Chapter 79: Cozy

“What are you saying?” Bao Ning quickly slapped his arm. “That’s no way to tease a child. Don’t make him cry.”

Having been scolded, Pei Yuan didn’t dare prank Yuanzi anymore and handed him the leeks. “Here, eat.”

Two dogs, catching the scent of the food, came scurrying over. Jixiang, with his patchy fur, bared his teeth at the sight of Pei Yuan. Pei Yuan couldn’t be bothered with him; humming a little tune, he slid a chicken wing onto a skewer. A-Huang was better at acting cute, rubbing against Pei Yuan’s calf. Since Pei Yuan had rolled his pants up to his knees, the bare skin felt ticklish from the fur, and he thought about tossing a chicken bone to send the dog away.

Seeing this, Bao Ning immediately stopped him. “Don’t give him that. Chicken bones splinter; I’m afraid they’ll hurt his throat.”

“So delicate?” Pei Yuan tossed the bone back onto the plate, took out a small piece of pork, and whistled at A-Huang. “Come on, give your master a bow.”

Bao Ning shook her head with a smile, thinking how childish he was.

A-Huang hesitantly stood on his hind legs and actually bowed twice. Pei Yuan nodded with satisfaction and tossed the meat into the dog’s mouth.

Jixiang grew jealous and rushed in front of Pei Yuan, barking at him. Pei Yuan said, “Want some? Do a roll.”

Bao Ning glanced at him but ignored the antics. She flipped a mushroom over, sprinkled some cumin powder on it, and inhaled the mouth-watering aroma mixed with the mushroom’s unique freshness.

Judging it was about ready, Bao Ning blew on it and held it to Pei Yuan’s lips. “Taste it, is it done?”

Pei Yuan tilted his head and took a bite. It was so hot he could barely speak, yet he insisted on competing with the dog. “Don’t just stand there, roll! Otherwise, I’ll let you go hungry all night and dump you in the mountains tomorrow.”

After finishing, he turned back to Bao Ning. “It’s done.”

Bao Ning set the mushrooms with chili to one side and put the non-spicy ones into a small bowl, handing them to Yuanzi with a bright smile. “Eat up.”

Yuanzi obediently took the bowl and sat to the side, sharing the space with a satisfied A-Huang who had finished his meat.

On the other side, Jixiang finally compromised, tucked in his legs, and rolled over on the ground. Pei Yuan laughed loudly and tossed him a piece of meat like he’d won a great battle. “Your reward!”

Jixiang took the meat and ran off. With no one left to pester him, Pei Yuan finally focused and started skewering meat properly.

It was a beautiful day with a gentle evening breeze. It was the middle of the month, and the moon was as stunning as a jade plate. In the distance, the servants were also eating happily, their voices and the sounds of drinking games carrying over on the wind.

It was a very cozy evening, the air drifting with the scent of cumin.

Having finished her tasks, Bao Ning rested her chin on her hand and watched Pei Yuan work. His profile was handsome, his shoulders broad, and his back slightly curved. His fingers were long and powerful.

After looking at his hands long enough, her gaze drifted to his face, tracing his features in her mind—the slightly upturned corners of his eyes, his bright black pupils, and his high, straight nose. He looked fierce when angry, like a common rogue, but when he smiled, there was a touch of tenderness.

Sensing her gaze, Pei Yuan glanced over sideways, looking quite proud. “Do you realize how lucky you are?”

“Why is that?” Bao Ning changed her posture, stacking her hands to support her chin. Perhaps because of the atmosphere, she found Pei Yuan exceptionally pleasing to the eye today, and her voice was soft and affectionate.

Pei Yuan said, “Look at your husband—good looks, troops, and money. Most importantly, I dote on you. Is that not lucky?”

Bao Ning curved her lips. “Do you really dote on me?”

Pei Yuan turned his entire body toward her, raising an eyebrow with a mock-fierce tone. “I don’t dote on you?”

Bao Ning smiled and nodded. “You do.”

Pei Yuan felt like they were talking nonsense, but this nonsense made his heart feel sweet. If life could always be this peaceful and worry-free, staying at home every day to talk nonsense with her wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

“I only married this one; who else would I dote on?” Pei Yuan lowered his voice, speaking softly to her. The firelight cast a reddish glow on Bao Ning’s face. Pei Yuan pressed the back of his hand against it. “Are you hot?”

Bao Ning didn’t answer, instead seizing on his words. “What do you mean by that? How many more were you planning to marry?”

Here we go again. She always got talkative when it came to these questions. Pei Yuan came up with an answer he was quite satisfied with: “All the money is in your hands; I can’t afford any more. I’ll just have to make do with you.”

