Chapter 69: Sweetie

Pei Yuan brushed the dust off his coat, casually slung it over his shoulder, and strode out. Ah Huang bounced along behind him, while Ah Mian, tired, curled up in a corner and fell asleep.

Outside the door, Wei Meng had been waiting for quite a while.

The soldiers had dispersed, and there were seven or eight rooms in the manor. After servants tidied up, they were now all sound asleep. Wei Meng dared not leave; he was afraid that if Pei Yuan and Bao Ning hadn’t come to an agreement, and Bao Ning left in a fit of anger, he wouldn’t be able to stop her—Pei Yuan would kill him.

More importantly, something had suddenly occurred to him that he was eager to share with Pei Yuan.

The night wind was bleak outside, ruffling Wei Meng’s beard into a mess. When he saw Pei Yuan come out, he immediately stepped forward.

Pei Yuan brushed past him with the dog, in a noticeably good mood, as if reborn. He advised, “You should shave that beard. Don’t let it get so long. Looks sloppy.”

“……” Interrupted, Wei Meng forgot what he was going to say. Seeing Pei Yuan about to step into the kitchen, he quickly followed. “Did you make up with the young madam?”

Pei Yuan gave him a sidelong glance and refused to mention his own humiliating ordeal. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Once I step in, how could she not listen?”

Wei Meng didn’t know how to respond—he just thought Pei Yuan was ridiculously confident.

Pei Yuan picked up a bucket and brought it to the stove, lifting the lid to ladle out hot water. “Why are you still here? If you’re hungry, go get someone to cook for you. There’s no food here for you.”

“…” Wei Meng swallowed his irritation. “I don’t want your food.”

“Even better,” Pei Yuan waved him off. “Ah Huang, see the guest out.”

Wei Meng glanced at the little yellow dog squatting by the fire at Pei Yuan’s feet and sighed inwardly. He grabbed Pei Yuan’s busy wrist. “I wanted to tell you—remember that topographic map I saw in Pei Xiao’s study that day? His Majesty will be leaving the palace soon for a summer retreat. He’s going to the imperial villa in De’an and will pass through Lihu. The terrain around Yandang Mountain is treacherous—easy to defend, hard to attack. You know as well as I do—we’ve just arrived, and it’s not hard to guess what Pei Xiao is thinking. This is an incredible opportunity!”

Pei Yuan’s expression grew serious. “I remember.”

Wei Meng breathed a sigh of relief. “So what’s your plan? We need to prepare ahead of time and plan carefully.”

“Not tonight.” Pei Yuan pulled his hand free and continued ladling water into the bucket. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“You really need to take this seriously!” Wei Meng urged. “You agreed to assist General Qiu to uncover the truth behind Consort Xian’s murder. But Qiu doesn’t see it the same way—he wants the throne. Your political goals are different; you’ll inevitably end up on opposing sides. He has hundreds of thousands of troops under his command and controls the northern frontier. We have just a few hundred men, and you’re still a criminal under sentence! If we seize this opportunity—eliminating Pei Xiao would be ideal. If not, we can at least regain the emperor’s favor and clear your name for the false charge of regicide.”

Pei Yuan paused mid-movement.

Wei Meng continued, “And you should know—we’re getting too close to General Qiu. Given your status, that’s not a good thing.”

Pei Yuan replied, “I know.”

“Then you—”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Pei Yuan interrupted, scooping cold water from the vat. “Don’t worry. I know what I want. But rice has to be eaten one bite at a time, and plans have to be made step by step. I was too reckless before. Now that I’ve faced real challenges, I need to learn to be wiser.”

Pei Yuan looked up at him. “Don’t rush.”

Wei Meng fell silent. He felt that Pei Yuan had truly changed after tonight—more composed, no longer flashing his fangs at every turn. Bao Ning had tempered him.

Pei Yuan said, “I’ll be staying here from now on. Go back tomorrow and bring anything we need.”

Wei Meng asked, “What about the brothers?”

“They can’t stay on the manor—it’s too conspicuous. Leave half in town, give them money, let them live wherever they want. The other half stays at the general’s residence. We can’t break with Qiu Mingshan yet, or he’ll get suspicious,” Pei Yuan said with a tight lip. “We’re still grasshoppers tied to the same rope.”

Wei Meng suddenly remembered Qiu Mingshan’s two daughters and, unsure of Pei Yuan’s intentions, opened his mouth to ask, “What about the sixth daughter…”

Pei Yuan had already thought of the same thing. His expression instantly turned cold. “I want her dead.”

Wei Meng hesitated. “But she’s the future consort of the Second Prince…”

“You’re right,” Pei Yuan gritted his teeth. “We can’t let her die so easily. Isn’t she fond of her filthy little schemes? Then take all the ones she planned and make them happen to her instead. Get that man she arranged for and put him in her room. Bring the whole household in to witness it. Spread the word so all of the capital knows Qiu’s family raised a shameless daughter!”

Wei Meng said, “That would be satisfying!”

Pei Yuan continued, “Once she’s disgraced and no one cares about her fate, go cut off her nose. Bring her seventh sister to watch it happen. If Qiu Mingshan doesn’t know how to raise daughters, I’ll teach them for him. Tell Qiu Lingyan—if a cruel-hearted child doesn’t change, this is what will happen to her in the end.”

Wei Meng clicked his tongue. “General, that’s a bit too ruthless.”

“If I were too kind, I wouldn’t be myself,” Pei Yuan gave him a sideways glance, shook the water off the bowl, and fished out the sugar cakes from the pot, placing them in the bowl.

His movements were calm and natural, like any ordinary man—as if the one who had just issued those brutal orders wasn’t him at all.

