Chapter 48: Sweet

Pei Yuan cursed under his breath, unwilling to pay attention to the knocking. He leaned close to Bao Ning against the bedpost, intending to take things further.

Qiu Mingshan was knocking on the door more urgently. “Yuan’er, I know you’re in there. Why aren’t you answering?”

“The general is calling you,” Bao Ning said, pushing against Pei Yuan’s chest, clearly relieved. “It must be important. You should go.”

The wine was really starting to kick in. Her cheeks were flushing, and her breath carried a sweet wine aroma.

Pei Yuan clenched his jaw. His hand, reluctant to leave her, slipped under her clothes and grabbed her soft flesh hard before biting her cheek once and throwing on an outer robe as he walked out.

Bao Ning looked at his retreating figure and thought to herself: that was close.

She was used to hugging and occasional kisses with Pei Yuan, and she couldn’t say she resisted more intimate contact—but she was definitely nervous.

Besides, Pei Yuan had hurt her just now.

Her mind hazy, her belly full, and the wine making her drowsy, she sat in a daze on the bed and soon drifted off.

Her last thought was: Pei Yuan still hasn’t washed her feet. She was still mad. She couldn’t let him off so easily tomorrow.

…

Pei Yuan quietly closed the door behind him. He wore only a white inner robe, now wrinkled and stained from spilled wine while feeding Bao Ning. A black coat hung loosely from his shoulders, and a faint trace of lust still lingered in his eyes.

He rubbed his brow and asked hoarsely, “What is it?”

“You—did you just go to the prison and cut off Zhou Jiangcheng’s right hand?” Qiu Mingshan was pacing and hadn’t noticed Pei Yuan’s disheveled state. He slammed a fist against the door frame and sighed. “Why didn’t you discuss it with me first?”

“That’s what you came running here for?” Pei Yuan sneered. “That madman charged at my wife, trying to scare her. Did he discuss it with you first?”

“He’s still a commanding officer! How could you punish him like this so rashly? Yuan’er, you’re too ruthless and reckless. This is dangerous!”

Qiu Mingshan let out a heavy sigh. “You didn’t inherit any of your mother’s gentleness…” He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he’d said too much, and looked up at Pei Yuan’s expression.

The smile had disappeared from Pei Yuan’s face. He was cold now.

Qiu Mingshan tried to explain, “I didn’t mean you were bad—”

Pei Yuan stared at him, eyes filled with disappointment and resentment. “After what you did to her, you still have the nerve to bring her up in front of her son?”

Guilt flashed through Qiu Mingshan’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Pei Yuan cut him off.

“Zhou Jiangcheng was never fit for leadership. He’s good at training soldiers, but he’s brave without brains. He’s a Zhang Fei-type—if he were in charge, disaster would follow. The tiger tally incident already proved that. General, ten years ago you were sharp and fearless. Why are you now so nostalgic and weak? Zhou Jiangcheng should’ve died long ago. I didn’t even kill him—I just chopped off the hand that dared to touch my wife.”

Qiu Mingshan was speechless. The two stood at the doorway for a moment before Pei Yuan turned away. “If there’s nothing else, go back to bed.”

Qiu Mingshan said urgently, “Can’t you just say a few nice words to me?”

“No,” Pei Yuan snapped, annoyed. “You ruined my moment.”

Only then did Qiu Mingshan notice his messy clothes and faint smell of wine. Embarrassed, he took a step back. “I…”

Before he could finish, Pei Yuan slammed the door in his face and went back inside.

…

The loud bang at the door made Bao Ning frown in her sleep. She turned over and saw Pei Yuan walking back toward her.

He went to the cabinet first, looking like he was searching for something, but when he saw her stir, he changed course and sat beside her. “Did I wake you?”

“Mm.” Bao Ning mumbled, still groggy. Her head was spinning. She laid her wrist across her eyes to block the light, sounding a little spoiled. “I want to sleep.”

Pei Yuan went to blow out the lamp, then felt around in the dark and picked up a small box. He returned to sit by her side.

He fiddled with the little box. The latch clattered, but he didn’t open it. Bao Ning peeked at him through heavy lids—he looked strangely serious.

In her sleepy haze, she remembered the first time Pei Yuan brought out that same box, back in the courtyard after she first met Qiu Mingshan. He had sat on the bed and stared at it for a long time.

There must be some secret inside.

Bao Ning let out a sleepy murmur. “What are you doing?”

Pei Yuan paused, put the box aside, and leaned over her, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Ning Ning, talk to me.”

Bao Ning felt ticklish and found him annoying. She pulled the blanket over her head. Her muffled voice came out, “Tomorrow. I want to sleep.”

Pei Yuan pulled down the blanket and poked her soft cheek. “Are you drunk?”

“You’re so annoying.” Bao Ning’s voice was soft and sulky. She pushed his face away. “If you can’t sleep, go walk in the courtyard. Don’t bother me.”

Pei Yuan was silent for a while. Bao Ning thought he’d given up and was going to sleep too. But then he leaned close, his breath against her ear, and asked in a low voice:

“If you knew what kind of person I really am… would you still stay with me?”

Bao Ning barely heard, murmuring vaguely.

“I’ve killed people. A lot of them. Good people, bad people. You probably don’t even know that.”

