Chapter 4
Chapter 4
As Pei Xianjing spoke, his gaze slid over the golden-thread nanmu box.
He did not offer a single word of explanation, and Xing Shuwei did not ask.
When she remained silent for a long while, Pei Xianjing jostled the arm around her waist, prompting her to speak.
Xing Shuwei raised her arms around his neck and said with a winsome yet earnest air, “I will serve the future mistress of the household just as I serve Brother Jing.
“I certainly won’t let jealousy and rivalry disturb your inner household or affect your mood and official career.”
Pei Xianjing lifted a hand and tipped her chin up with his well-defined fingers. “I like how sensible you are.”
Her skin felt smooth, supple, and firm beneath his fingertips.
When she tipped her head back, the purple bruises hidden beneath her collar sprang into view.
Yesterday flashed abruptly through his mind.
Stirred by the thought, he lowered his head and kissed her neck.
“Brother Jing,” Xing Shuwei cried in alarm.
“Not there.”
She meant that he could not leave any more marks on her neck.
She still had to face other people.
There was no telling how many days the marks he had left would take to fade.
He was frightening when his passions turned fierce.
“Then where may I, hmm?” Pei Xianjing asked as his lips wandered over Xing Shuwei’s neck.
“Nowhere… Don’t leave marks anywhere. If someone sees them, who knows what rumors will spread?”
Her face flushed crimson, and her entire body burned.
Taking her hand, he loosened his own robe…
Perhaps he had taken Xing Shuwei’s words to heart, or perhaps yesterday’s fury had left him. Either way, his movements were far gentler than the day before.
At the height of his passion, he caught Xing Shuwei’s earlobe between his lips and said, “Weiwei is so good. How could I bear to let anyone bully you?”
“I will protect you.”
Naturally, Xing Shuwei did not take such a weightless promise to heart.
Still, her eyes shone with emotion. One hand resting on his shoulder, she did not forget to please him even through her flushed cheeks and hazy gaze. “Weiwei knows Brother Jing dotes on her most.”
Pei Xianjing turned her over and gathered her into his arms. His hand found her lips. “Do you like it this way?”
…
An unknown amount of time passed before Pei Xianjing finally stopped, thoroughly satisfied.
Utterly exhausted, Xing Shuwei rose at once to dress and leave.
Pei Xianjing stroked her back, amusement in his voice. “You can still walk?”
“If I force myself, I can make it back.” Xing Shuwei suppressed her physical discomfort.
“No one dares enter my courtyard. You could sleep until the sun is high tomorrow, and it would not matter,” Pei Xianjing said.
“How could I do that?” She had already finished dressing as she spoke.
“What if Princess Jin’an somehow learns about this and makes trouble for you?
“Even within your own estate, it is better to be safe than sorry. Everything I do is for Brother Jing’s sake.”
Pei Xianjing toyed with the edge of her robe, the pleasure in his features slowly fading-
Her thoughts truly did run deep. One golden-thread nanmu box had been enough for her to guess everything.
The Emperor had not yet openly declared his intention to marry Princess Jin’an to him.
This was not merely an imperial marriage. It was also preparation for Pei Xianjing’s promotion into the Grand Secretariat.
Never in the history of the Great Yue dynasty had a father and son served together as Chief Grand Secretary and Second Grand Secretary.
His father had already risen to the position of Second Grand Secretary. If the Emperor wished to break precedent and make his father Chief Grand Secretary and Pei Xianjing the Second Grand Secretary, he needed a plausible justification.
If Pei Xianjing became embroiled in some disgraceful scandal now, entry into the Grand Secretariat would become a distant dream, and even the imperial favor he currently enjoyed might vanish like smoke.
Were all his years of careful planning to be ruined at the last moment?
Irritation rose inexplicably within Pei Xianjing.
Had he known this day would come, he should have taken her into his own courtyard much earlier. Then no outsider would have had any place to gossip now.
Though Pei Xianjing was already twenty-two, he had always kept himself chaste.
Yesterday had been his first time as well.
Who could have known how intoxicating that first taste would be? Now, whenever he thought of Xing Shuwei, he longed to keep her in his arms every moment of the day…
He had waited far too long for the day Xing Shuwei turned eighteen.
He had cut through the chaos in Qizhou with swift decisiveness, then traveled day and night back to the capital, all to present her with a birthday gift.
Unexpectedly, a day’s delay on the road made him miss her birthday. Worse, the moment he entered the estate, he learned that the heir to the Marquis of Qingyuan was considering her as a marriage prospect.
Unable to contain his anger, Pei Xianjing had failed to give her the gift he prepared. Instead, he had…
“Weiwei, you must behave yourself.”
With those thoughts in mind, Pei Xianjing sighed.
Xing Shuwei looked at him with her clear, bright eyes.
How much better behaved could she possibly be?
She spent every day secluded in Qianchen Pavilion, never stepping beyond its doors. Yet at one command from his mother, she had to attend upon her through wind or snow.
In front of him, she had never so much as shown a cold expression.
Was she still not well behaved enough?
Even a marionette could hardly be more obedient than she was.
After a long moment, she curved her lips into a faint smile. “All right, Brother Jing.”
Satisfied, Pei Xianjing allowed her to leave.
Xing Shuwei’s legs and waist ached terribly, and she could only walk with painfully slow steps.
Pei Xianjing watched her departing figure, unable to name the feeling in his heart.
With a clatter, the golden-thread nanmu box fell from the head of the bed.
He glanced at it, and his mood soured further.
…
Xing Shuwei stumbled back to Qianchen Pavilion.
Qiutong waited at the entrance to receive her. Seeing how difficult even walking was for her, the maid hurried forward to support her with both hands.
“Miss, Young Master Xing will return today. What will you do in this condition?” Qiutong frowned, deeply worried.
Her mistress had always cared most about her younger brother and never wanted him to worry. How could she hide this from him now?
“Young Master Xing is perceptive. He may well notice something.”
Xing Shuwei caught Qiutong’s hand. “Yan’er must never learn what happened between the Eldest Young Master and me.”
Qiutong nodded. “I’m not foolish. If Young Master Xing learns the truth, his heart will ache.
“And he will think that he dragged you down.”
Back then, had Young Master Xing not been so young, and had Dowager Lady Pei not baited her mistress with promises to educate him, help him enter the army, and protect both siblings, her mistress would probably not have agreed so quickly to follow the old woman to the capital.
Her mistress and Young Master Xing had entered the Duke’s household with an immense fortune. Not only had they never enjoyed a single decent day, they lived in constant fear, never certain they would survive the next.
“Miss, how much of our silver do you think remains after all these years?” Qiutong asked.
After considering for a moment, Xing Shuwei replied, “Only a small portion entered the household’s common coffers. That old woman must have hidden most of it away for her biological son.”
“But who knows where she hid it?” Qiutong sighed.
She could not help worrying when she considered her mistress’s current situation and plans.
Xing Shuwei patted her shoulder and reassured her, “Don’t worry. I have my own plans.”
Since Dowager Lady Pei had set her sights on the Marquis of Qingyuan’s estate, Xing Shuwei would find a way to use that very estate to make the old woman bring out her family’s fortune.
“Take a message to Fourth Brother. Tell him he must bring Yan’er and me to the Shen family’s banquet.”
“Yes. I’ll go now.” Qiutong accepted the order and quickly left.
Xing Shuwei leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger-
It was time Yan’er broadened his horizons as well.
Not every noble young master was calculating or corrupt. Some were pure of heart.
If Yan’er could befriend one of them, he would have another path open to him in the future.