Chapter 86: Jealousy

Pei Yuan had originally thought that Pei Xiao had sent someone to collect Yuanzi and offer some customary gifts in gratitude. He and Bao Ning walked out together as the evening breeze rustled the wood-incense trees lining the path. Rounding a corner, they spotted Chang Xi waiting at the gate.

A young eunuch in his twenties, Chang Xi was as thin as a reed with eyes as sharp and shifty as a gray rat’s. When he saw Bao Ning approaching gracefully, a smirk began to form on his lips—but it vanished instantly when he saw Pei Yuan’s towering silhouette. He cursed inwardly; he had picked the worst possible time and run straight into this “God of Slaughter.”

“A rare guest indeed,” Pei Yuan said lazily as he reached the gate, folding his arms. “What did your master send you here for?”

Chang Xi didn’t dare speak freely. He wanted to get rid of Pei Yuan and stammered, “I am here… well, actually, it has nothing to do with Your Highness…”

“You speak so slowly; it must be something difficult to say,” Pei Yuan rubbed his chin. “Then don’t say it. Chen Jia, pin him to the ground. Carry the goods inside.”

Chang Xi paled in horror, shocked by such a rude command. He waved his hands and retreated. “Fourth Highness, you are being far too barbaric!”

No one listened. Chen Jia snapped his fingers, and seven or eight male servants armed with weapons swarmed out, surrounding Chang Xi and his porters. Chang Xi stared in disbelief and turned to run, but Chen Jia kicked the back of his knee, pinned him to the ground, and pressed a long blade against his neck. “Don’t move!”

“Bring the things in!” Chen Jia ordered.

Seeing the servants haul the boxes away like bandits, Chang Xi pounded the ground in indignation. “Fourth Highness, those things aren’t for you! Don’t rob us!”

Pei Yuan, who had already turned to leave, stopped and looked back. “If they aren’t for me, why did you bring them to my front door?”

“They are for the Fourth Imperial Consort!” Chang Xi shouted. “My master sent me to deliver a message!”

Hearing this, Pei Yuan’s face darkened instantly, and Bao Ning was filled with shock. She had no good impression of Pei Xiao; he seemed cold and silent, a man who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong and allowed Ji Jiaying to act with such malice. He was even more annoying than the early Pei Yuan. Pei Xiao shouldn’t like her either—so why send gifts?

Pei Yuan waved his hand impatiently for Chen Jia to release him. “Speak!”

Chang Xi scrambled up, covered in dust, and cautiously eyed Pei Yuan. “When two nations are at war, one does not execute the envoy.”

Pei Yuan smirked and nodded. “I won’t kill you.”

Chang Xi breathed a sigh of relief. He gritted his teeth and relayed the message: “The Side Consort acted rudely today. My Prince sends these gifts first as an apology to the Fourth Imperial Consort. Second, as a gesture of kindness and friendship, knowing the Fourth Highness’s family is living in slight hardship. He noted the Fourth Consort lacks fine jewelry and elegant silks. My Prince says the Fourth Consort has the grace of an immortal and the beauty of a Goddess; only fine robes and pearls are fit for such a beauty…”

Bao Ning was genuinely stunned. She glanced at Pei Yuan and saw his face was as black as a pot’s bottom; he was on the verge of a violent explosion.

Chang Xi trembled, unable to continue. After a long silence, Pei Yuan gritted out, “You have quite the nerve!”

“My Prince only meant well…”

Pei Yuan suddenly stepped forward. Thinking he was about to be kicked, Chang Xi flinched back, but the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, he heard a sharp clang as Pei Yuan drew the long sword from Chen Jia’s scabbard.

Chang Xi hid behind Chen Jia, wailing, “You promised not to kill the envoy!”

Pei Yuan glared at him savagely, dragged the blade to the boxes, and swung. Wood chips flew and silver light flashed; in moments, the lead boxes were split in half. A chest filled with pearls was shattered, and round South Sea pearls spilled across the ground like rain. Jewelry lay scattered everywhere in a mess of glittering opulence.

Chang Xi cried out in physical pain for the lost wealth.

Bao Ning was even more shocked; she could see Pei Xiao had spent a fortune. But why would he send her such precious things?

When Pei Yuan turned and saw Bao Ning’s stunned expression, jealousy surged in his heart like a tidal wave. He had given her fine things before, and whenever he got something good, he would rush to present it to her—but he had never seen her look like this. Was she really charmed by a little kindness from a strange man?

Gazing at Pei Yuan’s increasingly eerie expression, Bao Ning guessed what he was thinking. She knew how petty he could be. But this time, she really couldn’t explain herself, especially with so many people watching. She thought to herself: If Pei Yuan turns against me again over something like this, after the precedent with Meng Fan, I really will kick him out.

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.

Bao Ning spoke first. “Eunuch Chang, the Crown Prince may have misunderstood. We will not be accepting these things…”

“We’ll take them. Why refuse a meat pie falling from the sky?” Pei Yuan interrupted. His tone was chillingly sarcastic. Bao Ning sighed and let him be.

Pei Yuan didn’t look at Bao Ning again. He weighed the sword in his hand and eyed the last large chest, which was tightly sealed. He picked the lock with the tip of his blade and sliced it open. Someone nearby opened the lid, revealing several golden carp swimming inside.

“Why send fish?” Pei Yuan asked.

Chang Xi stammered, “I heard… I heard the Fourth Consort likes them…”

The sour fire in Pei Yuan’s heart reached his throat. He snorted and swished the blade through the water. “He certainly did his research, didn’t he?”

