Chapter 57: Satisfying a Craving

Pei Yuan didn’t quite agree with her hobby—Bao Ning had expected that.

Though, it wasn’t exactly disapproval. He supported her when she was just doing it at home for fun. But if she truly wanted to turn it into a livelihood, he was against it.

For some reason, the moment he heard Bao Ning had such thoughts, Pei Yuan felt uneasy.

“Why are you suddenly thinking of doing this? Are you short on money?” Pei Yuan frowned tightly. “Don’t worry about money. I have plenty. Spend whatever you want, buy whatever you like, no need to check in with me.”

“It’s not about the money,” Bao Ning replied. “It’s just… I feel like living like this in the residence every day is so dull.”

“I can make more time to be with you, just like today,” Pei Yuan said as he reached for her hand, trying to snatch the little wooden horse from her. “Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, I’ll go with you. There’s no need for you to do those thankless, attention-grabbing things.”

Bao Ning didn’t know how to explain it to him.

“It’s not about you either.”

“Then what exactly is the problem?” Pei Yuan grew anxious. He pulled Bao Ning into his arms and held her waist tightly. He wanted her whole world to revolve around him—ideally, she’d think about him every second. But now something else was trying to steal her attention. Even if it was just a bunch of wooden sticks, Pei Yuan couldn’t bear it. He felt threatened.

Bao Ning couldn’t make him understand, and Pei Yuan couldn’t express his feelings clearly either.

After a moment of tense silence, Bao Ning finally said, “Forget it.”

Pei Yuan thought she meant she was giving up and let out a breath of relief. He leaned in to kiss her cheek as a reward.

“Stop licking me,” Bao Ning grumbled, pushing him away. “It’s wet and gross.”

“Ning Ning, be good,” Pei Yuan said as he sat on the ground, bent his right leg, and pulled Bao Ning to sit between his thigh and chest, hugging her tightly.

He playfully bit the tip of her nose and mumbled, “Be good, stay with me. I’ll give you everything good I have. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

…

Just like Bao Ning had hoped, Pei Yuan stayed with her for half a month.

He stayed home, feeding the dogs and sheep daily. In a corner of the courtyard, he pitched a small tent with a pot inside, and after a few days of diligent practice, he actually learned how to make egg fried rice.

But he could never get the salt right—either too salty or too bland. It was full of bits of eggshell. Even the dogs wouldn’t eat his cooking. Bao Ning, being frugal, wouldn’t let him throw it away, so Pei Yuan had to force himself to eat it.

After half a month of rest and another detoxification, Pei Yuan’s health seemed to be improving, even showing signs of gaining weight.

The wedding invitation for Ji Jiaying and Pei Xiao finally arrived. It would be a grand event with many guests. Not only did Bao Ning receive an invitation, but Pei Yuan did too.

Ji Yun sent word from outside the mansion saying that all the noblewomen from the Duke’s manor would be attending—including Aunt Xu.

Finally, she had a chance to see her aunt. Bao Ning was so happy she walked around the courtyard in circles, pulling out clothes she had prepared long ago. The Duke’s mansion lacked nothing but heartfelt gifts, so the hand-embroidered garment she made—though not expensive—would surely make her aunt happy.

Pei Yuan lay on a lounge chair under the pomegranate tree, holding a map he had studied many times, marking it with charcoal. From time to time, he glanced at Bao Ning.

She had never been this joyful when she was just with him. She held the sheep with her left arm and the dog with her right, kissing one here and the other there.

Pei Yuan felt sour with jealousy. Twirling the charcoal stick in his fingers, he was already plotting that sooner or later, he’d throw those two troublemakers out of the house.

What were they even for—fighting for attention?

Suddenly, Pei Yuan remembered Meng Fan and the box he had delivered. A few days ago, while Bao Ning wasn’t paying attention, Pei Yuan had hidden that locked box. Bao Ning looked for it but never found it, and didn’t say anything. He had also hidden her little wooden horse.

He hid everything.

“Ah Yuan, look! Does this outfit look good on me?” Bao Ning called out, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Pei Yuan looked up. Bao Ning was wearing a sapphire blue gauze dress, lifting the hem and spinning around. Her skin was fair to begin with, and the color made her look like she was glowing. Pei Yuan squinted—she seemed to radiate light.

“Beautiful,” he praised sincerely.

Bao Ning was pleased. She looked down at the embroidery and found it perfect—nothing needed changing. Suddenly remembering something, she said, “I made one for you too.”

She rushed to her room and quickly returned with a dark blue robe, shaking it open and beckoning him over. “Come try it on!”

That’s when Pei Yuan realized—he had forgotten to tell her that he couldn’t go with her.

Looking at her smiling face, he frowned slightly and finally spoke, “Ning Ning… I’m afraid, on the night of the banquet, you’ll have to go alone.”

Bao Ning was briefly confused, but quickly understood what he meant. She had been avoiding thinking about their conversation that day, but now that it was brought up again, a heavy feeling sank in.

She clutched the robe to her chest and, with her head lowered, muttered, “Fine… then I won’t go either.”

“This has nothing to do with you,” Pei Yuan stood and walked to her, gently reassuring her. “I’ll be with you in the shadows. Just meet your aunt—that’s all you need to focus on. There will be people protecting you.”

“But you…” Bao Ning glanced at him, but didn’t speak more in the courtyard. She walked back into the room, arms full.

Pei Yuan followed. Bao Ning sat at the table, zoning out for a moment before suddenly looking up and asking, “If chaos really breaks out at the Crown Prince’s manor, will Gongsun Zhu show up?”

