Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Xing Shuwei pleaded with him, “Brother Jing, please take it easy. Weiwei…”
But his lips immediately covered hers, swallowing the rest of her words.
She was forced to arch her neck, her slender waist encircled by one of Pei Xianjing’s powerful arms.
With the slightest lift, her waist rose into the air while her shoulders barely touched the bed.
A sudden draft swept over her cheek. Startled, she looked toward the window and saw that the wind had indeed blown it open a crack.
Xing Shuwei paled in alarm and hurriedly slapped Pei Xianjing’s shoulder. “Stop.”
“Go close the window first, and check whether the door is bolted while you are at it.”
“Weiwei, concentrate.”
Pei Xianjing ignored her. One hand locked around hers while the other clasped the back of her head as he suckled greedily, refusing to release her no matter how she struggled.
With one violent thrust, Xing Shuwei’s nails raked several long, bloody scratches across his back.
Pei Xianjing winced, his brow furrowing slightly. “If Weiwei refuses to behave, do not blame me for showing no tenderness.”
Xing Shuwei’s tears fell like pearls from a broken strand.
The feeling of being held fast, unable to break free no matter what she did, was unbearable.
It was just like her fate.
A woman no one cherished had sold everything simply to survive, secure her brother’s future, and recover the property that rightfully belonged to her family, yet she was still controlled at every turn…
She could not stop crying. Whether to hide her distress or simply avoid looking at him, she desperately turned her head aside.
Her ink-black hair had been tousled, covering half her face.
The small portion of porcelain-white skin still visible, paired with the reddened corners of her eyes, made her look heartbreakingly pitiful.
Pei Xianjing’s heart suddenly stirred. In a hoarse voice, he coaxed, “Can you stop crying? I will be gentler.
“The window is open only a crack. What does it matter? Chengde is guarding the courtyard gate. Without my orders, who would dare enter?
“Weiwei, do you distrust me that much?”
Xing Shuwei only cried harder.
He was the one holding her down and preventing her from moving!
He was the one who refused to get up and close the window!
If anyone discovered them like this, she had no idea what kind of predicament she would face.
Yet he spoke of it so lightly!
And despite all Pei Xianjing’s coaxing, his movements showed no sign of stopping.
He kissed the tears from her face and murmured, “Asking me to stop now would be the death of me!”
His lips wandered around her ear and the hollow of her neck. “You have no idea how deadly this is, do you?”
Xing Shuwei sighed in resignation.
She understood now. This man had no intention of stopping at all…
…
The next day, Pei Xianjing left early on official business. Xing Shuwei refused even to eat breakfast and hurried back to Qianchen Pavilion.
She had Qiutong bring water, then bathed and changed back into her own clothes.
“Miss, the clothes the Eldest Young Master prepared fit so well and look so beautiful. Why not keep them on?” Qiutong asked.
Xing Shuwei had already put on her underclothes. “They are too conspicuous. If anyone sees me, gossip will be unavoidable.”
“Very well.” Qiutong sounded disappointed. “Miss is so beautiful, yet you cannot dress yourself up. Even this servant thinks it a waste of such a lovely face.”
As Xing Shuwei put on her outer robe, she said slowly, “Whatever one does, pleasing oneself is enough.”
The moment she finished speaking, Matron Gao’s voice came from beyond the courtyard gate.
“Miss Xing, Lady Pei asks you to come over. She has an important task to entrust to you.”
Xing Shuwei did not dare delay for even a moment and hurried to Panlin Court with Qiutong.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived at Panlin Court, Lady Pei had several sets of clothes brought out.
She took a pink set and a pale-yellow set from one maid and handed them to Xing Shuwei. “Miss Xing, these were prepared for you.”
Then she looked at the lake-green clothes held by another maid and said to Qiutong, “These were prepared for Qiutong.”
At those words, Qiutong looked fearfully at Xing Shuwei. In their four years at the Duke’s estate, this was the first time anything like this had happened.
Xing Shuwei was no less puzzled than Qiutong.
After a moment, Xing Shuwei suppressed her unease and gave Qiutong a reassuring smile, signaling her to accept the gift. Then they both bent in a bow and thanked Lady Pei.
“I have not been feeling well lately. The estate will hold a banquet for guests in a few days, so I will need you to put in some effort,” Lady Pei said after they had thanked her.
Xing Shuwei was about to say that, as an outsider, it would be improper for her to take charge of a banquet.
But Lady Pei gave her no chance to speak and continued, “You often attend me in my court and know the servants and matrons well. They will cooperate with you more readily.
“I would not trust this matter to anyone else. Princess Jin’an will attend, so nothing can be allowed to go wrong.
“You also need an opportunity to distinguish yourself before the Princess, do you not?”
At those words, Xing Shuwei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least Lady Pei did not intend to place her in Pei Xianjing’s room as a bedchamber maid.
Knowing she could not refuse, Xing Shuwei nodded obediently.
“If you need anything, tell Matron Gao. Beginning today, you will prepare the banquet and make the necessary purchases,” Lady Pei instructed.
Xing Shuwei knew this was no good thing, yet she could not refuse.
She accepted the gifts and returned to Qianchen Pavilion with Qiutong.
She began by writing down the dishes needed for the banquet.
Then, based on the menu, she considered which restaurant’s cooks to hire.
The banquet was scheduled for five days later, so everything had to be settled today and a deposit paid to the restaurant.
Lady Pei had given her no menus from previous banquets as a reference.
Fortunately, Xing Shuwei had once helped her mother arrange such events. Although those occasions had been much smaller, she at least knew every step of the process.
As she set down her brush, her elbow accidentally struck the brocade box on the table.
The box fell to the floor, and the folding fan inside tumbled out.
Qiutong bent to pick it up. “This is the fan Miss brought back from the Marquis of Qingyuan’s estate.
“This servant never had a chance to ask what Miss wished to do with it, so I casually left it here.”
The fan had opened slightly. Xing Shuwei glanced at it and was astonished to discover that the handwriting on its surface looked remarkably like her own left-handed script.
“Give it to me,” Xing Shuwei said.
Qiutong handed her the fan.
She opened it fully, her brows knitting tight. How could this handwriting be identical to her mother’s?
But her mother had died beneath an enemy soldier’s blade four years ago. Xing Shuwei had watched her draw her final breath. There was no possibility that her mother was still alive.
Yet the ink on the fan was plainly recent. Could Mother perhaps…
Xing Shuwei closed the fan, placed it back in the brocade box, and instructed Qiutong, “Keep this safe.”
“Yes.” Qiutong asked no questions and carefully stored the box in the cabinet.
“Miss, even if Lady Pei is unwell and cannot arrange the banquet herself, the estate still has the Second Madam and Third Madam. At worst, Dowager Lady Pei or the Eldest Young Lady could take charge.
“How did the work of the household’s presiding mistress fall to you? Who knows what Lady Pei is really plotting?” Qiutong asked in confusion.