“You’re so annoying,” Bao Ning huffed, clearly having been humored. She straightened up and asked, “Would you like some wine?”

Pei Yuan naturally didn’t refuse. “Yes.”

The wine pot was soaking in nearby hot water, warming up bit by bit. Bao Ning rolled up her sleeves, lifted it out, and wiped the water from the bottom. She washed a small cup and slowly poured it eighty percent full.

Propping one hand on his knee, Pei Yuan said lazily, “Tea to the half, wine to the brim. Serving a full cup is a sign of respect—didn’t you learn the rules?”

Bao Ning didn’t even look up. “Are you my guest?”

Pei Yuan snorted. “I’m talking to you about etiquette; why are you veering off-topic?”

Bao Ning made a move to pour the wine out, threatening him, “Do you want to drink it or not?”

Pei Yuan hurriedly said, “I’ll drink, I’ll drink.” Bao Ning brought it over and held it to his lips. Pei Yuan puckered his lips and slurped, draining most of it. He savored it for a moment and said, “Fifteen-year-old Nu’er Hong, right?”

Bao Ning found him particularly pleasing tonight, being both warm and attentive. Seeing a wine stain at the corner of his mouth, she knelt down and wiped it away with a handkerchief, smiling. “You certainly have a good palate.”

Pei Yuan took the opportunity to grab her wrist and pull her down onto his lap. Facing her, he pinched her chin and whispered, “Speaking of which, I haven’t ‘drunk’ your Nu’er Hong yet.”

( Note: Nu’er Hong refers to a specific wine, but can also be a euphemism for a bride’s wedding night. )

Why was he suddenly saying this? In the nearby stove, the charcoal hissed. Bao Ning’s face slowly turned red, and she didn’t know how to respond.

“I owe you,” Pei Yuan said, pressing her face against his shoulder and closing his eyes. “I owe you a proper wedding ceremony and a grand dowry. I hardly spent a copper to trick you into coming home with me. Isn’t that a bit much?”

Bao Ning whispered, “At least you know.”

Pei Yuan laughed silently. He pulled her fully into his embrace, stroking the hair on her back as they rocked back and forth on the small stool. Suddenly, he asked, “What kind of dowry do you want?”

Bao Ning was surprised. “Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t you prepare it and present it to me with both hands?”

“Fine.” Pei Yuan buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath. “I’ll save up for it slowly.”

“Then,” Bao Ning said with some anticipation, “what are you going to give me?”

“Since I’m marrying the best woman in the world, I naturally have to use the most precious dowry in the world.” Pei Yuan grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. “Would it be enough if I carved out my heart for you?”

Bao Ning hurriedly shrank back. “It’ll be all bloody; I don’t want that.”

Pei Yuan laughed heartily and kissed the corner of her mouth. “No, you have to take it.”

Bao Ning said, “Don’t always be so macabre.”

Pei Yuan asked, “How is that macabre?”

“Carving out a heart is very macabre.”

“You just didn’t grasp the sentiment.”

Bao Ning paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “I want to eat braised duck hearts.”

Pei Yuan said, “Now that you mention it, I want them too.”

Bao Ning said, “I’ll make them tomorrow night.”

Yuanzi watched them blankly. The little mushroom in his hand fell to the ground and was quickly snatched up and swallowed by A-Huang.

In Yuanzi’s memory, he had never seen his father and his so-called “mother” be so intimate. His father would provide him with excellent care—good food and comfortable clothes—but his voice was always ice-cold. His mother would also buy him things, but it was always when his father was present. If his father wasn’t there, she looked at him as if he were a little venomous snake he was raising in secret.

His father and mother were rarely seen together. When they were, they hardly spoke, never held hands, and never embraced.

So now, looking at the expressions of Pei Yuan and Bao Ning, he was both surprised and startled.

Pei Yuan finally remembered the existence of this “brat.” Squinting, he barked, “What are you looking at? Close your eyes and turn around!”

Yuanzi obediently turned his back.

Bao Ning shyly got off Pei Yuan’s lap and adjusted her hair.

With the wonderful atmosphere interrupted, Pei Yuan pointed at Yuanzi’s back and whispered to Bao Ning, “Send the brat away tomorrow morning. He’s a hindrance.”

“Stop it.” Bao Ning pushed him. “Eat quickly. It’s fine if we stay up late, but Yuanzi is still young; he needs to sleep early.”

Pei Yuan said, “Let’s have one of our own soon, so you don’t spend so much energy on other people’s kids.”

Bao Ning covered his mouth. “Say less, please.”

