Chapter 75: Soup

Bao Ning was startled by his gaze and stammered, “W-what kind of lesson?”

“Don’t you like children?” Pei Yuan smiled at her suggestively. The soft couch was against the wall; he stood up, knelt on it with one knee, and forced Bao Ning into the corner. He tilted his neck as he began to unbutton his clothes.

He blocked the candlelight behind him, and Bao Ning tilted her head slightly, sitting within Pei Yuan’s shadow.

He quickly stripped bare, tossing his inner robe behind him onto the floor, revealing his lean, sturdy upper body. His chest muscles were full and firm, eight neat plates lined his abdomen, and his waistline flowed smoothly downward, the scenery below disappearing into the waistband of his trousers. There were many scars on Pei Yuan’s body, but in this setting, they didn’t detract from his beauty; instead, they made him look even more formidable.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen him like this before, but today, perhaps because the atmosphere was too intimate, Bao Ning was dazed with fright.

Pei Yuan stared at her neck, which was turning increasingly pink, a smile playing on his lips. He placed his hand on his belt and untied it slowly. When it was halfway undone, he stopped and grabbed Bao Ning’s hand, placing it over his own. “You do it.”

Bao Ning’s fingers were trembling, and she tried to pull back in a hurry. “I don’t know how!”

“What’s there not to know?” Pei Yuan said. “Didn’t you tie it for me this morning?”

He gripped her wrist firmly, but this time he didn’t place her hand on the belt; he maliciously moved it slightly lower. The sensation made Bao Ning shudder.

Pei Yuan asked, “How does it feel?”

“I don’t know.” Bao Ning was mortified, her face so red it looked like it might bleed. “I don’t know!”

“You’ve touched it before, have you forgotten?” Pei Yuan clenched her hand, refusing to let her escape, pressing it firmly against that spot. Bao Ning discovered that the sensation in her palm was slowly changing, becoming hard and hot.

Pei Yuan coaxed her in a low voice, “The big worm… it spits water. White water, sticky and very hot in your palm, with a bit of a musky scent.”

Pei Yuan controlled her hand, rubbing slowly over the area. Bao Ning noticed that his gaze had changed, and his breath had become heavier.

Pei Yuan leaned in close, pressing against her, and whispered into her ear, “Want to have a taste?”

Bao Ning was on the verge of tears. She thought, how can Pei Yuan be such a rogue? Why couldn’t he be serious for once and speak properly?

Pei Yuan bit her earlobe and chuckled softly, “What are you afraid of? There will be even more intimate contact in the future, once you’ve grown a bit more and won’t get hurt.”

He tapped his finger against Bao Ning’s lower abdomen. “It will be buried here. It feels very good.”

His tone was like that of a villain. Huddled in the crook of Pei Yuan’s arm, Bao Ning finally couldn’t hold back and began to shed tears.

Pei Yuan didn’t intend to let her off. His large palm traced circles on her belly, and he asked her, “Ningning, do you think that after the big worm is eaten into your stomach, right here,” he rubbed the area of her navel, “will it bulge out into any particular shape? Hmm, for example, being stretched wide?”

Bao Ning pushed his hand away and turned to crawl outward. “I don’t know, I don’t want to talk to you anymore…”

Pei Yuan grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. He pinched her chin and asked with a laugh, “Didn’t you want children? You have to understand how they’re made first.”

Bao Ning shook her head repeatedly. “I don’t want them anymore, I don’t want them.”

“That’s not up to you.” Pei Yuan lightly bit her cheek and gave it a firm suck. He reached behind her to untie her drawstrings. “Good Ningning, look at me—I’m dying of discomfort. If I can’t eat the meat yet, at least let me have some soup. Let me touch…”

Pitiably bullied into the corner, Bao Ning bit her lip hard. Before long, her eyes grew misty with tears.

…

Bao Ning regretted it immensely; she shouldn’t have made him such good food and let him eat so much. This man had the boundless energy of a wild beast, carrying her from the couch to the table, from the table to the dressing table, and finally pouncing onto the bed.

When she woke up the next morning and looked, those two “pieces of meat” on her chest were still red.

When she touched her lips, they were swollen as well.

Pei Yuan looked sated, his eyes brighter than usual. He kissed the corner of her mouth with pity. “Blame me, I was too rough. I just didn’t realize you were that delicate. Next time I’ll be gentler—just sucking, no biting.”

Bao Ning didn’t believe a word of his nonsense and kicked him away. She lay facing the wall, eyes closed in anger, not wanting to say a single word to him.

Pei Yuan rubbed his nose and got up on his own. He prepared washwater for her and then went to the small kitchen to fix her breakfast, trying to curry favor.

Nanny Liu had already started cooking the menu Bao Ning had set the night before. It was very simple: dried toon leaf porridge.

The stems were removed from the toon leaves gathered yesterday. They were washed, blanched in hot water, squeezed dry, chopped finely, seasoned with some salt, and then stirred into the cooked porridge. It was fragrant, refreshing, and delicious.

