Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Xing Shuwei had kept her head bowed, sitting silently on his lap.
But at his words, tears began spilling down her cheeks, impossible to stop.
They struck the back of his hand, turning from scalding hot to cold moments later.
Pei Xianjing did not wipe them away. Instead, he gently clasped her hand and lowered his head to blow softly on her wounds.
Xing Shuwei shifted her arm, trying to pull it away.
“Why sulk at me now? When someone else bullied you, why did you simply endure it?”
Even without Xing Shuwei naming the person who had hurt her, Pei Xianjing could tell that someone must have bullied her.
With her cautious nature, she would never go looking for trouble.
The faint ripple that had just stirred in Xing Shuwei’s heart vanished without a trace.
She had not intended to explain, but his tone made it sound as though she had willingly let herself be bullied.
“I’m only a lowly merchant’s daughter. How could I possibly resist imperial authority?
“Even when I keep my head down and hide, undeserved calamity can strike at any moment.
“What else can I do but endure it?”
The grievances she had buried deep in her heart finally burst from her lips.
“Was it Princess Jin’an who did this to you?” Pei Xianjing froze at her words.
He seemed unable to believe his own guess.
“The Princess is Heaven’s favored daughter. Why would she even spare me a glance?
“It was merely two eunuchs who feared I might be lonely in my secluded chamber.” As Xing Shuwei spoke, fat tears streamed ceaselessly down her face.
Pei Xianjing had known Xing Shuwei for four years. Even in bed, when he coaxed her to voice her pleasure, she refused.
She would rather bite her lip and endure in silence than say a word.
Yet now, she had blurted out something so repellent without a second thought!
One could only imagine how much fouler the things those two eunuchs had said to her must have been!
And how could two eunuchs have dared cause trouble in the Duke’s estate?
Who else but Princess Jin’an could have put them up to it?
Pei Xianjing’s brows drew tight. Gazing tenderly at the woman in his arms, he stood with her and set her on the daybed. “I’ll have Gao Li come attend you. I’m going to find you a physician.”
“There’s no need for a physician. I’ll be fine soon,” Xing Shuwei urged.
“Do as I say.” He pulled over a quilt and covered her with it, then abruptly asked, “Where has Qiutong gone?”
Xing Shuwei paused. She had no idea how things were going on Qiutong’s end.
Naturally, she did not dare tell him the truth. “I asked her to keep an eye on the banquet. I organized it, after all.”
Pei Xianjing narrowed his eyes slightly. He had known nothing of this.
It seemed that while he had been away from the estate, occupied with official duties, she truly had suffered many grievances.
“Mother’s conduct was entirely improper.” Pei Xianjing’s voice turned a shade colder. “Rest assured. I will never make you toil over such things again.”
At his words, Xing Shuwei slipped her fingers between his, entwining their hands.
Now that her emotions had settled, she still had to coax him.
She could not let Pei Xianjing notice anything amiss.
If he became forceful and refused to let her leave the estate, both Yan’er’s entry into the Embroidered Uniform Guard and her own departure from the Duke’s estate would be put on hold.
Four years had long since taught her that the Duke’s estate was no place to stay. Now there was Princess Jin’an as well… She dared not imagine what fate awaited her if she remained trapped within this walled inner residence.
Pei Xianjing’s gaze fell on her slender fingers. The nails of her index and middle fingers had broken halfway down.
By the time Xing Shuwei realized what he was doing, he had bent down beside the daybed and was kissing the back of her hand with exquisite tenderness.
Xing Shuwei could scarcely believe it. Her voice trembled as she called, “Brother Jing.”
Tears still clung to her delicate face, and her limpid eyes brimmed with surprise.
After a moment of silence, Xing Shuwei threw herself into his arms. She wrapped both arms beneath his and around him, her sobs ringing clearly beside his ear.
“Weiwei was truly frightened out of her wits today. Weiwei didn’t mean to make Brother Jing angry.
“Weiwei was afraid of making things difficult for you, afraid that a misunderstanding with the Princess over Weiwei would drive a wedge between you.
“I couldn’t have wished for anything more than to organize your promotion banquet.
“Brother Jing, please don’t trouble Lady Pei over this. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m trying to damage the bond between mother and son.”
Xing Shuwei’s show of weakness made her seem like a different person from the stubborn woman who had silently protested just moments before.
Pei Xianjing embraced her in return, gently patting her back as he comforted her. “My relationship with Mother grew distant years ago.
“When she makes things difficult for you, it is most likely because of me.”
“How could that be? You’re her eldest legitimate son and have distinguished yourself so greatly. She couldn’t cherish and indulge you enough.” As Xing Shuwei spoke, her soft, warm lips brushed lightly across his neck.
Her warm breath, sweet with fragrance, slipped straight beneath his collar.
He had not seen Xing Shuwei for several days and missed her terribly.
Whenever he found a spare moment amid his official work, she came to mind.
He thought of her docile manner, of the tips of her ears flushing faintly when desire took hold, and of her ink-black hair spread across the bed.
He liked enclosing her in his arms and peeling away her layer upon layer of clothing as though shelling an egg.
At the thought, his heart gave a lurch, and his cool, thin lips immediately pressed against her neck.
Xing Shuwei tensed. She hastily released him and pushed lightly at his shoulder. “Brother Jing should attend to your affairs first. Weiwei will wait for you to return, then tell you all her grievances in detail.”
Pei Xianjing’s voice was languid and intimate. “Now you remember I have business to attend to? Why didn’t you think of that when you were enticing me just now?”
Xing Shuwei blushed and protested coyly, “How can you blame that on me?”
Her small hand stroked his chest, conveying nothing but reluctance to part.
Pei Xianjing looked at her injuries and forced down the fire kindling within him. “I’ll stay with you all night tonight. First, I’m going to find you a physician.”
Xing Shuwei nodded and watched him leave.
After leaving Qianchen Pavilion, Pei Xianjing encountered a flustered Pei Guofei and Zheng Yan on his way to the banquet in the front courtyard.
The moment Zheng Yan saw him, she anxiously turned to flee.
Pei Guofei did not dare run. Secretly catching hold of Zheng Yan’s sleeve, he looked at Pei Xianjing and called, “Eldest Brother.”
Face cold, Pei Xianjing strode over and demanded, “What are you doing here?”
They were very close to Qianchen Pavilion.
Pei Guofei stammered, unable to force out a single word for a long while.
Zheng Yan hid behind him, nervous and frightened, forgetting even to greet Pei Xianjing.
“Look at yourself. What sort of behavior is this?” Pei Xianjing rebuked Pei Guofei.
“You brought a noble female guest here without permission. Where is your sense of propriety? What were you planning to do?”
Pei Guofei had only just lived through the confrontation between Princess Jin’an and Zhang Mingan.
Just as he was about to quietly pull Zheng Yan away from the scene, Shen Yanqi had arrived to clean up the aftermath. Then Pei Xuanfei had come for a clandestine meeting with Shen Yanqi…
Not one of those things could be spoken of.
His meeting with Zheng Yan also counted as a clandestine rendezvous, so he could hardly explain that either…
“Eldest Brother…” Pei Guofei called in trepidation. “I know I was wrong.
“Miss Zheng and I are innocent. We didn’t do anything.
“It’s only…”
“You have no sense of priorities.” Pei Xianjing’s voice was icy. “And you remain unrepentant. Go kneel in the ancestral hall.”
Pei Guofei did not dare disobey. After nodding his assent, he still could not stop worrying about Zheng Yan.
“Eldest Brother,” he pleaded, “I’m afraid Miss Zheng will lose her way. Could I trouble you to escort her to the front courtyard?”