Bao Ning stood aside. She knew Pei Yuan was furious, but she didn’t plan to intervene; she wanted to see how he would vent his anger.

He fell silent again, but the veins on his hand gripping the hilt bulged. He was in a towering rage.

“The Crown Prince is so generous. It would be petty of me to refuse his kindness. I shall accept these things. Please convey my thanks to him when you return. I must not only thank him but return the favor. However, I am truly ‘strapped for means’ and have no fine objects to give, so I shall gift him a ‘wondrous sight’ instead.”

Pei Yuan’s gaze locked onto Chang Xi. “Let him appreciate the ‘Spectacle of the Merman’.”

Chang Xi had been happy thinking he had completed his mission, but hearing this, his spine went cold. Pei Yuan beckoned Chen Jia and whispered in his ear. Chen Jia nodded. Pei Yuan then put his arm around Bao Ning’s shoulder and led her back into the manor, ignoring what happened behind them.

“What did you tell him?” Bao Ning asked softly.

From behind them came Chang Xi’s scream, followed by muffled whimpering as his mouth was gagged. Bao Ning tried to turn around, but Pei Yuan held her head straight. “Don’t worry about it.”

She gave up. She didn’t see that behind them, Chang Xi was stripped to his undergarments. His pant legs were tied tight, and five or six carp were stuffed into his waistband. The cold, hard scales rubbed against his bare skin, making him thrash in pain. His hands and feet were bound, and with his waistband tightened, the fish were trapped against his legs.

Chen Jia caught one more fish and stuffed its head into Chang Xi’s mouth so he couldn’t even scream. He was thrown into the water chest and escorted back to the Crown Prince’s palace by Chen Jia.

On the way back, Pei Yuan was gloomy and silent. Bao Ning didn’t try to coax him. When Yuanzi saw her, he happily hugged her leg. “Auntie, you were gone for so long. I missed you.”

Pei Yuan asked sourly, “Oh? And you didn’t miss me?”

Yuanzi pouted at him, said nothing, and ran off to play.

Pei Yuan cursed, “Like father, like son—both are irritating pests!”

Bao Ning watched him helplessly. Pei Yuan kept his hands behind his back, ignored her, and walked straight into the house. He remained in that “dead” mood through dinner. Bao Ning washed up and made the bed without saying a word to him.

When the lamps were lit, Bao Ning changed into her nightclothes. After settling in, she sat on the bed rubbing scented balm into her hands. Pei Yuan sat at the table polishing his sword, looking distracted and stealing glances at her.

He didn’t even know why he was acting so awkward. There was no real reason. He wasn’t angry at Bao Ning; his heart just felt tight, and he was holding back a fire.

He peeked at Bao Ning’s silhouette. Her hair was draped down her back, her waist was slender, and she was slowly losing her girlish frame and growing up. Her face was fair, her lips tender, and her lashes long. She was beautiful and sweet; it made sense that many people would like her. But she was already married! Why were there still people without eyes!

Pei Yuan slammed his sword onto the table with a thud .

Bao Ning sighed, closed her jar of balm, and asked gently, “How long are you going to keep this up before you go to sleep?”

Pei Yuan stared at her with an unfriendly gaze, thinking darkly: Maybe I should just get a golden chain and lock her in this room so she can’t go anywhere.

Bao Ning shook her head. She had overestimated him; it was too hard for him to snap out of it on his own. But his current state wasn’t too bad—at least he wasn’t throwing a tantrum. To help him improve, she decided to give him some encouragement.

She got off the bed, walked behind him, and hugged him, resting her chin in the crook of his shoulder. “What are you thinking about?”

Pei Yuan had been wondering if the golden chain should go on her wrist or her ankle, but the moment she hugged him, those dark thoughts vanished. He couldn’t bear to do it.

“I’m thinking… that I regret it,” Pei Yuan said.

“Regret what?”

She smelled warm and fragrant. Pei Yuan clenched his fists, then loosened them, pulling her into his lap. His voice turned deep and dark. “I should have consummated our marriage sooner and had a child. Would that have tied you to me for good?”

Bao Ning looked up in surprise. Seeing he wasn’t joking, she was startled and tried to jump up and run.

“Where are you going?”

Pei Yuan hoisted her onto his shoulder, strode toward the bed, pulled the curtains shut, and tumbled with her into the soft bedding.

Su Mingyou was scared to death. She had heard a commotion at the manor gate earlier. Being lonely in her room, she had her maid help her over to see what was happening. She never expected to see Chang Xi—the Crown Prince’s personal attendant!

That would have been fine. But then, she saw Zhao Qian!

She couldn’t help but recall that absurd night last year…

To this day, she didn’t think she was wrong. She was Pei Che’s wife; she had no lack of food or wealth, but she had never been loved. Who doesn’t want to be cherished? Pei Che had his “tender land”—he loved that ugly maid who was always by his side. Why couldn’t she find her own “tender land”? If princesses could keep male favorites, why couldn’t she?

Zhao Qian… did he see her?

Su Mingyou didn’t want him to see her. If he did, the peaceful life she had worked so hard to maintain would be shattered. Yet, she felt lonely.

She dismissed her maid and lay on the bed, thinking back and forth before finally giving up. Zhao Qian was Pei Xiao’s guard. Even if he was just a nameless nobody, he was Pei Xiao’s man. Contacting him was too risky. Her fourth brother and sister-in-law treated her so well; how could she be so ungrateful?

Let it be, then…

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