Along with a green onion omelet and a small dish of garlic eggplant, it was a complete meal.

Pei Yuan couldn’t help much, and Bao Ning didn’t like the things he cooked anyway, so he could only wait by the side.

The small courtyard in the morning was full of life; the cicadas began to buzz as soon as the sun peeked out. Pei Yuan sat on the threshold with his knees spread, staring at a nearby tree. After a while, he asked Nanny Liu, “The hottest days of summer are coming in a few days. If I find some people to catch those cicadas and fry them, would the Madam like to eat them?”

Nanny Liu’s hand shook, and she said hesitantly, “She probably wouldn’t, right? Those things are quite frightening.”

Pei Yuan gave an “Mhm.” “They are frightening, but they’re crispy and taste good. I’ll make them myself another day and let her try.”

Nanny Liu gave him a very strange look, feeling that the current Pei Yuan was different from the one she had known before. In her memory, the Fourth Prince had a forceful personality—gloomy, rarely smiling, and not to be trifled with. They had lived together for about two or three months, and Pei Yuan had spoken no more than five sentences to her in total, usually just asking for tea or water.

But his tone just now, while not exactly “tender,” was at least gentle.

The subject of his conversation was even more gentle—like an ordinary man who, upon seeing something tasty on the street, buys an extra portion to take home for his wife.

Nanny Liu smiled. “The young Madam will surely be very happy.”

Pei Yuan nodded and stopped talking.

A-Huang woke up and came out to play. Turning its head, it saw Pei Yuan and trotted over. He teased the dog with his fingers. After a while, A-Mian also ran over, carrying a Chinese rose in its mouth that Bao Ning had planted under the window.

Pei Yuan’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. He quickly patted the lamb’s head. “Quick, quick, put it back! Why are you chewing her flowers for no reason? When she wakes up, won’t she blame me and say I ordered you to do it?”

A-Mian gave a bleat, chewed the flower, and swallowed it.

Pei Yuan laughed at the sight, pointing at its nose. “You’ve got guts.”

Nanny Liu gave him another strange look, the corners of her mouth curving up. She thought to herself that while the Fourth Prince appeared heartless, he was actually quite good at coaxing people in private, and his way of speaking was interesting.

When he brought the meal back, Bao Ning had already gotten up. She was sitting at the dressing table combing her hair. As soon as she saw Pei Yuan enter, she quickly pulled her collar tight and looked at him warily.

Pei Yuan said, “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. Come and eat.”

Bao Ning glared at him and walked over suspiciously.

Pei Yuan arranged the dishes from the food box one by one and set out the chopsticks, acting as hardworking and complaint-free as an old nanny—all that was missing was feeding her himself. Bao Ning enjoyed the service, her attitude gradually softening, and a smile appeared on her face.

Seeing her smile, Pei Yuan grew bolder. “Ningning, you still need to make some progress. Regarding what happened last night—what’s there to be ashamed of? You still need to learn more and put in some effort. I’m going to the capital the day after tomorrow; I’ll look around the street stalls for some ‘picture books.’ You know what kind of books I mean, right?”

Bao Ning’s smile slowly faded.

Pei Yuan finished his porridge in a daze and continued, “You should look at them when you have nothing to do. There are so many variations to that matter; we can explore them slowly… Hey, why are you kicking me?”

“Stop eating! Out! Get out!” Bao Ning snatched the bowl from his hand and shoved him by the shoulder to drive him away, her eyes wide. “Don’t come back!”

“I…” Pei Yuan tried to speak again, but Bao Ning took a step back and slammed the door. With a bang , the door panel nearly hit the tip of his nose.

Pei Yuan didn’t mind. He was full anyway and in a great mood. He straightened his robes and strolled leisurely toward the study.

…

After breakfast, Bao Ning went through her routine of feeding her animals.

A-Huang ate meat porridge. Jixiang couldn’t get full on porridge and needed large bones, which A-Huang couldn’t chew, so the dog only had porridge. A-Mian ate grass mixed with a handful of salt—sheep loved salt. Then there were the leeches, which needed fresh pond snails. The leeches were multiplying, and they needed a pound of snails per meal now.

Pei Yuan, as before, underwent detoxification every half-month. It was effective, and he had grown accustomed to the pain.

Except on rainy days and during detoxification, he was like a normal person. Bao Ning used to love quiet rainy days, but now she hated them.

But there was no other way for now.

Bao Ning suddenly thought that Pei Yuan was going out the day after tomorrow; she hoped it wouldn’t be a rainy day. Come to think of it, what was he going out for? she hadn’t even asked.

Was she being a bit too unconcerned?

After the incident with Ji Jiaying, Bao Ning had maintained an avoidant attitude toward the conflicts Pei Yuan had to deal with. Just like this time, she didn’t even dare to ask—partly because she felt she couldn’t help, and partly because she was escaping reality in her heart.

