Chapter 101

"I'm so sorry to her..."

Pei Yuyan casually picked up an open wine jar from the table and splashed the wine on his face.

She was seething with anger and snapped, "Are you sober now?! Sit up!"

Pei Yuyan grabbed his collar, "Look at yourself! You reek of alcohol and look utterly pathetic! Even if you died drunk today, what difference would it make?!"

Her bloodshot eyes darted around, and seeing that he was awake, Pei Yuyan let go of his hand and opened all four windows, letting the sunlight stream in and filling the room with the smell of alcohol.

"If you're still a man, get yourself together properly and go out to do things or find people, instead of staying in your room drinking yourself into a stupor!"

Ultimately, in the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, the two siblings grew up relying on each other. Pei Yuyan knew his temperament; her brother rarely had such a dejected moment.

His trip to Anyang must have involved something extraordinary.

But she couldn't bear to see him so dejected and dispirited.

The wine residue clung to his collar. Pei Lingjun sobered up a bit, sat down on the edge of the couch with his head down, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister, why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" Pei Yuyan sat at a table not far away. "The servants in the manor said you've been in a daze all day and are about to die, so I couldn't bother with my work and rushed over to see you."

His head was throbbing, he drank heavily all day and couldn't tell day from night, and his throat hurt terribly even to speak. "The servants are all talking nonsense..."

With a "snap".

The rosewood wooden table was struck heavily.

Pei Lingjun remained silent.

Pei Yuyan instructed her servants to tidy up the side room, prepare water and clothes, and invited the two Pei guards, who were oblivious to everything else and obsessed with getting drunk in the room, to leave.

"Go inside and wash yourself before you come out, the stench is giving me a headache." Pei Yuyan pushed him into the side room and then ordered the guards to go in and keep watch.

Just then, Cui Pei came to visit Pei Lingjun, and Pei Yuyan caught him and asked him for an explanation.

Cui Pei dared not lie; that was the eldest brother's own sister. Could he afford to offend her?

So he spilled the beans and explained everything clearly.

Their leader was so heartbroken after returning to the capital because of a woman.

Pei Yuyan was both relieved that he had finally come to his senses and sighed at the girl's unfortunate fate.

The young man came out of the house, having changed into a gray-blue round-necked robe. His beard was clean-shaven, and he was mostly sober.

However, the bloodshot eyes were quite terrifying.

“I’m sorry to have worried you, sister.” Pei Lingjun glanced at Cui Pei behind her and said, “The Empress Dowager has cut off her own arm and abandoned Cai Hui. Right now, the people in the court are not at peace and the factional fighting is serious. If I stay in Jijing, I will be a sitting duck. Today I will write to His Majesty and go out to hide for a while.”

The young man's face seemed no different from usual, but Pei Yuyan was his older sister, and they had grown up together. She knew that he was in a bad mood right now.

"My worries are nothing. Mother is still at home. Aren't you afraid of her—"

“She won’t.” The young man’s eyes were dark and deep, his tone leaving no room for argument, and his eyes were clear. “She just focuses on worshipping Buddha, and nothing else can bother her.”

When the topic turned to the First Madam of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, both siblings fell silent in unison.

Cui Pei dared not utter a sound.

After a long silence, Pei Yuyan finally said, "If the girl you like runs away, go find her. They say even the most virtuous woman can be won over by a persistent suitor. You should learn how to win a girl's heart. You always have that cold, unapproachable face. No wonder no girl will like you!"

Cui Pei nodded silently, agreeing in his heart: That's right, that's right. In Anyang, Wen Si Niangzi was unhappy whenever she saw the eldest brother, but the eldest brother was different; he was happy whenever he saw Si Niangzi.

Pei Lingjun's face darkened as he was mercilessly criticized by his older sister.

After Cui Peigang finished complaining in his heart, he suddenly met Pei Lingjun's slightly warning eyes, and guiltily looked away, glancing at the sky and the ground.

The sky is so blue, and the ground is so clean...

“Zijin isn’t in a hurry to come back. You can take him with you. Let him see the dangers outside and temper his temper so he won’t cause trouble for me as soon as he comes back.”

"Then I'll trouble you to take care of the household, sister."