“He’s a drunk,” Pei Yuan said. “He wouldn’t miss a chance like this. Plus, His Majesty values Pei Xiao’s marriage a lot—he’s sending many imperial guards, led by General Tao Mao, who is Pei Xiao’s trusted aide. It’ll be a very secure situation for Gongsun Zhu. He’ll show up.”

“If we capture him alive… will there be an antidote?” Bao Ning’s eyes flickered with hope.

“Maybe,” Pei Yuan replied. “If there is, great. If not, he still has to die—to eliminate future trouble.”

Bao Ning said no more.

The wedding was in three days, held at night. Madam Qiu invited Bao Ning to ride in the same carriage, but Bao Ning declined.

Her mood was low the entire day. Pei Yuan personally cooked her some snacks—sweet osmanthus cakes. With Liu Nanny’s guidance, the results weren’t great, but they were edible. He packed them in oiled paper, and Bao Ning carried them with her.

Pei Yuan climbed into the carriage to give her last instructions: “If you get hungry, eat a couple. If you can’t eat, at least when you see them, think of me. Even if you can’t see me, I’ll always be with you.”

Bao Ning smiled faintly. Pei Yuan hugged her, then whispered, “Ning Ning… I promise you. Once this is over, I’ll take you away from here.”

“You’ve been really naggy these past few days. Everything you say and do is so clingy,” Bao Ning nestled in his arms, laughing.

“It’s not like you at all.”

“You looking for a beating?” Pei Yuan chuckled and bit her neck. “Look at you, all wilted like an eggplant. I’ve already lowered myself to coax you, and you still dislike it? Don’t know why you’re so picky—nothing’s ever good enough. In a few days, I’m going to have to teach you a real lesson.”

Bao Ning pouted, but she had to admit that after this playful squabble, she felt a lot more at ease.

She said, “If we really move out, let’s go back to how it used to be. I’ll cook for you, and we won’t have any other servants.”

Pei Yuan nodded with a smile. Thinking about their future days, Bao Ning’s lips curved upward. She hugged Pei Yuan around the waist and whispered, “I’ve had a bad attitude toward you the last few days. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll make it up to you.”

“How will you make it up?” Pei Yuan raised his brow, falling back into his usual teasing manner. His hand slid around her waist, rubbing ambiguously, and suddenly pinched hard just under her chest. “Like this?”

Bao Ning yelped, her ears turning bright red. She looked at him in disbelief. “What are you doing?!”

Pei Yuan leaned close to her ear. “Didn’t I tell you? I’ve been holding back for a long time. Now that I’m back… it’s time to satisfy my craving.”

Bao Ning, ticklish, tried to dodge backward, but Pei Yuan held her shoulders in place and kissed her lower lip. “A good wife shouldn’t be so stingy. I’m trying to be a good husband—you should learn to…”

Pei Yuan stared into her eyes, grinning mischievously. “Help put out the fire.”

Bao Ning ended up curled in a corner, her dress wrinkled from the roughhousing. After Pei Yuan had teased her enough, he returned to his usual cold and stern demeanor, straightened up, and said, “I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for Bao Ning’s response, he turned and jumped off the carriage.

He waved his hand. Nanny Liu followed him up, then instructed the coachman, who snapped the whip, sending the carriage rushing westward.

Pei Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, tilting his chin slightly as he watched the carriage disappear, lost in thought for a long time.

“Little General,” someone called behind him in a teasing tone.

“Remember three years ago? We drank together, and you told me something. You said from now on you’d ride freely across the battlefield, sing songs, gallop horses, and never be troubled by mundane things. And now, it’s only been half a year, and you’ve turned into the very thing you used to despise—a man totally whipped by his wife.”

Wei Meng shook his head. “You’ve got a soft spot now.”

Pei Yuan turned and met Wei Meng’s blue eyes.

He had just returned from Bashu, dusty from travel, but his eyes were bright and full of excitement. Unlike the typically slender Central Plains men, Wei Meng had thick muscles on his back and shoulders—more robust than Zhou Jiangcheng, with a rough appearance.

The brothers hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so naturally there was emotion. Pei Yuan’s fingers brushed the silver whip handle. After a while, he spoke hoarsely: “I called you back to help me, not to mock me.”

“I’m just curious. What kind of charm does your wife have that makes the Little General so utterly captivated?” Wei Meng laughed, loud as thunder.

“Remember six months ago when it all happened? I went to find you and you drove me away like a stray dog. Now look at you, like an eagle of the grasslands… though one about to settle down and hatch eggs.”

Wei Meng pointed to Pei Yuan’s lips.

Pei Yuan lifted his hand and wiped his lip. A smudge of rosy red—Bao Ning’s lip rouge—was on his fingertip.

He glanced at Wei Meng, snorted, and suddenly jabbed his elbow hard into his gut. “What do you know, idiot?”

“See you at the Crown Prince’s manor in two quarters of an hour. If we succeed, drinks are on me,” Pei Yuan said. With a sharp whistle, he summoned Saifeng, mounted his horse, and galloped west after the carriage.

…

The Ji family had many women. At the Crown Prince’s banquet hall, they filled an entire table.

Madam Xu was craning her neck, eagerly waiting for Bao Ning. Madam Tao was heavily pregnant, her belly round as a drum. Sixth Miss Ji Liuxiang was attending her closely.

As Madam Tao sipped her tea, she kept watching the main entrance. When she finally spotted Bao Ning, she snorted, set down her teacup, and flashed a triumphant smile.

Turning to Madam Xu, she said, in a voice just loud enough to be heard with a hint of mockery:

“She’s been married half a year already. Why is there still no sign of a baby in Bao Ning’s belly?”

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