He went on, “That day I said I went to get vegetables—I lied. I also went somewhere else. I chopped off Zhou Jiangcheng’s hand. He’s not dead yet, but he will be soon. I’ve already figured out how. I’m going to dump him in a mass grave and let the dogs eat him. Sound good?”

“Just like Feng Yongjia. Remember him? I tied his hands and feet, tossed him into a forgotten graveyard. He probably died from fear… or got eaten by wolves or dogs. I don’t pity him—he deserved it. But you probably would, right?”

“And Xu Guang—he was split in two at the waist. Before he died, I burned him alive.”

Pei Yuan’s voice was very soft—he wanted her to hear, but also didn’t want her to.

And in his slow murmur, Bao Ning fell asleep. Her breathing was even. Pei Yuan watched the rise and fall of her chest, smiled a little, and finally felt at ease.

In his heart, he still didn’t want Bao Ning to know.

A man like him could never escape others’ disgust—madman, demon, reincarnation of evil. Pei Yuan was used to those names. But he was afraid that Bao Ning might look at him the same way.

Pei Yuan thought of that night—when Zhou Jiangcheng fell to the ground, and he threw his sword to slash his throat—of the fear in Bao Ning’s eyes.

She must be afraid of someone like him.

But he didn’t want to keep pretending.

Pei Yuan twirled a lock of Bao Ning’s hair around his finger and murmured, “Am I a cruel person?”

“My mother died before I had the ability to protect her,” he whispered, kissing Bao Ning’s cheek.

“I can’t let something like that happen again. So, anyone who even dares to harm what I treasure—I must strike before they do. I must kill them, and in the most painful way, so they pay for it.”

“This world is one where the kind are bullied. If you do wrong, you pay the price. Only the strong get to decide who lives and who dies.”

“Bao Ning, if one day you find out that all the rumors outside are true—that my hands are soaked in blood, that I’m a madman, not the gentle person you expected me to be… Don’t think the things I’ve done are disgusting… don’t leave me.”

He gently nibbled her earlobe. “I told you, I’ll never hurt you.”

He murmured on and on, while Bao Ning slept peacefully. Only one half-asleep lamb and a fully awake dog were there to hear him.

Pei Yuan found himself ridiculous—like a lovesick girl being melodramatic. It wasn’t like him at all.

But emotions come unpredictably. Sometimes, the subtle panic he suppressed would suddenly ignite. He was never a normal person—extreme, obsessive, numb to right and wrong, indifferent to life and death. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, running with foul blood through his veins. Even if he weren’t disabled, he was doomed to live in the abyss.

But now, he wanted to step out.

…

The next morning, Bao Ning woke up late. She really couldn’t hold her liquor—she still felt groggy even after getting up. Maybe it was because she hadn’t slept well the night before.

Pei Yuan had babbled on for half the night, and she hadn’t understood a word. When she finally fell asleep, her dreams were full of chanting monks, noisy and chaotic.

By now the sky was bright, sunlight streaming through the thin paper windows and casting a gentle glow on her face. Ah Huang had already eaten and was nosing around her neck with its little backside in the air.

Bao Ning instinctively reached to the side, toward where Pei Yuan should be—only to find the spot cold. He had left a while ago.

Her heart skipped. She sat up quickly, her expression confused and aggrieved. Just yesterday he had said he’d stay with her for a few quiet days, but now he’d disappeared again.

A sweet milky scent floated in. Ah Huang smelled it first, raised its head and looked out the door. A lamb bleated outside—it was feeding time.

Curious, Bao Ning got out of bed and peeked through the doorframe.

She saw Pei Yuan’s broad back. He was sitting on a stool at the doorway, facing away from her, clumsily cradling the little lamb in his arms, trying to feed it milk.

Granny Liu stood nearby, whispering, “Your Highness, gently please—don’t hurt its tongue.”

“So delicate,” Pei Yuan said impatiently. “Go get a funnel from the kitchen. Just shove it in its mouth and pour the milk in—done.”

“Oh no, that won’t do!” Granny Liu waved her hands. “It’s a newborn lamb, not even a month old, and it’s sick too. You can’t feed it like a duck!”

Pei Yuan grumbled, “Feeding it spoon by spoon, how long is this going to take?”

“It’ll be done in a quarter of an hour. That’s how Madam always does it,” Granny Liu coaxed gently.

“If you’re patient, she’ll be happy when she sees it later.”

Pei Yuan grunted and patted the lamb’s face. “Come on, open up. One more mouthful.”

Bao Ning couldn’t help but laugh. Ah Huang barked, ran over to Pei Yuan, and propped its paws on his knees, craning its neck as if wanting to eat too.

Pei Yuan had Granny Liu carry the dog away, then shifted the lamb in his arms and turned around. He looked at Bao Ning, raising his chin slightly with mild disdain. “Look at the lovely task you gave me. Didn’t even eat breakfast yet and already had to feed this little beast.”

Bao Ning hid half her face behind the bed curtain and smiled at him. “But look how cute it is.”

Pei Yuan lowered his head and scratched the lamb’s ears. “It’s okay, I guess.”

Then he looked up. “Not as cute as you.”

Bao Ning’s smile grew brighter. Granny Liu had never seen them flirting so openly before and blushed, quickly backing away.

“Stop grinning like a fool. Hurry up and wash your face and comb your hair,” Pei Yuan arched a brow at her. “We’re going out for a little fun after breakfast.”

Support Sansukini on Ko-fi

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here