After another half-hour, they had finished most of what they prepared. Bao Ning had boiled some mung bean soup to cool their systems. Once everyone had finished, she took Yuanzi to bed. Pei Yuan wouldn’t let Bao Ning change Yuanzi’s clothes. Being rough-handed, he did it himself, stripping off the outer layers and putting one of his own sleeping robes on the boy.

The robe was enough for Yuanzi on its own, trailing past his feet. Pei Yuan rolled up the extra length of the sleeves for him.

While rolling up one of the sleeves, Bao Ning suddenly noticed something wrong with Yuanzi’s arm. On his forearm, there were many scars—small, dark-red dots, looking like the teeth marks of some creature.

“Wait a moment,” Bao Ning stopped Pei Yuan, pointing out the wounds with a look of alarm. “What happened here?”

Pei Yuan was also taken aback. He looked at Yuanzi’s expression; the boy was blank-faced, tilting his head back to stare straight at the ceiling.

Pei Yuan straightened his head and asked, “Why are there so many scars? What bit you?”

Yuanzi nodded.

Pei Yuan tried to be patient and asked, “Tell me, what bit you?”

Yuanzi gestured unclearly. “Snakes, little snakes.”

Upon hearing that word, the hair on Bao Ning’s neck stood up, and she unconsciously gripped Pei Yuan’s arm.

Pei Yuan was also surprised. Frowning, he asked, “How could your family be so careless? To have a child and not look after him properly, letting him get bitten like this?” Pei Yuan lifted Yuanzi’s small arm. Even though he had little affection for the child, he felt a twinge of pity and regret.

He subconsciously felt there was something wrong with Yuanzi’s words. Being bitten once or twice might be an accident, but why were there so many marks? Was the child foolish, or were the adults incompetent?

The room was silent for a moment. Seeing that he had stopped asking questions, Yuanzi lowered his head and began biting a finger on his other hand.

Pei Yuan slapped his hand away, thinking to himself that the child was indeed a bit slow.

It was late, and Yuanzi yawned. Bao Ning signaled for him to stop the questioning. Pei Yuan nodded and tucked Yuanzi into bed, tapping his forehead. “Go to sleep now, or the wolf will come and bite your little bottom.”

Yuanzi closed his eyes in fear.

Bao Ning pulled Pei Yuan out of the room.

Bao Ning closed the wooden door, and amidst the creak of the hinges, Yuanzi’s soft words were muffled.

He stared at the ceiling and said, “Little spiders, are you asleep? Come down and play. Um… if the wolf comes, can you bite it to death?”

Bao Ning urged Pei Yuan to take a bath. She sat on the edge of the bed soaking her feet, talking to him over the sound of the water and through the screen.

Tuna leaves gathered that day had been added to the foot-soaking water, giving off a faint fragrance. Bao Ning narrowed her eyes in comfort.

They were talking about Su Mingyou.

Bao Ning said, “I’ve heard of her. The most talented daughter of the Su family, very dignified. Otherwise, with only the Su family’s rank, the Emperor wouldn’t have hand-picked her to be the Crown Princess. It’s a pity her later circumstances were so poor and the Su family refused to take her in.”

Pei Yuan said, “I don’t know what happened in between. I’ve sent Wei Meng to investigate.”

Bao Ning looked down at the leaves in the water and added, “I’ll go see her tomorrow morning. Will you come with me?”

“I will.” Pei Yuan had finished bathing and stepped out, drying himself with a cloth. “Ningning, when you see her, you don’t need to humble yourself. Don’t wrong yourself. She is just an elder sister-in-law, and she is the one staying in your home. You don’t need to flatter her.”

Pei Yuan was worried about the trace of inferiority hidden in Bao Ning’s heart due to her birth; she had been cautious since childhood.

Though this had improved after being with him for a long time, Pei Yuan still feared Su Mingyou’s arrival would make Bao Ning feel uncomfortable. He had heard this sister-in-law was a very assertive person.

Bao Ning agreed.

After a while, Pei Yuan came out from behind the screen. Bao Ning had finished washing her feet; he went to pour the water out, splashing it directly outside the door. When he returned, he blew out the lamp and got into bed, pulling Bao Ning into his arms to sleep.

Tired after a long day, he didn’t make any further moves, and they both fell asleep quickly.

In the middle of the night, they were startled awake by Yuanzi’s crying and screaming. Yuanzi was sleeping in the room next door, and his screams were piercing. Bao Ning woke up in fright, and Pei Yuan immediately sat up, threw on a robe, and rushed to the boy’s room.

Pushing open the door, he saw a figure standing by Yuanzi’s bed in the light of the full moon—it was a woman, and her belly was very large.

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