task properly and stop whining.”

She patted Ah Huang’s rear. “Right?”

Ah Huang barked. Pei Yuan, frustrated, tapped its nose. “Stupid dog. You better figure out who’s in charge—I’m the one taking care of you tonight. Keep acting out, and I’ll toss you out.”

Ah Huang arched its back and barked again. Pei Yuan gritted his teeth and grabbed the broom, about to whack the dog, but Bao Ning gave him a sharp glare and stopped him: “Go do your chores!”

Knowing he couldn’t weasel out of it, Pei Yuan resigned himself to moving the stool aside and swept thoroughly.

Well, “thoroughly” was relative—he was still faking it, just less obviously. After a solid fifteen minutes of pretending to work hard, he dumped the collected dirt outside.

Bao Ning watched his retreating figure, secretly laughing as she hugged Ah Huang.

When Pei Yuan came back in, she quickly turned her gaze away and flipped a page, as if she’d been reading all along. Calmly, she said, “Thanks for the hard work.”

“Don’t try to fool me. You think I don’t know what you’re up to?” Pei Yuan chuckled irritably.

Leaning against the doorframe, he knocked it lightly. “Any more chores? Say it now—I’m so ready.”

Bao Ning said, “We’re hungry. Go cook dinner.”

Pei Yuan’s smile froze. “I thought you were joking earlier.”

“What?”

“I could cook, but would you really eat it?” He raised a brow. “You have to eat something I made?”

Bao Ning beamed. “Yes, only yours. I won’t eat anyone else’s.”

Pei Yuan clenched his teeth. “I must’ve done something terrible in my past life to owe you this much. Last time I tried to cook, didn’t you stop me because you were scared I’d ruin your cutting board?”

Bao Ning said, “Even if you break the cutting board this time, it’s not mine—it belongs to someone else. You can just pay for it. I only felt bad about asking you to pay, that’s why I cared.”

She shifted positions, laying on her stomach, feet crossed and kicking in the air, a bright smile on her face. “Hurry up, or I’ll whip you with a little lash.”

Pei Yuan raised his chin. “Where’d you get a little lash?”

Bao Ning grabbed Ah Huang’s fluffy tail. “This is it.”

She was in high spirits today, unusually lively. She let go of Ah Huang’s tail and grabbed her own braid. “I’ve also got this little one—”

“Ridiculous,” Pei Yuan chuckled and scolded. He walked over and pinched her nose, shaking it.

“Aren’t you making things hard for your good brother?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Bao Ning sat up with a serious face, mimicking Pei Yuan’s cold demeanor from yesterday in the study. She repeated his exact words: “Why are you here uninvited?”

Pei Yuan paused. “Was I that harsh?”

Bao Ning snorted coldly, frowning: “This is the study. No one enters without permission—especially not women. Don’t you know that?”

Pei Yuan’s face showed slight embarrassment. He asked, “Was I really that annoying?”

“You were a hundred times more annoying than what I just did.” Bao Ning tugged the little lamb’s tail. “Right?”

The lamb bleated.

Pei Yuan’s mouth twitched. “You’ve raised quite the backup crew.”

Bao Ning smiled with her eyes downcast, rubbing her chin against Ah Huang’s head. “Our little crew is great. Obedient, too. Not like some man—just a grumpy-faced monkey.”

Pei Yuan pointed at his nose. “You calling me a monkey?”

“You know who I’m talking about.” Bao Ning shut her eyes, feeling content. Now that she held all the power, she wasn’t afraid of Pei Yuan being defiant. She could say whatever she pleased, and it felt great watching him get flustered.

The grumpy-faced monkey swallowed his frustration and sat beside her, trying to negotiate: “The stuff you asked for is too complicated—vegetable buns, crystal shrimp dumplings. By the time I’m done, it’ll be dawn.”

Bao Ning half-opened her eyes.

“Let’s do something simpler,” Pei Yuan whispered in her ear, blowing gently, “Something I actually know how to make.”

“Hmm… okay.” Bao Ning nodded toward the door. “Go borrow the little iron pot from Nanny Liu’s room. Then get some vegetables and meat from the kitchen. If they have dumplings, grab some.

Don’t forget the seasonings. We’re having a clear soup hot pot.”

“Just boil water and dip everything in it, right?” Pei Yuan got it. “We used to eat like that in Beijiang.”

Bao Ning waved her fingers to shoo him off. “Blah blah blah—go already.”

Pei Yuan scoffed, grabbed her fingertip, bit it hard, and said, “You can have your fun now, but just wait—you’ll get what’s coming.”

He threw a coat over his shoulders and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Bao Ning wiped their shared saliva on Ah Huang’s fur and chuckled. “He’s mad. Did you see? He’s totally mad.”

She pouted. “Serves him right.”

…

Pei Yuan returned fifteen minutes later, fully equipped.

The kitchen matron, Zhang Nanny, had been surprisingly friendly, giving him a small basket filled with a bottle of goat milk, half a dozen seasonal vegetables, and a generous portion of sliced lamb.