She liked a peaceful life, and Pei Yuan’s actions were contrary to her expectations, so she simply ignored them and acted as if nothing was happening.

Bao Ning then thought: Can I really escape? They were husband and wife; they would have children in the future and would be hard to separate for the rest of their lives. A couple is one entity. Every plan Pei Yuan made would affect her. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, they should face it together, right? It wasn’t something that could be solved simply by covering her eyes and plugging her ears.

However, for Bao Ning, this was still a difficult step to take.

…

After feeding the leeches, Bao Ning had nothing else to do in the morning. She moved a stool outside to sunbathe, pondering the things she needed to prepare for the shop while chatting with Nanny Liu.

Nanny Liu was sewing shoe soles. Recalling what Pei Yuan said that morning, she sighed, “The Madam and the Fourth Prince have such a good relationship.”

Bao Ning smiled. “It’s alright, it is quite good.”

Nanny Liu said, “Sometimes I think back to when I was young and picking a husband—how did I not choose a good one? I didn’t need him to be very successful, just someone who cared for me and could live a stable life. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have died early, and I wouldn’t have had to go to the General’s estate as a wet nurse right after giving birth to my young son. To this day, I don’t even have a home.”

Bao Ning hadn’t expected Nanny Liu to have such a past. She was startled and couldn’t help asking, “How did he pass away at such a young age?”

Nanny Liu sighed. “Speaking of which, I am also at fault. If I had stopped him then, it wouldn’t have ended like that.”

Bao Ning was even more confused. “Was he sick?”

Nanny Liu said, “He was beaten to death.”

Bao Ning was so shocked she dropped the book in her hand. She picked it up, dusted it off, and repeated in disbelief, “Beaten to death?”

“When I married him, he was a local thug in the gambling business. I didn’t like his trade, and I didn’t like the man, but his family had money, and I was forced to marry him.” Nanny Liu shook her head. “After the marriage, we just made do. We had several children. At first, I tried to persuade him to quit, but he wouldn’t listen. Later, I was busy with housework and looking after the children, so I couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.”

Bao Ning asked, “And then?”

“Later, his father fell ill. It cost a lot of silver, and the family savings were almost drained. He had never lived such a poor life and got desperate. Maybe that’s why he made bad plans. I noticed it early on, but I didn’t step in. I thought it was his own business and had nothing to do with me. I was a woman; it was enough to take care of my own responsibilities.”

Bao Ning asked, “And… and then?”

“Then, on a rainy day, he wanted to go out. I sensed something was wrong with him—he was too excited. And in the middle of the night, what was he going out for? Surely nothing good.”

Nanny Liu continued, “But I still didn’t care. The baby was crying, so I went to feed the child, and he left. Looking back now, I truly regret it. If I had stopped him and not let him go, would he have been beaten to death? Or even earlier, if I had cared more about him, would it have come to that?”

She set the shoe sole aside and wiped her tears with a handkerchief, giving an embarrassed smile. “Young Madam, I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you.”

Bao Ning patted her back comfortingly and said softly, “It’s alright.”

Recalling the past made Nanny Liu feel bad, and Bao Ning’s heart tightened as well. She felt afraid. She realized that her concern for Pei Yuan was indeed a bit lacking. Bao Ning thought that even if she couldn’t help, at the very least, she should know what Pei Yuan was doing.

Nanny Liu’s husband and Pei Yuan were worlds apart, and their situations were completely different, but that phrase “beaten to death” still gave Bao Ning a bad premonition.

Should she… really start taking an interest in Pei Yuan’s affairs?

…

In the study, Pei Yuan was reading the military training journals sent over by Zhang Yun. Wei Meng was sitting nearby, studying a topographical map of Lihu.

His legs grew tired from being crossed, so he changed his posture and asked Pei Yuan, “Little General, I think you’re overcomplicating things. Who is Jia Ling? He’s the Young Madam’s brother-in-law. If you want to know his situation, why don’t you ask the Young Madam? If she doesn’t know, send an invitation to the Marquis of Chongyuan’s estate and ask her eldest sister, Ji Xiangzhen directly. As the person sharing his bed, she’s bound to have some useful information if you ask indirectly.”

Pei Yuan didn’t look up, saying flatly, “She doesn’t like these things. Don’t bother her.”

“The two of you are husband and wife.” Wei Meng stood up, walked to his side, and tapped the table impatiently. “In the long run, if you really become the Emperor, won’t the Young Madam have to learn to be the Empress? Or taking a step back—if you return to the Northern Frontier and resume your role as the King of Jibei, then she’ll be the Queen Consort. The Nine Towns of the Northern Frontier are vast; ‘Queen Consort’ isn’t just an empty title—it comes with responsibilities!”

Pei Yuan raised his face to look at him, frowning with displeasure. “She’s a young lady. Why are you always pushing her?”

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