Wei Meng thought for a moment and asked, “General, aren’t you afraid the young madam will find out what you did to that girl? What if she gets upset with you?”

“Then keep your mouth shut,” Pei Yuan squinted at him in warning. “If she learns anything she shouldn’t know, I’ll cut out your tongue.”

Wei Meng left, sulking.

…

Pei Yuan soon finished tidying up the kitchen, carried the water back, and brought the food along. Ah Huang followed behind him like a wagging tail, running back and forth.

Bao Ning was inside cutting fabric when Pei Yuan curiously asked, “What are you busy with?”

Bao Ning replied, “I was angry at the time, and you didn’t bring a single piece of clothing back. Now you’ve got nothing to wear, so I’m making something simple for you.”

She set the scissors aside and finally noticed what Pei Yuan was doing, speechless for a moment. “Why are you being so silly?”

Pei Yuan was sitting on a small stool, taking off his shoes and pants. Confused by her scolding, he looked a little wronged. “What did I do?”

Bao Ning said, “I told you to watch the fire, not to take everything off the stove. You brought in the bathwater and the food—so are you bathing first or eating first?”

Pei Yuan knocked his shoes against the floor. “Isn’t it all the same?”

“If you bathe first, your food gets cold. If you eat first, you’ll be bathing in cold water.” Bao Ning pinched her nose.

“Ugh, stop knocking them! The whole room is full of dust. Just toss them out, I’ll make new ones for you.”

Pei Yuan listened and threw the boots toward the door, the soles hitting it with a loud bang.

The little lamb was startled awake, bleating and scampering to Bao Ning’s side.

Bao Ning gently stroked its head, scolding Pei Yuan angrily, “I shouldn’t have let you in. You cause trouble the moment you enter. Middle of the night—not only are you keeping people up, you’re disturbing the poor lamb!”

Pei Yuan looked at her innocently. “I didn’t mean to.”

Wearing only shorts, he wandered around the room, looking around Bao Ning’s new place. “Besides, that lamb of yours isn’t really a lamb anymore. It’s getting old. In a few months, it’ll be ready to eat.”

Ah Mian was frightened by his tone and started bleating pitifully again.

Bao Ning comforted it. “It’s okay, it’s okay. No one’s going to eat you.”

Pei Yuan grinned. With his tendency to remember food but not beatings, he had already forgotten how pitifully he had begged for forgiveness just a while ago. He looked provocatively at Ah Mian. “Don’t be so sure.”

“You want to eat or bathe or sleep—decide already!” Bao Ning pointed at the door, her expression turning stern. “One more word and out you go.”

“I won’t say anything.” Pei Yuan reined in his grin and rubbed his nose.

“If the soup cools, it’ll start to smell. Hurry and drink it.” Bao Ning stood up helplessly. Then she got an idea—she placed a board across the top of the bath barrel and set the food on it so that Pei Yuan could eat while bathing. Since it was almost dawn anyway, she simply washed his hair for him with soap herself.

Pei Yuan soaked in the hot water, letting out a comfortable sigh. His left arm rested on the rim of the tub, his right hand holding a sugar cake, chewing contentedly. He felt this was a blessing in disguise—pure bliss.

Bao Ning asked, “Does your leg hurt?”

“Not yet.” Pei Yuan broke off a piece of the cake and turned to feed her. “Try it, it’s sweet.”

“Ugh, stop moving! Your head is full of suds—you’re going to get it on my clothes.” Bao Ning dodged, annoyed, and wiped her chest with a cloth.

Pei Yuan kept trying to feed her. “Leave it, I’ll wash it for you tomorrow. Come on, just one bite—I saved all the filling for you.”

Bao Ning said, “That’s only because you don’t like sweets.”

“Quick, eat! The syrup’s about to drip.” Pei Yuan tugged her arm and stuffed the whole piece into her mouth, proudly asking, “Tastes good, right?”

Bao Ning’s mouth was full—she bit down hard on his fingertip. “Of course it’s good. I made it. What are you showing off for?”

“If my wife made it, then it’s as good as if I made it.” Pei Yuan rested his arm on the tub and turned to smile at her. He was handsome, with rugged features, but when he smiled, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes and a roguish charm in his expression.

Bao Ning couldn’t win an argument with him. She grumbled and yanked on his hair. “Stop playing around. I’m tired. Hurry and finish bathing so we can sleep.”

By the time everything was finally settled, the sky had already lightened. The candle just happened to burn out as they lay in bed, each under their own blanket.

Bao Ning didn’t let him get close and placed two pillows between them as a barrier.

Once she was asleep, Pei Yuan tossed the pillows to the floor, scooted closer to her back, and wrapped an arm around her. Bao Ning was warm under the covers, like a little heater. Outside, it had probably started to drizzle, the gentle pattering of rain matching the aches in Pei Yuan’s bones. He had walked too much the day before and aggravated his not-yet-healed leg.

Fortunately, the pain was still bearable.

Her warmth transferred to him, and Pei Yuan sighed contentedly, holding her even tighter.

They slept who-knows-how-long, and when Pei Yuan next woke, it was still gloomy outside—likely already afternoon. The courtyard was in an uproar.

Ji Yun, wielding a silver spear, shouted angrily:

“You blue-eyed scoundrel! This is my territory—what gives you the guts to lock down the courtyard?! What’s happened to my sister? I want to see her! Let me in now or don’t blame me for being rude!”

Wei Meng didn’t dare strike back and barely blocked the blows. His attention was drawn to the mastiff scurrying wildly at Ji Yun’s feet.

Wei Meng shouted loudly, “What is this dark, clumsy little beast? It’s so ugly! Someone take it away—quickly, take it away!”

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