He didn’t look pleased. Bao Ning figured someone must’ve questioned him in the kitchen, and he lost face.

She swung her legs on the bed, watching him set things up.

The little iron pot used kerosene for fuel and was too dangerous to place on the table, so Pei Yuan set it on the ground and placed two small stools beside it.

He lit the fire, poured in water, covered the pot, and turned to Bao Ning: “You planning to just sit there, waiting for an invitation?”

Bao Ning asked, “Did you bring bowls?”

“…” Pei Yuan cursed under his breath, stood up, got dressed, and went out again for bowls and chopsticks.

By the time he returned, the water was boiling, and Bao Ning was already adding vegetables to the pot. The aroma was rich.

Pei Yuan took a closer look—it wasn’t just water anymore; the broth had turned cloudy. She must’ve added chili powder. The smell was spicy and savory.

He hadn’t felt hungry before, but now his stomach started growling.

Ah Huang and the lamb sat a few feet away, craning their necks to peek at the hot pot but not daring to approach—probably still shaken from earlier scolding.

Seeing them drooping and listless, Pei Yuan oddly let out a breath of relief, a little pleased at their misery.

The vegetables cooked quickly, shrinking into unappetizing shapes and sticking to the sides of the pot. Pei Yuan reached out with his chopsticks to pick one up, only for Bao Ning to smack his hand away.

“Did you wash your hands?”

“Why so particular?” Pei Yuan frowned. “Let me eat a piece first, then I’ll go wash.”

Bao Ning didn’t say anything—she just stared at him.

“Fine, fine!” Pei Yuan set down the chopsticks, went to the washbasin in the corner, and washed his hands. After thinking a moment, he also pulled out a jar of liquor from the cabinet.

Bao Ning sucked on the tip of her chopsticks, looking at him in surprise. “When did you hide that?”

“Hide? I just put it there—you just didn’t notice,” Pei Yuan said, sitting down with legs spread apart. With a pop, he uncorked the bottle, poured a bowl for her and one for himself.

The rich aroma of the liquor quickly filled the room with a spicy tang. Bao Ning pinched her nose.

“I’m not drinking.”

“Just try one sip—you’ll like it.” Pei Yuan coaxed, holding the bowl toward her.

Bao Ning leaned away. “No, I’ll get drunk and make a fool of myself… You know that…” Her voice trailed off.

Pei Yuan instantly thought of that night and laughed. He downed a bowl himself, rested his wrist on his knee for a moment, then reached for food.

The two of them sat around the small stove having dinner, the steaming hot pot fogging up the room and making both of them sweat.

Pei Yuan had two bowls of liquor, any more and Bao Ning stopped him. His alcohol tolerance was actually quite good, and since he wasn’t bottling up any emotions tonight, just sipping lightly, he didn’t feel drunk at all.

Bao Ning’s cheeks were flushed. She let out a tiny burp, and Pei Yuan chuckled softly.

He took another mouthful of liquor—but didn’t swallow. Instead, he extinguished the stove fire, stood up, pulled Bao Ning to her feet, and wrapped an arm around her waist as he led her toward the bed.

Bao Ning tugged at her clothes, clearly troubled. “We really shouldn’t have eaten that—it’s too greasy. I’m gonna feel sticky in bed tonight.”

Pei Yuan didn’t respond—he couldn’t. His eyes were locked on her. Standing above her, he could see the curves of her chest. His eyes darkened as he remembered how she looked when they first met.

It had only been a few months, but Bao Ning had changed a lot. Once slender, she’d now filled out with softness. There was a maturing beauty to her. Yet she was unaware of it herself, still acting like a spoiled, playful child.

Noticing the heat in his gaze, Bao Ning looked up in surprise. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Then suddenly remembering something, she blushed, angrily covering her chest. “You pervert!”

Pei Yuan leaned down close. Just as Bao Ning was about to dodge, he held the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers. One hand pinched her chin gently but firmly, forcing her mouth open.

A stream of burning liquor poured into her mouth.

Her eyes widened, and she pounded on his chest. But he didn’t budge—he only stopped once he had passed every drop to her.

“Tastes good, right?” Pei Yuan smiled at her. “Told you you’d like it.”

“You shameless pig!” Bao Ning was mortified, standing there frozen, flustered beyond words. And seeing Pei Yuan’s smug face only made it worse.

How could someone be like this—utterly shameless, not the least bit self-conscious, not even disgusted by her?

She rubbed her lips frantically with her sleeve. Pei Yuan leaned in again, whispering in her ear:

“Ning Ning, I’m a healthy man with a body full of hot blood. I have… needs. You won’t let me have meat, at least let me drink some soup. Or are you trying to turn me into a monk?”

He teasingly brushed her forehead with his nose. “Right?”

Bao Ning was still stunned, not knowing what to say—when suddenly, heavy footsteps approached outside. Then came Qiu Mingshan’s voice.

He knocked on the door urgently:

“Yuan’er! Yuan’er, are you asleep? Why did you make such a decision without discussing it with me?”

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